Title: Pillow Talk
Rating: G
Pairing: Rikku/Paine
Summary: Takes place the night before Yuna joins the Gullwings. Paine can't sleep, because Rikku can't.

Author's Note: Little ficlet written in response to a meme on LiveJournal. Because RiPa is love! ^_^

"Paine?"

"Yeah?" The murmur is almost inaudible.

Rikku raises herself up on one elbow, squinting through the gloom of the Celsius' cabin at the Paine-shaped lump in the covers of the next bed. "Are you awake?"

A sigh, followed by an irritated drawl. "No, Rikku. I'm asleep."

Rolling her eyes, the energetic blonde jumps out of her own bed and sits on the end of Paine's, shivering as the chilly air hits her skin. "No need to get snippy! I can't sleep, either."

Paine yanks her foot pointedly out from beneath Rikku's butt, sitting up and running a hand through her short, silvery hair. "The reason I can't sleep is that you won't quit tossing and turning."

"Why do you always have to be so mean?" she complains petulantly, scowling at the other girl's silhouette. "I count you as a friend, but it's like you hate me or something. I mean, geez…"

"If I hated you, you wouldn't be sitting on my bed right now." Paine's voice is flatly matter-of-fact. "You expect me to be happy that you're keeping me awake?"

"But I'm excited about seeing Yunie! You're gonna love her, and she's gonna love you." Wait. That sounds wrong. Like I want them to date or something. And I really, really don't. "A-all of you. The Gullwings!"

"Didn't you say Brother was psychotically obsessed with her? That's gonna be fun," Paine observes dryly, her voice a little warmer.

Rikku shudders. "I know. Ewww! I don't even wanna think about him perving over her…"

"C'mere." The silhouette moves – Paine is pulling back her blankets. Rikku bites her lip for a second, trying not to jump to the conclusion her brain wants her to. Is the ice queen inviting me into her bed? Not that I'm not tempted, but why?

"Umm… uh… huh?" she stammers, fidgeting.

"You're cold. Get under the blankets," Paine says simply, as if it's obvious.

The Al Bhed girl doesn't need to be told twice. Scrambling up the bed as fast as she can, she slides in beside Paine, pulling the blankets up over them both and sneaking her arms around her friend.

Paine tenses up, but Rikku doesn't loosen her grip. "See? You can be nice sometimes!"

"Go to sleep." Slowly, the older girl begins to relax, one arm curling around Rikku's thin form.

The response is uttered amid giggles. "You're just a marshmallow!"

"You wanna get kicked outta bed?" Paine asks sharply.

"Sorry!"