Disclaimer: Um...lemme check. Nope. I still don't own FF9, just my very
own sweet character, Ariana! ^_^
Author's Note: Thanks for all the good reviews! This chapter is for Sparks, my longtime reviewer, who has stuck with me throughout the entire story so far. Thank you ;)
Before the mages could speak, Dagger got the bright idea to hide inside some empty barrels. Ariana, Tuggle, and Zidane got into one barrel, much to Vivi's dismay. He on the other hand, got stuck in a barrel with Dagger.
Inside her barrel, Ariana couldn't help but take advantage of the situation she was in. She just HAD to tell Zidane what she'd been thinking. "Hey Zidane?"
"Yeah," he replied.
"I've been thinking a lot lately....about you."
"Oh....really?"
"Uh huh, and you know what, Zidane?"
"What?" His breathing was becoming ragged and heavy. Tuggle chattered loudly now, as if he was jealous.
"I really wish you would put on some deoderant," Ariana said. She burst out in laughter, and Zidane went silent. Tuttle sniggered. "Hey, come on," she elbowed him in his rib, "I'm only kidding."
Zidane then whispered, "Shh! They'll hear you!" She could tell he was eager to get back at her, and the only way he could was to tell her to be quiet.
She waited in silence for about two minutes, when she felt the barrel being tipped over, and rolled out of the room. Ariana and Zidane took turns accidentally kneeing or smacking each other in an attempt not to hit one another as they rolled. Tuggle shrieked loudly, and scratched Ariana's arm three times. Finally the barrel stopped, and they heard footsteps walking away.
"Whew!" Ariana let out a deep sigh, rubbing her arm and regaining her balance. She saw stars when she closed her eyes, so she opened them and shook her head. "You okay, Zidane?" Tuggle was clinging to her hair now, rattled and shivering from the bumpy ride. She tried to pull him out, but he was reluctant and wouldn't let go of her hair, so she let him stay.
"Yeah, I guess." He huffed, obviously still fuming about what she'd said earlier.
"Zidane, I already told you I was just kidding about what I said. Geez, you don't have to be pissed." She tried to cross her arms over her chest, but she couldn't so she gave up, frustrated.
She could feel him beside her as he tried to turn around to face her. It took him a minute or two, but he managed it. "Why do you tease me so much?" he suddenly asked her.
Although it was completely dark inside the barrel, she could feel him looking at her. "I'm only kidding with you. You shouldn't take me so seriously."
"Yeah, but still, I'm only a guy, and we guys take things like that seriously." Once again, he fell silent, but then he said, "Oh, and that really hurt earlier when you squeezed my tail."
Ariana grinned at hearing that and said, "Sorry, I won't do it again."
"What, squeeze my tail, or tease me?" he asked.
"Neither," she replied.
He laughed and said okay. Once again everything was quiet. "Should we get out?" he asked her.
"No, not yet, I keep hearing footsteps," she lied. There were no footsteps, she just wanted to enjoy a few more minutes in the barrel with Zidane.
Ariana put her arms down to her side, and let her hand slide along the bottom of the barrel. After only a few seconds, she found what she had been looking for. With her pointer and middle fingers, she "crawled" up Zidane's tail, and it twitched in reply.
"Hey, that tickles," he said.
She laughed quietly, and picked his tail up in her hands. "I wish I had a tail."
"No you don't," he replied, "It gets in the way."
Ariana felt something on her other hand, and realized that it was his fingers. He stroked her hand, and in reply she lifted it up, and their fingers locked together. She smiled, and they both leaned towards each other, heads tilted.
Suddenly, somebody knocked on the barrel three times. Vivi's small voice said, "Zidane? Awaiana? Are you in there?"
"Damn," Zidane muttered. "Yeah! Is the coast clear?"
Author's 2nd note: This chapter was SOOO much fun to write. I was listening to Final Fantasy 9 music, and I just had this inspiration. I hope to see good reviews! (hint hint!!) ;)
Author's Note: Thanks for all the good reviews! This chapter is for Sparks, my longtime reviewer, who has stuck with me throughout the entire story so far. Thank you ;)
Before the mages could speak, Dagger got the bright idea to hide inside some empty barrels. Ariana, Tuggle, and Zidane got into one barrel, much to Vivi's dismay. He on the other hand, got stuck in a barrel with Dagger.
Inside her barrel, Ariana couldn't help but take advantage of the situation she was in. She just HAD to tell Zidane what she'd been thinking. "Hey Zidane?"
"Yeah," he replied.
"I've been thinking a lot lately....about you."
"Oh....really?"
"Uh huh, and you know what, Zidane?"
"What?" His breathing was becoming ragged and heavy. Tuggle chattered loudly now, as if he was jealous.
"I really wish you would put on some deoderant," Ariana said. She burst out in laughter, and Zidane went silent. Tuttle sniggered. "Hey, come on," she elbowed him in his rib, "I'm only kidding."
Zidane then whispered, "Shh! They'll hear you!" She could tell he was eager to get back at her, and the only way he could was to tell her to be quiet.
She waited in silence for about two minutes, when she felt the barrel being tipped over, and rolled out of the room. Ariana and Zidane took turns accidentally kneeing or smacking each other in an attempt not to hit one another as they rolled. Tuggle shrieked loudly, and scratched Ariana's arm three times. Finally the barrel stopped, and they heard footsteps walking away.
"Whew!" Ariana let out a deep sigh, rubbing her arm and regaining her balance. She saw stars when she closed her eyes, so she opened them and shook her head. "You okay, Zidane?" Tuggle was clinging to her hair now, rattled and shivering from the bumpy ride. She tried to pull him out, but he was reluctant and wouldn't let go of her hair, so she let him stay.
"Yeah, I guess." He huffed, obviously still fuming about what she'd said earlier.
"Zidane, I already told you I was just kidding about what I said. Geez, you don't have to be pissed." She tried to cross her arms over her chest, but she couldn't so she gave up, frustrated.
She could feel him beside her as he tried to turn around to face her. It took him a minute or two, but he managed it. "Why do you tease me so much?" he suddenly asked her.
Although it was completely dark inside the barrel, she could feel him looking at her. "I'm only kidding with you. You shouldn't take me so seriously."
"Yeah, but still, I'm only a guy, and we guys take things like that seriously." Once again, he fell silent, but then he said, "Oh, and that really hurt earlier when you squeezed my tail."
Ariana grinned at hearing that and said, "Sorry, I won't do it again."
"What, squeeze my tail, or tease me?" he asked.
"Neither," she replied.
He laughed and said okay. Once again everything was quiet. "Should we get out?" he asked her.
"No, not yet, I keep hearing footsteps," she lied. There were no footsteps, she just wanted to enjoy a few more minutes in the barrel with Zidane.
Ariana put her arms down to her side, and let her hand slide along the bottom of the barrel. After only a few seconds, she found what she had been looking for. With her pointer and middle fingers, she "crawled" up Zidane's tail, and it twitched in reply.
"Hey, that tickles," he said.
She laughed quietly, and picked his tail up in her hands. "I wish I had a tail."
"No you don't," he replied, "It gets in the way."
Ariana felt something on her other hand, and realized that it was his fingers. He stroked her hand, and in reply she lifted it up, and their fingers locked together. She smiled, and they both leaned towards each other, heads tilted.
Suddenly, somebody knocked on the barrel three times. Vivi's small voice said, "Zidane? Awaiana? Are you in there?"
"Damn," Zidane muttered. "Yeah! Is the coast clear?"
Author's 2nd note: This chapter was SOOO much fun to write. I was listening to Final Fantasy 9 music, and I just had this inspiration. I hope to see good reviews! (hint hint!!) ;)