Sunday Morning, Room 407
Rikku cracked her eyes open slowly and then closed them again, snuggling back in against Jude. She took a deep breath and a quick mental inventory.
She felt ... better. Stupid kinda word to use, since she didn't think she could find 'okay' with a road map, but ... she could breathe. It still felt like someone had ripped a chunk out of her, but she wasn't bleeding on the ground any more. That was good. Maybe she just wasn't awake yet. Maybe she was starting to accept things. Maybe you could only scream and cry and stay in bed for so long.
Okay, she wasn't done screaming and crying, by a long shot, but she might actually feel up to getting out of bed today. That was something, right? And then finding people to tell th-- ... okay, no, not so much for that. She shivered and wriggled in a little closer.
She stretched up to place a light kiss on Jude's chin. "I love you," she mumbled. It didn't matter if he heard it. She just wanted to say it.
Maybe it was okay that she let herself fall apart this time. It was good to know she had somewhere to land.
"Love you too," Jude mumbled in response.
It totally counted if he was still fast asleep, didn't it?
Totally counted. She didn't think she'd be getting back to sleep any time soon, and she was oddly restless. Probably the whole staying in bed deal. So she tried very, very carefully to peel the covers back and disentangle herself from his arms without waking him.
Dude, removing the snuggly girlfriend from the sleeping dude was like taking a bowl of food away from a starving dog. With a sleeping grumble, Jude's arms tightened around her. ". . . dun wake up yet . . ."
Rikku squeezed back, and then wriggled around to face him again. She kissed the tip of his nose. "Can't sleep. Gotta do something."
Waking up . . . so hard . . . Jude mumbled some more and buried his face in her shoulder.
"You don't have to get up," she said softly, brushing the hair out of his face. "Honest."
He nuzzled into her hand, his face blotchy from sleep and generally looking fuzzy and drowsy.
She leaned in for a quick kiss. "Sorry. Wasn't gonna wake you. You kinda wouldn't let go."
"Y' blame me?" he chuckled sleepily, kissing her softly.
Rikku smiled at that - a real smile, even - before stealing a kiss herself. "Nope. Nice to feel wanted. Even if I'm being all ... you know."
"Awesome?" Jude filled in. "Pretty? Amazing? Beautiful? Hot?"
That earned him another kiss. "I was gonna say, being a total wreck and crying on you and not getting out of bed and all that." She snuggled in again. "And ... thanks, yeah?"
Jude was still going as he wrapped his arms around her. "Kickass . . . gorgeous . . . smart . . . pretty . . ."
She could think of one good way to interrupt him, and took it.
A minute later she pulled back, tracing a finger over his lips. "I'm being serious," she said. "You've kinda been all ... I think I needed this. And ... I don't usually, and ... this is hard for me, you know? But with you all ... I just kind of ... and, uh." She tilted her head. "Any chance the translator's working?"
Now Jude was looking dazed and sleepy. "Uh . . . kinda? I get it, bra. An' . . . 'm glad I can be this for you."
"So am I." Rikku squeezed him tightly. "You have no idea. I, uh, I'll tell you sometime when my head's not all busted. Yeah?"
She leaned up for a lingering kiss.
"Yeah," Jude agreed easily. Because she was kissing him now, and he was cupping her cheek and rolling to pin her to the bed and kissing her again.
Rikku closed her eyes and pulled him closer, threading her fingers through his hair and drowning just a little. It had only been a few days but it felt like ages, and considering those few days ... that wasn't so weird really.
Jude's hands snuck under the hem of her shirt, just lying against the skin of her stomach lightly as he responded eagerly to the kiss. He loved when she played with his hair, and decided to show this appreciation by breaking off with a few breathless nibbles to nuzzle against her hands. And nuzzle. And nuzzle. And . . .
"Mew?"
One of Rikku's hands slid over his back, and the other twined into his hair, tugging lightly as she sighed against his mouth. She shivered at the nibbles, nipping back to ...
She blinked, and then sat up quickly, staring wide-eyed at the gray cat settled on her stomach.
"Oh, no," she murmured, reaching out a hand to scritch behind Jude's ears. "Please, not now, please?"
The Judekitty mrowled, upset, and bumped his head against her hand, his over-sized paws tangled in her shirt.
Rikku tried to choke off a sob, scritching under the kitty's chin as she looked into his eyes. "J-Jude? I ... you can't ... please, I ... I need you."
His Rikku was crying! This wasn't good! The Judekitty scrambled up her stomach, planting his front paws on her shoulders as he headbutted her chin, mrowling like a freight engine. Everything was going to be okay! He was here!
He was ... oh, he was being all cuddly and supportive, still, and that made her cry harder but she wiped her eyes quickly and scooped him up, nestling him against her chest. "It's okay," she said, kissing the back of his head and nuzzling against his fur. "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. I'm okay and you'll change back soon and it'll all be okay, yeah?"
Fur was very, very good to cry on. She hoped he didn't mind.
The Judekitty shook in her arms, trying to nuzzle even closer, only stopping his loud, unmellow kitty noises to drag his tiny raspy tongue over her wrist in a little kitty kiss.
Rikku laid her cheek against his back and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to get the sniffles under control. "Hi," she said softly, scritching under his chin. "It's okay. It's okay. Yeah? I've got a mellowkitty and this just means you'll come stay in my room for a bit. Is that okay?" She pressed another kiss to the fur and nuzzled in. It was impossible not to snuggle the Judekitty, really.
The Judekitty enthusiastically snuggled back, tiny sharp claws sinking into her shirt so she definitely wouldn't leave him behind. Like he was going to leave his Rikku.
"Okay." She sat up a little and looked around his room. "We, uh. We need to grab you some clothes, yeah? For when you're you again. And ... I'll go back to my room and t-talk to Hermione." Reassuring nuzzle of the Judekitty. "It ... it'll be okay. Yeah?"
Luckily she could hold the Judekitty with one arm and sift through room debris with the other.
"Mrowl!" That would be a yes to everything being okay. The Judekitty wriggled out of her arm and tried to help find clean clothes, but just got tangled in an abandoned t-shirt instead, meowing pathetically.
Rikku stared for a few seconds and then laughed, maybe the first real laugh she'd had in a few days. "You're very silly, you know," she grinned, scooping up the Judekitty, t-shirt and all.
Purring happily at making her laugh, the Judekitty poked his head proudly out of a sleeve and headbutted her again, his little furry head rubbing against her neck and chin.
Rikku giggled. "Okay. You're adorable. You know that, right?" She kissed the top of his head. "C'mon. I got you a bag but for right now you're staying put, okay?"
The bag would be handy for travel-stuff, but ... she wasn't letting go of her Judekitty any time soon.
The Judekitty apparently had no problem with this. He curled up tightly next to her, purring away. No matter what, he would take care of his Rikku.
Rikku threw a change of clothes into the bag and slung it over her shoulder, keeping the Judekitty nuzzled close with her other arm. Okay. Deep breath. Time to face Fandom.
(OOC: preplayed yet again with dude_its_jude, who is amazing and has my sincere thanks for letting me stash Rikku with her Jude-dude while she mourned. She's coming out of hibernation, but slowly, and Jude will be a kitty for the next week. NFI, but OOC, as always, is love.)
She felt ... better. Stupid kinda word to use, since she didn't think she could find 'okay' with a road map, but ... she could breathe. It still felt like someone had ripped a chunk out of her, but she wasn't bleeding on the ground any more. That was good. Maybe she just wasn't awake yet. Maybe she was starting to accept things. Maybe you could only scream and cry and stay in bed for so long.
Okay, she wasn't done screaming and crying, by a long shot, but she might actually feel up to getting out of bed today. That was something, right? And then finding people to tell th-- ... okay, no, not so much for that. She shivered and wriggled in a little closer.
She stretched up to place a light kiss on Jude's chin. "I love you," she mumbled. It didn't matter if he heard it. She just wanted to say it.
Maybe it was okay that she let herself fall apart this time. It was good to know she had somewhere to land.
"Love you too," Jude mumbled in response.
It totally counted if he was still fast asleep, didn't it?
Totally counted. She didn't think she'd be getting back to sleep any time soon, and she was oddly restless. Probably the whole staying in bed deal. So she tried very, very carefully to peel the covers back and disentangle herself from his arms without waking him.
Dude, removing the snuggly girlfriend from the sleeping dude was like taking a bowl of food away from a starving dog. With a sleeping grumble, Jude's arms tightened around her. ". . . dun wake up yet . . ."
Rikku squeezed back, and then wriggled around to face him again. She kissed the tip of his nose. "Can't sleep. Gotta do something."
Waking up . . . so hard . . . Jude mumbled some more and buried his face in her shoulder.
"You don't have to get up," she said softly, brushing the hair out of his face. "Honest."
He nuzzled into her hand, his face blotchy from sleep and generally looking fuzzy and drowsy.
She leaned in for a quick kiss. "Sorry. Wasn't gonna wake you. You kinda wouldn't let go."
"Y' blame me?" he chuckled sleepily, kissing her softly.
Rikku smiled at that - a real smile, even - before stealing a kiss herself. "Nope. Nice to feel wanted. Even if I'm being all ... you know."
"Awesome?" Jude filled in. "Pretty? Amazing? Beautiful? Hot?"
That earned him another kiss. "I was gonna say, being a total wreck and crying on you and not getting out of bed and all that." She snuggled in again. "And ... thanks, yeah?"
Jude was still going as he wrapped his arms around her. "Kickass . . . gorgeous . . . smart . . . pretty . . ."
She could think of one good way to interrupt him, and took it.
A minute later she pulled back, tracing a finger over his lips. "I'm being serious," she said. "You've kinda been all ... I think I needed this. And ... I don't usually, and ... this is hard for me, you know? But with you all ... I just kind of ... and, uh." She tilted her head. "Any chance the translator's working?"
Now Jude was looking dazed and sleepy. "Uh . . . kinda? I get it, bra. An' . . . 'm glad I can be this for you."
"So am I." Rikku squeezed him tightly. "You have no idea. I, uh, I'll tell you sometime when my head's not all busted. Yeah?"
She leaned up for a lingering kiss.
"Yeah," Jude agreed easily. Because she was kissing him now, and he was cupping her cheek and rolling to pin her to the bed and kissing her again.
Rikku closed her eyes and pulled him closer, threading her fingers through his hair and drowning just a little. It had only been a few days but it felt like ages, and considering those few days ... that wasn't so weird really.
Jude's hands snuck under the hem of her shirt, just lying against the skin of her stomach lightly as he responded eagerly to the kiss. He loved when she played with his hair, and decided to show this appreciation by breaking off with a few breathless nibbles to nuzzle against her hands. And nuzzle. And nuzzle. And . . .
"Mew?"
One of Rikku's hands slid over his back, and the other twined into his hair, tugging lightly as she sighed against his mouth. She shivered at the nibbles, nipping back to ...
She blinked, and then sat up quickly, staring wide-eyed at the gray cat settled on her stomach.
"Oh, no," she murmured, reaching out a hand to scritch behind Jude's ears. "Please, not now, please?"
The Judekitty mrowled, upset, and bumped his head against her hand, his over-sized paws tangled in her shirt.
Rikku tried to choke off a sob, scritching under the kitty's chin as she looked into his eyes. "J-Jude? I ... you can't ... please, I ... I need you."
His Rikku was crying! This wasn't good! The Judekitty scrambled up her stomach, planting his front paws on her shoulders as he headbutted her chin, mrowling like a freight engine. Everything was going to be okay! He was here!
He was ... oh, he was being all cuddly and supportive, still, and that made her cry harder but she wiped her eyes quickly and scooped him up, nestling him against her chest. "It's okay," she said, kissing the back of his head and nuzzling against his fur. "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. I'm okay and you'll change back soon and it'll all be okay, yeah?"
Fur was very, very good to cry on. She hoped he didn't mind.
The Judekitty shook in her arms, trying to nuzzle even closer, only stopping his loud, unmellow kitty noises to drag his tiny raspy tongue over her wrist in a little kitty kiss.
Rikku laid her cheek against his back and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to get the sniffles under control. "Hi," she said softly, scritching under his chin. "It's okay. It's okay. Yeah? I've got a mellowkitty and this just means you'll come stay in my room for a bit. Is that okay?" She pressed another kiss to the fur and nuzzled in. It was impossible not to snuggle the Judekitty, really.
The Judekitty enthusiastically snuggled back, tiny sharp claws sinking into her shirt so she definitely wouldn't leave him behind. Like he was going to leave his Rikku.
"Okay." She sat up a little and looked around his room. "We, uh. We need to grab you some clothes, yeah? For when you're you again. And ... I'll go back to my room and t-talk to Hermione." Reassuring nuzzle of the Judekitty. "It ... it'll be okay. Yeah?"
Luckily she could hold the Judekitty with one arm and sift through room debris with the other.
"Mrowl!" That would be a yes to everything being okay. The Judekitty wriggled out of her arm and tried to help find clean clothes, but just got tangled in an abandoned t-shirt instead, meowing pathetically.
Rikku stared for a few seconds and then laughed, maybe the first real laugh she'd had in a few days. "You're very silly, you know," she grinned, scooping up the Judekitty, t-shirt and all.
Purring happily at making her laugh, the Judekitty poked his head proudly out of a sleeve and headbutted her again, his little furry head rubbing against her neck and chin.
Rikku giggled. "Okay. You're adorable. You know that, right?" She kissed the top of his head. "C'mon. I got you a bag but for right now you're staying put, okay?"
The bag would be handy for travel-stuff, but ... she wasn't letting go of her Judekitty any time soon.
The Judekitty apparently had no problem with this. He curled up tightly next to her, purring away. No matter what, he would take care of his Rikku.
Rikku threw a change of clothes into the bag and slung it over her shoulder, keeping the Judekitty nuzzled close with her other arm. Okay. Deep breath. Time to face Fandom.
(OOC: preplayed yet again with dude_its_jude, who is amazing and has my sincere thanks for letting me stash Rikku with her Jude-dude while she mourned. She's coming out of hibernation, but slowly, and Jude will be a kitty for the next week. NFI, but OOC, as always, is love.)