Final Fantasy XIII A Waiting Heart's Desire

**A Waiting Heart's Desire **

**A Broken Heart**

"I bet you're excited, you're weeding's in thirteen days, after all!" I chanted, my small nimble hands cleaning the decorative cup through the running water. Over my left shoulder I could see Snow's worried face as he rubbed his head with his right hand.

"I don't know, Lebreau. I mean, yeah I love Serah, and I want to be with her forever. But getting married is a big deal." Snow sighed. "I guess I'm just nervous." Snow then chugged down yet another beer. That was his seventeenth beer tonight! I think he's had enough drinks for tonight.

"Well Snow, if you love her, I really don't see the problem." I said as I turned to him, drying the moist cup in my hands with a towel. "Plus, marriage isn't that different from what you're living through with Serah right now! Marriage is just a couple of papers, and it shouldn't change anything between you and her." I finished, placing the now dry cup into one of the shelves.

"You're right. Maybe I just need another drink." Snow shrugged, stretching out his hand for another beer.

"Nope, that's enough for you today, Snow. We wouldn't want you being a drunky, now would we? What would we do without our leader?" I joked, shaking off his hand. I began storing the drinks into their respective shelves, organizing them by taste, kind, and color.

"What would I do without you, Lebreau?" Snow laughed softly as he got up from his stool. He was now towering over me. After all, he was a whopping thirteen inches taller than me.

I finished locking up the drinks, and I looked over at Snow's direction and said, "You would be out on the beach, drinking away your life." I giggled at my response. Snow rolled his eyes and knocked on the counter, signaling that he was leaving.

"Well, it's been a long night, so I better get going." Snow replied, as he left into the cold misty night. Now there was only one person left in the bar, and I couldn't help but wonder, what had stricken Hope so much. Hope had been here the whole day, and that was a surprise to anyone who knew him. Hope had never drunk a day in his life! What could have possibly happened to him, as to make him drink so much?

I grabbed a damp tablecloth, and I began cleaning the counter, brushing off any crumbs or spilled drinks. Gradually, I made myself over to Hope. I was surprised he hadn't fainted by now, it was his first time drinking. I halted when I reached Hope. Earlier that day, Hope discreetly made his way into the bar, positioning himself at the stool closest to the wall. Hope hadn't moved from that stool since he got here, and I was beginning to get worried.

"What's on your mind, Hope?" I began softly, hoping not to startle him. Hope looked up, and he didn't have to tell me, I could see it in his eyes. His heart had been broken. I had seen those eyes many nights before, nights eerie just like this one.

"It's nothing." Hope muttered, taking yet another sip of his whiskey. "I just got into an argument." I rested my left shoulder on the counter, resting my head on that same hand.

"Don't lie. I've seen that stare before. You don't know how many times I've witnessed this." I comforted him, almost as if I was singing him to sleep. "Who broke your heart?" I asked, running my right hand through his soft silver locks.

"I…it's nothing really…I just need some time." Hope said as he tripped on his own words, trying to come up with a befitting excuse. By now, I could tell the difference between the inebriated speech and the heartbroken soul. I stopped ruffling Hope's hair and gazed at him a while longer. For some reason, I thought I saw a flash of pink in his eyes. It was then that it all made sense, Hope had been rejected by Lightning.

"It was Lightning, wasn't it?" I inquired, searching his eyes for some sort of reassurance. He didn't answer, the only thing he did was look away. I caressed his face, hoping to comfort him. Hope had no reaction to my touch, and he just sat there, looking into the nothingness of night.

"I'm sorry, Hope. There's a lot of fish in the sea, don't worry! I'm sure you'll find the perfect girl for yourself, one day." I ameliorated, hoping to cheer him. His eyes then drifted on to me, no longer deep in thought.

"Yeah," Hope whispered, it was so vague and subtle that his voice was almost unintelligible. "But none of them will be like her, Light. She was beautiful, strong, determined, and above all, she was the love of my life. I don't want to live anymore." Hope closed his eyes, shedding one single tear. Again, I could see a pink hue vibrate within the tear. Could it have been Hope's magic, or maybe I was just imagining it?

"Don't say that," I tenderly whispered into his ear. "I'm sure you'll find the perfect girl, and then you will regret saying that." I assured him, lifting up my head from where it rested. Hope gazed at me carefully, observing my every move. What was he thinking about?

"Lebreau, thanks. Although we haven't really spoken much before, I feel like we connected today." Hope explained, his electrifying green eyes locking with mine. No longer was the pink present in his eyes, it had seemed to vanish, instead it now shone white, as if signifying a new found hope.

"I felt it too." I responded, laying both of my hands flat down on the counter. Hope immediately took one of my hands, caressing the nook of my palm. I didn't know why, but his touch seemed to dissolve me, even with his leather gloves on. I wonder how his hand really feels like against my skin. Instantaneously, my cheeks began to burn, fervently, if I may add. How had Hope managed to do that, just with a touch?

"Hope…" I cooed, almost inaudible, but I knew Hope had heard me. Hope finally stood from his seat, blatantly staring at my face. My lips began to tremble, and I slightly tensed up. As I looked into his face, I remembered the boy he once was. Hope was no longer that boy, he had become a man, his defined facial features proved that. Almost everything about him had changed, even his body had built. It was incredible, how much he had changed in the past seven years.

"Lebreau," Hope cooed, his soft, yet virile voice rung in my ears. "Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?" I felt my cheeks burn warmer, and it seemed that my incessant blush would not end anytime soon. To make matters worse, Hope grabbed my wrist, holding them up in subjugation. I wanted to take control of my body, but for some reason, there was something impeding me from doing just that.

"Hope?" I stuttered, my breathing now becoming heavier. Hope gazed passionately into my eyes, and if I didn't know he was drunk, I would have thought he was in love with me. In love with me, for reasons I myself didn't know, I wished he was. My train of thoughts was interrupted by his lips slamming onto mine. My eyes widened in shock, and I tried to fight back, until I finally succumbed. I closed my eyes, leaning on the counter in order to deepen the kiss. Hope let go off my arms, and almost viscerally, they landed on his shoulder. I licked his lower lip, imploring for permission within his mouth, which he gladly obliged to. His mouth tasted of pure alcohol, and to say the least, it was intoxicating. Hope's tongue then endearingly began to brush mine, causing me to whimper under his dominance.

"I'm sorry, Lebreau. I didn't mean to kiss you!" Hope excused, parting his lips from mine, leaving a trail of saliva between our lips. I gazed into his eyes, and they held nothing but regret, not the love that I had hoped for. Love, what am I thinking, I hardly know him? Yet, an ache inside my heart told me that it was love. So, I leaned over the counter again, kissing him once more. I had only kissed him twice, and already his began to feel like my home. This time, it was Hope that asked for access within my mouth, and I did not deny his request, I dared not too. He quickly took ascendancy, forcing down my tongue into subservience. I felt Hope tasting the inner walls of my mouth, letting out a hum of pleasure. The kissed had to end, however. The need for oxygen began to take over, and our lips pulled apart.

"Lebreau, I'm sorry, but this is wrong. I'm just using you, all to forget about her." Hope emphasized when he came to the "her." I didn't care though. All I wanted was to be with Hope, for whatever reason it may be.

"Hope, I don't care." I stated truthfully, his eyes then widening in surprise. "I can't say I like you, but I know I feel something." I whispered the last words into his ears, forcing him into an embrace. At first, Hope stood there lifelessly, but after a few seconds, Hope placed his arms around the small of my back. I almost jumped from the sudden contact, but the gentle grazing of his fingers quickly calmed me down.

"Lebreau, before anything, I have to tell you something." Hope divulged tenderly, massaging my upper back. I looked at him with a questioning face, arching both my eyebrows up. "You were my first kiss." Hope admitted uneasily, avoiding my eyes' contact. I couldn't believe it, after he had kissed me so expertly! I took my left hand and placed it on his cheek, forcing him to look at me.

I breathed, "Hope, I can't believe it. You were such a good kisser, too." I teased, causing a smile to materialize on Hope's handsome visage. For a while, our silence was our company, and we just stood there in a never ending embrace. I laid my head onto his shoulders, feeling his warm breathe tickling my skin. The sensation managed to send a chill running down my spine, ironically, because his breathe was the warmest one I've ever felt graze upon my skin.

I perked up my head from his shoulders, giving him a peck on the lips. As our lips parted, Hope ended our embrace. I noticed Hope's face was full of anxiety, and I didn't know what had given it away, though. Maybe it was his uneffusive smile, the shimmering of his lips, or the small and subtle plea his eyes gave me.

"What's wrong, Hope?" I asked him curiously, his smile now absconding. It was then that the pink glint in his eyes reappeared. Instantly, I knew it had something to do with Lightning. I could now see that his thoughts on Lightning still lingered on in his heart. What could it have been now?

Hope shrugged, "I need a place to stay." I then remembered that Hope was staying over at Lightning's place, here in New Bodhum. Lightning probably threw him out after his confession. "Just for the night, though. I will check into a hotel tomorrow morning."

"Well, if that's the case, you can stay over at my house for the night." I smiled, giving him another blissful peck. Why was I even doing this? Sure, we have known each other for quite a few years, but we had never really bonded. I guess there's no point in asking a question that has no clear answer.

"I don't know how to repay you." Hope thanked, finishing his shot of whiskey. I then recalled what I was doing, cleaning up the bar. So with that in mind, I finished cleaning up the counters, and I also washed the glass that Hope had used for his whiskey. Hope simply sat back down on his stool, waiting for me to finish up.

I placed the glass in its respective shelf, and I came out from behind the counter. By this time, Hope was already half asleep, lying recumbent to the wall. I tugged on Hope's jacket, waking him up. I signaled towards the door and Hope got up. When we were both out, I took my keys out and locked the door to the bar.

Hope and I walked along the beach shore in silence, just hearing the rumble and crashing of the waves against the shore. The night was cold and eerie, but the soft sea breeze made me feel right at home, and in the distance was Cocoon. Cocoon illuminated the night sky, almost like a shining crystal, an eternal flame. Cocoon's light reflected on the sea, giving Hope's achromatic skin color a soft blue tint.

"Well, here we are." I faintly stated, ending our comfortable silence. Hope nodded, waiting for me to open the door of my home. Again, I took out my keys, but this time I unlocked the doors of my house. I opened the door, a soft warm gust of air greeting us inside. I walked in first, leaving my keys on the table that sat in the middle of the living room. Behind came Hope, slamming the door shut and locking it.

I grabbed Hope's hands, walking him over into the hallway which was north of the living room. Hope simply followed, his steps disoriented from all the drinking, in fact, he had almost tripped over his own feet. In the hallway there were two doors, the door to the right led to my room, the door which lay at the end of the hallway led to the guestroom. I pulled Hope forward, guiding him towards the guest room. I opened the door, and we both entered. Hope immediately fell on the small twin-sized bed, his legs no longer supporting him.

"Hope, would you like anything?" I offered earnestly, waiting for his response. Hope rolled on the bed so he was now facing my direction, and he began to open his eyes. His gaze was bold, clouded by his inebriated mind.

"There is one thing," Hope smiled lecherously. "You." He finished before falling into a deep sleep. I observed his sleeping body, peacefully. Hope's face still held remnants of his soft boyish face from back when he was fourteen, only apparent during slumber. I walked over to the bed, sitting down on the small space Hope had left. Hope's arms were spread out, barely giving me a chance to scoot in. I was now lying next to Hope, snuggled up against his warm chest.

My lips parted and I exhaled, "Well, it looks like you got your wish." The cool night air started taking over me, and my eyes began to feel heavy. My body languished, and I was no longer able to move. "Tonight's not going to be a dreamless night." I whispered with one last thing on my mind, and that was Hope. With that thought on my mind, my eyes finally acceded to sleep.

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**Final Notes:** Well this is the first chapter to the thirteen chapter story of, "A Waiting Heart's Desire." I decided to write this story after the overwhelming amount of HopexLebreau request. Reviews are welcomed, and I would love to know what you guys think! I promise the next chapter will be longer! Well, I hope the romance doesn't seemed rushed, but this needed to happen as it is a critcal plot pount. :) Well, I wish you all a great day!

_-Venrosonitas _


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Final Fantasy XIII, Romance