Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy X-3 : Lost Summoners ❯ Healing Gratitude ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By the time Kaioh had woken up again, she was in her room-- Lying on the padded floor instead of swinging in her hammock. Blinking a few times, Kaioh looked around, licking her chapped lips; wincing as the skin splintered on her top lip, flushing a coppery taste on the tip of her tongue.

Was everything that happened just a dream? She couldn't quite tell. Rubbing her tender eyes, she glanced about, slowly rising to her feet. The outfit she had been wearing was replaced with white garbs that covered her from wrist to ankle. A quizzical look upon her face, Kaioh quietly made her way out of the tent, peeking outside. She saw her mother and father, and Rikku. Cid was no where in sight.

Her brother, Vidina, was found juggling a blitz ball with his knees... His appearance was nearly dead on with his father's. Almost. Same bone structure, yet slightly slimmer, like his mother. His eyes were the color of warm honey, and his hair was just like his father's in color, only cut and styled into a more feathery, spiked manner. [It didn't come to a point like some crazy oompa-loompa... ]

Quietly approaching her father, rubbing a sleepy eye again, she whispered, "...Dad...?" Surprised and relieved, Wakka quickly swept Kaioh up into his arms, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "Kaioh! Oh, I'm so glad you're alright, yah? Did you get enough rest? Yah, yah?" Kaioh replied with a small nod, feeling like a toddler in her father's big arms, regardless of her age. Lulu ran her delicate fingers across Kaioh's jaw line, and gave a smile. "That's good to hear. You've been sleeping for a good fourteen hours, so I was wondering when you'd wake up." She said, making Kaioh gape.

"I slept for that long...?" Slow nods came from each of the adults. Pausing for a minute, she thought... Then looked to Rikku. "Is Ci-- Is your son alright, Auntie Rikku?" She asked, mixing Rikku's two favorite titles for herself into one. Smiling, Rikku gave Kaioh's forehead a careful peck. "Yeah, he's fine. He got a cut on his chest, but he'll be fine. He's probably awake now in his tent. If you wanna go see him, he'll be in the back." Nodding, Kaioh motioned for Wakka to let her down.

Giving her mother and father a heartfelt hug, she made her way to Cid's tent, carefully drawing back the drape in the entrance. Peeking in and about, Kaioh glanced around to see if anyone else was in the tent. Seeing she was the only visitor, Kaioh made her way to the back, seeing Cid on his mat of thick blankets and the sort.


His teeth were firmly clamped onto a long tape of medical gauze, his feet pushed together to hold a small, clay bowl filled with a mixture of soothing potions. Unaware that he had a visitor, he nearly growled, pulling the gauze around his right arm, trying to tighten the wrapping with his teeth and left hand. Curses befitting of a sailor were present throughout the entire tent, and it made Kaioh raise a brow.

"...Have you always talked like that?" She asked quietly enough for just him to hear, almost timidly. Surprised, Cid wrenched his head around, making him wince. His chest burned. Glowering, he turned back around quickly. His goggles were off, and he apparently didn't want Kaioh to look at his bare face. He never responded either.

Frowning, Kaioh stepped forward 5 more paces. "Do you need some help with those wounds?" Cid scoffed. "They're just minor flesh wounds. I'm not broken." Why did he sound so irritable? And yet so quiet...?

Keeping her hands behind her back, she asked again. "Would you like some help? I think I could service you better with the bandages, than your mouth and left hand..."

Sighing, Cid looked down. He wondered if this girl could take a clue and leave with it if he gave her a better one... And also wondered how she’d react if he spat in her face that his manner of speaking was better than talking all... all... regal and wordy like herself. Deciding against the argument he foresaw if he opened his mouth, he just held out his right arm begrudgingly, his legs folded. Pursing her lips, Kaioh knelt down, and lightly held his arm. Instead of putting the bandages on, she quickly swept the loose binds off. With his head still down, Cid glanced out of the corner of his eyes, and watched carefully.

Flexing her fingers for a moment, Kaioh knelt in front of his arm, then glanced to him for a mere second. "Don't move." Plain and simple. With that said, she held her hands over his arm, bare centimeters away from the rough looking burn on his forearm. And nothing but a simple Cure spell was cast, dissolving away the wound as if it were never there.

Smiling at her work, she looked to him, and caught a glance at his face. Already, in Kaioh's opinion, his face was finely chiseled and handsome. But with the addition of his gorgeous eyes? ... ah. She knew he'd be very attractive later in life.

They were jade in color, peculiar to the normal emerald green color for an Al Bhed, his eyes were. At first glance, you couldn't tell, but... The swirls in his pupils also spun clock-wise, instead of counter-clockwise. Peculiar. Caught in a 5 second stare, Kaioh slightly flushed, and looked to the side, as did Cid. Ruffling his hair some, he mumbled, "...Thanks..." Kneading the fabric of her clothing, she replied with, "No worries... It's the least I could do for you. You -did- save me and all that..." Her voice was a sparse murmur. Adolescent timidity spread through her.

After getting a good look at her, without his goggles on, Cid realized... She was quite the looker herself. A soft structure, that skin tone, and honey n' melted sugar eyes, she was one he could stare at for a bit. Until, he realized she'd thanked him. "Oh... No problem... I couldn't've just left you there anyways... It's... Not my thing." He mumbled.

After trying to hold back a smile, Kaioh did that and more. Bursting into a small fit of giggles, she thought... This won't be so bad at all. Him staying with us... I think this'll be a nice summer with him here...

Little did she know, that he'd be staying longer than one summer. Much longer.



Typist: Ahh... Already, after three chapters, Kaioh and Cid are all grown up.
Cid: What?? Already? Don't you think you're rushing things a bit?
Typist: Oh, no no no. This fiction is based on you and Kaioh as -adults-, silly. Why do you think this is rated M? ^.^
Cid: ... o O; Perverted Git.
Typist: I'm not perverted! Simply a Romantist.
Cid: Cheap cover-up, if y'ask me.
Typist: //Sucks on a perssimon.