Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Square-Enix. Really? Nothing :(

Pairing: SnowxHope!

Warning: Contains Yaoi. Mild angst mixed in with the usual fluff.

I tired to update quickly this time even with school riding my ass hard. Thanks for the reviews. I wasn't expecting so much. Keep them coming. Even though I felt a bit threaten that all of them say to 'update' asap.

Also, I would like to thank LightPhantom742 for editing this chapter.

Chapter 7: Romance and Tragedy

Hello Babe,

I don't know if this letter will make it to Cocoon, but I pray every day that these few lines of my feelings reach you. I am doing well and hope that you, my Hope, enjoy the same blessing. I wanted to write to you earlier, since the day I came to Pulse, but the higher ups wouldn't let us keep in contact with Cocoon. I had to do some favors for the cook, washing the dishes for three weeks, to get this letter past.

There is so much I wanted to say and I don't know where to start. I miss you. I really do Hope. Not a day goes by and the thought of you never left my mind. I want to be with you on Cocoon right now, and I know one day my wish will be realized. I can't wait to see you and hold you in my arms once again.

I talked to Gadot a couple weeks ago. He is somewhere near outside of Cocoon where a fleet of battalion ships reside. So far my squad is the only group to come to Pulse. Compared to us, he isn't seeing much action. It's one recon mission after another inside enemy territory. It's brutal here. This world is certainly hell. I don't know how I am alive. It seems that these pulse fiends and automata can't hurt this Hero... Or maybe I have been lucky so far.

I don't know how long we will be here. It's anybody's guess when this war will come to an end, but until then, I will continue doing my job and stay alive. I will come back to you. I promised you that and I will, and then I will tell you everything about Pulse.

Love you, Snow.

Hope felt his heart swell with multiple emotions and his throat tightened while reading through the letter. His heart, filled with happiness and anguish, was beating erratically as his brain soaked up every word written on the paper to memory. He didn't know if the letter helped with his lonesome situation or made his position even worse. However, there were something insightful from reading the letter; Snow was alive and the man was still trying to keep his promise. And that was enough to renew Hope's faith and hope. He felt a wetness forming at the corners of his eyes, but Hope quickly held it back. Snow hadn't forgotten about him, not for a single passing day, and that alone made Hope's heart burst with an array of heartfelt emotions. It seemed that the world hadn't lost much if it's enchantment after all.

From the letter, it seemed like Snow was still his same, old self; the optimistic and lovable man as he always appeared to be. The man hadn't changed one bit. It was these exact traits that made Hope fall for the blond in the first place, despite the man's insistent nagging, and Hope was relieved to know that Snow hadn't lost himself to the cruelty of their long separation and the war. Yet despite the charismatic letter, Hope did not know exactly what was going on outside of Cocoon and how Snow was coping under the condition of the war on Pulse. It was bad enough that Snow was fighting in a war, but fighting a war on Pulse was a whole different story. He only hoped when he saw the blond again that the man would still be his usual self.

"Hello Babe?" Nora asked, raising an amused brow.

Hope jumped and turned to see his mother leaning down over his shoulder, reading the letter with a small smile gracing on her features. "Mom!" Hope gasped, his cheeks bright red. He quickly took a few steps away from his mother, pressing the letter into a tight embrace in his chest so his mother couldn't read any more embarrassing information written in the letter.

Nora suppressed a whole-hearted chuckle at her son's sudden and embarrassed reaction. It really had been quite some time since she had honestly seen Hope's eyes broadcast such happiness and color. Even though the months have been hard on her son, it was nice to know all of that time waiting wasn't for nothing. Looking at her son and the blond-haired man's situation, it amazed Nora that the two wouldn't give up on each other. Not by a long shot. The attachment was too dear, precious like hard jewels, for it to be broken over such a long distance. "So… he is still fighting?"

Hope nodded bashfully. "He's alive." He felt a heaviness swelling in his chest saying those words.

"And you're glad?" Nora asked with a smile on her face. She was happy because that blond was alive, but more so due to the fact that it gave Hope some reassurance. Bright sides and silver linings. It was always there.

"Well of course." Hope glanced away, feeling flustered. He opened up the letter once more and read over the contents once again. This letter held Snow's feelings and his voice which Hope would carry with him from now on. If he held onto those words like it was an attachment to Snow, maybe he didn't need to wait much longer. Hope contemplated as he turned to an empty table and pictured a blond looking at him with that captivating and irresistible smile. Hope knew Snow would not rest until they were together again. Snow was trying his hardest to keep his promise and Hope didn't doubt the thought that Snow would definitely find a way back to Cocoon. The man was anything, if not but determined. He could not give up on hope yet - not when it was so easy to do so. Hope pulled himself together, folded the letter which he placed in his pants pocket, and returned back to his task. He needed to keep hope alive, even though the world felt like it had permanently gone off kilter by several degrees since Snow had left. He would wait, even though it may seem unbearable, he would wait. It's the least he could do.

Two days later…

Nora watched intrigued from the bar counter, with her elbows resting on the marble surface, as Hope busied himself around the tavern. She smiled as the silverette hummed to himself like everything was ordinary while wiping the tables around the tavern with a wash cloth. Hope had been in good spirits for the past few days since he received the letter from the military. It was an absolute one-eighty flip from the depressing, moping, and unreponsive teen she had seen for over three months, and so she and her husband let the teen be. Nora returned her attention back to the tavern. The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows, giving the building a warm and orange glow. It was still too early to open for business and preparations were still a long way from being finished.

"The tables are clean." Hope said as he approached his mother and took a seat on the opposite side of the bar. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

"Not right now." Nora smiled warmly as Hope let out a tired sigh and slouched back into the seat. She leaned back from the counter and turned her heel to the kitchen, but paused when the bell on the door chimed as the door opened, followed by a familiar voice.

"Hey! Is this place open yet?" Gadot's voice boomed within the room.

Hope felt something lurch in his chest and snapped his head towards the direction of the voice. His sea-green eyes slowly grew round when he saw Gadot stepping in from the outside cold and into the warm building, smiling brightly at him and his mother. His feet were already on the floor, running to the fiery-haired man before his numbed mind could process what he was doing. However, Hope stopped and blinked as his expression instantly deflated when the sudden yearning to see a tall, blond-haired man following behind the fiery-haired man didn't come to reality. Snow should be walking in after his friend like usual, he remembered. But no one else came.

"Hoping for someone else again?" Gadot asked, his lips stretching out into a wide grin. He reached forward, ruffled the teen's silvery hair which the teen quickly brushed away.

"No." Hope said indignantly, feeling something stab inside his chest, and walked back to his seat, his shoulders dipping a bit low. For some reason seeing Snow's friend alone walking into the tavern made his heart ache and clench painfully. It made the sudden memories of Snow come back tenfold. And Hope was trying his hardest to keep those memories, along with those emotions, locked away so they couldn't escape and run free.

"Welcome back." Nora greeted.

"I wish I was. Don't get too friendly with me, I am not staying long." Gadot replied, gaining two suspicious looks from the woman and the teen, and walked to the marble counter, his eyes glancing around the empty room. "Are you open yet?" He reiterated his question as before and took the seat beside the teen.

"Preparing to." Nora answered and cleared her throat before glancing from her son to the man. "Have you heard anything about your friend?" She asked, seeing Hope stiffen slightly.

Gadot nodded. "Snow and I talked twice so far. The military doesn't let us get too friendly much. I have my hands clean stationed on the Lindblum, outside of Cocoon. Snow of course has his hands dirty on a military base on Pulse."

"I know." Hope sullenly informed the man who looked at him weirdly.

"You do?" Gadot asked skeptically.

"I received a letter from him the other day through the military." Hope informed the tanned skin man.

"That's great." Gadot's face brightened. "You know, he never stops thinking about you. Even when we spoke, you seem to be the topic of the entire conversation. He talks about you all the time. 'How amazing Hope is?' and 'How I am going to show Hope those fireworks?' I can't help but feel a tad jealous." Gadot chuckled as his little speech was enough to make the teen bow his head in embarrassment, hiding the bright tint which suddenly warmed across his pale cheeks. "He hasn't giving up on you."

"Then how come he isn't here?" 'With Me!' Hope mentally whispered the last part to himself, his voice sounding like a lost puppy, as his heart finally brought the question forward. Why was Gadot here, but not Snow, when he was trying his hardest to stop the lonely feeling in his chest from breaking him down to despair and grief.

Neither Nora or Gadot commented on the teen's question. They remained quiet, their faces displaying a sad longing, knowing that they didn't have an answer for the teen. No one had an answer for the teen, except for Snow himself. "So how come you're back?" Feeling a long silence fill the room, Nora tried to deflect the conversation to a new subject. She was curious as to why the man was back here and about the man's comment about 'not staying too long.' It's been just over three months and Nora knew that the active duty of a soldier in the military was a two year obligation. So why was the blond-haired man's best friend back here?

"The military are pulling us out which we are all happy to hear." Gadot stated, crossing his arms across his chest.

"But the war? It's not over, is it?" inquired Nora. "I mean, the Sanctum should've made some announcements earlier?"

"Those Sanctums dogs wouldn't whisper a word about it to anyone. They're all keeping this under wraps." Gadot only spat before taking a deep breath to calm his sudden anger. "I don't know the details myself but I heard talk amongst the other soldiers that the war was drawing to a close. There are signs of the war starting to quiet down on both sides lately and the Sanctum is pulling us out."

"Really?" Hope's voice suddenly blurted out before he could process everything being said. The muscular man nodded and Hope felt his inner spirit flicker. "Then that means?"

"You probably don't have much longer to wait now."

All the hope the silverette had held for the past few months of waiting flared at the thought of the soldiers returning. His heart swelled with warmth and excitement as his head filled with elation. Finally everything was taking a turn for the best. If what Gadot said was true about the war coming to an end, then that meant he would be seeing Snow soon. The thoughts of seeing Snow with the endless waiting coming to an end made him feel lighter. For once, Hope could finally catch a break.

"All of this seems too surreal to take in." Nora said, seeing only happiness and contentment reflected in those green orbs. "And what about you? Are you going back to Bodhum?" Nora turned back to the man sitting across the marble counter.

Gadot simply shook his head. "I am still serving in the military. I am only here for a few days unfortunately. I am going back to Pulse early morning tomorrow."

"Ahmm…" Hope fiddled with his fingers nervously. His mother and the fiery-haired man looked at him, and Hope felt a warm blush appearing on his face. "Can I ask for a favor?" He asked the dark-skinned man anxiously.

Gadot just blinked at the teen before responding. "Ummm… Sure? What is it?"

"A letter. I want to send Snow a letter." Hope said shyly, looking completely flustered.

"Umm…" Gadot scratched the back of his neck unsurely. "I doubt the military would let me past with it. They will probably confiscate it and tear it up before it even reaches Snow." He said, seeing the teen's expression sadden. He mentally grumbled to himself, seeing the dispirited look and knowing also how overjoyed Snow would be. Then an idea came to him. "However…" Gadot said, pulling out his phone, flipping it open, and handing it to the silver-haired teen who just eyed him confusingly. "I think I could get a video message to him."

"But how is Snow going to receive it?" Hope questioned.

Gadot smirked before saying confidently. "Just leave that to me."

Nora and Gadot watched with intrigue as the flustered teen chewed on his bottom lip, but before the teen could utter a word into the phone, the silverette quickly scampered into the kitchen, too embarrassed to share his message with them. "So you're waiting for your friend too?" Nora asked smiling.

Gadot chuckled sheepishly. "Hey if the kiddo can wait, I think I can do the same."

Two minutes later Hope stepped back into the room, his face obvious looking red. He cleared his throat and approached Snow's friend, handing the man his phone back. "Don't look at it!" Hope calmly threatened as Gadot took the phone from his hand.

"I won't." Gadot snickered and got up from his seat. "Well, I think I've overstayed my visit. I better get out of your hair. Looks like you guys still have a lot of prep work to do before the tavern can open."

"You're leaving already?" Nora called out, a frown appearing on her face.

"Don't worry. I'll be back." Gadot said and stopped at the door. He turned around and glanced at the teen. "And Kiddo! The next time you see me, I'll be bringing that idiot boyfriend of your's back."

Since the unexpected visit from Snow's friends, time passed with ease, bringing the holidays and festivities. When the winter break from school rolled around, Hope found himself spending the entire break helping around at The Rivera. The holidays were a busy time for his mother, who required his assistance with a few chores and decorating the room with holiday cheers. His father had to step in for a few nights when there was a full house of customers. Even though Hope had his hands full, he still would take a moment and think about Snow. He wondered how the blond was spending his holidays. What kind of holiday would it be if Snow was with him? He didn't see Gadot or another letter from Snow again. Slowly the New Year had come and gone and still Hope kept on holding onto his last shred of faith.

Eventually the holidays were over and he was back to school. Some things never changed. However, he noticed something seemed off a few weeks later when he was walking home from school one day. The streets of Palumpolum seemed a more crowded than usual with more people. And a few of these extra faces made themselves known in his mother's tavern, the same loud-mouthed idiots he had come to loathe, were amongst the regulars. His heart splintered at the sight of a few soldiers greeting his mother as they entered the tavern and acting like themselves. The sight brought back a wave of transient and nostalgic memories. Gadot was right. Snow was coming back.

The weather seemed to agree with his mood as it was slowly starting to show some color, other than the usual grey and white as as Hope made his way to The Rivera after a long day at school. He glanced around and let his heart fill with the sight of people filling in the streets. It seemed like everyone was taking advantage of the warm, mild weather. He paused in the streets when his eyes automatically stopped to a young soldier, dressed in PISCOM colors with his helmet in his hand, who was currently conversing with a smile on his face to a girl working at a florist shop. It was too endearing to look away. Hope wondered when his time would come. 'Soon.' Hope told himself.

When he reached The Rivera, Hope stopped in front of the wooden door when he perceived something approaching him from the corner of his eyes. He turned to look and saw a familiar fiery-haired man walking in his direction. It was Gadot. His heart swelled up with joy, but the feeling didn't last long when he only saw the fiery-haired man alone, the man's eyes looking forlorn. He felt a cold chill tingle up his spine seeing the miserable look on the muscular man's face.

"Hope…" Gadot said, coming to a stop a few feet away from the teen.

Something tightened in his chest, hearing the man say his name rather than the usual nickname. Something is wrong? Where is Snow? His heart slowly started to quicken. He could barely breathe. "I-It's Snow, i-isn't it?" His throat constricted, barely audible to mutter those words.

"There..." Gadot paused, chewing on his lowers lips. "There was an attack on the base. We don't know what happened."

"A-And Snow?" Hope choked out those words.

"The base was completely demolished. We search, but we couldn't find any survivors."

Hope felt his heart sink as his eyes widened in horror. He took a step back, shaking his head. He felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. This wasn't happening. He took another step back, ignoring Gadot's concerned voice for him. He wanted to scream, cry, and yell. Instead, he just chose to run.

To Be Continued...

A/N: *Run away and hide under my bed* Please don't sue me and take away my money. I am poor enough. I didn't mean to end it there :( It just happens. I hope you guys/gyals are enjoying the story so far.

Please Review!