Calms And Storms

By Rodare

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I'm a poor student with lots of dreams but none that I own like Tidus SIGH Why can't he be mine? WHY? Anywho, I don't own anything I'm just borrowing them from Square Enix…

I think I'm on an imaginative role or something…LOL… I will keep updating my other fics but I had this urge to write when I was at the Uni last afternoon soo…here it is…don't know where it's going yet though…R&R

Summary: YxT, RxG, PxB parings….Lets see where it takes us…it takes place a couple of weeks after the perfect ending…Tidus and Yuna are not married …yet…Paine and Baralai are working on it…lol…Rikku just went to the Machine Faction as representative of Cid... Hey read and find out.
I took the steps one at a time ignoring the looks I was receiving as I made my way through the temple. I felt the metallic taste of blood as I finally ruptured the delicate skin of my lip. Damn! Why did I always have to bite my stupid lip when I was nervous?

"Lady Rikku?" Nadhla said appearing out of nowhere in front of me. I looked up at her confused. She looked at me like she had just seen me for the first time leaning her face a little to close to mine. "Are you alright?"

"What...I mean …yeah," I said avoiding her eyes. Wasn't she in Bikanel?

"Rikster!" someone called from behind me and I turned away from Nadhla's questioning gaze. Tidus was running up to me with Yuna, Paine, and Baralai behind him. " Hold up!"

"Hey guys!" I said running up to them quickly. I managed to place a false perky smile in my face. Tidus hugged me tightly and I giggled a bit. He set me down and I kissed his cheek as he held me in his arms. "Yunie is gonna get jealous, Ti."

"For hugging my little sis?" he asked with a grin. By Shiva how had I missed them. He let go of me as Yuna pushed him aside play fully to hug me too.

"Hiya Yunie," I said giving in to my cousin's embrace fully. I had missed her nearness especially in these last few days. I held her tighter and she must have felt it because she pulled a bit back to look at me as she kept me in her arms.

"Hi," she said and gently brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes as she looked at me with a concerned look. Why did she have to be so damned perceptive. Cred! "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I whispered matching her tone so that the conversation wouldn't get past us. She raised my chin gently locking her bicolor eyes with mine preventing me from looking away. "It's …"

"Now, I'm the one whose gonna be jealous," Tidus said loudly faking an angry tone. Yuna made sure I understood that the conversation was not over with her eyes. I nodded and managed to laugh at Tidus at the same time. Yuna turned to face him as she held her arm over my shoulders. She grinned and raised her eyebrow slightly in a coyly fashion. The Blitzer leaned in instantly and kissed her as he pulled her away from me.

"You meanie," I complained crossing my arms. He grinned against her lips and I rolled my eyes turning to the other two. I hugged Baralai who blushed instantly and glanced at Paine. "Awww…You are so cute! Too bad you like bad girls."

"If he did you would be his first pick, Rikku," Paine said coolly. "That's your department."

"Hey!" I said trying to figure out if it was an insult or a compliment. I shrugged and let go of the blushing Praetor. I turned to look at her with a wicked look in my eye as she raised her eyebrow gently. She narrowed her eyes and I jumped at her hugging her tightly. She froze and then tried to pull back.

"Rikku!" She growled and I could hear the others laughing behind us. "GET OFF!"

"Hug me back and tell me you missed me," I whispered in her ear. "Or I'll tell Baralai about that day you got drunk and started babbling all those little secrets about how he is in …"

"I really missed you, Rikku," she said quickly wrapping her arms around me. She hugged me a little tighter than necessary almost breaking my bones.

"Hey! How come I didn't get a hug?" Yuna asked sounding just like me. I grinned as I let go of Paine who shrugged and crossed her arms. "And, I saw you first."

"You never asked," Paine explained calmly. Yuna looked pretty funny as she glanced from me to Paine.

"Well, I want one too," Yuna said and Paine rolled her eyes. Surprisingly she moved and hugged Yuna tenderly. "Thanks."

"Hey!" I said outraged. "How come I had to black mail you for it? It's not fair! Yunie only had t ask!"

"You know as much as this is amusing to all of the ones involved we didn't come here to get you girls all freaky," Tidus said jokingly but only he and Baralai saw the humor in it. I stuck my tongue out at him, Yuna punched him gently and Paine sent him a look that if looks could kill he would be in the Farplane faster than you could say 'Blitz off!'

"Anywho, why are you guys here?" I asked breaking the silence. Yuna smiled at Tidus and Baralai nodded.

"Well, why don't we go find Gippal first?" Baralai put in. I froze and my smile disappeared. I felt Paine's and Yuna's questioning gaze instantly. I ignored them as I nervously grabbed the edge of my scarf. Big mistake, Rikster.

"What's up with you?" Paine asked and Yunie frowned. "Why are you so nervous?"

"I'm not nervous," I said quickly, too quickly. I saw my extremely perceptive cousin get that concerned look in her beautiful face again. I forced a grin and giggled. "I was just thinking where to put you guys."

"Put us?" Yunie asked and I was happy to see her concerned look replaced with confusion. I feigned innocence and turned my head slightly to the side.

"Well, aren't you guys staying here tonight?" I asked.

"Actually, we might be staying a bit longer than that," Yunie said with a smile. I laughed and jumped up and down excitedly. Yunie and Tidus laughed too. Paine just shook her head with a hint of a smile. Baralai smiled politely which made me grin more.

"That's great!" I said. "Come on let's get you guys on first class suites! We'll kick someone out if we have to."

"Rikku!" Yunie said and I shrugged with a wink.

"Doesn't Gippal have to approve the rooms first?" Baralai asked.

"I am Cid's daughter, you know?" I answered throwing my nose in the air and faking a snobbish tone. Tidus laughed. "The Faction is partially owned by my Pops. Everything that belongs to my Pop is mine, too. So come on. Besides I'm Gippal's …"

"You're Gippal's what?" Paine asked with a wicked glint in her ruby colored eyes.

"Princess Rikku!" someone called and I turned to see a young Al-Bhed running up to us. I recognized him as Axel, Gippal's main mechanic.

"Axel," I said as he stopped in his tracks finally spotting my friends. He froze and he couldn't tear his eyes from Yuna and Paine who stood to my sides. I grinned, noticing his instant appreciation to my beautiful friends. "Axel! Hello! You can stop staring now."

"I…," he said blushing as he realized he had been staring a little too hard. He dragged his gaze to me as Tidus wrapped a possessive arm around my cousin and sent Axel a glare.

"Well, everyone, now that he has stopped staring," I said with a laugh making him blush harder. "This is Axel, main mechanic. Axel, these are my friends. Paine and Praetor Baralai. Yunie and her boyfriend Tidus. Who by the way is also my best friend."

"I know who they all are of course," Axel said quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude. Its just that…don't take this the wrong way."

"Of course not," I said as he added quickly.

"Thing is that you three make quite a picture together," he finished glancing at me, Paine and Yuna again. This time even Baralai shifted tensely and Tidus gritted his teeth. "You girls are just beautiful."

"Thank you," Yuna said politely with a slight blush.

"Whatever," Paine said crossing her arms dismissively.

"Ahhh… that means she liked your compliment too," I put in as to not look rude. "Thank you. It's nice to hear it from unbiased resources, right girls?"

"Can we hurry this up, Riks?" Tidus cut me off before they could answer. "I'm hungry."

"Right," I said with a smirk. He glared at me and I stuck my tongue out at him. Before he could reciprocate Yunie put a hand over his mouth and kissed his cheek softly. Smart move, Yunie, I thought. She had with that small show of affection erased all of Tidus' worries. "You needed something Axel?"

"Oh, right," he said turning to me again. "Gippal said to tell you to please find Nhadla a room for the night. She came to drop off some stuff from Bikanel and she's gonna spend the night."

"Why doesn't he find it himself?" I asked. I wasn't his maid or anything of the such.

"He said to tell you in case you asked," Axel replied with a smile. "That he would take you out to visit your cousin if you did him the favor. Guess, it's too late now, huh?"

"He said that?" I asked. He nodded and I grinned. "Its fine, I guess."

"Okay," Axel said. "It was a pleasure meeting all of you."

"Same here," Tidus said sounding everything but pleased before we could answer. Good thing Axel wasn't so bright and grinned as he left.

"What the heck was that?" I asked punching Tidus' arm after Axel left.

"Hey!" Tidus said glaring as Yuna looked questioningly at him too. He glared at me and turned to Yuna too. "What? He was hitting on you guys. He was ready to drool at your feet."

"No he wasn't," Yunie said rolling her eyes. "He was just being polite."

"You really have never seen your self in a mirror, huh, Yunie?" I asked my cousin as Tidus looked at her like she was crazy. Yunie blushed and I grinned. I turned to Tidus again. "Still why can't you behave like Baralai?"

"'Cause I'm not Lai," he said as if it was obvious. I guess, it was, huh? Damn.

"You're just jealous Yunie can have men drooling at her feet without even knowing," I said pushing my luck. He narrowed his eyes and I saw Yuna blush more behind him not knowing whether to intervene or not. "Chauvinist!"

"Chocobo head!" he snapped with an evil smirk.

"You're one to talk!" I smirked back.

"Tidus," Yunie said making him turn to her. She walked up to him with a smile playing on her lips as she grabbed his face gently. "Did you get jealous, baby?"

"No," he said using his height as an advantage to avoid her eyes.

She grinned pressing her hands gently against his chest. She stood on her toes to nuzzle his chin while I made gagging motions behind her back while I stared at him. He glared at me but I could see Yunie's influence getting to him. His clear blue eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You sure?" Yunie asked and he sighed.

"Maybe," he answered.

"Wuss," I muttered and he glared at me.

"Why?" Yunie asked. "I love you, you know?"

"I know. I'm sorry," he said. "I just…I'm sorr…"

"Shh," Yunie said kissing him lightly on his lips. He grinned like crazy as she pulled back and I laughed mockingly. Yuna turned to me with a strangely mischievous look in her eyes as she held Tidus. "So, Rikku, about those rooms and …"

"Yunie !" I said with a scolding tone and a gasp. "Can't you two wait till tonight? We so did not want to know you two were in such a hurry to…"

"RIKKU!" Tidus, Paine, and Yuna said loudly making me jump. Tidus and Yuna were blushing furiously and Paine was glaring a bit.

"What I say?" I asked innocently.

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