One Step at a Time
Chapter One: The Past is Past
Summary: Everyone's lives are falling into place. Yuna has Tidus. Paine has Baralai. Hell, Brother's even got a girl. So, why can't Rikku get what she wants? RXG
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"You know," Rikku muttered, tinkering with a small machina, "We haven't been on an adventure for…" She thought about it a moment, scratching her head. "Since we defeated Vegnagun!" The curtains of the small hut fluttered in the wind, letting in a peek of sun. "Seven years, Yunie!" Yuna's face contorted in frustration. She gently rocked the cradle next to her, and brushed a drip of sweat from her forehead.
"I have a family now, Rikku. I can't just go gallivanting about whenever I please. I've got Micah now," she explained, motioning towards the cradle. "And Tidus…" Her eyes glazed over, and she stared off into space.
"Yunie! Earth to Yunie!" Rikku shook her hands in front of her cousin's faraway, euphoric face. "Jeeze, he's been back for seven years, and you still get all mushy about him." She continued working on the tiny machina, finally tapping a button, sending it marching out of the hut. "The E-279's all fixed up, be sure to tell Tidus when he gets back." Rikku kissed the forehead of Micah's sleeping form and exited the hut, waving at Yuna as she went.
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She couldn't help but be disappointed. That had been her last ditch effort in coaxing Yuna out of the homemaker shell she'd retreated into. Ever since Tidus had returned, Yuna had been solely focused on raising a family. She seemed happy with it, but she didn't seem like the old Yunie.
Rikku silently cursed herself. She hated to say it, but she loved the Yunie that had evolved after Tidus had disappeared. Summoner Yuna had been hidden, and protected her feelings. Sphere hunter Yuna had been outgoing, and, just all around fun. Homemaker Yuna was even worse than Summoner Yuna.
There was one more person she had to talk to before she gave up.
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"PAINE?!" Rikku slammed her fist against the wooden door, trying to peek through the glass. The bright lights of Bevelle masked that it was nearly nightfall. Something stirred behind the glass, and the door gave way, sending Rikku toppling to the floor. "Owie!"
"Rikku?" She glanced up at the oh-so-not-Paine's voice, and her face drooped.
"Baralai?" The lights in the room off the left of the main hallway were on, and a few voices were echoing into the entryway. "Um, is Paine here…?" She'd only been to Paine's apartment once, when she'd first moved in, seven years back. "I needed to talk to her."
"We're having a dinner party right now, but you're welcome to join us," he helped her up, and started leading her into the lit room. Pictures adorned the walls. Quite a few were from Paine's sphere hunting days. Paine, Rikku, and Yuna's smiling faces beamed down at her. As she got further down the hallway, the pictures slowly changed to pictures of Paine and Baralai, solely. "I don't know if you've heard, but we're getting married next month…"
Rikku had heard. She'd heard from Yuna when her pristine white invitation had come in the mail. They'd laughed like giddy schoolgirls, and Rikku had gone home to await her own invitation. She'd kept making excuses. Maybe Paine had forgotten to send hers? It'd gotten held up in the mail? After two months, she had to admit that she wasn't meant to get one.
"Uh, yeah, Yunie told me," Rikku mumbled, slightly bitter.
"We're having an engagement dinner with a few friends," He explained, obviously nervous. As the room came into view, Rikku took in the occupants of the table. Paine was sitting at the far end of the table, LeBlanc and Nooj occupied one of the longer sides, across from them were Yuna and Tidus, and an empty chair sat across from Paine, obviously Baralai's seat.
"Rikku! I thought you went home for the night," Yuna mumbled, blushing into her plate. Everyone at the table looked slightly ashamed of themselves, except Tidus, who was happily munching away at his food. He obviously didn't feel the tension in the room. "Uh, this is a bit awkward."
"Sit down," Paine chimed in from the opposite end of the table. She pulled a chair up next to herself, and motioned for Baralai to sit next to her. Rikku stared blankly at Baralai's old seat, and shook her head, sending her braid's flying.
"That's okay. I'm obviously-" She paused, trying to hold back tears that were threatening to fall. "Not wanted. You guys could've just told me." A rare look stood on Paine's face. Guilt, mixed with sadness.
"It's not that we didn't want you here. It's just..." She stopped, trying to find the right words. She looked at each of the people at the table, then back at Rikku. "It's just that, you're the only one of us that hasn't moved on. We've all found our place," at this point, Paine covered Baralai's hand with her own. "You're still chasing the past. You still want us to be YRP, sphere hunters extraordinaire. We don't want that anymore."
Rikku took one last look over the table. Baralai, Nooj, and LeBlanc looked extremely uncomfortable and out of place, Yuna and Paine looked ashamed, and Tidus was stillcompletely oblivious.
"You just had to tell me," Rikku mumbled. "You just had to tell me I wasn't wanted." Quickly, she turned on her heel, and marched towards the door, leaving it wide open behind her.