A/N: Hm, I don't know which chapter was my favorite; this one or the
previous one. But first, thanks so much for your wonderful reviews,
everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. Heh, I knew you would.
Oh, one more thing. Someone mentioned that I seem to favor names that begin with the letter "S." So try this out for me. Anyone who has an Al Bhed translator, translate Sasuno's name from Al Bhed into English, and see what word you get. =p
If you don't know what word "Sasuno" from Al Bhed to English spells, ask me in an email. .
=====
{{ Chapter 12: Dreams of Tomorrow}}
=====
"S-Serru...?" Rikku heard herself whisper, taking a step back. She couldn't believe it. His green eyes seemed to glow as he smiled at her, standing up from the chair.
Her legs suddenly felt weak, and for a moment it seemed as if everything was tilting all around her. A firm hand on her shoulder snapped her out of reverie, causing her vision and mind to clear up again.
Serru smiled, offering a gloved hand to her.
"It's so nice to see you again, Rikku," he spoke confidently, stopping right in front of her.
Rikku could simply stand there, green eyes blazing. A rush of emotions washed over her—confusion, fear, but most of all, anger. She felt her hand clenching and unclenching, a sign that her anger was getting the best of her.
"Sasuno, I take it that all went smoothly with her?" Serru suddenly spoke up, causing Rikku to shift her attention back to him. She stepped to the side a bit, moving so that she could see both of them at the same time. Her eyes narrowed at Serru.
Sasuno let his gaze linger on Rikku for a moment before turning back to Serru. "Y-Yeah, it went fine..." he trailed off, unable to think of what exactly he wanted to say here. He was torn. Torn between doing what he knew was right, and doing this in order to survive. His eyes flickered back to Rikku, who was glaring hard at Serru, although the other man didn't seem to notice the girl's eyes on him.
"Good, then why don't you show Rikku her room?" Serru asked, his hands clasped behind him. Rikku saw him smile at her, but turned her head away in disgust. He seemed to smirk at this, shaking his head a bit in amusement.
"Rikku, I'll take you now..." Sasuno spoke up right then. She turned to face him, seeing the apologetic look in his chestnut eyes. Nodding, she followed him out the door, not looking back at Serru again.
Sasuno let her pass by him, before turning around and pulling the double doors tightly shut. He stole a glance at Serru one last time before the doors closed.
They stood in silence in the hall for some time.
"What's he thinkin' anyway?!" Rikku finally exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, her orange scarf trailing behind her as she began to pace in front of Sasuno. He could only watch, guilt eating away at him.
"Listen Rikku, I don't think I had the chance to properly apologize to you after everything..." Sasuno began thoughtfully. He looked up to see if she was looking at him. She was, and to his surprise, Rikku began to chuckle softly.
"You know something," she began, adjusting her gloves. "I was terrified of you when you cornered me at first, but when you started to act nicely on the airship...I..." Rikku trailed off, suddenly looking at the polished floors beneath them. Her reflection stared back at her.
"I uh..." Sasuno began, immediately getting cut off by Rikku, who suddenly hit him on the shoulder, albeit softly. He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling sideways. "What was that for?"
She laughed again. "That's my way of saying sorry for kneeing you back there."
Sasuno laughed as well, his voice echoing across the empty hallway. "I guess we're even then, huh?" he asked, remembering his shock at how strong Rikku was after he was kneed by her. He couldn't help but laugh at the memory.
Rikku studied him. His chestnut eyes sparkled as he laughed, causing her to shake her head at his silliness.
"I um..." she began hesitantly. He looked up momentarily.
"What is it?"
She paused again, selecting her words carefully. "It's about Gippal."
Upon hearing her speak the name, Sasuno felt his smile fade away. He turned his head away from her.
"That name...you've mentioned it before..." he muttered, more to himself than to her.
Rikku took a step closer to him. "Huh? What did you say?"
He looked up. "You mentioned him before, haven't you? Back on the other ship?" She nodded, pressing him to continue. "Are you...involved with him?" Sasuno finally asked, watching her facial features carefully.
She was about to open her mouth to respond, but realized that she was hesitating. Was there something between her and Gippal? Rikku looked down at her boots. Despite everything that she had experienced with Gippal, from his kisses to all the moments she had spent with him when they were alone, there was a nagging feeling that was pulling at the edge of her heart, and she didn't know why.
Rikku felt like slapping herself. Here it was again. That side of her that was pessimistic. And it was rearing its ugly head at the worst possible time.
Of course Gippal meant something to her. She had felt it that night when he leaned down to kiss her, and she knew it when her heart had opened up to him. He had made her feel loved, loved in a different kind of way. It was not the love one received from family and friends, which Rikku had known and appreciated for so long. This was a feeling that made her heart soar. She knew that this was what she had been searching for her whole life, and Gippal had given her that and much more.
He made her feel alive again, shedding light on her once confused heart and making her realize that life had another side to it. This was the reason why people always seemed to hold the hope of finding their own love one day. She finally understood it.
Yes, Gippal was the one. She had found him at last.
"Yes...we are," Rikku simply responded, raising her eyes to look up at Sasuno just as he met her gaze.
He turned away from her suddenly right then, nodding once. "I see."
Rikku said nothing, and decided not to say anything more.
"This way, Rikku..." Sasuno spoke up again, changing the subject completely. He began to walk away from the hallway, heading towards the large middle floor and to the other side. Rikku was about to speak, but opted instead to follow Sasuno in silence.
He continued to lead them through twisting hallways, making it difficult for Rikku to believe that the Al Bhed had built all this. She moved her eyes to Sasuno again, watching him carefully. It was strange to think that this same young man had acted roughly towards her in the beginning, yet now it seemed as if he was almost hesitant with this whole "kidnapping."
Rikku smiled at the thought, a bubble of laughter escaping her lips.
"What's so funny?" Sasuno asked. Rikku paused and looked up, realizing that he had stopped walking and was now regarding her with his dark chestnut eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her, awaiting a response.
She laughed, continuing to walk past him. "Nothing, nothing. Just lead me to my room."
Sasuno stood with his mouth slightly open, following the girl with his eyes before turning fully around to face her. She was standing a few feet ahead of him, a small smile on her face.
"Well?" he prompted again, crossing his arms.
"Well what?" Rikku countered. She wanted to play this one out, even if she knew that she was being irritating.
Sasuno took a step towards her. "You were smiling back there."
"And?"
He took another step, turning to slowly circle her as he continued to speak. He rolled his eyes. "And I want to know why."
Rikku put a finger to the side of her face, as if thinking deeply. "Well if you really wanna know, it was because I realized something," she finally replied, causing Sasuno to stop pacing around her for a moment.
"What did you realize?" he asked hesitantly, almost dreading what her answer would be.
Silence.
"You really don't want to do this...do you?" she asked, avoiding Sasuno's gaze and trying to hide the smile that was forming at her lips.
He froze, startled by her abrupt words. "Huh, what do you..."
Rikku walked to him, putting her hands on her hips. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, her smile widening. He gaped at her, his expression helpless.
"W-Wait, that's not true!" Sasuno protested, chasing after Rikku who had moved towards the center of the large room. His voice echoed throughout the hall.
She spun around to face him, jabbing a finger into his chest. He stared down at her in shock.
"Listen Sasuno, I know that deep down you're just a big softie...so let me go!" Rikku whispered, her voice lowering significantly. He continued to look at her, her green eyes sparkling as she awaited his response.
'Damn, she's right...'
"No, you're not right!" Sasuno replied, whispering as well. He reached out and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, causing Rikku to pause and turn around to face him.
"This whole thing...I have no choice but to do it for Serru..." Sasuno began, already regretting what had just come out of his mouth. But it was too late. The truth was bound to come out sooner or later. She was simply the catalyst that pushed it to occur.
"What do you mean?" Rikku asked slowly. She felt that Sasuno still had a hand on her shoulder before he dropped it.
He caught himself. "Forget it. It doesn't matter," he spoke softly. Rikku was about to press for him to continue, but his rich voice interrupted her. "Come with me now, Rikku. I'll take you to your room."
=====
"But Sir...there's no way we can search every city in Spira! That would take weeks...months even!"
Gippal ran a hand through his hair in frustration, turning around to pace around the metal flooring of the control room. His boots echoed heavily in the still silence of the room. The men could only watch their leader helplessly.
Another moment of silence hung in the air before Gippal stopped. They could see his hand clenching and unclenching against his side. Finally, they saw him turn around.
"Take me to Cid."
One of the men stood up, taking a hesitant step towards their leader. "He's in Luca right now, Sir, and—"
"Then I guess we're going there then," Gippal interrupted, turning around to face the other man. "The sooner you move, the sooner I can tell Cid what happened to Rikku..." Gippal trailed off quietly, fear rising within him.
=====
"Geez, what does that jerk think he's doing with me here?!" Rikku demanded loudly, stomping into the room as Sasuno held the doors open for her. He could only look on in silence. "I hope he knows that I won't go quietly," she continued on, standing a few feet away from Sasuno.
"So...what do you plan on doing?" Rikku heard him ask. His tone was even, yet his words were not. Rikku could sense that it seemed as if he even wanted to help her. But she knew that it could never happen.
She paused, sitting down on the bed beneath her. The silk sheets were cold against her bare legs. "I'm gonna find a way to escape. That's what I'm gonna do!"
He chuckled softly, moving into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Rikku, I know you have the determination, but there's guards all around this place. How do you plan on getting by that?" Sasuno asked, now standing at the foot of the bed.
Rikku felt her spirit drop. "Ah, tysh. I forgot about that..."
She looked up as Sasuno began to laugh again. "Wh-What's so funny?" she asked him in confusion, searching his brown eyes.
Sasuno flopped down on the opposite side of the bed, leaning lazily against the pillows. "It's just that I never dreamed you of the type that would curse like that," he replied, continuing to chuckle quietly.
She rolled her eyes at him, sitting so that her back was to him. "Well I wouldn't really be one to talk, Sasuno," Rikku responded smartly, raising an eyebrow at him. He stopped laughing.
"And what do you mean by that?" he demanded, sitting up from the bed. It was her turn to smile at him.
"You know you don't want to keep me here, right?" Rikku asked again, scooting closer to him, a sly smile on her face. Sasuno felt himself leaning away from her. He wondered why this girl was making him as nervous as he was.
"I told you. It's my job. The only thing I can do for you is make this as painless as possible..." Sasuno simply replied, his eyes avoiding hers.
"Oh, I see..." Rikku replied, her voice low. He looked up at her. She had her back to him once more. Searching his thoughts, he realized that he had nothing more that he could say to her. He shifted his body, preparing to stand up.
"You should get some rest, Rikku," he spoke, walking towards the door. He could feel her eyes on his back. "I'll see you in the morning." And with that, he opened the door, walking out and shutting it behind him.
Rikku stared at the heavy doors, arguing with herself on where she stood with Sasuno. Obviously it didn't seem as if he was enforcing this whole "kidnapping" situation at all. He had softened significantly since their encounter on Gippal's airship. She frowned. If it was that easy with him, then why wouldn't he help her escape?
His words rang in her mind. Oh, right. He was doing it because it was job. She frowned. Or was there more to it than that?
She flopped down on the soft bed, feeling her eyelids drifting shut. The silk sheets were just too soft beneath her tired body.
"No, I can't sleep. What if something happens to...me...here..." Rikku spoke aloud, her words fading as sleep gradually took over.
She had not even had the chance to check the lock on her door.
=====
"Rikku..."
"come now, open your eyes..."
"...open your eyes...and look at me..."
A soft feeling against her arm caused her to stir, carrying her from the safety of her dreams to the dangerous situation of her reality. She cracked one eye open, seeing that it was still dark. Preparing to turn herself over and drift back to sleep, Rikku was vaguely aware of a nearby presence.
"Ah, so you're finally awake...Rikku," a soft voice spoke. She froze, before immediately scrambling up into a sitting position.
The first thing she saw was a man seated in a chair next to her bed. She could see his outline in the dim light. Even in the darkness, she could see his green eyes, burning into hers as a smile formed on his lips. A soft finger stroked her cheek and arm, making her realize that it was the same feeling that caused her to awaken.
Serru.
She didn't even need to see his face.
She knew it was him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rikku hissed in the dark, a voice that she didn't recognize as her own rising within her. Kicking away the blankets, she moved her body towards the other side of the bed before standing up completely so that the bed was the only thing that separated them.
Serru stood, running a hand through his hair before climbing on top of the bed. Rikku's eyes widened, realizing that he was moving towards her quicker than she thought he would. He was suddenly very close to her and before she knew it, he had crossed over the bed and was now standing beside her.
The fact that she could not see Serru's face frightened her the most, and his broad chest filled her vision as he towered over her. Chastising herself for being so careless and not moving away quickly enough, she began to turn away. But he was quicker.
She had not even taken two steps away from him, that his arms came around her from behind, preventing any possibility of escaping.
"Argh! Let go of me, you jerk!" Rikku exclaimed, wildly trying to free herself from his grasp. But he was too strong. His grip was like iron, and the more she struggled, the more it began to bruise her arms. She winced suddenly, the bruises from her earlier encounter with Sasuno on Gippal's airship still present.
"My, my. You certainly are a strong-willed girl. I knew you were," Serru whispered, still grasping her tightly against him.
"No! Stop it!" Rikku continued, tears threatening to fall. No. Not now. Tears wouldn't solve anything now. She had to fight him off. Lifting up her right leg, she swiftly wrapped it around one of Serru's legs, in hopes of taking him down. As long as he was caught off guard, she could try to escape. It was dark out, so maybe there weren't any guards. She had to take a risk.
Serru looked at Rikku, feeling her leg snake around one of his. He was about to question her, when he suddenly lost his balance and footing, landing hard on the bed beside them as Rikku had taken them both down.
The two fell down on the bed, Serru still holding her close to him as she ended up on his chest, her blonde hair spilling out around both of them. Rikku held her breath, the darkness in the room making her dizzy. She could feel Serru beneath her, his steady breathing countering her quick breaths.
"So very nice of you to put us in this position...Rikku," Serru whispered in amusement, his lips mere centimeters below hers. His arms tightened its hold around her. She tried to keep her face turned away as she squeezed her eyes together in disgust.
"Argh...you make me sick..." she could only respond helplessly. Instead of responding, Rikku's eyes shot open as he quickly flipped them over, so that he was on top. Fear raced throughout her as she saw Serru lean his face down, his figure still enshrouded in shadows. She had not once seen his face, and really didn't want to. The fact that her attacker was doing this to her in complete darkness was the most frightening part.
He held both of her hands above her head, pinning them down with one of his arms. His knees pinned her legs down as well.
Rikku felt a tear slide down her face. "Please...don't do this..." she whimpered in fear, hating herself for being in such a vulnerable position. Without a weapon, no spheres, no magic, she was helpless.
Serru smirked down at her. She could see his white teeth flash briefly in the darkness.
"No one is here to help you, my dear," he whispered.
Her eyes widened and she struggled to break free, beginning to feel one of his hands snake up her thigh. She screamed.
The door suddenly burst open, light flooding into the room almost immediately.
"Get the hell off her, you bastard!" Rikku heard a man exclaim. That voice...
"Sasuno, you're just in time," Serru spoke up, climbing away from Rikku and smoothing himself out before standing. Rikku could see Sasuno look past Serru and at her. His eyes softened when he saw that she was alright. He locked his gaze on Serru's again, his expression turning hard.
Serru chuckled, pacing around the room. He flicked his hair back.
"Haha, don't think you can stop me..." he began, turning his gaze to look at Sasuno.
"...brother."
======
A/N: Wee! Hm, that took me longer to type than I expected. It took some time for me to describe the scenes carefully to make sure the readers could visualize what was happening well.
Yeah, so evil, evil Serru! Oh, and I knew you would soften up to Sasuno. And to those who absolutely love Rikku (like I do ), my apologies for treating her badly in this chapter. ;; I had to do it for the sake of the plot, so I hope you understand. =)
Pssst. Gippal is coming soon!
See you in the next chapter, and thanks again for all the support. You guys rule.
Oh, one more thing. Someone mentioned that I seem to favor names that begin with the letter "S." So try this out for me. Anyone who has an Al Bhed translator, translate Sasuno's name from Al Bhed into English, and see what word you get. =p
If you don't know what word "Sasuno" from Al Bhed to English spells, ask me in an email. .
=====
{{ Chapter 12: Dreams of Tomorrow}}
=====
"S-Serru...?" Rikku heard herself whisper, taking a step back. She couldn't believe it. His green eyes seemed to glow as he smiled at her, standing up from the chair.
Her legs suddenly felt weak, and for a moment it seemed as if everything was tilting all around her. A firm hand on her shoulder snapped her out of reverie, causing her vision and mind to clear up again.
Serru smiled, offering a gloved hand to her.
"It's so nice to see you again, Rikku," he spoke confidently, stopping right in front of her.
Rikku could simply stand there, green eyes blazing. A rush of emotions washed over her—confusion, fear, but most of all, anger. She felt her hand clenching and unclenching, a sign that her anger was getting the best of her.
"Sasuno, I take it that all went smoothly with her?" Serru suddenly spoke up, causing Rikku to shift her attention back to him. She stepped to the side a bit, moving so that she could see both of them at the same time. Her eyes narrowed at Serru.
Sasuno let his gaze linger on Rikku for a moment before turning back to Serru. "Y-Yeah, it went fine..." he trailed off, unable to think of what exactly he wanted to say here. He was torn. Torn between doing what he knew was right, and doing this in order to survive. His eyes flickered back to Rikku, who was glaring hard at Serru, although the other man didn't seem to notice the girl's eyes on him.
"Good, then why don't you show Rikku her room?" Serru asked, his hands clasped behind him. Rikku saw him smile at her, but turned her head away in disgust. He seemed to smirk at this, shaking his head a bit in amusement.
"Rikku, I'll take you now..." Sasuno spoke up right then. She turned to face him, seeing the apologetic look in his chestnut eyes. Nodding, she followed him out the door, not looking back at Serru again.
Sasuno let her pass by him, before turning around and pulling the double doors tightly shut. He stole a glance at Serru one last time before the doors closed.
They stood in silence in the hall for some time.
"What's he thinkin' anyway?!" Rikku finally exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, her orange scarf trailing behind her as she began to pace in front of Sasuno. He could only watch, guilt eating away at him.
"Listen Rikku, I don't think I had the chance to properly apologize to you after everything..." Sasuno began thoughtfully. He looked up to see if she was looking at him. She was, and to his surprise, Rikku began to chuckle softly.
"You know something," she began, adjusting her gloves. "I was terrified of you when you cornered me at first, but when you started to act nicely on the airship...I..." Rikku trailed off, suddenly looking at the polished floors beneath them. Her reflection stared back at her.
"I uh..." Sasuno began, immediately getting cut off by Rikku, who suddenly hit him on the shoulder, albeit softly. He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling sideways. "What was that for?"
She laughed again. "That's my way of saying sorry for kneeing you back there."
Sasuno laughed as well, his voice echoing across the empty hallway. "I guess we're even then, huh?" he asked, remembering his shock at how strong Rikku was after he was kneed by her. He couldn't help but laugh at the memory.
Rikku studied him. His chestnut eyes sparkled as he laughed, causing her to shake her head at his silliness.
"I um..." she began hesitantly. He looked up momentarily.
"What is it?"
She paused again, selecting her words carefully. "It's about Gippal."
Upon hearing her speak the name, Sasuno felt his smile fade away. He turned his head away from her.
"That name...you've mentioned it before..." he muttered, more to himself than to her.
Rikku took a step closer to him. "Huh? What did you say?"
He looked up. "You mentioned him before, haven't you? Back on the other ship?" She nodded, pressing him to continue. "Are you...involved with him?" Sasuno finally asked, watching her facial features carefully.
She was about to open her mouth to respond, but realized that she was hesitating. Was there something between her and Gippal? Rikku looked down at her boots. Despite everything that she had experienced with Gippal, from his kisses to all the moments she had spent with him when they were alone, there was a nagging feeling that was pulling at the edge of her heart, and she didn't know why.
Rikku felt like slapping herself. Here it was again. That side of her that was pessimistic. And it was rearing its ugly head at the worst possible time.
Of course Gippal meant something to her. She had felt it that night when he leaned down to kiss her, and she knew it when her heart had opened up to him. He had made her feel loved, loved in a different kind of way. It was not the love one received from family and friends, which Rikku had known and appreciated for so long. This was a feeling that made her heart soar. She knew that this was what she had been searching for her whole life, and Gippal had given her that and much more.
He made her feel alive again, shedding light on her once confused heart and making her realize that life had another side to it. This was the reason why people always seemed to hold the hope of finding their own love one day. She finally understood it.
Yes, Gippal was the one. She had found him at last.
"Yes...we are," Rikku simply responded, raising her eyes to look up at Sasuno just as he met her gaze.
He turned away from her suddenly right then, nodding once. "I see."
Rikku said nothing, and decided not to say anything more.
"This way, Rikku..." Sasuno spoke up again, changing the subject completely. He began to walk away from the hallway, heading towards the large middle floor and to the other side. Rikku was about to speak, but opted instead to follow Sasuno in silence.
He continued to lead them through twisting hallways, making it difficult for Rikku to believe that the Al Bhed had built all this. She moved her eyes to Sasuno again, watching him carefully. It was strange to think that this same young man had acted roughly towards her in the beginning, yet now it seemed as if he was almost hesitant with this whole "kidnapping."
Rikku smiled at the thought, a bubble of laughter escaping her lips.
"What's so funny?" Sasuno asked. Rikku paused and looked up, realizing that he had stopped walking and was now regarding her with his dark chestnut eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her, awaiting a response.
She laughed, continuing to walk past him. "Nothing, nothing. Just lead me to my room."
Sasuno stood with his mouth slightly open, following the girl with his eyes before turning fully around to face her. She was standing a few feet ahead of him, a small smile on her face.
"Well?" he prompted again, crossing his arms.
"Well what?" Rikku countered. She wanted to play this one out, even if she knew that she was being irritating.
Sasuno took a step towards her. "You were smiling back there."
"And?"
He took another step, turning to slowly circle her as he continued to speak. He rolled his eyes. "And I want to know why."
Rikku put a finger to the side of her face, as if thinking deeply. "Well if you really wanna know, it was because I realized something," she finally replied, causing Sasuno to stop pacing around her for a moment.
"What did you realize?" he asked hesitantly, almost dreading what her answer would be.
Silence.
"You really don't want to do this...do you?" she asked, avoiding Sasuno's gaze and trying to hide the smile that was forming at her lips.
He froze, startled by her abrupt words. "Huh, what do you..."
Rikku walked to him, putting her hands on her hips. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, her smile widening. He gaped at her, his expression helpless.
"W-Wait, that's not true!" Sasuno protested, chasing after Rikku who had moved towards the center of the large room. His voice echoed throughout the hall.
She spun around to face him, jabbing a finger into his chest. He stared down at her in shock.
"Listen Sasuno, I know that deep down you're just a big softie...so let me go!" Rikku whispered, her voice lowering significantly. He continued to look at her, her green eyes sparkling as she awaited his response.
'Damn, she's right...'
"No, you're not right!" Sasuno replied, whispering as well. He reached out and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, causing Rikku to pause and turn around to face him.
"This whole thing...I have no choice but to do it for Serru..." Sasuno began, already regretting what had just come out of his mouth. But it was too late. The truth was bound to come out sooner or later. She was simply the catalyst that pushed it to occur.
"What do you mean?" Rikku asked slowly. She felt that Sasuno still had a hand on her shoulder before he dropped it.
He caught himself. "Forget it. It doesn't matter," he spoke softly. Rikku was about to press for him to continue, but his rich voice interrupted her. "Come with me now, Rikku. I'll take you to your room."
=====
"But Sir...there's no way we can search every city in Spira! That would take weeks...months even!"
Gippal ran a hand through his hair in frustration, turning around to pace around the metal flooring of the control room. His boots echoed heavily in the still silence of the room. The men could only watch their leader helplessly.
Another moment of silence hung in the air before Gippal stopped. They could see his hand clenching and unclenching against his side. Finally, they saw him turn around.
"Take me to Cid."
One of the men stood up, taking a hesitant step towards their leader. "He's in Luca right now, Sir, and—"
"Then I guess we're going there then," Gippal interrupted, turning around to face the other man. "The sooner you move, the sooner I can tell Cid what happened to Rikku..." Gippal trailed off quietly, fear rising within him.
=====
"Geez, what does that jerk think he's doing with me here?!" Rikku demanded loudly, stomping into the room as Sasuno held the doors open for her. He could only look on in silence. "I hope he knows that I won't go quietly," she continued on, standing a few feet away from Sasuno.
"So...what do you plan on doing?" Rikku heard him ask. His tone was even, yet his words were not. Rikku could sense that it seemed as if he even wanted to help her. But she knew that it could never happen.
She paused, sitting down on the bed beneath her. The silk sheets were cold against her bare legs. "I'm gonna find a way to escape. That's what I'm gonna do!"
He chuckled softly, moving into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Rikku, I know you have the determination, but there's guards all around this place. How do you plan on getting by that?" Sasuno asked, now standing at the foot of the bed.
Rikku felt her spirit drop. "Ah, tysh. I forgot about that..."
She looked up as Sasuno began to laugh again. "Wh-What's so funny?" she asked him in confusion, searching his brown eyes.
Sasuno flopped down on the opposite side of the bed, leaning lazily against the pillows. "It's just that I never dreamed you of the type that would curse like that," he replied, continuing to chuckle quietly.
She rolled her eyes at him, sitting so that her back was to him. "Well I wouldn't really be one to talk, Sasuno," Rikku responded smartly, raising an eyebrow at him. He stopped laughing.
"And what do you mean by that?" he demanded, sitting up from the bed. It was her turn to smile at him.
"You know you don't want to keep me here, right?" Rikku asked again, scooting closer to him, a sly smile on her face. Sasuno felt himself leaning away from her. He wondered why this girl was making him as nervous as he was.
"I told you. It's my job. The only thing I can do for you is make this as painless as possible..." Sasuno simply replied, his eyes avoiding hers.
"Oh, I see..." Rikku replied, her voice low. He looked up at her. She had her back to him once more. Searching his thoughts, he realized that he had nothing more that he could say to her. He shifted his body, preparing to stand up.
"You should get some rest, Rikku," he spoke, walking towards the door. He could feel her eyes on his back. "I'll see you in the morning." And with that, he opened the door, walking out and shutting it behind him.
Rikku stared at the heavy doors, arguing with herself on where she stood with Sasuno. Obviously it didn't seem as if he was enforcing this whole "kidnapping" situation at all. He had softened significantly since their encounter on Gippal's airship. She frowned. If it was that easy with him, then why wouldn't he help her escape?
His words rang in her mind. Oh, right. He was doing it because it was job. She frowned. Or was there more to it than that?
She flopped down on the soft bed, feeling her eyelids drifting shut. The silk sheets were just too soft beneath her tired body.
"No, I can't sleep. What if something happens to...me...here..." Rikku spoke aloud, her words fading as sleep gradually took over.
She had not even had the chance to check the lock on her door.
=====
"Rikku..."
"come now, open your eyes..."
"...open your eyes...and look at me..."
A soft feeling against her arm caused her to stir, carrying her from the safety of her dreams to the dangerous situation of her reality. She cracked one eye open, seeing that it was still dark. Preparing to turn herself over and drift back to sleep, Rikku was vaguely aware of a nearby presence.
"Ah, so you're finally awake...Rikku," a soft voice spoke. She froze, before immediately scrambling up into a sitting position.
The first thing she saw was a man seated in a chair next to her bed. She could see his outline in the dim light. Even in the darkness, she could see his green eyes, burning into hers as a smile formed on his lips. A soft finger stroked her cheek and arm, making her realize that it was the same feeling that caused her to awaken.
Serru.
She didn't even need to see his face.
She knew it was him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rikku hissed in the dark, a voice that she didn't recognize as her own rising within her. Kicking away the blankets, she moved her body towards the other side of the bed before standing up completely so that the bed was the only thing that separated them.
Serru stood, running a hand through his hair before climbing on top of the bed. Rikku's eyes widened, realizing that he was moving towards her quicker than she thought he would. He was suddenly very close to her and before she knew it, he had crossed over the bed and was now standing beside her.
The fact that she could not see Serru's face frightened her the most, and his broad chest filled her vision as he towered over her. Chastising herself for being so careless and not moving away quickly enough, she began to turn away. But he was quicker.
She had not even taken two steps away from him, that his arms came around her from behind, preventing any possibility of escaping.
"Argh! Let go of me, you jerk!" Rikku exclaimed, wildly trying to free herself from his grasp. But he was too strong. His grip was like iron, and the more she struggled, the more it began to bruise her arms. She winced suddenly, the bruises from her earlier encounter with Sasuno on Gippal's airship still present.
"My, my. You certainly are a strong-willed girl. I knew you were," Serru whispered, still grasping her tightly against him.
"No! Stop it!" Rikku continued, tears threatening to fall. No. Not now. Tears wouldn't solve anything now. She had to fight him off. Lifting up her right leg, she swiftly wrapped it around one of Serru's legs, in hopes of taking him down. As long as he was caught off guard, she could try to escape. It was dark out, so maybe there weren't any guards. She had to take a risk.
Serru looked at Rikku, feeling her leg snake around one of his. He was about to question her, when he suddenly lost his balance and footing, landing hard on the bed beside them as Rikku had taken them both down.
The two fell down on the bed, Serru still holding her close to him as she ended up on his chest, her blonde hair spilling out around both of them. Rikku held her breath, the darkness in the room making her dizzy. She could feel Serru beneath her, his steady breathing countering her quick breaths.
"So very nice of you to put us in this position...Rikku," Serru whispered in amusement, his lips mere centimeters below hers. His arms tightened its hold around her. She tried to keep her face turned away as she squeezed her eyes together in disgust.
"Argh...you make me sick..." she could only respond helplessly. Instead of responding, Rikku's eyes shot open as he quickly flipped them over, so that he was on top. Fear raced throughout her as she saw Serru lean his face down, his figure still enshrouded in shadows. She had not once seen his face, and really didn't want to. The fact that her attacker was doing this to her in complete darkness was the most frightening part.
He held both of her hands above her head, pinning them down with one of his arms. His knees pinned her legs down as well.
Rikku felt a tear slide down her face. "Please...don't do this..." she whimpered in fear, hating herself for being in such a vulnerable position. Without a weapon, no spheres, no magic, she was helpless.
Serru smirked down at her. She could see his white teeth flash briefly in the darkness.
"No one is here to help you, my dear," he whispered.
Her eyes widened and she struggled to break free, beginning to feel one of his hands snake up her thigh. She screamed.
The door suddenly burst open, light flooding into the room almost immediately.
"Get the hell off her, you bastard!" Rikku heard a man exclaim. That voice...
"Sasuno, you're just in time," Serru spoke up, climbing away from Rikku and smoothing himself out before standing. Rikku could see Sasuno look past Serru and at her. His eyes softened when he saw that she was alright. He locked his gaze on Serru's again, his expression turning hard.
Serru chuckled, pacing around the room. He flicked his hair back.
"Haha, don't think you can stop me..." he began, turning his gaze to look at Sasuno.
"...brother."
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A/N: Wee! Hm, that took me longer to type than I expected. It took some time for me to describe the scenes carefully to make sure the readers could visualize what was happening well.
Yeah, so evil, evil Serru! Oh, and I knew you would soften up to Sasuno. And to those who absolutely love Rikku (like I do ), my apologies for treating her badly in this chapter. ;; I had to do it for the sake of the plot, so I hope you understand. =)
Pssst. Gippal is coming soon!
See you in the next chapter, and thanks again for all the support. You guys rule.