She sat splay-legged on the floor, her attention grabbed by a sphere that played in her hands. Even when there was a constant thundering around her, of people moving back and forth, of dishes being cleaned and clink clanked in the sink, of a knocking at the door that grew and grew in intensity, her head didn't move.

Tidus stumbled past her, wet suds dripping from his hands. Reaching the door, he flung it open and cheered as Rikku bumbled in. Rikku smiled so hard. Too hard.

She patted him on the shoulder. "How you holding up?"
The word choice was a mistake, she cringed a little at the dark flicker that swept Tidus's face. But then he grinned and all was alright again. "Fine, fine."

"And how's Yunie?" Rikku began to creep towards her back, knowing she won't have noticed her yet.

"She's good!" Tidus tracked Rikku's back. "I… found her a sphere today, the one Wakka made."

"Ooooh, that old thing?" Rikku leapt up in front of Yuna, waving her hands as though she was some blonde devil creature from the swamp. Yuna kept her head hung and gurgled. Rikku knelt down, gently taking the sphere from her hands, watching as Yuna's head moved with it. "Can't see why she'd be so interested in this."

Tidus came round behind her, stretching. "Why don't you ask her?"

Rikku tried to hide her frown, turning back to Yuna and waving her hands and grinning enthusiastically. The sphere slid onto the ground. "Alright, Yunie, what's so great about tubby's proposal, huh?" She tilted her head, poking Yuna in the side. "You thinking about making one of you own, soon?" Clasping her hands in her lap, she wavered a bit. "I didn't think you'd be the wedding type, after… you know."

Tidus shuffled behind her, so Rikku coughed. "But! If a weddings what you've been thinking about, we're going to have to do up your hair, aren't we?"

She reached forwards, picking up a limb strand. She let it go.

"We can even put flowers in it, the ones that you like." She pointed at her necklace. Then turned back to Tidus. "You can be our flower picker, can't you?"

"I… uh?"

"Come on, I know you're not supposed to see the bride before she's ready – but you can still help pick out the dress! And everything else." Rikku leapt up. "Where do y- does she keep her hairstuff?" Noticing Tidus's face, she put a hand on her hip. "Come on, you know what kind of flowers to get, right?"

"… Yeah, yeah I do." Relaxing a bit, he grabbed a small black bag beneath a mirror, tossing it over to Rikku who failed spectacularly to catch it. As she was bending over to get it, Tidus pumped his hand and declared, "I'm on it!" before waltzing out the door.

Standing still for a bit, Rikku finally let out a sigh.

"We're finally alone, huh?" Stumbling back down beside her she swept the bag in front of her, digging through it for a comb. "It must be hard, never getting much privacy." She found it, a small victorious smile passing. "I don't think I could live like that. I like a bit of time to myself, sometimes. Especially after… everything that went down, you know? I feel like I've got more time to figure myself out." She started brushing Yuna's hair, gently combing it down behind her ears. "I went camping last week, in Macalania woods. I thought of you a lot."

"I thought… after everything was over, I'd get to know you a little better. We've missed out on way too much time." She came across a knot, gently trying to get it out. "Dad's fault, though. He's always so stubborn. Guess he didn't want me getting into trouble, but then he goes and has to blow up Home." She tugged, letting out a fluttering of apologies when Yuna didn't seem to care. "… Not that he could avoid that, it's just that… I'm Al Bhed, you know? You can't pretend that you can keep me safe. I wish… my boat sunk a long time ago. It was a good excuse to come find you, wasn't it?"

"Dad's still working up the courage to come see you. He's a big lufynt." She paused. "But he loves you, you know? You're the… last bit of mom he has. You look a lot like her." She started to brush the other side. "We.. .all love you Yunie. That's why Tidus has been working so hard. Because he loves you so much." She beamed. "And I know you're in there! I mean, you can watch TV, go fishing for Blitzballs… Some part of you just got lost."

…

"I was… so scared, on Gagazet, you know? I thought that would be the last time I'd see my cousin. And now…" She put the comb down. "Now I can see you, but that's all I can do."

The great sadness that had started to sweep in irritated her. She wiggled on the spot. "But you look so pretty!"

Later, when Tidus came in – whole bushels of flowers fell from his hands. "I… kind of… didn't know which ones to pick. So I got them all!"

"Mmm, it's going to smell so good in here." Rikku laughed, bounding to her feet and digging through the piles. "You're gonna need to go get some water, to keep some of these alive. Ask Lulu for some vases."

"Why Lulu?"

"Don't you remember how many she got for the wedding? She piles them out back, I'm sure she'll let you take them."

"Alright."

Shooing him away, Rikku picked up a couple of hibiscus flowers and gently began weaving them into Yuna's hair. She looked so… young. And stupid, Rikku didn't really know how to do this at all – but she grinned at her work and stepped back to admire it.

"Now, we just need to get you a dress."