kick in the head; au

Hope trudged up the stairs to his apartment, feeling exhausted and depressed…which had been the norm for the past few months, unfortunately. Sure, his trip overseas had been incredible and done wonders for his research. If he kept working hard, he was sure to get miles ahead of others in the field and hopefully soon land a position at the head of the company. It was something he should have been over the moon about.

Instead, he just felt numb.

He tried to ignore that feeling and instead embraced the anticipation of being home. It was easier when he was immediately greeted at the door by his well-meaning roommate.

"Heyyyy, look who's back!" Snow grinned and clapped a hand on Hope's back in a brotherly fashion. "How's it feel, being a world traveler?"

"Tiring," Hope replied, only half-teasing. "Did you like having the place all to yourself?"

"You bet, dude." Snow snickered in appreciation. "It'll be nice havin' you back, though. I'll have someone to clean up my messes."

"Yeah, I'm surprised the place survived intact." Hope managed a smile, though it quickly faded when he saw a flash of familiar-colored hair. His pounding heart and sudden lightheadedness brought it all back to before he'd left.

…The look on her face when she'd read the email before he could tell her. It was a case of impeccably rotten timing, since he'd come over that night simply to tell her about this trip. The worst part hadn't been that he'd neglected to tell her at all – that was bad enough – but it was that he was going along with an ex-girlfriend who clearly still had feelings for him; feelings that Lightning had known about.

Whether it had been the shock of the trip itself, the unwanted person going along, or the fact that he'd neglected to mention it at all, Hope didn't know. Either way, it all added up into an explosive argument that neither of them had ever experienced before. Rage just wasn't an emotion that Hope had much experience with, especially when it was coming from a woman he loved.

She accused him of lying. He tried to assure her that he'd been going to tell her everything today, but she refused to listen. Why would he wait so long to say something, if there was nothing to hide?

The stuttering lack of answer had probably been his downfall. Her usually lovely face had twisted into something full of anger, which matched her low tone when she demanded that he get out.

Hope knew there was no use. He was leaving soon, anyway. Maybe it was for the best.

The last thing he'd heard before he'd turned and left with a heavy heart was the sound of something metallic hitting the floor, his heart clenching painfully when it dawned on him what it was.

"Are you all right?"

Hope blinked a few times out of surprise, his heart rate slowing down when he realized who was speaking to him - the hair color was off and the voice was much too sweet.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." He managed a little smile. "Good to see you again, Serah."

He had no idea what to make of how the way her head tilted in thought at his lame greet, but to his surprise, she turned to her boyfriend instead. "Snow, can I talk to Hope alone for a minute?"

"Ohhhh, I see how it is." A goofy grin formed on his face. "Want some alone time with the smart world traveler, huh?"

She giggled and playfully slapped his chest. "You need to take me home soon anyway, or Li - " She abruptly stopped and glanced at Hope in an apologetic manner, her happy expression falling a bit.

He just shook his head. "It's okay. I mean…" He shrugged. "I guess I'll have to get used to it."

Serah didn't looked convinced, which just confused him some more, but she just gave Snow a little push. "Go warm up the car for me! I'll be down in a minute, okay?"

"Whatever the lady commands!" Snow grinned and gave a two-fingered salute. "And hey, Hope, want me to pick up a pizza or something on the way back? There's, uh, not a whole lot in the fridge."

"Sure, if you want." Hope hadn't felt much like eating for the past few months. He blamed it on being immersed in his work during this study program, but he knew that wasn't completely it.

"All riiiight." After a quick smooch with Serah, Snow headed out the door. The second it was just the two of them, Serah turned to Hope with a rather serious expression - one he rarely saw on her.

"…She's still wearing it."

"Huh?"

"That ring." Serah sort of grasped her right hand, as though for emphasis. "She's been wearing it this entire time."

Realization dawned on Hope, and for the second time in less than five minutes, he grew lightheaded with feeling.

"It belonged to my mother." Hope handed over the tiny velvet box, his heart thudding in nervous, trying to say this in a way that would make her understand. "She left it to me, intending that I give it to someone that makes me feel true to myself." A pause. "…Someone I love."

"Hope…" There was a bit of hesitation before the box was open, a gasp immediately filling the silence. "What…"

"I-I'm not asking for anything," he said quickly. Why had he thought this was a good idea, again? "I just…I just want you to know how I feel, that's all. That I'm…" He gazed at her shocked face, feeling a bit calmer at the sight. "…I'm in this for the long run. At least, if you are."

Despite the fact that those words clearly had an effect on her, she still shook her head. "I can't accept this." She attempted to hand the box back to him. "If it was your mother's, you should have it. It's yours."

"No." His hand covered hers as their eyes met, his gaze oddly serious, but incredibly honest. "It's yours."

Silence. Whether it was from the look on his face or the set tone that he never used, she actually seemed to think about it rather than simply insisting she couldn't take this token. Eventually, a faint smile graced the corner of her lips and she nodded, handing him the box, only to extend out her right hand.

"In that case…I'm here for the long run, too."

He stared for a moment, like he wasn't sure what the box was doing back in his hand, but finally grinned, pulling the silver ring from the box and slipping it onto her finger. The diamonds and light blue gems dotting the band were fitting, he thought. They matched her eyes perfectly, shining even when they closed as they leaned in for a kiss.

His mother's ring. The ring he'd given her almost a year ago in promise - the ring that he'd heard her fling to the floor at the last second during their fight.

She'd put it back on.

Hope sounded stupidly breathless when he finally replied. At this point, he was sure someone could knock him over with a feather. "She is?"

Serah looked oddly pleased at his reaction and nodded. "Yes. She won't admit why, but…she knows."

"I can't - " He was still reeling from the fact that she was still wearing it. "I can't just…"

"You'll figure it out." She smiled and patted his arm. "But I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." That seemed to her cue to exit, but before she opened the door, she turned and gave him a little wave. "Welcome home."

"Thanks."

Once Serah had left, Hope sank down onto the couch, staring at nothing with a completely stunned look on his face. It may have been fitting that he'd never felt such a surge of hope in his life. Perhaps that was why things were starting to look a lot brighter…which was also rather fitting.

This isn't the end, Lightning. I know it.