The Echo
Chapter 17: I Still Believe

I closed the door behind me as I walked into my sleeping quarters. For a long moment, I leaned against the door in the dark, letting go of my stress. Deep breaths, in and out, and me, just me, alone in the dark. A flash of lightning lit the air, visible through my closed eyelids, and I jumped. I still hated lightning and thunder, even if I pretended to be okay with it.

In the black, I roamed through the small space. Even if I'd only been here a few weeks, I knew my way around. I knew which drawer held what, how many steps it took to get to the bed, where the piles of clothing that I'd carelessly tossed onto the floor were stationed. My eyes closed once more, I slowly changed out of my work clothes and into one of the long sleeved shirts that I'd borrowed from Gippal. It was much too big on me, but I didn't care. After pulling on some long pajama bottoms, I pulled out the ponytail holder that held my hair up and let the strands drop, let them stretch their full length. There were mounds of blankets on the bed, and I slipped inside happily, sheltered from the cold air of the stone temple.

I waited comfortably. I heard my door creak as it was opened, saw the light from the hall pour in as the figure entered my room. He left his shoes next to my own near the door before tiptoeing across the small space, pulling back the covers and crawling underneath them with me.

"It's chilly tonight." His voice was smiling, and I moved closer to him.

"Yeah… I'm glad you're staying in here tonight. I might've frozen if I didn't have the extra body heat." With a little chuckle, I rested my head beside his on the large, soft pillow.

"I'm here to serve."

Gippal's hand grasped mine under the blankets, his grip sure and strong. I gently rested my head on his chest, nuzzling him lightly. I loved to lie with him at night. Since I'd arrived in Djose, we'd taken turns sleeping in one another's rooms. It was nice to have someone to hold in the long night hours, good to be able to feel something in your arms other than a pillow. The two of us were still too shy to take it further than just holding and sleeping… but we were content with it.

I sighed contentedly as he finger-combed my hair. His muscles were very tense, as he held me tightly. I wondered if something had happened in the office that day, while I was out on the ocean doing some research. A bright play of electricity revealed his expression as I lay there in his grasp.

He looked nervous. "Hun… is something wrong?" I asked, quietly. He paused for a moment before kissing my cheek. I could feel the grin on his lips.

"Rikku…" I sighed and waited as he took in a breath. "I love you."

I froze. A warmth began to flood through my core, out to my very fingertips, and another light show made my room bright as day. Our eyes were interlocked, his smiling and unsure, mine shocked and excited. And as the lightning faded away into the cloud cover, I kissed him slowly, squeezing his hand tight. With all of the emotion I could muster, I whispered softly in his ear.

"I love you, too…"

I stood up, leaving the uncomfortable desk chair behind. I was glad I'd chosen it. It was uncomfortable enough to keep me awake in the late night hours. There was no way I would have been able to finish all the paperwork I'd come home with if it wasn't so damned hard and rigid. I stretched my arms above my head, yawning as I did so, and reached back down to turn off the lamp. Slowly, I made my way out the door, through the living room, and into the hallway.

I paused as I passed Telan's door, which was slightly ajar. I heard a soft voice from within, and with a slight grin, I walked inside quietly, not wanting to interrupt Rikku's lullaby.

She was singing softly, an old Al Bhed lullaby… it was always calming and comforting, with its words of home and warmth, but her voice, the care with which she pronounced each flowing word, made it even more welcoming. I leaned against the wall at the top of the steps, watching her with a smile on my face. Telan was in her arms, staring up at her as she drank her bottle, eyes wide and hair all over the place. Rikku was patting her back softly, rocking back and forth in the little rocking chair, singing down to her as if there was nothing else in the world.

Telan reached her small hand up, grasping at the hand her mother had around the bottle. Rikku grinned down at her and stopped her song. "Oh, you got me!" She wiggled her fingers about slightly on the bottle, and Telan's grip tightened on her fingers. "Oh no! I'm stuck! She's got me…" Rikku smiled widely as Telan's little nose wrinkled.

She talked to her quietly, making the little one smile. I waited for a few more moments, watching her exercise that familiar gentleness that I loved. She'd begun to hum the lullaby once more, and was smoothing the infant's hair back. For the moment, all her concentration was on the baby. I sighed contentedly and quietly left the room, walking down the hall to the bedroom.

Twenty minutes later, I smiled as I felt Rikku slip beneath the covers. Her arms wrapped around my waist, and I hugged her tightly. "Is she out?" I asked quietly, stroking her hair.

"She was fighting, but I think exhaustion finally got the better of her…"

I yawned, and Rikku laughed. "I think it's starting to get the better of me, too…"

She snaked her arm underneath my head, and I leaned back on it with a sigh, grinning. "Do I need to sing you to sleep, too?"

"Yep."

"No!"

I pouted, looking into her eyes in the dark. "Please? You were singing to Telan!"

"And are you a baby now?" She sighed when I grinned facetiously. "Ignore that question. She's little, she needs to be- you were listening!"

"I was watching, too."

"If that wasn't coming from you, I'd be creeped out right now." She laughed. Her eyes lit up as she did so, and my heart warmed. She pouted, sticking out her lower lip. I playfully leaned over and caught it in my teeth, nibbling softly as she giggled at me. "I don't want to sing!" she complained, tickling my side. I curled up, away from her hand, and she laughed triumphantly.

"Fine… don't sing. I understand. No love, no love…" I laughed as I let my head rest heavily on her arm.

She was quiet, though. I could see her eyes shining in the thin light. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, and as the brief light flooded the room, I caught her expression. She looked nervous.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing her arm softly. She shifted slightly, moving slightly closer to me.

Her voice was quiet. "I don't think anything is wrong, necessarily…"

I kissed her cheek, uncertainly. "Then why are you acting funny all of the sudden?"

She sighed and tensed. "I love you, Gippal."

I blinked at him uncertainly as he remained quiet. I could barely see him, but that didn't matter. I could feel him. I could feel how nervous he was. His hand had paused on my arm, but soon enough, he began to rub once more, his eyes searching my own wide and waiting ones.

There was a strange warmth in his touch, in his searching. A strange look in his eyes. My chest felt tight, constrained. I waited, still, fear filling me despite the look that I knew, the warmth that I knew. What if he didn't say it back? What if he changed his mind? What if these wonderful last weeks had all been... something else? Something not love?

His fingers brushed against my cheek, so soft. He took a deep breath, and with a sigh came the words… the words that I needed to hear. "And I love you..."

His thumb brushed over my cheek as he leaned forward, kissing me softly, slowly. I kissed him back, closing my eyes, which were slowly filling with happy tears. I hadn't thought that those few words would affect me so deeply, stir my heart and entire soul, that the touch of his gentle hand on my cheek could soothe me so. He stopped caressing my cheek as he felt the hot tears begin to trail down my cheek, and looked down at me with concern in his eyes.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, quietly, holding me safely in his arms.

I shook my head, running my fingers through his hair. "I just didn't know how much I needed to hear that…"

There was a smile in his words. "I needed to hear it, too…" I sighed with contentment as he kissed my tears away, as he kissed my eyelids and then returned to my lips, gentle and loving. I pulled him closer, pressing my body against his, and I lovingly caressed his neck and shoulders as we kissed.

His hand left my cheek and he began to slowly slide it down my back. With his other arm, he held me to him firmly. With a sigh, he began to trail kisses down my cheekbone and toward my neck. I stared off into the dim light of the room, a smile on my lips as his fingers lightly trailed over my thigh, as he pulled my leg around his waist.

Without much hesitation, I kissed along his jaw-line. When I finally met his earlobe, I gently began to suckle as he lightly rubbed at my thigh. He gave off a loud sigh, and I softly caressed his side. "Rikku…" he murmured, almost inaudibly. I pulled away from his ear a bit, and smiled.

"Hmm?"

He turned to look at me and shook his head. "…don't stop, Cid's girl…" I smirked for a moment before kissing him softly. Then, I turned back to his ear, sucking and nibbling with a feather-light touch.

Very gently, he pushed at my shoulder, and I rolled onto my back. He hovered just inches over me, kissing at my neck, the hand that had been on my thigh trailing up to my shirt. He began to fiddle with the buttons, as he kissed and nibbled at my collarbone, and I gasped lightly. Slowly, his hand traveled down the front of my shirt as he expertly unbuttoned the closures. I slid out of it with a smile and a shiver, as the cool air met my skin. He kissed me fully, our tongues mingling together, as he pulled the string ties of my yellow bikini top out of their knots and gently pulled the fabric away.

My lips wandered freely over her bare chest. I rubbed her arm softly, listening as she occasionally gasped or let out a breathy sigh. It was slightly strange to me, that those few words had led us to this… but it was right, as well. "Gippal…" she sighed softly, her hand on my chin, pulling me back to her lips. I kissed her gently before sitting up.

Quickly, I tried to peel my shirt off. I floundered about for a moment as I got lost in it. Rikku's giggling made me smile, and after a short moment of struggling with the shirt, she managed to pull it off, over my head. She kissed me, a smile in her eyes, and pressed her hands against my chest, up and over my shoulders… pressed her own bare chest against mine. I let my fingers comb through her hair as she kissed my neck. Slightly tentative, her hands found my belt. She pulled open the clasp, slowly unbuttoned the closure, and pulled down the zipper. With a grin, she kissed me once more, leaning back slightly as I too pulled at the ties of her pants. Both of us hesitated as we were left only in our underwear.

I looked her in the eyes, and she blinked back at me, her bright green orbs wide and bright. "I love you, Gippal." I smiled back, listening to those words that made everything feel alright, the words that erased everything that had happened.

"I love you, too… more than you'll ever know." I kissed her softly once more, before she pulled away, lying back on the pillows. I pulled her underwear off, letting my fingers trail over her long, soft legs. She, in turn, pulled my boxers off, grinning up at me with warmth in her eyes. And then she pulled me to her once more, beneath the sheets. I tickled her inner thigh, and she grinned and nodded, lacing her fingers with mine, letting her arms rest above her head. And I leaned down to kiss her, letting my body rest against hers, careful to support my weight.

I gazed at her; she gazed back at me, her eyes trusting. And as we kissed each other, warmly, lovingly… we were one, again.

I sighed in contentment as Gippal tucked the heavy blankets around the two of us, as he lovingly made sure that I was warm enough before he rested his head on my shoulder and wrapped an arm around my waist.

I gazed at him, a lazy smile on my lips, as I brushed my bare leg against his. He grinned back, blinking back at me innocently, as if he were trying not to let his grin evolve into his trademark smirk. Gently, I brushed my fingers through his slightly damp hair, happy just to be near him. For a moment, I felt like I'd gone back in time. The past ten and a half months hadn't gone by… it was just him and me, lying in one another's arms without a care in the world.

The small, one way radio device that Gippal had made brought me back to the present as a fussy Telan began to whine in her room. I looked over my shoulder at the radio, and attempted to push myself up. But Gippal pulled me back down and ran his thumb over my cheek once more.

"She'll be fine, Rikki…" he said softly, gazing at me.

"One of us should go and get her," I whispered, gazing back at the little monitor.

"No, she'll be okay without us." He sighed and continued to stroke my cheek comfortingly as we listened to her. A few moments passed, and she was only cooing, her adorable bubble blowing noise making me smile as it came through the monitor. Not long after that, I could only hear the sound of her breathing as she went back to sleep.

With a sigh, I looked back at him. "... I feel kinda guilty for not going to get her…"

"Why?" he asked, pulling me closer as he nuzzled my neck.

I shrugged and ran my fingers through his hair again. With a small smile, I began to sing that same lullaby I'd been singing to Telan earlier that night, my voice quiet. He smiled lightly against my skin as I sang to him softly, my voice steady. And as I sang there, his warm arms wrapped around me in our cocoon of blankets, everything was right again. Everything was just how I wanted it to be.

I officially feel horrible for making all of you wait so long. The last two or three weeks have been hectic… how long has it been since I updated? Well, I had Homecoming week and Powderpuff football (my team won, I got punched in the eye… it was violent), a whole bunch of tests, dance, a whole bunch of tests, homework, and… oh yeah, a whole bunch of tests. I just want to say thank you to all of you for being so patient. So, this chapter was my first more, ehhem...in depth one. Please, tell me what you think! To FairyIce, thank you so much for all your patience, advice, dedication, and all the laughs. Kotono116, thank you a bunch for all your help on this chapter. I would have never gotten it done had you not spurred the ideas, lol. Clap for them! Okay… so now, I have to go study for, guess what, a bunch of tests. I will see you all next chapter, which will hopefully be out sooner than this one was.

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