Title: Sea of Love
Pairing: Hope/Noel
Warnings: none in this chapter except for chibi cuteness overload
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix, and the title came from the song by Frisco. I don't claim rights to either of these, I'm only a wee sophomore with supposedly great ideas. c;
A/N: This story was originally intended to stay a one-shot between cute chibi Hope and Noel, starring their adorable six-year-old crushes on one another. But my ideas grew and so this story will too - into a six-chapter treasure trove of sweet NoeHopu and how their relationship strengthens and deepens over the course of their lives. Starting when they are five/six years old and ending after they're in their early twenties, follow these two dorks as they discover how much they truly need each other.
The warnings will change each chapter! Most won't actually have anything above PG-13, but there will be some negative parts of this story. Keep an eye out before you read on!

Hope couldn't stand the thunderstorms.

He wasn't afraid of them, no boy his age was. You weren't startled by cracks of thunder or brilliant flashes of lightning when you lived in Palumpolum. There wasn't too much worry when the buildings would shake, or when huge waves crashed onto the shore. Thunderstorms were as common as wild dandelions to the seaside town - they could last for weeks on end, even months if it were monsoon season. No, he wasn't scared.

The thunderstorms kept him from seeing his best friend, Noel. The wind gusts and torrential rain were too dangerous to travel in, even just a couple blocks over. This particular one had been going strong for four days, four very long days that ticked by far too slowly. It was too long to go without doing anything, but Hope couldn't muster the will for his usual optimism. He wanted Noel to come over today, but it was so dark outside the window that he knew there wasn't a chance. The thought had crushed him, but their parents were in the right, so he couldn't protest - only continue to perch on the window seat in his room, staring out into the gloom with his own melancholy.

A puff of air fogged up the small square Hope was peering out from, turning the glass a lighter gray than the ones around it. The boy casually wiped it off with his shirt sleeve so the view was no longer obscured, his vibrant green eyes sweeping over the mass of dark shapes outside. The solid wall of rain coming down made everything almost impossible to see, adding to Hope's glumness. He kept his own company during the storm as he watched fat droplets roll down the panes, endlessly pouring from the thick clouds.

A distant clatter from downstairs signaled his mother starting their lunch, and Hope's stomach replied in kind with a happy growl. Hot food was a great cure for rainy days, Nora would always say; it warmed the heart and brightens the day, no matter how low you felt. But even after eating two helpings of Nora's hearty stew, Hope didn't feel any better than he had earlier. With resignation he took his vigil by the window again, frowning as he got comfortable in the cold cushion. He watched the storm for what seemed like hours - it was with a start that he suddenly opened his eyes, finding his forehead pressed against the cool glass.

What woke him up was the loud ringing of the doorbell, trilling thrice through their large home. Hope listened as his mother answered the door, her voice rising happily as she greeted whomever it was. She called his name from downstairs, but he didn't answer, instead settling back into a more comfy position and closing his eyes. Footsteps thumped up the stairwell, Hope's sleep-muddled brain not noticing how much lighter they were than Nora's. When the door to his room opened, he didn't turn, only saying quietly, "I'm not in't'rested, Mom."

"That's no way to treat your best friend, Hope!" a young voice chided playfully. Hope's eyes snapped open and he sat upright, eyes wide as they landed on Noel standing in the doorway. He let out a little gasp and jumped off the window seat, tackling the older boy. Noel laughed from underneath him and moved them to a sitting position, sticking his tongue out at the giggling silveret. "Hello to you too!"

Hope smiled and wrapped his arms around Noel's neck, hugging him loosely. "I missed you so much! It's been f'rever since you last came over," he whined, voice squeaking mid-way through at the excessive loudness. He hadn't spoken too often in the past few days.

"We saw each other four days ago. 'S not so bad," Noel replied with a grin, ruffling Hope's hair. Pulling him close, the brunet hugged Hope back, pressing his face into those silver locks. "I missed you too, Hope," he murmured.

They stayed like that for a long moment before something bright caught Hope's eye. He turned towards the window, confusion marring his lips. "Hey, Noel...?"

"Yeah?"

"When did the storm stop? I was here the 'ntire time!"

Noel blinked, now confused himself. "It stopped a while ago, that's why I came over," he explained.

The silveret got to his feet, running to his shoes and tugging them on before Noel could stand. The older boy watched with amusement as Hope nearly fell over himself twice in his haste to get dressed. "C'mon!" he chirped, taking Noel by the wrist and practically dragging the elder down the staircase.

"What's the hurry?" Noel laughed.

Hope didn't answer for a second as he opened the door, charging down the front steps. "The clouds left!" was all he said, as if it explained everything. They ran around the house into the huge field that the Estheims called their 'backyard' and made their way towards the little hill cresting over Nora's proud flower garden, turning it into a game of tag along the way.

Nora watched them from the kitchen window, smiling to herself as she washed the bowls from lunch. Those two are inseparable, she thought. A warm feeling bubbled up in her chest at her son's happiness; a much-needed one after several days in a dejected state that not even Nora could bring Hope out of - but one Noel could. Ever since the Kreiss family moved over from Nautilus, the boys had been close friends. She stifled a laugh as an image came to mind, shaking her head and returning to the small pile of dishes. They grow up so fast...

The two collapsed beside one another on the soft grass, laughing breathlessly. Noel recovered first and tilted his head to the right, looking over at Hope. "What's so cool 'bout the clouds?" he finally asked, once they'd both caught their breath.

Hope gave him a wide smile, showing the gap where he had lost a tooth a couple of weeks before. "Because, silly, what's after rain?" Without waiting for Noel to think of it, he pointed straight upwards. "A rainbow!"

The brunet followed Hope's line of sight and gasped; above them floated an enormous rainbow, shimmering in the afternoon sun as the last effects of the rainstorm came to pass. "It's so pretty," was his awe-struck reply, soft as he simply stared up at the multi-colored light. Almost immediately after his initial shock did he sit up and shoot out his hand, reaching up with chubby fingers to try and grab hold of it. His tongue poked out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated, the poor boy doing all he could to take the rainbow from the sky.

Hope giggled quietly, covering his mouth with a hand. "Noel, you can't touch them, it's just a light!" he stated, chest puffing out a bit with pride over his bubble of intellect. "Why are you trying to get the rainbow?"

Noel frowned, eyes alight with determination. "I wanna give it to you, Hope," he said, looking between Hope and the rainbow. "So you wouldn't be sad when 'm not here, and so you could 'member me..." The older boy trailed off, his cheeks dusted pink as he blushed cutely.

The silveret blinked owlishly before sitting upright himself. Leaning over, he planted a chaste kiss on Noel's cheek, making his face grow redder. Smiling brightly, he stared into the elder's blue eyes, mirroring their glow with his own emerald ones.

"I'm not sad anymore, Noel, I have you right here." He hesitated slightly, just a tiny pause before he continued, "But... if it would make Noel happy, you could remember me with a kiss." He pecked the brunet's other cheek. "Mom says kisses are for people you like. And I like you a lot, Noel!"

A wide grin broke across Noel's face and he giggled, wrapping an arm around Hope's shoulders and hugging the smaller boy to him. "I like you too, Hope!" he said. He pulled back after a few moments, listening to the silveret's soft peals of laughter. "Hey, Hope?" he asked, looking down with curiosity.

"Hmm?" the other replied, peeking up through his long bangs.

"Can... can you remember me with a kiss, too?"

Hope leaned back, meeting the elder's eyes as he nodded. "Yes."

Noel hesitated for a couple seconds, watching as Hope's eyes closed and he grew still, waiting. He quickly gathered his courage and leaned forwards, pressing his chapped lips against Hope's pale ones in a soft smooch. He felt his own eyelids close as they stayed that way for a few moments. His other arm snaked around Hope's back as they pulled apart, both blushing furiously.

"Noel, I-" "Hope, I-"

They looked at one another, blushes darkening. Noel spoke first; "D-Do you wanna come over to my house tonight? My mom says it won't rain tomorrow, so we can have a sleepover!" His voice rose in excitement. "We can watch my new Transformers movie..." he trailed off, grinning slyly.

They both knew Hope was a sucker for Transformers. The boy perked up, flashing Noel his one-tooth-less smile. "Sure Noel!" he replied, voice trembling only slightly. He giggled shyly as the brunet stood, reaching out a hand to help Hope up.

Noel's grinned wider at the bright response. "Awesome, I can't wait!" He stuck his tongue out playfully at the other boy, making him laugh.

"See ya later!" Hope cried after they ended the meeting with their secret handshake. He waved vigorously as Noel ran off down the road, who waved over his shoulder at his best friend. Hope waited until the elder was out of sight before he went inside himself, eager for the day to end.

Keep your eyes open for the chapters to come! I hope those of you who've been here before like the re-vamp. c;