Coming to Academia was one of the most amazing things that ever happened on their adventure. 400AF was everything that one could hope for the future. At least that's how it usually seemed. When they arrived this time there was a vicious storm terrorizing the streets and most people were taking refuge in their homes. The two friends laughed at each other knowing that Alyssa and Hope would have been some of the few brave enough to leave their homes and immediately headed for the Academia building, running through the life giving rain and feeling much better then they had in the wasteland that Caius had left them in.
"Can you get Alyssa for us?" Serah asked as she stared down at her soaked dress, hoping that Alyssa could bring them some Academy clothing.
"Alyssa?" The receptionist asked confused. "I'm sorry but who do you mean?"
"Alyssa Zaidelle, the Director's assistant." Noel elaborated with confusion. "She came along with Hope to this time period."
"I think you must be mistaking." The receptionist, replied with a look of confusion. "The Director came by himself. Maybe the time traveling has messed with you memory of who and why. Aina Stiein is his current assisstant. Maybe this Alyssa was one in the past?" She asked with cheer.
Serah and Noel looked at each other in confusion. They hadn't really solved any paradoxes or done much of anything since they'd left 400AF the last time. Especially if the receptionist still remembered them. After all, only those that directly worked with Hope was allowed to know about their origins.
"Well then... It must be out mistake." Noel stated firmly. "Serah why don't you go with Aina and find us some dry clothes and I'll go on and report to Hope about or recent findings?"
"S-sure!" Serah replied catching on quickly. If something had changed, there was a good chance that Hope would know and it would be better to not do anything too out of the ordinary.
"Okay..." The receptionist nodded. "Then you can wait for Aina here, she should be done with a meeting right about now. Director Esthiem is in his office."
"All right. Out." Noel murmured as he headed for the elevator, not sure of what he'd find when he met up with Hope.
What he found was most certainly not what he expected. The great director was sitting on the couch within his spacious office. An office that had been under a new lock system. Noel had put his hand to the panel in the hopes that he knew what he was doing and thanked Etro when it opened.
Hope didn't turn to face him, his arms wrapped around himself. His boots had been discarded beside the couch. His Academy jacket was missing as well. He was curled up in on himself. Asleep. Noel felt affection for the other man surge within him as he watched Hope sleep for a few moments. Remembering his reason for finding the director he quickly moved towards the couch and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Mom?" The still sleeping man whimpered softly, turning into Noel's touch slightly. Noel swallowed hard and shook the other gently not wanting to feel any worse hearing unintended words. "WHAT? WHO?"
The sudden change in Hope's actions had Noel jumping back in surprise. The young director was up on his feet within seconds, hand lifted up to cast magic. Noel raised his hands up nervously. Hope stared at him wide eyed for a few moments before his hand dropped and he fell back onto the couch.
"Er... Are you all right?" Noel asked quietly.
"This have been very hectic around here. With Alyssa-"
"I was wondering about that," Noel interrupted. "When we asked about her at reception no one knew who she was."
Hope nodded and pulled his feet up on the couch and gestured to one of the chairs that occupied the sitting area. Noel opted for the large, comfortable looking chair and dragged it closer. Hope smiled at the childish gesture as Noel almost had the chair only few feet from the couch so that they were facing each other.
"Alyssa was a paradox." Hope stated quietly, listening for Noel's sharp exhale of surprising knowing the other would stay silent until he was finished. "She gave you the artifact to trap you. I assume that when you escaped her trap... That you somehow solved her paradox. She disappeared as she was trying to kill me."
"How do you remember all this if no one else does?" Noel asked quietly.
"One of Alyssa's many theories was of how memory works. When you and Serah altered 10AF we hadn't been around each other for very long. She figured that bodies and minds could remember people who had significant impact on them. Hence why I remember Alyssa but others don't. And even then... I don't remember her clearly. If it wasn't for the strong impression she went out on... I probably would have figured her a figment of my imagination so I wouldn't be so lonely."
"But... if she was a paradox... then she should she still exist. I mean... would you have just met her later or something."
"Alyssa told me... that her paradox had to do with The Purge... She was somehow allowed to live."
The realization slammed into Noel hard. He remembered way back in 5AF meeting Alyssa and her talking about her friend Nena and how she felt she might have died in The Purge too. To think, that somehow back then, something should have seemed strange or odd to him about her. It had never crossed his mind that a paradox could be that far reaching.
"Then all that she invented?" He asked quietly.
"Well, when we stopped working on the proto Fal'cie project you certainly ruined her plans. She was going to use the A.I. to subdue me so that we would stay in 400AF."
"Wait... so she's the reason you all died in that timeline?!"
"I wouldn't say reason..." Hope trailed off tiredly. "She just wanted to live Noel. I think you of all people could understand that."
That sentiment left a bitter taste in Noel's mouth and he glared slightly at the older man. "I don't just want to live Hope. The future... it's horrible."
"I know." Hope reached out, bare handed and all. He laid his hand on Noel's and the hunter sighed softly at the feel of soft flesh, protected by gloves and l'cie powers alike. They watched each other quietly for a few moments before Hope spoke again. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" The hunter asked as he looked up at the surprisingly open eyes of the scientist.
"For not being honest with you. It has come to my attention that well... Twice in the last week there has been attempts to take my life. Honestly they feel more real then anything I faced as a l'cie because then I wasn't alone." The silver haired man paused to swallow. "I... Just listen to me please?"
Noel nodded and watched as Hope took a deep breath and wrapped his other hand around Noel's as well. Holding his hand tightly and intimately. The silence stretched out but Noel knew better then interrupt the other as the scientist seemed to marvel over the contrast of their hands. One tanned and lightly scared the other pale and clear.
"I am still a l'cie." Hope finally started quietly. "Which means that unless this mark disappears again I will turn to crystal. I will leave you. My focus... if I have one is most likely this great project of mine to build a new Cocoon. Once you and Serah fix the timeline... I'll die in a way. At least until the next time the world is in danger."
"If you fix the timeline to the point that I go back into the past and don't need to build Cocoon then I will stay back there and never meet or know you. You'll be in the future with Yeul." Hope took a deep shuttering breath. "If by some chance that what you feel for me is love... Me accepting you is far crueler then rejection."
Noel's opened his mouth and then snapped it shut audibly. For some reason he'd never expected Hope to really give so much though into his confession. Which made him supremely happy because it meant the other cared. But also annoyed, because it was obvious that the silver haired man had never even tried to think of anything positive about it.
"You are an utterly pessimistic guy when it comes to yourself as opposed to your wholly optimistic outlook on everything else." Noel stated and Hope looked at him puzzled and he realized that maybe his muddled sentence didn't make sense.
"I'm just being realistic Noel."
"Realistic?" The hunter shook his head firmly. "Every time I've met you through out the timeline or have been around something you've done... You do three impossible things every week it seems. In the 27 years you've lived in give or take a few with timeline changes... You've traveled to the future with no aid from the Goddness. You're built a fal'cie and unmade one. You've studied Fenrir and have started building a new Cocoon. You've also helped to build Academia, and probably many more things that I just haven't figured out yet. The entire future can't exist without you Hope. People wouldn't have come this far without you."
"Anyone else could have easily taken my place." He gave a small smile. "And all it would take for these people not to trust me is to see my brand."
Noel eyes snapped down to Hope's shirt sleeve. With his free hand, he grapped his wrist and pushed up the sleeve and laid his hand on Hope's new brand. The l'cie jumped and tried to pull away. Noel held firm while the other slowly calmed down.
Hope trembled, even back then, when he was fourteen no one had touched his brand. He could remember when talking to his father about his curse. His father's hand had laid on his arm. Unable to touch the mark, but expressing the desire to support the son he had took for granted.
But things had been easy then, because they had had all the time in the world. As he thought about his father. His father's complete willingness to be on his team. Hope had learned a very important lesson about hidden support. As he thought about what he was doing now, he realized that he was much the same. Wanting to help, but not sure about how to be at the forefront. He wondered if he was punishing himself for being like him.
"Hope?" The older man snapped back up to look into his eyes. Hope stared at him, his face covered in blush. Hope found himself unable to tear his face away from Noel's. The hunter was... he was everything that Hope wanted. But feeling the warmth of Noel's hand on his brand was a firm reminder. He forced his heart to close.
