Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Square-Enix!

Pairing: SnowxHope!

Warning: Contains Yaoi! Heavy Lime... Oh yea!

Rated for mature (for obvious reasons)

Summary: It is a rare occurrence and not all l'Cies have the chance to experience heat and poor Hope has to wonder why Snow chose him.

I want to hug my beta reader JJKMagic for putting a lot of effort in editing this story.

Why Me?

The sun had barely grazed over the horizon in the distance from the campsite in Vallis Media as a group of l'Cie quickly rushed about their early morning preparations. The journey ahead would be long and strenuous which was making a certain pink-haired woman growl. "Where is that idiot?" Lightning asked, the sound of teeth grinding was evident in her speech.

Hope stopped in task and turned to the woman who was walking in back and forth in frustration. He gave the soldier a worried look. Snow was left to night duty, keeping watch. However, when they awoke this morning, they found the blond missing. The man had left without saying a word which was making everyone's inside stir. Especially Lightning's whose inside was boiling in rage.

"Maybe he went to use the bushes or something. You know 'nature calls' or what not." Vanille reassured.

"For this long? What is he shitting? A brick!" Lightning barked. They were ready to set off, but they couldn't go yet without Lightning's so called 'idiot'.

"Shouldn't we be worried? What if something happened?" Hope asked, concern dripping from his voice.

"Then let it happen! That idiot is probably been being eaten to death as we speak." Lightning huffed.

Hope looked on as everyone remained quiet, not testing the soldier's patience. Despite the woman's hard exterior, Hope had come to realize the fruit of Lightning's anger. She was also worried about the blond-haired man. Lightning may not show it, but the woman really had a soft side which Hope had come to admire.

"Here he comes." Vanille said happily.

A pair of sea green orbs turned their attention to where the bubbly girl's eyes were staring. A sigh of relief fell from Hope's lips when he saw the blond walking back to the site. He blinked, however, when he noticed a strange atmosphere surrounding the tall man. Something seemed wrong with this sight and it was making his throat itch. Snow's body was tense like a rock.

"Where have you been?" Lightning stepped forward, barking.

Hope, like the others, raised a brow when Snow growled- or whined at the woman. The man did not make an effort to respond back to the soldier. The silverette could see the struggle in Snow's body as the man slowly looked around, a pair of intense blue eyes stopping on him. Hope felt the strand of hairs at the back of his neck rise meeting Snow's gaze. Hope shrunk, unable to look away from the heated, scrutinizing blue eyes belonging to the blond-haired l'Cie. Hope swallowed down a large slump sitting at the back of his throat as he saw a stir of emotion coiling and convulsing in those blue orbs. They were a couple of feet away from each other, standing like statues, gazing into each other's eyes. The world around them seemed to stop as time itself took a second to appreciate the weird and awkward atmosphere growing between the two l'Cie.

"What's going on?" Vanille asked exactly what was on the other three spectators' mind's whom were currently staring at the strange atmosphere between the blond and the young l'Cie. Then the blond took a step forward, his hungry eyes never wavering from the teen. They all held their breath. Something was about to happen.

"Ummm... Snow?" Hope stepped back but was instantly pulled against a warm, hard body before he could blink. "Sno-mmph." The young teen protest's were only cut off when hot lips pressed against his own. Hope's mind registered hearing gasps in the air coming from the four bystanders who were probably watching with a stupefied expression as he was being pressed against Snow's chest, getting thoroughly snogged. His hands were confined in a tight space between their chest, making any attempts to push the man away futile. "Sn...ow." Hope tried to protest again, but it ended up being an opportunity for Snow to let his tongue slip into in his mouth. Hope shuddered as a weak, wanton moan grumbled at the back of his throat which only made Snow snarl into the kiss, devouring his mouth.

After that brief insight into heaven, Snow finally broke away from the contact. Hope could feel the heat rushing to the tip of his ears when he saw the grin plastered to the blond's face. Snow's hands, which were occupying themselves on his hips, gently placed his feet back on the ground. Wait! When did the ground disappear a moment ago? The blond's hands, however, didn't dislodge around him, only seeming to tighten more, pressing their bodies together. Hope's body flushed with sheer heat in contact with Snow, making his skin crawl in delight and shudder uncontrollably.

"Snow! You fucking idiot!" Lightning's voice screamed.

Hope only blinked as the warmth was gone in a flash when Lightning's fist connected with Snow's jaw, knocking the blond to the ground. He was shoved behind the pink-haired soldier, who held an icy glare directed at the blond. Snow in turn responded with another animalistic growl to Lightning which made Hope's heart tremble in excitement.

"Hope!" Vanille said, approaching the blushing boy. Snow then glared at the girl, his eyes looking feral. "What just happened?"

"Isn't it obvious what just happened! His head lose two screws, that is what happened." It was Lightning's turn to growl, placing her hand at the hilt of her gunblade. She could feel her blood boiling in a pot. The man who was now supposed to be her sister's fiancé just did the unthinkable. The rage she felt inside her chest was the same passion when she first met the idiot. Back then she wanted to wipe away that goofy smile on that idiot's face when her sister introduced him. And even though the man had attained some kind of admiration and respect from the soldier throughout their journey together, it was all washed away with one single act.

"Now. Now. Let's put away the weapon before someone accidentally trips and loses a head." Fang advised, stepping beside Lightning trying to calm down the situation. Something was amiss and it was coming from Snow's quiet growling and glaring, narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong with him?" Hope asked, still trying to calm down his little beating heart. Snow's face softened in respond as he stepped away from the woman. The blond's gaze turned toward him, giving him a long, puppy look. It was too adorable for words.

"He is definitely acting strangely," Sazh said, placing his right gloved hand under his chin.

"Ohh, we saw this before." Vanille brightened, turning her attention to Fang who nodded in agreement.

"You mean this rash and demented behavior can be explained?" Lightning inquired with a hiss.

"Well..." Fang trailed off, scratching the back of her head, unsure how to explain Snow's problem.

"Snow is in heat?" Hope stared in disbelief, his lips repeating the same exact words that came from Fang's mouth.

Fang nodded. "It's a rare occurrence that usually triggers when a l'Cie is near its prime state."

"Are you sure he didn't fall and hit his head HARD?" Lightning asked amused.

"All joking aside, the heat is fueled by the l'Cie dwelling inside him." Fang added.

"So if Snow is in heat, then shouldn't he go somewhere private and deal with this business alone?" Sazh coughed awkwardly.

"It is not always that easy, old man." Fang smirked.

"This is a different kind of heat," Vanille informed them, gaining a set of confused stares. "It's 'Mating' heat."

"And it seems like he has already chosen his mate." Fang said, giving Hope a snickering look.

"What? Me?" Hope said half-hysterically which seemed to worsen when Fang stepped in front of him and gently tugged him backward. He stumbled a few feet back until a strong arm latched out, pulling him against a broad chest. Hope blushed to the root when he felt Snow's face snuggling into the crook of his neck, the man's hot breath tickling his soft, pale skin.

"As you can see, the clinginess and-" Fang stepped a few steps toward the duo only to receive a growl from the blond, "possessive nature are a natural tendency in heat."

"Ohh, they are cute together," Vanille said smiling.

Hope frowned at the smiling girl and, oh dear God, is Snow nibbling on his earlobe? This is not happening! He tried to push the blond away, but his strength was no match for Snow's relentless hold. "Why me when there are three women in the group?" Hope asked, swatting away a hand when it stroke along his hips.

Vanille shrugged with a smile. "Maybe we are not good enough in his eyes."

"And unfortunately once a l'Cie in heat has chosen their mate, they do not leave their side for entire period of the time before and after the partners made-" Fang made a face, "intercourse."

"Inter-Intercourse." Hope stammered, half-yelling, his face burned bright red at the word, feeling all the blood rushing to his cheeks. For a second he nearly fainted. Hope was in the early stages of a teenage life and the idea of having sex, with a man no less, made his hormones go into frenzy.

"You can't be serious?" Lightning asked seriously.

"As much I want to joke about Snow senseless behavior, this is happening for real," Fang stated seriously.

"And there is not much we can do apart from letting this thing run its course," Vanille added.

"You two seem to know so much about this?" Sazh asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Fang made a coughing noise as Vanille's face turned unexpectedly red. "We saw it happen before..." Fang only commented.

"How long will this last?" Lightning demanded. They were wasting precious time and much time was not something they had right now.

"The shortest time we've seen before was around one week to a month," Fang informed.

"One week!" Hope gaped at the pulsian woman as if she had grown five heads on her shoulders. "And what about me, don't I have any say in this?" He didn't mean to sound so irritated. He felt more than heard a growl coming from Snow's chest as the man's hands tightened around his middle.

"Sorry, kid." Fang said apologetically. "This is something that we cannot interfere with."

After fifteen minutes, the party, excluding Snow and Hope, decided it was a nice time to leisurely take a tour around Gran Pulse for an extensive period of time, leaving the two alone at the campsite.

"Seriously Snow, let me go," Hope insisted for the third time, trying to squirm out of Snow's grip.

"No," Snow only grunted.

Hope sighed wearily. He was going to kill Lightning and the others for leaving him to suffer through this unpleasant experience. His stomach unexpectedly grumbled, the morning stress eating away all of his body energy. He glanced around, looking for any trace of food, but found nothing. Hope yelped suddenly when Snow stood up, carrying him away bridal-style deeper into Vallis Media. He gave Snow an affronted glare which the man easily ignored.

Much to his chagrin, Hope gave up fighting Snow, letting the man carry him away as how the man saw fit. He was just wasting energy fighting Snow each step. They came to a quiet place where Snow reluctantly and finally placed him down on the ground. He watched as the blond walked toward a fruit tree which he examined before tackling the tree with his shoulder, shaking the branches as ripe fruits fell on the ground.

"Here."

Hope blinked, his gaze shifting from Snow's eyes to the fruits in his hands. "Ummm... Thanks." Hope said taking the fruits, a red tint forming on his cheeks. It seemed like the blond-haired l'Cie was much more than a brainless, sexual deviant after all.

It was nightfall and they were back at the campsite, sitting near a flickering fire. As much as Hope skeptically believed that the day would get better, it didn't. Snow had resigned himself to never leave his side. The blond didn't let him walk a step seeing that the man carried him everywhere. And whenever his stomach grumbled, Snow took it upon himself to make sure he was well fed. It was endearing. Then something slick and warm caressed the side of his exposed neck. Wait! Is Snow kissing his neck again? "Sn-Snow." Hope called out, only to strangle a gasp when he felt hot lips moving down from his neck to his shoulder. His breathing hitched, feeling the stubbles on Snow's face tickling his skin. Lips caressed the back of his neck as hands glided down his side.

"Hmmm." Snow responded, burying his face in the crook of Hope's neck.

Hope shifted in Snow's hold uncomfortably only to let out a surprised gasp when he felt something big and hard press between the cleft of his ass. Snow groaned and the sound alone made Hope's pants tighter. Hope felt his heart twitch, the constant beating in his chest could be heard clearly in his ears. And feeling Snow's body flushed against his back, the hard muscles rippling and shifting in the most magnetic ways sent shivers down his spine. Ostensibly, his head leaned back, catching a whiff of a strange smell, a mix of cologne, spice, and wood. This was the usual scent Snow gave off, but the smell now seemed stronger in the air than usual. It was intoxicating... and irresistible. A hand gently gripped his chin, bringing their gaze together. Hope could see his flushed face reflected in those heated icy-blue orbs and then Snow's head slowly was leaning down. His cheeks burned. Hope knew he should stop this, but the fluttering in his stomach told him otherwise as he closed his eyes. Their lips met for the second time in a fiery kiss. Hope groaned into the contact. The kiss this time was much softer than the one he had experienced earlier, leaving room for wanting air, but only enough to leave him breathless. Hope never ceased to be amazed at how soft Snow's lips were. It seemed to contrast with the rest of the man's hard and calloused body. Two hands sneaked under his shirt, thumbs caressing over his nipples. Hope gasped into the kiss, giving Snow the opening to slide his tongue into his mouth. Hope's mind exploded, kissing back with enthusiasm.

A minute later, they abruptly broke for air, a trail of saliva still connecting their mouths. However, Snow didn't like the idea of breathing as he untied the handkerchief around his neck before continuing to plant a series of tender markings on his neck. Then reality came back to his mind when he felt two hands prodding the three buttons on his green capri pants.

"Snow, wait!" Hope yelped, pushing the hands away. He received another puppy expression but ignored it. "It's just that I don't think I'm ready..." Kissing Snow was one thing, but having sex was something else. He was still a teenage boy, who spent most of his misspent youth doing homework and not being socially awkward. The idea of sex, with a man no less, was a problem his mind was not completely ready to deal with yet. His body was saying 'yes,' pushing against and giving in to Snow's touches, but his mind said otherwise. And he knew that this wasn't Snow fault. It was obvious that the man wanted him physically from all the craziness hormones and the heat of being a l'Cie aside. "Maybe if we took things slower." Hope said carefully, gaining a long and contemplative look from the blond.

"Okay," Snow only replied.

Hope blinked. He wasn't expecting Snow to agree. He watched as the man stripped himself of his trench coat before wrapping both bodies together with the large fabric. Snow pulled him closer to his body with his head settling on Snow's chest. A smile slowly graced Hope's face. Despite his barbarian thick head, Hope was happy to see that the blond was a little considerate of his needs. He leaned up, quickly placing a chaste kiss on Snow's lips. He pulled back, leaving a perplexed Snow in the dark as he shifted deeper into the man's grasp, closing his eyes in content.

Five Days flew by and the same stories kept recurring and with more perks, no doubt. When Hope awoke in the morning, he would to find, to his surprise, the heat pressing against his back. Snow would then wake up and wander off. The blond would return with a handful of sweet fruits not a moment too soon. Despite not looking a day overly exhausted, Snow hardly slept. The man either spent his time keeping a territorial overview of their surroundings or trying to get in his pants. It was one of the nature's beautiful plays and Snow mating Hope was the game.

"Snow... slow... down." Hope panted. Night was upon them once again as the voyage of the 'mating' game continued. He was flushed, lying topless on of the tarps under an equally shirtless blond who at the moment was well investing his time in the area around his chest. Hope didn't understand what line of job Snow was doing, leading a group of delinquents where it was obvious that the blond-haired man could make thousands being a model. Beneath Snow's large build, Hope was hot and lithe and clumsy and hard and aroused. "Ahh!" Snow's tongue brushed over his nipples. Never a query Hope hadn't known his body could be this sensitive until Snow came along, finding the right spot so easily. His hands quickly reached out, seeking solace into the man's golden, ruffled hair. He did not know whether to push the blond away or pull him closer. Snow's lips descended further, the hot lips grazing over his flat stomach and hips.

"Hahaha. Snow that tickles." A merry laugh erupted from Hope, the stubbles on Snow's jawline lightly scraping his skin. Snow looked up, giving Hope his signature smile. For a moment, Hope saw his Snow; the same man who had saved his life, not once, but twice in Palumpolum. The same man who, in his anger, he had tried to murder. The man who he had blame for his fugitive life. The man who was putting everything aside to save his fiancée.

"Snow?" He called out, his voice slightly shaking. The blond stopped, looking up from his stomach to meet his eyes. Snow frowned when he pushed himself onto his elbows, taking a seat on the tarp. Hope bit his lower lip, contemplating his thoughts. There was something he wanted to ask Snow but never got the chance to before. Snow noticed his sudden desolation and wrapped a comforting arm around his back. "What Fang and Vanille said, is it true?" Hope asked, gaining a confused look from Snow. "You chose me because the others were not good enough for you?" Snow nodded. "I don't really understand, I mean, you like Serah, and seeing Lightning is beautiful and all. Wouldn't it be logical for you to choose Light as your-" A finger was placed on his lips, hushing his voice.

"You're beautiful," Snow spoke.

"What?" Hope blinked before blushing, a pair of green orbs meeting a pair of genuine and hearty cerulean eyes. Snow leaned down, placing a kiss on his lips which Hope returned. The hands were back, touching and teasing his sides, making his skin shudder before slithering down to his hips, kneading his ass. Hope gasped into the kiss. No person had ever touched him this intimate in his life before and yet, here Snow was, groping and fondling his ass.

A sly hand slid across his waistline, moving along the zipper, brushing over the obvious tent. Hope moaned, throwing his head backward. The touches alone spent tremors of pleasure coursing through his body. He didn't notice Snow unbuttoning his pants until the fabric felt loose around his waist. A hand dipped beneath the waistline of his underwear, grabbing his leaking length.

"Oh Ahhh." Hope cried out in bliss as the large hand began stroking his shaft. Somewhere at the back of his head Hope knew he should stop this. What Snow was doing was wrong on so many levels, but the sheer guilty pleasure alone was enough to make Hope buck into the hand. Instead of pushing the blond away, his hands tangled around the man's neck, pulling the blond into a passionate kiss. Snow's other hand took the liberty to seize one of his hands, guiding it over the man's flat, hot chest and over the hard, plane of muscles before stopping at the hem of his pants. Hope broke the kiss, looking down to where his hand was placed. It was resting on the large bulge which confined under the pants. Snow then made a whimpering, almost begging sound. "Does it hurt?" Hope asked with wide eyes. Snow nodded, a pair of bright, puppy blue eyes looked at him for help. With each attempt to get in his pants, Hope had forgotten about Snow's need. Snow hadn't asked to go into heat in the first place, but the man did choose him to relieve him of his pain. He eyed the aching bulge, biting his inner cheeks, unsure what to do. He clumsily unbuttoned the pants before unfastening the zipper. Snow wiggled his hips making the pants inch down from his waist. His fingers slowly hooked under the elastic of the black underwear, slowly pulling the fabric down Snow's pelvis, revealing a large and aching length. A surprised gasp filled the air. The young teen was not even aware that they could be that big. Maybe this was some side effect when a l'Cie entered in heat?

A whine brought Hope's attention back to reality. He glanced up to Snow who carried a pleading look on his face. He eyed the thick length once again, swallowing down a large lump. He was tentative, what to do? Then a thought crossed his mind. He could try doing the same thing that Snow just did to him. He slowly extended his hand, wrapping it around the thick shaft. He watched in fascination as the man's cock twitched in delight in his hand. Snow seemed to like the idea when a satisfied moan past his lips. The blond lifted him up on his large thighs, bringing their flushed bodies together. The large hand once again sneaked into his underwear, grabbing his length before starting to pump his dick. He tried to copy Snow's movement to the best of his abilities, stroking the thick member. Their strokes were mismatched at first until gradually forming a rhythm. Both l'Cie moaned and panted, feeling the heat in their stomach twisting and unknotting, ready to burst. Their lips met with one another with both parties kissing back enthusiastically, deepening the contact. They were both close.

"Snow...I'm...I'm..." Hope panted, breaking the kiss. He felt his balls tighten under the blond's skillful ministrations. Snow let out a grunt of his own, nearly over the edge also. They continued stroking each other's harden cocks, a hot and unsteady sensation pooling up their shafts. There wasn't much of a warning other than their vision going completely white and Hope let out a strangled cry as Snow grunted before they came hard and fast in each other's hands.

Hope's limb body slumped forward resting against Snow whose arms secured themselves around his middle. They remained there; grasping for as much air their lungs could take in, waiting as their bodies slowly started to cool. Hope registered hearing a rumbling sound coming from Snow's chest. It sounded almost like the man was purring. He looked up, seeing the relieved expression on the blond-haired l'Cie's face.

Hope didn't want to move, nor did he want to lose the heat emanating from the blond. He was grateful though when Snow lay back on the tarp with him lying on top of the larger man. Snow reached for the large trench coat among the scattered clothes on the ground before throwing the thick jacket over both of them. Hope sighed, snuggling comfortably against Snow's chest. His eyelids were becoming heavy and the soothing sound of Snow's heart beat against his ear was slowly turning everything around him black.

The next morning, Hope heard a familiar tune approaching the campsite. He glanced toward the trail leading deeper into the mountainous passageway, seeing Lightning and the others making their way toward them. A smile split upon his face, relieved that they were alive and not in pieces. He wanted to go and welcome them back, however, a growl and a pair of strong arms only tightened around his middle, not liking the idea of companies.

"So... he's still in heat?" Fang asked, a frown appearing on her face as they came to the sight of Hope still in Snow's arms. They looked like two fowls nestling on the piece of tarp.

"I'm afraid so." Hope sighed tiredly.

"Have you... you know?" Vanille inquired, clearing her voice. The young l'Cie gave her a confused look.

"Sex. Have you done it?" Fang asked. Hope blushed while the others coughed nervously at the woman's bluntness. There was no subtlety in her voice.

"Ummm... No." Hope said, looking away embarrassedly. He couldn't say that with a straight face toward the others. And that was considered a minor problem compare to the bigger predicament poking at his back door.

"Well where to next?" Lightning asked.

"Wait! No! You can't leave me here with him alone again." Hope gaped.

"There's a Chocobo nest not too far from here. Maybe we can go take a look?" Vanille suggested among the three older l'Cies who, at the moment, were ignoring the younger teen's objection. The baby chocobo in Sazh's hair popped out, liking the idea of seeing the chocobos. However, Lightning made a disapproving sound, not interested in seeing some smelling and infested yellow birds.

Hope's right eye twitched.

"Then how about the the Haeril Archaeopolis? It was once a thriving village, but now it's nothing more than rocks and stones." Fang pitched in a thought.

"The Haeril Archaeopolis it is." Lightning stated, her words were absolute and no baby chocobo was going to beat her down.

Hope's right eye twitched again.

"All agrees." Sazh informed.

"Guys!" Hope yelled, stopping the first step to distance itself away from the campsite. All eyes turned to him.

"What's wrong, Hope?" Vanille asked innocently.

"What's wrong? Nothing is wrong. I'm just peachy as usual." Hope said half-hysterically.

"Go on ahead, guys. I'll catch up. I need to talk to him for a bit," Fang said. The others nodded.

"We'll see you soon, Hope," Vanille cheered, walking away with the others.

It was clear that no amount of yelling would get his teammates to return. Hope slumped back against Snow's chest. He felt worn out. "Listen Hope!" Hope glanced toward Fang who approached him closer, but stopped when Snow start growling. Hope suppressed a shudder, feeling the growl go straight down his spine. "We all know that you don't like this..." Hope was about to open his mouth. "However, you cannot fight this," Fang stated.

"I'm managing... somehow." Hope pouted, looking up, meeting Snow's gaze. "He's just being a bit more clingy."

"It's in his nature and it will only worsen," The pulsian woman informed him.

"We've been doing some stuff." Hope said, a blush forming on his face. Whether that stuff involved kissing, groping and jerking each other off, it was a lot to choke down to admit.

"But that won't be enough in the long run. Snow will become more possessive and violent, and the last thing he wants to do is to force himself on you," Fang said seriously.

"Ohh..." Hope said lamely. If what Fang said was true, then Snow must've been holding back. He briefly wondered what kind of mental battle Snow had with himself when they are making out. Was Snow mentally fighting to control the situation? Or was Snow mentally fighting to control himself? The older man, however, interjected himself into the conversation, growling at the woman in blue. Both Fang and Hope turned to the blond who glared icily at the pulsian woman seeing that she had overstayed her time.

"Well, I better get out of Snow's hair before he lights a fuse." Fang mused before walking away.

Night came quickly and Hope was at the end of his rope. He couldn't keep up with Snow any longer and the intoxicating saccharine smell from the blond was becoming stronger, driving his hormones crazy. However, this time Snow was lying on the tarp with Hope's straddling his waist, appreciating the sight of a half-naked grown man under him. As empowering as he wanted to feel, the moment was only fleeting when Snow's hands skimmed down his shirtless chest, teasing his two buds. A moan escaped his lips, panting and starving from lust. His back arched wantonly, the hot bliss coursing through his nerves was making his entire skin twitching to be touch.

Snow took his time, leaving his bite marks and fingerprints all over his chest. This irked Hope who was already painfully hard. He ground his hips against Snow, making his aching length known. Snow groaned in response, pushing himself onto his elbows, initiating a kiss. Hope kissed back, giving Snow as much access to his mouth. Two large hands ghosted down his back making him moan into the kiss when they cupped his rear. They broke apart for air, however, the blond's lungs weren't lacking in the respiratory department seeing as the man's hot lips moved to nibble on his earlobes and down his neck. His hands decided to act on their own, running over Snow's chest before moving down where they quickly unbuckled the belt around Snow's waist, throwing the leather sash to the other clothing which had been disposed of earlier. Snow got the message quickly, and raised his hips, pulling his pants and underwear down in one go. Apparently, the blond had a penchant of the idea of him undressing the man by unbuttoning his pants and sliding the green, close-fitting, calf-length trousers and his underwear down his thighs from where he kicked them off. It was injustice for Hope to stay in Snow's hot embrace and not be flustered and aroused. They were kissing again, this time more earnestly.

Training under Lightning's tutelage, Hope had honed his senses well, but he wasn't expecting the show of strength that he already knew Snow possessed when the blond manhandled him, switching their positions without relinquishing the kiss. He was now sandwiched, pressed between the cool, leather tarp and the warmth of Snow's hot body. Snow pulled back from the kiss, their face mere inches apart. He was left flushed and panting for air. Snow gave him a pleading look, almost hurting. He looked away, nodding for Snow to continue. Snow quickly planted a kiss on his lips before slowly guiding him on all four, adjusting his hips high in the air.

"Snow?" Hope called out, looking over his shoulder with a blush on his face to see the blond hovering over his back. He gasped when Snow leaned forward, feeling something hot and thick pressed against his rear. He curled his fingers into a fist when a pair of hot lips descended over his right shoulder. It was a particular sensitive spot that Snow's lips had come to tease and capitalized for days. The searing hot lips trailed down, leaving teeth marks along his spine. The wet tongue made its way down between his legs, nibbling and sucking on the silky soft skin on his inner thighs. Two hands slid up his thighs making his body tremble. The hands grabbed his hips, lifting them up. Hope looked over his shoulder, his face flushed and his breathing labored. The hands parted his cheeks. He was about to question the blond's intention, but instead his body jumped when he felt a wet appendage on his right cheek. He clamped his mouth shut with his hands, stopping himself from crying out when a wet appendage flickered up and down his cleft. The tongue searched lower, prodding his entrance slightly.

"Argh! Ah! Sn...ow!" Hope bucked and cried out. The act alone was so lewd but the sensation of the tongue prodding deeper against his opening was making his senses burn like it was on fire. One hand slid around his waist, gripping the base of his cock before stroking the weeping length. His hips thrust upward on as his legs parted by their own free will, trying to get the tongue to go in deeper. He was losing himself to pleasure. This feeling was too good to be true. To much of Hope's disbelief and surprise, he made a whimpering, demanding sound when the tongue retracted. Snow's body was hovering over him once again and when he felt the man's hot length sliding up his crevice, he ground his rear against the man's pelvis.

"Suck and get them wet." Snow grunted, pushing three digits into Hope's mouth and the teen complied.

Hope sucked and lubricated the three fingers eagerly in his mouth. The fingers pulled out, stopping the gasps and moans seeping through his lips. He didn't give much thought about what was going to happen next until he felt a pressure between his legs. He flinched when a wet finger pressed against his twitching opening before pushed in. It felt strange almost like a burning sensation and the finger was moving inside him. Then Snow added a second finger as his body tensed from the sudden intrusion. The digits pressed in deeper, curling until-

"AHH!" Hope couldn't hold back the moans escaping his lips, his back almost arching to the point of breaking. There was an explosion of pleasure making his body shudder. The pleasure continued to intensify while the fingers proceeded, rubbing against that exact spot. He pushed back against the digits, wanting to relish more of the pleasure. A third finger joined the other two, stretching and loosening him up. And yet again, Hope surprised himself when he made a disapproval noise when the three fingers pulled out. He looked over his shoulders and blushed when he saw Snow stroking his hardened length which was covered with saliva. Snow lifted his hips up, getting in position.

Hope tensed when he felt the man's arousal prodding his private part. The well-muscled figure behind him leaned down, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Hope lost his breath, hitched in his throat when a hot, wet tongue nibbled on his earlobe. It was a distraction and it served its purpose as Snow pushed in.

"AHH Snow!" Hope cried out as the huge object breached him. He was panting heavily. The feeling was uncomfortable, however, the grunts coming from behind told of a different experience for Snow. He tried to calm his breathing and as he began to relax, the pressure pushed further. His body started to give way, allowing Snow's length to slip in past the tight ring of muscle. He suppressed a cry in the tarp as his body stretched to accommodate the man's invading shaft.

"AHH!" Hope threw his head back and cried out. He turned to the blond and his heart fluttered at the sight. Snow's cheeks were flushed and his lips parted slightly. The man's breathing was ragged. They both leaned toward each other, kissing. Hope groaned in the kiss when Snow's cock backed out and then pushed forward, burying himself completely, brushing that sweet spot once again. "Mmmmp..." A moan lost in his throat when the pleasure spiked, fighting away the uncomfortable pain.

"AHH Snow. Do that again!" Hope pleaded and Snow obeyed, setting a steady pace. Moans escaped his throat as the thick length continued to thrust inside him. With every thrust, the length brushed against his sweet spot sending twinges of pleasure coursing through him as the once quiet night was left filled with nothing more than moans and grunts in the air.

Hope had noticed that Snow sped up the movement as the man gripped his hips, thrusting deeper and harder. The former pain had now completely been shattered by the pleasure which only made his body shudder. There was a familiar throb of need that started at the base of his shaft and ended with an enticing itch at the tip of the head. With one hand, he reached for his cock, stroking the aching length. He was teetering on the edge of release and same went for Snow who tightened his grip on his hips, quickening the pace. There will obviously be a hand-shaped bruise printed on his hips when he woke up tomorrow, but that wasn't a priority he wanted to worry about now. He was close...

"S-S-Snow... I'm... gonna-" Hope only cried out before his body fell into a binding wave of climax. His body shuddered, clenching and unclenching around Snow's thick shaft as he shot hot white streams of pleasure. "Hope..." Was all the warning Hope got as Snow's member swell inside of him, filling him to the brim with his essence.

Snow's large body collapsed on top of him before rolling off beside him. The man made a content purring noise, pulling their warm bodies together. Hope didn't object because he was too tired and being close to the man just felt so good.

Hope groaned when the rays of sunlight stroke across his face. He turned his face away from the light, ignoring the slight stinging pain coming from places where he did not know could ache, and snuggled deeper under the coat for warmth from the surrounding cold air due to the morning dew on the grass which was making the atmospheric air cool. He shifted closer to Snow, however, when his back did not comes in contact with the warmth he desired, Hope turned around. He stood up on his elbows, letting the coat fall onto his laps and revealing his nakedness. Snow wasn't there. He looked around the campsite. He was alone.

Hope sighed, his gaze shifted to the empty space beside him as memories and images clear like the blue sky of their little late night escapade came to his attention. He and Snow had done it. Hope could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He now understood why the boys in his class had been fussing about girls and dates. At first he didn't see the big picture but now, he got a clear idea why there were rapists in the world.

The air was weird and quiet without Snow. He stood up, getting dressed sans any hungry and prying blue eyes. His stomach gave a loud rumbling sound and then he heard footsteps approaching. The silverette turned to see the blond waltzing back to the camp with the same old goofy smile that the man wore every day. It looked like old habits died hard.

The l'Cie heat lasted for another six more days and since the night they had first done it, Snow's behavior slowly started to change. The man was becoming more like the idiot Lightning's described. Every night they would fall asleep next to each other after a vigorous evening of sex and when morning came upon the horizon, Hope would wake up alone. During those five days, he had regained the freedom to walk on his own feet while Snow led the way, holding his hand or just walking nearby whenever they went searching for food.

Something else had changed inside Snow. Hope had seen it three days ago when the blond was sitting near the cliff, absentminded from reality. The man was holding the blue tear crystal in his hand, staring at it. Snow looked lost. At that moment, a twinge arose in his chest when he saw the man staring at the only memento of his fiancée. Hope tried to ignore the pain, but it only seemed to worsen as the days went by.

The next day, Hope woke up like usual; alone. He sighed, putting on his underwear and pants before making his way to a nearby spring for a cold morning bath. He wanted to clean off the mess from their couple rounds of frolicking the previous night. It felt almost surreal, walking through the mountainous path alone after two weeks of constant body contact. He didn't want to admit it, but deep down he felt lonely. When he returned back to camp, he was surprised when he saw that the group was back. Everyone was there, including Snow who was bracing casually against a palm tree.

"Hope!" Vanille cheered.

"Where have you been?" Lightning asked worried.

"I went to take a bath," Hope responded.

"Washing away the evidence," Fang said amused, earning a blush on Hope's face and a cough from Snow.

"Can we get going now?" Snow sighed in annoyance.

Hope's lower lip twisted, his brows furrowed at the blond. He and the other l'Cie watched as the blond walked toward the Steppe. What just crawled up his ass and died? It was liked the past week they spent humping and going at it like bunnies never happened. Was Snow going to forget everything like that?

"We need to get going to cross the Steppe. We've got quite a distance to cover," Fang advised, clearing her throat. She was trying to divert the others' attention from the weird atmosphere that Snow had created.

"Here you go, Hope." Lightning said, handing Hope some fruits to munch away on. "You can eat while we walk."

Hope nodded and took the fruits. He glanced up ahead, trying to ignore the tightness in his chest as Snow kept on walking.

Everyone was walking on eggshells as they crossed the massive landmass. The clock was ticking away, waiting for either Snow or Hope to crack. There was a strained tension between the two and the other four l'Cie didn't interfere, thinking it was not their place to do so. Snow was quiet, brooding over his thoughts while Hope looked lonely and lost. The four l'Cie didn't need Snow to spell out that he was ignoring Hope, the blond had done so with his action earlier in the morning when the party had arrived at the wide grassland where Pulse's life roamed. To cross the Steppe, Lightning ordered that the party separates into two groups; one group taking point while the second group watched the first group's rear. Hope, Fang and Snow were assigned to take point and then Snow opened his mouth, requesting to switch with Lightning. Hope pretended his heart didn't constrict when he heard that.

"He won't even talk to me," Hope finally spoke. He and Vanille were idling near the entrance of the Mah'habara Subterra. The others were in the mines, checking to see if it was possible to cross.

"You mean Snow?" Vanille asked.

Hope nodded.

"Something sure is wrong with him. He is acting awkward toward you for some reason," Vanille concurred.

"Is this how l'Cie behave after heat?" Hope inquired. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his brain that Snow was irritated with something. He wasn't sure what was caused of the man's annoyance. Something told him that Vanille was right; that he was the cause for Snow's behavior. And that alone was enough to make his heart ache.

"Not that I'm aware of." Vanille pondered. "Why don't you try to confront him? Ask him why he is not talking to you."

"That's the point," Hope sighed. "It's not that he is not talking to me, it's more like he is avoiding me. You saw it yourself the other day. Whenever our eyes met, he quickly looked away."

They both braced against the wall, staying quiet.

"Why does it have to hurt so much?" Hope said out of the blue, his voice cracked. His hand tightened on the area around his chest. It was suffocating. He didn't know when he became this fickle. Maybe it was because of Snow?

"Hope, I don't think Snow mean to?" Vanille sympathized.

"Then why did he choose me?" Hope choked, suppressing the heaviness in his chest.

A little after the sun slowly disappeared on the horizon, Lightning and the others returned. The day was almost over and crossing the Steppe took over two days. It was more than a challenge the group had expected. They decided to camp outside the cave for the night, sitting around a flickering fire which was keeping the darkness in the corner at bay. Snow and Lightning were given night duties while the others were out cold, asleep. Hope was lying on the ground with his back facing the fire. But he couldn't sleep because his body felt uneasy and strangely lonely. After two weeks, his body was used to curl up next to the warm body heat and lying on the hard ground was making him uncomfortable. He tried to forget the warm feeling of Snow around him, but he couldn't.

Feeling frustrated he stood up grumbling and glanced around. Fang, Vanille, and Sazh were dead asleep. How could they sleep under these conditions, he would never know. His ears perceived faint voices nearby and as his eyes traced the sounds, Hope realized that Snow and Lightning weren't among them. The murmured voices were coming from the direction of the Steppe. Reluctantly, he followed the voices, which were becoming clearer.

"Y...ou... real...ly...re...a...fuck...in...idiot." A voice said angrily. It sounded like Lightning.

"I...know." That sounded like Snow.

Hope peeked around the corner of the wall and saw Lightning, who was braced against the wall with her arms folded over her chest, and Snow, who was pacing back and forth restlessly. From the sound of their voices, it looked like they were bickering. Well, the bickering was mostly one-sided from Lightning.

"Fine. But this is not going to happen again," Lightning declared.

"I kind of suspected you would say that." Snow said, rubbing his left shoulder.

"So what are going to do now?" Lightning asked, sighing. "You cannot keep up this charade forever."

Hope watched on, not really grasping the true topic of the conversation. He eyed Snow as the man contemplated over Lightning's words for a moment before opening his mouth.

"I have to apologize to Hope for starters. I'm not going to make this mistake again," Snow spoke.

Hope blinked. Apologize? Mistake? So they were talking about him. And what mistake was Snow going on about?

"That is if he accepts it." Snow continued with his shoulders now hanging down.

"At least your brain is partially functioning right. You dug your own grave with that one. You better talk to Hope quick so we can get on with our lives," Lightning said.

The feeling in his chest had just gotten worse. Hope's heart was overflowed with anguish, agony, and sorrow. Was this what Snow wanted? To apologize and forget everything that happened! And Snow expected him to do the same and go back to being friends.

"Well, I hope you talk to him soon. The more you ignore this, the more Hope is hurting," Lightning voiced her final thought before stepping away from the wall. "For a hero, you really cause more harm than good."

Hope saw Light walking back toward back to the camp and that was all the signal he needed before he scampered back quickly to where Lightning and Snow had left him and the other three l'Cie.

Fresh air never smelled so good until Fang made a remark saying that they were only half-way through the mines. Groans and grunts were followed.

"I think a break is in order," Fang suggested and everyone nodded.

"I'm going to check things ahead," Hope stated.

"Don't go wandering off too far," Lightning advised, watching with the others as Hope walked away. The boy was quiet today, but no one didn't questioned the teen's behavior. She eyed Snow from the corner of her eyes and clenched her hands into a fist. The man was just looking and doing nothing. Does someone have to spell it out for him?

"Ouch!" Snow grunted when a hand swatted at the back of his head. He turned to Lightning. "What did you do that for?"

"Go talk to him," Lightning said, nodding towards Hope.

"Huh...?" Snow said intelligently.

"Now is a good chance to talk to Hope." Lightning informed him.

"You mean right now," Snow said hesitantly, then Lightning placed her hand on the hilt of her blade. "Okay! Okay!" He yelled in defense before starting to walk toward the direction where Hope went.

Out of sight of others, Hope took a seat on a patch of grass. He wanted to be alone, mostly away from Snow. Since the previous night, he was mulling over his thoughts of the conversation he had heard between Snow and Lightning. It was clear now that Snow didn't want anything to do with him. But why did it have to hurt so much? He couldn't escape the pain. Then the air became strange when a presence suddenly was standing behind him. He glanced back and saw Snow looking at him.

"Hi, Hope." Snow said and Hope turned away. Snow scratched the back of his neck before walking to the teen. "Can we talk?" He asked carefully, taking a seat beside the teen. Hope's mood remained quiet, still not acknowledging him. "Hope, I wanted to say that-"

"You're sorry. I get it," Hope interjected, his jaws tightened.

"Yeah... Wait! What?" Snow said in surprise.

"I overheard you and Lightning last night," Hope said, his voice was calmer and softer. He pulled his legs toward his chest, huddling up.

"Oh great. That saves me an explanation." Snow said with a smile. That was easier than he had thought. He laid back on the ground with his hands folded behind his head, watching the blue sky. Then he heard a sniff. He glanced to Hope, seeing the teen rubbing his eyes. "Hope?" Snow blinked, leaning up and his heart constricted at the tears flowing down Hope's face.

"Why? Why does it have to end like this? Are we just going to forget everything that happened between us like it was nothing? Because it's not going to happen." Hope didn't know when he started sobbing. The emotional turmoil in his heart had reached its peak and he just want to let all the pain out as the tears burned his eyes. First his mother's death, then becoming a l'Cie and a fugitive, and now his situation with Snow. The loneliness, the anger and frustration were too much to bear.

Snow's heart cringed at the sight. He reached out, wrapping an arm around the teen's shoulders before pulling the silver-haired l'Cie beside him. Was Hope hurting this much?

"If you want to end this, I'll understand," Hope sniffed.

"Hope?" Snow called out. The teen looked up, meeting other's gaze for a long time. "What are you talking about?" He asked, giving the teen a puzzled look.

Hope blinked away the tears when he saw an expression of complete confusion on Snow's face. "Last night, you and Light were talking about me. You said that you're going to apologize for your mistake and forget-" A finger was placed on his lips.

Snow shook his head amused. "First of all, we weren't talking about you per say."

"Huh..." It was now Hope's turn to look confused.

"We were talking about Serah," Snow corrected.

"Oh... Then why have you been avoiding me?" Hope asked.

"Well, I-we, ummm," Snow scratched his head, unsure how to explain this. "Back then it was so easy. When it were just you and me. I didn't think much and just acted. It was like it wasn't me. I knew that I should stop, but I couldn't. The feeling was too strong." Snow paused, taking a moment to contemplate over his thoughts. Hope was staring at him, waiting. "But now, it is different. I don't know how to act to this pace. My hands itch for some reason and there is a fluttering feeling in my chest." Snow's voice turned soft, clenching his fingers into the dirt. "I was in a bind, so I didn't say anything. If I did anything, you will be in a bind this time. It seems like I didn't need to do anything seeing that I already hurt you. I do not know what to do. I'm afraid that I will say or do something that might cause you more pain. At the end of the day, I can't do nothing but push you away further. I was being a jerk. And that makes me feel horrible."

"Snow," Hope said softly.

"I cannot remember what I did during those two weeks. I cannot be that Snow." Snow growled in irritation over himself. "If things wer- mmph-" Snow was silenced when a pair of sweet, soft lips descended over his mouth as two slender arms wrapped around his neck. He reacted on impulse, kissing back with hunger and enthusiasm. He wrapped his arms around the lithe body, lifting the teen on his lap.

Hope groaned into the kiss. It had been nearly two days and his body had already missed the body contact his heart so desired. The passionate kiss ended abruptly a minute later, however, they both showed no signs of letting go. Even the Fal'Cie themselves couldn't pull them apart.

"I am not that Snow," Snow confirmed.

"I don't want that Snow. And for the record, it doesn't matter," Hope smiled.

"I don't know how or when I realized that I like you," Snow whispered.

"Me too." Hope choked.

"I made the mistake once, and I'm not going to do that again," Snow said.

"Mistake?" Hope cocked his head.

"I lost Nora, and I nearly lost you too," Snow said, tightening his hold on Hope.

"You will never lose me, Snow. You said it yourself that you will protect me." Hope leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on Snow's lips which only teased Snow to no end before he smacked his mouth against Hope's. They kissed and that's all they did. Neither of them compelling to move things further. This was what Hope wanted from the beginning.

"Ahem." Something or someone coughed. Hope and Snow turned towards the intruder and saw the others staring at them with amused expressions.

"I told you to go patch thing up, not go frolic in broad daylight," Lightning said, suppressing her lips from forming into a smile when she saw the blush appearing on Hope's face.

"Can we have some privacy?" Snow asked, a matter of fact.

"No!" Lightning stated. "Vanille and Sazh wanted to go check out the Cie'th Stone we passed not too long ago and you're coming along."

"What? No! Why not Fang?" Snow suggested or whined and then Lightning placed her hand on the hilt of her blade. He made a disapproval noise in his throat before lifting Hope off his lap, reluctantly standing up. And here he had wanted to spend some time with Hope now that he fixed his relationship with Hope. He turned toward the silverette. "I'll be back in a sec." The kiss was short, but it was enough to last until he came back.

"So is your lover spat over." Fang chuckled to Hope who was watching as Snow, Lightning, Vanille and Sazh walked back into the mines.

"Yeah..." Hope replied and then he blinked. "Wait! We didn't have-"

"I'm sorry Hope," Fang quickly apologized. Hope gave her a confused look. "It was my fault... for giving Snow too much credit," Fang informed him with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" From the looks on Hope's face, he couldn't follow her.

"Somewhere inside Snow, he held some strong emotion and attachments to you. Because of that he sees you as something more compared to us. And during heat, the l'Cie in him brought out the feelings and emotions buried deep within him. That is why he choose you." Fang told him.

"So you're saying that Snow cared for me on some intimate level?" Hope asked.

Fang nodded. "When the mating was over, those strong emotions Snow never knew existed were there. I thought he would understand what he feels, but I was wrong. He was probably confused and afraid to act on those emotions. I didn't want to say anything because this was something Snow had to realize on his own."

Hope took a moment to process the information. "Were these emotions there prior to the heat?"

Fang nodded again.

"Then that means-" Hope said, baffled.

"Snow has a soft spot for you, kid," Fang said with a smile.

"Snow likes me," Hope said when realization suddenly set in.

"Likes or maybe even loves you." Fang contemplated, watching as Hope's face couldn't possibly become any redder. For what it was worth, she was happy to see two people who she could call 'family' found happiness. Perhaps the word 'happiness' was stretching it. There would be walls and obstacles that both Snow and Hope couldn't avoid. Especially for Hope. Nonetheless, it should not be much of a problem that Hope couldn't tackle because when Fang thought about it, if Lightning's sister would've been here, there was a possibility that Snow would not choose her.

The End

A/N: Hi, my lovely readers. It had been a while since I last update a new story for FF13. I have some ideas for other stories, but however, I lacked the motivation to write. I'm looking for inspiration, but finding nothing :(Anyway... this story took me a while to write. The story could've been shorter, but I got carry away with the plot ;) Just out of curiosity, does anyone else still believed in SnowxHope?

Reviews are greatly appreciated!