CHAPTER 2-KEEP YOUR EYES FRONT, I WILL WATCH THE REAR
Claire soothed her dress to sit on a nearby bench and Hope did the same. Claire smiled at her family's happiness. They were all eating food and cake and for a moment she wished she wasn't as nervous so she could eat something. But nonetheless, she couldn't ignore Hope forever. It wasn't like she got a good first impression of the guy or that she didn't find him attractive. Claire was just nervous and didn't want for him to get a bad impression of her or for her emotions to get the best of her. Claire looks down at her dress trying not to look at Hope when he says to her "You look beautiful." He says with a smile. "Thank you." She replies without looking at him, trying hard not to blush. "My name is Hope. Even though you may already know, it is still polite to introduce yourself." Hope says as he extends a hand out for Claire to shake. "I am Claire Farron." She says in a shaky voice and she nervously takes Hope's hand and for the first time since they kissed, looked into his eyes. They burned with such intensity that she couldn't look away even if she tried. She immediately everything about him-his politeness, his voice, the determination in his eyes and especially the way he kissed her. Although it will probably be a while before she allows him to do it anytime soon. "Claire, such a pretty name. It fits you." He says and his smile doesn't leave his face. "Thanks, Hope sort of fits you, too. We all need something to Hope for." Claire said as she finally returned his smile. Claire was trying so hard not to let her thoughts run away for they were get her into something she isn't ready for. Hope noticed how her smile lit up her eyes and her whole face. This pulled at his heart strings immediately. He had to look away so he could recollect himself and not say anything embarrassing. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away. She was young and one thing he had to do was take it slow. Before Hope could make more conversation, a girl with orange hair and dressed in all black approached him. "Hey, Vanille." Hope said delight as his face lit up. "I didn't see you during the ceremony, is everything ok?" He asked. Vanille simply nodded. "Oh, yeah. No need to worry." She said in her cheery, high-pitched voice. "My car broke down and I had to wait forever for a cab!" She said with a frown as she looked away but then she smiled again. Hope noticed her eyes were a little puffy and red but didn't choose to comment on it. "Well, you are here now and that is all that matters." Hope says as he hugs her. Vanille closes her eyes and enjoys the hug. Then, he turns to Claire. "Vanille, this is Claire. My wife. And Claire, this is Vanille, my long-time childhood friend." He says to her as Claire stands up and smiles at Vanille. Vanille rushes over and hugs her and almost squeezes the life out of her. "It is so glad to finally meet you. I can't wait to get to know you better!" Vanille says as she laughs and let's go. "Vanille!" Says a masculine voice from across the room. That voice belonged to a man with an afro with a chocobo napping in it. There was a young boy on his shoulders playing with the chocobo in his dad's hair. "Leave the happy couple alone for now." He says while smiling at Claire and Hope. "Fine, dad!" She says with a pout. "Well, Ciao!" She squeaks and then runs off. Claire tried to hide her curiosity on Vanille's attitude but Hope saw right through it. "Vanille is very cheery all the time and sometimes she rubs people the wrong way. However, she is really sweet and caring once you get to know her." Hope said with a smile.
Soon, once everyone was done eating, they made themselves busy by dancing. Married couples danced together while single people found their own dance partners. Vanille danced with her father, Sazh. Lumina and Dajh were together as well. Fang was still stuffing her face and messing with the organ player occasionally. Hope had noticed Claire made her way over to the food. Hope realized that eating would be a good idea. Hope cut himself a piece of cake and noticed Claire had poured chocolate syrup over her piece of cake. The cake was already chocolate flavored. "You really like chocolate, huh?" Hope asked in curiosity. Claire simply nodded and bit into her cake. Hope bit into the cake also. Claire smiled in delight. "The cake is so good." She said as she turned to Hope and he could see her face was covered in chocolate syrup and cake. Hope smiled and then laughed. "What?" Claire said oblivious to it. Hope then got a napkin and wiped Claire's face off. Hope licked his lips wanting to lick the chocolate off her face but kept his thoughts at bay. Hope smiled and looked into her eyes. "You must really like sweets, huh?" He asked in a gentle voice. Claire nodded as her whole face turned red. He was so close to her face and was looking at her in a seductive manner. Hope was sucked in by her beauty and innocence. Her blue eyes were so easy to get lost in. He soon realized how lucky he was to have someone like her. "You are so cute when you blush." He said with a smile. Claire laughed nervously and just continued to look at him. "Hey, bro!" Noel said as he came out of nowhere and ruffled Hope's hair and put him into a headlock. He smiled at Claire then turned back to his brother. "Look at you trying to be romantic. Haha." He said as Hope struggled out of his headlock. "Noel, unhand me this instant!" Hope yelled. Noel only laughed harder. "Oh, so proper now huh. Unhand me this instant!" As he mocked Hope. Suddenly, someone tapped Noel on his shoulder and Noel came face to face with his wife who had her hands on his hips. Her green eyes stared emotionlessly at Noel and he knew immediately he was in trouble. "Hey, dear." Noel said nervously. "You know I was just messing with bro here." He said as he tried to justify his actions. Yeul simply shook his head and then spoke. "Noel, you will have plenty of time to mess with them on family gatherings." She said with a smile. She then turned to Claire and apologized for the actions of her husband. She then took Noel by the hand, who had a goofy grin on his face and walked away. Claire laughed a little but then went back to the food. She has been eyeing some chocolate strawberries before Noel came over here. Hope noticed this and a grin was placed on his face. He picked up a strawberry and smeared it in chocolate syrup and points it to Claire. Claire slowly bits the chocolate covered strawberry in Hope's hands. Chocolate syrup ran onto Hope's fingers after Claire finished it. Hope was about to lick it off but Claire quickly grabbed his hand and licked the remaining chocolate off. Hope widened his eyes in surprise. Claire only smiled and chuckled as Hope's face turned bright red. "You are cute when you blush also." Claire said with a bigger smile. Hope laughed nervously and blushed even more. Hope then got a sudden urge to dance and handed his hand out to Claire. "Claire, my wife. Can you honor with me with a dance." Hope said with a blush still evident on his face. Claire nodded and took his hand. On the dance floor, they slow danced to the sweet, romantic instrumental music. Claire rested her head on Hope's big chest while Hope had one hand on her hip and the other entertwined with her hand. Claire had her free on his shoulder and had her eyes closed. Hope could feel her strawberry-scented hair and he could feel how tiny she was around her waist. Hope was just closed his eyes and enjoyed this moment with his new wife.
Hope and Claire said their goodbyes to their families and made their way out of the church. Hope led Claire over to his car and asked her "Are you ready to see your new home? I have lived in it for 3 years and now, it is your turn." Hope said as excitement filled his voice. Claire only nodded as she tried to let the realization hit her that her life was changing drastically. He helped into the car so she wouldn't mess up her pretty wedding dress. Hope got into the car and drove off. "Did you enjoy the ceremony? I know I did." Hope said to Claire trying to make conversation. Claire simply nodded and continued to look out the window. Hope could tell Claire was overly nervous. "You know, it is ok to be nervous. I am too, even though I am trying not to show it." Hope said with a nervous laugh. Claire just remained silent and wouldn't turn her eyes from the window. "If you prefer silence for now I understand, but you have to talk to me sometime." Hope said with a smile. Claire finally turned to him. "I have only one request from you regarding the living arrangements." Claire said. Hope listened to her. "I would like my own room. I know we are married but I.." Claire drifted off as she lost her voice. "I understand. You can have the master bedroom and I will move to a smaller room." Hope said. "Are you sure?" She asked. Hope smiled and nodded. A few minutes later, they neared the house. It was made out of wood but it was nice for a small couple just starting out. It also had a porch it equipped with a hammock, chairs and a table. Claire felt her heart drop from her chest down to her stomach as Hope led her to the front door while holding her suitcases. "This is the living room and the kitchen is right next to it." Hope informed her. Claire looked around and saw that the small living room was equipped with 2 couches and a TV. The carpet was red and led all the way to the entrance of the kitchen. Once to the kitchen entrance, the flooring changed from red carpet to white kitchen titles. The kitchen had a white refrigerator, a silver stove, a counter, and a black table with 2 chairs. "Down the hallway." Hope pointed down the hall. "Are three bedrooms, the master bedroom and two smaller ones." Hope said as he led her down the hall. The master bedroom was at the left of the hallway while the two little ones were across the hall from the master bedroom. In the middle of the hallway, was a bathroom. "I will start moving my stuff out of the master bedroom and into one of the smaller ones. Why don't you go check out downstairs." Hope said with a smile as always. Claire knew that Hope was only smiling to hide his hurt and discomfort. Claire suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "Are you sure? I can move to one of the smaller ones. I hate to give you trouble." She said, but Hope merely shook his head. "It is fine. You are my wife and it is my job to ensure the best comfortable life for you possible." He said with a wink. Claire nodded and reluctantly made her way downstairs. She still felt a little bad for putting Hope out of his room and just for a brief moment, she wished that she was brave enough to sleep in the same bed with him.
Downstairs, there were two rooms. One room had the wash and dryer in it and the other just looked like an ordinary wreck room with a simple couch, some tables, and a TV. Hope wondered if this is where hope entertained his guests. She even started to wonder if he even had guests. She started to shake when she realized just how little he knew about him. All she knew was his name and she was too scared and shy to ask him more about himself. Soon, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned around to come face to face with a soft smile on Hope's face. Whenever she looked, Hope had this happy smile and for some reason that was unknown to her, it made her feel so warm inside. "So, how do you like your new home?" He asked as he put his hands in his pockets and waited for answer. "It is nice, I really like it." Claire said in a quiet, shy voice. "Well, that's good. I moved all your bags in, you probably want to get out of that wedding dress, huh?" Hope said with a chuckle. Claire nodded and made her way up the steps and then stopped herself. She wanted to ask him just one simple question but just couldn't get it out. "Claire? Is something wrong?" Hope asked as he neared her on the steps. Claire turned to face him with a hint of red on her face. "What do you use this room for?" She asked with her bangs covering her blue eyes. "Nothing much, sometimes when my family comes over we would come down here and lay board games. That's about it." He said as he walked towards her and moved her bangs from in front her eyes. "Do not be afraid to talk to me, Claire. I won't bite." He said with a laugh. Claire nodded and then ran up the steps with her face turning even redder than before. Hope decided to go to his new room now and organize it. He figured Claire will talk to him more when she is ready.
Shortly, Claire was done organizing her room to her liken. She had looked outside to see that it was getting dark already. Hope was probably expecting dinner, but she wasn't really hungry. She had found a white tank top, blue jeans and some white socks to wear. She almost put on her formal clothes but then remembered this was her new home and there was no need to dress formal now. She also needed to learn more about her new husband. If this arrangement was going to work, she had to open up to him. But, why was it so hard for her to do. Everyone was telling her that it will be easy, but it just wasn't for her. Maybe she was different. Maybe this sort of lifestyle isn't for her. Still, she couldn't deny the fact that she would be really devastated if her she was in an arranged marriage for years where the people involved didn't know nothing about each other. No, she couldn't live like that. Claire got up from her new bed and made her way to Hope's room. She had tiptoed so Hope wouldn't see her. There he was sitting at his desk. The room was dark except for a small desk lamp on. Claire could see he was writing something but didn't know what. Claire also admired the way his silver hair looked so smooth and how focused he looked. Claire just stood in the doorway trying to get the courage to speak up. Hope eventually noticed that he wasn't the only one in his room. He turned towards the doorway to see his new wife dressed in casual clothes, but still looking beautiful as ever. She was staring at him right in his green eyes. In her eyes, Hope saw a frightened, little child who was thrown into a thing called life. Hope immediately felt sorry for her and felt the urge to hold her close to him. "Claire, is everything ok?" He asked in a worried tone. Claire looked away as a tear rolled down her face. Hope suddenly sprang up and ran over to her. He then kneeled down to her level and lightly grabbed her by her arms. "Do you like me? Do you find me pretty? What do you want from me? Do you want sex? Do you want kids? I am not ready for this!" Claire said between her sobs. "Claire, oh, Claire." Hope said as he gently wiped the tears away from her face. It pained him to see her like this. Hope then pulled her close to him without even thinking. "I do not want anything from you." He whispered in her ear. "I just want you to be happy. There is no rush to further this relationship. Please, do not take me for that kind of person, Claire. Just let me take care of you. I don't want you to have to worry about anything, my dear wife." Hope looked at her in her eyes as he was speaking and wiping her tears away. Claire looked deep into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity and concern for her.
She found that she became drawn to him and believed everything that he was telling her. She then leaned in towards him without thinking and Hope backed away a little. Claire then put her arms around his neck and leaned in further. Hope became mesmerized by the look of desire burning into her eyes and cupped her small cheek in his palm. Claire then snapped back to reality and turned away from Hope at the last minute. "I am sorry." She said in a low tone. "It is fine. You had to vent and I am glad you opened up to me." Hope said as he got up from the ground and made his way back to his desk. He decided not to mention what almost happened as he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. Hope then felt a little tug on his shirt. He then heard a shaken voice behind him. "I am 13 years old. I will be 14 on June 7th. I enjoy word-find puzzles and working in gardens. I can cook, clean, and sow just like a good wife should know how to. My favorite show is called Final Fantasy and my favorite kind of novels are romance comedies. If you want any more information, please do not hesitate to ask. Now, it is your turn." Claire said as her grip loosened on the back of his shirt and Hope turned around and gave her an innocent smile. "I am 21 and will turn 22 on September 4th. I work at a telephone company. I enjoy reading books about romance as well and I take notes for my telephone company. My favorite show is called Kingdom Hearts and my hobby is my job. Still, I am a very sociable person and I will not let my job get in the way of anything." Hope said with a smile. Claire also smiled and threw her arms around Hope and he willingly accepted her embrace. Claire buried her face in his chest and inhaled his sweet scent. Hope did the same and sat both of them on his bed. Claire curled up in his lap and rested her head on his chest. Hope just closed his eyes and enjoyed this moment. "You know," Claire said as she looked up at Hope. "Christmas is coming soon." She said with a smile. "It is my favorite holiday. Every year I would always decorate the tree." She said with a laugh. "Well, you can decorate the tree this year as well." Hope said with a smile. Now that he thought about it, Christmas was last than 3 weeks away. The couple had gotten married on Dec. 7th and before they knew, Christmas would be here. "Let's have a nice first Christmas." Claire said as she closed her eyes. Hope simply nodded and held Claire closer to his body. He loved the way her small body felt in his lap and Claire loved the way he was holding her. She felt so safe in his arms and she didn't want the feeling to go away.