Just a little missing scene kinda thing. I'm forever looking for good times, places, etc. to write GippalxBaralai interaction, and I'm not sure why I never attempted this one before. (I tend to run from anything that might pose a challenge - whoops, just answered myself with that one.) Wrote this up a while back, but didn't post, because I thought it sucked. Then I realized that's never stopped me before. Enjoy.

Feel free to let me know if I've stepped on anyone's toes with this. I would never intentionally rip someone off, but that doesn't mean there isn't a similar fic out there. I'll gladly offer it a plug here. :D

Edit: Slight title change and very minor content edit. You'll likely not even notice. XD

Warnings: Hmm. Hints of Gippalai, of course. Um...semi-serious Gippal. (Wait for it.) My typical angsty Baralai. (Very little waiting required.) Gum. (Gum makes me happy.)

Disclaimer: Don't own any Final Fantasy X-2 people, locations, or anything else. Don't make money off of messing with them.

"What am I gonna say?" Gippal asked, just a hint of disbelief in his voice. Clearly, he was repeating someone else's question.

Baralai hadn't noticed until just then that he was chewing gum, though that did better to explain the fruity scent surrounding the blond than anything he had come up with.

Gippal blew a bubble.

"Spit that out," Nooj commanded.

Baralai watched in fascination as the bubble grew larger and larger, until he could hardly see Gippal's eye and eye patch over the top of it.

Gippal mumbled something, through his gum, in Al Bhed - "Fuimty, luimty, cruimty", if Baralai heard him right - and the bubble popped. He was quick to peel it from his nose and cheeks, ready to pick up where he'd left off, in no time.

"Spit it out or swallow it. Those are your choices," Nooj insisted.

Gippal stopped, in the midst of blowing another bubble, leaving the tip of his tongue encased in an extraordinarily bright purple sheath. It caused him to slur his words just a bit when he spoke. "Spit or swallow? Those are my choices? Did you really just say that?"

Nooj wanted to laugh, anyone who knew him well enough could tell. Knowing he was in the presence of two such people and determined to save face, he turned his head sharply, and muttered, "Idiot."

"Did you hear what he said, Baralai? Nooj is a pervert."

Baralai was still contemplating what Gippal had said. What did he mean by that?

Nooj spoke up, effectively drawing him out from his musings. "We don't have time for this. Baralai and I have already gone over what we're going to say to everyone."

As casually as he could, Baralai agreed, "You really should run it by us, Gippal, what you plan to say when we get out there. So we know what to expect."

Maybe, this way, Baralai thought, he'd say it again. Or just explain what had made him say in the first place. That would suffice. Then again, Baralai told himself, he could've just asked, if he really wanted to know so badly. In the past, he would've.

Gippal nodded, looking serious enough. The purple wad disappeared into his mouth, yet again, but that sweet scent lingered.

"Uh, alright. Let's see. How about, 'I had nothing to do with any of this'?" Another bubble. Not as big as the first, and it popped much sooner, too.

Nooj extended his left hand - his machina hand - stopping just in front of the Machine Faction leader's mouth. "Spit. Now."

Deciding that the Meyvn meant business, Gippal obeyed.

"Now, what are you planning on saying?" Nooj asked, disposing of the gum as if he'd done it all a million times before. In that moment, Baralai couldn't help but wonder a little about the Youth League, if this was one of the...skills Nooj had acquired as their leader.

In a perfectly calm, even tone, Gippal said, "I'm going to say that you took my gum and I'm very unhappy."

Nooj rolled his eyes, then turned and began to walk away, grumbling, "Have it your way." He paused, and looked over his shoulder just long enough to call out, "Are you two coming or not? We should already be there."

Despite the encouragement that they needed to get a move on, neither Gippal nor Baralai seemed in a great rush to take the suggestion to heart. They just stood and looked at one another. Both acted as though they wanted to say something, but at the same time, as though they were waiting for the other to say something.

The words that broke the growing silence were Gippal's, but were nothing more than a mumbled, "Ah, man."

Baralai followed suit with, "Hmm?"

"Now I have to stop by Rin's on my way back."

"Oh?"

"And buy more gum, of course," Gippal explained, as if it were really that obvious.

"Of course."

"That was my last piece," he added, with a shrug.

Another quiet moment, though Baralai was the one to say something this time. "Nooj is right, we should be going." After a quick pause, he whispered, "You were right, too."

He'd spoken so quietly, and with his head bowed down, it was a wonder Gippal caught it. Then again, the guy had exceptional hearing.

"I...okay. Right about what?"

Baralai lifted his head, awarded Gippal his gaze, and answered, "When you said you had nothing to do with this."

The Al Bhed looked taken aback, and slightly uncomfortable over the statement, but covered it up well enough. "Ah, come on, I was just tryin' to piss off the Noojster. Been a long time since we could joke around like that, you know?"

"It's true, though."

One bright green eye studied Baralai's features. "Yeah? How do you figure?"

"When the Youth League and New Yevon were at odds, when our organizations were tearing people's friendships, communities, entire families apart, you didn't choose a side. Didn't let it tear you apart."

Gippal smiled. But it wasn't his usual cheeky grin. "I wouldn't go that far. But I guess I see your point."

"And the Machine Faction didn't crumble, didn't fall into chaos, when you left to meet up with us."

"Then I must suck as a leader. I skip town, go to the Farplane, and nobody misses a beat. Damn."

Baralai shook his head, roughly. "That's not what I meant at all. They're strong, your people, because they have a strong leader. That's what I meant."

Gippal scoffed. "I buried my head in the sand is what." He shook his head. He looked genuinely disappointed in himself and the expression just didn't fit on his face. "Got a whole bunch of people together, to hire even more people to go and dig it out for me."

Baralai raised his hand, in a silent plea for Gippal to stop. But he lowered it again, quickly enough, when he realized he had nowhere else to put it. It was either: bring it back down to his side, or: reach out and touch Gippal. He chose the former.

He never would've guessed Gippal felt that way about himself. He was always so cool, so confident, never letting things bother him. Or maybe he just never let on that things bothered him. If Baralai had known, he could've...

Could've what?

"There. That's what I'll say. How 'bout it?" Gippal asked, with a rough chuckle and a quick, jerky nod. He was walking away before Baralai could offer any sort of reply.

"Please don't." This whisper went unheard. No, Gippal had heard. Gippal always heard. He was just choosing to ignore what he'd heard.

Baralai followed a few steps behind him, aware of the tenseness in his broad shoulders and back, the heaviness in his steps.

They didn't speak, the rest of the way to the stadium.

Backstage, Gippal, acting as though nothing was wrong, or had ever been wrong, volunteered to be the bearer of bad news: he'd tell the crowd Yuna wasn't there. He'd also be available to jump in and help out, "whenever", should his comrades "totally bomb out there". Nooj had agreed without question, though he cast Baralai a suspicious glance behind the Al Bhed's back, as he made his way onto the platform.

Following behind, Baralai couldn't help but feel like he should've done something more.

Fuimty, luimty, cruimty indeed.

A/N: In case you didn't already know, or my Al Bhed skillz fail me, 'fuimty, luimty, cruimty' translates to 'woulda, coulda, shoulda.'