A/N: Dealing with a Rikku that is depressed makes the advancement of the story difficult, so I had to add this to help her feel better so I could move forward! Ah...the things we do for our characters...lol
Chapter 10:
HOME; one week later:
Paine stood against the housing's outer wall with three nails protruding from her mouth, one in her left hand and a hammer in her right as she continued putting the vinyl siding up against the wooden surface. With one final blow, the piece was held securely in place and Paine grinned to herself, pleased with her work as she spit out the other nails. Sunset was fast approaching and the warrior was ready to call it quits for the day.
Walking over to the other side of the house to meet up with Rikku, she noticed the girl still painting, but not with the same vigor she'd had before and she knew why. It had been a week since Baralai and Nooj left and Paine could tell Rikku missed having them, especially Baralai, around to help. Paine didn't ask her friend about what went on between the two of them while he was there, mostly because she knew she didn't want anyone bothering her with questions about her and Nooj. She figured if Rikku wanted to tell her anything she would have, but Paine guessed her missing him had to be the reason she didn't say anything.
"Hey up there!" Paine called out, catching Rikku's attention. "It's getting late. Wanna finish up and go get something to eat?" She watched as the blonde merely nodded and pushed the scaffolding button to take her down to Paine's level without a word. "Jeez…she must have it pretty bad." The warrior thought to herself. "It's not like her to be so quiet."
As Rikku headed downward, she could tell by the look on Paine's face that she was worried about something, and she guessed it had to do with her recent melancholy mood. A thought occurred to her to simply play it cool, like everything was all right but even Rikku knew she didn't have the energy needed to pull that off. Sighing to herself and rolling her eyes, she stepped off of the scaffolding, took off her smock, and threw the paint brushes in a bucket of dirty paint water.
"So what'cha wanna eat?" Rikku asked Paine as they began to head back to the Travel Agency. "I think I could just go for a salad or something…not really too hungry here." She didn't make eye contact with the woman, instead holding her gaze down to the ground.
"I think we're gonna need something extra tonight." Paine said, placing a hand to Rikku's shoulder, causing her to stop in her tracks. "You and I have to have a little chat." She could feel the younger woman tense up in her grasp, and she continued to stare at the sand beneath their feet. "What do you say, Rikku? You up for it?"
"Sure." Was the limp reply, and as the two approached the front desk of the Agency, Rikku asked the girl behind the counter if there were any messages for her.
"Nope. Sorry!" The girl said, busily filling out forms in front of her.
Although it seemed physically impossible, Paine swore she saw Rikku's posture sink a little lower in disappointment with those two measly words and sighed. Paine had come to the conclusion that Rikku only worked on two emotions: Either overly happy or devastatingly depressed, and there was no sight of overly happy to be found among the girl at all.
"C'mon, Rikku. It's only been a week! You'll see him again soon I'm sure." She knew anything she said to Rikku at this point was not having any affect, and she groaned in frustration, putting her hands up. "I give up. I'm gonna take a shower and change. If you want to come out with me then be ready in an hour, Ok? If not I'll know you're in your room moping like a sad sack." Paine didn't wait for her to respond, entering her room and closing the door behind her.
Rikku stood in the middle of the lobby, surprised at Paine's actions. "We can't all be cool as cucumbers like you, Dr. P" she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm doing the best I can here…"
~X~
An hour or so later, Paine was surprised to see Rikku at her door, dressed in her thief gear. "So you're really going to come out?" She asked hopefully, smiling at her friend.
"Yep. Said I was gonna, didn't I? You're the one that left all huffy!" Rikku retorted, pulling Paine out of her room. "Let's go! Where did you say you wanted to grub because I am suddenly hungry!"
Paine didn't question Rikku's little burst of energy because she felt that maybe the thief was trying a bit too hard and she didn't want her to think she wasn't convincing. Instead she closed her door shut and the two headed back into an already developed town west from where they were reconstructing to a bar and grill tucked in between two dune barriers.
"This is the place!" Paine said enthusiastically, seating herself at the side of the bar. "Lager for me, please…a bottle!" The warrior placed some Gil onto the counter as the man placed a bottle in front of her, popping off the cap. "What are you going to have, Rikku? I'm buying this round!"
"A Bikanel Bay Breeze." She replied, hoisting herself up onto the bar stool next to Paine. "And can I have some of those twisty fries too please with a side of gravy?" As the bartender placed the drink down in front of her she gulped half of it down, wiping her lips off when she was finished. "That hit the spot...so what did you want to talk to me about?" Rikku asked, tracing the top of the glass with her index finger.
"So what's the deal between you and 'Lai?" Paine cut right to the chase; she never had patience for dallying. Rikku stared at her wide-eyed for a few moments, silently contemplating the question before slamming down the rest of her drink and ordered another.
"Make it double this time!" She called to the bartender before turning her attention back to Paine, her once vibrant green eyes seemed dull and lifeless. Moss growing along the Moon flow had better hues of green than they did at that moment. Rikku gulped, looking around the bar awkwardly.
"Well?"
"Okay Okay!" She said, throwing her hands upward. "He and I well…we…" Rikku gave Paine that look that screamed for her to fill in the blanks herself. Paine contemplated making her spell it out, but knowing the state she seemed to be in, the warrior just nodded.
"I see. That explains a lot. I knew you two had gotten close, but I didn't think you'd gotten that close!"
"He wants me to write him."
"So have you yet?" Paine asked, digging into the hot basket of fries the bartender set down along with Rikku's drink.
"I tried!" Rikku exclaimed, grabbing the glass from the man before he could set it down, drinking it hurriedly. "But every time I start, I go blank! I can't think of nothin' to say. I can't just say "Oh hi hot stuff, remember me?""
"Why not?"
Rikku nearly spit her drink into Paine's face in surprise. "What?! Are you serious?"
"He's not nearly as stuffed up as he seems, Rikku." Paine pointed out, laughing a little behind her beer. "Remember I hung around him for quite a while, and I can confidently say he's a real laid back kind of guy most of the time."
"Yeah?" Rikku asked surprised, a smile crept up on her lips; the first one in a long time. "I had so much fun with him here..." She grabbed a handful of fries, shoving them into her mouth with reckless abandon. "…I really miss him."
"I'm sure he's missing you too." Paine tried being supportive; a sad Rikku was not a Rikku she liked being around. "He wouldn't have asked you to write to him if he didn't. Baralai doesn't play games when it comes to emotional matters."
"So whaddya think I should do then, Dr. P?"
"First off, don't call me Dr. P." She winked, hopping off of the bar stool. "Second, we're going to go back to the Travel Agency and you're going to write him, telling him you miss him. Just be honest, Rikku."
"Okay." Rikku paid the bartender and left her stool as well, following Paine out the door and down the sandy path that led back to the Travel Agency. As they walked past the front desk, the receptionist from before flagged Rikku down.
"Hey!" She called, waving at the thief frantically.
"Yeah?" Rikku called over her shoulder. "Is there a problem?"
"Oh no! Just that you got this letter after you left. It looks important- from the Praetor of New Yevon it seems!" The girl waved an envelope in the air, catching Rikku's attention and she perked up much to Paine's pleasure.
"Really? Oh my gosh! Paine! He wrote me…" Rikku held the envelope between her two hands, eyeing it with wonder and a huge smile across her face. "I wonder what it says."
"Well open it, you dummy!" Paine laughed, slapping the girl on the shoulder and Rikku did what she was told, ripping it open quickly. As she read its contents, tears formed in her eyes and she sighed, looking up at Paine.
"Uh oh" The warrior said, suddenly worried about the change in Rikku's demeanor. By the look on her face it didn't seem like the letter was anything good at all, so she tried to cover for him. "Rikku…he…"
"…loves me." Rikku squeaked out, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as the smile spread wider from ear to ear. "He just wanted to let me know that."
Paine exhaled in relief. "Thank Yevon. I was afraid it was bad news. You almost gave me a heart attack! Now do you see? That wasn't too hard, was it?"
Rikku shook her head, folding the letter neatly and placing it back in its envelope. "I'm gonna write him right now!" Finally she started showing a little more enthusiasm and the Rikku that Paine knew well seemed to be coming back to her. As she headed for her bedroom door, Rikku turned back to Paine, still smiling.
"Thanks…for being there for me, Paine." She said sincerely as she turned the knob with her right hand. "And I'm sorry for being such a sad sack. I'm gonna be all right."
"It's "Dr. P" to you. And what can I say?" Paine shrugged, heading in the opposite direction. "It turns out that I can't stand to see you anything other than overly happy. Good night, Rikku."
Rikku entered her room, sat in front of her desk, and with pen in hand started writing Baralai the letter she'd been trying to write him since he left, eventually falling asleep with her head resting on the finished paper.
~X~
Approximately three days later, Baralai received a four page letter from Rikku not only telling him she missed and loved him too, but she covered every random, mundane detail of what she and Paine did during the whole week after he left. He sat in his study by the fire with a glass of Crudvena Netka from the bottle she had sent along with the letter, which contained a three paragraph side-story telling him about how she remembered that he loved the 'Spitfire Ridge' while he was there.
Baralai took his time reading the letter, envisioning her sitting next to him as she told him the stories within it, wishing she were actually there, but happy to have gotten a reply just the same. Once he was sure he remembered just about every detail of it, Baralai went over to his desk and started writing as well, and by the time he was finished he looked up at his clock surprised to find that he had not slept and needed to get going back to the temple.