Sad Ending
A small sigh escaped the warrior, and Rikku froze again as crimson eyes flickered open sleepily, still glazed with dreams not yet completely gone. The younger's lips parted in sudden anticipation, sudden hope, and a pink tongue darted out quickly.
"Nooj?"
Something cracked inside her.
Paine mumbled in her sleep as her eyelids opened wider, then closed tightly, and she sighed again. "Nooj?" Longing, wanting… pain forced into that one word that was almost a groan.
Something shattered, and Rikku drew back, hand flying to her mouth to muffle an almost choking half-sob. All stealth gone in the unexpected event, she lost her balance as she tripped and fell to the ground, landing hard. Ignoring the stinging pain in her bottom, Rikku pressed the hand tighter, green eyes huge with shock.
The crimson orbs finally opened into wakefulness, and Paine blinked, mouth open even as the cursed name left her lips one last time, just a whisper. She looked to the side; saw the Al Bhed. The name was changed. "Rikku?"
Rikku pushed her hand tighter yet, as if to smother herself.
"What the hell are you doing on the ground?" A cold smirk touched her beautiful features briefly, even as that look of longing crossed them. Memories, no doubt, of some romance past.
Rikku didn't want to know.
"Well?"
She didn't want to know, didn't want to know, she was done. The hand came down. "Nothing. Sleepwalking, I guess."
"Don't wake me up next time. We're leaving Besaid in the morning; go to sleep."
"Yeah… sure."
Paine turned on her side and immediately succumbed to slumber. Back to dreams of pain, blood, death and betrayal by someone whose name she called even in unconsciousness.
Stumbling back to her side of the room, Rikku collapsed onto her cot. Burying her face in the flat pillow, she wept for a lost obsession that would never be hers.