Alpha: So some of you may remember (maybe not it's been awhile…) that I had a series of one-shot drabbles ranging from the happy, sad, serious, and crack variety; a lot of them written when I was tired as all hell and was tickled pink by the idea of crack drabbles. All mainly featuring Hope/Light, other's different pairings, some no pairings… It was at one point called Inner Thoughts for lack of a better working title and as I read through all of them, I decided to re-post them back up under a different title cuz why the hell not? So here they are again in all their old glory! Before I even knew there was going to be a 13-2 and 13-3! A couple of them turned into an actual story, some still give me an idea for a multi-chaptered story but I have enough on my plate as it is…

Disclaimer: Don''t own, fair use, can't sue! Onto Drabble series…

Many Worlds One Shot Collection

I- Not Always Right (Light, Hope/Elida)

Emotions are fickle things, little bastards, I'm better off without them. If I didn't feel anything, I wouldn't be running like the hounds of hell were on my heels, in this unyielding downpour searching for you…

"You're right Light…" no, I'm not right. Not about this!

I wanted to shout that out to you. I wanted to order you to heel to the words I wanted to shout to you. I don't like seeing you hurt, upset, or angry with me. Like the way I'm seeing you now. I've hurt you yet again, I know.

"You're always right."

I can hear the bitterness in your voice when you say it that way! Please don't say that, I can be wrong too, I'm not perfect. I only said those things because I was only looking out for your best interests!

Or was I selfishly just trying to protect myself?

"I don't feel anything for you after all. It really was a silly crush. I had no right to think it was more, after all I'm still just a kid to you!"

You walked away from me that day, near to tears and running as fast and as far away as you could from me. The venom in your voice was enough to strike me cold like poison from a viper.

I never wanted to admit not even to myself that your words have such an effect on me. Not when your feelings were poured out to me. Not once, but twice. Both times, I carted them aside as if they were nothing. I feel ashamed. And now days later, here I am running through the nastiest thunderstorm of the year looking for you, hoping for forgiveness and to save the fragile friendship between us.

I think after everything I've done up until this point, I finally have an epiphany.

About how I feel for you, but I am still scared to admit this realization to you. But for you Hope, for you who has put up with my stubbornness, my coldness…I'll try to begin to open up a little more to you.

Running closer and closer to where that small bakery I knew you loved to go was, I stop just at the corner. Cautious to not get any closer to be noticed by you and her. I hear you whisper to her in that low deep tenor of intimacy you had only ever used with me.

It makes me feel…I feel my teeth grinding and my jaw tightening.

I see her with her dark locks of shiny silky hair, not a gray hair in sight, young heart shaped face once holding a sad sort of look now brighten to see you near.

It makes me feel…well I know I don't like it!

"Hope…" It was all I could do to call your name in a strained sort of whisper as I watched you kneeling down to level your gaze with that girl in the rain.

Elida, she is as pretty as her name. A long time friend of yours, you knew her long before our paths crossed during her adventures as L'Cie. And more than anything, she's open and transparent, ambitious to a fault and not afraid to show her feelings…and she's young.

I frowned, drops of rain flowing down my face like a deluge of tears because I was too proud to cry myself. I admit, I was feeling a strong sense of pure unadulterated envy towards this Elida.

She now had what I was too blind to see I always carried or was it just me being willfully ignorant?

I don't know, all I know is as I watched you and her stand together, you placing an arm around her to keep her close and warm, shielding her with your umbrella and smiling with that beautiful smile I secretly love directing it at her, I knew you no longer held me on a pedestal.

Elida replaced me and I knew the damage was done. I could try to intervene more in the context of 'looking out for you', make up excuses to be near you but that wouldn't work anymore, I'll only be a nuisance to you wouldn't I? You're so smart, you'll see right through those silly antics.

And I am too damn proud to make a bigger fool out of myself as I already have chasing after you.

I understand when to give up and let things be. It is my fault after all that you went running into her arms isn't it?

She laughs, eyes alight with awe, her voice tinkers like a bell in the storm. My heart squeezes tight as I watch her hold you as close and as tight as she can. And when that is not enough to make my heart completely stop, I watch her move in closer to you, see lips painted red move in to meet yours…

I turn away from the scene, wishing to see no more. My back turn to you, fists clenched at my sides, I begin to trek back home. To get away from you and her…It is not as if this is the end of the world, I'm not that affected in the least. I'll continue to carry my head high, masking my thoughts and feelings, continue with my duty here and when my duty is complete, I'll go away for good to my home in Bodhum.

You're wrong Hope Estheim, Claire Farron is not always right.

God, I wish I could remember how to cry.

Alpha: This first drabble though…