Early the next morning…
Tidus and Rikku sat in front of a warm fire in the comfy, oversized easychair. Rikku had her head on Tidus' shoulder, and was sitting in his lap sideways. They were both sipping gingerly at the hot cocoa Lulu had brought them. She'd left right after she delivered it, giving them time to wake up. And they were, although slowly.
"Mmm, the fire feels good," Rikku sighed. Tidus took her hand.
"Not as good as being with you." Rikku smiled at his comment and nestled closer.
"Enjoying your cocoa?" Rikku asked.
"Mmm hmm," Tidus murmured, kissing her forehead. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Rikku could feel Tidus sighing softly.
"Rikku…" he started, his tone serious. "I…well, I was thinking…" he paused, and his heart thumped loudly. "When we get back, I'd love it if you'd mar-" In that moment, Wakka came bursting in.
"Time to get busy, ya? Lulu's waiting for you in the yard, Rikku." He paused and looked at the two. "Oh, oops," he said, scratching his head. "Was I interrupting something?"
Biting her lip, Rikku stood up. Throwing a meaningful glance at Tidus, she said, "N, no. That's okay Wakka. Guess I'd better get out to Lulu." It was just like Wakka to walk in at just the wrong moment. Glancing once more at Tidus, she crossed the small distance of the 'house' and went outside. Lulu was standing nearby.
"Rikku, here," she called. Rikku obediently walked over to her. Lulu surprised her by putting her hand under her chin, and looking deeply into her eyes. "Hmm," Lulu said, nodding. She watched her eyes for a moment more before letting her hand drop. Smiling softly, she said, "You will require your full concentration for this. I shall give you a moment to gather your thoughts."
Rikku nodded, and forced all of her thoughts aside. There'd be time to think about that later. "I'm ready," she said, looking up at Lulu.
Lulu nodded. Rikku waited for her to say something. But she just stood there. And did nothing. Rikku blinked. Lulu stood. All of a sudden, with no warning, Lulu reached forward and pushed Rikku.
"Hey! What'd ya do that for?" Rikku exclaimed.
Lulu stepped back and looked at her. "I know that you are extremely agile, Rikku. To cast Black Magic, you must be constantly aware. Never assume that a docile enemy will not strike. You must be ready."
Rikku nodded. "I'll be ready, Lulu."
"Very well. Then we may begin. To start, you must focus all of your thoughts on the spell…"
A few hours later, Rikku and Lulu joined Tidus and Wakka in the house. They were on the floor, playing with Chappu and Verda. It was quite a sight. Rikku giggled and knelt on the floor with them.
"Heya, guys. Whatcha playin'?" Tidus and Wakka looked up, surprised. Chappu walked over.
"No girls!" he exclaimed.
"But Verda's a girl," Rikku pointed out.
Chappu looked confused and his nose scrunched up, deep in thought. "Yah, I guess," he said, walking back to his toys.
Rikku shrugged and stoop up. "How'd it go?" Tidus asked, standing up too.
Rikku grinned secretively and glanced at Lulu. "Pretty good," she said.
"That's good," Tidus said, looking slightly confused.
Dusting his hands, Wakka stood up as well. "Well, I guess we should be getting you some food so you can be on your way. Not that we want you to go. We don't. But you know." Wakka stopped talking, looking tongue- tied and embarrassed.
Smiling, Rikku patted his back. "It's ok, Wakka. We know what you mean."
Wakka smiled appreciatively and gestured towards the kitchen. "Well, less-go then!" He walked toward the kitchen, with Chappu following closely. Lulu picked up Verda and went too. Tidus and Rikku trailed along behind them.
As soon as they got to the kitchen, they began putting food into a backpack for Tidus and Rikku. Rikku took the bad from Lulu when they were done.
"Thanks," she said. "Don't worry about us, ok? Everything's gonna be fine. We're going to take a boat to Kilika, and meet with Kimarhi, Auron, and Yuna. We've got all of our supplies and weapons for the trip. We couldn't have done it without you." She smiled. "We'll come back here for a long visit after, ok? And you guys can come back to Zanarkand with us too. It'll be fun, you know?" Rikku leaned forward, hugging and kissing both of their cheeks. She smiled at Verda and waved to Chappu. Tidus said his goodbyes, and they were on their way.
Tidus and Rikku sat in front of a warm fire in the comfy, oversized easychair. Rikku had her head on Tidus' shoulder, and was sitting in his lap sideways. They were both sipping gingerly at the hot cocoa Lulu had brought them. She'd left right after she delivered it, giving them time to wake up. And they were, although slowly.
"Mmm, the fire feels good," Rikku sighed. Tidus took her hand.
"Not as good as being with you." Rikku smiled at his comment and nestled closer.
"Enjoying your cocoa?" Rikku asked.
"Mmm hmm," Tidus murmured, kissing her forehead. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Rikku could feel Tidus sighing softly.
"Rikku…" he started, his tone serious. "I…well, I was thinking…" he paused, and his heart thumped loudly. "When we get back, I'd love it if you'd mar-" In that moment, Wakka came bursting in.
"Time to get busy, ya? Lulu's waiting for you in the yard, Rikku." He paused and looked at the two. "Oh, oops," he said, scratching his head. "Was I interrupting something?"
Biting her lip, Rikku stood up. Throwing a meaningful glance at Tidus, she said, "N, no. That's okay Wakka. Guess I'd better get out to Lulu." It was just like Wakka to walk in at just the wrong moment. Glancing once more at Tidus, she crossed the small distance of the 'house' and went outside. Lulu was standing nearby.
"Rikku, here," she called. Rikku obediently walked over to her. Lulu surprised her by putting her hand under her chin, and looking deeply into her eyes. "Hmm," Lulu said, nodding. She watched her eyes for a moment more before letting her hand drop. Smiling softly, she said, "You will require your full concentration for this. I shall give you a moment to gather your thoughts."
Rikku nodded, and forced all of her thoughts aside. There'd be time to think about that later. "I'm ready," she said, looking up at Lulu.
Lulu nodded. Rikku waited for her to say something. But she just stood there. And did nothing. Rikku blinked. Lulu stood. All of a sudden, with no warning, Lulu reached forward and pushed Rikku.
"Hey! What'd ya do that for?" Rikku exclaimed.
Lulu stepped back and looked at her. "I know that you are extremely agile, Rikku. To cast Black Magic, you must be constantly aware. Never assume that a docile enemy will not strike. You must be ready."
Rikku nodded. "I'll be ready, Lulu."
"Very well. Then we may begin. To start, you must focus all of your thoughts on the spell…"
A few hours later, Rikku and Lulu joined Tidus and Wakka in the house. They were on the floor, playing with Chappu and Verda. It was quite a sight. Rikku giggled and knelt on the floor with them.
"Heya, guys. Whatcha playin'?" Tidus and Wakka looked up, surprised. Chappu walked over.
"No girls!" he exclaimed.
"But Verda's a girl," Rikku pointed out.
Chappu looked confused and his nose scrunched up, deep in thought. "Yah, I guess," he said, walking back to his toys.
Rikku shrugged and stoop up. "How'd it go?" Tidus asked, standing up too.
Rikku grinned secretively and glanced at Lulu. "Pretty good," she said.
"That's good," Tidus said, looking slightly confused.
Dusting his hands, Wakka stood up as well. "Well, I guess we should be getting you some food so you can be on your way. Not that we want you to go. We don't. But you know." Wakka stopped talking, looking tongue- tied and embarrassed.
Smiling, Rikku patted his back. "It's ok, Wakka. We know what you mean."
Wakka smiled appreciatively and gestured towards the kitchen. "Well, less-go then!" He walked toward the kitchen, with Chappu following closely. Lulu picked up Verda and went too. Tidus and Rikku trailed along behind them.
As soon as they got to the kitchen, they began putting food into a backpack for Tidus and Rikku. Rikku took the bad from Lulu when they were done.
"Thanks," she said. "Don't worry about us, ok? Everything's gonna be fine. We're going to take a boat to Kilika, and meet with Kimarhi, Auron, and Yuna. We've got all of our supplies and weapons for the trip. We couldn't have done it without you." She smiled. "We'll come back here for a long visit after, ok? And you guys can come back to Zanarkand with us too. It'll be fun, you know?" Rikku leaned forward, hugging and kissing both of their cheeks. She smiled at Verda and waved to Chappu. Tidus said his goodbyes, and they were on their way.