Sunday night, Room 407: Back from Saving the World (backdated)
A very tired Rikku walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. Triumphant, but not bouncing. It had been a long weekend and watching the sky eat people was something she really could have skipped. She thunked on the door and leaned against the frame, waiting.
Guh . . . Jude dragged himself out of bed - he wasn't moping, he was just really tired, honest, tired from a long weekend of not-moping, honest - and made an attempt to jam his toque back in place before answering the door. He didn't even blink when he saw her there. He just reached out and pulled her into his arms, enfolding her in a tight bearhug.
Rikku leaned forward and closed her eyes, letting him squeeze for the both of them. "Hi," she murmured. "'M back. Miss me?"
"You never get to leave me again," Jude mumbled into her hair.
"Mmmkay," she agreed. "I didn't do anything stupid all weekend. You proud?"
"Totally, bra." Jude kissed the top of her head. "Tired?"
"Exhausted," she said, nuzzling against him. "The sky was eating people. Like FOOM! vaporized. Total badness."
Jude frowned. "You okay?" He glanced into the room. Mikey wasn't back yet . . . and Jude had totally gotten the snackage for the weekend. He owed him one.
Rikku shrugged lightly, her tone curiously flat. "Fine. Just. FOOM! You know? Then dust. Little black tendrils. They said that's how it went at Mi'ihen, one big black wave and everyone went FOOM! and ..."
Jude frowned. Mellow? Seriously harshed here. And he only knew one way to fix a harshed mellow. Okay, he knew a few, but this one seemed like the post appropriate right now.
He stepped back into his room, pulling her with him. "C'mere."
Rikku followed along, a bit numbly. "I wanted to go. To Mi'ihen. I wanted ... Pops said no. Nobody survived. I guess a few people did but they had to find them under the b-bodies ... "
She shook her head, burrowing back into his chest again. "Saving the world sucks."
Jude just wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Shhh . . . it's okay, bra, I got you . . ."
Rikku squeezed back. "Stupid. Shouldn't be thinking about it. Didn't expect, you know." She shivered a little. "H-how are you?"
"Pretty chill now that you're back," he told her with a small smile, trying to hide how much he was worrying about her now. Why did she have to keep doing this to herself?
Rikku sighed. "Yeah. Kinda ... same here. I mean. You know." She looked up at him with a rueful smile. "We did it. His world's all safe and the sun came out and ... it was really something, you know?"
Jude nodded. "Knew you could do it, bra." He knew she would save the world. He had just been a little fuzzy on the surviving part.
She smiled back at him, holding his gaze for a second. "You mean that, don't you?" She snuggled back in. "I was extra-careful, just for you. We ran away when Valentine said to. I came up with a plan. The plan even had an escape route."
Jude managed a soft chuckle at her emphasis. "And I don't have to drag you to the clinic?" Oh look, a bed. Beds were great for snuggling on. Just, y'know, mentioning it.
Beds were perfect for snuggling. "Nope. Didn't get hurt. Slept in a junk room and my neck's kinda funny, but that doesn't count, right?"
Jude pulled her down into his nest of pillows and the Totally Manly Duvet. Hey, if you were going to snuggle you might as well go all the way, right?
"I can rub it for you," he offered, nuzzling into her hair.
"Mmmm." Rikku nestled down into the Totally Manly Rugged and Outdoorsy-Like Duvet. "This is way comfier. Oooh, could you, really? You don't mind?"
There was no reason a real man couldn't enjoy some quality bedding. Jude kissed her temple. "Totally, bra. Jonesy says I got magic fingers."
Rikku giggled, shifting to let him reach her neck. "Aw, man. Do I have to go after Jonesy with the bimbo stick? He's all the way in Toronto and I've never been there."
Jude wriggled a bit to get into position, and then realized what she said and immediately blushed and stammered a protest. "N-n-no, not like that, we didn't, we aren't . . . you know."
"Okay," Rikku nodded, pulling her hair up and lauging. "No bimbo stick, then. The engraving's wearing out a bit anyway."
Jude put his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs against the back of her neck, but before he started he leaned down to kiss the soft skin there. "I really missed you," he said quietly.
Rikku turned slightly, face down into the pillow, and her breath caught when his lips pressed against her neck. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry. I missed you, too."
Jude kissed her neck again, higher and behind her ear, without saying anything. He wasn't built for this.
Rikku shivered and nuzzled back, content to forget about all of this weekend's shadows to stretch out here under his fingers, safe and loved and far away from vaporizing monkeybirds. Which she was going to promptly forget she'd ever seen, if she could. The kisses were helping.
Jude started with the neck rub and kept up the kisses. He couldn't save anything important, but he was starting to realize that maybe he could be happy to be here when it was all over. As his thumbs drove circles down her spine he kissed the corner of her jaw, feeling very raw and very open as he whispered, "I love you."
One hand crept up to brush along the side of his face, his cheek, his chin, anything she could reach. She sniffled slightly and turned her head. "I love you too," she murmured back, fingers nuzzling his skin. "I ..."
Rolling slightly meant he couldn't rub her neck, but it also meant she could kiss him, and that was way more important right now.
Jude nuzzled against her hand until she moved, and whatever she was going to say was silenced as he leaned forward to kiss her lovingly, slowly. He was trembling a little.
When she finally pulled away for breath, she left her hand cupping his cheek. "Do ... do you want to hear something silly?" she asked, her voice shaking just a little.
"S-sure," Jude stammered, not sure why he was stammering or nervous all of a sudden.
Rikku smiled a little wistfully, still brushing her hand over his face. "It's ... the sky was eating people, there were sphinxes and weird monkeybird things that said Bob a lot, and ... I had to go save the world again, and I was so stupid last time ... but the thing I was most scared of ..."
She closed her eyes, then opened them again, shivering . "W-was that you'd ... decide that you c-can't do this. Be with me any more."
She had to stop looking up at him like that, because he was in very real danger of falling into her spiral-swirling eyes.
"I . . ."
He swallowed and licked his lips, and because he still couldn't think of anything to say, he turned and pressed a kiss to her palm.
Rikku closed her eyes, which were tearing up slightly, dammit, why was she so weak lately, and swallowed a few times. He didn't answer, did ... did that mean ...
"If you ... if you c-can't, I ..."
"I'm tryin'," he offered her in a small voice, leaning down to kiss her closed eyes.
Rikku leaned forward, pressing her face into his neck. "I don't want to lose you," she said, voice barely audible even in the quiet stillness of his room.
Jude settled over her, his thin frame pinning her to the bed as his arms slid around her. "I'm not going anywhere for a while," he told her quietly.
She kissed his neck lightly, then thought better of it. "I need you," she said, slipping her arms around her neck, feeling naked and vulnerable and scared and stupid and not caring for once about any of them.
Jude was trembling harder now and he closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. "I - I'm here," he said, not knowing if that was going to be enough for her. He was so scared right now and he didn't know why.
Rikku wriggled in closer. "I know. I'm ... I just ... I know this sucks for you. I do. Please don't think I ..."
"That you what?"
"That I don't know that," she finished. "That I'm not thinking about you and ... wishing I could be here, instead. I don't know. Any of it. All of it."
Jude blinked and swallowed. He kissed her very softly. "I'm sorry I can't . . . do all that fighting stuff. I'm sorry I can't be with you when you're . . . saving the world."
"I'm kinda glad," she said, blushing a little. "It means I don't have to worry about you. I know you're here and okay and I just have to get through whatever and then I can come back to you again. Isn't that awful?"
Jude managed a small smile. "Bra, you're totally lucky I'm confident in my manliness if you keep sayin' stuff like that."
"Am I insulting your manliness?" Rikku looked up at him, confused. "Uh, you want me to talk about what a stud you are? 'Cause I totally can."
Jude shook his head a little. "Most dudes wouldn't be cool with their girlfriends being way more kickass than them."
"Then they're stupid," she said, giving him an odd look. "Why does it matter? You can make Jude-shakes and I can beat things up. You can board like a pro and I'm a master thief. It's ... we're different. I don't want you to be anybody but you. Do you ..."
She took a deep breath, shivering a little. "Do you wish I wasn't ... like this? Wasn't me?"
(preplayed over e-mail with dude_its_jude. backdated due to mun availability issues. will be continued in comments.)
Guh . . . Jude dragged himself out of bed - he wasn't moping, he was just really tired, honest, tired from a long weekend of not-moping, honest - and made an attempt to jam his toque back in place before answering the door. He didn't even blink when he saw her there. He just reached out and pulled her into his arms, enfolding her in a tight bearhug.
Rikku leaned forward and closed her eyes, letting him squeeze for the both of them. "Hi," she murmured. "'M back. Miss me?"
"You never get to leave me again," Jude mumbled into her hair.
"Mmmkay," she agreed. "I didn't do anything stupid all weekend. You proud?"
"Totally, bra." Jude kissed the top of her head. "Tired?"
"Exhausted," she said, nuzzling against him. "The sky was eating people. Like FOOM! vaporized. Total badness."
Jude frowned. "You okay?" He glanced into the room. Mikey wasn't back yet . . . and Jude had totally gotten the snackage for the weekend. He owed him one.
Rikku shrugged lightly, her tone curiously flat. "Fine. Just. FOOM! You know? Then dust. Little black tendrils. They said that's how it went at Mi'ihen, one big black wave and everyone went FOOM! and ..."
Jude frowned. Mellow? Seriously harshed here. And he only knew one way to fix a harshed mellow. Okay, he knew a few, but this one seemed like the post appropriate right now.
He stepped back into his room, pulling her with him. "C'mere."
Rikku followed along, a bit numbly. "I wanted to go. To Mi'ihen. I wanted ... Pops said no. Nobody survived. I guess a few people did but they had to find them under the b-bodies ... "
She shook her head, burrowing back into his chest again. "Saving the world sucks."
Jude just wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Shhh . . . it's okay, bra, I got you . . ."
Rikku squeezed back. "Stupid. Shouldn't be thinking about it. Didn't expect, you know." She shivered a little. "H-how are you?"
"Pretty chill now that you're back," he told her with a small smile, trying to hide how much he was worrying about her now. Why did she have to keep doing this to herself?
Rikku sighed. "Yeah. Kinda ... same here. I mean. You know." She looked up at him with a rueful smile. "We did it. His world's all safe and the sun came out and ... it was really something, you know?"
Jude nodded. "Knew you could do it, bra." He knew she would save the world. He had just been a little fuzzy on the surviving part.
She smiled back at him, holding his gaze for a second. "You mean that, don't you?" She snuggled back in. "I was extra-careful, just for you. We ran away when Valentine said to. I came up with a plan. The plan even had an escape route."
Jude managed a soft chuckle at her emphasis. "And I don't have to drag you to the clinic?" Oh look, a bed. Beds were great for snuggling on. Just, y'know, mentioning it.
Beds were perfect for snuggling. "Nope. Didn't get hurt. Slept in a junk room and my neck's kinda funny, but that doesn't count, right?"
Jude pulled her down into his nest of pillows and the Totally Manly Duvet. Hey, if you were going to snuggle you might as well go all the way, right?
"I can rub it for you," he offered, nuzzling into her hair.
"Mmmm." Rikku nestled down into the Totally Manly Rugged and Outdoorsy-Like Duvet. "This is way comfier. Oooh, could you, really? You don't mind?"
There was no reason a real man couldn't enjoy some quality bedding. Jude kissed her temple. "Totally, bra. Jonesy says I got magic fingers."
Rikku giggled, shifting to let him reach her neck. "Aw, man. Do I have to go after Jonesy with the bimbo stick? He's all the way in Toronto and I've never been there."
Jude wriggled a bit to get into position, and then realized what she said and immediately blushed and stammered a protest. "N-n-no, not like that, we didn't, we aren't . . . you know."
"Okay," Rikku nodded, pulling her hair up and lauging. "No bimbo stick, then. The engraving's wearing out a bit anyway."
Jude put his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs against the back of her neck, but before he started he leaned down to kiss the soft skin there. "I really missed you," he said quietly.
Rikku turned slightly, face down into the pillow, and her breath caught when his lips pressed against her neck. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry. I missed you, too."
Jude kissed her neck again, higher and behind her ear, without saying anything. He wasn't built for this.
Rikku shivered and nuzzled back, content to forget about all of this weekend's shadows to stretch out here under his fingers, safe and loved and far away from vaporizing monkeybirds. Which she was going to promptly forget she'd ever seen, if she could. The kisses were helping.
Jude started with the neck rub and kept up the kisses. He couldn't save anything important, but he was starting to realize that maybe he could be happy to be here when it was all over. As his thumbs drove circles down her spine he kissed the corner of her jaw, feeling very raw and very open as he whispered, "I love you."
One hand crept up to brush along the side of his face, his cheek, his chin, anything she could reach. She sniffled slightly and turned her head. "I love you too," she murmured back, fingers nuzzling his skin. "I ..."
Rolling slightly meant he couldn't rub her neck, but it also meant she could kiss him, and that was way more important right now.
Jude nuzzled against her hand until she moved, and whatever she was going to say was silenced as he leaned forward to kiss her lovingly, slowly. He was trembling a little.
When she finally pulled away for breath, she left her hand cupping his cheek. "Do ... do you want to hear something silly?" she asked, her voice shaking just a little.
"S-sure," Jude stammered, not sure why he was stammering or nervous all of a sudden.
Rikku smiled a little wistfully, still brushing her hand over his face. "It's ... the sky was eating people, there were sphinxes and weird monkeybird things that said Bob a lot, and ... I had to go save the world again, and I was so stupid last time ... but the thing I was most scared of ..."
She closed her eyes, then opened them again, shivering . "W-was that you'd ... decide that you c-can't do this. Be with me any more."
She had to stop looking up at him like that, because he was in very real danger of falling into her spiral-swirling eyes.
"I . . ."
He swallowed and licked his lips, and because he still couldn't think of anything to say, he turned and pressed a kiss to her palm.
Rikku closed her eyes, which were tearing up slightly, dammit, why was she so weak lately, and swallowed a few times. He didn't answer, did ... did that mean ...
"If you ... if you c-can't, I ..."
"I'm tryin'," he offered her in a small voice, leaning down to kiss her closed eyes.
Rikku leaned forward, pressing her face into his neck. "I don't want to lose you," she said, voice barely audible even in the quiet stillness of his room.
Jude settled over her, his thin frame pinning her to the bed as his arms slid around her. "I'm not going anywhere for a while," he told her quietly.
She kissed his neck lightly, then thought better of it. "I need you," she said, slipping her arms around her neck, feeling naked and vulnerable and scared and stupid and not caring for once about any of them.
Jude was trembling harder now and he closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. "I - I'm here," he said, not knowing if that was going to be enough for her. He was so scared right now and he didn't know why.
Rikku wriggled in closer. "I know. I'm ... I just ... I know this sucks for you. I do. Please don't think I ..."
"That you what?"
"That I don't know that," she finished. "That I'm not thinking about you and ... wishing I could be here, instead. I don't know. Any of it. All of it."
Jude blinked and swallowed. He kissed her very softly. "I'm sorry I can't . . . do all that fighting stuff. I'm sorry I can't be with you when you're . . . saving the world."
"I'm kinda glad," she said, blushing a little. "It means I don't have to worry about you. I know you're here and okay and I just have to get through whatever and then I can come back to you again. Isn't that awful?"
Jude managed a small smile. "Bra, you're totally lucky I'm confident in my manliness if you keep sayin' stuff like that."
"Am I insulting your manliness?" Rikku looked up at him, confused. "Uh, you want me to talk about what a stud you are? 'Cause I totally can."
Jude shook his head a little. "Most dudes wouldn't be cool with their girlfriends being way more kickass than them."
"Then they're stupid," she said, giving him an odd look. "Why does it matter? You can make Jude-shakes and I can beat things up. You can board like a pro and I'm a master thief. It's ... we're different. I don't want you to be anybody but you. Do you ..."
She took a deep breath, shivering a little. "Do you wish I wasn't ... like this? Wasn't me?"
(preplayed over e-mail with dude_its_jude. backdated due to mun availability issues. will be continued in comments.)