Her soul was screaming through her eyes, the intensity of it forcing me to swallow hard before words would come forth.

"Always."

I closed my eyes tightly, for the sight of her like this pained me.

Swiftly, gently, I curled her shaking frame into my own.

Her face buried into the crook of my neck and her hands gripped wildly at my sides, as if there was no way to be as close as she needed.

I slowly lowered us onto the bed and let my own arms overcome her small torso.

Unconsciously I started rubbing comfort circles on her back and shoulders.

Her breathing pattern slowed, but there was still that unease about her.

Shit. What can I do to fix this...let's see...stories, memories, something.

"Rikku, do you remember when we first met, that rainey day in the thunder plains?

I was stubbornly refusing to stop at all and just drudging through.

The rainfall was so abundant that I could barely see anything through it, and that's when we collided into each other.

You were running with such force I thought for sure you were going to take me out when you hit me, but you just slumped into me on impact.

When you finally looked up your eyes were filled with such an intense fear..."

"You didn't know what to do with me," Rikku giggled.

"I had been camping out to get over my fear of lightning and thunder but I just couldn't handle it.

Sitting in that tent, listening to the storm around me...I just couldn't spend the night out there.

I figured the Inn was my closest salvation, so I started running in a wild frenzy to get out of the storm as fast as possible.

And then you...I was so frightened of getting caught out in that storm, but when I fell into you, when I looked up at your face...well, you looked like this adorably soaked puppy dog and all I could do was smile."

The theif giggled again and nuzzled closer to Paine who instinctively gave her a gently squeeze in a return show of affection.

"You were so worried about what had gotten me to that state that you rushed me straight to the Inn to get me out of the unknown danger.

Then while we were drying you asked me all about it."

Rikku curled her head around, leveling our stares.

"I felt so silly."

Paine had to fight against a smirk.

I should not think Rikku's cute.

You're just drunk, same reason she kissed you earlier.

Alright, let's not dwell on this.

"You are silly," Paine mused, causing Rikku to stick her tongue out before snuggling back into her teammate.

"Tell me another story," Rikku mumbled into Paine's neck.

The sensation of the Al Bhed's hot breath made her shiver and tense slightly.

"One about your past, before you met me and joined the Gullwings."

The warrior sighed, wracking her brain for a memory she didn't mind sharing while still thinking on the stuation at hand.

"Well..."

Paine paused when a loud snoore interrupted her before she could really begin.

Thank Yevon.

Letting out another sigh, she tried to shift her head enough to get a glimpse of the sudden sleeper.

Figuring herself stuck for the night, Paine manuevered a cigarette out of her pocket and lit it up.