"Yaaaaaay! Another chapter!"
That's what you're all thinking now right? Another chapter update within a week (give or take a couple days) of the previous one. What a miracle on my part.
I got some reviews on the last chapter that made me feel all special inside and motivated me to type up the next chapter with invigorating speed.
Here's a few reviews that motivated me:
theGullwing: This is a great fic! Paine with a baby...With Rikku! That's just too cute! Seriously this is really well written too! Keep the chapters coming please!
Kioni: That's interesting. It's a pretty fluent fiction coming along here. Everyone has been paired off, and that stuffs. Can't wait to se what's going to come up next. Hope to see more soon
Dannichu: This is just great so far! I'm really enjoying it. It's really nice to see Shinra actually get some semblance of an appearance here; I think this is the first Rikku/Paine fic I've read where he's gotten more lines than "I'm just a kid". You made everyone's reaction to Yuna really realistic too; giving birth really does horrible things to people. I love Paine's reaction to being woken up, too; 'Uh-uh. Good dream' XD. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this will play out, I'm really excited!
As usual, your grammar and so on is really good, though the 'pety' in the summary should have two 't's (I'm being nitpicky again, I know...), and you may wish to change the 'she's eating' line to 'she's feeding'... I'll shut up now. This really rocks though; the plot, the in-character-ness, the writing style, the originality… I can't wait for more!
Chapter 4
Sun. lots and LOTS of sun. Good sun, nice sun. Oh, wonderful life-giving star of the universe.
How she hated it.
Rikku awoke to a face full of blinding sunlight. She turned to the side to hide her face in her companion's back.
But there was no companion to be found.
The thief looked under the blankets, checked under the bed, and then glanced at the clock.
9:58 a.m.
Dang. It's early. Too early.
And one thing Paine was known for was her unexplainable ability to sleep well into the afternoon. How she managed to be out of bed this early was beyond her.
Maybe she was out for a bathroom break or an early training session.
Yeah, that's it. Early training.
"Maybe I'll go join her." The thief thought aloud. She picked herself up out of bed and started for the kitchen—she was craving a good breakfast first.
Surprisingly, Tidus was in the kitchen too. He was a close second when it came to sleeping in.
"Morning." He waved chipperdly.
"Mornin'. Why're you up so early?" The blonde yawned and made her way across the breakfast bar where there was some food already cooked and ready to eat.
"Yuna woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep."
"Why?" The thief raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
"Ha ha. Not what you think." The former blitzer lightly smacked the table, "She said she was going out with Paine."
The blonde jerked forward, spitting coffee out everywhere at the same time. "What!" She shrieked while wiping her mouth on her forearm.
"HA!" The blonde man banged the table again, "Not what you think AGAIN." He pointed a finger at Rikku, who was now wiping off the table where she sprayed morning coffee all over. "They went out to check out the shops."
"Oh." The thief paused a moment in realization. "What for?"
It was a rhetorical question. They WERE currently located in Luca. And the only good thing to do there is…shop. Duh.
"Shopping." Tidus answered though he knew the question was kind of dumb.
"What about Ayane?"
"They took her too. Everybody else is sleeping, so it's just us."
"Yup."
Next came the awkward silence. The once-was blitzer and the thief hadn't exactly hung out a lot since they defeated Sin two years back.
Tidus tapped his cup on the tabletop unrhythmically and Rikku rocked back and forth on her heels.
"Say, I got nothin' to do," the blonde male couldn't take the silence anymore, "and I gotta get Ayane a crib. I was thinkin' I could go pick one up in Luca and put it together by the time the girls get back."
"Yeah, cool. It'll be the perfect opportunity for us to catch up." The thief perked up at the thought of being able to hang out with someone instead of loafing around until Paine returned home.
"You really wanna come?"
"Shyeah."
"Yes!" The new father celebrated, excited that he wouldn't have to be lazy today too. He had been in an almost isolated state for nine months taking care of Yuna. "Hurry up and eat. We'll leave soon."
As for Paine at this very moment, even though shopping in Luca was her idea—she was SO not enjoying herself right now.
"I am SO not enjoying myself right now."
See?
The warrior turned her gaze skyward and prayed to the heavens to come save her.
"Oh stop. This was your idea." The summoner rolled her eyes and elbowed the bored silver-haired woman.
"Yeah, I know. But it's so BORING!" The ruby-eyed woman groaned.
"Stop whining. Shopping's not that bad." The brunette rolled her eyes.
"Yes it is."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is."
"No it's not." Yuna held out her bundled baby to place in the warrior's arms.
Something caught the silver-haired one's eye. A flash of blonde hair.
"Oh sh-get down."
"Gah! Paine! The baby!" a caught off guard summoner squealed as she was so hastily pushed up against a wall, poor little Ayane caught in the middle of the two bodies.
"Don't worry, Paine. Rikku isn't here. She's on the Celsius, remember?" Yuna, concerned for her baby, pushed the warrior off of her, "Even if she was, what're the chances we'll run into her? Luca's a big place. I bet she's nowhere near…holy crap! Move."
Now was Paine's turn to get so abruptly shoved against a wall.
"Yike-Yuna! The baby!" The warrior instinctively shot her hands up to protect the baby's head from hitting against the-she hated to admit it-rock hard intensity of her stomach.
"Oh, sorry. Thought I saw Tidus." The summoner grinned sheepishly.
"Yuna. Tidus can't be here. He's on the Celsius, remember?" The silver-haired warrior playfully mocked.
"Oh, hush and get in that shop." The brunette transferred her baby to the warrior and lightly shoved her towards a random shop.
"Do I have to?" The taller woman whined, "I'll just stay here and watch the baby."
"Paine. Get in the shop." The summoner turned serious, fed up with the whining thanks to her new found motherly instincts.
"Yes mother." The warrior immediately shrunk back and obediently cowered into the shop in front of her.
"Paine, you're home!"
"Yuna, you're home!"
An eager Rikku and Tidus screamed in unison as they rounded a corner to greet their significant others as soon as they heard the lift open.
"Honey-no-slow down-no-TIDUS!" The summoner shrieked.
The speeding Tidus screeched to a halt and paced himself to a walk.
As for Paine…
GLOMP. B-i-i-i-ig glomp.
"Ha!" The blitzer enjoyed himself as the thief and warrior were sprawled on the floor and…
Smooching?
"You said you owed me." The blonde girl grinned mischievously when she pulled away.
"Well I meant somewhere private. Not in front of-" The warrior stammered.
A polite little 'ahem' came from somewhere above them.
The two looked up to see a very perturbed looking Yuna impatiently tapping her foot.
"Not in front of the child please." The brunette bent over the pile of two women.
"Eh-heh." The thief grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, Yunie." She apologized and immediately rolled off her pinned companion.
"Ha ha." The blitzer 'nya-nyaed' childishly. "So what'd ya get me?" His youthful ADD changed the subject.
"Nothing." His wife eyed him warily, "Am I supposed to?"
"No." He smiled widely, "But I got you something." He ran to the stairs and sprinted up them at full speed. "C'mon." He eagerly chirped once at the top of the flight.
Yuna, tired from all the walking she just did, took her time climbing the steps. Baby in her arms, she didn't rush once she reached the top either. By the time she finally made her way to the room, Tidus was there jumping up and down very impatiently.
"Look!" The blitzer excitedly pointed at the foot of their bed where there was a new crib waiting. He ran over and flamboyantly gestured, "Ta-da!"
The summoner squealed, "Aww, Tidus! It's so cute! It's perfect. You built this?"
The full grown man eagerly nodded. "Yup. With a little help from Rikku." He smiled.
"It wouldn't be able to stand by itself without my help." The thief walked in, Paine right behind her.
"Heh." The blitzer grinned, hand behind his head.
"Thank you, Rikku." The brunette gave a giant, warm hug to her cousin.
"And thank YOU, Tidus." Yuna moved to give her husband something more than a hug.
"Dah. C'mon, baby. I don't think you wanna see this." The blonde Al Bhed hurriedly took her niece and shuffled out of the room. "Not in front of the kid, guys. Sheesh." She mumbled at the doorway.
Paine followed close behind. "Geez you guys. You just had a kid, we don't need another one." She smirked on her way out, quickly closing the door before any projectile items could be thrown her way.
"So how was hanging out with Yunie today?" The two women had retreated to the living room and were now lounging on the couch.
"Wasn't bad. How was your day with Tidus?" The warrior leaned over to brush something out of little Ayane's hair.
The thief groaned. "Oh gosh! That guy can NOT handle a screwdriver, I swear." She griped, "I had to put 99 of that crib together." She rested her chin on her hand.
"Fun?"
"Yup." She sat up brightly.
"Well, you're a great mechanic." The warrior took the baby into her own arms.
"What'd you shop for?"
"OH look!" The ruby eyed woman chirped, "Ayane's drooling." She changed the subject.
"Hold on. I'll get a towel." The thief jumped over the back of the couch—stumbling, of course—before running off to the kitchen.
"Heh heh. That was a close one." The warrior leaned back in relief.
Little Ayane cooed from below.
"I know, right?" She glanced down at the baby in her arms.
"Got it!" Rikku ran in. being her clumsy self, she tripped halfway to the couch—sending the towel flying out of her hands.
"Thanks hon'." The silver haired one easily snatched the towel in midair.
The thief pulled her face out of the ground, "No problem."
She made her way to the couch, tripped halfway, but made a perfect landing on the couch.
"Clumsy." Paine smirked a very rare smirk.
"Not clumsy. Just…" The blonde positioned her feet under herself and sat on her knees, "…ungraceful of the feet." She grinned.
"Whatever you say," the warrior dabbed some spit that began to appear on the little baby's mouth, "…clumsy."
"Oh really?" The Al Bhed laid the foundation for a childish word game.
"Yeah really." The warrior played along.
"Ya sure about that?" The petite thief leaned in slightly.
"Heck yeah." The silver haired woman shortened the distance between them.
The blonde leaned even closer, tightened her lips, and stared the warrior down. "Prove it." She breathed onto her companion's face.
She took the challenge. Paine began to close the remaining space between them. Oh, she was gonna prove it. Prove it good like it should. One thing for sure: she was VERY good at proving things to Rikku. It just took a little-
CRASH!
"Oh Shhhhhiva! Rikku!"
The thief cringed at the call of her name, the warrior flinched at the loud yelling, and the baby started crying due to the startling noises.
"You owe me." The blonde Al Bhed smiled sweetly at her friend.
"Seems to be happening a lot." The warrior grinned.
"You're SO gonna pay for that." The blonde smiled heartily before dashing to the flight of stairs leading towards the sound of Tidus' voice.
"RIKKU!"
"WHAT!" she answered the demanding voice. He was so impatient. Couldn't even wait until she was halfway up the stairs.
Paine, who had stayed behind at the couch, chuckled and reclined her legs to take up the remaining space on the cushions. It seems she would be getting some valuable quiet time for a few minutes.
"Heya, Paine.
Never mind.
"What?" The formerly relaxed warrior greeted the summoner without moving a muscle.
"Nothing. Just came to hang out." The once was gunner finished her way down the stairs.
"Why?"
CRASH!
"DANG IT, TIDUS! I knew I shouldn't have let you have the screwdriver!"
The summoner smirked at the yelling voice and walked over to the couch to soothe her wailing child.
Paine gladly obliged and handed the baby to their mother. Almost instantly, little Ayane stopped her crying once back in her mother's arms.
Now there could be SOME relaxing time. The warrior took advantage of this and reclined again. "You hide it?" she rested her feet on a nearby footrest so Yuna could sit on the couch.
"Yup. Real good, too." The summoner plopped on the adjacent cushion and started to gently rock her baby.
"Did Tidus see it?"
"Nope." The gunner smiled, proud that she had evaded her husband's nosy little eyes.
"Good." The warrior relaxed into the inviting cushions, listening with closed eyes to the soulful sounds of the crashing symphony upstairs.
With the banging around and yelling working in almost perfect unison, it did become quite musically relaxing. Tidus' clumsiness mixed with Rikku's melodic, screaming voice equaled a plentiful amount of amusement.
It lasted for a while. Longer then Paine herself expected. With the blonde thief's craftiness and superb mechanical ability, she'd thought they'd be done in a snap.
CRASH!
Obviously not.
"I told you I didn't want you screwing the bolts on the crib." A very ruffled looking thief stomped down the stairs, an equally rustled Tidus following behind.
"Aw, c'mon! Leftie loosie, righty tighty. See? I got it!" The former blitzer yelled in defense.
"Sure…after the sixth try."
"But it's progress, right?" The blonde swordsmen held his arms out, compensating for his clumsiness.
"Yeah, I guess." The forgiving Al Bhed calmed and concentrated on fixing her hair while making her way to the already occupied couch. "Crib's fixed." She smiled to the two lounging women, a half-braided strand of hair in her hands.
"Good thing." The ruby-eyed warrior took the midway styled strand and took the liberty of braiding it herself, though she wasn't very good at it. But who was complaining?
Tidus soon joined them on the couch, completing what was a cute, little scene. One you would see on a postcard or on TV: the two almost sickeningly perfect couples having a lovely time and chatting away. It could make one of weak heart sick.
Eww.
So here's chapter 4. Enjoy it, review it, eat it.
I'm out. Goin' to work on chapter 5. But I've barely written it so….be even more patient for the next update.