Review Thanks!
ben4kevin : Thank you! It's my last class and I should graduate in December. Fingers crossed :)
Mallobie: Thanks! Dajh and the twins will be around for awhile. I hope I don't disappoint.
rebirth-flame: You're right Dajh is mature for his age ;) It will be explained why in the next chapter. Sigh +can't play sad games like that. My friend laughed at me when I didn't finish Crisis Core+ Guess I shouldn't play Type-0 either. Not that I can but still...
xXAngelWithDragonWingsXx: Good guess with the names but no. Gives cookies anyway for trying!
AN: Well here's chapter 20. I wanted it to be longer but with school and all. Originally what is going to be chapter 21 was going to be in here. I thought you would rather have a short chapter than nothing this week. Okay xXAngelWithDragonWingsXx had a good guess with the names but it wasn't right. Sigh. I think I dated myself. Oh well. I'm old. Anyway you have a few more chances to guess. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!
Chapter 20 Help Arrives
Hope was being quiet. Too quiet. Ever since Vanille and Fang had left two days ago the smaller man hardly said a word. He had also been clingy. Not that Noel was complaining about that. He like being close to Hope but it wasn't in his nature to be to touchy-feely. It was worrying.
"Alright what's wrong?" Noel asked during dinner.
"You means besides the fact that Alyssa is running around with some unknown dark power," Hope retorted. Noel raised an eyebrow at the sarcastic tone in the other man's voice.
"Yes besides that," Noel replied choosing to ignore Hope's tone.
"I suppose asking you to drop the subject won't work," Hope said wistfully.
"Nope," Noel answered. He wasn't going to take any chances where Hope was concerned.
"I don't know how to explain it," Hope sighed.
"Did you…did you see something?" Noel asked. Even though everyone had reassured him numerous times that Hope seeing things wouldn't eventually kill him he still didn't like the idea of it.
"Not exactly," Hope answered as he looked down at his half eaten dinner. "It's more of a feeling."
"A feeling?" Noel asked curiously. Hope nodded and then nervously bit is bottom lip.
"I have this horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen to you," Hope admitted quietly. Before Noel had time to say anything to the revelation he saw a tear slid down Hope's cheek. He was out of his chair in an instant and kneeled down in front of the other man.
"Nothing's going to happen to me," Noel said as he took one of Hope's smaller hands in his own.
"You can't say that," Hope said with a sad chuckle.
"No but you said that it was just a feeling. You didn't actually see anything," Noel said more than asked. Hope nodded jerkily. "Then maybe everything you've been through that last couple weeks is affecting your judgment. What with the nightmare and Fang and Vanille leaving."
"Maybe," Hope said but he didn't sound as if he believed it.
"I can also take care of myself plus I have you. Just don't jump in front of anymore dark energy rays for me," Noel said with a smile trying to lighten the mood. He didn't think it was a good idea to point out how Hope was the one Alyssa wanted and how she wanted to use himself against the smaller man.
"I can't make any promises," Hope said with a smile albeit a sad smile but Noel was willing to take it.
"Neither can I but I promise to be careful if you promise me the same thing," Noel said.
"I…alright I'll be careful if you'll be careful," Hope agreed.
"Good now how about we go and finish dinn…" Noel started to say but stopped when Hope began to rub his head. "Hope's what's wrong?"
"Help me to the couch," Hope rasped. Noel didn't question him as he gently grabbed Hope by the arm, led him to the couch, and helped him lay down. As soon as Hope was lying down he closed his eyes.
Noel covered him with a blanket before sitting down in the chair. As he watched Hope he couldn't help but to wonder what the smaller man was seeing this time and how long he would be out for. He really hated this seeing thing that Hope could do; especially since it just came out of nowhere. One minute they were talking and the next Hope was passed out on the couch.
Hope wasn't even out an hour this when he opened his eyes, "Our help is here."
"Did you see them?" Noel asked.
"I couldn't see their faces but I know that they're here," Hope said as he slowly sat up. "They're not too far from where I landed. You should probably go and get them."
"Are you sure?" Noel asked as he stood up from his kneeling position. He looked back down at Hope and frowned. "You're a bit pale."
"I'm fine," Hope answered. "Just a little light headed. Now go and collect our help."
"Alright but don't leave the house," Noel told him. He didn't like the idea of leaving Hope alone but he couldn't leave their help out there either.
"I won't," Hope told him.
"I or I guess we'll be right back," Noel said as he gave Hope a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Hurry back and be careful," Hope said looking earnest.
"I will," Noel said as he headed towards the door. He looked back at Hope before he walked outside. He was sitting there with his head resting in his hands. Noel had a feeling that Hope was hiding something from him but he knew it wouldn't do any good to ask.
Hope took a big breath when he heard the front door open and quietly close. He told Noel the truth about what he saw he just didn't tell his boyfriend everything. His vision started out normal seeing them arrive but when he tried to get a closer look the Shadow arrived. He knew that he couldn't let it see them so Hope pulled out of the vision before it saw them or where they were.
He knew that he should have told Noel but he also knew if he did that Noel wouldn't leave. Besides the Shadow was bidding its time. That much Hope knew for certain. Noel was in no danger from it tonight.
Even though his mind was abuzz with thoughts Hope felt his eyes growing heavy. And no matter how hard he tried to stay awake he soon fell asleep. Hope woke up to the feeling of someone kissing him. Something he rather enjoyed. When he opened his eyes he saw Noel looking down at him.
"You're going to get a sore back sleeping like that," Noel scolded.
"I haven't been sleeping that long," Hope said as he sat up and tried to keep from wincing when his back twinged.
"Did you have another vision?" Noel asked sounding concerned.
"No. I was just tired," Hope said as he looked at the taller man curiously. "Aren't you suppose to be picking up the others?"
"I did. I've been gone over two hours," Noel said as he placed his hand on Hope's forehead with a frown. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"I'm fine," Hope said as he pulled Noel's hand and kissed his palm. "I told you I was just tired."
"Um right," Noel said with a small cough as his cheeks turned a dark shade of red. Hope smiled. He loved that he could make the other man blush like that.
"So if they're here where are they?" Hope asked curiously.
"Waiting outside. They wanted to give me a chance to warn you," Noel said suddenly looking nervous.
"Warn me?" Hope asked feeling nervous himself.
"It's not a bad thing. I think that you'll actually be quite pleased," Noel said with a shaky smile.
"Huh-uh," Hope said as he gave his boyfriend a shrewd look.
"Really," Noel pressed. Hope rolled his eyes as he stood up.
"You better let this people in then," Hope said as he looked at the door. He had a feeling that whoever they were, were listening in. He knew he was right when the door opened.
In walked a tall man the reminded him very much of Sazh except he was younger and his hair was much shorter. Much, much shorter. There was no goatee either. Meaning that this only could be one person.
"Dajh?" Hope asked.
"You recognized me," Dajh said with a big wolfish smile.
"You look…different," Hope said feeling a bit overwhelmed. Last time he saw Dajh he had just been a little boy and now he was an adult. An adult that it was several inches taller than him. It was bad enough when he saw that Noel grew to be taller than him but with Dajh it was unnerving. It did help that Dajh was taller than Noel. At least Dajh had more of a lean build.
"And you look the same just…smaller," Dajh said walked over to him and rested his hands on Hope's shoulders and looked at him intently.
"Ah…smaller?" Hope asked.
"You were always taller than me but now," Dajh said as he continued to look at him. "Guess a piggy-back ride is out of the question."
"Piggy-back ride?" Noel asked an edge to his voice. Hope looked over at his boyfriend and saw that he was fuming. Since they hardly ever saw people he forgot that Noel had a jealous streak.
"That's right," Dajh said as he let go of him a big smile still on his face. Either he didn't notice Noel's budding anger or he was choosing to ignore it. "When we first started to settle on pulse Hope took over of taking care of me pretty much. Everyone else was building settlements or looking for Light."
Hope smiled sadly at the memories. Dajh had become like a second shadow. He followed him everywhere. He would even study with him. Then one day him and his dad were just gone.
"And what about us!" someone shouted breaking into his thoughts. Hope peered around Dajh to see two more people standing there. They looked to be in their late teens. One of the teens was around his height and build and the other was closer to Noel's.
"My bad, my bad," Dajh said with a chuckle. "I would like you to meet Serah and Snow's twins Bastian and Balthazar," Dajh explained as he pointed to the taller one first and then the shorter one.
"Call me Zar. No one but Mom calls me Balthazar," the smaller boy said as he crossed his arms over his chest and put his nose in the air.
Now that Hope knew who they were he could see it. Balthazar or Zar looked very much like Snow. He had the same blonde hair and stubborn eyes. Zar had his blonde hair pulled back in a pony-tale. His body build though was more like Serah's; small and wiry.
"You can call me Bastian," the other boy said giving them a sheepish smile. Bastian was the opposite of his twin brother. He looked more like Serah with the kind eyes and smile. Not to mention his hair was very similar to hers. It was the same color and just as curly. Unlike his brother he let his hair hang loose it just barely brushed his shoulders. He was more similar to Snow in body type but not as freakishly large.
"So Serah and Snow had twins," Noel muttered seemingly to himself. Hope had to admit that he was surprised by the revelation too. He knew that the two were going to get married but to see their children and Dajh so old. It was a bit shocking.
"Do you mind if I ask how old you are?" Hope asked.
"The twins just turned eighteen and I'm physically twenty-five," Dajh said.
"Physically?" Noel asked curiously. Dajh nodded.
"My age is a bit complicated. Being stuck in a time loop and all…"
"Excuse me but we've been traveling for a while and I'm hungry," Zar said breaking into their conversation.
"What my rude brother means is," Bastian continued as he glared at the smaller boy; Zar rolling his eyes in response. "Is can we hold the explanations off until tomorrow. We could use a real meal and sleep in a bed that doesn't move."
"Of course," Hope said. "We've already eaten but I could make something."
"No you stay and visit. I'll make something," Noel said and then gave him a quick kiss before heading off to the kitchen.
"So you two are together," Dajh said with a smirk. Hope nodded.
"Mom will be pleased," Zar agreed.
"Serah? Why would she be pleased?" Hope asked curiously.
"She always thought you would make a cute couple," Bastian answered.
"And why did she think that?" Noel asked as he set a pot down on the stove.
"She told us how much more you smiled when you were around hope," Zar said. Noel turned ten shades of red and went back to cooking without commenting.
Hope smiled. He loved it that Noel got flustered so easily. It was also kind of fun to know that maybe on some level that Noel had always liked him. With Noel cooking, Zar and Bastian arguing and Dajh and him talking Hope was almost able to forget that something dark was coming. Almost.