Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Square Enix!
Pairing: SnowxHope
Rated M for Mature! Yaoi XD
Also, thanks the-true-freya for editing the story.
Chapter 10: Facing Fears
The Narthex Throne
A triumphant grin crept on Barthandelus' face as the fal'Cie sudden materialized inside Orphan's throne room. His plan was already set in motion. He had resigned as primarch and appointed Raines, whom he released from his eternal, crystallize sleep as the new primarch. This course of action will led the Calvary to seek revenge as an act of betrayal from Raines. Fuelled by hatred, the army would storm Orphan's Cradle and destroyed Orphan, thinking it was all a ploy from the fal'Cie. Barthandelus knew that these insignificant humans did not have the means to destroy Orphan. So to bring his final goal into fruition he needed those pitiful Pulse l'Cie, his instruments of success, to return back to Cocoon where he awaited them in Orphan's throne. With the danger looming above the horizon for Cocoon, they wouldn't have much available options than to return. He could almost taste sweet death. With Orphan's demise from Ragnarok hand's, Cocoon would lose its only siphon source and the world would fall to ruin. In order to bring about the Maker to rectify this world, millions of lives needed to be slaughtered.
The former primarch knew that the Pulse l'Cie wouldn't easily accepted their faith. To guarantee his success, Barthandelus had collected two trump cards in his favor. Hovering over the stone throne in the golden cogwheel-encased room laid two l'Cie, encased in clear blue crystal after having completed their focus. Their lives were nothing but an endless dream from then on. But a new purpose still awaited them. They would be the bait needed to give the fugitive l'Cie the final push in their transformation. He shifted back his attention to his rukh, observing the l'Cie on Grand Pulse. In particular the young silver-haired boy and the blond-haired man.
In Oerba
Snow gasped when he stumbled on the ground floor beneath Fang and Vanille's house as a lithe body quickly straddled his thighs accompanied by a pair of sweet lips devouring his mouth. He responded to the teen's demands by kissing back enthusiastically while his large hands caressed the slender body pressing against his own. He cupped those perfect globes he loved so much, rubbing against the tender flesh. He let out a harsh growl from his throat before dominating their lip-lock. He tightened his hold on the teen's middle and pulled their bodies closer, feeling their skin tingle with pleasure from each other body's heat. He deciphered a moan as the willing teen wrapped his slender arms around his neck, intensifying the kiss.
"Finished." Snow said seductively, looking at the sexy, panting teen straddling him after they broke the kiss. He surely wasn't expecting this kind of warm welcome when he returned from his hunting trip with Fang. And he surely wasn't expecting this kind of behavior from the silver-haired l'Cie. He was just grateful that the others were occupying themselves with preparations for their journey rather than searching for him and Hope.
Hope's delirium was mainly due to the closeness, smelling and touching the older man. He lapped his tongue over his lips, savoring Snow's unique taste. He felt the man's lustful aquatic eyes on him, as he tried to keep down the tremors racking his body. Hope leaned forward again, but abruptly paused when a finger was placed on his lips.
"I think that's enough for now." Snow reluctantly stated. He felt a bit uneasy hearing the sound of footsteps above his head. Before the teen could protest, he lifted the light-weight body off his thighs and stood up.
"Later." He promised and smirked, seeing the frown on the boy's face.
The air had warmed up a bit compared to the early morning chills and the party continued traversing Oerba. The sun was setting over the mountains near the horizon as the sky changed its color from blue to orange. With little options available, the errant l'Cie journeyed north, over the crumbling railway overpass. The bridge was rustic, but steady enough to hold their weight. Hope and Vanille were trailing behind the group, conversing among each other. Vanille was nagging him about the teen and Snow's sudden disappearance during the preparations. Hope glared at the girl, a gloomy, negative energy emitted from his body. He could not believe that the blond-haired man brushed his advances aside. It took a lot of courage to initiate his feeling and it was a waste in the end. Hope let out a soft sigh from his nose. And things were getting good too.
Too deep in his own little world, Hope didn't notice the others stopping in their tracks until he walked into a wall of muscle. He looked strangely at the blond then he heard someone speaking. The voice was that of a women. He felt the body in front of him tense and freeze over like solid ice. Eager to know whoever was causing this strange effect on Snow, Hope bystepped the wall of muscle. His eyes widened in shock, like the rest of his companions, to see the figure standing before them. Serah was here... and not in crystal stasis. The young teen held his breath, feeling his chest tighten. Snow's fiancée was muttering something about Ragnarok but no one seemed to pay attention to her message. They were more focus as to why the young girl was in Oerba, on Gran Pulse. Her eyes encountered everyone's gaze. Hope felt a chill when her blue eyes grazed his green eyes. Her attention finally fell on her fiancé. The teen's green orbs drifted on the blond, seeing a mix of emotion and astonishment, disbelief and happiness glittering in those widened blue gems.
"Deliver the Divine, Ragnarok."
"Serah? How did you-?" Hope heard Snow utter softly, taking a step forward. A dreaded fear suddenly overcame his body. His breath hitched when the girl ran forward to Snow who welcomed the girl with opened arms, bringing closure to the space between the two engaged couples.
"Snow..." Hope heard Vanille's voice softly calling out, but ignored it. His heart squeezed when he saw Snow wrap his hands securely around his fiancée. At that moment, Hope's world crumbled. The scenery around him suddenly became cold and empty. He clenched his fist around the fabric near his heart and glanced away from the sight he feared mostly.
"When I was asleep, I kept thinking of a way to save Cocoon... together." Lightning's younger sister said while embracing. Hope felt the knife in his heart loosen a bit when he saw Snow pushing the girl away, stumbling on her feet. But it didn't stop his heart from pounding loudly. He tried to compose himself even though his hands were shaking. She went on imploring the l'Cie to become Ragnarok and kill Orphan. Everyone eyes narrowed, not believing the words the girl was muttering.
"Serah. That is enough." Snow called out. The girl gave a menacing smile before a strange light engulfed her, revealing none other than Barthandelus. The sudden appearance of the primarch left each one of the l'Cie with a sharp inhalation.
Snow grit his teeth in anger. He felt hatred swell within his chest and with pure rage he attacked the fal'Cie. "You son of a-". Barthandelus quickly materialized away with ease as the man stumbled on the floor, missing his target. But the man was determined. He scrambled on his feet and charged in for another attack, but a sudden barrier manifested around the primarch, nullifying the attack and sending Snow flying a distance.
"How long will you keep Orphan waiting? This senseless searching for dreams and shadows are futile." Barthandelus stated. "With every passing moments, the seeds of Orphan's destruction draws near."
"What did you do to Cocoon?" Lightning sneered, unsheathing her blade, her rage directed at the fal'Cie.
"I resigned, appointing Raines as Primarch." Barthandelus stated.
"Raines? He's alive?" Snow asked incredulously.
"A puppet still in good use. Faithful to the end." Barthandelus grinned evilly. "But the Calvary wouldn't consider his change of heart so easily. A traitor to their own cause, and imagine when they heard it's Orphan pulling all the strings. What happens next?"
"You going to use the Calvary to killed Orphan?" Sazh questioned in disbelief.
"Perhaps?" The former primarch grinned. "But it doesn't matter. Cocoon's end is near. And what about yourselves? There is still so much entertainment to part take in. Won't you join me and save this world from salvation?"
"By slaughtering Orphan and killing millions of lives? We'll passed on the offer." Fang stated.
"Cocoon suffers. Release her from the pain." Barthandelus said as his rukh flew over the errant l'Cies, transforming into an airship.
"This will be my invitation." The former primarch offered before materializing into crystal and disappeared, leaving the fugitive l'Cie speechless.
"So, this is the end of the rainbow, huh?" Hope heard Sazh say, breaking the silence among the party. His mind was still shivering from the image of Snow and Serah embracing each other. He couldn't face seeing them together again. He didn't want to lose someone else who he cared for. Serah would always be Snow's first choice, no matter what happened. Everyone else was chatting about their course of action to this sudden new revelation, but Hope remained silent, not in the mood to talk.
"As long as fal'Cie are around, this battle will never end. Let's finish it. Let's get Dysley." Snow suggested.
"And Orphan?" Sazh added.
"We protect Orphan or die trying." Fang said.
"Even if the entire world is against me, I will keep Cocoon safe. I'm not running anymore. I promised." Vanille said.
"It seems like we all share the same ideal." Sazh informed.
"And only we have the power to make a difference." Snow said.
"Then you all know what we have to do?" Lightning stated, glancing around the group. Everyone nodded. She saw Hope hesitate before giving a slight nod. "Alright, let's go home."
"Wait!" Hope choked out, causing everyone before him from taking another step forward.
Snow felt something lurch in his chest when he heard Hope's voice calling out. He turned around like the others and saw Hope standing a few feet behind of the party. Hope's eyes met each party's gaze before falling onto him. He saw a pool of anguish and sadness swimming into those green orbs. Snow then felt like a brick had just fallen on his head. His body turned frozen stiff as his eyes slowly widened realizing his actions from moments ago and their effects on his surroundings. He watched, petrified the fear reflecting from Hope's eyes. His heart clenched at the sight. The look Hope was giving him was suffocating. "Hope?" Snow called out softly, taking a step forward but the teen shook his head. Hope took a step back before turning on his heels, running away.
"Hope, wait!" Lightning called out, but it was too late.
Snow's form tensed, looking on as the teen distanced himself from him and the others. His mind was screaming at him, begging the man to run after the teen, but his damned feet wouldn't budge a muscle. He felt a nudge in his side and met Vanille's gaze.
"What are you doing? Go after him." Vanille said, her voice filled with worry. She saw the tormented look on Hope's face when Snow embraced Serah. She wanted to chase after him, but she knew it was not her place. The sudden encounter with Serah was too early and unexpected for the youth. Vanille had hoped that Snow and Hope's relationship would grow to the point where Snow would hold strong feelings for the silver-haired teen. Even though the former primarch was disguised as the girl, the scene of Snow and Serah still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"I-I..." Snow stammered. He just had to go and did the worst thing he could ever do to Hope. Serah was right in front of him and what did Snow do? He fucking hugged her while disregarding Hope's feeling. He noticed Fang was staring at him, shaking her head in disbelief. The woman had warned him and he still managed to screw things up. 'Fuck.' Snow mentally cursed before running back to Oerba.
"What? Snow? Where are you going?" Lightning called out again, and just like Hope, he did not stop either. She glanced back to the remaining members of the party and saw the worried and tormented expressions on their faces. The light-haired woman blinked in confusion, until noticing a something amidst beneath their sorrowful eyes.
"Is there something going on that I'm missing?" Lightning's eyes narrowed heatedly. Fang and Vanille exchanged glances and nodded, comprehending the situation between the two l'Cie, before returning their gaze to the woman who would go into a rampage if she knew the truth.
"What?" Lightning's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe what she just heard. "Snow and Hope... are in a relationship?" Disbelief was written all over the rogue's face. The two pulsian woman nodded.
"How long?" Lightning demanded, a sensation of hatred rising in her heart. Mostly for the betrayal she felt for trusting Snow's word and her own foolishness. She did notice the two becoming close, but she had just brushed away any foreign thoughts which could have made her aware of the bonding. Her primary assumption of the closer interactions were that Snow was giving Hope closure, seeing that the blond was the last person to talk with Hope's mother. And all the time, the big jerk was only thinking about his damn libido.
"My guess since we arrived on Pulse." Fang assumed moving a hand to her chin.
"I'm gonna killed that bastard." Lightning spat, placing her palm on the hilt of her blade.
"Wait, you can't go!" Vanille yelled.
"And why?" A heated glare, which could make any person soil themselves, flashed at the three l'Cie.
"It just that..." Vanille bit her lower lip, looking sorrowful.
"Well?" Lightning was getting impatient. If there were protecting that inconsiderate bastard then it wouldn't be enough.
"Do you have any idea what just happened?" Fang said, intervening and stepping forward. Lightning cocked her head in puzzlement.
To be continued...
A/N: I really wasn't expecting a week update :) but I just couldn't help myself. But the stack of homework piling beside my computer begs the differ. Okay back to story. This chapter will be the closeness to actual game when it comes to the party's interactions. Though I interpreted the events a bit different. For the time being, I'll be focusing on this story. I need to finish it :P.
I'm thankful to the readers who are still keeping up with my work. Please let keep SnowxHope fics alive.