-Chapter Two-
Hope continues to stand paralyzed by embarrassment in the kitchen, the lemonade mix container laying by his feet. Snow who stands at the kitchen's doorway in nothing but a towel suddenly breaks the awkward silence with a grin.
"What's up little buddy? Did I scare you that much?.. looks like you've just seen a ghost or somethin'."
Hope scratches the back of his head and nervously laughs.
"Uh, no you didn't... I um, just got startled by the ruckus I caused." he quickly picks up the container off the floor.
"Serah went by the NORA House to pick up a few things for tonight's dinner."
Snow walks up to Hope, he pretends to jab a right hook punch to his abdomen, Hope flinches forward, shielding his stomach from the fake-out attack; Snow finding his opening, wraps a large arm around the vulnerable young man's neck and pulling him to his side, locking his neck underneath his armpit, into a headlock.
"Sweet! cause I'm frickin' starving.. (Snow proceeds to playfully rub the top of Hope's head with a clinched fist) I could eat an entire Gui!" Snow exclaims.
Hope wiggles to break free from Snow's hold. The man's grip isn't too strong, if Hope really wanted to free himself from it, it wouldn't be much of an effort but like Hope intentionally decided not to make his presence know to Snow as he made his way moments ago into the kitchen from the bathroom practically naked, Hope decides not to and submissively allows Snow to playfully rough house him. Hope squirms and jerks within the towering man's hold, he can feel the dampness of the Snow's wet skin up against his. Hope places both his hands upon Snow's bicep, as he pulls at it, he can feel just how hard and solid his bicep muscle is.
The playful commotion continues, Hope's hands push away at the man's side and stomach, his muscular body, rock hard and deliciously warm. Snow's body is truly a specimen of chiseled perfection, like a beautifully sculpted statue of smooth marble.
Hope continues to push away but with very little force, as if to secretly take in and enjoy every touch of contact he makes with Snow's flesh, Hope's elbow accidentally brushes Snow's member, which even though it being soft, felt impressively firm do to it's length and thickens. Suddenly both Hope and Snow subdue their horsing around. Hope swiftly jerks away from the man's hold, Snow allowing him with no objection because of Hope's awkward, accidental graze to his genital.
"Alright man, that's enough Snow!" Hope yelps.
Snow leans a hand on the kitchen island, smirks while scratching the back of his head.
"Hey, it's cool little buddy, don't be all embarrassed over it, I know it was by accident..."
Hope becoming frustrated by the notion that Snow would even address it, quickly snaps back.
"What are you talking about?! I don't even know why you'd play around with me like that, while wearing nothing but a towel!.. (he suddenly realizes how his statement could make Snow think that him being nearly naked would make Hope uneasy) ..and stop calling me your little buddy, I'm not a fucking kid anymore Snow, I'm almost sixteen. I don't need you treating me like a little kid anymore!"
Snow is slightly taken aback by the young man's outlash, he raises both hands as if to indicate his complete defeat.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry Hope.. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or upset..."
"You didn't." Hope quickly interrupts.
Snow turns and starts to make his way towards the direction of his and Serah's bedroom.
"Okay, so we're cool then.. (he turns his head to face Hope and winks at him, Hope practically melts by how seductively sexy Snow looks within that split second, him wearing nothing but a towel and winking at him, made the young man's heart start to pound within his chest. He bites his lower lip to ease the urge of lustful emotion flooding inside him).. I'm gonna go put some clothes on, then I can help you make some of that lemonade mix you're holding there." Snow walks out of the kitchen, Hope couldn't help but stare at him as he makes his way to the bedroom, taking in the spectacular view of Snow's beefy, firm ass as he walks down the hallway, Hope wishing that as he makes it to the bedroom door, Snow would look back him once again and motion him to follow, but as Snow steps into the room, all Hope receives is the disappointment of his wishful thinking's demise, Snow shuts the bedroom door behind him.
Hope places the container of lemonade mix on the island counter top beside the jug of iced water, he takes a deep breath, sighs, then places both forearms on the island, bending over and resting his head upon his arms. He takes another deep breath, slowly exhales, then softly whispers to himself.
"Shit.. what the hell is going on?.. why am I having these feelings, thinking these thoughts?.. why is he and the images of him taking advantage of me in every single possible sexual way, all that I'm thinking about?.. (he lifts his head and looks in the direction of the bedroom door) ... am I in love with him?.. am I in love with Snow?"
He stands himself upright and is surprised by a tugging sensation within the crotch of his kaki shorts, he looks down to it, discovering the protrusion of his full errection.
A few doors down from the Villiers residence, Lightning enters her small beach house. She drops her house key within a shallow glass bowl that rests on top of the end table beside the front door. Lightning makes her way into the kitchen, undoing her gunblade holster and placing it upon the kitchen table. She takes a few steps to the refrigerator, opens it and pulls out a carton of orange juice, she uncaps it and chugs a swig of the refreshment.
Her gaze catches the photographs that she has held up on the freezer door by decorative refrigerator magnets. She slowly looks at each photograph, one of Serah, Snow and her taken at the beach; she recalls how annoyed at Snow she had gotten that day for taking the photo while she was wearing nothing but a bikini, how much Serah laughed when she chased Snow up and down the beach desperately trying to retrieve the camera in order to delete the photograph.
She smirks and takes another drink out of the juice carton then switches her gaze to another photograph on the fridge, it was of Hope and her that had been taken by Hope's father one day at their home. Lightning had gone over for brunch like she normally does almost every Sunday, she has become extremely close to Hope and his father during the past year, Mr. Estheim quickly becoming a father figure to her and Hope like a little brother.
The last photograph she looks at is of Sazh, Lily and Dajh, taken during Dajh's birthday party a few months ago. Lightning had actually taken the photo of the three that day, Sazh has remained a close friend to her, his loyalty and trust had been forged during their adventure together as l'Cie while saving Serah and the salvation of Cocoon. Lily, Lightning immediately liked and was extremely happy when Sazh and she had become official, moving in together and the couple raising little Dajh, becoming the perfect little family.
The last image she looks at is the ultrasound scan picture of her baby niece, how amazingly wonderful it is that Serah is pregnant and with a daughter. Not that she would have loved it any less if it were to have been a boy but it being a little girl, was truly the icing on the cake for Lightning. Farron women are strong, independent and fiercely intelligent, she loved the idea of being a mentor to her niece, teaching her how to be just as much of a badass as her auntie Lightning but also spoiling to pieces.
Lightning softly smiles as she thinks about all of her friends' and families' new, happy lives, she takes another chug of oj, emptying the cartoon; she places it on top of the kitchen counter top. Lightning turns, then leans up against the counter, she lowers her head and sighs, a look of sadness envelopes within her pale, aqua blue eyes.
"Everything is going so well... (she thinks to herself) ... everyone is happy, all of our lives here Gran Pulse are great, but why do I feel so empty, so unfulfilled?"
She picks up the empty carton, walks it to the trashcan and drops it inside. Lightning walks to the bathroom, she begins to undress, removing her boots and then her Guardian Corp uniform; leaving the clothes on the bathroom floor. She slides the glass shower door open, turns on the shower and as she adjusts the its nob with one hand, she checks the temperature of the streaming water with the other. When she finds the perfect temperature, she steps inside, placing her face underneath the shower-head, allowing the hot water to hit her face. She combs back her powder pink hair with her finger tips, the water cascades down her back, the soothing water blanketing her body in a comforting warmth.
With her eyes shut, she stands there within the shower silently, her muscles relaxing from a strenuous workday. Lightning thinks about her life now, her new life here on New Bodhum; she has an amazing job, the head luetinent for the Guardian Corp and it's a job she genuinely enjoys. Her family life is amazing, Serah is married; sure, it had to be with Snow, of all people but even her admiration and respect for the guy has grown. Lightning knows with every fiber of herself that he loves her sister and would do anything and at any cost to keep her safe and happy. Within a couple of months, Lightning would be welcoming into this new world, her baby niece, she'll be an aunt soon ("who would have thunk" she thinks to herself) but it excited her so very much.
Serah and all of her friends were well and happy, but then, why was she finding herself not so happy. It's like a void had manifested within her, she desperately thinks back to a time when that emptiness wasn't there, or more importantly, she reflects back to when this void had become undeniably apparent.
"With the fall of Cocoon... (she whispers to herself)... ever since that day, after turning into l'Cie, defeating Fal'Cie in order to attain a Focus that not only saved Serah but the world as we knew it.. turning to crystal, being released form that crystalized state to only lose Vanille and Fang in the outcome... it was after all of that, when I finally had taken a breath of relief, when I completely believed that we were all safe, that this empty feeling came developed within me.. but why?.. (she adjusts the shower head's water pressure, allowing the hot water to hit her face with more force, as if to punish herself for her recent revelation)... am I feeling this way because the only time I ever felt truly alive was when I was on the brink of life and death... was the danger and excitement what made me feel alive.. happy?"
Her thoughts are suddenly enturpted by the ringing of a device, she scrambles out of the shower, grabbing a towel, wrapping it around herself and dashes into the living room.
"I'M COMING, I'M COMING!" she shouts as if to somehow inform the caller to not hang up.
She answers by pressing a red flashing button on the keypad located on top of the device, a bluish colored, almost transparent plasma like screen, glowingly projected off from the machine, the image of Serah comes into focus.
"Hey sis, sorry where you in the shower?" (Serah takes notice of Lightning's wet hair)
"Yeah, it's fine though.. what's up, everything alright?" (Lightning asks while wiping away a few beams of water from her brow)
"Yeah, no everything's fine. Just calling to let you know dinner is ready, cooked your favorite tonight, deep-fried Niblet cutlets with all the fixings. (she warmly smiles) I should have it ready and on the table in a few minutes, so head on over whenever you're dressed."
Snow's grinning face pokes from behind Serah's head.
"Yeah and don't you be taking forever now getting yourself all dolled up, cause I'm starving over here sis!"
Lightning rolls her eyes and let's out a slight groan.
"We'll see you in a few, oh and Hope wants to tell us all something, it's about a tradition that Vanille and Fang celebrated, back when they lived here on Gran Pulse hundreds of years ago." (Serah adds)
"Okay, I'll be right over." Lightning ends the video call and heads into her bedroom, patting herself dry, then throws the damp towel into a laundry basket that sits at a corner of the tiny bedroom.
She opens a few dresser draws and removes some articles of clothing from each one, a white bra which she quickly slips on and clamps together at her back, a pair of white denim shorts that she slides up her thighs, buttoning them at her waist; and a turquoise tunic that she put on, it's thin fabric loosely hangs over her torso, it's almost long enough where it could be wore as a light summer dress but short enough where the white shorts she wears slightly flash from underneath it. She kicks on a pair of high top light pink sneakers and darts towards her front door.
Lightning arrives at Serah and Snow's house a few short moments later, she makes her way into the dinning room, where the voices of Serah, Snow and Hope could be heard casually talking and laughing amongst themselves. She steps into the room, the table is set and everyone is sitting at it, waiting her. Serah, Snow and Hope notice of her arrival.
"There she is, hey sis!" Snow greets her with a big grin.
"I hate it when you call me that... I'm not your sister." Lightning sharply replies back to him.
"Well, technically you are. You're my sister-in-law... (he states back at her cold remark with an even bigger grin)... or have you forgotten that I married your sister, SIS?"
Lightning takes her sit at the table and groans.
"No, unfortunately I haven't, as hard as I have tried to though." she snaps back. Serah stands from her seat at the head of the table, taking Lightning's plate then serving some food onto it.
"Alright you two, please let's try to enjoy a nice family dinner without the two of you going at one another for once.. (she looks at Snow who sits to her right, then shoots a stare at her sister who sits across of Snow).. please, for me, Lightning."
Lightning rolls her eyes then averts her attention to Hope, who sits beside her. The young man sits quietly in deep thought, tracing the rim of his plate with his fork.
"Hey you.. (Lightning nudges him, noticing his lack of interest to the conversation).. you okay there, Hope?"
Hope props up on his seat startled by Lightning's sudden addres
"Uh yeah Light, just hungry." the young man shoots a quick glance at Snow who remains grinning mindlessly, as if the awkward exchange that unfolded between the two earlier, had never even occurred.
"Heck yeah! I'm starving too!.. (Snow excited barks, Serah places his plate of food before him).. well, we're all here so let's grub!" (Snow digs into his hot meal) Serah serves Hope a plate, handing it over to Lightning who passes it over to him.
"So Hope, what's this whole thing about an ancient Oerba tradition you came across in that old book you're reading?" Serah asks.
Lightning raises a brow in curiosity.
"What old book, where'd you get it Hope?"
Hope finishes chewing his bite of food, swallows then replies.
"Oh, just a book that I found among Vanille's possessions... I came across some traditional ritual that her and Fang's tribe would perform every few hundred years, they believed that the souls of their ancestors would take the form of these very special stones when they died... well, the ritual supposedly manifested these stones back into the deceased person's body..." He looks around the table to take note of everyone's reaction to the statement, everyone just continues to keep eating.
"That's awesome... can you please pass the mashed potatoes, Hope." Snow asks.
"Um... aren't you guys remotely intrigued and excited about this?" Hope inquires.
"What's there to be intrigued about exactly?" Lightning replies.
"Well, think about it you guys.. (Hope places his fork down and sits up straight in full attention to announce his amazing revelation).. if there's an actual ancient Oerba ritual that transforms rocks back into people, why can't it also be used to turn crystal back into people?" Lightning, Snow and Serah stop eating their meal and looking at one another in complete amazement, Hope continues.
"So this could ultimately mean that there's still a chance of bringing Vanille and Fang back... we can finally get them out of that crystalized state, we can finally have them back in our lives you guys!"
: Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read chapter one, I hope you all enjoyed it and chapter two as well ^_^
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and many blessings to you for the new year. I should be publishing chapter three sometime shortly after the new year, so keep an eye out for it!