Author's Note: About bloody time, eh? I'm sure anyone who has actually
taken an interest in my little story thought I wasn't going to finish!
Gomen, minna-san! I have been moving, which allowed little time for
writing, and I'll admit my inspiration had been waning since the removal
of NC-17 stories from this site. I had to change the rating... which I may
eventually do again depending on where I take it, and I'm going to have to
greatly modify my original plan of including some lemon, but I will upload
the complete and uncut version elsewhere, hopefully. When that's done, I'll
post the URL for anyone that would like to read it that way. Anyway, enough
with my rambling! Here's the moment you've all been waiting for... or
something. Watch out for a slight bit of sexual innuendo towards the end,
and a brief part in the middle that I have added back in since I first
posted this. You've been warned.
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GUARDIAN ANGEL - Chapter Two: Desire?
As Lulu ducked into the dim solitude that was her humble abode, she let out a deep breath which she had no idea she had been holding until that point. Holding up her wrist to the sliver of light that the open doorway let in, she examined Wakka's marks on her flesh. They were still there. The man certainly had a powerful grip... but they were fading already. (...Why did he do that?) She crossed the room quietly, the only sound to be heard coming from the small jingle emanating from the buckles of the various belts that decorated the front of her gown. She lowered her petite form into the old wooden chair which sat in front of her dressing table, suddenly feeling rather unsteady on her feet. Arms falling limp to her sides, fingers automatically let go of the boots and stockings she still held, letting them fall forgotten onto the floor.
There was no use trying to figure out what was going on inside that man's head... she was having enough trouble figuring out what was going on inside her own head. Leaning forward, she allowed her forehead to rest on the edge of the table. She felt so odd right now.... the mage felt as immobile as one of her dolls right now, looking for it's puppetmaster so it could live. As if on cue, she felt a soft nudging at her foot. Looking down, her hard expression softened a little as she found her Cactuar plushie attempting to climb the grid-like terrain that the leather straps on her skirt presented. Lulu seemed as though she expected as much, as her dolls sprang to life with a mere thought from the black mage. Scooping the green doll into her arms, she settled back into her seat, stroking the pseudo-needles that adorned the top of it's head absent-mindedly. She did this often when she got lost in her thoughts, and lost she was, tumbling the whole mess around inside her mind.
Thoughts of past, present, and future all visited her briefly in her meditative state... she couldn't stop them if she tried. She thought about what she had discussed with Wakka... their happy childhood growing up together. Days spent growing up with the two brothers and Yuna... those had made her so happy. So happy... she was able to forget how much she missed her parents. The mage found herself staring into her looking glass... she looked so very much now like how she remembered her mother when Sin came and took her and her father away.
Then Lulu's thoughts turned to today's events... why had she fled during the conversation? What was it that was making her so uneasy around Wakka? Palm was brought to her head to massage her temple with a single fingertip, as though the action would help her focus on deciphering her own odd behavior. When the mage tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, all her thoughts were lost... in her mind, all she could see was Wakka smiling at her like he always did. That irresistable, little boy smile... the one that always managed to cheer her up in the foulest of moods, even though she never showed it... the one that made her feel warm inside. (That must be it...)
Lulu didn't like emotions that she couldn't identify. This one topped them all as an enigma to the mage, and she expressed her distaste for it with a small sigh. If she couldn't identify it, she couldn't suppress it with all the rest. This was what she was afraid of... whatever it was. This warmth... it was making her uneasy around her lifelong friend, yet she couldn't even begin to imagine why. Same old calculating Lulu. Like a machine, she efficiently locked away any feeling that might pose a threat to her strong character. No weakness was allowed to sneak past the iron defenses of her will. Weakness meant risk to Yuna. Weakness meant risk to her already broken heart. This was no different. She must shove it away. Otherwise... how would it affect her attitude towards Wakka? She was already acting oddly.
The discussion with Wakka... had left an imprint on her mind for the moment. This strange feeling coming over her... it felt so familiar... it reminded her of Chappu. Yet Chappu had nothing to do with it, she knew. (Chappu..). The man she'd never be able to see again, speak to again, or hold in her arms again... (...What am I doing?) The mage shook her head as though clearing it, immediately dismissing those nostalgic thoughts. What good would they do her now? With a groan, she realized she was behaving more like Wakka than herself, now... being a wistful sap.
This was quickly becoming too much ponderment, even for her. With a slight gesture of her hand, the Cactuar hopped off the mage's lap and skittered off to one corner of the room to sit down and become just an ordinary doll once more. Raising herself slowly to her feet, she padded across the hut in her bare feet, only to seat herself again onto her bed. Letting out a heavy sigh, she lay down on her side, reclining her form across the mattress. Lulu's palm brought the pillow to rest against one ivory cheek, and the mage allowed her eyes to close. She suddenly felt so tired... physically and mentally, though it was only just past noon now. All the swirling thoughts blissfully came to a halt as she slipped into peaceful slumber.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(You are so dumb.) Wakka had told himself this for about the hundredth time, now. The blitzer felt such guilt as he had never felt... firstly because he had harmed a woman, secondly because he had harmed the one woman who was closest to his heart. (I hurt Lulu...) This played over and over in his mind uncontrollably. He had treated her harshly when he should have done exactly the opposite. Lulu had needed compassion and understanding about whatever was bothering her... and he hadn't been able to give it to her. He should have let her go from the start.
After parting company with Lulu, Wakka had found his way back to the beach, as if it were programmed into his mind to do so. He did what he always did when he was troubled... he went for a swim. Yes, even the cheerful Wakka sometimes had his moments of feeling not-so, and this one was a big one. Wading out waist deep into the cerulean waves, he let his arms fall to his sides, feeling the water tickling between his fingers. The sun had reached a high point in the sky by this time, but the scorching rays never bothered him. Closing his eyes, the light beamed down on the man, warming his neck and shoulders. Like nature's own heat therapy, and he realized now that he seemed to need it. Wakka was very tense right now, but he didn't know how to make it go away. He didn't know how to make things all better with Lulu.
This was killing him. He dipped himself down into the ocean, crouching on the bottom. The water was up to his neck now... it was as it submerging himself further would help him come up with a solution to his problems. Wakka let himself slip beneath the surface... the sand was soft as he rested his back on it. Only now did he open his eyes, becoming mesmerized at the light dancing around on the surface when he looked at it from it's underside. This was always how he had practiced holding his breath for blitzball... this act always brought a sense of serenity to the man in the process. He had shown Chappu how to do this... and he had soon adopted the practice, as well. He winced as his late brother came floating back into his mind again... he was always reminded of him during times like these. Eyes closed again as he helplessly remembered... the fact that it was his birthday didn't help.
Chappu always had such a bright personality... everyone couldn't help but smile when he was around-- even Lulu. Wakka felt a pang of jealousy when he thought of this. He could never make her smile since he was gone... almost, but never quite there. (Dammit, Chappu... why'd you have to leave her alone? She's miserable... and standoffish... and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.) He could remember the thought that struck him the first time he had heard Lulu laugh... it reminded of him of how an angel might sound. That brought a small, wistful smile back onto Wakka's face... the strange things that came to him as a boy somewhat amused him now. Lulu's laughter... such bursts of amusement were a rare and precious thing, and it had been a long time since the three of them had joked together... he could barely remember what it sounded like.
For several minutes the young man remained like this... thoughts of the black mage refused to leave his mind. How he might help her. What he was doing wrong. Why someone so beautiful became so cold and distant. Unanswerable questions swirled in his head, and yet the blitzer was brought back to reality by the need for oxygen that had suddenly sprung upon him. Hazel eyes were opened to the day once more as he rose up from the water and got to his sandaled feet. Standing there quietly for a moment as he took in grateful breaths... he was so lost in thought that he had forgotten to come up for air. Now having caught his breath, Wakka trudged out of the sea and stooped to pick up his forgotten blitzball. Making his way back to the village, he came to a realization. One conclusion came of this, he knew... if he was to get any answers... solve any of her problems... he had to go to the source. He had to speak with Lulu.
He didn't know what he'd even say to her, but he had to try to get something out of her. The two of them had gone on far too long like this since Chappu's death, and Wakka wanted to break it. Needed to break it. He missed the Lulu he used to know. Yet, as he reached the entrance to her hut, he hesitated. What gave him the right to do anything at all about this? He had messed up. Big time. He couldn't think up any logical excuse why she should forgive him. Letting out a soft sigh, he knew that it was his own selfish desire to feel trusted by the mage. He wanted to make amends. (I'm gonna look like an ass doing this...) Swallowing his pride, he ducked into the hut.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the dimness, she could only barely make out his shape from the rest of the room. Limited sense of sight only heightened her others. Closing her eyes made these all the more powerful. Feeling the heat of his body against hers. The soft rustling of writhing flesh on the sheets. The saltiness of his skin. The scent of their passion. All these intermingling into a powerful force within her body. Cradled in his strong arms, masculine voice whispered into her ear. "I love you, Lu." Hearing those words made her heart pound that much faster. Sighing contentedly, she curved her form closer into his own. Raven head rested upon his shoulder, longing to return the sentiment. Opening her gaze to her lover, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness. Before she could say it, the words died in her throat as she looked upon him. This... this was not Chappu. This was... "Wakka?!"
As that name left her lips, the mage's eyes snapped open. (What the...?) She found herself breathing fast and coated in light perspiration. Blinking a few times, Lulu realized that she was in her bed, but... not alone. Eyes focused on the hulking form that sat next to her, whose hand was soothingly resting upon her brow. "I'm right here, Lu. You okay?"
"Wakka, what are you doing here?!" Lulu shoved his hand away and the mage scrambled into a sitting position. Wakka looked taken aback, though her immediate response should have been expected.
"I... uh... I came to check up on you... but you were asleep, ya? You looked like you were having a nightmare or somethin'. I just wanted to make sure... you know... that you were okay." In response the woman gave a suspiciously accusing glare.
Rising to his feet, the blitzer scowled. Folding his arms, he gave a caustic response, sounding almost like the mage herself. "Hey, YOU called ME, ya? I came here to apologize again... what's with you?"
Lulu scoffed. "I didn't call you."
"Then whose name did you just cry out in your sleep, huh?" Silence. Wakka arched a brow at her, and it would not go unnoticed by Lulu that he held a rather smug expression on his visage now. A cat-like grin was beginning to spread across his face. The mage arched her own brow at this, wondering what in Spira was going on beneath that crazy hair-style.
"What?!" Lulu demanded.
The man shook his head with a knowing smile. "Oh, nothing, Lu. Nothing at all."
It rather amused Wakka to think of why she might have called his name, but those typicially male, egotistical thoughts would remain unspoken to Lulu... but that would mean she hadn't had a nightmare. His expression melted into a passive one as he watched the mage fold her arms with a "hmph." Of course Lulu knew what was in his head... Wakka wasn't the hardest of people in Spira to read.
The blitzer's lips curved into a slight frown to see her become even grumpier. His feeble attempt to cheer her up with his teasing had failed miserably. That was unusual... Lulu would normally shoot back with her sarcasm, almost like a game between the two of them... but not now. Whatever she did dream must have been very disturbing to Lulu, there was no doubt. His hand reached out and came to rest on her bare shoulder tenderly.
"Hey, Lu... I'm sorry, ya? I came here to apologize and make you feel better, but it looks like I'm just making things worse."
(Stupid, stupid, stupid!) Wakka mentally chastized himself for being the insensitive male that that it looked like he was doomed to be for the rest of his life. As Lulu lifted her head to gaze at him, that same look was there... that unreadable expression that had bothered him. The look that made his heart ache for her. The black mage didn't even appear that forlorn, but there was something about her...
"I do feel a bit better," Lulu lied, shrugging his hand off of her. The mage's sight was locked onto her hands, refusing to meet his eyes. "Now could you please leave me so I can think?"
Wakka gazed at her without moving. She was hiding something from him and he intended to find out what. Instead of complying, he dropped to one knee before her, so he was at her eye level as she sat on her bed. He had a very uncharacteristic serious expression on his face. "Lu... why don't you tell me the truth?"
There was a surprise. Her head snapped up as she looked at him incredulously. She hadn't expected him to call her bluff so quickly, let alone at all. Lulu sat there frozen, staring into his eyes, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't look away. How could she tell him what she felt? How could he possibly understand? Understand how confused she felt inside... how lonely she felt because no longer had Chappu, but yet she didn't feel as sad as she thought she should. Understand how horrible she felt... because she started to forget about him every time that Wakka was around? "I... I miss him, Wakka."
It was all Wakka could do to keep from wincing. The lump that had climbed it's way into his throat was now stuck there, unable to find words to respond with. This was the most candid moment Lulu had shared with him in a long, long time. All he could do was place his palm back on her shoulder a bit more firmly, lifting the other hand to rest on the other shoulder, as well. Holding her there gently, he peered curiously into her face, trying to read the brief, uncharacteristic flicker of emotion that had graced her features. Glancing downward, he noted the mage's violet lacquered nails digging into her own thighs... as though mentally restraining herself from something she knew, and he didn't. "Lu... talk to me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Well, how was that? Never you mind... They may be bickering like always here, but they shall get it together eventually, I promise. Gotta keep them in character, right? Heh. I know that was a bit shorter than the first, but I hope you enjoyed. Please review!
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GUARDIAN ANGEL - Chapter Two: Desire?
As Lulu ducked into the dim solitude that was her humble abode, she let out a deep breath which she had no idea she had been holding until that point. Holding up her wrist to the sliver of light that the open doorway let in, she examined Wakka's marks on her flesh. They were still there. The man certainly had a powerful grip... but they were fading already. (...Why did he do that?) She crossed the room quietly, the only sound to be heard coming from the small jingle emanating from the buckles of the various belts that decorated the front of her gown. She lowered her petite form into the old wooden chair which sat in front of her dressing table, suddenly feeling rather unsteady on her feet. Arms falling limp to her sides, fingers automatically let go of the boots and stockings she still held, letting them fall forgotten onto the floor.
There was no use trying to figure out what was going on inside that man's head... she was having enough trouble figuring out what was going on inside her own head. Leaning forward, she allowed her forehead to rest on the edge of the table. She felt so odd right now.... the mage felt as immobile as one of her dolls right now, looking for it's puppetmaster so it could live. As if on cue, she felt a soft nudging at her foot. Looking down, her hard expression softened a little as she found her Cactuar plushie attempting to climb the grid-like terrain that the leather straps on her skirt presented. Lulu seemed as though she expected as much, as her dolls sprang to life with a mere thought from the black mage. Scooping the green doll into her arms, she settled back into her seat, stroking the pseudo-needles that adorned the top of it's head absent-mindedly. She did this often when she got lost in her thoughts, and lost she was, tumbling the whole mess around inside her mind.
Thoughts of past, present, and future all visited her briefly in her meditative state... she couldn't stop them if she tried. She thought about what she had discussed with Wakka... their happy childhood growing up together. Days spent growing up with the two brothers and Yuna... those had made her so happy. So happy... she was able to forget how much she missed her parents. The mage found herself staring into her looking glass... she looked so very much now like how she remembered her mother when Sin came and took her and her father away.
Then Lulu's thoughts turned to today's events... why had she fled during the conversation? What was it that was making her so uneasy around Wakka? Palm was brought to her head to massage her temple with a single fingertip, as though the action would help her focus on deciphering her own odd behavior. When the mage tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, all her thoughts were lost... in her mind, all she could see was Wakka smiling at her like he always did. That irresistable, little boy smile... the one that always managed to cheer her up in the foulest of moods, even though she never showed it... the one that made her feel warm inside. (That must be it...)
Lulu didn't like emotions that she couldn't identify. This one topped them all as an enigma to the mage, and she expressed her distaste for it with a small sigh. If she couldn't identify it, she couldn't suppress it with all the rest. This was what she was afraid of... whatever it was. This warmth... it was making her uneasy around her lifelong friend, yet she couldn't even begin to imagine why. Same old calculating Lulu. Like a machine, she efficiently locked away any feeling that might pose a threat to her strong character. No weakness was allowed to sneak past the iron defenses of her will. Weakness meant risk to Yuna. Weakness meant risk to her already broken heart. This was no different. She must shove it away. Otherwise... how would it affect her attitude towards Wakka? She was already acting oddly.
The discussion with Wakka... had left an imprint on her mind for the moment. This strange feeling coming over her... it felt so familiar... it reminded her of Chappu. Yet Chappu had nothing to do with it, she knew. (Chappu..). The man she'd never be able to see again, speak to again, or hold in her arms again... (...What am I doing?) The mage shook her head as though clearing it, immediately dismissing those nostalgic thoughts. What good would they do her now? With a groan, she realized she was behaving more like Wakka than herself, now... being a wistful sap.
This was quickly becoming too much ponderment, even for her. With a slight gesture of her hand, the Cactuar hopped off the mage's lap and skittered off to one corner of the room to sit down and become just an ordinary doll once more. Raising herself slowly to her feet, she padded across the hut in her bare feet, only to seat herself again onto her bed. Letting out a heavy sigh, she lay down on her side, reclining her form across the mattress. Lulu's palm brought the pillow to rest against one ivory cheek, and the mage allowed her eyes to close. She suddenly felt so tired... physically and mentally, though it was only just past noon now. All the swirling thoughts blissfully came to a halt as she slipped into peaceful slumber.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(You are so dumb.) Wakka had told himself this for about the hundredth time, now. The blitzer felt such guilt as he had never felt... firstly because he had harmed a woman, secondly because he had harmed the one woman who was closest to his heart. (I hurt Lulu...) This played over and over in his mind uncontrollably. He had treated her harshly when he should have done exactly the opposite. Lulu had needed compassion and understanding about whatever was bothering her... and he hadn't been able to give it to her. He should have let her go from the start.
After parting company with Lulu, Wakka had found his way back to the beach, as if it were programmed into his mind to do so. He did what he always did when he was troubled... he went for a swim. Yes, even the cheerful Wakka sometimes had his moments of feeling not-so, and this one was a big one. Wading out waist deep into the cerulean waves, he let his arms fall to his sides, feeling the water tickling between his fingers. The sun had reached a high point in the sky by this time, but the scorching rays never bothered him. Closing his eyes, the light beamed down on the man, warming his neck and shoulders. Like nature's own heat therapy, and he realized now that he seemed to need it. Wakka was very tense right now, but he didn't know how to make it go away. He didn't know how to make things all better with Lulu.
This was killing him. He dipped himself down into the ocean, crouching on the bottom. The water was up to his neck now... it was as it submerging himself further would help him come up with a solution to his problems. Wakka let himself slip beneath the surface... the sand was soft as he rested his back on it. Only now did he open his eyes, becoming mesmerized at the light dancing around on the surface when he looked at it from it's underside. This was always how he had practiced holding his breath for blitzball... this act always brought a sense of serenity to the man in the process. He had shown Chappu how to do this... and he had soon adopted the practice, as well. He winced as his late brother came floating back into his mind again... he was always reminded of him during times like these. Eyes closed again as he helplessly remembered... the fact that it was his birthday didn't help.
Chappu always had such a bright personality... everyone couldn't help but smile when he was around-- even Lulu. Wakka felt a pang of jealousy when he thought of this. He could never make her smile since he was gone... almost, but never quite there. (Dammit, Chappu... why'd you have to leave her alone? She's miserable... and standoffish... and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.) He could remember the thought that struck him the first time he had heard Lulu laugh... it reminded of him of how an angel might sound. That brought a small, wistful smile back onto Wakka's face... the strange things that came to him as a boy somewhat amused him now. Lulu's laughter... such bursts of amusement were a rare and precious thing, and it had been a long time since the three of them had joked together... he could barely remember what it sounded like.
For several minutes the young man remained like this... thoughts of the black mage refused to leave his mind. How he might help her. What he was doing wrong. Why someone so beautiful became so cold and distant. Unanswerable questions swirled in his head, and yet the blitzer was brought back to reality by the need for oxygen that had suddenly sprung upon him. Hazel eyes were opened to the day once more as he rose up from the water and got to his sandaled feet. Standing there quietly for a moment as he took in grateful breaths... he was so lost in thought that he had forgotten to come up for air. Now having caught his breath, Wakka trudged out of the sea and stooped to pick up his forgotten blitzball. Making his way back to the village, he came to a realization. One conclusion came of this, he knew... if he was to get any answers... solve any of her problems... he had to go to the source. He had to speak with Lulu.
He didn't know what he'd even say to her, but he had to try to get something out of her. The two of them had gone on far too long like this since Chappu's death, and Wakka wanted to break it. Needed to break it. He missed the Lulu he used to know. Yet, as he reached the entrance to her hut, he hesitated. What gave him the right to do anything at all about this? He had messed up. Big time. He couldn't think up any logical excuse why she should forgive him. Letting out a soft sigh, he knew that it was his own selfish desire to feel trusted by the mage. He wanted to make amends. (I'm gonna look like an ass doing this...) Swallowing his pride, he ducked into the hut.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the dimness, she could only barely make out his shape from the rest of the room. Limited sense of sight only heightened her others. Closing her eyes made these all the more powerful. Feeling the heat of his body against hers. The soft rustling of writhing flesh on the sheets. The saltiness of his skin. The scent of their passion. All these intermingling into a powerful force within her body. Cradled in his strong arms, masculine voice whispered into her ear. "I love you, Lu." Hearing those words made her heart pound that much faster. Sighing contentedly, she curved her form closer into his own. Raven head rested upon his shoulder, longing to return the sentiment. Opening her gaze to her lover, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness. Before she could say it, the words died in her throat as she looked upon him. This... this was not Chappu. This was... "Wakka?!"
As that name left her lips, the mage's eyes snapped open. (What the...?) She found herself breathing fast and coated in light perspiration. Blinking a few times, Lulu realized that she was in her bed, but... not alone. Eyes focused on the hulking form that sat next to her, whose hand was soothingly resting upon her brow. "I'm right here, Lu. You okay?"
"Wakka, what are you doing here?!" Lulu shoved his hand away and the mage scrambled into a sitting position. Wakka looked taken aback, though her immediate response should have been expected.
"I... uh... I came to check up on you... but you were asleep, ya? You looked like you were having a nightmare or somethin'. I just wanted to make sure... you know... that you were okay." In response the woman gave a suspiciously accusing glare.
Rising to his feet, the blitzer scowled. Folding his arms, he gave a caustic response, sounding almost like the mage herself. "Hey, YOU called ME, ya? I came here to apologize again... what's with you?"
Lulu scoffed. "I didn't call you."
"Then whose name did you just cry out in your sleep, huh?" Silence. Wakka arched a brow at her, and it would not go unnoticed by Lulu that he held a rather smug expression on his visage now. A cat-like grin was beginning to spread across his face. The mage arched her own brow at this, wondering what in Spira was going on beneath that crazy hair-style.
"What?!" Lulu demanded.
The man shook his head with a knowing smile. "Oh, nothing, Lu. Nothing at all."
It rather amused Wakka to think of why she might have called his name, but those typicially male, egotistical thoughts would remain unspoken to Lulu... but that would mean she hadn't had a nightmare. His expression melted into a passive one as he watched the mage fold her arms with a "hmph." Of course Lulu knew what was in his head... Wakka wasn't the hardest of people in Spira to read.
The blitzer's lips curved into a slight frown to see her become even grumpier. His feeble attempt to cheer her up with his teasing had failed miserably. That was unusual... Lulu would normally shoot back with her sarcasm, almost like a game between the two of them... but not now. Whatever she did dream must have been very disturbing to Lulu, there was no doubt. His hand reached out and came to rest on her bare shoulder tenderly.
"Hey, Lu... I'm sorry, ya? I came here to apologize and make you feel better, but it looks like I'm just making things worse."
(Stupid, stupid, stupid!) Wakka mentally chastized himself for being the insensitive male that that it looked like he was doomed to be for the rest of his life. As Lulu lifted her head to gaze at him, that same look was there... that unreadable expression that had bothered him. The look that made his heart ache for her. The black mage didn't even appear that forlorn, but there was something about her...
"I do feel a bit better," Lulu lied, shrugging his hand off of her. The mage's sight was locked onto her hands, refusing to meet his eyes. "Now could you please leave me so I can think?"
Wakka gazed at her without moving. She was hiding something from him and he intended to find out what. Instead of complying, he dropped to one knee before her, so he was at her eye level as she sat on her bed. He had a very uncharacteristic serious expression on his face. "Lu... why don't you tell me the truth?"
There was a surprise. Her head snapped up as she looked at him incredulously. She hadn't expected him to call her bluff so quickly, let alone at all. Lulu sat there frozen, staring into his eyes, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't look away. How could she tell him what she felt? How could he possibly understand? Understand how confused she felt inside... how lonely she felt because no longer had Chappu, but yet she didn't feel as sad as she thought she should. Understand how horrible she felt... because she started to forget about him every time that Wakka was around? "I... I miss him, Wakka."
It was all Wakka could do to keep from wincing. The lump that had climbed it's way into his throat was now stuck there, unable to find words to respond with. This was the most candid moment Lulu had shared with him in a long, long time. All he could do was place his palm back on her shoulder a bit more firmly, lifting the other hand to rest on the other shoulder, as well. Holding her there gently, he peered curiously into her face, trying to read the brief, uncharacteristic flicker of emotion that had graced her features. Glancing downward, he noted the mage's violet lacquered nails digging into her own thighs... as though mentally restraining herself from something she knew, and he didn't. "Lu... talk to me."
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Author's Note: Well, how was that? Never you mind... They may be bickering like always here, but they shall get it together eventually, I promise. Gotta keep them in character, right? Heh. I know that was a bit shorter than the first, but I hope you enjoyed. Please review!