3. Pain

Serah had tried to stay strong. She couldn't give up hope, it was what Lightning had taught her. That one lesson had been what she had clung to for so many years of pain and heartbreak…. But even she had her limits.

Serah leaned her chin against her leg, plainly not listening to whatever Noel was trying to tell her. She couldn't hear him. She was on the brink of some big mental break down, and trying to coax herself back out. She couldn't see the way he had been very concernedly watching her as they settled down to rest for the night.

Serah's eyes were locked on the ground just under her feet, her body completely still except for her chest and stomach moving up and down as she breathed.

Noel moved over to her, his concern out weighing that she may need space in his mind.

"Serah?" he called to her again, as he had been, but he hoped his movement would have drawn her attention. He got no response from her again, so Noel lightly placed his hand on Serah's shoulder. "Serah… What's wrong?"

She jumped, feeling his touch, but glanced up to see it was only Noel. Then she looked off again. "It's nothing" She responded quietly.

"Alright…If you say so, but if you want to talk, I'm here for you, ok?" He said sighing. He knew that something was bothering her, but Noel knew better then to try and pressure Serah into talking. It would cause whatever problem she was having to be taken out on him. He just watched her helplessly… He hated seeing her so upset, more then anything actually, but there wasn't anything he could do for her if he wasn't allowed to know the problem.

Serah simply nodded. "I know" she said while wrapping her arms around her legs. "You've always been there for me… since I've known you."

"And I never plan on letting that change." Noel said, giving her a confident smile. "Everyone needs someone they can count on, and well…" Noel chuckled slightly, not believing he was saying such rather "sappy" sounding things. "You're my someone, so, I figure I'd return the favor."

Serah glanced over to him, and gave a slight smile. "Thanks, Noel." She sighed, closing her eyes.

"You're welcome, you going to be ok?"

"I hope so…"

Noel sighed again. "Now I know there is something wrong." he moved to sit in front of her, crossing his legs. "Common Serah, talk to me. I know things have been hard on you, but I don't know how to help you if you won't tell me what's wrong. I can't read your mind."

Serah adjusted her position uneasily. "I'm just… fed up." She glanced up at him, but her head was still facing towards the ground. "I'm fed up and I don't know… I feel alone- Not to say that I am, I know you're here. But I just- I don't know…"

Noel shook his head. "I understand, don't worry about it. It's hard seeing everyone you love leave you… I know."

Serah nodded, leaning her chin on her knee again. "Everyone who was ever there for me is gone, nothing makes sense and I hate it!" She shut her eyes tight, trying to fight back the tears that where trying to form. "I just want something to make sense…something to be stable and normal so I don't go crazy!"

Noel looked at her a little curiously, leaning over to his arm, which was now resting on his leg. "That is kind of hard thing to ask for when you're a time traveler…."

"I know, I know." She sniffled. "But I'm not used to this… I've always had something- someone to fall back on. Lightning was always there for me, and when she stopped, I had Snow. But now, even he's left me! and I don't even know if he'll ever come back!" Serah buried her face into her arms and started t cry.

Noel sighed. That was the problem. Serah was trying to deal with Snow in her mind. They had just seen him recently after all. Noel scooted towards Serah, and rubbed her back with one hand, silently watching her.

"He was supposed to be there for me, He promised he would be, but he hasn't been in years!" she yelled into her arms.

He sighed again, continuing to rub her back, it was the best way he could think of the comfort her. "There really isn't much you can do about that. Snow's just going to continue to do what he wants." Noel made a fist at his side. Snow had already pissed him off enough but seeing how much Serah was hurting, it just made it worse.

"I know. He's always done what he wanted. I used to like that about him but now, I don't. I don't like it at all! I wanted to see him again so badly, and its like he didn't even care! He just wanted to beat the stupid giant tomato monster. He didn't even care about me!" She cried.

"Has this been bugging you this entire time Serah?" Noel asked, letting his hand linger on her shoulder.

Serah nodded. "I can't deal with this anymore."

Noel stayed quiet for a minute. He had something that he wanted to tell her. But he wasn't so sure if that was a good idea. I didn't want to go giving her bad advice, Serah was pretty impressionable, but still, he couldn't think of anything else to tell her. Nothing else in is mind seemed right.

"Then don't Serah. You don't have to deal with it if you don't want to. You're allowed to make your own choices, and run your own life. You don't always have to rely on doing whatever others want of you." Noel was looking directly at her as he spoke, even if she wasn't looking back. "No one will blame you for following what would make you happy. "And if they do," Noel chuckled. "I'll be sure to give 'em a piece of my mind. You've been hurt enough."

Serah's body trembled listening to Noel's words. She managed to lifter her head out of its hole in her arm, and lean her cheek on it, looking to Noel with her tear stained eyes. She could tell by his expression that he was completely serious about this. She simply stared back at him for a few minutes before saying anything else. "Thank you Noel…" Serah closed her eyes, allowing a few more tears to fall down her face.

Noel reached out his hand and lightly brushed her tears away. "You don't need to thank me. I hate seeing you so heart broken. I just want you to feel better, and see a smile return to your face." He smiled at her to hopefully cause her to do the same.

Serah did smile back slightly, but, surprisingly to Noel, she uncurled her body, and crawled over to hug him, tightly.

Noel sighed and hugged her back. "It'll be ok, you'll see…" he said quietly, assuring her.

Serah nodded into him, her breathing was still shaky, but calming down considerably.

"Feel better that you got that out?"

Serah lifted her self up, whipping her eyes on the back of her wrist. "A little…" She gave him a slight smile.

"Only a little?" he asked with a bit of a confused tone.

Serah nodded, but quickly glanced away again, looking towards the darkened sky.

"…. Is there something else wrong?" He asked, noticing that she was still averting her gaze from his.

"No, not really 'wrong'…" She paused, unsure if she really wanted to state this. But telling Noel how she felt did make her feel a lot better just now… but this part was harder. If he didn't- things would be back to how they were. She had to tell herself that.

"But Snow is uh…." She glanced a little shyly at him. "Snow is only half the problem."

Noel raised a brow at Serah. "Alright then, what's the other half?"

Serah averted her gaze again.

Noel sighed, rolling his eyes. "Common, don't play your little games with me. You know you'll just end up telling me anyways. Out with it." Noel smirked at her.

"Nooooooel…" She whined, glancing back at him.

"Whaaaaat?" He imitated her playfully.

Serah's expression turned into more of a pout at his imitation. "You're not helping."

He chuckled and smiled at her. "I'm just going to continue to tease you until you tell me what the other half of the problem is."

She sighed, and looked at Noel's eyes, and waited.

Noel got the hint and calmed himself back down from his playfulness, ready to listen to her again.

But Serah still said nothing. She just stared at him, her eyes looking him over carefully. She aced like she wanted to speak, but it was almost as if she physically couldn't.

"Serah-" Just as soon as Noel had opened his mouth to speak, he was shut up. Serah lightly pressed her lips against his, and was grasping onto his shirt. He inhaled sharply through his nose in surprise.

The kiss didn't last long. Serah was rather afraid, so just as quickly as she had leaned in to kiss him, she backed off again. "Y-you're the other half" She muttered to him before going to stand up.

Noel blinked. He was pretty shocked, and very confused. It took him even more time to register what Serah said. But once he did, his hand quickly shot up to grab Serah's wrist before she could walk away from him and hide. He quickly brought himself to him feet.

Serah attempted to jerk her arm away, once, but she knew after that it was no use.

"Hey, don't run away from me." Noel tightened his grip slightly. "It's ok Serah. I told you…"

She glanced back at him curiously, relaxing her body a bit.

Noel smiled, and pulled her close to him. "I don't mind being a problem. But, I know that this one I can fix." He lightly stroked her cheek as she looked up at him. "I really like you Serah. And as I said before, I will always be here for you. I promise."

Serah smiled shyly up at him. "I really like you too, Noel."

Noel leaned down, lightly kissing her lips in return for earlier. "Well then, I guess you have nothing else to worry about, hhmm?" He commented rather snarkily.

"I guess I don't. Not anymore."