Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
Author's note: Oh man, I suck. I know, I really do. I swear I planned to get this out earlier (LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO), but life decided to kick me in the ass again and I became apathetic. (Apparently I was channelling Paine, but whatever.) This chapter is short, I know, but I swear the next one will be longer. Maybe. If not, it'll be shorter and out sooner. Also, to note—and I just wanna get it out there, for my state of mind—that thing about the Al Bhed? It's tough, because it's not instinctual. It comes off a little awkward to me, too. But I figure I'd rather be honest to the character—i.e., a mostly asleep Rikku would respond in her native language—than have it flow all nice. Then again, in my planned revision, it's all gonna be nifty and stuff. (Hopefully.) Anyway, this is getting too long, so! … So! Here ya go.
Chapter summary: Paine wasn't ready to broadcast 'this' to the rest of Spira, but how does she feel about the crew catching on?
Chapter 7: Show Me
Habit… bad one… were the first words Paine thought as she woke up. Rikku seemed to have woken up not too long ago, peering down at her with a half-asleep smile.
"Hi," the blonde said. She shifted, taking some of her weight off Paine.
A low growl rumbled through Paine's chest and up her throat as she began rubbing sleep out of her eyes.
"Well, aren't you chipper. I'd make a joke about how you didn't wanna sleep with me last night and ended up in my bed anyway but, um." Rikku giggled and ruffled Paine's hair, earning her a glare. "I figure that wouldn't be appreciated. Yeah?"
"Uhn," Paine mumbled. She pushed at Rikku's stomach. "Gr'off."
The thief's eyebrows twitched upwards. "You want me to take my shirt off?"
Paine rolled her eyes and shoved again.
"Ohhh, you want me off of you," Rikku surmised, doing as 'requested.' "Sheesh. You coulda said somethin' if I was crushin' you."
It took a few moments for her friend to respond, as Paine slowly sat up and ran her hands through her hair. "Unlike you, I don't wake up ready to converse," she said.
"You seem to be improving."
"Now that I've had a somewhat reasonable amount of time to wake up."
Rikku laughed. "Your sense of humour is at the ready."
"Sarcasm is readily available at any given moment on any given day," Paine drawled, looking around. "They back yet?"
"I assume so," Rikku answered, leaning against Paine. The warrior didn't shove her away this time, so she took the opportunity to lay her head on a nearby shoulder. "Barkeep's too nice to wake us up in the middle of the night. So is Buddy."
"Shinra doesn't care, which probably means Brother was too shitfaced to annoy the hell out of us," Paine finished for her. She was trying her best to ignore Rikku's close proximity. It wasn't too hard.
"Mmhmm." Rikku smiled and wrapped her arms around Paine's waist, effectively getting rid of any and all of Paine's tactics of ignorance. "They're all probably gonna sleep the entire day away. What say you and I do the same?"
Try as she might, Paine just couldn't get mad. And boy was she trying. "You just won't give it up, huh?"
"Now that I've got you to admit you're attracted to me and willing to give this a shot?" Another smile, this one amused. "Ya better believe it."
"I never admitted to anything," Paine argued, trying to detangle herself from the smaller woman.
"You sure haven't been objecting."
"I beg your pardon?" Paine muttered incredulously. "I remember objecting rather frequently and venomously."
Rikku shifted around until she was all but straddling Paine. Nose to nose with her friend, she teased, "Wasn't your best."
"You want me to hurt you?" Paine asked, almost rhetorically.
"That depends…"
Rolling her eyes, Paine pushed at the thief's shoulders, trying to slip out from under her. "Come on, I'm hungry."
"Funny, so am I," Rikku murmured, trying hard not to grin too wide.
"Rikku!" Paine barked, shocked.
"Sorry," Rikku apologised, not sound sorry at all. "Hey… are you blushing?"
Paine's reply was immediate. "No."
"I think you are! I think you're blushing!" Rikku bounced on the bed then all but flinging herself onto Paine. "Awww, you're so cute!"
Her normally pale cheeks did have a faint tint of red to them. But following this line of teasing wasn't recommended. "Get off," Paine said, tone no-nonsense.
"I think that's the first time I've ever seen you blush!"
"It's going to be the last thing you ever see if you don't get off."
"Awww, you embarrassed? That's okay… that's cute, too!" Rikku squeezed her arms around Paine's shoulder in a hug.
Honestly miffed, Paine jerked, forcing Rikku to let go of her. "…" she emoted almost audibly, moving to get out of bed.
But Rikku was having none of it. Determined to crack through the warrior's stoic mask even though she knew she was being annoying, Rikku leapt forward and tackled Paine to the floor. With a loud thump they slammed into it and Paine let out a surprised yelp. Shifting, she flipped Rikku over onto her back and attempted to pin her. Her strength aided her but Rikku's natural flexibility made it so it was like trying to hold down an eel.
"Damnit… Rikku!" Paine grunted, losing her hold on the thief.
"What, what? Huh? C'mon! Show me whatcha got!" Rikku grinned, turning the wrestling match into a tickling one.
Pursing her lips against a shriek of surprise, Paine decided it was time to retreat. She avoided Rikku's nimble fingers for the most part, able to get in her own fleeting tickles here and there. Soon, Rikku was laughing hysterically, both at being tickled and the situation. Though still slightly annoyed, the taller woman couldn't help but be amused at Rikku's own mirth. And it was kind of fun… but tickling? No way. Paine tried to get Rikku into a headlock but the blonde threaded her legs through Paine's and tripped her up, forcing Paine to try and detangle herself with her arms. They made an awful amount of noise as they rolled around the floor, sometimes going at it with brute force, at other times moving to tickle in a tactic for escape.
It was only a matter of time that someone showed up to see what the racket was about. Buddy and Brother, clad in their sleeping clothes, ran up the stairs and nearly knocked each other to the floor in their haste.
"What's going on!" Buddy demanded, pushing Brother off of him. Brother leaned down, hands on his knees as he panted.
The two girls on the floor stopped, looking up at the arrival of the men. Paine was on the floor, one arm looped around Rikku's neck in another try at a headlock, Rikku straddling her with one hand on the warrior's stomach, the other in Paine's own free hand trying to win a pushover. Their hair was in disarray, as was their clothing, skin flushed with exertion and helpless laughter.
"It is… too early…" Brother whined, straightening up.
"Uh…" Rikku mumbled, blushing. Though this was regular behaviour for her, she was afraid Paine was going to jump to her feet and beat Buddy and Brother for witnessing her in a very un-Paine-like position.
To her surprise, Paine grinned lopsidedly and dropped her arms. She glanced at Rikku and the thief slowly got to her feet, Paine following after a moment.
"It's nothing," Paine said, one hand moving to her hip as she waved the other in dismissal. "Go back to sleep."
Buddy's eyes narrowed and he opened up his mouth to speak, but Brother smacked him on the back heartily. "Let us go back to sleep," he said, "I am tired." With a look that said he was going to question his friends later, Buddy turned and followed Brother down the stairs.
"Paine…" Rikku started, but her friend turned and cut her off.
"Whatever. I asked for it, sleeping with you last night." Paine ran a hand through her hair, heart rate still a little high. "I'm…" Her mouth twisted, but not into a grin.
This time, Rikku cut her off. "Hey. I'm sorry." She opened her arms wide, smiling cheerfully. "Hug?"
Paine walked over to the railing and leaned over to look down at the bar area. Buddy was talking to a calmly-going-about-his-business Barkeep, while Brother rested against the counter, asleep again. She turned and walked back over, Rikku's arms closing around her waist when she was close enough. Putting her arm against Rikku's back in return, she pulled away and looked down.
"…Can we have breakfast now?" she asked dryly.
Rikku laughed and bounced away, already at the top of the stairs. "Are you kiddin'? I'm starving!"
After breakfast, bathroom visits and getting dressed, the two women went their separate ways. Paine mentioned needing some time alone and, though eager, Rikku didn't want to push too much in such a short amount of time. So Rikku occupied herself with hanging out with Barkeep and Shinra, alternatively, while Paine went to go train. They were currently still docked at Luca, so it meant the deck was free for usage.
That was what Buddy found her doing when he went up sometime in the early afternoon.
"Hey," Buddy called out, folding his arms over his chest. He lifted his head to the sky, the glaring sun warming his face, a cool breeze keeping it from scorching, then looked back at Paine.
Paine turned around, lowering her sword to her side. She used her other hand to push her bangs out of her shrewd eyes, the calculating look they held remaining as she met his gaze. "Yeah?"
"Can I… talk to you?"
Paine shrugged indifferently and turned right back around, swinging her sword to loosen her arm up in preparation. Buddy let her lose herself once more in her movements, watching her parry and thrust in her battle against an incorporeal foe. He knew that if he talked she'd be listening, but he wanted her full attention. Not to mention her readiness with her sword made him nervous. Not that he thought she'd ever cut him down… but she might hit him.
Unknown to him, his presence and watching nagged at the back of her mine. With an aggrieved sigh, Paine spun and rested the tip of her sword on the deck, the metal sparking at the sharp movement. "Well?" she asked impatiently, folding her hands over the pommel.
"It's about Rikku," Buddy said without missing a beat.
Paine's face remained expressionless.
With a sigh of his own, Buddy walked over until he was a few feet in front of her. Unfolding his arms, he shoved his hands into his pockets and felt like a meddling fool. But he needed to know…
"What's going on between you two?" he asked bluntly.
"What business of it is yours?" Paine immediately countered.
"She's my friend."
"She's my friend, too."
This is going well, Buddy thought, tonguing the inside of one of his cheeks. "Look, Paine," he said aloud, "I'm not—I'm just concerned, that's all. You understand."
Paine glanced down at the deck, brow furrowing in as she thought. I guess I'm being a little hard on him… and he's got the right to be concerned. I would be, too, if our positions were reversed. She smirked. Then again, I'd be even harder if our positions were reversed…
"Paine?"
She looked back up and shrugged. "What do you want me to tell you? You sound like you have a pretty good idea already of what's 'going on' between us."
Buddy looked away uncomfortably. "…Yeah…"
"You got a problem with it?" Paine asked, hard again.
"No! No. I just…" He ran a hand over his head. "…Gippal's a friend of mine, too."
Ah… so that's what this is about. Should've known. "No offense, but I know Gippal better than you do."
"You sure of that?"
"Yeah." Paine scowled. "Are you gonna tell me to back off his girl? Because she isn't, you know." In fact, he isn't even interested. …I think.
Buddy shook his head and held up his hands in a sign of peace. "Okay. And no. All of this is between you and her. I just." He frowned. "I don't want anybody hurt. I mean, I know you don't do flings… and Rikku's got a good heart…"
"I won't hurt her," Paine interrupted, voice terser and rougher than he'd ever heard it. "Ever."
He blanched, shaking his head and waving his hands again. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I… Brother doesn't have any idea, yet, but I thought—I just. I thought I should know, so I could calm him down. You know he's gonna blow a gasket."
After a deep, calming breath, Paine smirked and nodded once. "This is true." A pause. "I don't want to hurt him, but if she gives me permission…"
Buddy laughed, arms dropping to his sides. "Yeah. If I don't bop him first. All right. I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone."
Paine shrugged and nodded again, sword lifted to rest against her shoulder as she turned back around. Once more she swung, preparing herself. Buddy turned to go, wondering if he felt better or not. He did, he decided, and also knew he was happy for them if they were.
"Hey," Paine said, bringing him back.
He glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows raised curiously.
Paine was facing his way, sword against her shoulder once again. She looked every inch the capable warrior he knew and he was glad she hadn't hit him, though he was ashamed to think she would; she had more control than that. The look on her face, however, was unfamiliar. He suddenly realised it was gratitude, however reluctant, and felt more ashamed.
"Thanks," she said just as gruffly as he expected.
"For what?"
"…Caring. About her."
He smiled. "I care about you, too, Paine."
Snorting derisively, mumbling a "yeah, well," Paine spun back around and went back to her training.
Still smiling to himself, Buddy headed back down to the bridge and wondered.