Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X 1. Those Who Smile Like the Sun

** Author's Note**: My first crossover, huzzah! Everyone tries to figure out who would be paired best with Rikku, from FF10, and Zell Dincht, from FF8, so I thought…why not each other? They're both really ADD and sunny; this is just for my gratification, so don't take it too seriously. Enjoy!

**Those Who Smile Like the Sun**

Zell Dincht hated being left out. He sat on the quad next to his friends feeling very annoyed, as he pulled at the few blond hairs that refused to lie flat. He was the only one without a girlfriend.

Sprawled out next to him on the grass were Rinoa Heartilly, Squall Leonhart, Irvine Kinneas, and Selphie Tilmitt. In that order.

Squall had removed his trademark leather jacket and was leaning against the trunk of an oak tree, a book of Gunblade techniques in one hand, Rinoa's tiny body in the other. Those two things were Squall's life: fighting and Rinoa. She was the _only_ one who could get away with being that close to him, pulling him into situations he hated, and getting him to come out of his prickly shell. Squall had all the cuddly appeal of a cactuar, but he genuinely adored Rinoa. It would have been sickening if it weren't so cute.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Selphie stayed as far away from Irvine as was possible. She had no problem getting close to her boyfriend; getting away and clothed was the problem. Even now she wore her hair long to cover up the bites from Irvine's most recent attack. He looked at her like he was explicitly imagining her without clothes on. Selphie was shy and Irvine was touchy, so it made for interesting public displays of affection.

This left Zell as the lone wolf, and a man could only take so much of being a fifth wheel.

He had even been left without a roommate. He had been Squall's roommate…until Rinoa kicked him out; then he bunked with Irvine…until Irvine had taken up residence in Selphie's room… which had been vacated by Rinoa. Zell was lonely.

With a sigh, he leapt to his feet, gaining the attention of his friends. He had also woken Rinoa, giving Squall adequate cause to glare.

"Sorry, sorry!" Zell said, scratching the nape of his neck. "You guys can keep chilling here. I'm gonna…go find something to eat." It seemed like a decent excuse as any. As soon as he was away from the little love circle, he breathed a large sigh of relief. It was stifling to be around them really…

"Zell!" For half a moment he hoped it was one of the four, coming to apologize for being so wrapped up in their significant other. But it wasn't; it was Quistis Trepe. "Zell!"

"Quisty." Zell was the only one who still used her old nickname. "This is unusual. Usually you're running away from me, not towards me." Quistis rarely ever let her cool façade crack, but she smiled at Zell and fixed her skewed glasses.

"I was looking everywhere for you and the others. Where are they?"

"Ummm…"

"Own-little-world, got it." Quistis sighed; her boyfriend was her work. "Anyway I found you, so you might be able to help me out with something." Zell was always happy to help, even though he did usually destroy anything delicate or important. Quistis walked and talked at the same time, so Zell had to run to keep up. "I was working on an experiment earlier involving a dimension-force reactor and…" Zell instantly zoned out; Quistis' stories were often lengthy and full of pointless technical details. "Dammit Zell! Are you even listening to me?"

"No." His honesty was a constant source of annoyance for Squall and Quistis.

"Anyway…" Quistis continued brightly. "I think I accidentally opened up a portal into the Void!"

This got Zell's attention. The Void was mostly believed to be folklore, but it was said that it could link passageways between the worlds. Many thought that Guardian Forces such as Gilgamesh and Shiva could travel between the worlds using the Void. Of course Quistis would be the one to discover such a thing.

As they entered the Science Ward of Balamb Gardens, Zell gaped at the sheer immensity of Quistis' research. Papers were stacked in a veritable maze, the tallest being halfway up Zell's legs, there were tools and wires mixed intermittently on the counters and floors, books were tossed haphazardly over every flat surface available. The crowing glory though was the portal arch: a confection of titanium and silver alloys with ancient runes carved in the metal and wires of every size and color were braided and twisted into ropes as thick as marble columns. Lining the inside of the arch, were uniform lines of miniature reactors, which were releasing the magic necessary to form the Void.

Swirling inside the arch was the very center of the Void. Contrary to popular belief, the Void was not endless black oblivion, but a rotating confection of color, blues and greens mixing with pinks and yellows; Zell was mesmerized by the warm glow it emitted and the hum of the machine almost sounded like singing. Just looking at the colors, his heart felt lighter.

"Isn't it amazing?" Quistis breathed, her pale blue eyes light with excitement. "It was just an accidental discovery. I was trying to find a way to increase the speed of airships, but instead…" She went over to one of the computers and began to type rapidly. The colors shifted in accordance with her typing, first swirling green and pale brown, then pink and gold and yellow. "It's shifting to different realms. I have no idea where it will let out, but…it probably won't be in Gardens…"

When she began to type again, the portal was shot through with all sorts of blues and greens and pale lavender that could only be found in the tropical beaches, while tiny globes of light, like rainbow-colored fireflies faded in and out of the backdrop. The singing increased and Zell could not help himself. He walked toward the arch.

"What happens if I-?" He reached out his gloved hand to the beautiful colors.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Quistis screamed, knocking over an enormous pile of papers as she ran to stop Zell. But of course, she was too late.

As soon as the tip of his finger brushed the blue-green surface of the Void, the surface rippled like water, before twisting into a vortex and sucking Zell into the center of the portal. He didn't even have enough time to scream.

He spun through a winding vortex that flashed white and yellow and silver, with blue and violet and black stars shooting in all directions, as it seemed gravity was trying to pull him down and stretch him sideways simultaneously. He felt as though he was going to be sick or faint or die; he never would have thought his curiosity would have killed him, although it had always been a definite possibility. It seemed as though he was pulled through the tunnel for hours, and the moment he thought he would be torn into a million pieces and vomited in bloody chunks throughout the worlds, he slowed almost to a stop, before the tunnel spit him out in the swampy banks of a river.

Panicking, Zell sputtered to the surface. It was a good thing that the water was shallow.

As he stood and looked around, Zell realized instantly that he was not in Gardens. First of all, the place was like a tropical jungle, the air hot and heavy with humidity unlike anything in the deciduous and mountainous terrain of Gardens. The heat was so oppressive that Zell removed his red jacket as soon as he was on the shore, leaving him only in his black tank top and shorts.

Besides the blazing heat, all the plants and even the water had the looks of rainforest, with colorful, bright flowers, twisted vines and trees with enormous leaves. He had never seen the likes of them, even in the wettest of Gardens' forests. Everything here obviously relied on water; even the soil was thick with moisture. But it was absolutely beautiful.

Everything had a tinge of blue or green, the colors of life, save for the pools of water he had landed in.

They sparkled white and lavender and other pale shades of pink, blue, and green, the colors moving even when the water was still. At first, Zell smiled at how pretty they were…then, with a whispering sigh, a globule of light rose from the water, dragging iridescent color behind it like the tail of a comet. It floated lazily in the air, like a butterfly, circling Zell as if it were studying him.

He had no idea what it was, but he was hypnotized.

As he reached out to touch the pretty thing, it gave a little bounce and flew out of his reach, as if startled.

"You've never seen a pyrefly before?"

Zell turned on his heel toward what he realized was a path leading into the forest. The girls from Gardens didn't look like her at all.

She was a little shorty, with abundant golden hair flipped to the side and amassed in braided tendrils, and skin bronzed by the sun. Skin she was showing plenty of. Her 'shirt' was a bright yellow bikini top, half-covered by a sunset-colored knit scarf, while she wore an olive green miniskirt over the bathing suit bottoms. On her arms were ruffled white sleeves and brown gloves and she wore small white and blue boots. She was better equipped for the heat, but Zell was unused to girls showing quite so much skin.

Giving a smile that showed off the dimples in her cheeks, she walked up to him, studying his face and clothes.

"Aren't you hot?" She asked kindly. "Is that why you went swimming in the Moonflow?"

Zell found that he was at quite a loss for words. That was, until he saw her eyes. They were jungle green, the exact color of tropical leaves, but coming from the pupil was a spiral of black, making her eye look like some sort of shell. Zell was amazed.

Without thinking (as usual) Zell grabbed the girls' round cheeks and pulled her close. She was so warm…

"Your eyes!" He gasped in amazement. "How is this possible? The spiral! It's so cool! So pretty!" Only afterwards did he realize how awkward the situation had become and he released her sheepishly as he blushed to his ears. "S-sorry about that. I always do that. Act before thinking, I mean. Sorry if I startled you…"

But the girl was laughing good-naturedly. "Really? Have you never seen an Al-Bhed's eyes before?"

Zell was confused. "What's an Al-Bhed?"

She was shocked. "Where are you from, stranger?"

"Do you have time for a long story?"

….

Rikku sat next to the boy called Zell Dincht from the world called Gardens. He really was very good looking, in an intense way. He was short, but he had a friendly face: sky blue eyes and blond hair that was mostly slicked back, save for a few stubborn bits that stuck straight up, and a wolfish smile. He had white skin too; white skin, like a highborn…like Yuna and Lulu. Not tanned like hers. And across the side of his face was a tattoo that looked sharp, like a blade.

"So let me get this straight," She said, her head spinning with information. "Your friend created a wormhole to Spira and you touched it and ended up in the Moonflow?" It seemed so unlikely but…somehow she believed him.

Zell looked up at her, his blue eyes begging her to believe him, and nodded.

Rikku smiled. "I understand."

Zell smiled, displaying his sharp incisors. "So you're Rikku…And this place is called Spira. I really like it. I mean, I'd like to see more of it."

Rikku giggled. He was not very subtle. But then again, neither was she. Yuna had found Tidus naught but a week ago off the coast of Besaid and they had been inseparable since. Pairing that with Lulu and Wakka's love for their baby, the level of awkwardness for Rikku and Paine had been so intense that Paine had left after two days and Rikku had escaped after a week. When she was with her friends, she was lonely, but when she by herself she was also desperately sad. Maybe showing Zell around Spira would ease her loneliness.

"Um…If you're lost and you want someone to show you around Spira…you can come with me." She wasn't usually so nervous around any guys, but Zell's eyes unnerved her. Unlike the heavy tropical blues of Spira, his were pale and piercing like a cold sky. "If you want to…"

His face lit up like a sunrise. "I'd love to! If I'm not too much of a burden…"

"My name's Rikku." She said standing and stretching. She knew it showed off her hourglass shape…not that she cared. "Welcome to my party, Zell. Can you fight?"

Zell clenched his fists and punched the air. "I'm a martial artist. Is it always this bloody hot out here?"

Rikku smiled as she walked back into the forest. The Moonflow was relatively cool compared to some of the other regions of Spira. Gardens must have been a chilly place if this was considered hot. "In most places. The Moonflow is actually cool for us."

Zell looked miserable for only a moment, but then grinned widely; being hot was preferable to hanging out with the couples in Gardens. "So why are you here at the Moonflow?"

Rikku sighed, her heart heavy. She barely knew Zell, but he had been completely honest with her. She owed him the same.

So as Rikku led Zell through the Moonflow she told him all of her story, from the very beginning: finding Tidus, joining Yuna's guardians, traveling through Spira, stopping Seymour and Yuna's pilgrimage and Sin. Zell listened patiently as she told them about losing Tidus, joining the Gullwings and finding dresspheres, reuniting Lenne and Shuyin, and finding Tidus. She even told him how the Gullwings had split up, leaving Yuna with Tidus and Paine to her own devices. Rikku tried to keep the sorrow out of her voice, but it was difficult. She missed them so much.

"I'm here at the Moonflow because…I'm retracing our journey. Just for old times' sake." She felt embarrassed to admit it.

But Zell patted her shoulder. "I understand completely. All of my best friends are dating each other and I always feel like escaping."

Rikku giggled. "Your solution was a little extreme…"

Zell reveled in her good mood. She was warm and bright as the sun. "Yeah, they usually are. So where are we headed now?" Rikku was pleased to see that he really seemed to appreciate the scenery, as many people in Spira disregarded their surroundings or took them for granted.

"Guadosalam." Rikku said. She had no great love for the place, as many of the Guado still were racist toward the Al-Bhed. But Guadosalam was her next destination and it was about as cool as the Moonflow. "It's a city built inside trees. Quite beautiful."

Zell was so excited, as he drank in his current surroundings. Although he did love Gardens, there was something exotic and appealing about Spira…and his companion. Zell's mind was flooded with questions, but he didn't want to overpower Rikku.

"So what are Pyreflies?" He asked, walking so he came abreast of her.

"Spirits of the dead." Rikku said almost sadly. "At first they're gentle but they can become monsters if they don't find their peace, like Shuyin or Maester Seymour. I'm assuming Gardens doesn't have that sort of thing?"

Zell thought hard about it. "No, I don't think so. But I wish we did. There's something comforting about those pyreflies. I've had so many friends and comrades die that it would be nice to know that their spirits were at rest."

Rikku patted his white shoulder. "Maybe you just can't see the pyreflies in your world…"

Zell was amazed. He was usually the energetic and peppy one in his group. With gloomy Squall, uptight Quistis, and bi-polar Irvine, no one ever noticed when Zell was upset. He usually covered it with false happiness or passionate anger. But Rikku…she had noticed it instantly, that his words were tinged with profound sorrow, with extreme loss. She noticed…and she was trying to comfort him. Zell was moved.

He wanted to kiss the side of her sweet tan face. But he held himself back. Rikku was his only friend in Spira and he needed her.

"So tell me more about this 'Guadosalam' place." He asked, truly interested.

Rikku looked up at him and flashed her dimpled smile. "Guadosalam is less hot, because it's built in and around the vines and roots of trees…"

…..

By the time he had been traveling fro two weeks, Zell was falling in love.

He loved Spira. He loved the lush green and twisted walls of Guadosalam, with the whispering and light of the pyreflies following him as he walked around. He liked the danger of the Thunder Plains: the endless roiling clouds, the ingenuity of the lightning rods, and racing with Rikku across the packed Earth all while dodging lighting bolts. He even liked the biting cold of Lake Macalania, the ice flashing all sorts of colors, like large prisms. He also loved the kind and friendly people of Spira; it seemed like everyone he met was eager to help or wanted to hear his unusual story.

Spira was not his only love though.

He was quickly falling for his guide. Rikku was wonderful. She was lonely without her friends, he could tell, but she was honest and sunny and kind, so she made friends quickly. Her smile could make his heart skip and she was just as talkative and impulsive as he was; he already knew how she had conquered her fear of lightning by camping on the Thunder Plains and she displayed her heritage proudly, despite the fact that some in Spira were prejudiced toward Al-Bhed.

But what he loved most about her was that when he was talking to her, even about things that would have bored his friends in Gardens, she truly listened. She didn't pretend to care and then cut him off as soon as he was done. When someone was talking to her, regardless of the subject, Rikku gave them her full attention.

Zell was amazed that the two of them got any sleep at all.

When they would settle down for the night (without a fire, thanks to Spira's warmth) the two of them would look up at the stars and tell stories.

Rikku loved hearing about Zell's friends, about Squall and Rinoa's adventure, and about the people and places in Gardens. Zell was naturally talkative, but he had never been around anyone who encouraged him to talk. He found that, for once, he was actually running out of words and had begun to listen more often.

Their first night on Lake Macalania, they had built a fire to fend off the unusual cold. Both of them were huddled up next to each other, Rikku looking at the stars and Zell looking at her. He was not the picture of subtlety.

"So…" Rikku was thoughtful, her pert nose wrinkling at the bridge. "I've heard all about your comrades, Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine. They all sound fascinating, and good people to rely on. But…Zell who do you trust? Who do you talk to when you're lonely?"

Zell rolled over so he was also facing the sky. There were so many stars in Spira. Since large cities were sparse, and firelight provided most of light, the sky was blanketed with stars. Zell had never seen anything like it in Gardens.

"Myself, I guess. Where do you think I get all this confidence in myself?" Zell was rewarded when Rikku laughed outright. "Yeah…I guess my friends all have so many of their own problems that I…I just feel mine are small in comparison."

"Don't you get lonely?" Rikku asked, turning to face Zell. Her hair danced bright gold in the firelight. "It sounds lonely."

Zell looked over at her. "Sometimes. But…I'm used to having people rely on me. I think it's good that they come to me for something. I'm happy for them. It gives them energy, strength, when they need it. That's not too lonely…" Rikku looked down for a moment then back at the sky. "What about you? Don't you think you deserve to be a little selfish?"

"What?"

"You love your friends. Everyone can see it. But you sacrifice your own happiness for their sake. Friendship is a give-and-take sort of thing. You can't do all of the giving." Zell cleared a braid from her forehead. "I'm sure Yuna, Tidus, and Lulu and Wakka would understand if you asked for a little time with them. If they cherish you then they'll make time for you."

Rikku looked at him like she was on the verge of tears. Zell scooted closer so he was up against her bare, warm skin. He drew invisible lines between the stars with his fingertips.

"I wonder which world is mine. I wonder which star belongs to Gardens?"

Rikku leaned her head against his shoulder. "I…don't know. But I'm guessing…that one!" She pointed to a small star that twinkled silver.

Zell inclined his head. "That one looks far away…"

"Sometimes good adventures happen far away from home." Rikku said, probably thinking of her destroyed Home in the deserts.

"And sometimes you have to travel a long way for someone you really care about." Zell murmured. He was half referring to Squall's mad escapade for Rinoa across space and time…and half referring to his meeting with Rikku. He didn't normally believe in fate, but the two of them seemed made for each other, like puzzle pieces stranded on opposite sides of the universe.

"Hmmm. You can see right through me, can't you Zell?" Rikku said with a smile.

"Are you crying?" Zell asked. He hated when girls cried. It was heartbreaking and he had no idea what to do in such a situation. Even cold Squall had more tact when it came to upset women.

Rikku buried her face in Zell's red jacket, using it as a pillow. "Not…really…"

As she drifted off to sleep, Zell bit his lip and put his arms around her. She was ten times warmer than he had ever been in his life, but he liked the feeling of holding someone smaller and more fragile.

"I won't…" He promised. "I won't ever take you for granted…"

When Zell woke up the next morning, his entire body was warm, all from Rikku's tanned skin. The melancholy of the night had been forgotten, as Rikku had already packed their things and was smiling like the sun, despite the crisp cool around them. Zell could only smile in return.

He rubbed his arms in an effort to fight the cold. "These Macalania Woods you were talking about, are they any warmer?" The lake was beautiful, but damn if it was cold.

Rikku laughed infectiously. "I knew Spira would grow on you! Even your skin is darker…Yes, Macalania Woods is much warmer and," She looked at him over her shoulder, the way he loved. "I think it's the most beautiful place in all of Spira."

Zell was understandably excited, bouncing along like human gas molecule. Rikku shared his excitement as the two of them practically ran to Macalania Woods. Zell could feel as the temperature began to rise and saw the ice give way to beautiful plants that retained only the pale, frosty colors of the lake.

Rikku had not lied. Macalania was by and large the most gorgeous place Zell had ever been in his life.

The trees were huge, with roots and branches that acted as paths and bridges; the bark of said trees looked like ice set in colors of teal and indigo and green. The plants sparkled like crystals, the mushrooms were soft and delicate as snowflakes, fireflies and rain from cloudless skies made Zell run around in awe. And the water was so glassy clear and warm, that Zell could see the vast array of tropical plants that danced with the motion of the water. The hot air hung heavy with the smell of flowers and rain.

"What do you think?" Rikku asked, running her hands along the leaves of a curling green vine. Water, like diamonds, fell in her lush golden hair and Zell had to resist the urge to run his fingers through it.

"Seeing this," Zell said in amazement, "Makes me never want to go back to Gardens. I could live in these woods forever with you."

He realized the words only after they were out of his mouth and he blushed, shutting his mouth tight to prevent any other such embarrassing statements from escaping. When he looked at Rikku, her tan ears were strawberry red.

"Are we camping here tonight?" Zell asked quickly, to change the subject. He sincerely hoped they were staying.

"If you want." Rikku was also just as entranced by Macalania. "I know a good place where we can set up camp."

….

The moon in Spira was as much yellow as it was white.

Zell sat on the banks of a small lake, with a twisted dark blue tree growing from the center of the water. Fireflies danced through the air so thick, that Zell had a hard time telling the insects from the stars, and the blue crystals growing from the trees glowed like natural lamps. Despite the heat of the air, the ground close to the water was cool, and Zell filled his hands with cool soil and smooth stones.

Rikku was in the water, stripped to her yellow bathing suit, also watching the moon. The people of Spira loved water.

"Have you ever been in space?" Zell asked.

Rikku had let down all of her soft gold hair, and it spun like a whip as she turned. "No. We can fly, but I don't think anyone's ever been up in space…" She looked up at the sky thoughtfully and Zell saw her green eyes flash. "What's it like?"

"It's an acquired taste." Zell said removing his shoes and dipping his feet in the water. It was so warm. "Squall loved it because there was nobody else around. But I didn't like it so much. Space seems endless. I'm a little afraid of it, personally. And thinking how much space could be in between Gardens and Spira…well…then I like it less…"

All was silent for a moment…until Zell was sure he heard sniffing.

Clothes be damned, he waded into the water until he was next to Rikku. Very gently he touched her shoulder. "Rikku?" He prayed to anyone that she was not crying.

She was not crying. Rikku was stronger than that. But the loneliness in her face was more profound than if she had been sobbing. With her small warm hands, she grabbed big fistfuls of Zell's black tank top.

"I can't! I can't travel with you anymore!" She said, resting her forehead on his chest. Zell's heart cracked painfully. "I can't do it! Because I know you're going to leave me, you're going to go back to your world. I don't want to stay with you any more. I can't take it if anyone else leaves me…I'm going to be selfish."

Zell was fast as he pulled her close. "I won't! I don't want to leave Spira. I don't want to go back. I love it here! I love you!" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Rikku hiccupped and looked up at him. "You…love me?"

It was too late to take it back now.

Zell kissed her bronzed forehead and his lips felt the heat from her skin. She was really just like the sun… "I really…I really am falling for you, Rikku. Ah! It's so embarrassing to say it out loud!"

Rikku yanked his shirt, hard, and either Zell was unready for such an attack or he was really unsteady in the water, but he pitched forward into the lake. Rikku still had a hold of him underwater, cool as could be, as she pulled his head to hers. Even under the water her lips were burning hot as they crushed against his.

Normally, Zell would have been stunned into paralysis; he had never so much as held a girls' hand and now he was kissing one. But he was obviously not behaving normally, because he was kissing her back, pulling her ever closer by way of her flowing, wet, golden hair. His vision was clouded with the golden waves, moving serenely like some beautiful aquatic plant.

When both he and Rikku had run out of shared air (she could hold her breath for insane amounts of time), they both rose to the surface, soaked, but glowing with warmth.

Zell cleared his whitish-blond bangs from his face. "So…I may just be slow but… does this mean you love me too?"

Rikku laughed and Zell had the urge to kiss her dimples. "Yes. Despite my better instincts…I'm falling for you too. And even though I know you belong in Gardens…I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay with me in Spira."

Zell cleared the wet hair from her forehead and she grinned wider. "I'm not going to leave. I've decided. I'll stay with you here. I won't abandon you."

Rikku kissed his jaw line. "But…what if the Void sucks you back in? Back to Gardens?"

Zell, relying mostly on his instinct to do the work, kissed her eyelids and dimples. "I'll find a way. I'll do anything to come back. Quistis made a portal before, she can make another one. If I disappear, wait for me and I'll come back. I swear."

"I trust you." Rikku said, smiling.

When she started kissing him again, the heat started in his lips, and, like a waterfall, spread down to the tips of his toes leaving a little tingle in all of his pores. All he could focus on was her lips, soft and pink as the sunrise. Which was why his shock and embarrassment was immense when he realized that his hands were on an entirely different wavelength and were pulling at the yellow straps of Rikku's bikini.

With a shout of dismay, Zell pulled away, blushing furiously.

"S-Sorry! I had no idea what I was doing!"

Her green spiral eyes were hypnotizing as she pulled the yellow strings with ease, and the bathing suit top fell to the water. Zell was almost too embarrassed to look. Almost…

He honestly could not understand how Squall and Irvine could prefer pale girls. Rikku's warm brown skin had no blemishes or scars, and since it was wet her skin glistened under the light of the moon. She really did have perfect figure, the perfect peaches that were her breasts curving out wide above her hourglass waist. With shaking, wet hands Zell extended both of his hands and placed them on her bare chest.

Rikku thrust herself against him, and they were in a flurry of kisses and touches and bare flesh. Zell's hands were everywhere, squeezing and stroking her hot flesh, winding into her golden hair, and pulling her closer to him. She had torn his black tank top, the pieces sinking gracefully under the water as she gripped his pale skin desperately, clawing his shoulder blades and neck.

Rikku planted wet kisses all over Zell's face, such to the point that neither of them could breathe properly after only a few short moments. The humidity over the lake was oppressive now and Zell ached to be free.

Zell lifted her high into the air, gripping her (very near perfect) butt so her chest was at eye-level. Like some sort of savage, Zell opened his mouth wide and began to lick and suckle her chest so enthusiastically that Rikku cried out. She tasted…unlike anything he had ever encountered. But she was so sweet, like peaches and heat and a little bit of salt.

Zell was so passionate that he seemed to be sucking her with the intent of consuming her whole. Rikku wrapped her strong, tan legs around his back and let him, breathing with ecstasy into his hair. Zell's hips moved of their own accord and started bucking into the hottest place in her body; he was rapidly losing control of his own functions.

With increased fervor, Rikku wriggled out of his grasp, and Zell whimpered pathetically. His hot mouth ached for the feeling of her warm breasts around his tongue, between his teeth, molding against the red skin of his gums. But Rikku diverted his attention as she slid off her yellow bikini bottoms and tossed them to the side. Zell knew he shouldn't stare, but he couldn't help it.

Apparently, this was not the first time Rikku had been naked underneath the Spiran sky: she had no tan line. Her dark hips were small, just like the rest of her, and Zell caught flashes of gold from the hair at her crotch. Like a beach goddess worthy of sun-worshiping, water-loving Spira, Rikku was tiny, sultry, and shaped perfectly. Zell nearly slipped and fell into the mud in his pursuit of removing his wet shorts and boxers. He could not tell whether the wetness came from the lake water or from inside him.

Everything was so warm, like a sauna, and Zell had to focus very hard on getting enough oxygen in his system as Rikku surveyed him intently.

With a sharp exhale, Rikku leapt across the water and into Zell's arms. Zell was more than excited to get her back in his arms and he resumed kissing her passionately, violently, lovingly…

Somehow the two of them managed to be lying down on top each other, but not in the normal way. Zell held Rikku's soft round butt, one cheek in each hand so that the beautiful golden hair of her hips was a breath above his lips. She smelled of heat and water lilies. Rikku was reclining across Zell's torso, pressing her soft body into his hard one as she regarded his throbbing, pink pelvis.

Almost at the same time, Rikku opened her tiny mouth wide as it would go as Zell's tongue flicked out in curiosity. Both of them cried out and turned pink. Zell kicked instinctively and Rikku would have done the same, had he not been holding her legs.

Rikku looked back at him and he looked up at her, and they both smiled shyly at each other.

Very gently, Zell took her in his mouth again and felt as her muscles twitched in accordance with the movement of his tongue. Her juice tasted sweet and warm, and soon Zell's mouth was open wide in acceptance of her. At the same time Rikku was devising new and interesting ways of wrapping her tongue around his dick. His legs struggled to find anything to brace against, but there was nothing, so he sloshed in the water ineffectively at the feeling. It was heat and tremors, moving through his body like ripples, starting in his dick and resonating out.

When the two of them were on the verge of climaxing, Zell twisted her body so she sat smoothly on his lap. Zell's toes curled at the feeling: it was warm and soft and tight…

Her back was against his chest, and she guided his hands back up to her breasts. Zell fondled her and ran his hands and lips through her tangles of golden hair as he began to pump vigorously up into her. Rikku gave sharp cries of passion and pushed herself down harder so that every time he moved, he sank deeper inside of her. Every time, it seemed as though she got hotter and hotter, like the center of the sun.

Zell gasped, his toes twitching and hands shaking, while Rikku dug her fingers into his arms and legs, trying to gain purchase on his hair as she all but screamed with pleasure. Zell could have cared less if someone had walked in on them. He was so deep in her that even the Void couldn't have torn them apart.

Rikku came first, a veritable explosion of warmth taking place around Zell's body. She collapsed into a warm heap in his arms as Zell kept pushing deeper and deeper into her. Finally blue and white streaked through his vision, intermingling with the fireflies and stars of Spira, before he too fell in exhaustion.

With some surprise, Zell realized that he and Rikku had been floating high above the surface of the lake. Zell held Rikku as they floated on the top of the warm lake.

"Rikku…" He whispered, kissing her forehead. "Rikku…" He fell asleep with her in his arms underneath the yellow Spiran moon.

….

Zell woke up with a start and a cry, sitting straight up.

Gaining his bearings, his heart sank as he recognized the messy and metallic lab of the Balamb Gardens Science Ward. The fluorescent lights hurt his eyes and damn but it was cold. Zell rubbed his aching head.

All his friends were in the room.

Quisty was passed out next to the Void arch, her normally pristine hair sticking up in all directions, an open book in her hands. Having spent so much time with Rikku, Quistis' hair now looked pale in comparison to Rikku's vibrant golden mane.

Irvine had Selphie's head on his lap as they sat, sleeping in front of two computer screens, their clothes wrinkled. Squall was unconscious on the floor, holding Rinoa in his arms, the both of them using piles of paper and wires as pillows. Every single one of his friends looked pale, tired, and haggard, with big dark circles under their eyes.

As he stood, Zell upended a tray of tools, sending them crashing to the floor with a sound that could wake the dead. He cringed as everyone was roused, Squall with his weapon in his hands.

Irvine was the first to realize. "Z-Zell?" He rubbed his eyes as though he could not believe it.

"Hey guys," Zell said calmly. They had obviously been up many nights trying to get him back. Even though he was upset from being parted from Rikku, their concern was truly touching. "I'm back…"

They crowded around him, bombarding him with questions and marveling at his tanned skin. Zell, uncharacteristically, took it all in calm stride as he attempted to explain his adventure in Spira, omitting his last passionate night with Rikku. That was something secret he would never share.

"We spent so much time trying to get you back." Quistis said when his tale was complete. "We had to sift through thousands of configurations to find the world we sent you to, and even then we weren't sure we'd get you back. This Void disturbs space, time, everything…"

"Thank you." Zell said softly, and his friends obviously noticed the change in his personality. "Thank you for worrying. But Quistis…I want to go back."

All of them looked at him like he was insane.

"Zell…why?" Rinoa asked. "You might…never be able to come back!"

"Think of the possibilities!" Zell said honestly. "You all have something that anchors you here, to Gardens. I don't have work or someone I'm in love with here. Think of all the things I could learn from Spira. I need to go back." For Rikku…

"You've changed." Said Quistis. "Has that world really changed you so much?"

Zell nodded.

"Then we'll help you get back." Squall said assuredly. "I swear."

Zell looked at the Void and it flashed golden and green and the color of the sunrise. 'Wait for me Rikku. I swear, I'll come back to you.'

_The End?_


	2. Epilogue: When Worlds Collide

** Author's Note: **This is basically what happens during and after Final Fantasy X-2 Last Mission, which I thought fit well under the circumstances. Enjoy!

**Epilogue: When Worlds Collide**

_It couldn't be… Rikku sprinted up the last of the metal stairs, making no motion to be quiet. Yuna heard and she turned, confusion on her beautiful face. "Eh?" She had changed very little, other than the fact that she seemed less worried, more peaceful, and happier. Her kind face always had a promise of a smile, warmth and fire in her blue and green eyes. She was the very incarnation of Spira: strong yet gentle, beautiful and energetic, intelligent and tranquil. Everyone in Spira loved their savior, Lady Yuna. Rikku included. _

_ "What's this?" Rikku exclaimed, barely containing the overwhelming joy she felt at seeing her cousin…her comrade…Yuna. She gave a last-ditch effort and leapt over the last few stairs, landing on her feet. _

_ Yuna also looked thrilled. "What are you doing here Rikku?"_

_ Rikku grinned. "That's exactly what I was asking myself about you! Ah!" Then it dawned on her and she reached for the packet stuffed in her back pocket. She brandished it like a sword._

_ "You got one too, Rikku?" Yuna asked, pulling an identical envelope from her own shorts._

_ "That's what it says." Rikku said thoughtfully, inspecting the package as she had done a thousand times before. When she first got it, for a moment she thought it had been from…him. "But it doesn't say anything on who it's from…It might even be a prank but, for some reason, I don't think so." Shaking off the tinges of depression, Rikku covered the last few feet so she was standing in front of Yuna. "I'm glad I came! Yuna, it's been so long! How've you been?"_

_ Yuna's blue and green eyes sparkled. It was a rhetorical question. Having found Tidus, she was undoubtedly happier and more at peace than ever before. "Fine. You? I haven't seen you in Besaid for…almost three months now."_

_ Rikku scuffed her boots on the metallic surface of the stadium. "__Always, I've been thinking about getting back together with you… But I've been doing so many things-all over the world."_

_ At first, Rikku had just been traveling aimlessly, trying to forget the future, forget the fact that no one was coming for her. Then, in the Moonflow, she had met Zell Dincht from the cool and mountainous world of Gardens, where he and his friends rescued sorceresses, lived in a floating school, and traveled through space. Even now, a part of her couldn't believe some of the things that he had told her about his world. But one thing she did believe._

_ The last night she'd seen Zell, in the Macalania Woods, he had told her that he loved her and that even if the Void tore them apart, he would come back to her. In the morning, when she woke, all that was left of him was a memory, burned onto her flesh and into her hips, as the Void had stolen him back in the night. _

_ Her sorrow had been extreme, but she persevered with the knowledge that Zell was honest and brave and reliable. She knew he would come back to her. And she would wait, for years if necessary. She would wait for Zell…_

_ She loved him._

_ She put a smile on her face for Yuna's benefit and walked with her cousin through the stands of the empty stadium…_

….

When Rikku, Yuna, and Paine exited the tower, Rikku felt simultaneously lighter and on the verge of tears. The three of them had argued and realized the fact that they had been splintered beyond repair. Nothing would be the same again. Rikku was trying to stay positive, but inside, all the pressure that had been building up was causing her heart to feel as though it was cracking apart. She was having trouble breathing…

Yuna smiled benevolently, grasping Paine and Rikku's hands in her own. "Let's stay in touch girls. I realize that I love Tidus, but you two are also very important to me." She meant it, but it still hurt Rikku; nothing would ever be the same again, no matter how hard they tried.

Rikku let a tear fall, a painful tremor rippling through her chest. Paine nodded curtly.

"Ok…" Rikku whispered, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

As Yuna and Paine began to walk away, splitting further and further apart with every step, Rikku felt her happy façade crack a little more. She was rooted to the spot.

'Don't leave me…' Rikku cried out inwardly. 'Please…don't leave me!'

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine screamed in unison as the earth gave a sharp tremor, splitting some of the soil they stood on. The wind picked up violently, creating a whirlwind in the sky. Yuna and Paine fell back against the ground, staring openmouthed at the sky; Rikku remained standing, watching the colors twist through the cyclone that was rapidly moving toward her.

It could have been her imagination, but the colors in the sirocco seemed to have comprehensive form: she thought she saw spiky brown mountains coated in ice-blue snow, flat green and brown plains dotted with tough wildflowers, and even (maybe) a silver building that floated lazily above the earth. Sprinkled amongst the tendrils of the wind were ethereal pyreflies, floating lazily, even in the strong cycle.

Rikku could not find it in her to move, even as the tip of the tornado shot towards her, like a spear.

"Rikku!" Someone screamed and her legs finally gave out.

She would have hit the ground hard, but the vortex exploded in a plume of pyreflies and flowers petals, and strong arms, cool as stone wrapped around her bare waist.

There was nothing at that point. There was no sorrow, no pain. Yuna and Paine's expressions of amazement were not there. There was no tower, no vortex, no Spira, not even Gardens existed.

All of a sudden her world was encompassed entirely in his sky blue eyes, his wiry cool arms around her stomach and chest. Even his smell, so rare in Spira, cool air, wet soil, slight musk and mint caused her heart to swell so much that it hurt. Tears poured down her cheeks, but she laughed, laughed at the feeling of him against her.

"Rikku…" He said, pulling her close so that his lips were nearly on hers. "Rikku…" His hands wove themselves into her golden hair; she'd forgotten how much she'd missed his hands.

"Zell."

Under the warm Spiran sky, two more lovers were, again, reunited. 


End file.

Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Adventure, Romance