Rikku smiled as Tidus walked into the room. He grinned back at her, and
threw his arm around her as he sat down. She shrieked and pushed him away.
"You're all wet, you jerk!" Rikku giggled.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Tidus laughed a…well, he laughed a Tidus laugh. "That's what happens when you play Blitzball!"
Rikku giggled, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "That's for winning!" She smiled, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "And this-" her smile grew wider, and she slugged him- "is for getting me wet!"
Rikku jumped up and started running out of the room, but Tidus easily caught her.
"Hey! You little-" Tidus trailed off as he caught Rikku in his arms. She struggled a little, but he was obviously not letting her go, so she stopped.
"Well, now you've got me completely soaked!" Rikku stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yep! …Are you gonna beat me up if I let you go?" Tidus asked teasingly, with a twinkle in his eye.
Rikku playfully glared at him. "As a matter of fact, I am!" She grinned and wiggled out of his arms.
"Hey! Get back here!" Tidus laughed as he wrapped her in his arms again. Rikku started to protest, but he interrupted her with a kiss. She smiled up at him.
"You big jerk. You ruined the mood." Tidus shrugged and smiled, and leaned down for another kiss.
Rikku sighed and shook her head. "You big jerk…" A smile tugged at her lips. Tidus grinned at her. She started to giggle, and he did too. Before long, they were both bean over, laughing their heads off.
Later that night, Rikku sat at home, thinking hard. Tidus was due back from his signing any minute. She glanced up, looking pensive, as the door opened and closed.
"Hello!" Tidus called. "Anybody home?"
Rikku giggled and got up to greet him. "I'm here!" she said, flinging herself into his arms. Tidus returned her embrace and kissed her hair. They both sat down.
"So, how'd it go?" Rikku said, sounding slightly pre-occupied.
"Ah. You know. So-so."
Rikku grinned and shook her head. "You know you love it."
"Hey, can a guy help it? I mean, all those pretty girls…" he grinned at her.
Rikku pretended to look shocked and punched him playfully.
"Oh course, I don't even notice them at all, since I have you."
"Nice save." Rikku smiled.
Tidus laughed. "I thought so too!" He threw his arms behind his head and put his feet up. "So, what'd you do while I was gone?"
Rikku shrugged. "Not much. Just thinking."
"Bout what?"
"Mmm. You know. Just stuff."
"You were thinking about the Al Bhed?" Tidus sat up and looked at her with concern in his eyes.
"Yah. I miss them sometimes, you know."
"But why'd you leave them in the first place, Rikku?"
Rikku rolled her eyes and muttered something in Al Bhed. She shook her head and chuckled.
"You should know that. I left them for you."
Tidus smiled and drew her close. "And that's why I'll always be here for you."
Rikku snuggled closer and the two fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.
The sun was shining bright when she woke up. Strange how, on this beautiful day, they would receive such horrible news. It just didn't seem right.
Rikku stretched and yawned, muscles tense from sleeping on the couch. She groaned. "Shouldn't have done that," she muttered. Rikku then looked at Tidus, who was still sleeping. She smiled. Some of his hair had fallen over his eye, and she brushed it away gently. She got up quietly and snuck into her room.
Pulling a light blue sun-dress out of the closet, Rikku stripped out of the clothes she had on and changed into it.
She had just brushed her hair and was pulling it back when Tidus walked in. He'd apparently just rolled off the couch and came over, as his blonde hair was jutting our at odd angles, and his clothes were wrinkled. Rikku grinned.
"Hey, sleepyhead," she teased.
"Who? Me?" Tidus grinned. And scratched his head.
Rikku giggled. "Yes, you. Now go get dressed. Wakka and Lulu are coming over, remember?"
"Oh, ya! I'm gunna go get dressed!" he called over his shoulder as he headed towards his room.
Rikku rolled her eyes and finished with her hair. She checked her reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with what she saw, Rikku headed back to the living room. She picked up a magazine and started reading it as she waited for Lulu and Wakka to arrive. Tidus hadn't come out yet when the doorbell rang. And rang again. And again.
"I'm coming!" Rikku called as the doorbell kept ringing. She opened the door to see Wakka trying to pull Chappu away from the doorbell. She heard him saying, "Chappu, stop that," as he put his arms around the wriggling child and pulled him back. Rikku smiled brightly.
"Hi, guys!" she said. "Like my doorbell, do you, Chappu?" She reached down and tousled the boy's hair. He batted her hands away and she giggled. Lulu stood a little off to the side, holding a baby. Rikku had never seen the baby, who was named Verdu, but Lulu and Wakka had written to her and Tidus about her. And Chappu, too, of course, who had been named after Wakka's brother. She'd only seen Chappu once before, and he was only a toddler then. He was much bigger now, at 5. "Must take after his dad," she mused. Lulu shifted the baby in her arms, and Rikku realized she'd been staring.
"Oh! Come in!" she said, moving aside. Wakka ushered Chappu in and Lulu trailed behind him with Verda. "Make yourselves comfortable!" she called as she closed the door.
Rikku turned and walked towards them, wondering briefly where Tidus was. Instead of Wakka's usual big grin, he looked rather solemn. She rushed up and hugged him, and Lulu too.
"So, how have you guys been? What's new?" Rikku asked with a smile. Her smile faded as she saw the pained look on Wakka's face. "Wassa matter?"
"Uh, maybe we should wait for Tidus, ya know," Wakka replied awkwardly.
"Did somebody call me?" Tidus said, walking into the room. "Wakka!" he said, slapping his friend on the back. "Hey, Chappu," Tidus grinned at the boy, who was walking around the room, inspecting things.
"And what of me?" Lulu asked, a soft smile at her lips. Marriage and children had changed her. She looked, gentler, somehow. And very happy.
Tidus' grin broadened. "Hey, Lulu. And hello, little Verda."
They stood in a contented silence for a few moments, and then Lulu spoke.
"Unfortunately, our visit bears unhappy news." She nudged Wakka, who looked like he'd rather be locked in a room with a few Bombs than here.
"Uh, well, ya see," he paused, "Sin is back."
"You're all wet, you jerk!" Rikku giggled.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Tidus laughed a…well, he laughed a Tidus laugh. "That's what happens when you play Blitzball!"
Rikku giggled, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "That's for winning!" She smiled, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "And this-" her smile grew wider, and she slugged him- "is for getting me wet!"
Rikku jumped up and started running out of the room, but Tidus easily caught her.
"Hey! You little-" Tidus trailed off as he caught Rikku in his arms. She struggled a little, but he was obviously not letting her go, so she stopped.
"Well, now you've got me completely soaked!" Rikku stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yep! …Are you gonna beat me up if I let you go?" Tidus asked teasingly, with a twinkle in his eye.
Rikku playfully glared at him. "As a matter of fact, I am!" She grinned and wiggled out of his arms.
"Hey! Get back here!" Tidus laughed as he wrapped her in his arms again. Rikku started to protest, but he interrupted her with a kiss. She smiled up at him.
"You big jerk. You ruined the mood." Tidus shrugged and smiled, and leaned down for another kiss.
Rikku sighed and shook her head. "You big jerk…" A smile tugged at her lips. Tidus grinned at her. She started to giggle, and he did too. Before long, they were both bean over, laughing their heads off.
Later that night, Rikku sat at home, thinking hard. Tidus was due back from his signing any minute. She glanced up, looking pensive, as the door opened and closed.
"Hello!" Tidus called. "Anybody home?"
Rikku giggled and got up to greet him. "I'm here!" she said, flinging herself into his arms. Tidus returned her embrace and kissed her hair. They both sat down.
"So, how'd it go?" Rikku said, sounding slightly pre-occupied.
"Ah. You know. So-so."
Rikku grinned and shook her head. "You know you love it."
"Hey, can a guy help it? I mean, all those pretty girls…" he grinned at her.
Rikku pretended to look shocked and punched him playfully.
"Oh course, I don't even notice them at all, since I have you."
"Nice save." Rikku smiled.
Tidus laughed. "I thought so too!" He threw his arms behind his head and put his feet up. "So, what'd you do while I was gone?"
Rikku shrugged. "Not much. Just thinking."
"Bout what?"
"Mmm. You know. Just stuff."
"You were thinking about the Al Bhed?" Tidus sat up and looked at her with concern in his eyes.
"Yah. I miss them sometimes, you know."
"But why'd you leave them in the first place, Rikku?"
Rikku rolled her eyes and muttered something in Al Bhed. She shook her head and chuckled.
"You should know that. I left them for you."
Tidus smiled and drew her close. "And that's why I'll always be here for you."
Rikku snuggled closer and the two fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.
The sun was shining bright when she woke up. Strange how, on this beautiful day, they would receive such horrible news. It just didn't seem right.
Rikku stretched and yawned, muscles tense from sleeping on the couch. She groaned. "Shouldn't have done that," she muttered. Rikku then looked at Tidus, who was still sleeping. She smiled. Some of his hair had fallen over his eye, and she brushed it away gently. She got up quietly and snuck into her room.
Pulling a light blue sun-dress out of the closet, Rikku stripped out of the clothes she had on and changed into it.
She had just brushed her hair and was pulling it back when Tidus walked in. He'd apparently just rolled off the couch and came over, as his blonde hair was jutting our at odd angles, and his clothes were wrinkled. Rikku grinned.
"Hey, sleepyhead," she teased.
"Who? Me?" Tidus grinned. And scratched his head.
Rikku giggled. "Yes, you. Now go get dressed. Wakka and Lulu are coming over, remember?"
"Oh, ya! I'm gunna go get dressed!" he called over his shoulder as he headed towards his room.
Rikku rolled her eyes and finished with her hair. She checked her reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with what she saw, Rikku headed back to the living room. She picked up a magazine and started reading it as she waited for Lulu and Wakka to arrive. Tidus hadn't come out yet when the doorbell rang. And rang again. And again.
"I'm coming!" Rikku called as the doorbell kept ringing. She opened the door to see Wakka trying to pull Chappu away from the doorbell. She heard him saying, "Chappu, stop that," as he put his arms around the wriggling child and pulled him back. Rikku smiled brightly.
"Hi, guys!" she said. "Like my doorbell, do you, Chappu?" She reached down and tousled the boy's hair. He batted her hands away and she giggled. Lulu stood a little off to the side, holding a baby. Rikku had never seen the baby, who was named Verdu, but Lulu and Wakka had written to her and Tidus about her. And Chappu, too, of course, who had been named after Wakka's brother. She'd only seen Chappu once before, and he was only a toddler then. He was much bigger now, at 5. "Must take after his dad," she mused. Lulu shifted the baby in her arms, and Rikku realized she'd been staring.
"Oh! Come in!" she said, moving aside. Wakka ushered Chappu in and Lulu trailed behind him with Verda. "Make yourselves comfortable!" she called as she closed the door.
Rikku turned and walked towards them, wondering briefly where Tidus was. Instead of Wakka's usual big grin, he looked rather solemn. She rushed up and hugged him, and Lulu too.
"So, how have you guys been? What's new?" Rikku asked with a smile. Her smile faded as she saw the pained look on Wakka's face. "Wassa matter?"
"Uh, maybe we should wait for Tidus, ya know," Wakka replied awkwardly.
"Did somebody call me?" Tidus said, walking into the room. "Wakka!" he said, slapping his friend on the back. "Hey, Chappu," Tidus grinned at the boy, who was walking around the room, inspecting things.
"And what of me?" Lulu asked, a soft smile at her lips. Marriage and children had changed her. She looked, gentler, somehow. And very happy.
Tidus' grin broadened. "Hey, Lulu. And hello, little Verda."
They stood in a contented silence for a few moments, and then Lulu spoke.
"Unfortunately, our visit bears unhappy news." She nudged Wakka, who looked like he'd rather be locked in a room with a few Bombs than here.
"Uh, well, ya see," he paused, "Sin is back."