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"Where They Left Off" -- quickie ficlet
Far too much srs bizness going on right now. Time for some porn fluff shameless 'shipping fic!
Title: Where They Left Off
Fandom: FFX-2
Rating: R
Wordcount: 1595
Pairings: Paine/Nooj
Spoilers: Minor, post-game
Notes: Set between the final battle and the assembly. Most of this was written a couple of weeks ago, but I was in the mood for something like this all day today, so I filled it out and finished it up. Props to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bottle_of_shine for the plot bunny and the sanity check.
The door to the engine room opened, and Paine froze. She had come here to be alone, on the assumption that the guys had all gone up on deck together to plan the assembly in Luca while everyone else rested in the cabin, but there he was, pacing back and forth across the narrow aisle, cane clanging against the floor, muttering under his breath; probably practicing his speech. After making sure he hadn't seen her, she turned in place and returned to the door. It opened with a bare whisper, the quiet sound drowned out by the chugging of the engines.
"Paine?"
Or maybe not. She turned back, slowly, and rested her hand on the railing. He stopped walking and looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"The same reason you are, I assume," he answered, lifting an eyebrow. "I needed some solitude, and this seemed the most likely place to find it."
She nodded. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just--"
"Wait." Nooj lurched forward, his good hand shooting out to brace himself against the ship's motion. "It's all right. Please, stay."
Paine clenched the rail and weighed her options. They needed to talk, she knew that. She wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. But she wasn't ready. He was one of the things she'd come here to think about. Could she really risk having this two-year overdue conversation with him when she didn't yet know what she wanted?
Without having decided to do so, she started walking down the stairs, each step deliberate and slow as she attempted to postpone the inevitable. She was unable to look away as he watched her approach: his face solemn, his eyes hidden by the glare of the artificial light on his spectacles. On the second to last step she paused, torn, every instinct pulling her in a different direction. Not too late to turn back, one voice in her head whispered.
You know better than that, another replied. It was too late two years ago.
Still watching her face, he gestured her forward with a subtle sweep of his right hand, and that decided it: she took the last two steps, then stopped again, unwilling to come any closer to him. Instead, she crossed her arms and met his gaze with a cool stare. "Ready for your big moment?"
He lifted his right shoulder in a shrug. "As I can be. Will you be there?"
She shook her head. "Yuna wants to get back to Besaid right away. We'll just be dropping you guys off and then heading on our way."
"Ah." Nooj took a slow step closer to her; Paine stepped backwards involuntarily. "So. If we're going to talk, it needs to be now."
"I don't think so." Paine took another step back and then had nowhere else to go: the backs of her legs were pressed against the ductwork that ran around the base of the walls.
Nooj kept advancing, and she leaned backwards, bracing her hands against the wall. He stopped just a hands-breadth short of her, not quite touching but close enough that she could smell the sweat of battle and the oddly sweet scent of machina oil; the aromas mingled and transported her back to long nights in the desert. The roar of the engines filled her ears, or maybe the sound was just her racing heart.
"I do," he replied, barely audible over the noise. Then, before she could slip away, he slammed his hands against the wall, one on either side of her head, to cage her with his arms and body. She sucked in her breath in surprise; she'd forgotten that he could move that fast. His cane fell to the floor with a ringing clatter, and he leaned in, his breath hot against her forehead. "I lost you once before. I'm not going to risk letting you get away this time."
"What if I want to get away?" Her hands pressed even harder against the metal wall, cool and smooth except for the bolt that bit into the skin of her left palm.
He stared down at her, and then his mouth quirked into an infuriating smile. "Can you honestly say that you do?"
She was seized by equal parts fury at his presumption and the need to touch him. She brought her hands up and into his chest, intending to push him away, but he caught her right hand with his left, encircling her fingers in its cool, powerful grasp. And then his head dipped down and he was kissing her, his mouth hot and demanding on hers.
She had no option but to close her eyes and kiss him back. Her hand slid free of his grip and up his chest, skimming leather and metal as she slipped it across the machina shoulder and then around his neck. His hand caressed her arm on its way down and then landed in place, its skeletal fingers curving around her hip. The living arm came around her and his right hand spanned the bare patch of her lower back; she could feel every callus on his fingers and palm, familiar as they had ever been. His rough fingertips slid beneath the waistband of her pants. He tightened his arms and pulled her close, and she moaned his name. Her fingers buried themselves in the thick bristles of his hair as he groaned in return, his right hand sliding even further down.
Nothing existed in the whole world but Nooj. With her right hand, she gripped the soft fur of his shoulder guard as her mouth opened further under the pressure of his kiss. His tongue slid between her lips and she answered it with her own, stroking his hair, twisting her hand into the braid. He crushed her into his chest, and she felt his heart pounding against her own. His right hand was on the move again, sliding up her torso to find her breast, fitting itself to its curve as his thumb stroked the nipple. Waves of desire rippled through her, as strong as she had ever known them to be, and in a moment of terrible clarity she knew that she needed him, that if he pushed her down to the floor and took her, right here in the engine room, she would welcome it, and not care who might see. That same clarity shocked her back to an awareness of her surroundings, and with every once of willpower she tore herself away from him, stepping sideways and twisting out of his grip.
For a moment she just stood there, catching her breath. Finally she regained enough control to look up; he was stock still, his hands fallen lamely to his sides. "Damn you, Nooj. Do you really think we can just pick up where we left off two years ago?"
All the blood drained from his cheeks as he turned away. "No." He closed his eyes and looked up to the ceiling, his hands balled into fists, deflated, shoulders slumped in a posture of defeat.
Paine's heart filled with a longing even greater than the need she had felt only moments ago. She stepped back to him and reached for his left hand. He turned and looked back down at her, his hair falling over his face.
"Nooj." She laid the back of her hand on his cheek, then pushed his bangs out of his eyes. A riot of emotions passed through them as he looked down at her: sadness, affection, worry, guilt. "I just-- I need some time. To think about who I am now, and what I want my life to be. I've changed a lot in the last two years, and not all of that is to do with you." She stood on tiptoe and dropped a quick kiss on his lips. "I need to find a way to come back on my own terms, not just because we lived through the end of the world together."
"I understand." He closed the machina hand over hers, and its weight reassured her. "Paine. I'm sorry. For everything I put you through. All I can do is hope you'll forgive me."
She stepped close again, and he enclosed her in his arms, his embrace tender now, as though he held a kitten or a fragile bit of glassware. For long moments they stood together, and Paine breathed him in, no longer desperate with lust but content just to feel him there, real and solid under her hands. I missed you. Every minute of every day. She thought the words, felt them in every bone and muscle, but could not yet bring herself to say them, not even when he buried his face in her hair and kissed the crown of her head.
When she was ready, she stepped free, still too overwhelmed to say all the things in her heart and mind. Instead, she found herself smiling at him.
"Good luck," she said.
He nodded. "Same to you."
She took a deep breath and then turned away, walking up the steps. She felt his eyes on her back, and when she reached the door, she paused, then turned around. He was still watching, expression blank but calm, and she smiled again.
"See you later."
This time Nooj smiled back, one of his rare true smiles that lit up his entire face. They shared another nod, and then Paine left the room, finally able to look forward to their next encounter.
Title: Where They Left Off
Fandom: FFX-2
Rating: R
Wordcount: 1595
Pairings: Paine/Nooj
Spoilers: Minor, post-game
Notes: Set between the final battle and the assembly. Most of this was written a couple of weeks ago, but I was in the mood for something like this all day today, so I filled it out and finished it up. Props to
bottle_of_shine for the plot bunny and the sanity check. The door to the engine room opened, and Paine froze. She had come here to be alone, on the assumption that the guys had all gone up on deck together to plan the assembly in Luca while everyone else rested in the cabin, but there he was, pacing back and forth across the narrow aisle, cane clanging against the floor, muttering under his breath; probably practicing his speech. After making sure he hadn't seen her, she turned in place and returned to the door. It opened with a bare whisper, the quiet sound drowned out by the chugging of the engines.
"Paine?"
Or maybe not. She turned back, slowly, and rested her hand on the railing. He stopped walking and looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"The same reason you are, I assume," he answered, lifting an eyebrow. "I needed some solitude, and this seemed the most likely place to find it."
She nodded. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just--"
"Wait." Nooj lurched forward, his good hand shooting out to brace himself against the ship's motion. "It's all right. Please, stay."
Paine clenched the rail and weighed her options. They needed to talk, she knew that. She wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. But she wasn't ready. He was one of the things she'd come here to think about. Could she really risk having this two-year overdue conversation with him when she didn't yet know what she wanted?
Without having decided to do so, she started walking down the stairs, each step deliberate and slow as she attempted to postpone the inevitable. She was unable to look away as he watched her approach: his face solemn, his eyes hidden by the glare of the artificial light on his spectacles. On the second to last step she paused, torn, every instinct pulling her in a different direction. Not too late to turn back, one voice in her head whispered.
You know better than that, another replied. It was too late two years ago.
Still watching her face, he gestured her forward with a subtle sweep of his right hand, and that decided it: she took the last two steps, then stopped again, unwilling to come any closer to him. Instead, she crossed her arms and met his gaze with a cool stare. "Ready for your big moment?"
He lifted his right shoulder in a shrug. "As I can be. Will you be there?"
She shook her head. "Yuna wants to get back to Besaid right away. We'll just be dropping you guys off and then heading on our way."
"Ah." Nooj took a slow step closer to her; Paine stepped backwards involuntarily. "So. If we're going to talk, it needs to be now."
"I don't think so." Paine took another step back and then had nowhere else to go: the backs of her legs were pressed against the ductwork that ran around the base of the walls.
Nooj kept advancing, and she leaned backwards, bracing her hands against the wall. He stopped just a hands-breadth short of her, not quite touching but close enough that she could smell the sweat of battle and the oddly sweet scent of machina oil; the aromas mingled and transported her back to long nights in the desert. The roar of the engines filled her ears, or maybe the sound was just her racing heart.
"I do," he replied, barely audible over the noise. Then, before she could slip away, he slammed his hands against the wall, one on either side of her head, to cage her with his arms and body. She sucked in her breath in surprise; she'd forgotten that he could move that fast. His cane fell to the floor with a ringing clatter, and he leaned in, his breath hot against her forehead. "I lost you once before. I'm not going to risk letting you get away this time."
"What if I want to get away?" Her hands pressed even harder against the metal wall, cool and smooth except for the bolt that bit into the skin of her left palm.
He stared down at her, and then his mouth quirked into an infuriating smile. "Can you honestly say that you do?"
She was seized by equal parts fury at his presumption and the need to touch him. She brought her hands up and into his chest, intending to push him away, but he caught her right hand with his left, encircling her fingers in its cool, powerful grasp. And then his head dipped down and he was kissing her, his mouth hot and demanding on hers.
She had no option but to close her eyes and kiss him back. Her hand slid free of his grip and up his chest, skimming leather and metal as she slipped it across the machina shoulder and then around his neck. His hand caressed her arm on its way down and then landed in place, its skeletal fingers curving around her hip. The living arm came around her and his right hand spanned the bare patch of her lower back; she could feel every callus on his fingers and palm, familiar as they had ever been. His rough fingertips slid beneath the waistband of her pants. He tightened his arms and pulled her close, and she moaned his name. Her fingers buried themselves in the thick bristles of his hair as he groaned in return, his right hand sliding even further down.
Nothing existed in the whole world but Nooj. With her right hand, she gripped the soft fur of his shoulder guard as her mouth opened further under the pressure of his kiss. His tongue slid between her lips and she answered it with her own, stroking his hair, twisting her hand into the braid. He crushed her into his chest, and she felt his heart pounding against her own. His right hand was on the move again, sliding up her torso to find her breast, fitting itself to its curve as his thumb stroked the nipple. Waves of desire rippled through her, as strong as she had ever known them to be, and in a moment of terrible clarity she knew that she needed him, that if he pushed her down to the floor and took her, right here in the engine room, she would welcome it, and not care who might see. That same clarity shocked her back to an awareness of her surroundings, and with every once of willpower she tore herself away from him, stepping sideways and twisting out of his grip.
For a moment she just stood there, catching her breath. Finally she regained enough control to look up; he was stock still, his hands fallen lamely to his sides. "Damn you, Nooj. Do you really think we can just pick up where we left off two years ago?"
All the blood drained from his cheeks as he turned away. "No." He closed his eyes and looked up to the ceiling, his hands balled into fists, deflated, shoulders slumped in a posture of defeat.
Paine's heart filled with a longing even greater than the need she had felt only moments ago. She stepped back to him and reached for his left hand. He turned and looked back down at her, his hair falling over his face.
"Nooj." She laid the back of her hand on his cheek, then pushed his bangs out of his eyes. A riot of emotions passed through them as he looked down at her: sadness, affection, worry, guilt. "I just-- I need some time. To think about who I am now, and what I want my life to be. I've changed a lot in the last two years, and not all of that is to do with you." She stood on tiptoe and dropped a quick kiss on his lips. "I need to find a way to come back on my own terms, not just because we lived through the end of the world together."
"I understand." He closed the machina hand over hers, and its weight reassured her. "Paine. I'm sorry. For everything I put you through. All I can do is hope you'll forgive me."
She stepped close again, and he enclosed her in his arms, his embrace tender now, as though he held a kitten or a fragile bit of glassware. For long moments they stood together, and Paine breathed him in, no longer desperate with lust but content just to feel him there, real and solid under her hands. I missed you. Every minute of every day. She thought the words, felt them in every bone and muscle, but could not yet bring herself to say them, not even when he buried his face in her hair and kissed the crown of her head.
When she was ready, she stepped free, still too overwhelmed to say all the things in her heart and mind. Instead, she found herself smiling at him.
"Good luck," she said.
He nodded. "Same to you."
She took a deep breath and then turned away, walking up the steps. She felt his eyes on her back, and when she reached the door, she paused, then turned around. He was still watching, expression blank but calm, and she smiled again.
"See you later."
This time Nooj smiled back, one of his rare true smiles that lit up his entire face. They shared another nod, and then Paine left the room, finally able to look forward to their next encounter.
I
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That little interval of time there is just too tempting, isn't it? It's like the commsphere variations, where the game developers seem to have left it open for ficcers to decide what happened.
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d'awwwwww. happyshinies.
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I sort of...half-ship this pair. Sometimes read it, attempted writing it once. (Failed, naturally.) Often it feels forced, or Nooj (or Paine) is way too sympathetic or some other thing that makes me lose all interest. But it's fics like these, where it's done just right, that makes me really happy to see these two together.
The scenario you present for them is perfect. A passionate history, two years of absence...and then fleeting glances with each other, right up to the end of the game. And they react perfectly as well, both of them wanting to pick things up but Paine, changed, hesitant. This is how I've always pictured it, I think, even though I've never quite thought of it that way. =P
Furthermore, Paine and Nooj are both wonderful in general. Every line of Paine's dialogue sounds like it could come right out of the game. Nooj is just as forceful and abrupt--curt, really--as he should be, and shows just enough goodness to make him still likeable. I particularly loved his smile at the end, the smile Leblanc was always searching for.
I really liked this. Not to mention I'm glad to find an FFX-2 writer not focused on Rikku. ;) I'll be on the lookout for more!
Re: I
I do love dropping in little details like the ones you mention, so I'm glad that they worked for you.
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And yeah, it's a neat spot to slide ficbits in. You just know they all had to have been on that airship together for awhile, recovering and figuring out what to do next. And there had to have been some time to gather the crowds in Luca. Maybe filling in that gap should be everyone's next project! ;)
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Like I told Ry, the conflicts and complication is why I find them so interesting to write. Interesting comparison to Yuna/Baralai, even if the specific issues they would have to deal with are very different.
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.
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Thanks! And I am not at all sorry to have sucked you into this pairing. ;)
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Paine/Nooj is my OTP, so it always makes me happy to learn that I've made the pairing work for someone. I see them as very well-developed by canon, and I love to play with their past and possible future. So there will almost certainly be more. ;)
Thanks again!!
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(Anonymous) 2007-10-15 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)By the way, do you have a pen name on FanFiction.Net and Fic Wad? I want to add you to my list of favorite authors (you'll be the first one for my Fic Wad account; I just got it recently and haven't posted squat there yet).
(One last thing: "Heart of the Matter" is up. Final version; it's got everything -- and I mean everything. Every little reason. My sister was so kind to host it. You can read it here: http://waterbearer.net/heartofthematter.html .)
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Thank you, so much; I'm glad you like it! Paine and her conflicting feelings are fun to play with, and I definitely had Last Mission in mind while writing it (the time she spent traveling, and then the suggestion that she rejoined Nooj afterwards -- and I've been poking at a follow-up in that vein, off and on).
My FF.net username is kj8673; I've never posted anything at FicWad. Now, as soon as I have a chance, off to read your epic essay... :)
Thanks again, and it's great to hear from you.
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(Anonymous) 2007-11-04 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)Thought I'd let you know that I (finally) wrote a new X-2 fic. Let me know what you think; you're my only source of intellegent commentary in that fandom so far: http://ficwad.com/story/81344