NOTE: This disregards the FFXIII-2 plot.

A/N: This is inspired by a friend's real life encounters with older girls hitting on him. He wanted a story with Hope experiencing the same thing. Sounded so amazing, I jumped at the chance to fill the request for him. Hope everyone enjoys this.

Dark Flame…yeah, I have no last words (in case this shames you).

*runs away to Timbuktu*

Creepy Crushes

Gran Pulse - New Bodhum

The grey swells broke against the dirty black rocks. They crashed with great whooshing exhales, sending up their sprays and dampening any unfortunate soul in its path. The sky was blemished by a single white cloud. The apparition was like a white sail, pushing its way through the vibrant blue, strong and determined. The cloud gave no hint of any doubt or hesitation. There was no hint of fear in its billowing shape.

Hope wished he could act the same way around Light.

They had been dating, secretly, for two months now. They figured their friends would find the relationship…disturbing. He was seven years her junior, but after all he'd been through, hadn't he deserved a love like this? He had been forced to grow up, forced to face tragedy after tragedy. He'd lost his mother, Vanille, Fang, and nearly lost all of his friends in the fight with Barthandelus. He had seen horrible, disgusting things. He knew he deserved a love like this with Light, finally, after so many weeks of waiting and courting and convincing.

Yet he still didn't have the guts to even make it to first base.

She had kissed his cheek and he had kissed hers. They held hands, hugged, sat very close to each other (Hope even tended to sit in her lap when he had the chance). But the simple electric connection of their lips escaped him. He was a chicken. A wuss. A coward. They'd been together two months and he hadn't even worked up the courage to kiss her! She had hinted at her desire to kiss him. Her lips "accidentally" brushing against the corner of his mouth as she pulled her lips away from his cheek, or from whispering something sweet in his ear. Those moments always made his heart beat fast, his face flush and burn, and blood rush to sunless places. Those were the moments he knew he definitely wanted her. But how was he supposed to go about something like that?

"Hope, are you okay? You look kind of stressed," Leora, a sweet girl a couple years older than Hope, touched his arm as she spoke. Her thick blonde hair was pulled into a poofy ponytail that reached her mid-back. She was pale with thick pink lips that had obviously been lathered in cheap lip gloss. He could smell the stink on her lips from over here.

"I'm just thinking is all," Hope sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She seemed genuinely worried, but Hope knew the truth behind this encounter. Oh, if only she knew what a wuss he was, that even if he was attracted to her, he wouldn't be able to kiss her like she wanted. He could see the desire in her eyes, and he felt an odd shiver run down his spine. Not a good shiver, either.

"No," he mumbled, nervous about her subtle advances. She inched closer to him. She held his forearm. She smiled at him reassuringly. Clumps of mascara were caught in her eyelashes. Had she made herself up just before this encounter? Had she watched him before she approached him, planned something?

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Leora dipped her chin and spoke in a high voice, trying to convince him about her fact. Facts didn't have to be true, they just had to be believable. And hers was far from believable. How many times had they talked? A few times in the store, an encounter at a birthday party, maybe moments in passing Hope didn't even remember.

Hope nodded at her words.

"Hey, Leora! What are you doing to Hope? He looks like he's in pain!" Leora's twin sister, Marline, called from a little ways down the beach where Hope and Leora sat. Hope's eyes widened at the sight of Marline. He blushed.

"Oh, I'd give anything to run my fingers through Hope's silver hair," Marline whispered to a friend. She didn't notice him exiting the store a few feet behind her.

"And he's so small!" Her friend whispered back excitedly.

"It's adorable, isn't it? I'd ride him so hard in the back of my car if I could," Marline said in a desperate moan.

"H-Hi, Marline. Um, I have to go run some errands for my dad, so I'll see you guys later." Hope waved as he ran past Marline. Before he was out of ear shot, he heard a small exchange between the two sisters.

"Look at his butt!" Leora squealed.

"And that sliver of skin you can see on his lower back-" She broke off with a moan, and Hope could all too easily imagine her shivering at the thought of him.

He'd have to get a new outfit or something while he was out. Was it really that much of a turn-on for girls? But Light liked it too. She had said that while she tickled his lower back. What a dilemma.

In the small grocery store, because Hope truthfully had errands to run for his dad, he walked as quickly as he could through the aisles. Some of the glances he got from the older girls (didn't they know about their peripheral vision?!) disturbed him. He kept tugging his shirt down his back, but it always popped back up, sometimes even farther than it was supposed to be. By the end of his shopping trip, Hope was agitated and flustered. He couldn't wait to see Light after he dropped the groceries off at home. He needed to be with her, because she always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"Hey, Hope! Do you need help with that?" A brunette whose name Hope couldn't remember snatched one of the sacks from his grasp and began to walk with him to his house. All he knew of her was that she was Serah's teacher's assistant.

"Um, thanks," he said as he looked around nervously. He wished this would be the last time an older girl ever came up to him. It was starting to get really creepy. Didn't she know any guys her own age?

"It's a really nice day, isn't it?" She brushed her thick locks of wavy chocolate hair behind an ear, but the wind blew it back in her face. She was pretty enough, and she didn't seem to be wearing much make up. That was something he could appreciate. Hope found natural beauty trumped fake beauty in every case.

"Yeah, it is. Too bad I have to spend it helping Light rearrange her living room, huh?" He laughed a little, trying to make the conversation as light and decent as he could while this walk lasted. In the corner of his eyes, Hope could see her legs twitching. Was she alright?

"It is! Why would she make a sweet boy like you do such hard work? That Lightning," she seemed to spit out his girlfriend's name, "she has no right to use you like that." Yeesh, could you use a little more animosity? He rolled his eyes, trying his hardest to hide the motion.

"I offered to help her," he strained, "I really don't mind."

"Ooh! My shoe is undone," she said with faux surprise. Hope's eyebrow twitched. She seriously needed to try a new approach next time.

"Well, that's okay. My house is just up here, so-"

"No, I couldn't! I'm not going to make you do all of the hard work, like Lightning. Why do you hang out with her so much anyway?" She cocked an eyebrow, listening intently as she tied her shoe as slowly as she could. Hope's eyes visibly rolled this time. Now he just wanted to go home.

"Well, we've been through a lot together, you know? And I-"

"Hope! Is Aelita forcing you to hold those heavy sacks while she sits there like an idiot, tying her shoes?" A redhead walked up to Hope, taking two sacks from him, and glared at Aelita, who was still stooped, tying her shoe.

"It's just bread, eggs, milk, and-" Well, make that eggs and cereal with come snacks thrown in. The girls had taken everything else from him in their attempt to woo him or something. Weren't girls supposed to show off their beauty, not strength, to win a guy over? What changed while he was off nearly dying a thousand times on Gran Pulse?

"Back off, Shiloh. I was helping him. He doesn't need a soulless, freckle-faced freak guiding him to the gates of hell," Aelita spat her words out, glaring daggers at Shiloh, who nearly dropped the milk in her anger. Hope gasped, frightened that the milk would fall and bust. He hated when that happened, and the stress of being jostled might rip the sack.

"What's going on over here?" Marline, followed by Leora, put her hands on her hips and glared at Shiloh and Aelita.

"Aelita's forcing Hope to carry all of this heavy stuff while she ties her shoe," Shiloh growled. Marline and Leora became appalled.

"Really, it's just cereal and chips," Hope tried to diffuse the situation, putting his hands in the air. No one seemed to hear him.

"You know how delicate he is! How could you make him hold all that stuff while you sit on the ground, twiddling your thumbs?" Leora glared at Aelita, who jumped to her feet and balled her fists at her sides.

"He is not delicate! He may be small, but he's not weak!" Marline snarled. She faced Leora, sending murderous glances at Shiloh as well.

"It's rude to make people wait and hold heavy things like that!" Shiloh's pale freckled face was red with her frustration. She moved to stand next to Leora. Aelita jumped to Marline's side, all four girls seeming to be ready for a fight.

"Apologize to him right now, Aelita," Leora said and stomped her foot.

"Don't talk to her that way, fatso. What makes you think Hope would want a fatty like you?" Marline's voice dripped with acid as she spoke to her sister.

"Okay, okay! Can we please stop fighting?" Hope tried to step in the middle, but Shiloh gently pushed him aside.

"Not now, Hope."

"Don't you touch him, ginger!" Aelita yelled at Shiloh, taking a step forward. Marline put a hand on Aelita's arm, holding her back.

"How dare you," Shiloh said through her gritted teeth. She quickly raised her hand and brought it down to slap Aelita across the face.

A collective gasp of shock in the throng was followed by an eerie silence. Everyone seemed to be watching each other, waiting, calculating, thinking. Hope's eyes widened when he knew for a fact that they were about to fight. Unfortunately, Hope was wrong. Aelita leapt at Hope, yanking on his arm while Marline spat in Shiloh's face.

"Back off, ginger," Marline glared. "Hope is sick and tired of you and your stupidity. And you-" she shot Leora a cold glared- "he could never want you."

"Come on, Hope," Aelita whispered.

"Wait, the rest of my-" Hope looked back at Leora and Shiloh. Two plastic sacks drooped sadly at their feet. The girls glared viciously at Aelita and Marline, then lunged simultaneously at their adversaries. Hope cried out and dove toward his groceries, carefully cradling the eggs against his stomach.

"He's getting away!"

"Hope, don't leave me!"

"Ooh, you can see his back from this angle~"

"Isn't it so cute how he crawls?"

"Catch him!"

How old were these girls? Two, three, four years his senior? Sure, Light was seven years older, but these four girls clawed pathetically at his shirt, his back, his legs, his arms, and his head. They were touching him everywhere, even places Light had yet to venture. He yelped, then turned so he was on his butt, now scooting far beyond his groceries. Now it was himself he was worried about. The girls chasing him were crazed and rabid, worse than any Cieth he'd encountered. They seemed to foam at the mouth, eyes all pupil, fingers elongated like claws.

"Hey," a hard voice boomed. When the voice spoke again, it was ice-cold, serious, and entirely honest. "He's mine. Get away before you become acquainted with my gunblade."

Hope breathed out a sigh of relief, ineffably happy to see his girlfriend glaring at the four girls with her icy blue eyes. Her silky pink hair quivered behind her in the wind. Her skin was soft and pale, porcelain and seemingly just as delicate. But behind this feminine exterior, Hope and the four girls who were now cowering before the pinkette, everyone knew was a battle-hardened soldier.

"Uh, L-Lightning," Marline stuttered nervously.

"Hi," Aelita squeaked.

Hope almost felt sorry for the girls. Almost, because they couldn't back up their big words and they knew it.

"Yeah. Hi." Light glared at them, her hand slowly reaching for the gunblade resting in its holster against her back. "Did I stutter?" She cocked her head, her anger rising.

"Absolutely not!" Leora, the most cowardly of the four girls, jumped to her feet and pulled at her sister's arm. "Lets go," she hissed in Marline's ear.

"Fat chance," Marline scoffed. "Hope doesn't belong to her. He's not a dog. Especially not hers." She glared at Light, practically begging her to move and to challenge her.

"I don't have time for this." Light scooped up all of the plastic sacks, motioning for Hope to follow her. He didn't hesitate. "I'm sorry, Hope, but we really need to hurry."

"Bye, Hope," Aelita waved shyly at him.

"Well, aren't you the popular one?" Light smirked as she looked down at Hope. He blushed and hid his face in his scarf. "I'm glad I didn't wait any longer when decided to be with you. You might be one of theirs right now."

"Yeah," he said sarcastically. "I wouldn't have chosen them anyways. I've liked you for so long, that I wouldn't have cared how long I had to wait. I'm in it for the long run." He smiled up at her, a pink blush tinting his cheeks. Light smiled back at him, almost showing him her pearly teeth.

They dropped off the groceries at Hope's house and put everything in its proper place, then began the short walk to Light and Serah's place. When they walked up the front steps, they saw a note taped to the door. Light tore at it, quickly read it, crumpled it up, and stuffed it in a pocket.

"She went out with Snow for the afternoon."

"Cool," Hope said happily. Maybe he could eventually work up the courage to kiss her.

It was easy enough to move the television to a better spot (one that didn't face West), and then to move the couch, coffee table, and other miscellaneous furniture accordingly. Afterwards, they decided that the room seemed more open and spacious than it had before. They were even granted a degree of privacy from the front porch in the dark nook the red couch was hidden in. They sat side by side, arms and legs intertwined as they rested against each other.

Hope found Light's quiet breathing completely soothing. She ran her thin fingers through his silver hair, and he traced all sorts of designs into the back of her hand. He felt his heart beat faster when he thought about how he would kiss her. He'd never kissed anyone before. And certainly she had. She was so beautiful. Would she judge him? Would she reject him, or laugh at him? What would she do if he wasn't a good enough kisser? His self-doubt seemed to nearly make him faint. His head felt heavy and engorged.

"You okay? You seem tense."

"I'm just...worried...," he sighed sadly.

"About what?" She pulled away from him just enough to see his sad face, but kept close enough so they were still tangled together. She didn't want to be farther away from him than she had to be.

He pulled his hands away from hers and twiddled his fingers for a moment. What would he tell her? Would she think even less of him if she knew how doubtful he was of himself? And then an idea came to him and a rash peace washed over him. He was reminded of the sailing cloud he had seen earlier that day. Strong, determined, confident. Pure and vibrant. Standing in beautiful stark contrast to everything else. But most of all, proud. Or maybe he was wrong, and he was simply too impulsive to really care. Either way, it didn't matter to him. He was the only cloud in the sky at that moment. He would sail carelessly, and recklessly, and be happy to even know Light as he did.

He cupped his hand over Light's cheek and put his lips on hers. Their lips danced to an unheard beat. Maybe their hearts. Maybe their thoughts. Maybe their love. But all that really mattered was that Light responded in a way Hope could never have even dreamed of. One of her hands found the back of Hope's head. She tugged gently on his silver hair and moaned into the kiss. Hope's other hand that was not preoccupied with Light's face, danced its way down her side and played with the fringe of the white blouse beneath her leather vest.

They begrudgingly parted their lips when oxygen became an irritating necessity. Their faces were flushed, breath hot on their bodies. A strange current seemed to run between the two, the power guiding their passionate desire.

"That," he whispered, so close to her face. Light just looked at him with her calculating teal eyes, before a smirk danced onto her face.

"I'm so glad I showed up and threatened those tramps when I did. Would've missed out on the best kiss of my life," she happily purred.

Really? Hope's eyes seemed to glow excitedly with exuberant joy. Maybe all those times he spent practicing on his hand finally paid off.

"I have no idea what you had to be worried about," she spoke with a sensual tone. She looked at Hope through her thick lashes. "But about the fact that we'll have to start doing that all of the time now." She smirked and pounced on her prey, pinning him to the couch. Hope laughed, but that was quickly muffled by Light's lips.

She straddled him, and held his hands in her own above his head, kissing him fast and hard. She rested her weight against his body, teasing him by rubbing her breasts along his chest. He moaned her name when she rubbed her thigh against the hardness between his legs.

Someone nearby cleared their throat and coughed. Instantly Hope and Light froze, gazing over the arm of the red couch with wide eyes. Snow and Serah looked at the pornographic scene on the couch with horror.

"Like you've never done it on the couch before," Light said sarcastically.