Welp, I got super terrible about updating... Mostly due to real life crap. But hey! Here's an update!
It wasn't often that Noel wasn't in the company of Hope. Mostly because of the whole 'bodyguard' thing but also because of the whole 'relationship' thing as well. But right now, he couldn't be around Hope right now. Mostly because he was down with the Council talking about the changes to his Ark and the future for mankind as well as the crystal pillar. But also, Noel was troubled.
He couldn't remember his grandmother. He couldn't remember her at all. Not her face, not her voice. Not even the lullabies she use to sing. His heart hurt and he wanted to mourn her again. Mourn her all alone. He swallowed hard as he tried painfully to remember anything, to open the doors to the blanks spaces within his mind. After a few minutes a dry sob left his shaking lips as he pressed his hands to his lips. How was he supposed to continue on like this? How was he even supposed to know who he was?
The silence seemed worse once the tears finally stopped. He scrubbed his hands across his eyes and sighed deeply. Red eyed and runny nosed he swallowed hard and stood up shakily. Looking at the clock in the quiet room found that it was nearly Hope's break time and he realized that he needed to get down to the office so the other wouldn't worry about where he was.
He hit the bathrooms and splashed water in his face a few times. His eyes were still red rimmed but there wasn't much he could do about that. Deciding that Hope probably wouldn't ask, he headed down to Hope's office. Only to find a surprise waiting for him.
Hope waited impatiently for Noel to come down to his office. There were signs that one of the gates was opening. He hoped that it was Snow and Serah but he also feared that it could be someone else like Sazh or even a thousand other scenarios that ran through his mind. The door slid open to permit Noel and Hope grabbed his hand and dragged him right back out it. Noel managed to turn and followed him as they made their way to the elevator.
"Wha-what's going on?" Noel asked quietly as the elevator took them down to the 500th floor.
"There's a sign of paradox activity! It might be Serah." The silver haired man exclaimed but as he paused and took a real look at his partner his excitement cooled down. "Are you okay?"
"Fine." Noel responded quietly and Hope, wonderful and understanding Hope took his hand and squeezed it gently.
"Maybe later yeah?" He asked quietly and Noel nodded tightly. He knew that Hope would be empathetic to anything that he said but he wasn't sure of the other could really offer any comfort. He sighed deeply and squeezed the hand back and smiled thinly. "So dumbass is back?"
"I hope so." Hope smirked as the elevator opened. "Otherwise I'll have to kick his ass for giving me false hope."
The mainstreet gate in Academia wasn't terrible far form HQ. Mostly a quick ride on the moving sidewalks and then to the gate. Idly Noel found it weird they were moving towards the gate considering that Snow saw no need for them. And then he understood why. Snow wasn't locked to the gate, he was locked to them. A burst of bright light erupted in the sky and the Shiva motorcycle was easily spotted as it came screaming down it's ice roadway and came to a stop on a serve in front of them.
Thankfully away from most people. Although nosey onlookers were sure to come rushing towards them.
"Hey kiddos." Snow called as he swung his leg off his bike and Serah hopped off behind them. The pink haired girl was looking remarkably happy as she sidled up next to her hero and wrapped her arm around him. "We're all finished up on our end. What about you two?"
"Almost." Hope responded as he crossed his arms. "We have a lot to talk about actually. We should probably head back to HQ."
"Really?" Snow whined as he pulled Serah close. "We were hoping for a break to go on a date or something."
"SNOW!" Serah playfully pushed him. "There'll be plenty of time for that later."
"Actually... You should probably go ahead." Hope shrugged helplessly as he looked at a quiet Noel as he stared at the still present Shiva motorcycle. The scientist wanted to talk to his partner in privacy. Whatever was wrong was more then he had thought at first. And he knew that Noel didn't want to talk about it. He worried that it had to do with his memories. "Why don't you come to HQ around say... 9 and we'll have a late meeting at my place and then you guys can go to the place I have set up for you."
"Place?" Serah asked with her eyes wide. Sure, way back in the Paddra Ruins there had been a tent for her and Noel to crash in but this seemed a bit differently.
"Yeah." Noel said as he finally spoke. "On the 600th floor is Hope's place and a few other sectioned off 'apartments' that were reserved for us. It was because Hope fibbed that there was many people shooting through the timelines courtesy of his experiments and that he's the anchor."
"Our anchor huh?" Snow gave a rather soft smile. "You're still too smart kid. Always was."
"We'll see you guys in a few hours kay?" Serah asked as she pulled on Snow's arm. "And put Shiva away you idiot."
"Yeah, yeah." Snow waved his hand and the motorcycle disappeared.
Noel breathed out a sight of relief when as he watched them walk off. He didn't want to say anything out loud but he knew that he didn't want to talk to Serah right now. He bit his lip as Hope turned to face him. They watched each other for a moment but Hope didn't seem to find any words to say. The silence was uncomfortable and Hope sighed before turning and heading back towards HQ. Noel watched him walk for a few moments before he followed him.
While they were not an openly affectionate couple. Things were still a bit too new for that, Noel found himself missing the other's touch. He reached out and touched Hope's shoulder. As usual there was no hint of flesh visible but his face. Hope turned to face him and saw the troubled look on his face. The mage turned around and allowed the hunter to get into his personal space.
"What's up?" He asked quietly and Noel shook his head.
Hope stared up into his eyes for a few moments and then nodded sadly. Noel gestured towards HQ and sighed softly. "Can we be alone?"
Hope nodded at the despondent look and moved towards the building and into the elevator. Noel followed quickly and Hope hit the button for their floor. Once they made it home so to speak, Hope lead him down to the end of the hall were the balcony garden was. Outside, it was a little better then it had been inside or in the city. The garden was full of bushes and other plant life. Things that were common on Cocoon according to Hope as he lead Noel to a quiet, secluded corner.
"Tell me what's wrong?" The mage asked quietly as he held his partner's hand tightly. Noel leaned his head back and stared up into the bright blue sky.
"I've... I'm so tired of this Hope." He brought his head forward and leaned his body into Hope's. "I can barely remember them anymore. What... What happens next to me?"
He sounded so tired and hopeless that the silver haired man had to swallow against the discomfort that curled into his own stomach. He curled his arms around the hunter. He had no kind words to tell him. And had no idea of what to say. Hope tried to place himself in the other's shoes but the thought of forgetting the fourteen years that he'd gotten with her sent sharp pains of apprehension through his chest. He buried his face into Noel's hair and squeezed him tightly.
"I'm sorry... that I haven't yet found much in the data I've collected. I mean... I-" Noel pulled back and smiled at Hope gently, his eyes wet with unshed tears.
"You don't have to work so hard on that you know... Cocoon comes first." He kissed Hope's mouth before he could speak. "I'll be fine."
No you won't, Hope thought as he cupped Noel's cheeks afraid to say it out loud. The silver haired man leaned forward and pressed his head to Noel's, eyes closed just enjoying the other's presence. Silence wasn't something that Hope was good with, but he let it go as they sat together for a few moments. When the silence became too much Hope spoke up.
"I made a promise." The mage started as he pulled back, a long time ago. "I made a promise to save everyone I could including you."
Noel sucked in a breath at those words. Somehow, when Hope would fall into his speeches of building a better future, of making things right. The hunter had never counted himself among that number. His future was so bleak looking, either he'd forget everything about who he was or he'd travel back to his own time when all this mess was over. He pulled Hope back close and kissed him hungrily.
Hope gasped in surprise as his mouth was attacked. He didn't know what he said that landed him in a kiss like this, but he knew that it was heading towards dangerous territory to be in such a public space. He grasped against Noel's lips as the hunter pulled him closer, his brute strength alone allowing him to pull the silver haired man into his lap. Hope pushed his shoulders and stared down into lust filled eyes.
"Did you forget where we are dummy?" He asked as he bopped the other on the head. Noel shrugged lightly and pulled the smaller man closer. Hope swallowed hard as he felt Noel's erection against his thigh. The urge to touch was immediately awoken in him, but Hope had a strong sense of propriety and was not one to be exposed.
He glared down at Noel as he could feel his own manhood rising. Hope pulled out of his arms abruptly and Noel rose feeling as if he'd stepped out of bounds. Hope had a lot of invisible barriers that the brunette wasn't too sure of yet. Instead, his wrist was grabbed in an iron grip dragging him into the direction of the doors. Back to the scientist's apartment. Noel couldn't help the relieved smile that flashed across his face.
Once inside his own apartment, Hope ripped off his gloves and tossed them aside as he turned and pressed up against Noel, pushing him into the wall. Noel slipped his arms around the smaller man, one hand at his waist and the other lower. Hope groaned softly against Noel's lips, his own hands beginning to wander.
"Maybe we should make it to a bed?" Noel teased as he stared down at those bright eyes. Hope swallowed hard and leaned into him and closed his eyes. Noel smiled softly as he realized that the other was letting him choose. Hope was, much more experienced and while the hunter wasn't exactly sure of how far he wanted to go, he knew that he wanted it to be with the silver haired man. He figured that was enough for now. "Bed it is then."
Hope nodded and pulled back, walking ahead he looked back at Noel with a little smile as he took off his jacket and put it in it's place on the back of the couch. Noel watched him walk away until he was out of sight before he pushed off the door and followed. When the hunter reached the bedroom the silver haired man was already shirtless and undoing his pants.
Noel sucked in a breath, he'd seen the other man in various states of undress before, but somehow this time. When he'd felt the extent of what the other had felt for him. It felt different. It felt like he'd truly left the outside world, there... Outside of the bedroom that he now shared with the older man as he approached him. The brunette approached the half dressed scientist and pulled him to him. Noel stroked incredibly pale skin and laid kisses along the path his hand had taken.
"I think... I owe you the chance... to explore." Hope murmured as he untucked Noel's shirt and messaged his back. "You can touch me anywhere."
Noel shuddered at those words, even though he had touched the other before, he had always worried that Hope had off limit spaces. He seemed to with the way he covered himself up at work and any other time of the day. On the other hand, he'd found that when he was around those from the fall...and well him. the mage wasn't reserved at all. Like opposing natures.
"Do you like it?" He asked as he toyed with Hope's waistline, wondering it was okay to push the other's pants off. "Being touched?"
"I love being touched." Hope admitted a faint blush across his pale cheeks. "But I'm horribly selective about who touches me."
"Even friendly touches?" Noel teased a smile lightly across his lips as he thought about when he'd first met the other, who'd shied away from everyone but Serah's touch.
"...being touched is very personal don't you think?" Hope asked as he pressed his hands to Noel's bare chest. "Most touches can become intimate with just a little shift." A finger brushed across his partner's nipple. "You have to trust that the person understands what your limits are."
Noel groaned and pulled the other close and crushed his mouth to Hope's. The other had a reasonable explanation for most things he did. But he knew it was that the other was in a time with people he would leave. It was hard to gain Hope's trust and to realize that amount of access he had to the other was mind blowing.
Noel couldn't help himself as he pushed Hope's pants and underwear down, craving the touch of bare skin. The silver haired man stepped out of his pants and move towards the bed. He cast a look back over his shoulder as Noel's eyes followed all the spare lines of the mage's body. Hope turned back and looked at the hunter.
"Get off those clothes and get over here." Hope ordered and Noel immediately stripped off and got on the bed, coming down over the older man. They stared into each other's eyes a moment before kissing deeply. Noel moved to explore but the smaller man stopped him and cupped his face. "This time, you're on top. I can tell now that you're too tense." Hope's bright eyes watched him as the other came to understand what he meant. Noel couldn't help but blush and look away.
Hope turned his face back and kissed him slowly. Noel willed himself to relax as he leaned back into the kiss. Hands slowly moved around the silver haired man's body. Noel quickly discovering sensitive places and getting drunk off the moans that left Hope's mouth. Noel wrapped his hand around the other's thick erection and started a careful rhythm. Hope groaned and pulled Noel's mouth against his. As the speed picked up, Hope reached down and stopped his hand.
"Not yet." The mage warned and his own impatience made it impossible for him to teach Noel what came next.
Instead the hunter gasped in shock and a bit of embarrassment as the older man spread his legs wider. Hope fumbled with the drawer at his side and came back with a bottle of something that Noel wasn't sure of what it was. Coating his fingers in it, the scientist reached for a place that Noel hadn't expected to become a part of their intimacy.
Hope bit his lip at the slow press. Though experienced, it had been quite a while since he'd found someone that he'd wanted to share himself with in this way. Most certainly it hadn't happened at any point in time that he'd been in 400AF. The time blending into work and sleep with nothing else. He watched as the hunter's eyes seemed to be captivated by his moving fingers. Putting on a bit more of a show, he made sure he had the dark haired man's attention as he pushed them into that sensitive place, mouth falling open in a groan.
Remembering that Hope said that he could touch as much as he wanted, Noel reached out and touched those fingers. He wrapped his hand around Hope's, adjusting the older man's speed. Feeling what resistance the entrance was still giving. He looked up at Hope hungrily.
"Can I?" He asked quietly. The older man nodded, slipping out his own fingers with a soft sound. He wrapped his hand around the younger man's and guided two of the fingers into himself. Noel's fingers were shorter but thicker. The rough calluses causing a different sensation that Hope was finding addicting all on it's own. He reached out and pulled the other down on him as he tried different things, finding his mouth and kissing him ardently.
When it became too much for the smaller man he pushed on those fingers and pushed the hunter into sitting up. He reached for the bottle again. And used it to coat Noel's erection. Although Noel had known from the get go that this was where things were going, it was altogether weird to realize that soon he would be inside the man he admired so much. Feeling overwhelmed he wasn't sure of where to move or what to do.
"Calm down." Hope kissed his nose and rolled them over so that he was on top. He still couldn't help himself, he need to control at least some of what was happening. Noel stared up at him wide eyed. Noel laid his hands on Hope's hips watching hungrily as he carefully guided Noel inside and slowly sunk down fully on the younger male.
Noel hissed as he was engulfed into the other's tightness. He groaned and tilted his head back as his hands clenched at the other's waist. Hope smiled down at him, placing his hands on the strong abdomen in front of him and watched as his lover enjoyed being inside him as he got use to the youth's girth. After a long quiet moment, Hope shifted and slowly begin to move himself on the other.
"Fuck." Noel groaned as he clutched at the other, his own hips beginning to move with the other's rhythm. Hope moaned in response as he enjoyed the pace and feeling as he relaxed into the pleasure.
Drunk off of sensation Noel lifted up on to his elbows and Hope leaned down clutching at each other as they kissed passionately. The hunter protested as the mage lifted off of him and rolled them so that the other was on top. He smiled up at him almost apologetically.
"I said that you could touch and then I took over, sorry." Hope smiled gently and shifted into position and slowly eased Noel back inside. Noel felt a little unsure of what to do but Hope's warm encouragement pulled him in and he began a slow driving rhythm.
"Gods." Hope hissed as he curled into the taller man. Noel tensed but Hope began pulling on him encouraging him to move more. Noel groaned as fingernails dug into his back and he began to move harder, drunk off the other and seeking completion.
Too impatient to wait for the other Hope reached down and wrapped a hand around his own erection. Noel groaned at the feeling of Hope's hand squeezed between them as they moved against each other roughly. Overloaded and drunk on sensation, Noel orgasmed first as he clutched at Hope's body and groaned out the other's name. Hope moaned at the sensation of being filled and pleasured himself to completion as he continued to be held tightly in his lover's embrace.
Hope relaxed down on the bed and Noel collapsed down on top of him. When it looked like the hunter wasn't going to move, Hope shoved him roughly.
"Shower time." He ordered as he rolled their bodies and stood up.
"But I'm tired." Noel whined lightly.
"Well... if you want Snow to see you like that, you can take a nap!" Hope turned on his heel and pressed a hand to his mouth to cover his laughter as he headed for the shower. Noel's sputtering mock rage following him in.
It was hours after their time spent within Hope's bedroom that Serah and Snow showed up. Serah knocked politely on the door and it had surprised Hope who assumed that Snow would just bust in. He gestured them to the couches and stuff and moved into the kitchen to make drinks as Noel slumped down into one of the recliners and closed his eyes. The remaining three stared at each other in nervousness and contemplation. Finally Serah spoke before Snow could blunder in.
"It's been a while hasn't it?" She asked quietly, clasping her hands together. "Snow and I managed to fix the timelines responsible for making me a time maiden. How about things here?"
"It's been a bit of a disaster really." Noel muttered under his breath as he leaned forward. "In fact, you should probably be careful in your time around here. There's a terrorist group after Hope, who wants to stop the Cocoon project."
"Well that's dumb." Snow rolled his eyes skyward and then looked back at them. "Are you sure this supposed terrorist group in running on all cylinders? I mean, I don't want the kid to die or anything... He's family. But let's be serious. Have you looked outside at that junkyard? The government here has invested a lot of money into the new Cocoon and it would take a lot more then the death of one person, to disrupt such a happening. Especially since Hope wasn't even around for nearly 400 years of work and research on the project."
The other two winced. While Snow was observant and on many occasions had good points. It didn't make sense to target Hope in this time after he'd all ready accomplished the belief that Cocoon will fall and that a new Ark was needed. While some argued whether it should be a temporary or permanent home, there was too much research that had been down about how lethal the crystal dust could be. The group all sighed in discomfort.
"Well... you have somewhat of a point." Hope replied quietly as he walked back in, startling them all out of their somber moment. Snow flushed a bit, he hadn't meant to be heard by the younger (older) man. "But, these people don't really care about Cocoon being built or much about my influence on the building. They want to build a Fal'cie."
"Like the one you told me about!" Snow looked at Serah and the other nodded numbly.
"But Hope... even if that's true... We managed to change the timeline. Research was abandoned before you even made any headway."
"I do believe they have access to a paradox." Hope replied quietly. "And they know they need a pulse vestige and most of those have been taken by the government... to help build the new ark and to power the settlements."
"Well... if they have access to a paradox shouldn't they know better?"
"I don't know what they have access to. Remember how it looks from the outside. The people who are there think they live in a paradise. And the people who are here probably think that we are depriving them of that. Because it's common knowledge that Cocoon will fall, the crystal pillar will break..." Hope dropped in a seat and took a deep breath. "It's also common knowledge that a Fal'cie could keep Cocoon from falling."
"Or maybe they're stupid enough to think they can control it." Noel grumbled and Hope laughed lightly.
"If only it were that easy." Snow grumped as he remember the harsh truths that he was exposed to during his original world saving adventure. The l'cie seemed to contemplate things for a moment and then sighed deeply in discontent. "It still doesn't make sense why just you."
"I haven't quite discovered that."
"Maybe it's because of your magic?" Noel asked.
"Magic?!" Snow and Serah both gasped loudly.
"I've been able to use my magic for a long time now. I'm no l'cie by any means, nor do I have that ability but... That's not commonly known."
"This is a terrorist group." Snow replied annoyed.
"And a sophisticated one." Serah added. "What's to say that they don't know about your powers from their paradox information. Or worse, they know of some pivotal point that Lightning has missed and aimed it to move against home.
"That's all well and good." Snow interrupted as he reached for the glass of alcohol that Hope had thankfully bought him. "But our primary concern in still Caius. 500AF is still the time that he will most likely strike. All signs point to that being when the pillar will fall."
"The ark won't be ready before then either." Hope responded as he took a sip of his own drink. "Too many people to move. Humanity has flourished in a way that's..."
"That's amazing." Noel replied firmly before he grasped his hands together. "Caius wants to stop Yeul from dying. She... Every time the timeline changes she dies and is reborn."
"Well that's something we already know." Snow replied softly, not meaning to be unkind. "She dies in response to the things we've been doing as well. The thing that's troubling is that he wants to do more then just unleash chaos from what Lightning told me... He wants to complete the Fal'cie goal."
"Opening the gate." Hope hissed bitterly.
"...the gate?" Serah asked as he looked between Snow and Hope, Noel looked just as lot as she felt.
"The goal of the Fal'cie... To open the gate to the unseen realm." Hope replied and Noel found himself vaguely understanding where this was going. "I think we've talk about it before... In random bits and pieces but... All Fal'cie have a goal I've found. And it's to open the gate to the unseen realm. I learned about this as I studied the history. Bhunivelze... the creator of our world. In the history passed down by the Fal'cie in Eden's library all Fal'cie are searching. Pulse created Fal'cie to search in the world we live in and to raise an army for the battle he wanted to fight. Lindzei... the Cocoonian Fal'cie were to make a gate."
"Make a gate?" Serah asked, her face paling. "That's why they wanted to destroy Cocoon?!"
"Supposedly there is something beyond that the gods were seeking. Some say another god... Some say to defeat some evil." Hope explained quietly.
"The chaos?" Snow asked as he set his drink down. "Etro exists in the unseen realm as does chaos. She's a god who died."
"They have no interest in reviving Etro. And either way, what Caius wants to do is kill Etro." Noel replied bitterly. "She's the reason for time, the goddess of life and death."
"Of humans." Hope pointed out quietly. "Caius wants to release the chaos. Which has something to do with the gods' goals. Which means that at some point in time... We could be dealing with much deadly things then this."
"In the future though." Serah pointed out. "If Caius completes his objectives."
"We've gotten off topic!" Snow grumbled waving his hand before he picked up his cup of alcohol. "This terrorist group. Caius. Forget what the Fal'cie wanted."
"I'm not sure we can." Hope's face turned a bit solemn. "At some point, the gate will open and there is nothing we can do to stop it."