Rikku was playing around with her pigtails. A lollipop stick stuck out the side of her mouth, the candy swelling her cheek. Her feet dangled off the edge of the concrete from where she sat on the roof, and she peered over the side carefully. It was a long, long way down and her head dizzied momentarily before she wriggled over to her left. Squeaking when her thigh touched someone else's. Gasping when a strong hand took hers in its grip.

"Hey, Cid's girl," Rikku froze. She could recognise that voice from anywhere. A sharp tug, and Rikku gasped.

"Ow! Gippal!"

Turning her head, Rikku glared at him, the tall, lanky to-be sixteen year old, already a foot taller than her even if there was only a one year age gap. Gippal was her best friend, but he irritated her to no end whenever he decided to touch and tease, and she was more than prepared to kick his little butt all the way to the Oasis and back.

"Whatcha doin' all the way up here, Cid's girl?" Gippal grinned and tightened his fingers around Rikku's, lacing them together when she tried to pull them away, butterflies filling her stomach. "Long way up for a short girl like you. Sure you ain't afraid of heights?"

"Nope," Rikku said brightly, forgetting to fight for her hands' liberation from Gippal's. Her brief annoyance disappearing. "The only thing I'm afraid of is…" She cast a small, careful look to Gippal and quickly averted her gaze from him. …Was him leaving her in the open for another girl. "Thunder." Rikku finished quietly. "I'm scared of thunder." She took the lollipop out of her mouth and turned it in the sun, watching the rays sparkle off the glossy surface of the bright red candy.

Gippal raised his eyebrows. He knew she was afraid of thunder. But what was with that weird look she had just given him? Was something wrong with his hair? Unconsciously Gippal ran his free hand backwards through his hair.

"Anyway," Rikku continued, sticking the candy back in her mouth and sucking on it thoughtfully. "How about you? What's a charmer like Gippal doing here sitting up on top of Home?"

"I was looking for you. I knew you'd be here, Cid's girl," Gippal looked up into the sun, shining bright. A gust of wind blew and a sand dune in the distance moved, sheets of yellow swirling through the sea of blue.

Rikku didn't know what to say. Gippal had been looking for her? Then again they were best friends. Ish. Minus all the bickering squabbling arguing they did constantly. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh yeah? Why?" Rikku answered back, fiddling with the lolly and scratching at the chipping nail polish on her nails.

"Because." Gippal said, his eye sparkling. His lips were curving up now, in the way that always made Rikku feel giddy to the core and tingly warm to the toes. Gippal's eye caught Rikku's and he gazed in, held by the greenness. Sometimes, if she let him, he drowned in her eyes, they were so big and green and she had such a large heart, she was the most perfect girl and he wanted to squeeze her tight and never let go, he wanted to kiss her breathless and sweep her off her feet… and he'd be her knight in shining white armour. Except instead of self-proclaiming the title he wanted to prove to her some day that he was worth it. That he was the best. And that Rikku didn't deserve anyone else but him.

Rikku was looking at him again and Gippal's insides twisted themselves into a tight knot. He felt like that every time she looked at him, like look looked and didn't stop.

"Because, I-" Gippal stopped, staring at the way Rikku's lips her pouting over the round edge of the lolly, the white plastic sticking out of the end. Her lips glistening with sugar. Sticky, sweet. Gippal's mind changed it's direction. "Wanna share that?" He smirked and flicked a long, golden braid.

Rikku blinked. "No?"

"Sure you do," Gippal grinned at her and reached out.

Rikku took the lolly out and covered it protectively. Her lips were pouting and all Gippal could see was sugary sweet candy, sticky and red and he wanted to taste it. Gippal's hand made a swipe for the candy but Rikku elbowed him swiftly and stuck her tongue out at him. "Mine."

Gippal scowled. "Fine. Don't share with me. You don't know what you're missing out on." He crossed his arms. "You know that every girl in Home wants to get a load of this," Gippal made a cocky gesture indicating his oh-so-good-looking self and smirked before winking at her.

Making a face, Rikku turned away and stuck the lolly back in her mouth. And oh she was sucking on it again and Gippal swallowed. Everything had gone horribly, horribly wrong once the pubes had hit. Once Rikku's chest had started to expand and her waist had gone in even if nothing drastic had happened yet. And Rikku had no idea just how much trouble she put Gippal in sometimes. No idea.

Nudging her, Gippal poked at her for her attention but she didn't have even the slightest look of care on her face. And all Gippal wanted was a little taste. Just a small one.

"Well, I don't want any," She said stiffly.

Rikku didn't care, Gippal was so perverted she wouldn't be surprised if she found a stack of men's magazines under his bed. Or even little stains here and there and- Ick! What was she thinking!

She made a mental note never to sit on the side of his bed again like she normally did waiting for him to get ready for another day out in the sun. She might find herself pregnant with the Gippal babe she certainly did not want. Just yet, anyway, for she had dreamt of getting married to him and having lots and lots of pretty babies with him before. Well, it would happen. One day.

Gippal shrugged. Well what did he care? She was stuck with him wether she liked it or not. Putting his arm around her shoulder, Gippal leaned into the side of her face. Rikku's cheeks coloured as she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, her lollipop in one hand and Gippal's hand in the other.

"Share," Gippal said.

"No," Rikku replied stubbornly.

"Then I'm just gonna have to take what I want myself, since you don't seem to willing to give it to me." Gippal replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

Closing the distance, Gippal leaned in and slid his hand up Rikku's neck, tangling in the soft hair and brought her mouth to his, kissing her gently. He didn't want to scare her but he also wanted to know how much he liked her. And it wasn't just some any old like, either, it was a like like with a flirty twist to it and he knew she liked playing along with his little games.

Though thoroughly surprised Rikku didn't make a protest and sighed closing her eyes when she felt his tongue slide over her bottom lip. Heat shot down her body and in between her legs and she squeezed them together her toes curling in her boots. Gippal's hand stroking at the smooth skin under the hem of her shirt, suddenly there when it hadn't been before.

There was something about his kiss that made her feel all tingly static on the inside more than anyone could ever understand it was like eating sherbet and ice cream and popping candy at the same time, sweet and cool, sticky and yummy but hot and prickly crackling, yet so good at the same time. And she had been daydreaming about what it would be like to kiss Gippal to herself for a while now and he- he was kissing her! On top of Home's tallest building! She squirmed but Gippal held her tight and pressed on, growing bolder by the second and he knew it was a shock to her when his tongue slid itself in between her lips, she didn't know what he was doing and was this what making out was like? Then she never wanted him to stop.

Rikku didn't care how many other girls Gippal had kissed before he was good and it was sweet and flirty like how he was around her and it was amazing, more than amazing, wonderful, ecstatic.

Rikku put her arms over his neck and drew him in closer. He made her feeladored and she loved every second of the attention she got from him.

Gippal smirked against her lips as his tongue flickered over soft pink flesh. It was cherry. He could taste it now and whilst he knew he could have just popped the lollipop into his mouth he liked it much better off her lips. She was warm and soft in his arms and wasn't protesting so he kept going. Rikku probably hadn't kissed many other boys before but Gippal didn't care, all the better he would be the first (and make that the last) to know what Cid's girl tasted like.

Electricity shooting down his spine Gippal wondered wether this was love. Well it came pretty darn close if he could say so himself. Her skin felt flawless under his fingers and she was still so warm and pliable in his arms; she was like putty. Gippal's ego swelled and he admired his own sweet-talking skills. But damn, this was good.

He knew he'd be lying awake in bed that night just thinking about her, unable to sleep or get her or her scent, her taste, the feel of her out of his mind. Rikku drove him crazy and let out the best and the worst of him out without mercy. Gippal almost jumped out of his skin when he felt her fingers run through his hair and suppressed a shudder when the tips of her fingers raked down his back. Trying to ignore her whimpers.

Breaking the kiss off, Gippal held her bottom lip between his and kissed little, whispering affections against it. Still tasting the last remnants of the sugar on his tongue.

Rikku's eyes were still closed as she felt Gippal's mouth continue to work on hers, slick and hot as she sat still drowning in the way the heat of his skin was scorching against hers. It… it had been so good for a first kiss.

"Ummm…" Rikku mumbled not wanting to open her eyes. What if she did and the whole thing had been a dream? What if Gippal wasn't kissing her but it was Lani he was kissing instead?

"Hrmmm…" Gippal murmured back. He knew she had enjoyed it, he had left her breathless, quick little pants escaping her lips and he almost patted himself on the back for a job well done. "Cherry, huh."

Rikku nodded. So it wasn't all a dream?

"Sweet," Gippal's lips curved up into a smile. His fingers feathered down her side to her bare thigh and Rikku squeezed her legs tighter again. She hated the way he made her feel but loveloveloved it at the same time.

"Still want the candy," Rikku's eyes snapped open an looked into his, the bright red candy held in her fingers.

Gippal shook his head. "Nuh…"

"Then?"

"This," And Gippal leaned in again to catch her lips in between his once more.

Rikku was sitting on Gippal's lap. The sun had dimmed and it was cooler, how many hours she had spent up there on the roof with him she didn't know but she sure didn't regret it. All she could think of was the way he had kissed her, again and again and again and he was doing it because he wanted to not because he felt obliged to… she felt sick with butterflies of happiness.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Huh?" Gippal was leaning back on his hands and Rikku's head was on his chest, her fingers playing with the belts on his front as they snuggled up together.

"Why you came looking for me. Y'know." She bit her lip and Gippal tugged the lip out. No biting for her. The only lip chewing she was gonna get was going to be from him to her with nothing but love.

"Oh." Gippal remembered what had prompted him to search for her in the first place. He had something to say to her, but was there really a need for it now? Yes, he presumed for even Keyakku said you had to tell a girl straight to her face what you felt or else it would offend her later. You had to impress her, to woo her and to sweet-talk her and she'd be like mush in your hands and you'd love her for that even more, as if you needed another reason to fall for that one special girl all over again.

"I like you." Gippal said.

Rikku looked up her heart pounding furiously and the butterflies were back.
"Huh?"

"I really like you." Gippal tried again, his confidence crashing down over his head. The look she had just given him again. It was almost as if she didn't like him back.

"Oh. Um." Rikku's cheeks turned pink. She liked him, too, but how was she meant to tell him? And what would happen when she did?

"I… really, really like you, Cid's girl," And Gippal's fingers were in hers again and Rikku's blush deepened. "I think you're perfect." Gippal was looking at her intensely, his own heart too, hammering. And why wasn't he able to come up with a better sentence? Okay, so he thought her perfect, well just how many other guys thought that too? Oh wait, only him, because all the others were insensitive pricks who couldn't see just how sexy pretty flirty ache-in-your-pants gorgeous she could be when she wanted to.

Damn fine, was how Buddy would put it whenever he saw another cute girl walk by.

Rikku bit her lips again and nodded. Her eyes prickled and she didn't know why but she was sure it was because no other boy had ever bothered to stop and wait for her to catch up, no other boy had looked but ever seen and no other boy had ever meant so much to her like Gippal did…

She hugged him, kissing him furiously over the face as her blush grew hotter. She didn't care she was embarrassing herself in front of him but he liked her he really really liked her and Rikku was going absolutely crazy for him like he was for her. She blinked back the tiny tears of happiness.

And Gippal was laughing in relief as she kissed him over and over, the little lollipop he held in his fingers because he knew he'd want to taste it from her lips all over again later. His fingers tangling in her hair and pulling the elastic out. It swept over his face and locked the rest of the world out.

Butterflies in your tummy was nice. Holding hands was even nicer. Sharing cuddles and sweet kisses was even better and Rikku really couldn't find herself asking for any more no matter how irritating and snobby Gippal could sometimes be.

I'm rather happy with this ending. :) Please leave a review! I might end up writing more since I haven't for the past month x)