Okay, not tomorrow, I'mma post it now... if it's good, it's good, if it's bad, oh well O.o;; hey, what matters is I got it done *noddanodda* seriously, too many ideas in my head, so I'm guessing some stuff might be scrapped o.o;; which is interesting, because I don't think I've ever had to "scrap" an idea ^^;;; *scurries*
Still dedicated to Star-han ^^ again, my apologies for my wonky y!messenger v_v;;
Title: Tutoring IV
Fandom|Pairing: FF13|Snow/Hope... hellz yeah! XD nyah, I kid =3 but I do love the pairing, I do I do =3
Rating|Warning: PG-13, nice and simple, potential romance between two guys with a bit of an age difference... but I loves Snow/Hope, dangit XD *ducks*
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Disclaimer: FF13 and its characters are not mine... if they were, you think Snow would stay with Serah? XD *ducks*
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"Romeo... and Juliet."
Snow was already smiling as he lowered his pen and closed his notebook. Hope stood at the door, leaning against the frame as he gave Snow a look of apparent annoyance. "What about it?" asked Snow, trying not to laugh as he leaned back in his chair.
Heaving a sigh, Hope entered the class, allowing the strap of his backpack to slide off his shoulder and down his arm into his hand. "We are doing a Shakespearean play, performing actually," he said coolly. "And it seems thanks to a certain individual, and his efforts, that I am viewed as the sudden 'expert' of Shakespeare."
Pursing his lips to avoid smiling, Snow kept quiet so Hope could continue. And Snow really couldn't help the sense of amusement as the kid approached the table, speaking with deliberate patience.
"So imagine my surprise when Mr. Katzroy, whom the previously mentioned certain individual can speak to on a regular basis, has decided... without preamble--"
"Good use of the word 'preamble," Snow commented.
"Thank you," Hope said, and pressed on. "Has decided to put me in the lead role of one of Shakespeare's greatest, most well-known works."
"So... you're gonna play Romeo?" asked Snow.
Hope raised an eyebrow, and simply looked at Snow silently.
Snow grinned, "that's awesome."
"No, it isn't..." Hope said flatly. He grimaced and reached up, running his hand through his hair and lightly tugged at it with evident frustration. "Ugh, I don't even like Romeo & Juliet," he groused.
"Really?" Snow looked at Hope in confusion. "It's a good story."
"No offense, Snow... but I disagree," Hope responded and circled around Snow to drop in the chair beside him. Sighing heavily again, Hope let his head drop back as he rubbed at his face. "I mean all afternoon, all I heard from the girls in class was 'how romantic', 'how sweet', 'now that's true love'" Hope then paused, and gave Snow a look, "seriously?"
Snow smiled, "well, you can't help how others view the story."
"I can't see it the way they do," Hope muttered as he lifted his head and sat up straight again. "All I read was two kids who wasted their lives because they think they're in love... come on, no one can fall in love that fast."
"You ever hear of love at first sight, Hope?" asked Snow, lightly tapping at Hope's arm with his knuckles.
Hope only raised his eyebrow as he gave Snow another incredulous look, frowning slightly, "yes, and I don't agree with it,"
"I know, I know... getting to know someone is important too," Snow chuckled.
"Honestly," Hope murmured, tilting his head and folding his arms over his chest, as he studied the table and seemed to contemplate his words for a moment. "If I ever met someone that I felt like I could really care for, I wouldn't want them to kill themselves because circumstances were preventing us from being together," he said, and glanced at Snow. "You have to agree that was pretty stupid... I mean, think about how everyone else would take it," he shook his head, and sighed. "Idiots," he uttered in quiet annoyance.
"Huh," Snow rested his chin on his fist as he studied Hope thoughtfully. "I figured you'd be a bit of a romantic in regards to Romeo & Juliet."
"No, I can't look at it as romantic," Hope frowned again. "I never could... it's probably my third time doing something on Romeo & Juliet for English."
"So you don't have to do an essay on Romeo & Juliet," said Snow. "Just have to perform it for an audience," he laughed as Hope wrinkled his nose. Reaching over, Snow fondly ruffled Hope's hair, "so who's playing who?"
"Hm?" Hope glanced up at him.
"Your leading lady, I guess?" Snow shrugged, allowing his hand to fall away.
"Oh... her name's Alyssa," Hope answered slowly, and blushed faintly in embarrassment. "She got so excited, it was a little awkward," he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably, "but she was probably just happy to get a lead role... maybe."
Snow was momentarily surprised, Hope must be pretty popular, he mused, and then he laughed weakly, "yeah maybe."
Slumping forward, Hope sighed as he rested his cheek in his hand, "anyways... I'm not really looking forward to it, because I seriously doubt I'd be a good Romeo."
"Why? You read Shakespeare really well," Snow told him, confused. "I still know people who read his plays like they're poems," he went on, and shook his head. "Two households. Both alike in dignity," he paused and looked at Hope, raising his eyebrow to indicate the obviously intentional halt he made. "In fair Verona. Where we lay our scene," he paused again. "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean," and to Snow's satisfaction, Hope laughed. "I hear it being read like that more times than I count, and--" Snow started to say.
"Keep going," Hope interrupted.
Snow blinked, "huh?"
"You know the prologue, and you sounded good," Hope explained, "keep going."
Embarrassed, Snow laughed weakly, "nah, I wasn't even saying it the proper way..."
"Excuses," rolling his eyes, Hope tugged at his sleeve, "come on, keep going."
"I don't remember--" Snow tried.
"Don't lie to me," said Hope, staring intently with his soft green eyes, of which resulted in Snow's chest tightening. With a quiet groan, Snow rubbed at the back of his head, but still hesitated. "You make me read out loud," Hope went on to point out.
Heaving a long weary sigh, Snow nodded, "alright, alright... so bossy," he mock-griped. And as he and Hope shared a smile, Snow felt that fluttering feeling in his chest, which he was easily getting used to. "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; whose misadventured piteous overthrows do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, and the continuance of their parents' rage, which, but their children's end, nought could remove, is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; the which if you with patient ears attend, what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend."
Hope was smiling, his eyes lit up with pleased satisfaction, "that's amazing."
Snow laughed, shifting uncomfortably as Hope's praise only caused his heart to pound a little harder, "what?"
"Saying it all so easily," Hope told him. "I hope I can do all the lines as well as you did."
"No worries, I know you will," Snow told him, and he had to swallow as Hope lowered his head almost bashfully.
"... thanks," he murmured, and looked up at Snow, "you can help me with my lines, right?"
Snow smiled, and reached over to lay his hand over Hope's hair, "I'll be happy to."
Hope smiled back, "thanks," he said again.
===
"Give me a torch," Hope read from his script as he and Snow made their way to the school's exit. "I am not for this ambling; being but heavy, I will bear the light."
Snow tugged Hope closer against his side in a playful gesture, "nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance," he said firmly. As strange as it seemed, while he and Hope practiced a scene, Snow felt lighter, despite the fact he was carrying his bag as well as Hope's backpack. And while Snow did feel a little odd to make the suggestion, Hope had only laughed, agreeing that it was only common sense that he kept both of his hands free in order to study his lines more effectively.
"Not I, believe me," Hope read. "You have dancing shoes with nimble soles: I have a soul of lead so stakes me to the ground I cannot move." Then he smiled up at Snow, "good one?" he asked, referring to Shakespeare's renowned clever wordplay.
Laughing, Snow pushed the door open for Hope, "good one," he confirmed, amused. He then flung his arm out in a grand gesture, speaking with flourish, "you are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings, and soar with them above a common bound."
"I am too sore enpierced with his shaft to soar with his light feathers," Hope responded, hanging his head in embellished misery. "And so bound, I cannot bound a pitch above dull woe: under love's heavy burden do I sink."
"And, to sink in it, should you burden love; too great oppression for a tender thing."
Hope looked up at Snow, gazing at him inquiringly, "is love a tender thing?" he asked. "It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn."
Laying his hand against Hope's hair again, Snow smiled, "if love be rough with you, be rough with love," he said. "Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down."
Hope tilted his head contemplatively, as he studied Snow for a moment. "I think I like Mercutio," he decided.
"He is an awesome character," Snow agreed.
"Well, yeah... there's that," Hope said slowly, and then he smiled. "But it might be because--"
Right then a car horn honked loudly. Surprised, both Snow and Hope turned to the source, spotting a sedan with a lovely woman sitting and waiting in the driver’s seat.
"She's a little earlier than usual," commented Hope, but he shrugged regardless and smiled up at Snow as he reached up to pull the strap of his backpack down off of Snow's shoulder. "Thanks, but I gotta go now," he told him as he swung his reacquired backpack over his shoulder, and then started down the school's steps, making his way to the car.
Curious, Snow accidentally-on-purpose trailed after Hope. "Who's that?" he asked.
"My mom," Hope answered, and gave pause before glancing over his shoulder, as his green eyes widening slightly in alarm. He hastily turned and started pushing at Snow--to very little avail--in a different direction. "Run, run now, before--" he started to blurt out.
"Hope, what have I said about being rude?" the woman said, and opened the door to climb out of the car.
Hope's head dropped forward in exaggerated weariness, and due to their nearness, Hope's head rested against Snow's chest briefly, before he whirled around with a sunny smile. "Mom, you're early," he stated brightly.
After the warmth of having Hope so close subsided, Snow suddenly felt incredibly nervous. Which was ridiculous. But then again, Snow was also utterly intimidated by Lightning, Serah's older sister. What was it about meeting the family?
"Oh my, he is a big one," the woman commented, her eyebrows lifting as she looked up at him.
"Mom," Hope chastised quietly, endearing in his self-consciousness.
"Uh, thank you?" Snow said slowly.
The woman laughed pleasantly at her son's evident embarrassment and Snow’s bewilderment. "You must be Hope's tutor," she said, smiling kindly as she held out her slender well-manicured hand. "I'm his mother, Nora."
With an almost audible gulp, Snow forced a smile and gingerly took the woman's hand in his own, giving it a quick shake. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs.--uh, Mrs. Estheim?" he shot a confused glance at Hope, which was when he felt significantly more calm as Hope gave him an apologetic smile.
“Calling me Nora is fine,” she said. “How are you?” she asked.
“Very well, thank you,” Snow responded, doing his best to avoid fidgeting. “And you?”
“I’m doing very well myself,” Nora laughed behind her hand, and then she smiled at Hope, “I like him.”
“Yeah, I knew you would,” Hope smiled faintly, “can we go now?”
Nora winked good-naturedly at Snow, before she gave Hope a wounded look, “why do you always assume I’m going to embarrass you?” she asked.
“You’re my mom,” Hope answered. “It’s what you do.”
“I don’t embarrass you,” Nora scoffed, and smiled brightly at Snow as she moved to open her purse. “Would you like to see his baby pictures?” she asked, excitedly.
Deciding he liked the woman, it was easy for Snow to play along and he grinned broadly, “I’d love to!” Then he and Nora laughed as Hope rolled his eyes.
“I’m getting in the car, mom,” Hope called. “Snow, see you later.”
“Aw, but what about the baby pictures?” Snow teased.
“She doesn’t carry them,” Hope replied plainly, sticking out his tongue at him before opening the passenger door and dropping into the car.
Nora smiled apologetically, “true, I leave them in our albums,” she told Snow. “I’m sorry, maybe I can show you some other time.”
“Some other time,” Snow agreed cheerfully.
“It was nice to finally meet you, Snow,” Nora told him, smiling kindly. “Hope talks about you often.”
It took effort, but Snow managed to push down the surprise of the heart-warming revelation that Hope spoke about him, often no less. “Uh, not bad things, hopefully,” Snow joked.
“Oh, not at all,” Nora laughed. “I appreciate all the help you’ve managed to give him.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Snow rushed to assure her. “He’s a good kid.”
And then Snow was hit with a sense of uneasiness as Nora’s smile seemed to falter. “Well, again, it was nice to meet you, Snow,” she said politely. “Have a good evening.”
“Uh, yes ma’am,” Snow responded carefully. “You too.”
As Nora turned to get in the car, Hope waved in farewell to which Snow waved back. And then they were driving off; and it was right then that Snow couldn’t quell the feeling that he may have done something stupid to anger Hope’s mother.
Not Done Yet ^^;
*headdesks* really, do not know why I'm rushing it... I blame you, Scamper *bats at undead bunny* you could be a little nicer to me, and help with the lack of focus and what not o.o;;; *gnaws Snow/Hope into some semblance of submission* nyah, if it comes down to it, I'll tweak it later, and work on the 5th part... yeah =3 *scurries*
... I love this song so much, I'mma listen to it again ^_____^