(no subject)
Title: Losing
Prompt: #1 - Oath/Promise (for 10_hurt_comfort)
Fandom: Final Fantasy X-2
Pairing: Paine/Rikku
Rating: PG
Notes: Spoilers for the end of X-2, I suppose.
Word Count: 900
Rikku was slumped against the end of her bed, knees to her chin and blonde braids concealing her eyes but nothing else. She trembled every now and then, a low whine escaping her lungs. Everyone was supposed to be in town, so she took the time alone to deal with her issues.
Things had finally quieted down again after the return of Tidus, and everyone was continuing to enjoy the break in fiend-fighting. But everyone was also trying to figure out just what they were going to do now, and for most people it was all too obvious that they weren't going to be Gullwings any longer. Shinra was already gone, Tidus and Yuna seemed much too happy with life in Besaid, and Paine had said that she wanted to start a new chapter in her life.
That left Rikku with just Brother and Buddy. While she'd been perfectly content with that arrangement before, the thought of everything changing again unsettled her greatly. She felt sick to her very core, as if she were really losing Yuna forever this time. It was fighting together that she would miss most of all; there was nothing like knowing that your closest friends had your back.
And Paine... Well, Rikku had expected Paine would get sick of being part of the trio and leave. She was actually surprised it hadn't happened sooner. The weathered warrior had always kept an emotional distance from the other members of the Celsius, leading the Al Bhed to believe she never planned on staying long.
All this talk of quitting made her feel like everyone was quitting her, too. Sure, she could hold her own, but Rikku always functioned better with other people around her. And she had now spend so many hours fighting with Yuna and Paine that she didn't want to let them go. There was something different about this situation, because last time she could handle it all and this time she just couldn't.
The young thief's thoughts came to a sudden halt, her entire body tensing, as she heard the woosh of the lift doors opening. She didn't want people to see her like this, not yet. This was one of the few emotions she wanted to keep inside, because it made her feel so selfish. Everyone was supposed to be gone. It was supposed to be safe.
With the clunk of heavy boots on the metal stairs, Rikku's startled features turned into a grimace. Why did it have to be her? Why, out of everyone, did it have to be her coming up those stairs? Her hands reflexively covered her face, and she sandwiched them between her knees and her forehead. She resisted the urge to start pounding her head.
"I thought I'd find you up here." Paine's steady voice seemed to be only a few feet away now, and Rikku couldn't help but let out an apprehensive whine. The boots began to clunk again, closer, until she heard the springs of her mattress creak. "Come on now, get up here," Paine said, commanding gently. This time the blonde's response was a groan, but she inhaled deeply and complied. She stood on wobbly legs and sat on the end of the bed, feet to the side in an effort to not face Paine but not have her back towards the warrior either.
"Do you want to talk, or do you want me to talk?" Rikku didn't want to say anything. Even if she had wanted to, she didn't feel like she was physically able to say anything. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her head away.
"I'll talk, then," Paine said, and took a deep breath. "You know I'm not too good at this. But I know you're really scared. Scared of losing everyone. I know how that feels. Being part of a group for so long, then suddenly thinking you may never see them again."
The silver-haired woman paused, and Rikku relaxed her head to look at the floor again.
"I don't want that to happen again. I want something new, something different... But I want a new chapter, not a new book. And I know you're upset. And maybe it's just about Yuna, in which case I'm about to look like an ass..." She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "I'm bad at this, I know. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I want you with me. I'm scared too, and we don't have to go separate ways."
Rikku found her usual self slowly creeping back in, a warmth spreading through her. She turned to face Paine, and gave her a small smile. "I'd like to stay with you. You're interesting. And you're special to me. And I swear you won't ever lose me, not if you don't want to."
One corner of Paine's lips twitched into a smile as well. She placed a hand over Rikku's startling the younger girl with the gesture. "You won't lose me, either. I don't say things I don't mean. Not when it matters like this."
Normal Rikku was back with full force, and her small smile became an all-out grin as she nearly lunged herself at the crimson-eyed warrior, arms around her waist, knocking her back on the bed. Though startled, she did not push the Al Bhed away as she snuggled against her stomach. "Thanks, Paine," she said, keeping her arms around her partner as long as she dared.
Prompt: #1 - Oath/Promise (for 10_hurt_comfort)
Fandom: Final Fantasy X-2
Pairing: Paine/Rikku
Rating: PG
Notes: Spoilers for the end of X-2, I suppose.
Word Count: 900
Rikku was slumped against the end of her bed, knees to her chin and blonde braids concealing her eyes but nothing else. She trembled every now and then, a low whine escaping her lungs. Everyone was supposed to be in town, so she took the time alone to deal with her issues.
Things had finally quieted down again after the return of Tidus, and everyone was continuing to enjoy the break in fiend-fighting. But everyone was also trying to figure out just what they were going to do now, and for most people it was all too obvious that they weren't going to be Gullwings any longer. Shinra was already gone, Tidus and Yuna seemed much too happy with life in Besaid, and Paine had said that she wanted to start a new chapter in her life.
That left Rikku with just Brother and Buddy. While she'd been perfectly content with that arrangement before, the thought of everything changing again unsettled her greatly. She felt sick to her very core, as if she were really losing Yuna forever this time. It was fighting together that she would miss most of all; there was nothing like knowing that your closest friends had your back.
And Paine... Well, Rikku had expected Paine would get sick of being part of the trio and leave. She was actually surprised it hadn't happened sooner. The weathered warrior had always kept an emotional distance from the other members of the Celsius, leading the Al Bhed to believe she never planned on staying long.
All this talk of quitting made her feel like everyone was quitting her, too. Sure, she could hold her own, but Rikku always functioned better with other people around her. And she had now spend so many hours fighting with Yuna and Paine that she didn't want to let them go. There was something different about this situation, because last time she could handle it all and this time she just couldn't.
The young thief's thoughts came to a sudden halt, her entire body tensing, as she heard the woosh of the lift doors opening. She didn't want people to see her like this, not yet. This was one of the few emotions she wanted to keep inside, because it made her feel so selfish. Everyone was supposed to be gone. It was supposed to be safe.
With the clunk of heavy boots on the metal stairs, Rikku's startled features turned into a grimace. Why did it have to be her? Why, out of everyone, did it have to be her coming up those stairs? Her hands reflexively covered her face, and she sandwiched them between her knees and her forehead. She resisted the urge to start pounding her head.
"I thought I'd find you up here." Paine's steady voice seemed to be only a few feet away now, and Rikku couldn't help but let out an apprehensive whine. The boots began to clunk again, closer, until she heard the springs of her mattress creak. "Come on now, get up here," Paine said, commanding gently. This time the blonde's response was a groan, but she inhaled deeply and complied. She stood on wobbly legs and sat on the end of the bed, feet to the side in an effort to not face Paine but not have her back towards the warrior either.
"Do you want to talk, or do you want me to talk?" Rikku didn't want to say anything. Even if she had wanted to, she didn't feel like she was physically able to say anything. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her head away.
"I'll talk, then," Paine said, and took a deep breath. "You know I'm not too good at this. But I know you're really scared. Scared of losing everyone. I know how that feels. Being part of a group for so long, then suddenly thinking you may never see them again."
The silver-haired woman paused, and Rikku relaxed her head to look at the floor again.
"I don't want that to happen again. I want something new, something different... But I want a new chapter, not a new book. And I know you're upset. And maybe it's just about Yuna, in which case I'm about to look like an ass..." She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "I'm bad at this, I know. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I want you with me. I'm scared too, and we don't have to go separate ways."
Rikku found her usual self slowly creeping back in, a warmth spreading through her. She turned to face Paine, and gave her a small smile. "I'd like to stay with you. You're interesting. And you're special to me. And I swear you won't ever lose me, not if you don't want to."
One corner of Paine's lips twitched into a smile as well. She placed a hand over Rikku's startling the younger girl with the gesture. "You won't lose me, either. I don't say things I don't mean. Not when it matters like this."
Normal Rikku was back with full force, and her small smile became an all-out grin as she nearly lunged herself at the crimson-eyed warrior, arms around her waist, knocking her back on the bed. Though startled, she did not push the Al Bhed away as she snuggled against her stomach. "Thanks, Paine," she said, keeping her arms around her partner as long as she dared.