In the morning, the sun rose slowly, as if it knew of the impending
doom. Those were Rikku's exact thoughts as she stood, watching it with
Tidus. "As if it doesn't want to come up, doesn't want to deal with this,"
she though. "Naw, that's silly…it's just a slow sunrise. That's how I
feel."
Tidus moved closer to her, and sighed. They'd gotten up early so they would get to Lulu and Wakka's sooner. The plan was to watch the sun rise first- something they liked to do sometimes. It was soothing, watching it- the bright reds swirling with the yellows; the yellows dancing with the vibrant oranges. There were a few purple clouds floating underneath, too, adding to the mesmerizing affect. They stood in a peaceful silence together.
Tidus stood behind her and put his arms around her. He sighed again, whispering into her hair, "I wish I could freeze time here."
Rikku closed her eyes as tears threatened to spill out. She didn't say anything, just breathed in Tidus' scent, wishing she could stay here forever, too.
Neither of them wanted to go, but they both knew that it was time to leave. Silently, Tidus took Rikku's hand, and they started walking.
It was just before noon when they arrived. They'd made good time- no unexpected encounters along the way. They'd had to sail part of the way, and after getting off the boat, they walked straight to Wakka and Lulu's. There'd be time to site-see later. Still holding Rikku's hand, Tidus approached the door. Slowly rising his hand, he knocked twice. The door opened within seconds. Wakka motioned for them to step inside. As they entered, he put a finger to his lips, and gestured backwards.
"Lulu just put the baby down, you know," he said quietly.
Tidus started to speak, but Rikku poked him. Pulling him outside, she beckoned for Wakka to follow. He did, and closed the door behind him. Rikku spoke up.
"We don't want to wake Verda," she smiled. "For now, why don't we just go find O'aka, and we can come back in a little while?"
Wakka nodded. "I'll go with you, ya? Show you where O'aka is. Just gotta tell Lulu." Wakka slipped back inside, leaving them alone. Tidus looked down at Rikku, cupping her chin with his hand and raising her face up. He watched her eyes- the eyes he loved- watched the swirling green inside them. They were almost hypnotic. He kissed her lightly just as Wakka came back out.
"Ok, good to go. I- whoa! Ah, sorry 'bout that, you know," he said, blushing and turning away.
Rikku giggled. "Don't be silly, Wakka," she said, a huge smile on her face. Giving him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, she said, "Let's get going, hmm?"
"That's a good idea, ya. O'aka's usually in the market. We'll look for him there, ya?" Wakka nodded, and started walking towards the center of town. Tidus and Rikku followed.
"Daddy, daddy!" they heard a voice call. Tidus turned around to see Chappu running towards them, arms outstretched. Wakka's face lit up at the sight of the boy. Scooping him up in his arms, he placed Chappu on his shoulders.
"Mommy said I can come." His voice, although young and childish, had the air of authority obviously inherited from his mother. Wakka was very easygoing and lighthearted, rarely serious, whereas Lulu was quite solemn. "Can I Daddy, can I?" Excitement was creeping into the boy's voice, as if going along with his father was the most amazing thing in the world.
Wakka chuckled. "Of course you can come, Chappu!" he said with a big smile, putting the child down and taking his hand. "C'mon then, let's go!"
Rikku and Tidus both smiled at the father and son. "They're so cute!" Rikku squeaked quietly. Tidus grinned and took her hand. They walked alongside Wakka and Chappu until they reached the market. Tidus spotted O'aka right away, haggling some townspeople.
"There he is," he smiled at the sight of his old friend.
Rikku ran forward first, waving her hand. "O'aka!" she called.
He looked up, surprised. A wide smiled broke over his face as he recognized the two. "Tidus! Rikku! Where have ye been?" He walked towards them, arms outstretched. Rikku flounced into them, hugging him tightly. Stepping back, she grinned and punched him lightly on the arm.
"How ya been, O'aka?" Rikku asked.
"I've been doing just fine. And what of you, my two favourite patrons?" O'aka asked, his loud voice booming as he pronounced each word distinctly.
Wakka stepped in at that moment. "Two favourite patrons, yah? What about us?" he said, gesturing at Chappu.
O'aka's grin widened. "Hello, Chappu. And 'ow are you today?"
Chappu jumped over and tugged on O'aka's vest. "Uncle O'-a-k-a!" he said, stumbling over the words.
O'aka laughed and picked the boy up. His smile was huge, and wrinkles appeared besides his eyes. "Welcome to O'aka's."
Smiling at his old friend, Tidus bought 99 High Potions, 99 Phoenix Downs, 99 of each: Softs, Eye Drops, Antidotes, Holy Waters, and everything else they could possibly need.
"Thank-you." O'aka smiled. "Any time you need me, I'll be there. Someone has to look after you!"
Rikku smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, O'aka." He simply nodded, and, putting down Chappu, went back to his other customers.
Tidus moved closer to her, and sighed. They'd gotten up early so they would get to Lulu and Wakka's sooner. The plan was to watch the sun rise first- something they liked to do sometimes. It was soothing, watching it- the bright reds swirling with the yellows; the yellows dancing with the vibrant oranges. There were a few purple clouds floating underneath, too, adding to the mesmerizing affect. They stood in a peaceful silence together.
Tidus stood behind her and put his arms around her. He sighed again, whispering into her hair, "I wish I could freeze time here."
Rikku closed her eyes as tears threatened to spill out. She didn't say anything, just breathed in Tidus' scent, wishing she could stay here forever, too.
Neither of them wanted to go, but they both knew that it was time to leave. Silently, Tidus took Rikku's hand, and they started walking.
It was just before noon when they arrived. They'd made good time- no unexpected encounters along the way. They'd had to sail part of the way, and after getting off the boat, they walked straight to Wakka and Lulu's. There'd be time to site-see later. Still holding Rikku's hand, Tidus approached the door. Slowly rising his hand, he knocked twice. The door opened within seconds. Wakka motioned for them to step inside. As they entered, he put a finger to his lips, and gestured backwards.
"Lulu just put the baby down, you know," he said quietly.
Tidus started to speak, but Rikku poked him. Pulling him outside, she beckoned for Wakka to follow. He did, and closed the door behind him. Rikku spoke up.
"We don't want to wake Verda," she smiled. "For now, why don't we just go find O'aka, and we can come back in a little while?"
Wakka nodded. "I'll go with you, ya? Show you where O'aka is. Just gotta tell Lulu." Wakka slipped back inside, leaving them alone. Tidus looked down at Rikku, cupping her chin with his hand and raising her face up. He watched her eyes- the eyes he loved- watched the swirling green inside them. They were almost hypnotic. He kissed her lightly just as Wakka came back out.
"Ok, good to go. I- whoa! Ah, sorry 'bout that, you know," he said, blushing and turning away.
Rikku giggled. "Don't be silly, Wakka," she said, a huge smile on her face. Giving him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, she said, "Let's get going, hmm?"
"That's a good idea, ya. O'aka's usually in the market. We'll look for him there, ya?" Wakka nodded, and started walking towards the center of town. Tidus and Rikku followed.
"Daddy, daddy!" they heard a voice call. Tidus turned around to see Chappu running towards them, arms outstretched. Wakka's face lit up at the sight of the boy. Scooping him up in his arms, he placed Chappu on his shoulders.
"Mommy said I can come." His voice, although young and childish, had the air of authority obviously inherited from his mother. Wakka was very easygoing and lighthearted, rarely serious, whereas Lulu was quite solemn. "Can I Daddy, can I?" Excitement was creeping into the boy's voice, as if going along with his father was the most amazing thing in the world.
Wakka chuckled. "Of course you can come, Chappu!" he said with a big smile, putting the child down and taking his hand. "C'mon then, let's go!"
Rikku and Tidus both smiled at the father and son. "They're so cute!" Rikku squeaked quietly. Tidus grinned and took her hand. They walked alongside Wakka and Chappu until they reached the market. Tidus spotted O'aka right away, haggling some townspeople.
"There he is," he smiled at the sight of his old friend.
Rikku ran forward first, waving her hand. "O'aka!" she called.
He looked up, surprised. A wide smiled broke over his face as he recognized the two. "Tidus! Rikku! Where have ye been?" He walked towards them, arms outstretched. Rikku flounced into them, hugging him tightly. Stepping back, she grinned and punched him lightly on the arm.
"How ya been, O'aka?" Rikku asked.
"I've been doing just fine. And what of you, my two favourite patrons?" O'aka asked, his loud voice booming as he pronounced each word distinctly.
Wakka stepped in at that moment. "Two favourite patrons, yah? What about us?" he said, gesturing at Chappu.
O'aka's grin widened. "Hello, Chappu. And 'ow are you today?"
Chappu jumped over and tugged on O'aka's vest. "Uncle O'-a-k-a!" he said, stumbling over the words.
O'aka laughed and picked the boy up. His smile was huge, and wrinkles appeared besides his eyes. "Welcome to O'aka's."
Smiling at his old friend, Tidus bought 99 High Potions, 99 Phoenix Downs, 99 of each: Softs, Eye Drops, Antidotes, Holy Waters, and everything else they could possibly need.
"Thank-you." O'aka smiled. "Any time you need me, I'll be there. Someone has to look after you!"
Rikku smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, O'aka." He simply nodded, and, putting down Chappu, went back to his other customers.