I Probably Should Have Sat On That...
Now my timeline's all messed up... grr
Oh well. Following Scene takes place the day after Rikku gets hurt and the day before Seifer gets Selphie drunk on Everclear...
But anyway - what Rikku should not have done and how Seifer should not have reacted...
Rikku had been up all night. For some reason when she slept her body refused to stay on it's back and she woke up to large amounts of pain every time it tried to turn over. It was early in the morning when she truly decided to get up. As she propped herself up and remembered what was told to her years ago, that wounds always hurt worse the day after. Pulling the hair brush out of her belt she pulled out each of her braids and brushed her long blond hair to be straight. As she walked out the door she saw Seifer, asleep on the couch. Leaning against the door frame she slid down till she was sitting on the floor and continued brushing her hair out as she watched him sleep.
After a while, his eyes opened and he blinked up at the ceiling. His face a placid mask, and not seeming to notice her yet.
Rikku watched him carefully as she noticed that her hair was longer then she truly thought. Smiling she wondered to herself *How can such a beautiful face be scarred?*
Finally, he turned his eyes slightly and raised his eyebrows when he saw her. “You’re up early,” he said.
Snapping out of a daze she smiled. "I really had no choice."
“Sore?” he asked.
Nodding she rose to her feet. "Of course, everything just HAS to hurt more the day after." she said in an irritated tone.
“That’s cause you’re muscles stiffen – after laying there for awhile,” he muttered, sitting up. “Then working the kinks out of ‘em the morning after is a royal pain.”
Blinking she tilted her head. "How exactly do you do that?"
“Stretch, but carefully – you want to watch your ribs there.”
Rikku looked down to herself. "Umm ... you know, I think I'll just pass." She said sheepishly.
He gave her a measuring stare and then shrugged. “Where are you sore?”
She smiled. "The more accurate question should be, where am I not?"
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Where are you not then?”
She grinned. "I'm just harassing you, lighten up." she said blowing him off and waving her hair brush in the air. "My chest and back are about it. My shoulders hurt a bit but not as much as they did yesterday."
“Well, lets see,” he said, getting up off the couch. “It’ll probably be awhile before you’re completely healed.”
She smiled "I have a feeling it will be. Since I'm a baby about this stuff. It will be ten times worse."
“Well, you’re younger than me, but I wouldn’t call you a baby,” he murmured, lifting up her shirt and pulling down the bandage to get a good look at her side. It was a very nice black-blue color.
Rikku blushed, "Does it look bad?" she couldn't turn to look it hurt too much.
“I’ve seen better,” he told her honestly. “But you’re up and moving around already, so it probably looks worse than it is.”
Smiling she tapped her hairbrush against her leg. "Or I'm a bit tougher then I look."
He grinned. “Or that.”
Laughing she looked over to Seifer, "It's my turn to cook you breakfast."
“You up for it?” he asked lightly.
Sliding down her shirt she gave him a flirtatious grin. "When aren’t I?"
“You tell me,” he said, cocking an eyebrow.
"Never." she said tossing her hairbrush onto the couch.
He sighed melodramatically. “Well, I suppose I can let you into the kitchen – just this once, but you’re going to have to twist my arm.”
"Do I really?" she said stepping up to him. She was an inch away from his face as she smiled to him, looking in his eyes.
He blinked and leaned back, then forced a rather convincing grin. “Yep.”
Stepping closer she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to bend over and she stood behind him, leaning against his back. "Is it good enough for you?"
He turned his head to look at her. “Literal lady aren’t you?”
"I'm a lady of my word, and I mean every word I speak." Rikku said with a smile. "You want me to let go? Or do you like it rough?"
He snorted down a laugh and shook his head. “I was right – you’re crazy.” He grinned.
She couldn't help laughing and let go of his arm to hold her sides. "I'm not crazy, I guess the word is outspoken that you may be looking for. Now where's the kitchen?"
“Right through there,” he said, pointing to a larger doorway near the far end of the living room, to the left of the front door.
She smiled, "Thanks, but could you help me?" she whimpered. "I can only pretend I'm tough for so long, then it just REALLY hurts."
“I guess so,” he teased, following her into the kitchen.
Rikku turned around and put a finger in his face. "Don't start with me I'll beat you up." she said as she grinned
“You and what army?” he asked.
"I don't need an army." she said raising an eyebrow. "I'll kick your ass myself."
“God, girls…” he muttered, shaking his head. “The last time a girl said she’d kick my ass I was drunk, so she got away with it. I’m not drunk now, so you take your chances.”
"What was that you were talking about yesterday?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips slowly, "Something about you don't hit a lady?"
He shrugged. “Only if she doesn’t start it first.”
She couldn't help but laugh. "Men." she said shaking her head. "A different story everyday."
“If you can do it, I can do it,” he replied.
"Can I do anything?" she asked putting her hands down.
He shrugged. “Again – you tell me.”
She didn't speak a word as she stepped up to him slowly and pressed her lips against his. He froze for a split second and then pulled back. “H-hold on a sec,” he breathed.
Rikku stepped back, "I'm sorry, that was wrong."
“Eh… well…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Not wrong, really… Just fast.”
Looking down to the floor she put her hands behind her back. "I shouldn't have done it."
He shook his head. “It’s not a big deal. Really, okay? I like you, alright? Just… not like that yet, okay?”
Looking up to him her heart sunk. She was so embarrassed, she had to run away. "I'm sorry." she quickly walked into the his room and gathered her clothes. She opened the door and paused a second to look back at him. "I'll wash your clothes for you." she said softly as she ran out the door and down the street.
He took a step to follow her and then shook his head. “Damnit…” he muttered. Tonight was probably a good night to get drunk again…
********
He waited a day and then decided that maybe – just maybe he should go apologize. For what, he wasn’t quite sure. Being too nice, he supposed. When he reached Rikku’s apartment, he stood outside the door for a few minutes to gather his thoughts and then knocked.
When no one answered, he tried the door. It was unlocked, so he went in. All of Rikku’s things were still around, but she wasn’t. He found the clothing he’d lent her folded neatly on the couch, along with a note.
*Thank you so much for everything. I have gone back home. I may be back, may not. If not, I truly cared about you. Goodbye.*
He stared at it for a long time, then sighed and shoved it in his pocket. “Damn,” he muttered.
Instead of going straight home that night, he went to the bar.
Oh well. Following Scene takes place the day after Rikku gets hurt and the day before Seifer gets Selphie drunk on Everclear...
But anyway - what Rikku should not have done and how Seifer should not have reacted...
Rikku had been up all night. For some reason when she slept her body refused to stay on it's back and she woke up to large amounts of pain every time it tried to turn over. It was early in the morning when she truly decided to get up. As she propped herself up and remembered what was told to her years ago, that wounds always hurt worse the day after. Pulling the hair brush out of her belt she pulled out each of her braids and brushed her long blond hair to be straight. As she walked out the door she saw Seifer, asleep on the couch. Leaning against the door frame she slid down till she was sitting on the floor and continued brushing her hair out as she watched him sleep.
After a while, his eyes opened and he blinked up at the ceiling. His face a placid mask, and not seeming to notice her yet.
Rikku watched him carefully as she noticed that her hair was longer then she truly thought. Smiling she wondered to herself *How can such a beautiful face be scarred?*
Finally, he turned his eyes slightly and raised his eyebrows when he saw her. “You’re up early,” he said.
Snapping out of a daze she smiled. "I really had no choice."
“Sore?” he asked.
Nodding she rose to her feet. "Of course, everything just HAS to hurt more the day after." she said in an irritated tone.
“That’s cause you’re muscles stiffen – after laying there for awhile,” he muttered, sitting up. “Then working the kinks out of ‘em the morning after is a royal pain.”
Blinking she tilted her head. "How exactly do you do that?"
“Stretch, but carefully – you want to watch your ribs there.”
Rikku looked down to herself. "Umm ... you know, I think I'll just pass." She said sheepishly.
He gave her a measuring stare and then shrugged. “Where are you sore?”
She smiled. "The more accurate question should be, where am I not?"
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Where are you not then?”
She grinned. "I'm just harassing you, lighten up." she said blowing him off and waving her hair brush in the air. "My chest and back are about it. My shoulders hurt a bit but not as much as they did yesterday."
“Well, lets see,” he said, getting up off the couch. “It’ll probably be awhile before you’re completely healed.”
She smiled "I have a feeling it will be. Since I'm a baby about this stuff. It will be ten times worse."
“Well, you’re younger than me, but I wouldn’t call you a baby,” he murmured, lifting up her shirt and pulling down the bandage to get a good look at her side. It was a very nice black-blue color.
Rikku blushed, "Does it look bad?" she couldn't turn to look it hurt too much.
“I’ve seen better,” he told her honestly. “But you’re up and moving around already, so it probably looks worse than it is.”
Smiling she tapped her hairbrush against her leg. "Or I'm a bit tougher then I look."
He grinned. “Or that.”
Laughing she looked over to Seifer, "It's my turn to cook you breakfast."
“You up for it?” he asked lightly.
Sliding down her shirt she gave him a flirtatious grin. "When aren’t I?"
“You tell me,” he said, cocking an eyebrow.
"Never." she said tossing her hairbrush onto the couch.
He sighed melodramatically. “Well, I suppose I can let you into the kitchen – just this once, but you’re going to have to twist my arm.”
"Do I really?" she said stepping up to him. She was an inch away from his face as she smiled to him, looking in his eyes.
He blinked and leaned back, then forced a rather convincing grin. “Yep.”
Stepping closer she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to bend over and she stood behind him, leaning against his back. "Is it good enough for you?"
He turned his head to look at her. “Literal lady aren’t you?”
"I'm a lady of my word, and I mean every word I speak." Rikku said with a smile. "You want me to let go? Or do you like it rough?"
He snorted down a laugh and shook his head. “I was right – you’re crazy.” He grinned.
She couldn't help laughing and let go of his arm to hold her sides. "I'm not crazy, I guess the word is outspoken that you may be looking for. Now where's the kitchen?"
“Right through there,” he said, pointing to a larger doorway near the far end of the living room, to the left of the front door.
She smiled, "Thanks, but could you help me?" she whimpered. "I can only pretend I'm tough for so long, then it just REALLY hurts."
“I guess so,” he teased, following her into the kitchen.
Rikku turned around and put a finger in his face. "Don't start with me I'll beat you up." she said as she grinned
“You and what army?” he asked.
"I don't need an army." she said raising an eyebrow. "I'll kick your ass myself."
“God, girls…” he muttered, shaking his head. “The last time a girl said she’d kick my ass I was drunk, so she got away with it. I’m not drunk now, so you take your chances.”
"What was that you were talking about yesterday?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips slowly, "Something about you don't hit a lady?"
He shrugged. “Only if she doesn’t start it first.”
She couldn't help but laugh. "Men." she said shaking her head. "A different story everyday."
“If you can do it, I can do it,” he replied.
"Can I do anything?" she asked putting her hands down.
He shrugged. “Again – you tell me.”
She didn't speak a word as she stepped up to him slowly and pressed her lips against his. He froze for a split second and then pulled back. “H-hold on a sec,” he breathed.
Rikku stepped back, "I'm sorry, that was wrong."
“Eh… well…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Not wrong, really… Just fast.”
Looking down to the floor she put her hands behind her back. "I shouldn't have done it."
He shook his head. “It’s not a big deal. Really, okay? I like you, alright? Just… not like that yet, okay?”
Looking up to him her heart sunk. She was so embarrassed, she had to run away. "I'm sorry." she quickly walked into the his room and gathered her clothes. She opened the door and paused a second to look back at him. "I'll wash your clothes for you." she said softly as she ran out the door and down the street.
He took a step to follow her and then shook his head. “Damnit…” he muttered. Tonight was probably a good night to get drunk again…
********
He waited a day and then decided that maybe – just maybe he should go apologize. For what, he wasn’t quite sure. Being too nice, he supposed. When he reached Rikku’s apartment, he stood outside the door for a few minutes to gather his thoughts and then knocked.
When no one answered, he tried the door. It was unlocked, so he went in. All of Rikku’s things were still around, but she wasn’t. He found the clothing he’d lent her folded neatly on the couch, along with a note.
*Thank you so much for everything. I have gone back home. I may be back, may not. If not, I truly cared about you. Goodbye.*
He stared at it for a long time, then sighed and shoved it in his pocket. “Damn,” he muttered.
Instead of going straight home that night, he went to the bar.