Title: Passive
Author: NotebookPaper
Rating: T
Pairing: VivixEiko
Notes: Started a long time ago and finished recently after finishing Guardian1's Go Not Gently, my most favorite and loved fan fiction by far, for the fourth complete time. Please realize that I love her interpretation of Eiko better than my own, but I modeled Eiko based off the imperious, bossy six-year-old we all know.
Fixed! Leave it to me to forget that the wavy dash thingy isn't accepted on this site. Aw. I think I lost potential revieweres. ;-;
Disclaimer: I do not own Vivi or Eiko nor Final Fantasy IX in general. If I did, there would be three, possibly four more sets of Play Arts.
Her purple hair fell over the shadow of his face, and for the first time he didn't flinch at the feeling of the feathery light strands. They weren't so light for long, however, because when her mouth crushed over his more than hair pressed against his sensitive skin.
Since he loved it, he pulled her closer.
"E-Eiko?"
"What is it, Vivi?" The tiny summoner's tone was as flippant as he'd ever heard it in the months he'd known her.
"U-umm… Your bow. You l-left it in your r-room."
"What?" she turned around and suddenly seemed to realize her hair was getting in her face. She blinked at the ends of the purple strands, and then glared accusingly at Vivi. "What were you doing in my room? A boy should NOT enter a lady's room!"
He relinquished the yellow bow and stumbled back a bit, gently fixing his hat when he recovered. Actually, a servant had found the ribbon and gave it to him to give back, since only friends of the Queen could speak to friends of the Queen. He easily accepted that it wasn't really the rule when the one the servant was talking to was Vivi.
Eiko didn't seem to care about such proclivities now. Her delicate but calloused hand moved up over his cheek and her fingers curved to rake her nails through the hair that was usually hidden by the brim of his hat. Vivi could feel his entire long, gangly frame shiver when those nails moved down his neck and her arms hooked over his shoulders to pull her body further up his own. She had already been close, but the movement, the way she arched into him, elicited an almost strangled sounding "a-aahhh" from his throat.
His sumptuous, fifteen-year-old Eiko giggled.
A nine-year old Eiko giggled as she called for him to come down the stairs. It was originally the plan to surprise Dagger and Zidane when they made it into the kitchen of Madain Sari, but she decided the surprise would be even bigger if Zidane had to search for them for them just a little longer before she finally jumped out and tackled him a good one.
"C'mon, Vivi!"
"C-coming, Eiko."
He tripped down the stairs, and she giggled again as she helped him up from the dusty stone, too joyous to care about the inconvenience.
"Hit something good, Vivi?" She asked in her endearingly imperious tone.
"A-always, Eiko." And he wasn't stuttering out of the usual nervousness, for she was bearing even closer to him, making red-hued passion spread over his pale cheeks. As if she wished to see her handiwork, she flicked his hat off his head, grinning smugly down at him as the thick black mist around his face dispersed.
"Then let's look for something that's great."
Being a princess hadn't softened her a bit.
"Vivi! I can't believe you just tripped in front of all these people here to see ME!" She was still helping him up, but doing it in such a way that made all those that hadn't seen his tumble turn their gazes to find the cause for commotion. "Ugghhh, you're such a klutz!" She turned pointedly away from him, but didn't flee the scene of her own inauguration into the Lindblum Royal Family.
Puck approached him from behind, smacking a clawed hand to his shoulder, almost staggering him as he lead him in another direction (It was one of the few times the Burmacian Prince didn't bump into, or knock him down in greeting.).
He later asked, "I know it's her big day and all, but how the heck can you let her step all over you like that?"
Vivi straightened his unusually prim and pointy hat.
"B-because," was his only reply, and the stutter wasn't an abnormal one.
Vivi wouldn't have it any other way.
He worked his fingers out of his gloves as she worked hers through his coat. Goosebumps bristled over his still awkward body under her touch, but when his fingers were free of their bounds he didn't lose a beat before one hand delved into her hair. The other deftly worked its way under the back of the crossed top she wore whenever she came to…here.
'…W-where is here again?'
The Black Mage of Alexandria had been called to Burmecia as an honored guest of the Prince on his Seventeenth Birthday.
The Princess of Lindblum had been a lovely sight to see having come in the attire of a Cleyran dancer to show the Prince her honor of the their late allies (It had been a secret ploy of her mother's for possible courtship, but all knew Prince Puck was not going to be bound to a human, or even a Summoner. Eiko was probably fine with that, even though the King of Alexandria was nowhere in sight.). Vivi had been especially happy to see that the pale pink of the original attire had given way to the same hue of…lightish red?…something she had worn ages ago, it seemed.
"Y-you look great."
"Beautiful, you mean?"
"G-gorgeous…" But she was already mingling with other people. This time, though, he was determined to tell her later.
"Thank Madeen Puck got us all bunked closer together this time," Eiko breathed when Vivi pulled the right string to loosen the crossed top.
'Burmecia… Puck's m-marriage announcement is the day after tomorrow.' Vivi found it odd that he could so easily focus on the little details when Eiko's heavy breath was right next to his neck. They'd made it far before, but not like this. Not in his room, not lying down…
"E-Eiko…"
"Hush, Vivi! They'll hear your stuttering!"
"H-hey, y-you're talking l-louder than-" She shut him up with a kiss and pinned his taller body against the cold hard wall. His hands were creeping over her a few moments later, shaky but astute -they'd learned to be where she was concerned- and suddenly eager. She was pressing into him, more daring than she'd ever been, and with a play going on just down the stone hall…
"Ahh-shha-whoa…!"
He winced at the sound of the embarrassingly strangled noise that escaped from his throat, and mentally kicked himself when Eiko backed off of him.
"Geez, Vivi, you ruin everything…"
When she left him, against a wall, unsatisfied and experiencing serious arousal for the first time (Maybe), he could swear that her cheeks were bright with more than just her own arousal; perhaps more embarrassment than outrage. It was a first.
"Vivi!" She whispered suddenly, and he realized she'd been calling him while he was running his big hands over her back.
"S-sorry?"
"Did you hear something?"
He waited and listened and only the sound of drops against the window met his ears.
"O-only the rain, E-Eiko."
"Don't be stupid, I swear I heard something…" She sat up, holding the fabric tight to her chest even though there was no easy way to quickly tie it back behind her. If anyone were coming all of her decency would be lost, and so he suddenly felt guilty for being so quick to undo her meager top.
"E-Eiko." She was still staring at his door. "Eiko, I'm sorry I-"
"Shh. You can't tell me this scrap wasn't asking for it." She turned and grinned wickedly at him, shifting her hips in such a way that she only seemed to sink further into him. He gulped audibly when she tensed her thighs and sat a little straighter, forcing him back on his elbows with the pure weight of her gaze. "You can't tell me I wasn't."
Her arms slid over her chest and soon it was her hands instead of forearms that were holding up the pinkish cloth. And then…
She was pouting accusingly at him and glaring. Her arms were crossed. Tightly.
"So what are you expecting from me after that? It's late. I have to help prepare for the wedding announcement tomorrow. Just what are you expecting?"
Vivi had never meant to appear expectant. He didn't actually know what to expect, but somehow Eiko was making it easier for him. Things were easy when she was mad and imperious, because that meant matters were pretty well normal.
"Nothing. I just figured it was best to tell you before the announcement, so you didn't think it was spur-of-the-moment." She seemed to become enraged for a second. Perhaps it was because he'd just uttered a second successive, coherent sentence. One that was free of stuttering despite her attempts at intimidation. "I mean it, I promise, and I don't expect anything." There was a third, but she was simmering now.
She was still angry, and sighed heavily, looking away from him like he was hopeless.
"You don't even know what that is, Vivi. How could I believe you?"
"I think I know more about love than you've learned from books and s-stories." Drat; he'd broken his streak, and suddenly he was blushing under the mist around his face. He clasped his hands, wringing his fingers out of habit. "Y-you've felt it b-before too. I-I'm not sorry I don't fit the mold. I'm j-just me. And as I exist, I love you."
"Well, that's melodramatic." Her tone was raised, her arms crossing dangerously tighter, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the fact that he had turned and started to walk away.
"I thought you liked that." He mentioned as he looked over his shoulder, lantern-lit eyes blinking, and somehow not as wide as normal. He continued to take his leave before as her arms dropped.
Her arms dropped. He had not been expectant during that conversation an hour ago, and now he realized he'd never even considered the possibility of this.
Eiko, of course, was gorgeous. He never knew he could think anything other than that, and now he knew he never could. Her body was petite and filled out, so contrasting to his lanky form, and when he touched her she was deliciously soft, her firm, healthy flesh barely resisting his pushing palms and fingers. The life of a princess had allowed her to be soft in body, but her own steely personality had ensured she never became anything close to fat. She still practiced her white magic in hospitals, and even her summoning to back up the troops ((Because the inclination to battle was something that couldn't be taken from any of them, and Eiko loved her summons dearly.)) who protected their borders from the natural monsters of the wilderness, at least in case of an emergency.
After deciding Vivi had spent enough time touching her, Eiko lowered herself over him and he was thrilled by the feel of her lips on his once again. There was no doubt in his mind of who was in charge, and he was okay with it.
That night, Eiko punished him for speaking clearly to her, teasing him for confessing his love before she thought it proper. After his punishment was over, lasting a whole five minutes, she allowed him to move over her, crush his clumsy Black Mage lips over hers, and make her call for him, though she stopped him before they could get in over their heads. It was not proper for a sophisticated lady to lay with a man before receiving the Blessing, she reminded him. Vivi responded, "B-but I wasn't g-gonna…" and Eiko hushed him with a kiss.
"It's okay, Vivi. I know you wouldn't consciously make such a mistake. I was feeling pretty heady too, you know." Her voice had been shaky, but he didn't point that out.
They laid together for a long time, and were significantly tired during breakfast the next morning when Puck made his announcement. It didn't matter, though. No one noticed, or would have minded, unless they were Hilda Fabool for mere public appearance.
Eiko had allowed him to hold her, to tower over her in his bed while she rested against his frame, no need for the pillows that supported him. He listened as she recounted his "mistakes" in courtship, her tone at times indignant, but fond. When she started to get really tired, she complimented his hands on her shoulder and waist, his eyes, his shoulders, his voice…
And when she decided it was prudent to leave, she told him, forcefully so that he would not forget, that she loved him too.
