Hope pulls on his collar.
"This dressing up isn't for me." He complaints, albeit quietly, to Fang standing next to him. They are in one of the wedding tents reserved for Snow's side of the family, getting ready for the wedding to begin. It seems as if he has spent all of his life waiting for the wedding of Snow and Serah to begin.
Fang chuckles at the reluctantness of her friend, and comes round to adjust Hope's cravat. "You'll do fine, kid," She remarks, easily falling back in to the protective role of nurturer.
She and Vanille are the only ones out of all of Hope's old posse of friends that can call him "kid." After all, coming from either one of them, it's true. Especially for Fang. They were born centuries before even he was. All of the inner writhing he feels, when he's not trying to forget the past, about being older than his physical state suggests, they must feel, only ten times over.
Hope feels an inner sinister tug. "How about you? All of the girls are getting ready right now, and I'm sure that one of them looks especially pretty today..."
Fang's eyes turn hot, and the slightest bit of color rises to her cheeks. "Are you crushing on one of them right now? If you're turning to me for dating advice, I'm afraid I am the worst person you could talk to. Normally I'd tell you to talk to Snow, but he's kind of busy right now...maybe Sazh? He was married once..."
Hope guffaws. "Come off it, Fang. You don't need to hide your feelings. Especially today. We're older than most of the others, now. We can talk. We've both lived too long, and been through too much together, for you to act bashful on me now. You're a warrior. You confront the difficulties in your life. Why be shy?"
Fang looks flustered, which is...odd. "Hope, this isn't funny. And that's fresh, coming from you." Like a viper, Fang turns the tide of the conversation, striking back at Hope's laughter. "You're one to talk."
"Me?" The boy sputters, wiping his lips with the back of his sleeve.
"Yeah." Fang doesn't need her cane anymore, but the limp is still barely visible as she totters over to look Hope in the eye. "You come clean about your feelings, maybe I'll dish up mine. Until then, I don't see that we have anything to discuss." With a nod of her head, she turns and tries to walk with dignity out of the tent. She manages a crisp back with her shuffling tread.
Hope stands perplexed, eyebrows drawn down. The past couple of weeks have been a blur. He hasn't given himself, or his personal thoughts, much thought in the whirlwind of activity that has besieged him as of late. He had submitted his application to West Point, and had an expedited resounding acceptance. He had to get his affairs in order with NYU, who was very disappointed that he was withdrawing from their program. He had to pack and had just started taking classes for two days at his new campus of choice. Boot camp is this weekend. He had to move out, officially for the first time in his life, of his childhood home in this world. There were tears and goodbyes from Nora and Bartholomew. He had to help Snow with the wedding preparations, which from that moment playing games in the club's security room until now, had only been two weeks' worth of time. That wasn't a lot to help with getting the wedding underway, finding and fitting a tux, and trying to throw a bachelor party. Somehow he had managed all of that, and today was the day to finally draw a breath and have one last celebration with his friends before the real work began.
What person could Fang possibly be talking about?
Anyway, it's not important. There are details to attend with. He is on Snow's side, along with Fang and Sazh. Light, Serah, and Vanille are on the bride's side, and the two camps are set at opposite ends of the beach, where the wedding is taking place at sunset. He and the rest of his friends have spent most of the day running back and forth, along with the hired help, while Snow and Serah have remained out of sight of one another. Snow is nursing a raging hangover that Hope has spent most of his time trying to remedy and conceal. Hope can attest that Serah looks beautiful. They wanted something reminiscent of Bodhum, and it's fortunate that they did, for Hope was one of the worst people besides Fang and Vanille to really try and conjure up what the seaside town was like. He had only visited it for one night. That part of the wedding prep was fortunately not his responsibility. The burden of that recreation was on the shoulders of Light and Serah. Snow had loudly decried helping out with the venue prep as "women's work," and so the two sisters had, apparently, spent a lot of time recently bonding over memories and trying to create things as fast as they could remember them from hundreds of years ago.
Without realizing where his steps are taking him, Hope walks over to where Sazh is, by the bar. Hope jogs up as he realizes his friend is trying to pack more ice cubes covertly into a dainty handkerchief.
"Hey, Sazh, need some help? I..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Sazh hisses at Hope, then nods to the bartender, slipping him a ten dollar bill as a tip to insure his silence about the ice from the rest of the guests. As an alibi, he is also handed a beer.
"Thanks, man, keep the change," Sazh loudly tells the barkeep, who winks almost imperceptibly, then nods as he pockets the ten and continues drying off glasses.
"Man, you need to turn 21 on this planet, and QUICK. I'm the only one out of the groom's side of the wedding party that can keep coming up here and 'buy drinks.' This isn't how I wanted to spend this wedding, mind you." Sazh confides quietly, and shoves the clacking bunch of ice cubes into Hope's hands as they walk away. Sazh grabs the beer.
"If this keeps up, I'mma have to affect a buzz, and I can't stand chumps who pretend like they're drunk when they're not." Sazh snorts. "Thank God that at least even my oldest friends don't know what I really like. I can't stand beer. I don't know what I would do if these people knew that."
"There's Fang? Last I checked, she's still part of the groom's party, and she's of an age to help you out. And everyone here knows that she likes to drink. I mean, er..." Hope stumbles, catching a glimpse of Sazh's disapproving side-eye at his last statement. Hope coughs, shoving the ice cubes deeper in his pocket, hoping that they don't cause a wet stain in the front of his tux in an embarrassing spot. "What I mean is, where is she?"
"Why you askin' me? She was with you, last time I saw her." Sazh exclaims.
"I...I don't think that she's really in the right place right now. I mean, she's kind of...side tracked. I think she's doing her best to try to help Snow today, but I think her heart is elsewhere..."
Sazh snorts. "You don't have to go on any farther trying to be tactful, Hope. I knew what she was about long before any of the rest of you caught on. Me and Vanille were very close for a long while." With that said, Sazh opens the tent flap that houses the groom, and walks to the back in the midst of a pile of chaos.
Snow is hunched over in a chair, holding his head. Hope hastily produces the ice and hands them out toward Snow, almost dropping a few cubes in the process of his hurry. Sazh finds the nearest flat surface and wastes no time depositing his untouched beer on it. Hope sees that there's quite a few opened beer bottles that are turning flat, untouched.
Snow groans. "How bout a bit of hair o' the dog, my friend? Help a brother out. I mean, it IS my wedding day, I want to celebrate."
"How bout you celebrate AFTER you say your vows. Come on man, you've been waiting way too long for this day to come. Celebrate all you want tonight. Let's get these vows out of the way first so you can get to being a married man. I'm not waiting another day for you to be sober. This is one of the few days the army let us all have off together, and dammit, it's been long enough of a wait." Sazh tries to talk sense into his slightly hungover friend, and barely conceals his frustration. Snow espies Hope with his hand outstretched.
"Ah, Hope, my best man!" Snow grins, and takes the handkerchief. "It's YOUR fault I'm like this, anyway. If any of the blame should be put on anyone here for how I'm acting, it should be on you, Hope." That stated, Snow nods and puts the ice to his head.
"Wait, what, me?" Hope pulls back, blinking. "It's my JOB to be the one to throw the bachelor party. That's kind of the job description. I didn't WANT to have to do it the day before the wedding, but you only gave me two weeks to pull it off! Maybe if I had known a little while BEFOREhand, I wouldn't have to put everything together so last minute..."
"We couldn't have told you before." Snow mumbles with his head hanging down. "You were still denying your pre-Earth existence before your birthday. And we had waited until you turned 18 to reveal any of our plans to you. That was the democratic majority vote. Yeah, Light told us she told you. So, if anything, we were all waiting on YOU, my man. And you know how hard it was not to run off and elope the moment we realized that we were here, together, on this planet? Especially after all those previous years of waiting in another lifetime? We waited. For you. Then we waited two more weeks, after that. We GAVE you time, Hope. As much as we could."
Hope sighs, rubbing his hair. "I see your point, dude, but that's just how it has to happen."
"The wedding's going to start any minute." Sazh is saying, checking his watch. "You ready, my man?"
Snow laughs, chucking the handkerchief to the side. "I was BORN ready, Sazh. Literally. Let's do this. I'm so ready. I can't wait to see my bride."
The ceremony is beautiful. Everyone that is a guest, came from either Cocoon or Gran Pulse, save for the paid attendants. Cid Raines officiates the ceremony, having earned an online justice of the peace certificate after moving to this world.
Light, of course, is the maid of honor. Hope can't help but grin as he escorts the tall warrior woman down the aisle. They had the rehearsal a few nights before, of course, but she was dressed in street civ clothes when they had run through this before. He isn't prepared for her dress.
The theme is simple, beachy, clean. Everyone wears white, not just the bride. All the women in the wedding party are dressed in simple white shifts with a bow banded around the middle, like the bride, only Serah's dress is slightly more embellished. Everyone is barefoot. Even the guests. There are buckets set aside with little tags on them, telling everyone to leave their footwear, and their previous cares and worries, at the threshold of the party before coming in to view the vows.
"You look...beautiful." Hope blushes slightly at the feminine compliment he gives Light under his breath as they walk down the aisle, surrounded by rows of folding chairs.
Light tucks her chin, and messes with the woody bouquet. "Thanks. You, uh...don't look bad yourself."
As Cid speaks the words over a slightly weaving Snow and his blushing bride, Hope can't help but look over the clasped hands toward the taller maid of honor facing him on the opposite side. She does look beautiful, especially with the backdrop of the setting sun and the waves behind her, throwing the rosy hair into a special light.
Snow and Serah are kissing after what only seems like moments, and clapping and laughing follows. As if in a dream, he is reaching forward to take Light's hand again as they make their way to the end of the narrow walkway trimmed in with seashells, lightly raked and now dotted with the footprints of the bare soles of the wedding party.
"Congrats to your sister. It looks like Snow's your brother-in-law now. Finally."
Light looks happy out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah. It's about time." Truer words hadn't been spoken. Snow and Serah had to have waited longer than anyone that ever lived to get married.
The after-party immediately follows the wedding, and is thrown without a hitch. The couple decided that they wanted to use the same pavillion that was used for Hope's 18th birthday celebration for their reception. It was easy to tell the guests where to meet up that way-after all, everyone that was at Hope's birthday, was also invited to the reception...
...with one small add-on. Hope is surprised to see Alyssa there as well. He had missed her, somehow, during the wedding ceremony. Apparently she had been seated in one of those folding chairs he had walked by alongside Light.
"Yeah, we thought it would be a little too soon to have Alyssa at your birthday party." Fang is filling Hope in on the details, shouting over the music coming from the speakers dotted around the room, courtesy of Snow's club. Fang is already deep into her cups by the time Hope finds her, angrily shouting at her for an explanation of the betrayer's appearance here.
Fang continues to elaborate. "We all work together now, so it's just courtesy to invite her to the wedding. For all her faults, she still knows most of us from the old world, and that kind of is the only qualifying trait that we all share in common in order to be witness to the wedding."
"Well, someone still could have told me I might have to deal with her here." Hope shouts back, peeved. Fang just chuckles at him.
"I wouldn't worry too much about her, mate. She's kept a low profile since landing on this world. She really is trying to make amends. I wouldn't be so quick to judge. She's not the only one that has had to atone for past sins in her life." That last sentence sounds a bit too self-upbraiding to Hope's ears, and he keenly picks up on the hint Fang is throwing his way. He remembers that Fang was solely responsible for becoming Ragnarok the first time Cocoon and Gran Pulse split. It was something Fang had to deal with for a long time, until she made amends by reforging the two worlds together, anew.
Snow and Serah lead the first dance, choosing a tune that is more modern than reminiscent. They told Hope beforehand that they were trying to choose things that tie together their memories from the old world and the new.
After the applause when the song ends, Hope finds his way to pay his respects to the bride and groom personally.
Serah is beaming, and Snow's hangover is quickly receding behind the joy in his sparkling blue eyes.
Hope shakes both of their hands. "Congrats, guys. This is amazing. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you both waiting for me."
"Can't have a wedding without the best man, now can we?" Snow asks, grinning. "Speaking of which, it is kind of tradition on this world that the best man give a speech. When's that going to come around?"
Hope is frozen. "Heh. Well, I ah...hadn't quite gotten around to that part yet." This is true. Hope had been so busy in the whirlwind of life recently that he hadn't had time to write anything down for the reception speech. He had half-hoped that the detail would be omitted, and that he could just end up without having to give one at all.
"Oh, no you don't. I'm making sure you don't leave here without paying your dues. As a matter of fact, let's just get the business over with now, shall we? More time for partying after." Snow strides over to the center of the room, and Serah slips away amidst Hope's sputtering protests to turn off the music, which is generated from her iPod, shuffling through a wedding playlist pre-generated for the festivities.
"Hey, everyone, can I have your attention for a minute, please? Hope wants to say something, on behalf of our wedding. As my best man, I give him the floor, as is his due." Normally, Hope thought that the best man was to propose a wedding toast during the dinner, but he doesn't see anything of the sort as far as dinner goes. At any rate, he definitely isn't ready to make a speech in the middle of the dance floor, right after the first dance of the newly wed couple.
Gulping, he clears his throat. There isn't a DJ at this wedding, just the personal music off of Serah's iPod, so there isn't a microphone for him to speak into. The guests are intimate enough, and their number small enough, that he doesn't need a microphone to reach the people in the bungalow setting, but that doesn't mean that he feels any less awkward. He locks gazes with Light for just a moment, and can feel the color rising to his cheeks.
"Ah, uh...hey, guys." He waves his fingers infinitesimally, and the music stops. He espies the bride giving him a thumbs-up as she pauses the music hooked to Snow's borrowed speaker system.
"Yeah, uh...well...I don't have anything prepared or anything..." To his chagrin, Snow starts up a chant, quickly followed by the rest of the attendees:
"Speech! Speech! Speech!"
"Okay, thank you! So, ah, without further adieu, here I go." The chants flicker out and die as Hope quickly starts talking before the voices can go any further, rising into the din.
"So, as most of you know, Snow and I didn't start out on the best of terms. In fact, you could say that he was my number one enemy. All I could think of was revenge, after feeling like he was to blame for the death of my mother." He looks out and sees Norah being edged out into the forefront of the circle of gatherers by the crowd, and she looks at him lovingly. The look in her eyes gives him the determination he needs to continue.
"But, um, well, I learned something really quick about Snow. It's a character trait to him that, love it or leave it, most of you know within moments of meeting him. He puts everyone else before himself. He will do anything to protect the people he cares for. He's selfless, hard-working, determined, and brave." There is scattered applause at this, and Hope allows for a natural pause as he glances at the groom, who is scratching his head in slight embarrassment. Serah is poking his ribs, then leans forward and kisses his cheek.
"So I learned that Snow would have given anything, even his own life, to bring my mother back, if he could. I learned that nothing bad that has ever happened with Snow is from his own fault. Everything he has ever done has been selfless or what is perceived as best for the next person. I learned the hardest lesson-that death isn't intentional, and that my grief isn't something I carried alone. He shared in my suffering, and proved that he was willing to do anything to make me understand that he cared." Silence after this, and Hope looks to his friend once more.
"I learned that he had a lot to live for, just like I did. I learned how much he cared for Serah, even when he thought that she could be an enemy to him and his way of life. He never questioned, he never faltered, even when the rest of us did, myself included, in our quest to save the world."
"Out of all of us, I think he is the only one out of our camaraderie that would have continued on the path his feet were set upon if he had been told his actions would eventually turn him l'Cie, and that the fate of the entire world would rest in his hands. He lifted up all of us, and love was the driving force behind everything that he did. It's out of his love for his new wife that led all of us to be standing here today. Without him, we wouldn't have this beautiful new world to enjoy, nor all of the things in it we might take for granted."
There is a pause as the weighty words from Hope sink in, and the crowd digests what the youngest man in attendance, but also the oldest, has to say.
"Love is what has brought us together here. Love, and only that. It was the love between Snow and Serah, the love between sisters as well. The love Lightning bore for her sister Serah, and the love I bore for my mother, that gave us tonight. It's also the love of a father for his son, which is why Sazh was willing to risk it all-to protect his child." Sazh lifts little Dajh, adorably dressed in his toddler's tux, onto his shoulders. There is a smattering of applause, and pats on Sazh's back, for his sacrifices and commitment.
Hope smiles and lets the murmurings and applause trickle off, and is happy to see the content smiles on familiar faces all around him.
"Love is also what will keep us going. Every person here came to this world, riding on a beam of light, from the old one. We came here not knowing what we would find, only that this was to be our new home. I have learned recently that we need to protect it at all costs. We need to look forward to our Calm, our peace, here. But we also need to stay perseverant to any threats that might threaten in the unknown." Hope looks to Light, who incrementally shakes her head. So, now's not the best time to bring up the threat of Bhuni in mixed company. Okay. Anyway, it was a wedding, so maybe darker subjects are best to be discussed at a later time.
He clears his throat, and with a beatific smile, Hope clasps his hands together and quickly changes tack. "So! With love in our minds and hearts, we are united here, on this day that all of us have waited for, for so long."
Cheers of "Here, here!" And, "It's about time!" Come up through the crowd, and he can see Fang pumping a fist into the air.
"Love will keep us vigilant and strong in this new place. Love binds us to the memories of our homeworld. Tonight we celebrate that, with the two living icons of the past age we came from, as well as being the pinnacles of hope we can cling to in the darkest of times. They are our greatest symbols of happiness and strength. I introduce to you, Mr. And Mrs. Snow Villiers."
The shouts and applause are deafening, and from the looks on the couples' faces, Hope doesn't think he could have done their emotions any more justice with his speech.
Not too shabby for not being prepared. Hope thinks to himself as he is surrounded in a hug from Snow and Serah. It's good that no one noticed my little hiccup.
Or, at least, Hope doesn't think that anyone noticed how his speech could have turned darker when he almost brought up the old god. Even Snow looks happy and unworried-but then again, Snow had always looked like that, even through the chaos and hard times.
Begging water for a parched throat, the young man elbows his way through the applause and congrats over to the bar, hopping up on a stool. When he is brought the glass of ice water, he presses the cool container to his forehead, pursing his lips in comfort.
Whew, that was close.
"Good speech." Hope almost jerks at the voice close to him, and looks over to espy Light leaning back, elbows propped up behind her on the bar, surveying the crowd.
"Thanks. I did the best I could for it being kind of popped on me and all." Hope glances at her over the rim of the water. She still looks so beautiful.
"I'm glad you didn't bring up anything that would be a little...terrifying, to some of our younger or more unaware guests. Like your parents, for starters." Light comments nonchalantly, looking down at her fingernails. "THAT would have been a disaster."
"I didn't know that only a few people from the old world would know. I thought everyone that came over with us would be in on it...except me, I guess, because of my...difference."
Light nods. "It would be an easy assumption to make. But you now know that we are keeping what might be going on a secret not only to the outside world, but to some of our own as well. The most vulnerable. The ones least equipped to deal with what might be going on." She smiles encouragingly as she spins around on the stool, and places an arm around Hope's shoulders. "Seriously, good speech, though."
Light shifts to get up from her stool, but Hope places a gentle hand on her arm. "Dance with me."
Light turns to him. "What?"
At first, he is shocked at his words, but then, in a brief flash of a moment, realizes that they are the exact words he wants to say. Everything is right with the world as he sets down his drink. He won't take a no for an answer. "Dance with me."
"I...I'm not sure..." Light is flustered, which is seriously adorable and incredible at the same time.
"This IS a wedding, right? So, let's have our dance. I'm the best man, you're the maid of honor. I'm sure it's happened before." Hope extends a hand. "Except this time, this isn't courtesy calling. It's me, and I want to dance with YOU, Light, maid of honor or no."
At this, Light nods, once, and she allows herself to be escorted out to the main floor again, with couples parting way at their approach.
Grinning nonchalantly, Hope bows crisply, then takes her by the waist.
Light's blush is beginning to reach her hairline. "You don't have to act all melodramatic."
"I'm in a rental. You're in a ballgown. This is a wedding. If now's not the proper venue, when is?" Hope isn't really very sure how to dance, but he just sort of rolls with what everyone is doing, and keeps to the sidelines. The music is peppy, a pop song, so they sort of lightly caper across the floor. Light doesn't seem to know the steps, but her training for so many years has taught her to be quick and light on her feet. It takes no time for her to get the main theme of what to do.
"Have you ever danced before?" Hope asks, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"What?" Light looks up from the floor. Her manner is almost brusque.
"I said, have you ever danced bef..."
"I heard what you said. Yes. I have. I can't believe you would ask such a thing." She heatedly turns and looks toward the other couples on the floor, and mimics perfectly their moves.
Hope is fumbling now, more bemused than paying attention to the steps. "Yeah, but I'll bet it was on Cocoon. Don't worry, you're a natural. And, by the way, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I haven't danced much here myself." He grins. "Don't sweat it, you're doing fine."
That seems to change Light's mood, and she turns to him, smiling. "Th-thank you." The song stops here, and the iPod effortlessly switches tack, a slow song starting now. With that, Light's eyes look to pop out of her head.
"Excuse me, Hope. Thanks for the dance." She runs off the dance floor, shouldering past people standing on the edge. Hope is aware that many sets of eyes are on him, but he doesn't care. He is too busy laughing and shaking his head at Light.
Sazh sidles up next to him after he reclaims his seat at the bar.
"So, you finally made a move, huh? We were all wondering when that was gonna happen. About time, if you ask me."
"What are you talking about, Sazh?" Hope chortles, looking at his friend.
"You know what I'm talking about. Don't act all innocent. I see that I was wrong before. Maybe you actually WERE listening when I was talking to you earlier. You know, seize the moment, Carpe Diem, that sort of thing..."
"Seriously, Sazh, I have no idea what you are trying to say..."
"You finally stepped up to the plate and made your feelings known for Light, that's what he's talking about. And honestly, Hope, you should be smarter than all that." Fang is on the opposite side of Hope's shoulder now, favoring her weak side still as she hops up to the stool. The drink is making her a little bold.
"I gotta say, you kind of stole the thunder from Snow and Serah's reception. Now all everyone will talk about is how you and Light were out there dancing together."
Hope gives her his best modern teenage glare. Her eyes twinkle merrily over the rim of her margarita glass, unfazed. "I don't care what people are saying about me and Light. That doesn't bother me." He gets up then, determined to find her. Before he leaves, he turns back, almost as an afterthought.
"And, barkeep? Yeah, this one's had too much. It's about time to cut her off." He points at Fang, and then turns his back, heading through the crowd. He can hear his friend's sputtering protestations halfway across the room over the din of music and people.