A Dream From the Shadows
Chapter 4
Traum stood on the deck of the airship. He had seen many things, but it had been ages since he'd been in such a large machina. "Too long," he told himself. He preferred the Al Bhed customs over those of Yevon. They allowed so much freedom.
He wondered why they were going to the Calm Lands. There was nothing there. It was simply a giant, open field. He decided that he'd ask Auron later. Now he was enjoying the view outside. He needed to relax.
Rikku came up the wide stairs. She took awkward steps toward Traum. He noticed this and slid a little to the right, motioning for her to stand there. He turned back to the window. Rikku did the same.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked. "Being just above the clouds?"
Traum smiled. "Yes, it is. The Al Bhed certainly know how to live, don't they?"
"Hmm, I suppose we do," she replied. She bowed her head and began to shuffle her feet slightly.
Traum knew she had come to tell him something else. He decided to break her tension. "Did Auron say anything about why we're going to the Calm Lands?"
"What? Oh, no. He just kept mumbling something about this being Tidus' story. Frankly, I think the old guy's lost it."
Traum laughed. "I think he lost it long ago."
Rikku giggled quietly, but soon fell silent again.
Now Traum was curious. "Go ahead and ask. You don't have to be afraid," he said, still looking at the sky.
Rikku slowly looked up at him. She began timidly, "Well...okay, it's about before, in Luca."
"I truly am sorry about that." Traum apologized.
"No, no. It's okay. I wanted you to do that." She paused. "And besides. If you hadn't done what you did, everyone would think we're both crazy." She smiled.
"That's true. But I didn't mean to hurt you. I get a little carried away."
"But thanks to you, I'm perfectly fine now," Rikku reminded him.
Traum stopped. "There's something else, isn't there?" he asked. "I can hear it in your voice. You want to ask me something."
"Wow, you're pretty good at that. Yeah, well...I did kinda have a question."
"Go on," he urged.
"Well, your reflexes are super fast, ya know?" she started.
"Yes, I know." He smiled again.
"Well, I was wondering," she paused. "Can you, ya know, control them?" she asked.
"What?" Traum didn't really understand.
"You know, like, could you have stopped them?" she clarified.
"You want to know if I can hold myself back?" he laughed.
"Well, yeah..."
He sighed. "Under the right circumstances, yes. If I feel like I'm not in immediate danger." Rikku looked puzzled. "Okay," he said. "Try me." He turned toward her and pulled back his trench coat to give her a clear shot. "Go ahead. Hit me."
She hesitated, and then said, "Well, I guess I won't hurt you too bad." She wound up and shot her arm forward, stopping just before connection.
Traum didn't move.
"How can you stay perfectly still?" she asked in shock.
He grinned. "I knew you weren't going to hit me. Your eyes gave you away," he explained.
"So, if I was actually going to hit you, you'd stop me?" she asked.
"Maybe." He smiled again.
She threw another punch, this time closing her eyes. She intended to hit him, but instead she felt like she was sitting down in mid-air. She felt an arm under her neck, and another across the backs of her knees. She gasped and opened her eyes.
Traum was looking down at her, still smiling. Rikku looked up at him and smiled back. "You are good," she told him.
"You have no idea," he responded. He looked serenely into her eyes. He bent his head down and brought her closer to him as he closed his eyes and gently kissed her.
Rikku was shocked. She thought to herself, "Jeez, I've only known this guy for a couple hours." Then she thought, "Well, he is kinda cute, and I can't really go anywhere. Aw, what the hell?"
She put her arms around his neck and lean her head back. She closed her eyes and began to let him kiss her.
Then, a voice came up from the top of the stairs. "Oh! Sorry, guys. I'll come back later," Wakka said as he turned around.
Rikku caught herself, shocked. She brought her arms back as Traum slowly set her down. "Wakka, wait!"
"Huh? You sure? I don't wanna interrupt nothing, ya?" He winked.
"We were just..." Rikku searched for an excuse.
"Hey, Rikku, it's cool. Anyway, I came 'cause Lu said she wanted to see you in the bridge."
"Me?" Rikku asked.
"Both of you," Wakka said.
"Oh, great," Traum commented as Wakka left.
Rikku looked up at Traum. "I, uh..." she stumbled to find the words.
"I'm sorry," Traum said, beating her to it. "We should go." Rikku nodded. He followed her down the stairs, thinking to himself, "This little excursion may turn out to be more fun than I thought."
He smiled again, and they headed for the bridge.
Chapter 4
Traum stood on the deck of the airship. He had seen many things, but it had been ages since he'd been in such a large machina. "Too long," he told himself. He preferred the Al Bhed customs over those of Yevon. They allowed so much freedom.
He wondered why they were going to the Calm Lands. There was nothing there. It was simply a giant, open field. He decided that he'd ask Auron later. Now he was enjoying the view outside. He needed to relax.
Rikku came up the wide stairs. She took awkward steps toward Traum. He noticed this and slid a little to the right, motioning for her to stand there. He turned back to the window. Rikku did the same.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked. "Being just above the clouds?"
Traum smiled. "Yes, it is. The Al Bhed certainly know how to live, don't they?"
"Hmm, I suppose we do," she replied. She bowed her head and began to shuffle her feet slightly.
Traum knew she had come to tell him something else. He decided to break her tension. "Did Auron say anything about why we're going to the Calm Lands?"
"What? Oh, no. He just kept mumbling something about this being Tidus' story. Frankly, I think the old guy's lost it."
Traum laughed. "I think he lost it long ago."
Rikku giggled quietly, but soon fell silent again.
Now Traum was curious. "Go ahead and ask. You don't have to be afraid," he said, still looking at the sky.
Rikku slowly looked up at him. She began timidly, "Well...okay, it's about before, in Luca."
"I truly am sorry about that." Traum apologized.
"No, no. It's okay. I wanted you to do that." She paused. "And besides. If you hadn't done what you did, everyone would think we're both crazy." She smiled.
"That's true. But I didn't mean to hurt you. I get a little carried away."
"But thanks to you, I'm perfectly fine now," Rikku reminded him.
Traum stopped. "There's something else, isn't there?" he asked. "I can hear it in your voice. You want to ask me something."
"Wow, you're pretty good at that. Yeah, well...I did kinda have a question."
"Go on," he urged.
"Well, your reflexes are super fast, ya know?" she started.
"Yes, I know." He smiled again.
"Well, I was wondering," she paused. "Can you, ya know, control them?" she asked.
"What?" Traum didn't really understand.
"You know, like, could you have stopped them?" she clarified.
"You want to know if I can hold myself back?" he laughed.
"Well, yeah..."
He sighed. "Under the right circumstances, yes. If I feel like I'm not in immediate danger." Rikku looked puzzled. "Okay," he said. "Try me." He turned toward her and pulled back his trench coat to give her a clear shot. "Go ahead. Hit me."
She hesitated, and then said, "Well, I guess I won't hurt you too bad." She wound up and shot her arm forward, stopping just before connection.
Traum didn't move.
"How can you stay perfectly still?" she asked in shock.
He grinned. "I knew you weren't going to hit me. Your eyes gave you away," he explained.
"So, if I was actually going to hit you, you'd stop me?" she asked.
"Maybe." He smiled again.
She threw another punch, this time closing her eyes. She intended to hit him, but instead she felt like she was sitting down in mid-air. She felt an arm under her neck, and another across the backs of her knees. She gasped and opened her eyes.
Traum was looking down at her, still smiling. Rikku looked up at him and smiled back. "You are good," she told him.
"You have no idea," he responded. He looked serenely into her eyes. He bent his head down and brought her closer to him as he closed his eyes and gently kissed her.
Rikku was shocked. She thought to herself, "Jeez, I've only known this guy for a couple hours." Then she thought, "Well, he is kinda cute, and I can't really go anywhere. Aw, what the hell?"
She put her arms around his neck and lean her head back. She closed her eyes and began to let him kiss her.
Then, a voice came up from the top of the stairs. "Oh! Sorry, guys. I'll come back later," Wakka said as he turned around.
Rikku caught herself, shocked. She brought her arms back as Traum slowly set her down. "Wakka, wait!"
"Huh? You sure? I don't wanna interrupt nothing, ya?" He winked.
"We were just..." Rikku searched for an excuse.
"Hey, Rikku, it's cool. Anyway, I came 'cause Lu said she wanted to see you in the bridge."
"Me?" Rikku asked.
"Both of you," Wakka said.
"Oh, great," Traum commented as Wakka left.
Rikku looked up at Traum. "I, uh..." she stumbled to find the words.
"I'm sorry," Traum said, beating her to it. "We should go." Rikku nodded. He followed her down the stairs, thinking to himself, "This little excursion may turn out to be more fun than I thought."
He smiled again, and they headed for the bridge.