A/N: and hello my friends, fellow Tikku-lovers, and plain curiosity seekers. Just a note on commenting. If you comment on this story you make somebody very very happy because that somebody is me. And you want to make me happy as much as I want my story to make you happy. Help Kippy help YOU! (yes, I watched Little Black Book recently I confess)guuuu….I had this written for a while (feels all the angry glares from impatient readers) and I'm sooo sorry but I went back to school and blaahhh you don't wanna hear a poor sophomore excuse….cuz I am one you know…AHHH just skip this...skip skip to the Tikku-ness blessedly short chappie but I have the next written up too…(dodges tomatoes and stuffed animals) and it shall be up very soon!

Fevers and Forgiveness

The sun hit my closed eyes with the force of a flashlight in a dark room. I squinted and saw Lulu's thin form fling open all the drapes.

"Wakey wakey you. Get outside! You've been moping for hours in here. I doubt popcorn and soap operas are the diet of a healthy young woman such as yourself."

"mmmmm…." I was in NO mood to wake up. I felt Lulu sit on the edge of the bed and pat my back. "C'mon now…Tidus has been around twice and I had to tell him you were sleeping or otherwise preoccupied. You can't lead the kid on like that. From what I heard he had a nasty break up with Yuna."

That got my attention.

I got up, dressed, and hurried over to Yunie's. As much as it bothered me to be near the house-which I had associated with sadness and heartbreak recently-I managed to muster the courage to knock.

Yuna answered.

"Oh…" she seemed a bit surprised, and I could tell the circles under her eyes were from nights without sleep.

I'm sorry to tell you there was no entertaining cat fight, no shouting, no ranting.

But there was a lot of crying and apologizing.

I won't go into details because I couldn't even see properly most of the time I was crying so hard, and everyone's voices seemed drowned out by the ringing in my ears. I remember my nose wouldn't stop running.

I also remember feeling really tired from saying the word's I'm, really, sorry, forgive, and me in different combinations over and over again.

And then he'd shown up to two crying girls in the living room…It broke my heart to see him rush to me.

Yunie's the one who needed attention and he comes to ME?

"You're burning up! Rikku, I knew I should have made you stay yesterday! You're sick!"

I…am? Yuna looked at me worriedly and wiped her eyes before running to the kitchen to make me tea. We were still civil to each other…how could she still treat me so well after what I'd done to her?

"Here…" I felt a tissue on my nose, sopping up the running waterfall. I looked around and saw him, crouched near me. If I had been any more in control of my senses I would have bawled him out for treating me like a snotty little kid, or teased him…but right now…

All I could do was smile…

It was the morning after my little moment with Rikku. I still remember how she'd looked when I'd finally managed to get out what I'd been feeling.

Relieved…happy…maybe a bit sad as well…I'd worried that my babbling couldn't be understood by Vidina much less Rikku, but she got my meaning right away.

Yuna had taken it much better once I got home. She was in the kitchen, doing dishes. I forgot for a moment what had happened between us and kissed her neck, But she'd pushed me away with a sharp elbow and fiercely rubbed her neck onto her shoulder, to remove the kiss.

I knew then nothing would ever go back to the way it was. I stayed away from her, actually found the courage to ring Lulu's bell two more times, but Rikku had apparently reneged on her promise. She wasn't there to talk to.

I should have known I was dumping too much on her shoulders. I should have just said on the beach that day that I was lying to save face. But back then I had been lost in the illusion that was Yuna.

Rikku…the name had a nice feel on my tongue. I sort of wished that maybe now we could evolve past our little crushes into something more.

She'd looked like such a natural with Vidina. It was really cute.

I walked into the house hoping maybe there was a snack I could snag before going upstairs to read and ponder for a while. But then I heard sniffling from the living room.

Crying and apologizing like fools. Civil fools I'm happy to say.

But I noticed Rikku's crying was more profuse then Yuna's, and that she was searching about in vain for a tissue. I rushed to her. Maybe she hadn't listened to me before…Maybe she'd stayed in her wet clothes too long. I put my palm on her forehead. She was burning up! Yuna rushed away to make tea, but I barely noticed.

I grabbed a tissue from a previously hidden box by the table and helped Rikku out a little. She must really be sick, because she didn't reprimand me or joke. She just…

Smiled at me…

A/N: Tralalaaaaaaaa….hmhmhm….waiting music plays