A day off.
That phrase seemed nothing but utterly foreign to Hope, what was he supposed to do on a day like today? In the back of his mind, he knew that Lightning would be hounding him for not yet cleaning up his mess in the living room. Glancing over at the alarm clock, he saw that it was still incredibly early in the morning. Even on a day with an anomaly such as this, his routine still kicked in. Sitting up, stretching and yawning Hope draped his legs over the side of the bed, deciding it was time to get up. After all, why should someone break their routine after just one day?
Hope made his way to the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror for a moment. He looked really tired, and it was probably due to the fact that he'd stayed up late with Lightning the previous night. Smiling softly at the memory, he decided to stop procrastinating and have a shower. Ordinarily he would have laid out his clothes on such a day, but after living with Lightning he'd actually come to expect them already there. Which is why when he stepped out of the shower, he was surprised to find that they weren't there.
So, maybe his routine had already been spoiled. Etro forbid he actually said that or dared think it in front of Lightning. It wasn't out of contempt that he thought of such things, just that Lightning had spoiled him in her short tenure of living together. Feeding him, cleaning up after him, laying out clothes for him...dressing him. At that thought he instantly felt heat spread through his cheeks. Tossing the vivid memory of Lightning shortly before she left aside, he decided not to procrastinate any longer.
Making his way back to their bedroom, he hastily put on an outfit he'd usually save for a work day. Checking his phone, he looked in vain for a text or call from Lightning- maybe it was just too early for such things. Backtracking to the bathroom, he decided to finish off the menial tasks of grooming before setting out on something actually productive for the day.
"Where do I...begin?" Hope stared at his mess, had Lightning actually only been gone for less than 24 hours? Were she to see this mess, Lightning would probably be far less than pleased. Truth be told, it just slipped his mind to get rid of the trash when it had been produced. Using the excuse that he was busy just didn't seem viable in this situation.
Maybe he'd just become lazy in doing household chores. Sighing to himself, Hope managed to finish off the simple task- now for the rest of the living room. "How did I...manage to let things get this bad in such a short amount of time?" pillow from the couch were askew, some cushions had been carelessly knocked out of place and the coffee table had somehow managed to shift a few inches over. Somehow. As if he actually didn't know who moved the table, and why- sometimes he needed to adjust it because he worked on his laptop in the living room.
Part way through him fixing up the living room, he finally felt his phone begin to buzz. Lightning's name showed up on the screen and he hit the 'Answer' button, "Hello?"
"Looks like not even a day off is enough to stop you from cracking down." Lightning commented.
"Nope." Hope laughed a bit, though his idle hands began to anxiously play with one another. Did she phone explicitly to see about something? Lightning said she didn't know whether or not he'd been up, so maybe it was just a courtesy call? He could think up hundreds of questions and a multitude of scenarios on 'why', but he wouldn't actually know unless he asked. The trouble was, he didn't know if he should ask- it would come off as rude, wouldn't it?
"One word answers? If I wanted those, then I guess I could just text you, instead?" Lightning let the question linger in the air. She was of course only teasing, but not sure if Hope would end up taking it seriously.
"Sorry about that." Hope sheepishly apologized, "I was just...in the middle of a few things, and...well, waiting for your call, actually. I also wasn't sure if I should end up calling you, because you may have been busy, and I didn't want to get in the way of you doing things with Serah and Snow...then there's the added possibility of me-"
"Slow down." Hope was rambling and Lightning was barely able to keep up with him. "Organize your thoughts a little more, I can't keep up with you."
"I...I just meant that...well, I wanted to call, I just didn't know when or how to go about it- that's all." Hope explained.
"I see." Lightning laughed a bit, "Don't ever feel like you can't contact me- I would have called earlier myself, but I just wasn't sure if you were up or not."
"Hey! Who ya talkin' to? Is it your special guy?" Hope heard Snow in the background followed by Serah.
"Is it, Lightning!?" Serah sounded especially excited.
"Somehow, I don't find it plausible I'd be meeting their expectations." Hope smiled at Serah/Snow's commentary in the background, but he had to wonder how Lightning was taking such things. It didn't seem to be annoying her, at least that's what he got from the situation. At the very least she wasn't yelling or berating them to stop, so maybe it didn't matter?
"Oh, it's just Hope." Lightning had decided to put it on speakerphone for a moment to subside all of their constant questions.
"Even so just as exciting!" Serah chimed in, "Hi, Hope! How are you doing?"
"Nice to hear you too, Snow." Hope addressed Snow's lack of interest in a playful manner just as the other male had. "Hey, Serah. I'm doing fairly well, actually, how are you doing?"
"We're having lots of fun showing Lightning some of the best sights we have to offer here." Serah explained.
"Hey, it's not like I'm not interested in talkin' to ya." Snow cut in right after Serah finished, "I just find it a little impersonal to be doin' this over the phone. You should come and visit so we can have an actual conversation and some fun."
Before Hope could even begin to respond, Lightning cut in. "How about you two lead the way to the next attraction and I finish my conversation?" she took Hope off speakerphone so they'd have some privacy. "Sorry about that."
"Why are you sorry? I enjoyed it." Hope didn't find Lightning at fault for any reason, so why did she?
"Suddenly getting tag teamed by Serah and Snow?" Lightning offered, "Unless you actually liked having a four way conversation. Those two could probably out talk even you."
Hope couldn't resist a small laugh at that statement, it was no secret that Lightning thought he could talk alot. "Have they started to drive you a little crazy?"
"I just don't think I'm used to having this much company...or questions." Lightning sighed softly.
"I take it from their earlier commentary you hadn't told them about...us?" it was fairly obvious that she hadn't, but he had to reaffirm his assumption on the matter.
"No." Lightning paused, trying to find a good way to explain to Hope why she didn't do so. "It just...you know, what with the wedding and all- it didn't...seem like the best of times."
"That makes sense." Hope agreed, "It's their special time, and I wouldn't like to take away from that myself."
"But if we're both going, then they're bound to find out."
"Are you suggesting that either one of us not go...?"
"No! They'd know something was up, and I know that Serah and Snow would be disappointed if either one of us didn't show up. I wouldn't ask that of you, and it's a little ridiculous to be that extreme about this." Lightning was honestly struggling to think of a good time to tell the gang about her and Hope. But everytime she tried, there was no answer in sight.
"It is a very complicated situation. Have they chosen a date?"
"They're trying to find one that fits around everyone's schedules."
"So, no, then?"
"Well, I know for one that they definitely want me here. Then they have to factor in Fang and Vanille...Sazh and Dajh, Noel and Yeul and of course you. Your schedule should really give them a run for their money."
"I could just take some vacation days, you know?" Hope didn't mean to sound like a know-it-all, but he did have a simple solution to that problem. Regarding the first one, he honestly didn't have very many ideas.
"Any bright ideas on the whole big reveal thing?" Lightning sincerely hoped he did.
"Why not just say it outright, Light?" Hope had heard her reasoning behind keeping it a secret- but it honestly didn't sound like there would be any grief or hassling on the matter were she to come clean about it.
"That's easy for you to say. You wouldn't have to deal with their reactions. You wouldn't be tormented day in and day out with Serah and Snow coming at you from both sides." Lightning didn't understand how he thought it could be such a simple task to do away with.
"I don't think that's necessarily true, I mean- it absolutely is, but at the same time Serah has my phone number. And there are varying ways she could speak to me face-to-face regarding this matter." video calls were a distinctive possibility, and if Serah or Snow were to call him that way he wouldn't dodge the call. This was by no means a simple matter, but it wasn't anything that seemed like the end of the world, either.
"If you honestly don't think this is a big deal, then you tell her."
"Are you sure that you'd want me to do it?" it sounded more like a challenge from Lightning's end that he be the one to tell Serah.
"Absolutely." Lightning didn't hesitate in her answer, "It's no big deal, right? Then you get to tell her."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Hope didn't know if Lightning was being serious- she sounded like she wasn't kidding.
"Hey, if you think you can just drop a bombshell like this on my sister, then by all means." Lightning didn't even give Hope the option to respond, she handed the phone over to Serah.
"Hey Hope! Lightning said you have something to say?" Serah asked.
"I..I'm not so sure." Hope blinked, was Lightning testing him? Would he get into some sort of trouble if he said something?
"Oh? Well don't feel like you can't say whatever you wanted to say." Serah encouraged him a bit to say what was on his mind.
"I don't think Lightning would be too keen on me saying what I was going to." Hope explained, trying to keep himself busy rather than just being idle and fidgeting.
"She said it's okay with her." Serah asked Lightning again for confirmation, and Hope could hear the 'yes'.
"I feel like this may be one of those situations where 'yes' actually means 'no'." Hope was puzzled by his own statement, it seemed strange having one thing mean the exact opposite.
"Those are strange, aren't they?" Serah laughed.
"Yes, I would in fact have to say that they are most perplexing." Hope sighed, would Lightning kill him if he said anything?
"You don't want to tell me, do you?" Serah asked, "It's okay if you don't- if my sister will end up getting mad at you...then it probably isn't the best of things to say."
"I couldn't agree with you more."
"I'll hand her back the phone now. Bye, Hope."
"Bye, Serah."
"Couldn't do it, could you?" Lightning asked.
"It's not that I couldn't more that I thought I shouldn't."
"Now you see my problem."
"I do...I really, really do." Hope conceded.
"How about...at the wedding? Nothing to upstage Serah and Snow, but you know...something like...pairing up on the dance floor? It's easy, most people probably wouldn't even believe us, anyway- and we can laugh it off."
"I'm fine with whatever you want to do."
"Then it's decided, I guess."
"I suppose it is." waiting for Serah's and Snow's wedding? That seemed completely doable, although it had an indeterminate date, which is probably why Lightning decided on such a thing. Her and him on the dance floor?
"You do know how to dance, right?" Lightning asked, "I'm not going to end up leading you, or having my feet stepped on?"
"Truth be told? I'm not really adept at it, but I can make my way through such things." Hope could tell she was teasing, but he may end up being really clumsy on the dance floor.
"Well, that's good. And did Serah actually end up telling you the good news?"
"What news?"
"Maybe she got a little distracted. They set a date for the wedding."
"Oh? When's that happening?" so maybe his assumption on Lightning's intentions were completely off.
"A month."
"So soon!?" Lightning seemed really cavalier about it all, like it was perfectly natural to suddenly host such a large celebration in a small amount of time.
"Apparently I really made Snow take initiative." Lightning shrugged her shoulders, regardless of the fact of if Hope could actually see the gesture, or not. "They had everything on stand-by, but were just waiting for the 'right time' which evidently meant me coming by. And with me here, well, they just couldn't wait any longer. Serah talked to Fang and Vanille, they're completely on board. Sazh, Dajh, Noel and Yeul all agreed, and they didn't ask you, because I ended up doing it. Looks like it'll be one big family reunion."
"Exactly." Hope honestly couldn't resist saying what seemed to be Noel's favorite word.
"And how long were you waiting to use that?" Lightning asked.
"Honestly? I thought I'd end up saying it to Noel one of these days when I saw him again." Hope honestly missed seeing all of them. Time certainly went by, but he thought that theirs was a bond to be unbroken. It surpassed the passage of time, the death of the old Gods and three worlds, but somehow, in only seven years...they all went their separate ways.
"Well, here's hoping you don't miss that chance of yours. What'd you have planned for today? Is that living room in shambles?"
"Actually, I just finished tidying things up in there." Hope laughed, "Have a little faith in me, Light."
"You're right, I guess I should believe you're capable of doing things on your own. So long as it isn't a pigsty by the time I get back." Lightning semi-joked, he could be sloppy so it wasn't as if it could be ruled out as a possibility.
"I promise you it absolutely won't be filthy when you get back. Whatever it takes, I'll keep this place clean."
"That's good to hear." Lightning laughed, he sounded so serious when he promised her.
"So, what do you have planned for the day?"
"Apparently Serah wants to look for brides maid dresses. Snow also seems enthusiastic about the whole thing, says it'll be interesting to see me in a dress." Lightning scoffed, it wasn't as if she didn't wear any feminine clothes. Of all things a dress just wasn't practical for anything she had to do.
"Oh yeah? Well, so long as you find one you like, I suppose." maybe it would be interesting. But Hope had seen her wear one before, on Nova Chrysallia it had been a requirement of Lightning- one that she teased him about.
"You're imagining it right now, aren't you?" Lightning asked.
"No..." Hope blatantly denied it.
"And by 'no' you mean 'yes'." Lightning could tell that he was lying.
"I have seen you wear one before, Light. You look nice in one."
"You avoided answering."
"I guess I did." Hope laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks felt hot, he was a bit embarrassed at her not believing him.
"Well, I guess I should get going now. I'm sure Serah will end up sending you pictures." Lightning huffed, why was the image of her in a dress so hard for people to grasp?
"Pictures?" Hope didn't understand why Serah would forward him pictures.
"Of the dresses."
"Oh. Well, I look forward to us talking again later." Hope honestly did, he'd just have to try and find a way to make this day do by faster.
"Until then." Lightning agreed, hanging up her phone.
"Back to cleaning..." Hope spoke to absolutely no one in general. Straightening out the apartment was absolutely tiring, but he felt inclined to do it. Lightning had done spot of organizing already, so it could have been far worse.
Occasionally, Serah did forward him a picture. Usually every 15-20 minutes, sometimes followed by 'Do you think Lightnings guy would like this?'. If only Serah knew who she was asking that of. Admittedly, Lightning looked great in all of the dresses. They were all spectacularly different in design and colour but he felt that all of them suited her.
Some were even reminiscent of the Pulsians blue. It reminded him of Fang, and Vanille the last true denizens of Pulse.
They'd all be reunited, soon. And that'd be something to look forward to.