The day had come.
It was now the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The day Hope had set for what could only be considered their first official date. Best part he said he was bringing a surprise! Lightning once again found herself excitedly waiting like a giddy teenager. And once again in her room with clothes throw about and at a lose for what to wear. She shouldn't have this problem, it was just dinner and a movie, nothing fancy.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" She yelled from her room. "I'm getting dressed Hope, I'll just be a minute!"
"Ok." Was his reply.
After what seemed like an eternity she emerged. "Hey Hope sorry to keep you waiting."
From his spot on her couch, with bright green eyes and usual smile "Its no big deal." He stood and made his way to the door.
That was strange why was he in such a hurry. "Hey Hope don't rush off, we don't have to leave just yet. Besides I have something I want to ask you."
He leaned against the door and said "Oh, sorry I got a little ahead of myself."
"Its ok." She hesitated. Her heart began to race. "Uh, Would you say we're…official now." She meekly said. Great now she was acting strange.
He looked away shyly and rubbed the back of his head. She found it so adorable. "Well honestly, I think we've been that way for a while now." He smiled at her "I remember when Nora busted that girl up, haha I get embarrassed thinking back to how I acted."
"Don't be. I could tell you loved Nora, besides I felt…comfortable around you. I was just as open if you can believe that."
"Hehheh, yeah, I noticed. You know I'm beyond glad Nora invited you to dinner."
"Me too." She began to walk towards the door when Hope spoke up.
"My turn to ask something." He seemed unsure. She could tell he wasn't comfortable with what he was about to ask.
"Tell me, why do you hate snow so much. He's a good guy."
Her eyes went wide with rage. "Because he's no good rotten trash! He tricked her into marring her! He's just manipulating Serah!" She snapped.
"How so?" He was calm as he asked.
"Wh-what!? What do you mean how?"
He crossed his arms "Ok. Let's ask what for instead."
"Shouldn't it be oblivious, the same thing all sleazy guys want." She growled.
"Sex? Then why marry her? I don't know Serah well but I know her well enough to know she wouldn't sleep around before marriage." He said with confidence.
"Th-that's… there are."
"Serah's a teacher right?" he cut her off
"Yeah." She was about to add more when Hope cut her off again.
"So she's far from rich right?"
"You should know." She retorted.
"And Snow, he's a welder at ASG, so I know he makes good money."
"Yeah…I think Serah said he makes 40 an hour." She huffed.
"So he's not after her money then." He stared at her. There was no anger on his face as he looked at her. If anything, it was a look of disappointment.
She looked away as she gave her final pitiful reason. "He's far too immature."
"Immature." He repeated. The word hung in the air, looming over the two of them. Threating to suffocate her if she didn't say anything.
"You spent time with him, you should-"
"Have you ever heard of Noraneko?"
She was getting tired of being cut off by him. "Yeah it's that rehab place for drug addicts."
"Snow started it." She was at a loss. Snow started a drug rehab facility? "Promise me one favor, you'll ask him about why he started it and left."
"Fine. If it'll get you to stop bugging me about him."
"Good. Now lets go." He put his hand to the knob.
"I don't think I want to go on a date right now. I…don't feel well." She lied.
"Oh…well." He bit his lip as he looked for the right words. "Your surprise wont exactly keep. Can you come to the car and get it?"
She sighed "Yeah I'll come get it."
She followed him to the chilly outdoors in an uncomfortable silence to his still running car. "Its in the back seat, passenger side." She walked over and saw some type of shape on the floorboard. It wiggled a little. She opened the door to find a curled-up Nora on the floorboard. "Hi miss Farron!" She beamed. Lightning couldn't help herself as she smiled warmly at the girl.
"Hi Nora." She replied.
"Its not much of a surprise but I figured it'd do." Hope said with his arms rested on the top of the car. Nora existed and wrapped her arms around Lightning in a hug. She returned the hug.
"Hey Hope, I'm feeling better now."
"Oh." He raised his eyebrow. "Well that's good to hear."
"Wait you were sick?" Nora asked with concern.
"Huh, uh, no no…I was just." She looked to Hope "A bit childish earlier. That's all."
Hope smiled at her "Well girls, shall we be going?"
"Yup!" Nora proclaimed and hopped in the back seat as Lighting got in the passenger's seat. Once she was buckled up Nora thrust an mp3 player into her hand.
"Here! You can pick the music!" Her smile was wide.
"Nora get in your seat and buckle up." Hope turned to Lightning and continued "You don't have to play any music. I'm big into music and that kinda rubbed off on her." He let out a chuckle "She thinks everybody else is a music fanatic as well."
"That's ok. Luckily for the two of you, I'm quite the music lover. Didn't you notice my stereo in the living room?"
"Nope." He said as he began to drive.
"Well I have one." She stated.
"Hey miss Farron!" Nora spoke up "You should check out me and daddy's stereo, we keep it in the library room. We do this cool thing sometimes, we listen to an album and then talk about what we like and don't like. I want to listen to Appetite For Destruction next, but daddy won't let me."
"Haha, classic album or not I agree you are way to young to listen to it. But tell you what, when you graduate high school with all A's I'll invite you over to listen to it ok."
"Ok!"
"Hey hey." Hope spoke up "Don't make back alley deals with her when I'm still in the car." He then playfully hit her leg "You know she's not gonna forget that right? I'm gonna have a daughter with straight A's because of you."
"Oh. Is that a bad thing." She jeered.
"Yeah, I wanted to brag about me being the one making her a straight A student." He laughed.
"Awe and hear I go stealing your thunder."
He snickered before he spoke "Your already called lightning and now you've got my thunder." He sighed "Man, you've become too overpowered."
She giggled as she scrolled through the list of bands on the mp3 player. She was slightly surprised at the amount of metal on it. Granted there was almost ever genre know to man on it. Some old pop and southern rock to alt rock and grunge.
"Never took you for a metal head Hope."
"So long as it isn't country music, black metal or death metal, I'll give it a listen. Ah! Or slam metal, don't care for slam metal."
"No country but you listen to southern rock?"
"Big difference between the two."
"Oh, what's that?" she questioned.
"One's good and the other was written by drunk red necks on a tractor."
She gave him a quizzical look "Ya know, Bodham and your home city are in the south right?"
"Whats your point?"
"…Nothing, just drive." After a time of driving and jamming to music the three arrived at their destination, the mall. This how she knew she was dating a dad. Instead of going to two different places, he took them to an all-in-one stop.
It made sense, they did have Nora with them after all. Its not like she was complaining either. The mall was a very nice open air mall that looked like a downtown shopping district. It had plenty to do on a given day and it would even host concerts and other events in the central square. Her and Serah had spent plenty of time and money here in high school.
"Well let's hit up that movie then get some grub." Hope spoke as the three walked off with Nora in between them.
She couldn't stop herself from thinking that to any passerby they looked like a family.
She smiled at the thought.
Authors note:
Sorry about the long time in between uploads I was just so swamped with work. I wanted this chapter to be longer but I'm going to split it into two. In my head it just seems like it'll flow better that way. Anyways I just want to reassure everyone that no matter how long it takes I will always finish a story I upload, I promse.