A/N: (Re-edited! :])
This is a Gippal from Final Fantasy X-2 (10-2) story. But of course, you knew that didn't you? :P Hopefully you like it. Of course I'll never know unless you review...
Disclaimer: I own nothing but My OC's
"What the hell is all that commotion?" Gina mumbled irritably. She had been attempting to sleep, and due to a lack of it lately, what with all the ruckus that Vegnagun had caused, she had been very grateful to finally get some peace and quiet. But just as she had begun to nod off, a huge commotion was heard coming from outside. After attempting for a while to ignore the sounds, Gina finally gave up and decided to see what was going on. She got up from her bed and walked outside her little bungalow. Walking a short distance lead her into the village where she saw nearly the entire population running towards the beach. She starred in confusion for a few moments, then shook her head and looked down at her best friend, who was sitting cross legged next to the path watching all the humans run by her.
"Hey Kena, what the hell is going on?"
Kena was the most realistic machina ever invented, and Gina was known all over Spira for the her. She was about four feet tall and had a bright red, metallic coat. Bright lights served as her eyes, turning red when she was angry, green when she was 'sick' or was in a strange mood and blue the rest of the time. Her mouth was a small electrical panel with electrical currents that moved when she talked, much like the waves on a heart monitor, only faster. To top it all off, she was more intelligent than any human, making it damn-near impossible to make her do or say anything she didn't want to.
Many higher-class people had offered Gina millions of gil for her invention and asked her to make more, but Gina had turned them all down saying she wanted Kena to be one of a kind. And of course, no one else could design such a thing. Some people had even tried to steal Kena but had failed pathetically each time.
Kena was as close to a real-life, living thing as she could possibly be, and Gina took great pride in her. Sadly though, due to her countless travels, the constant demand for her skills, and the never-ending work she always seemed to have, Gina seldom had time to make friends. While it seemed like she knew everyone just about everywhere she went, Gina couldn't really call any of them friends due to the fact that she rarely had time to spend with them to build such a relationship. It was because of this that Kena had become Gina's best; and nearly only; friend, as well as her pride and joy.
Kena continued to watch the humans rush past her as she answered Gina.
"It seems that the Gullwings ship has landed down by the beach."
Gina raised an eyebrow as she watched a young boy race past her at top speed.
"So? What's the big deal about that? They always come here."
Kena shrugged.
"I was wondering the same thing actually." She admitted.
Gina sighed, and after watching a few more people run by, she looked back down at Kena.
"Why don't we go see what they're all getting so worked up about?"
Kena nodded and stood up, then the two of them headed towards the beach, trying not to get plowed over as they walked.
When Gina and Kena reached the beach, they had to shoulder and nudge their way through the crowd to see what was happening. When they finally reached the front of the crowd, now standing next to Wakka and his wife Lulu, Gina gasped. Kena looked up at her in confusion.
"Who's that?"
"It's... it's him..." Gina said quietly, more to herself than her friend. Kena starred at her for a minute, but when it seemed like she wasn't going to elaborate, she nudged her human companion.
"Who? Who's he?"
"Tidus..." Gina whispered.
Kena waited a few more minutes, but after nothing else, she sighed and poked Gina's leg.
"Who's Tidus?"
Gina sighed and finally looked down at her machina friend.
"Ask me again later. I'll explain it to you then."
Kena gave Gina a slightly irritated look but agreed and dropped the matter. Gina looked over at Wakka, who was smiling from ear to ear.
"Is it really him?" She asked hopefully. Wakka looked at her and grinned.
"Seems to be. Kinda hard to believe ya?"
Gina nodded numbly and Wakka turned forward again, waving and yelling out to Tidus. She then looked back at the blonde but frowned when she saw him in Yuna's embrace. After a big scene with the two, Tidus and Yuna ran towards the beach and the crowd, and it was then that everyone decided to rush to meet them. Gina sighed and grabbed Kena's hand, pulling her away from everyone so they wouldn't get trampled.
The two climbed up on a ledge overlooking the beach and watched the scene below. After a few minutes of silence, Kena spoke up.
"Is it later yet?"
Gina gave her an irritated look, then sighed.
"Yea, sure." She stared out over the water as the memories of her past came back to her.
"I knew Tidus, Yuna and the rest of her guardians from two years ago, during the time of sin. Cid called all the Al Bhed together to try and come up with something to help the war in some way. And also to repair the damaged machina that had been sent to the front lines. It was the biggest mess I'd ever seen. People and machina alike were being ripped apart by the hundreds, and there was very little we could do. There were only six of us that were especially accomplished with handling the machina, and one of them was off with the high-summoner on her pilgrimage, another one was away somewhere and couldn't be found. That left only four of us."
"I'm confused... So, was Tidus one of those six?" Kena asked, tilting her head to one side in confusion.
Gina shook her head.
"No, I'm getting to that. It was a few months in and things were looking pretty bad. We were loosing brutally and more people were dying than we cared to count. With that in mind, the three Al Bhed I was working with decided we needed to find more help, so I volunteered to go try and recruit some more Al Bhed, or mechanics at the very least. I looked all around Spira but no one would help. They all seemed to be either unable or too scarred. I had just about given up when I came across the high-summoner and her guardians on the Mi'hen highroad. I'd been searching for an Al Bhed I used to know there."
Gina swallowed hard as she remembered the first time he saw Tidus. Kena starred at her and could tell that reliving such memories were painful. So she kept quiet.
After a few moments, Gina continued.
"He was one of her guardians. He was so funny, and really sweet too. I developed a crush on him pretty quick. But he was in love with the high-summoner.. with Yuna. And she was in love with him."
Gina starred off blankly and didn't speak for a long time as she starred out over the ocean. Eventually however, she spoke again.
"Everyone could see it... and they really did look beautiful together..."
Gina seemed to be talking to herself now.
"It was just a crush... no more than it is now I suppose... now that I really think about it... We got to be really good friends in the short time that I'd known him... So why spoil what's in front of me because I'm all depressed about the past? That's not me."
Gina smiled as she said this and felt as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. It was as if the thought had been resting on her mind for the entire two years, but finally getting it out now, finally talking about it, released it into the world so it was no longer her burden to bear.
"Ah, Gina... the story?" Kena prodded gently.
"Oh... right.." Gina said, forgetting for a minute about both Kena and the story she had been telling. She took a deep breath and continued.
"Well, they all helped me search the Mi'hen for a while, but it seemed that all the Al Bhed had either been sent away already or had fled in fear. Tidus and Yuna told me then that they were going to defeat sin. They all were. They told me to go back and do what I could with my skills back home. So that's what I did. I went back to Bikenel Island with the others to try and help there."
Gina frowned deep then as a sorrowful look took hold of her face.
"But... when I got back... Everything was.. gone. Everyone was gone... they were... dead.."
Kena gasped and put her hands to her mouth.
"What happened?"
"I-I don't know. I left Bikenel Island right away and eventually found Cid. There were still a lot of Al Bhed left who'd escaped, but I didn't know that at first. The three I had been working with before I left managed to survive and Rikku, Cid's daughter, was one of the missing ones. I found out later that she had joined up with Yuna and the others, though she hadn't been with them when I met up with them. But in any case, I knew her already. The other three were Cid, Nahdala and Brother. I didn't know who the other Al Bhed was, and to this day I still don't."
"Didn't Cid tell you anything?" Kena asked gently. Gina shook her head.
"No. He said he wasn't sure how I'd handle news like that and wouldn't tell me what happened no matter how much I bugged him. And he told me I'd most likely meet the other Al Bhed eventually - though I never did."
Gina took a deep breath and looked out over the water again before she continued.
"I stayed with Cid and the others for a long time and we cleaned up and repaired the machina sent to us as best we could... But there wasn't much we could do, there was just too mach damage. It was a long time before Tidus and the others managed to defeat Sin, but they did it in the end. I went to see him and Yuna when it was all over but..."
Gina's voice trailed off.
"But?..." Kena prodded again carefully.
"But... He was.. gone... They said he had disappeared and wasn't coming back... No one would tell me any more and told me to forget about him. And until now, I had. So for him to just... appear like this..."
Gina's voice trailed off again, and this time, Kena didn't prod.
The two sat in silence for a while, until eventually, Kena broke it.
"That's some story Gina. Thanks for telling me... I could see it wasn't easy."
Gina looked at Kena and smiled.
"No it wasn't. But thanks for listening, I think I needed to tell somebody."
A bright blue smile appeared on Kena's face and she reached out to hug her human friend.
"No problem. I'm here to help!"
The two laughed at the comment as Gina hugged Kena back.
When the two pulled away, they decided to head back to the village. When they got there, they walked by all the huts in direction of Gina's bungalo in the jungle. The village was now swarming with people again, and Gina reasoned that Yuna and Tidus had made it there as well.
They had just passed Wakka's hut when she thought she heard her name mentioned.
"Huh?"
Gina stopped and listened carefully but all she could hear from her position was mumbling and the low buzz of random conversation.
"Hey Kena, you go on ahead, I'll be home in a bit."
"OK." Kena replied, knowing Gina would only say this if she wanted to be alone.
When Kena was gone, Gina crept closer to the hut and crouched by the entrance. She could now hear the voices loud and clear.
"-she anyway? I asked around about her on our missions, but we always seemed to just miss her. I'd really like to see her again."
Gina recognized this as Yuna's voice. As she listened closer, she heard Tidus speak up.
"Yea, I'd like to see her too. I used to like having Gina around, she was always fun."
Gina smiled to herself, now realizing that the two were talking about her favorably. It was nice to know they both remembered and thought so well of her.
"Well, as far as I know-"
But Gina didn't get to hear the rest of Wakka's sentence because it was then that she was seized by the arm and raised to her feet.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here. A spy? A peeping Tom? Or just some nosy girl."
Gina looked up at the man holding her arms firmly and glared at him.
"Neither! Let me go!"
"Gladly." He said smugly, thrusting her past the flap over the entrance of Wakka's hut.
Gina stumbled over the threshold and when she'd regained her composure, she turned around to glare at the man who'd pushed her. But before she could say any of the things on her mind, a loud, excited yell interrupted her.
"Ginny!"
Gina whipped around just in time to keep herself from being bowled over as a tiny blonde girl hurled herself towards her. She seethed at the old nickname but smiled at the reunion, returning the girl's hug gladly.
"Hey, Rikku! Long time no see."
Rikku pulled away and looked her over.
"Wow! You've changed too! You look good!" She then beamed and began bouncing back and forth on her feet. "Aw! I missed you!"
Gina smiled wide.
"I missed you too."
Yuna stood up and gave Gina a hug, then introduced her to Paine. The two shook hands and Gina looked down at Tidus and beamed. He smiled back at her, then stood up to give her a tight hug.
"Welcome back." Gina said smiled and pulled away.
"It's good to be back. And it's good to see you."
"You too." Gina said with a smile. She then greeted Wakka, who returned the gesture, then sat down with her friends to catch up.
"So, what did you think about the war? Where did you go afterward." Rikku asked gently, knowing it was a touchy subject. Everyone looked at Gina but she looked confused.
"What do you mean what did I think? It was horrible! I'm glad you guys finally managed to defeat sin!"
Rikku tilted her head to one side in confusion.
"Not that war. The war with the Guado and Yevon, the one that destroyed our home."
Gina starred at Rikku with an emotionless face. After a while, she swallowed.
"Why didn't you call me back...?" She asked softly.
Rikku, Yuna, Tidus and Wakka all exchanged looks then as they realized that Gina didn't know about any of this.
"I-I thought you knew..." Rikku replied guiltily. Gina frowned deeply.
"No..." She choked, her voice constricted with emotion. "What happened?"
Rikku sighed and frowned, looking down at the floor of Wakka's hut.
"We... had to blow it up... it was over run with feinds and there was little left anyway. We didn't know where you were at the time... I'm so sorry Ginny..."
Gina chewed her cheek as she sifted through her thoughts. This new information was a lot to digest at once.
"Cid never told me." She said quietly. "Now I know why..."
Rikku's frown deepened.
"I'm sorry..." She said again.
Gina nodded, then took a deep breath. She was quiet for a long time until suddenly her face contorted into anger.
"I still never found out who that other Al Bhed was, but it would have been helpful if we'd had five experts instead of four! I swore if I ever met him, I'd have a few choice words for him!"
When Gina said this, Rikku looked at the entrance and gulped. Gina raised an eyebrow and turned to see what she was looking at. When she did, she saw the guy who had pushed her into the hut in the first place and glared at him. Just then she looked back at Rikku as a look of realization crossed her face.
"That's him?" She asked. Rikku looked away from her.
Gina grew furious and she turned back to the man at the door.
"You? You were the other Al Bhed?"
The man didn't say anything. He simply stood still with a stony expression.
Gina jumped up and had a knife to his throat by the time she was standing.
"A lot of lives could have been saved if you'd have been there, you could have helped us! How could you abandon your people like that?"
The man grew furious then as well.
"I didn't abandon them!" He snarled angrily. "I was training with the Crimson Squad! Just because I wasn't wasting my time the way you were, doesn't mean I wasn't trying to help!"
"It's true Ginny..." Rikku said softly. Gina glowered at the man and he returned her glare, but she didn't remove her weapon.
Wakka stood up then and placed a hand on Gina's shoulder. She always considered him the big brother she never hand and always wanted, and to him, she was his little sister. He was one of very few people who could get through to her when she was this angry.
"The past is the past ya? I learned that recently. Let it go Gina. He was trying to help in his own way. Not everyone thinks the same, but that doesn't make them bad."
Gina chewed her cheek and lowered the weapon slightly. Wakka squeezed her shoulder gently.
"Gina, put the weapon down ya? There's nothing you can do about the past."
Gina sighed and finally lowered the knife, replacing it in it's sheathe inside her boot. She sat down then and crossed her arms and legs with a sour look.
Everyone else looked at each other but said nothing. The hut was quiet then. Finally, the man by the entrance spoke up.
"So, how's everybody doin'?"
He spoke as if the previous scene hadn't happened and was cheerful and good-humored. This made Gina angrier. The man walked over and sat down, much to Gina's displeasure, right next to her. She snorted indignantly and turned away from him.
Yuna sighed and looked at her.
"Gina, this is Gippal. He's the leader of the Machine Faction."
"Good for him." Gina replied childishly. Tidus laughed.
"Aw, c'mon. That's not the Gina I remember. I know everybody has changed, but if this is the new Gina, then I want the old one back!"
Gina looked at Tidus with an irritated expression, but as she looked into his face, she couldn't help but laugh at the silly look he gave her.
"OK, OK." She said with a smile. "I'm sorry everyone. It's just... well you've all had time to brood over all this.. I've only just found out so it's gonna take some time ya know?"
"Hey, we understand, but we're not the ones you need to apologise to." Wakka said suggestively.
Gina frowned as she looked at Gippal. He was looking at her with a smirk on his face. She scowled at him, then sighed.
"I'm sorry I attacked you and I'm sorry I over-reacted a bit. But I'm not sorry for my dislike towards you because I still think you should have been there and I won't apologise for it. Ever."
Gippal grinned.
"Well, that's better than nothing I guess. Apology accepted."
Gina raised an eyebrow at his easy dismissal.
"Really?" She asked skeptically.
"Yep. I don't hold grudges."
Gina starred at him for a moment, then smiled and turned back to her friends. They all smiled at her as well.
"Now that that's over with, it's time to catch up." Yuna said happily.
The group talked and laughed for a long time, and those who didn't know each other well, soon got to.
"Cu, frana ec cra vnus?" Gippal asked, turning to Rikku. Rikku laughed and looked at Gina.
"Fro tuh'd oui ycg sa dryd." Gina said with a smile. Gippal looked at her with surprise.
"You speak Al Bhed?" He asked, not bothering to hide his shock and confusion. Gina nodded and he shook his head.
"How?"
"Well, I am Al Bhed." She replied with a laugh.
Gippal cocked his head to one side in confusion and looked her over.
She was tanned, like most Al Bhed, due to long hours under the harsh rays of the sun. Her body looked toned and strong, not so much a sign of an Al Bhed, but definitely the sign of a strong body, probably a fighter; and that much was like the Al Bhed. She was wearing boots very much like Rikku's but darker brown and not quite the same. Gippal reasoned that this was where the knife that had nearly taken his life was hiding.
Strapped to each thigh was some sort of weapon of which Gippal had no idea the identity of. She also wore short, black shorts and a red top that tied around her neck and showed her well-toned and tanned torso. Rested around her hips was a belt laden with a number of small pouches, tiny tools and other unknown items. It all looked extremely heavy but she carried them as if it all weighed nothing. Her eyes were the first real Al Bhed trait Gippal saw. They were the brightest green he had ever seen; lined with mile-long lashes; and searching through his memory, he couldn't remember ever seeing eyes as beautiful as hers.
Gippal starred into Gina's eyes and found it very easy to get lost in them. They were so captivating. Eventually, someone cleared their throat and he shook his head. Swallowing hard, Gippal forced himself to tear his gaze away from her eyes and keep moving.
Gina's ears were decorated from her earlobe right to the top. He counted seven piercings on one side and nine on the other. Dangling from the bottom piercing was the same pair of earrings that many Al Bhed girls and women wore, again much the same as Rikku's. Around her neck was a brown leather choker with a strange pendant that looked like it had been carved from some sort of stone. This piece was definitely not Al Bhed and Gippal figured it was none of his business - so he'd ask about it later.
Finally reaching the end, Gippal's eyes trailed to the top of Gina's head. Her hair was pulled back in a high pony tail, leaving her long, thick hair to fall over half-way down her back. It was shinny and looked smooth, and was held back from her face by a thick, red band at her hairline which wrapped all the way around her head. There were random waves and braids running through her hair, but unlikeRikku's, Gina's were drawn back into her hair tie with the rest.
From what he could see, Gippal would have no problem believing Gina was an Al Bhed. That is, if it wasn't for one thing. While her body and attire showed nearly every sign of an Al Bhed, it was her hair that gave her away. Smooth and silky as it was, it was Black as night.
Gippal finished his observation and looked back at Gina's face, careful this time not to fall again into her eyes. He wasn't sure he could escape them a second time.
"Well," He said slowly, crossing his arms and placing his thumb and forefinger on his chin "you look like an Al Bhed. You even dress like an Al Bhed. But I have never seen an Al Bhed with dark hair. Didn't know it was possible."
This said, all conversation in Wakka's hut died out and everything went silent. Gina frowned and Rikku smacked her forehead.
Gippal looked around, again in confusion. When he turned back to Gina again, she was gone.
"What? Was it something I said?" Gippal said aloud.
Rikku leaned over and smacked him upside the head.
"Eteud!" She scolded angrily, turning then away from him.
The rest of the people in the hut remained silent. Gippal looked around at the remaining people, but they all either had their heads down, or pretended to be very interested in random inanimate objects. Gippal sighed and stood up. It was dark by then and it was only at that moment that he realized someone had lit the fire.
"Guess I've said enough for one night." He said, trying to sound cheerful. "I'll see you guys later."
With that said, Gippal turned and left Wakka's little hut.
Upon leaving the hut, Gippal immediately heard the rekindled low buzz of conversation. With another sigh, he looked up at the stars.
"Well that didn't go quite the way I'd planned." He thought with a frown.
He had found out where the Gullwings had landed and decided to come and hang out for a while. It seemed everyone needed a break, and he'd wanted to thank them personally for the help they'd given him since the problems with Vegnagun - knowing a thanks was due and wanting to get it out of the way ASAP. But, that hadn't turned out quite the way he'd meant it to, and instead of giving an over-due thanks, he'd managed to offend someone new without even getting a chance to accomplish what he'd intended.
"All in all an eventful day." Gippal thought sourly. He brought his gaze down from the sky and looked down instead. Looking away, he had to do a double-take to make sure he'd seen what he thought he had. Yep, he had. Sitting cross-legged on the ground and leaning against the hut was Gina.
Gippal starred at her for a moment but it seemed she didn't know he was there; or at least, if she did, she wasn't acknowledging him. Not that he really blamed her.
After a few moments, Gippal finally made up his mind and walked over to Gina. He sat down along side her, but still she didn't acknowledge him. He looked ahead, trying to see what she was starring at, but after a moment, he realized she wasn't starring at anything, she was simply thinking. Gippal looked down, wondering where to start, but not being one for silence, he soon decided to wing it.
"It's a nice night." Gippal said lamely. Gina nodded.
Gippal scratched his head. He knew she was tough and had a temper; this he'd found out before he'd officially even met her. But now she was different. Now she wasn't saying a word. Was it because it was about her now and not people she cared about, or because he had broken her that badly over such a simple comment? Gippal swallowed and hoped he was wrong, at least about the latter part.
Determined now to fix what he'd broken, Gippal attempted to try again.
"About earlier-"
"I was adopted."
Silence.
Gippal sat in shock. Where had that come from? If he hadn't seen her lips move he wouldn't have believed she'd spoken.
"What?" He said quietly.
She was still starring ahead of her, unmoving, her face straight and solemn. When it seemed like she wasn't going to elaborate, Gippal spoke again.
"I ah... I'm sorry..."
He didn't know what else to say. His mind was now a mix of emotions. Confusion, guilt, incomprehension. Even - he was surprised to find - a touch of sadness.
Gippal sat in the silence, but he was unable to either move or say another word.
Finally Gina eased his discomfort.
"My birth parents were killed by Sin when I was a baby... I don't even remember them. Not what they look like, what they sounded like... not even who they were. I only know this because the man who brought me to my father told him so... he soon disappeared too."
Gina was quiet for a few moments and Gippal followed suit as he waited for her to speak again. Eventually she did.
"My mother and father are Naha and Amad."
Gippal furrowed his brows.
"I thought you said you didn't know who your parents were." He said quietly, hoping this wouldn't be pushing his luck. But Gina's expression didn't change.
"They're the Al Bhed couple who raised me as their own. As far as I or anyone else is concerned, they are my parents."
Gippal watched Gina for a few moments but now, finally, it seemed like her sadness had lifted; if only a little. He nodded and gave her a small smile.
"I see... I can tell they mean a lot to you."
Gina finally looked at him and he watched as a smile of her own graced her lips.
"Yea. They do."
Gippal nodded again but his smile faded and he looked away.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up... I didn't mean anything by it. I just haven't seen an Al Bhed with dark hair before."
Gina's smile widened.
"And you probably never will again. I'm a special case."
Gippal looked back at her and smiled.
"Yea, I can tell." He said playfully.
Gina laughed and gave him a playful push, making Gippal laugh too.
"Well, looks like you two are getting to know each other pretty well."
Gina and Gippal both looked up and saw Rikku and the others standing there with smiles on their faces.
Gina smiled.
"Yea. He's OK I guess." She said with a laugh. Gippal looked at her.
"Wish I could say the same about you though."
Everyone laughed and Gina gave him another playful push.
"Well, it's getting late." Yuna said, looking at Gina. "We're heading back to the airship. We're going to be here a few days, so I'm sure we can all spend some time together during then." Gina smiled at her and nodded.
"Looking forward to it." She replied, standing to give everyone hugs.
"Me too." Tidus said. She smiled and gave him a hug.
"I really am happy you're back." She said with a smile.
Tidus smiled back.
"So am I." He replied. Gina then turned to Paine. She didn't really look like the affectionate kind of person but Gina internally shrugged. What was the worst she would do, push her away?
"It was nice to meet you Paine." Gina said, wrapping her arms around the woman. Paine tensed noticeably and everyone held their breaths as they waited for the explosion. But to their surprise, Pain hugged Gina back. Everyone exhaled and smiled at the two.
"You too." Paine said with a smile. "It's been fun."
"Well, we should be getting back now." Yuna said, looking up at the sky. When she looked back at Gina again, she smiled. "We'll come looking for you tomorrow. We need to make up for lost time!" Gina laughed.
"Don't bother. No one ever finds me. But I'll find you though."
Yuna laughed and nodded, then everyone said their final good nights and left.
"So, some night huh?"
Gina turned to her side to see Gippal still standing there.
"I thought you'd left with the others."
"Why, do you want me to go that bad?" Gippal asked, feigning a hurt look. Gina smiled.
"No, it's ok. I just meant I didn't expect you to stay that's all."
Gippal gave her a half smile, then stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet.
"Yea well... I just wanted to apologise again for earlier. I really didn't mean to hurt or offend you.'
Gina's smile widened. At the moment, Gippal was the picture of guilt.
"It's fine... I forgive you."
Gippal looked back up at her and gave her a genuine smile.
"I'm sorry too." Gina said. "Like I said, I realize I over-reacted and that you probably were trying to help in your own way... But I'm also still angry that you weren't there.. for whatever reason, and I just can't justify apologising for that. I don't think I ever will."
Gippal nodded.
"I understand. Really... Can't say I'd be any different if it was the other way around."
Gina smiled yet again.
"Glad we're on the same page."
Gippal returned her smile and Gina looked around at the deserted village.
"Well I think I'd better get back home too. I got a feeling tomorrow's gonna be a busy day."
'"Yea, I think sleep is catching up on me too." Gippal replied, stifling a yawn.
"I'm sure I'll see you around." Gina said. Gippal laughed and nodded.
"I'm sure you will."
Gina stuck out her hand then and Gippal shook it. She then looked up into his face.
"Hm..." She thought to herself. Then she mentally shrugged. "Well, why not."
She leaned in then and wrapped her arms around Gippal, giving him a simple hug.
Gippal was a little shocked at first but after a moment, he hugged Gina back.
When she pulled away, Gina looked into Gippal's face again with a smile. But Gippal couldn't look away.
"Those eyes... they're beautiful...!"
Gina's smile faded and she tilted her head to one side as she starred at him.
"Something wrong?" She asked, slightly concerned. Gippal internally struggled for a few moments, but eventually he managed to tear his eyes away from hers and force a smile.
"No. Sorry, just ah... zoned out for a minute. Goodnight Gina."
Gina smiled again.
"Night."
She gave him a small wave, then turned and finally walked away.
Gippal returned her gesture with a smile but as soon as she was out of sight it faded.
"What is wrong with me?" He mumbled to himself.
With a sigh, Gippal turned then and walked away. Try as he might however, his dreams that night would consist of nothing but a face with long, thick black hair, and the most entrancing emerald eyes he'd ever seen.