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Black Dreams, White Dreams
By Lulu-san
Chapter 8 – Sleepwalking, Shopping, Shell
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Luca weather tended to consist of beautiful sunny days, but extremely cold nights. And that night was no exception. Shivering, Lulu pulled the covers closer around her. She had been dozing for a long time – never being able to fully go to sleep. In the back of her mind, she knew that she was too scared to go to sleep. She was afraid that she might see the nightmare again and consequently be sick. She hadn't kept a meal down overnight since the dreams started, and she was sure that tonight would be no different.
Lulu rolled over onto her side, sighing. She could hear the soft, rhythmic sound of Yuna's regular breathing as she slept. Lulu wasn't sure, but she was positive that she could also hear Rikku murmuring something in Al Bhed softly in her sleep. And then, of course, there was Wakka lying only a hand span away from her. For some reason, she felt extremely on edge – her skin tingled uncomfortable every time she brushed against him.
"Damn...." Lulu grumbled quietly, rolling over once again.
She could have sworn that she was absolutely exhausted, ready to fall asleep. So why couldn't she? It just didn't make sense.
The minutes ticked by painfully slowly. Lulu lay on her side and propped her head up with her hand. She was facing Wakka now, and she could just make out his profile in the darkness. She studied it for a while, staring intently at each feature, each line, each curve. He had been a pretty cute kid, she remembered. He was always popular with the other boys, as was Chappu. However, she smiled faintly, Chappu had always been more popular with the girls. Wakkas relationships with girls had never lasted very long. They always ended with his girlfriend claiming that he wasn't serious about the relationship, and that he was always acting distracted by something else. Lulu found that hard to believe, as Wakka had never treated anyone like that throughout the whole time Lulu had known him.
Closing her eyes once again, Lulu snuggled deeper into the warm blankets. She clamped her eyes shut, forcing herself to sleep. Before she knew it her thoughts were trailing away as she faded into sleep.
What seemed like hours later, Lulu's eyes suddenly snapped open. She sat bolt upright, and fought to get her breath. She was once again covered in cold sweat and shivering. She closed her eyes quickly, as though to block out the horrible nightmare that had just occurred.
"C'mon Lulu...."she thought anxiously to herself, biting her lip. "Keep it down.....keep it down."
A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead as she did her best to keep down the uprising nausea.
Lulu swore as a sudden wave of nausea rushed through her, and she clamped her hand over her mouth quickly. She peeled the sweaty sheets away from her body with her other hand, and quickly got out of bed. Wakka mumbled something as he turned over in his sleep, completely undisturbed. Still covering her mouth, she padded along the carpet, struggling to get to the living room, without waking anyone up.
Lulu stumbled around the darkened living room, trying to make her way to the bathroom across the unfamiliar area. She cursed and swore many times as she tripped over the many objects that Tidus had strewn around his makeshift 'bed'. The room was extremely dark, and only the vague outlines of objects were visible. As her eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness, she was able to successfully navigate herself to the bathroom.
Finally, she sunk down onto the cool bathroom tiles, the door shut securely behind her. A very unpleasant feeling in her throat brought her back to her current situation and she began to retch violently over the toilet.
"I must look so unglamorous right now..." she thought dryly, wiping a hand over her mouth, wishing she could remove the unpleasant taste somehow.
When all the vomiting had ceased, and Lulu was beginning to feel a little bit more like herself, she splashed some water on her face, and left the bathroom. Her eyes traveled over to the bedroom she was sharing, but she decided not to return there yet. Instead, she made her way over to the small balcony.
Once outside, Lulu breathed in the cool, fresh air deeply. The wind whipped her hair around her face, and she enjoyed the feeling of lightness. She leant over the balcony railing and gazed at the city below. Even though it was the middle of the night, many parts of Luca were still lit up in the darkness. Her gaze moved towards the dazzling lights of the blitz stadium. So many of her memories seemed to have something to do with blitzball.
Lulu lost track of time as she leant over the balcony, the city lights blurring in and out as she half closed her eyes. Another gust of icy cold wind whipped against her, traveling straight though her thin nightdress. She shivered as goosebumps began to form on her white skin. Sighing, she turned around and made her way back to the bedroom.
Lulu padded quietly along the carpet in the bedroom, nearly tripping over Rikku's luggage on many occasions. She was tempted to use a fire spell to create a tiny flicker of light to see by, but she decided not to. Firstly, she didn't want to risk waking anyone up, and secondly, her hand had still not healed properly after she had burnt it rescuing Yuna and Rikku's cooking on the ferry. She rubbed the rough skin gently with her other hand, hoping that it would heal soon. Wakka's cut hand had already faded away, but then again, he had Yuna's healing spell.
Finally, Lulu reached the bed she was sharing with Wakka. She clamored into her side of the bed, pulling the blankets up to her shoulder. Wakka had not stirred since she had been gone, and she felt a little guilty. After all, he had offered to help her, should she feel sick.
'I didn't want to wake him' she reassured herself. She was once again lying on her side, face to face with the sleeping Wakka.
Without warning, Wakka suddenly mumbled something incomprehensible and reached out with his arms, pulling her into a close embrace. Her cheek rested comfortably against his chest, and he rested his chin on her head. She could hear his heart beating softly, and it made her feel safe. A few seconds later, she snapped back to reality and pushed him away quickly, her heart thumping loudly inside her chest.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" she whispered harshly, before realizing that he was still asleep.
However, she soon realized that she wasn't angry, just surprised. After all, they had slept together many times as children, and even bathed together. And hadn't they only hugged the other day? It wasn't anything to get worried about, or even anything to be reacted so strongly to.
At least, that was Lulu was telling herself. But she just didn't know why her heart was beating so quickly, or why her cheeks felt hot and flushed.
"Stupid, idiotic, moronic, stupid, stupid Wakka." She grumbled to herself, rolling over and closing her eyes. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.
The morning sun was soon streaming though the windows, and the warm light gently spread over the shared bedroom.
"Mmmm..." Lulu murmured as she began to wake up.
However, as she opened her eyes, she froze at a certain realization. She was caught up in the embrace of someone behind her. His arms stretched around her waist, and he was resting his head on her back. Lulu's heart thumped loudly in her chest.
"What's he doing?" she thought angrily, perhaps more angry at her reaction, rather than his actions. "I'm not his teddybear!"
She reached down and seized one of his thin arms.
'Thin....arms?' A sudden thought hit her. Wakka didn't have thin arms.
She slowly turned around, facing her blonde haired embracer.
"Urrghh....sleep some more...sleep some...more...." Tidus grumbled in his sleep, breaking away from Lulu, and turning around to cuddle Wakka's back instead.
Lulu reached over and seized Tidus by his blonde hair.
"What the hell are you doing in my bed?" She snarled, shaking viciously.
"Uhh....." Tidus began to wake up. "Lulu? What are you doing in my couch? Couldn't stay away, huh? I know I'm sexy, but I'm taken."
"Die!!!" Lulu growled in her most deathly voice, fire erupting from both hands.
"Honestly." Yuna said sternly, sticking another band-aid on Tidus's face. "It was probably your own fault."
"I was sleepwalking! I was lonely!" Tidus whined. "How could it be my fault?"
"True..." Yuna agreed. "You did overreact a little, Lulu."
"Overreact?" Lulu snapped from the other side of the table, narrowing her eyes at Tidus. "I don't think so."
Lulu and Tidus's fight had awoken everyone else, and it had taken the full force of Wakka and Rikku to stop Lulu from incinerating Tidus to a crisp. Now, they were gathered in the living room, eating the waffles that Wakka had made for breakfast.
"Well, it was all a big mistake, so let's just forget about it now, right?" Yuna smiled, bravely attempting to calm the atmosphere.
"Hmph." Lulu looked away stubbornly, stabbing a waffle angrily with her fork.
"So...uh, what are we planning on doing today?" Wakka called from the kitchen.
"Well, you know, this morning Yunie and I are going to take Lulu clothes shopping." Rikku told him, waving her waffle around enthusiastically. "You guys can check out the city while we're doing our shopping."
"Yay." Tidus said dryly, massaging his burnt arm as Yuna's cure spell worked its way around it.
"No really, I heard they opened up this new Blitzball gear shop, ya!" Wakka told him. "We should take a look and grab some new stuff before our big match in the tournament, ya!"
"Great! Then that's settled!" Rikku decided.
"What about the afternoon?" Yuna asked as she packed away the last of the first-aid kit.
"Hmm...." Wakka wandered over from the kitchen and slumped into the seat next to Lulu. "We could meet up with you girls for lunch, and decide then."
"Yup!" Rikku agreed. "It's sooo exciting, isn't it? I'm gonna go and get changed!"
Rikku, who was still in her pajamas, bounded off towards the bedroom.
"Ah. I'm having first shower." Tidus announced, pretending to stagger in agony towards the bathroom.
"I didn't hurt you that much, weakling." Lulu told him, a small smirk playing on her lips. "But if you really want to suffer...I'd be more than obliging."
"I think I'm dying already....." he grimaced, but he winked as he shut the bathroom door.
"Well then, I'll start the washing up." Yuna smiled at her oldest friends, and began to stack the dirty dishes. "You two can go and get ready too."
As Yuna left the room, Wakka lent over towards Lulu.
"Clothes shopping eh, Lu!" he grinned. "Bet you'll reaalllly enjoy that, ya."
"Shut up." She said coldly. "It's not like I have a choice with that girl....She just doesn't stop until she gets what she wants."
Lulu jabbed a thumb in the direction of the bedroom, referring to Rikku.
"Heehh....I see what ya mean. Poor Cid, ya." Wakka chuckled slightly. "Well, I guess you'll have fun."
"Maybe." Lulu said, turning her head to stare out the huge glass windows.
"Uhh...hello?" Wakka asked, waving a hand in front of Lulu's tuned out face. "Spira to Lu? Are you reading me?"
"What?" Lulu snapped irritably out of her thoughts.
Wakka lent forward with a serious expression on his face.
"Lu...I just wanted to ask if-"
However, whatever Wakka was going to ask, Lulu never found out. At that moment, Rikku burst thought the bedroom door, fully dressed.
"I'm ready!! Let's GO guys!"
Luca had always been Spiras most bustling city, but it would seem that once the eternal calm had begun, Luca had become even busier than ever before. The group walked along the crowded streets, past the many markets and shopping strips.
Rikku was in the lead, guiding them to her favourite places. Somehow, Lulu found herself falling out of step with the group, and she trailed behind slowly. Their animated conversations and the lively chattering of the crowd around them was blurring into one surrounding noise. Lulu half closed her eyes as she walked, watching the world she viewed through her thick eyelashes.
On and on they walked, through a series of back streets, then back onto the main road and over countless bridges and pathways. Lulu couldn't remember Luca being this big.
"Just a little further!" Rikku called from the front.
Lulu let out a small sigh of relief. The sun was hot, and her heavy outfit was definitely making the heat worse. It would be worth going into a clothes shop now, just to escape the heat.
"It's soo hot, ya!" Wakka suddenly said from beside her.
Lulu looked up suddenly; Wakka hadn't been there before. She had been certain that he had been walking up front with the rest of the group. At some stage, he must have fallen into step with her while she had been tuning out.
"Yes." She said, turning away from him again. "It is hot."
They walked in silence. Lulu's feet were beginning to ache in her boots. She frowned. The heat was putting her into a very bad mood. Besaid weather was hot, even hotter than this, but Lulu had learnt to stay in the shaded parts of the island during the hottest parts of the day. Only an idiot would walk around outside during those hours. Yet, here she was, doing exactly that.
"Umm.....Lu?" Wakka said quietly as they walked.
"Mmm?" Lulu wasn't in the mood for a conversation.
"I was just wondering...ya know, if you were ok last night?" he asked her quietly, to keep their voices private from the rest of the group.
"Yes, Wakka. I was just fine." Lulu lied, trying to forcefully end his inquiries.
"Really?" Wakka asked, looking relieved. "So you didn't get sick or anything...that's great!"
Lulu scowled at him.
"Actually, I did." She snapped angrily. "But I was fine. I don't need your help."
Wakka looked a little hurt.
"Sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to pry, or anything. It's just that I've been thinking, ya, and I thought that if it kept happening then we could check out some of the doctors here, see what they say. I mean, I read somewhere that dreams are your subconscious talking to you, but I think your subconscious is trying to kill you, ya!"
He chuckled a bit, and then gave her a very serious, yet gentle smile.
"It can't be healthy, and that's evident, ya. But, if you don't take care of yourself, it could get worse. That's why I was thinking we should get you checked out, see if there's something that could help."
Lulu glared at him, she wasn't sure exactly why he was making her so furious, but he was.
"Wakka." She said coldly. "I am NOT sick. I don't need a doctor, and I sure as hell don't need your help. Can't you just leave me alone?"
Wakka's surprised and hurt face only infuriated her more.
"Whatever happens to me is my business, and you're only making things worse by blundering around trying to help" she snapped at him. "I'm not sick. The only thing around here making me sick is probably having you suggesting that I'm somehow mentally disturbed. You just don't understand me, Wakka. I wouldn't try to either, you might hurt yourself. Might lose some of those few, precious brain cells you still have left."
Lulu wasn't sure what she was saying anymore. She continued to toss insult after insult at him. She knew that what she was saying wasn't true, just knowing that Wakka was ready to help her was enough to make her feel much better. But her anger wasn't directed at that. She was angry at herself, angry at her stupid dreams. Why was Wakka there too? Why was she so ready to kiss him? She couldn't even understand herself anymore, so what hope did Wakka have at understanding her? She was only becoming more and more confused.
"I can take care of myself, you really shouldn't bother trying to be concerned. You are not Chappu. Give up on trying to become him. You will never, ever be the same as him, so don't even bother wasting your time." Lulu spat out coldly, but she instantly regretted it.
Wakka looked both stunned and confused, and Lulu felt like her heart had just been punctured.
"It's alright, Lu." He said suddenly, giving her a small, sad smile.
'Take it back, take it back, take it back!" was all she could think. "Say you didn't mean it! Before it's too late...." She knew she had gone too far this time.
However, just as she opened her mouth to apologize, Rikku turned around.
"Okay!" she grinned, cheerful as ever. "We're heeere!"
She sidled up to Lulu, completely oblivious to the older woman's situation.
"Ready, Lulululu?" she giggled, pulling one of Lulu's braids cheekily.
"I guess we guys will split from you girls now!" Tidus said. "Right, Wakka?"
"Uh, yah!" Wakka gave them all a cheerful grin and a wave. "Catch ya later!"
The two men melted away into the crowd. Lulu's mouth was still bitter with the horrible insults she had thrown at Wakka, and she cursed her quick temper. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Rikku's excited face.
"Well, let's get this over with then." She sighed.
"Right on!" Rikku cheered, a delighted grin spreading over her face.
By the time the three girls had entered the sixth boutique, Lulu was seriously regretting agreeing to go on the shopping trip. Rikku and Yuna sorted their way efficiently through the garments, occasionally pulling out an item for Lulu to try on. It had been so long since Lulu had last been shopping, that she had forgotten how. She wandered aimlessly from clothes rack to clothes rack, occasionally toying with a skirt or shirt, before replacing it. She just wasn't interested.
"How's this, Lulu?" Rikku asked, thrusting a bright pink, and very short, skirt in front of her face.
"Uh...no, I don't think so."
"What about this one?" Yuna held up a pair of black cut-off jean-shorts – which were even shorter than the skirt that Rikku was holding.
"No. Absolutely not."
"Mmmnnn..." Rikku and Yuna pulled identical, exasperated expressions.
"Then...what about THIS one?!" Rikku held out a long, embroidered purple dress.
"No...too fancy."
"Do you like this one?" Yuna was now showing her a one piece, summery dress.
"......no."
In the end they left that boutique empty handed. The visited countless boutiques and shops along the road, but there was nothing that Lulu wanted to buy. She was just about ready to give up, and judging by Yuna's and Rikku's faces, they were just about ready as well.
"Man, Lulu!" Rikku groaned as she dragged her feet along the busy street. "If you refuse everything, we'll never get to buy anything."
"If I buy something I don't like, I won't wear it." Lulu informed her.
"True...but still! You could be a bit more open minded." Rikku replied grumpily.
The trio stopped in front of another shop.
"We've got to be able to find something here..." Yuna sighed, leading the way inside the small shop.
Lulu was beginning to search a bit more actively through the racks, and eventually managed to pick out a selection of clothes to try on. She slid the curtain of the changing room closed, and began to pull on the new clothes.
"Lulu?" Rikku was calling. "Can we see yet?"
"Just a minute...." She called back, zipping up the new skirt.
Once she was fully changed, she studied herself in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself in the new clothes.
"Lulululululululu....." Rikku was getting impatient.
"Alright, alright..."
Lulu pushed the dividing curtain away, and came face to face with Rikku and Yuna.
"What do you think?" she asked slightly nervously.
Lulu had chosen a black, pleated skirt which came down to just above her knees. She had a thick black belt slung over the top of the skirt, and the silver buckle rested just above her hip. Under the skirt, she wore a pair of black tights, which were slightly transparent. The top she had chosen was dark grey, fitted around the waist and wide necked. It had long, loose sleeves, and was vaguely peasant styled. The front had crisscross lacing and the ends fell down to her waist. She had also chosen a pair of dark brown boots, which reached just below her knees.
"Waaah!" Rikku cried. "You look sooooo good, Lulu!"
"You do look lovely!" Yuna agreed. "It suits you so well."
Lulu fidgeted uncomfortably. The cloth was much lighter than what she was used to.
"Are you going to buy it?" Rikku asked, admiring the outfit.
"Probably." Lulu said thoughtfully.
"I still think this one would look the best..." Rikku grinned, holding up a hot pink, leather mini skirt.
The three girls left the shop satisfied, Yuna and Rikku sporting huge grins.
"Mission completed!" Rikku cheered, patting Lulu affectionately.
Lulu peeked in the bag at her new outfit. She didn't want to wear it just yet, even though her old dress was becoming increasingly hotter and heavier as they walked.
"What should we do now?" Yuna asked suddenly. "I mean, we've done our shopping...what now?"
"Ho ho...shopping is never finished." Rikku told her with a smug smile.
"Shop until you drop, huh." Yuna gave her cousin a weary look, to which Rikku returned.
"Oooahhh! Oaah!" Rikku's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yunie, look! I've always wanted to go into that shop!"
Rikku was pointing to a very cute, pastel pink shop. It was full of cute sweets, stationary and stuffed toys.
"Wow!! Me too, isn't that stuff just so adorable!" Yuna smiled brightly, her eyes shining. "And they're having a sale!"
"Let's take a look!" Rikku beamed, bouncing from side to side. "Coming, Lulu?"
Lulu gave the overly cute shop a weary stare. She wasn't particularly interested in it at all. Her eyes fell on a nice looking jewelry shop close by.
"Actually, I think I'll pass." She told Rikku and Yuna. "I'm going to take a look at the jewelry shop a few doors down."
"Right!" Rikku agreed. "We'll meet up with you soon, kay!"
Yuna nodded her agreement, and the two of them ran off towards the shop like excited children.
Lulu shook her head, baffled at the amount of excitement and energy that those girls seemed to contain.
A short while later, Lulu was pouring over the cabinets of necklaces and earrings in the jewelry shop. She had been right, it was a nice store and there were many pretty accessories that she had to restrain herself from buying. The shop was not only nice, it was also incredibly expensive. Unlike clothes shopping which she despised, Lulu quite enjoyed looking for new items of jewelry. However, even though she had quite a small collection, she always seemed to end up wearing the same ones. She twisted the purple necklace around her fingers as she browsed through the cabinets.
Lulu restrained herself from buying a pair of pretty silver earrings, and decided to look at the display of pendants in the window instead. They certainly had an impressive range which gleamed and sparkled in the sunlight. She rested her hand against the glass of the window cabinet and admired the pendants.
A particular pendant caught her eye. It was a small pendant on a plain sliver chain. It was fashioned into the shape of a small, silver shell, and it reminded her of Besaid. Suddenly a shadow fell over the window display, and the shell ceased to sparkle brightly. Someone had stopped on the other side of the window, and was looking in at the display. Lulu scowled. They were blocking the sunlight. She looked up, preparing to give them a killer glare, and hopefully scare them away. However, her expression changed to surprise as she recognized their face.
Wakka stood on the other side of the glass, pouring over the display. He seemed completely unaware of her presence, and was completely engrossed in the window display.
Suddenly, he looked up. Their eyes met, and Wakka's surprise was evident. His eyes widened, but a wide smile appeared on his face. He waved, and gestured to her that he would come inside the shop. Lulu was overcome by guilt as she remembered their last conversation.
"Hey!" Wakka greeted her cheerfully. "I thought you were shopping with the other girls."
"We've finished now." Lulu told him coldly. "They're looking in another shop close by."
"Right!" Wakka noticed her new bag. "Ooh, you bought something, ya! Are you going to show me?"
"No." Lulu replied. She returned her gaze to the window display, when a sudden thought struck her.
"What were you doing looking at this girly stuff anyway?" she asked, gesturing to the window display.
"Ah...ha..." Wakka scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I was looking for a present for someone."
"I see." Lulu frowned.
"Hey!" Wakka suddenly exclaimed. "Maybe you could help me, ya. You know I'm not too good at picking out this sort of stuff. Women are so hard to buy for!"
Lulu felt a sudden stab of jealousy. Who was this girl he was buying presents for? Had he got a new girlfriend? Nobody had a birthday coming up, and he certainly hadn't told her anything.
"I was thinking of getting a pendant or something." Wakka continued. "What do you think? It's not so dinky as earrings or bangles."
Lulu said nothing, but she was becoming increasingly irritated. She thought she knew everything about Wakka, but she obviously she had been wrong.
"What about that one?" He asked, pointing to a pendant. Lulu felt another stab of jealousy. For the pendant he was pointing to was none another than the shell pendant she had just been eyeing off.
"Hmph." She crossed her arms, and gave an indistinguishable grunt.
"Yah!" Wakka decided with a grin. "I think that's the one all right! I'll just go get it..."
"Fine." Lulu replied unfeelingly, but she was clenching her fists as he walked away towards the shop attendant. She was really furious now, although she wasn't sure if it was justifiable this time.
"Damn it..." she cursed harshly under her breath.
Wakka was paying for the necklace at the counter and chatting happily with the assistant. Lulu was once again overcome by a wave of angry feelings and she stormed out of the shop, resisting the urge to slam the door.
"Ah! Lu, wait!" a very flustered Wakka was calling from inside, but she ignored him and began to make her way away from the shop. Fuming, she pushed her way through the crowd and down the busy street. She wasn't even sure where she was going, but she knew she had to let off steam somehow. Slowing down her pace, she took a deep breath. However, before she had the chance to begin walking again, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned around, ready to strike her attacker....
"Geez, you sure can move fast when you want to!" Wakka was puffing. "Took me ages to catch up, ya!"
"What do you want?" Lulu asked frigidly, pulling away from his grasp.
"Calm down already!" Wakka said, looking exasperated
"I'm perfectly calm!" she said, although she was certainly feeling otherwise.
"Look, come and sit down." He said, pulling her toward him. Lulu resigned, and let him steer her towards a small bench on the side of the road. It was shaded from the harsh sun by a large tree, for which Lulu was extremely grateful.
They sat in silence for a little while, watching the passing people.
"So...what do you want?" Lulu finally growled, crossing her arms.
"Well...um.."
Wakka mumbled a few indistinguishable words, before pulling out a neatly wrapped box, complete with a pretty red ribbon tied around it. He passed it to her.
"It's for you." He said smiling, and she could see his ears turning slightly red. "Open it."
Lulu looked at him in confusion, before unwrapping the neat box.
"Oh...Wakka..."
The shell pendant glittered softly in the dappled light, and she gently lifted it from the case.
"But it's not my birthday for a long time..." she reminded him.
"I know, ya!" he said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's, well...a bit of a 'cheer-up' present, and also...to say...that I'm sorry."
Wakka glanced over, and immediately misread her expression of guilt as one of irritation.
"Ah, ah, it doesn't mean that I think I can win you over with presents or anything, or that I can buy friendship, or anything like that. I didn't mean it like that, it's just that well...you know..." he stuttered, falling over himself to explain.
"You know, you've not been too happy lately, and I though that it might cheer you up for a little bit."
He gave her a warm smile.
"And, it's a nice necklace. When I saw it in the window, I knew that you had to have it."
Lulu just shook her head, and returned his warm smile with a small one of her own.
"No, I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't mean what I said."
"It's ok. I know, ya."
Wakka reached over and took the necklace from her fingers. He placed it around her neck and did up the clasp.
"Hmm, it does look good though." He said, sitting back to admire it.
Lulu leant forward, and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you. It really is lovely."
Wakka nodded, looking a tad flabbergasted by her sudden actions. His cheeks were a little pinker than usual, his smile a little more uneasy.
However, the moment was rudely interrupted by a loud beeping.
Wakka cursed, and dug around in his pockets to find the source. It was a little messenger that Rikku had given all of them last year. It was a quick and easy way of keeping in touch with each other. They could send little notes and reminders whenever, and it was practically instantaneous.
"Oh..." Wakka cursed again, upon reading the message. He passed it to Lulu who read,
HEY WAKKA!
WHAT'S GOING ON? WHERE ARE YOU? EVERYONE ARRANGED TO MEET 15 MINS AGO AT THE CAFÉ FOR LUNCH!
WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE COME SOON! WE'RE HUNGRY!
FROM RIKKU AND YUNA.
P.S.
HAVE YOU SEEN LULU? WE LOST HER SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR HER.
Lulu passed it back to Wakka, smiling a little bit at the post script.
"Aw man, I completely forgot." Wakka groaned. "We'd better hurry. It's not too far away from here, we'll make it."
Lulu nodded silently, and stood up.
"Let's go, then."
Together, they hurried along the busy streets of Luca.
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Hey again! *tumbleweed rolls past* uh, anyone out there? Have I been deserted?? Lulu-san here again, and I have UPDATED! And, because updating took so long – I have a little treat. It's a layout of the hotel – please take a look!
I know it's uhh...a little funny looking, but it's just a guideline, to give you an idea! They can always rearrange the furniture!
I'm really sorry about the time it took to get this chapter up. I don't know why, but this chapter was particularly hard to write. Because I have focused a lot of the plot in the later chapters, this chapter was a bit dry...sorry! But...it's LONG! Ha! Did you know that this chapter is 10 pages long – that's Times New Roman size 12? It's about 5000 words long! This whole story is 21,193 words long! and I'm not even halfway through yet? *hits forehead* what am I trying to do, write a novel?
I finally bought FFX-2! But Lulu and Wakka don't have much of a role. Can't wait until Lulu has her baby – but she SOOO doesn't look pregnant. I'm stuck in chapter 2 right now...infiltrating Bevelle...I'm trying to get the chest with Ribbon in it.
Well, moving back – I hope you enjoyed this chapter – please let me know if the chapters are too long, or if my writing is beginning to suck. *beginning? -_- *
Oh yeah, if you know of any other good Wakka/Lulu fics – let me know! They isn't enough of them out there, I think! My email is Lulu_san@hotmail.com
And, of course!! Thank you for your reviews! I got some lovely reviews, and I can't thank you enough. Please continue to support this story ^_^ I'm really happy knowing that there are people reading it, and waiting to see what happens next!! It's great!
Lol, I read a review just now...as I'm updating.....lol, That Cactaur Muse, I guess miracles can happen – as you reviewed, I updated...pretty funny! Oh, and thank you Sanomeh, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I do my best to keep them in character!
So, I will do my best to update sooner rather than later – I know I'm very evil to keep you waiting – but I do my best! I've been very busy lately! So – see you soon, please keep the reviewing this story!
Lulu-san
Black Dreams, White Dreams
By Lulu-san
Chapter 8 – Sleepwalking, Shopping, Shell
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Luca weather tended to consist of beautiful sunny days, but extremely cold nights. And that night was no exception. Shivering, Lulu pulled the covers closer around her. She had been dozing for a long time – never being able to fully go to sleep. In the back of her mind, she knew that she was too scared to go to sleep. She was afraid that she might see the nightmare again and consequently be sick. She hadn't kept a meal down overnight since the dreams started, and she was sure that tonight would be no different.
Lulu rolled over onto her side, sighing. She could hear the soft, rhythmic sound of Yuna's regular breathing as she slept. Lulu wasn't sure, but she was positive that she could also hear Rikku murmuring something in Al Bhed softly in her sleep. And then, of course, there was Wakka lying only a hand span away from her. For some reason, she felt extremely on edge – her skin tingled uncomfortable every time she brushed against him.
"Damn...." Lulu grumbled quietly, rolling over once again.
She could have sworn that she was absolutely exhausted, ready to fall asleep. So why couldn't she? It just didn't make sense.
The minutes ticked by painfully slowly. Lulu lay on her side and propped her head up with her hand. She was facing Wakka now, and she could just make out his profile in the darkness. She studied it for a while, staring intently at each feature, each line, each curve. He had been a pretty cute kid, she remembered. He was always popular with the other boys, as was Chappu. However, she smiled faintly, Chappu had always been more popular with the girls. Wakkas relationships with girls had never lasted very long. They always ended with his girlfriend claiming that he wasn't serious about the relationship, and that he was always acting distracted by something else. Lulu found that hard to believe, as Wakka had never treated anyone like that throughout the whole time Lulu had known him.
Closing her eyes once again, Lulu snuggled deeper into the warm blankets. She clamped her eyes shut, forcing herself to sleep. Before she knew it her thoughts were trailing away as she faded into sleep.
What seemed like hours later, Lulu's eyes suddenly snapped open. She sat bolt upright, and fought to get her breath. She was once again covered in cold sweat and shivering. She closed her eyes quickly, as though to block out the horrible nightmare that had just occurred.
"C'mon Lulu...."she thought anxiously to herself, biting her lip. "Keep it down.....keep it down."
A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead as she did her best to keep down the uprising nausea.
Lulu swore as a sudden wave of nausea rushed through her, and she clamped her hand over her mouth quickly. She peeled the sweaty sheets away from her body with her other hand, and quickly got out of bed. Wakka mumbled something as he turned over in his sleep, completely undisturbed. Still covering her mouth, she padded along the carpet, struggling to get to the living room, without waking anyone up.
Lulu stumbled around the darkened living room, trying to make her way to the bathroom across the unfamiliar area. She cursed and swore many times as she tripped over the many objects that Tidus had strewn around his makeshift 'bed'. The room was extremely dark, and only the vague outlines of objects were visible. As her eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness, she was able to successfully navigate herself to the bathroom.
Finally, she sunk down onto the cool bathroom tiles, the door shut securely behind her. A very unpleasant feeling in her throat brought her back to her current situation and she began to retch violently over the toilet.
"I must look so unglamorous right now..." she thought dryly, wiping a hand over her mouth, wishing she could remove the unpleasant taste somehow.
When all the vomiting had ceased, and Lulu was beginning to feel a little bit more like herself, she splashed some water on her face, and left the bathroom. Her eyes traveled over to the bedroom she was sharing, but she decided not to return there yet. Instead, she made her way over to the small balcony.
Once outside, Lulu breathed in the cool, fresh air deeply. The wind whipped her hair around her face, and she enjoyed the feeling of lightness. She leant over the balcony railing and gazed at the city below. Even though it was the middle of the night, many parts of Luca were still lit up in the darkness. Her gaze moved towards the dazzling lights of the blitz stadium. So many of her memories seemed to have something to do with blitzball.
Lulu lost track of time as she leant over the balcony, the city lights blurring in and out as she half closed her eyes. Another gust of icy cold wind whipped against her, traveling straight though her thin nightdress. She shivered as goosebumps began to form on her white skin. Sighing, she turned around and made her way back to the bedroom.
Lulu padded quietly along the carpet in the bedroom, nearly tripping over Rikku's luggage on many occasions. She was tempted to use a fire spell to create a tiny flicker of light to see by, but she decided not to. Firstly, she didn't want to risk waking anyone up, and secondly, her hand had still not healed properly after she had burnt it rescuing Yuna and Rikku's cooking on the ferry. She rubbed the rough skin gently with her other hand, hoping that it would heal soon. Wakka's cut hand had already faded away, but then again, he had Yuna's healing spell.
Finally, Lulu reached the bed she was sharing with Wakka. She clamored into her side of the bed, pulling the blankets up to her shoulder. Wakka had not stirred since she had been gone, and she felt a little guilty. After all, he had offered to help her, should she feel sick.
'I didn't want to wake him' she reassured herself. She was once again lying on her side, face to face with the sleeping Wakka.
Without warning, Wakka suddenly mumbled something incomprehensible and reached out with his arms, pulling her into a close embrace. Her cheek rested comfortably against his chest, and he rested his chin on her head. She could hear his heart beating softly, and it made her feel safe. A few seconds later, she snapped back to reality and pushed him away quickly, her heart thumping loudly inside her chest.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" she whispered harshly, before realizing that he was still asleep.
However, she soon realized that she wasn't angry, just surprised. After all, they had slept together many times as children, and even bathed together. And hadn't they only hugged the other day? It wasn't anything to get worried about, or even anything to be reacted so strongly to.
At least, that was Lulu was telling herself. But she just didn't know why her heart was beating so quickly, or why her cheeks felt hot and flushed.
"Stupid, idiotic, moronic, stupid, stupid Wakka." She grumbled to herself, rolling over and closing her eyes. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.
The morning sun was soon streaming though the windows, and the warm light gently spread over the shared bedroom.
"Mmmm..." Lulu murmured as she began to wake up.
However, as she opened her eyes, she froze at a certain realization. She was caught up in the embrace of someone behind her. His arms stretched around her waist, and he was resting his head on her back. Lulu's heart thumped loudly in her chest.
"What's he doing?" she thought angrily, perhaps more angry at her reaction, rather than his actions. "I'm not his teddybear!"
She reached down and seized one of his thin arms.
'Thin....arms?' A sudden thought hit her. Wakka didn't have thin arms.
She slowly turned around, facing her blonde haired embracer.
"Urrghh....sleep some more...sleep some...more...." Tidus grumbled in his sleep, breaking away from Lulu, and turning around to cuddle Wakka's back instead.
Lulu reached over and seized Tidus by his blonde hair.
"What the hell are you doing in my bed?" She snarled, shaking viciously.
"Uhh....." Tidus began to wake up. "Lulu? What are you doing in my couch? Couldn't stay away, huh? I know I'm sexy, but I'm taken."
"Die!!!" Lulu growled in her most deathly voice, fire erupting from both hands.
"Honestly." Yuna said sternly, sticking another band-aid on Tidus's face. "It was probably your own fault."
"I was sleepwalking! I was lonely!" Tidus whined. "How could it be my fault?"
"True..." Yuna agreed. "You did overreact a little, Lulu."
"Overreact?" Lulu snapped from the other side of the table, narrowing her eyes at Tidus. "I don't think so."
Lulu and Tidus's fight had awoken everyone else, and it had taken the full force of Wakka and Rikku to stop Lulu from incinerating Tidus to a crisp. Now, they were gathered in the living room, eating the waffles that Wakka had made for breakfast.
"Well, it was all a big mistake, so let's just forget about it now, right?" Yuna smiled, bravely attempting to calm the atmosphere.
"Hmph." Lulu looked away stubbornly, stabbing a waffle angrily with her fork.
"So...uh, what are we planning on doing today?" Wakka called from the kitchen.
"Well, you know, this morning Yunie and I are going to take Lulu clothes shopping." Rikku told him, waving her waffle around enthusiastically. "You guys can check out the city while we're doing our shopping."
"Yay." Tidus said dryly, massaging his burnt arm as Yuna's cure spell worked its way around it.
"No really, I heard they opened up this new Blitzball gear shop, ya!" Wakka told him. "We should take a look and grab some new stuff before our big match in the tournament, ya!"
"Great! Then that's settled!" Rikku decided.
"What about the afternoon?" Yuna asked as she packed away the last of the first-aid kit.
"Hmm...." Wakka wandered over from the kitchen and slumped into the seat next to Lulu. "We could meet up with you girls for lunch, and decide then."
"Yup!" Rikku agreed. "It's sooo exciting, isn't it? I'm gonna go and get changed!"
Rikku, who was still in her pajamas, bounded off towards the bedroom.
"Ah. I'm having first shower." Tidus announced, pretending to stagger in agony towards the bathroom.
"I didn't hurt you that much, weakling." Lulu told him, a small smirk playing on her lips. "But if you really want to suffer...I'd be more than obliging."
"I think I'm dying already....." he grimaced, but he winked as he shut the bathroom door.
"Well then, I'll start the washing up." Yuna smiled at her oldest friends, and began to stack the dirty dishes. "You two can go and get ready too."
As Yuna left the room, Wakka lent over towards Lulu.
"Clothes shopping eh, Lu!" he grinned. "Bet you'll reaalllly enjoy that, ya."
"Shut up." She said coldly. "It's not like I have a choice with that girl....She just doesn't stop until she gets what she wants."
Lulu jabbed a thumb in the direction of the bedroom, referring to Rikku.
"Heehh....I see what ya mean. Poor Cid, ya." Wakka chuckled slightly. "Well, I guess you'll have fun."
"Maybe." Lulu said, turning her head to stare out the huge glass windows.
"Uhh...hello?" Wakka asked, waving a hand in front of Lulu's tuned out face. "Spira to Lu? Are you reading me?"
"What?" Lulu snapped irritably out of her thoughts.
Wakka lent forward with a serious expression on his face.
"Lu...I just wanted to ask if-"
However, whatever Wakka was going to ask, Lulu never found out. At that moment, Rikku burst thought the bedroom door, fully dressed.
"I'm ready!! Let's GO guys!"
Luca had always been Spiras most bustling city, but it would seem that once the eternal calm had begun, Luca had become even busier than ever before. The group walked along the crowded streets, past the many markets and shopping strips.
Rikku was in the lead, guiding them to her favourite places. Somehow, Lulu found herself falling out of step with the group, and she trailed behind slowly. Their animated conversations and the lively chattering of the crowd around them was blurring into one surrounding noise. Lulu half closed her eyes as she walked, watching the world she viewed through her thick eyelashes.
On and on they walked, through a series of back streets, then back onto the main road and over countless bridges and pathways. Lulu couldn't remember Luca being this big.
"Just a little further!" Rikku called from the front.
Lulu let out a small sigh of relief. The sun was hot, and her heavy outfit was definitely making the heat worse. It would be worth going into a clothes shop now, just to escape the heat.
"It's soo hot, ya!" Wakka suddenly said from beside her.
Lulu looked up suddenly; Wakka hadn't been there before. She had been certain that he had been walking up front with the rest of the group. At some stage, he must have fallen into step with her while she had been tuning out.
"Yes." She said, turning away from him again. "It is hot."
They walked in silence. Lulu's feet were beginning to ache in her boots. She frowned. The heat was putting her into a very bad mood. Besaid weather was hot, even hotter than this, but Lulu had learnt to stay in the shaded parts of the island during the hottest parts of the day. Only an idiot would walk around outside during those hours. Yet, here she was, doing exactly that.
"Umm.....Lu?" Wakka said quietly as they walked.
"Mmm?" Lulu wasn't in the mood for a conversation.
"I was just wondering...ya know, if you were ok last night?" he asked her quietly, to keep their voices private from the rest of the group.
"Yes, Wakka. I was just fine." Lulu lied, trying to forcefully end his inquiries.
"Really?" Wakka asked, looking relieved. "So you didn't get sick or anything...that's great!"
Lulu scowled at him.
"Actually, I did." She snapped angrily. "But I was fine. I don't need your help."
Wakka looked a little hurt.
"Sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to pry, or anything. It's just that I've been thinking, ya, and I thought that if it kept happening then we could check out some of the doctors here, see what they say. I mean, I read somewhere that dreams are your subconscious talking to you, but I think your subconscious is trying to kill you, ya!"
He chuckled a bit, and then gave her a very serious, yet gentle smile.
"It can't be healthy, and that's evident, ya. But, if you don't take care of yourself, it could get worse. That's why I was thinking we should get you checked out, see if there's something that could help."
Lulu glared at him, she wasn't sure exactly why he was making her so furious, but he was.
"Wakka." She said coldly. "I am NOT sick. I don't need a doctor, and I sure as hell don't need your help. Can't you just leave me alone?"
Wakka's surprised and hurt face only infuriated her more.
"Whatever happens to me is my business, and you're only making things worse by blundering around trying to help" she snapped at him. "I'm not sick. The only thing around here making me sick is probably having you suggesting that I'm somehow mentally disturbed. You just don't understand me, Wakka. I wouldn't try to either, you might hurt yourself. Might lose some of those few, precious brain cells you still have left."
Lulu wasn't sure what she was saying anymore. She continued to toss insult after insult at him. She knew that what she was saying wasn't true, just knowing that Wakka was ready to help her was enough to make her feel much better. But her anger wasn't directed at that. She was angry at herself, angry at her stupid dreams. Why was Wakka there too? Why was she so ready to kiss him? She couldn't even understand herself anymore, so what hope did Wakka have at understanding her? She was only becoming more and more confused.
"I can take care of myself, you really shouldn't bother trying to be concerned. You are not Chappu. Give up on trying to become him. You will never, ever be the same as him, so don't even bother wasting your time." Lulu spat out coldly, but she instantly regretted it.
Wakka looked both stunned and confused, and Lulu felt like her heart had just been punctured.
"It's alright, Lu." He said suddenly, giving her a small, sad smile.
'Take it back, take it back, take it back!" was all she could think. "Say you didn't mean it! Before it's too late...." She knew she had gone too far this time.
However, just as she opened her mouth to apologize, Rikku turned around.
"Okay!" she grinned, cheerful as ever. "We're heeere!"
She sidled up to Lulu, completely oblivious to the older woman's situation.
"Ready, Lulululu?" she giggled, pulling one of Lulu's braids cheekily.
"I guess we guys will split from you girls now!" Tidus said. "Right, Wakka?"
"Uh, yah!" Wakka gave them all a cheerful grin and a wave. "Catch ya later!"
The two men melted away into the crowd. Lulu's mouth was still bitter with the horrible insults she had thrown at Wakka, and she cursed her quick temper. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Rikku's excited face.
"Well, let's get this over with then." She sighed.
"Right on!" Rikku cheered, a delighted grin spreading over her face.
By the time the three girls had entered the sixth boutique, Lulu was seriously regretting agreeing to go on the shopping trip. Rikku and Yuna sorted their way efficiently through the garments, occasionally pulling out an item for Lulu to try on. It had been so long since Lulu had last been shopping, that she had forgotten how. She wandered aimlessly from clothes rack to clothes rack, occasionally toying with a skirt or shirt, before replacing it. She just wasn't interested.
"How's this, Lulu?" Rikku asked, thrusting a bright pink, and very short, skirt in front of her face.
"Uh...no, I don't think so."
"What about this one?" Yuna held up a pair of black cut-off jean-shorts – which were even shorter than the skirt that Rikku was holding.
"No. Absolutely not."
"Mmmnnn..." Rikku and Yuna pulled identical, exasperated expressions.
"Then...what about THIS one?!" Rikku held out a long, embroidered purple dress.
"No...too fancy."
"Do you like this one?" Yuna was now showing her a one piece, summery dress.
"......no."
In the end they left that boutique empty handed. The visited countless boutiques and shops along the road, but there was nothing that Lulu wanted to buy. She was just about ready to give up, and judging by Yuna's and Rikku's faces, they were just about ready as well.
"Man, Lulu!" Rikku groaned as she dragged her feet along the busy street. "If you refuse everything, we'll never get to buy anything."
"If I buy something I don't like, I won't wear it." Lulu informed her.
"True...but still! You could be a bit more open minded." Rikku replied grumpily.
The trio stopped in front of another shop.
"We've got to be able to find something here..." Yuna sighed, leading the way inside the small shop.
Lulu was beginning to search a bit more actively through the racks, and eventually managed to pick out a selection of clothes to try on. She slid the curtain of the changing room closed, and began to pull on the new clothes.
"Lulu?" Rikku was calling. "Can we see yet?"
"Just a minute...." She called back, zipping up the new skirt.
Once she was fully changed, she studied herself in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself in the new clothes.
"Lulululululululu....." Rikku was getting impatient.
"Alright, alright..."
Lulu pushed the dividing curtain away, and came face to face with Rikku and Yuna.
"What do you think?" she asked slightly nervously.
Lulu had chosen a black, pleated skirt which came down to just above her knees. She had a thick black belt slung over the top of the skirt, and the silver buckle rested just above her hip. Under the skirt, she wore a pair of black tights, which were slightly transparent. The top she had chosen was dark grey, fitted around the waist and wide necked. It had long, loose sleeves, and was vaguely peasant styled. The front had crisscross lacing and the ends fell down to her waist. She had also chosen a pair of dark brown boots, which reached just below her knees.
"Waaah!" Rikku cried. "You look sooooo good, Lulu!"
"You do look lovely!" Yuna agreed. "It suits you so well."
Lulu fidgeted uncomfortably. The cloth was much lighter than what she was used to.
"Are you going to buy it?" Rikku asked, admiring the outfit.
"Probably." Lulu said thoughtfully.
"I still think this one would look the best..." Rikku grinned, holding up a hot pink, leather mini skirt.
The three girls left the shop satisfied, Yuna and Rikku sporting huge grins.
"Mission completed!" Rikku cheered, patting Lulu affectionately.
Lulu peeked in the bag at her new outfit. She didn't want to wear it just yet, even though her old dress was becoming increasingly hotter and heavier as they walked.
"What should we do now?" Yuna asked suddenly. "I mean, we've done our shopping...what now?"
"Ho ho...shopping is never finished." Rikku told her with a smug smile.
"Shop until you drop, huh." Yuna gave her cousin a weary look, to which Rikku returned.
"Oooahhh! Oaah!" Rikku's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yunie, look! I've always wanted to go into that shop!"
Rikku was pointing to a very cute, pastel pink shop. It was full of cute sweets, stationary and stuffed toys.
"Wow!! Me too, isn't that stuff just so adorable!" Yuna smiled brightly, her eyes shining. "And they're having a sale!"
"Let's take a look!" Rikku beamed, bouncing from side to side. "Coming, Lulu?"
Lulu gave the overly cute shop a weary stare. She wasn't particularly interested in it at all. Her eyes fell on a nice looking jewelry shop close by.
"Actually, I think I'll pass." She told Rikku and Yuna. "I'm going to take a look at the jewelry shop a few doors down."
"Right!" Rikku agreed. "We'll meet up with you soon, kay!"
Yuna nodded her agreement, and the two of them ran off towards the shop like excited children.
Lulu shook her head, baffled at the amount of excitement and energy that those girls seemed to contain.
A short while later, Lulu was pouring over the cabinets of necklaces and earrings in the jewelry shop. She had been right, it was a nice store and there were many pretty accessories that she had to restrain herself from buying. The shop was not only nice, it was also incredibly expensive. Unlike clothes shopping which she despised, Lulu quite enjoyed looking for new items of jewelry. However, even though she had quite a small collection, she always seemed to end up wearing the same ones. She twisted the purple necklace around her fingers as she browsed through the cabinets.
Lulu restrained herself from buying a pair of pretty silver earrings, and decided to look at the display of pendants in the window instead. They certainly had an impressive range which gleamed and sparkled in the sunlight. She rested her hand against the glass of the window cabinet and admired the pendants.
A particular pendant caught her eye. It was a small pendant on a plain sliver chain. It was fashioned into the shape of a small, silver shell, and it reminded her of Besaid. Suddenly a shadow fell over the window display, and the shell ceased to sparkle brightly. Someone had stopped on the other side of the window, and was looking in at the display. Lulu scowled. They were blocking the sunlight. She looked up, preparing to give them a killer glare, and hopefully scare them away. However, her expression changed to surprise as she recognized their face.
Wakka stood on the other side of the glass, pouring over the display. He seemed completely unaware of her presence, and was completely engrossed in the window display.
Suddenly, he looked up. Their eyes met, and Wakka's surprise was evident. His eyes widened, but a wide smile appeared on his face. He waved, and gestured to her that he would come inside the shop. Lulu was overcome by guilt as she remembered their last conversation.
"Hey!" Wakka greeted her cheerfully. "I thought you were shopping with the other girls."
"We've finished now." Lulu told him coldly. "They're looking in another shop close by."
"Right!" Wakka noticed her new bag. "Ooh, you bought something, ya! Are you going to show me?"
"No." Lulu replied. She returned her gaze to the window display, when a sudden thought struck her.
"What were you doing looking at this girly stuff anyway?" she asked, gesturing to the window display.
"Ah...ha..." Wakka scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I was looking for a present for someone."
"I see." Lulu frowned.
"Hey!" Wakka suddenly exclaimed. "Maybe you could help me, ya. You know I'm not too good at picking out this sort of stuff. Women are so hard to buy for!"
Lulu felt a sudden stab of jealousy. Who was this girl he was buying presents for? Had he got a new girlfriend? Nobody had a birthday coming up, and he certainly hadn't told her anything.
"I was thinking of getting a pendant or something." Wakka continued. "What do you think? It's not so dinky as earrings or bangles."
Lulu said nothing, but she was becoming increasingly irritated. She thought she knew everything about Wakka, but she obviously she had been wrong.
"What about that one?" He asked, pointing to a pendant. Lulu felt another stab of jealousy. For the pendant he was pointing to was none another than the shell pendant she had just been eyeing off.
"Hmph." She crossed her arms, and gave an indistinguishable grunt.
"Yah!" Wakka decided with a grin. "I think that's the one all right! I'll just go get it..."
"Fine." Lulu replied unfeelingly, but she was clenching her fists as he walked away towards the shop attendant. She was really furious now, although she wasn't sure if it was justifiable this time.
"Damn it..." she cursed harshly under her breath.
Wakka was paying for the necklace at the counter and chatting happily with the assistant. Lulu was once again overcome by a wave of angry feelings and she stormed out of the shop, resisting the urge to slam the door.
"Ah! Lu, wait!" a very flustered Wakka was calling from inside, but she ignored him and began to make her way away from the shop. Fuming, she pushed her way through the crowd and down the busy street. She wasn't even sure where she was going, but she knew she had to let off steam somehow. Slowing down her pace, she took a deep breath. However, before she had the chance to begin walking again, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned around, ready to strike her attacker....
"Geez, you sure can move fast when you want to!" Wakka was puffing. "Took me ages to catch up, ya!"
"What do you want?" Lulu asked frigidly, pulling away from his grasp.
"Calm down already!" Wakka said, looking exasperated
"I'm perfectly calm!" she said, although she was certainly feeling otherwise.
"Look, come and sit down." He said, pulling her toward him. Lulu resigned, and let him steer her towards a small bench on the side of the road. It was shaded from the harsh sun by a large tree, for which Lulu was extremely grateful.
They sat in silence for a little while, watching the passing people.
"So...what do you want?" Lulu finally growled, crossing her arms.
"Well...um.."
Wakka mumbled a few indistinguishable words, before pulling out a neatly wrapped box, complete with a pretty red ribbon tied around it. He passed it to her.
"It's for you." He said smiling, and she could see his ears turning slightly red. "Open it."
Lulu looked at him in confusion, before unwrapping the neat box.
"Oh...Wakka..."
The shell pendant glittered softly in the dappled light, and she gently lifted it from the case.
"But it's not my birthday for a long time..." she reminded him.
"I know, ya!" he said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's, well...a bit of a 'cheer-up' present, and also...to say...that I'm sorry."
Wakka glanced over, and immediately misread her expression of guilt as one of irritation.
"Ah, ah, it doesn't mean that I think I can win you over with presents or anything, or that I can buy friendship, or anything like that. I didn't mean it like that, it's just that well...you know..." he stuttered, falling over himself to explain.
"You know, you've not been too happy lately, and I though that it might cheer you up for a little bit."
He gave her a warm smile.
"And, it's a nice necklace. When I saw it in the window, I knew that you had to have it."
Lulu just shook her head, and returned his warm smile with a small one of her own.
"No, I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't mean what I said."
"It's ok. I know, ya."
Wakka reached over and took the necklace from her fingers. He placed it around her neck and did up the clasp.
"Hmm, it does look good though." He said, sitting back to admire it.
Lulu leant forward, and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you. It really is lovely."
Wakka nodded, looking a tad flabbergasted by her sudden actions. His cheeks were a little pinker than usual, his smile a little more uneasy.
However, the moment was rudely interrupted by a loud beeping.
Wakka cursed, and dug around in his pockets to find the source. It was a little messenger that Rikku had given all of them last year. It was a quick and easy way of keeping in touch with each other. They could send little notes and reminders whenever, and it was practically instantaneous.
"Oh..." Wakka cursed again, upon reading the message. He passed it to Lulu who read,
HEY WAKKA!
WHAT'S GOING ON? WHERE ARE YOU? EVERYONE ARRANGED TO MEET 15 MINS AGO AT THE CAFÉ FOR LUNCH!
WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE COME SOON! WE'RE HUNGRY!
FROM RIKKU AND YUNA.
P.S.
HAVE YOU SEEN LULU? WE LOST HER SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR HER.
Lulu passed it back to Wakka, smiling a little bit at the post script.
"Aw man, I completely forgot." Wakka groaned. "We'd better hurry. It's not too far away from here, we'll make it."
Lulu nodded silently, and stood up.
"Let's go, then."
Together, they hurried along the busy streets of Luca.
*********************************************
Hey again! *tumbleweed rolls past* uh, anyone out there? Have I been deserted?? Lulu-san here again, and I have UPDATED! And, because updating took so long – I have a little treat. It's a layout of the hotel – please take a look!
I know it's uhh...a little funny looking, but it's just a guideline, to give you an idea! They can always rearrange the furniture!
I'm really sorry about the time it took to get this chapter up. I don't know why, but this chapter was particularly hard to write. Because I have focused a lot of the plot in the later chapters, this chapter was a bit dry...sorry! But...it's LONG! Ha! Did you know that this chapter is 10 pages long – that's Times New Roman size 12? It's about 5000 words long! This whole story is 21,193 words long! and I'm not even halfway through yet? *hits forehead* what am I trying to do, write a novel?
I finally bought FFX-2! But Lulu and Wakka don't have much of a role. Can't wait until Lulu has her baby – but she SOOO doesn't look pregnant. I'm stuck in chapter 2 right now...infiltrating Bevelle...I'm trying to get the chest with Ribbon in it.
Well, moving back – I hope you enjoyed this chapter – please let me know if the chapters are too long, or if my writing is beginning to suck. *beginning? -_- *
Oh yeah, if you know of any other good Wakka/Lulu fics – let me know! They isn't enough of them out there, I think! My email is Lulu_san@hotmail.com
And, of course!! Thank you for your reviews! I got some lovely reviews, and I can't thank you enough. Please continue to support this story ^_^ I'm really happy knowing that there are people reading it, and waiting to see what happens next!! It's great!
Lol, I read a review just now...as I'm updating.....lol, That Cactaur Muse, I guess miracles can happen – as you reviewed, I updated...pretty funny! Oh, and thank you Sanomeh, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I do my best to keep them in character!
So, I will do my best to update sooner rather than later – I know I'm very evil to keep you waiting – but I do my best! I've been very busy lately! So – see you soon, please keep the reviewing this story!
Lulu-san