Two Peas
By: miya-tree
Chapter One
"Gippal's been a little off these days, don't you think?"
"Yesterday I saw him trying to shave without even turning the machine on."
"Losing his mind, I bet. His father just died after all."
"I feel sorry for him and everything, but we're all Al Bhed—we've all lost something or someone just the same. At the very least he could take a temporary leave. He's putting us even farther behind in our work whenever he tries to help."
Rikku straightened up from her position just beside the swirling blue sphere at Djose Temple. She had feigned tieing her boots when a male technician just to the side had started a conversation with another about Gippal. The latter being her reason for visiting, she couldn't help her curiosity.
She had heard a few days had past since the faction leader's father had succumbed to his long-standing illness. Memories of him spending his days in a warm bed with his wife tending to his side flashed through her mind. Ever since she had known the man, he had been sick. The loss saddened her. Gippal's parents had sort of been a second set of parents to her.
Her gaze shifted to the temple doors. "Nhadala," Rikku called, hurrying over to the busy woman.
"Rikku, ed'c kuut du caa oui!"
"Oui duu." Rikku smiled. "How have you been?"
Nhadala sighed and gestured around at the scattered technicians. "I came up here after Gippal's father passed away, you know, thinking he would need me to hold the fort for a little while. I'm doing the best I can, given the circumstances, but he hasn't even left the temple yet." She paused and made sure nobody was listening. "Rikku, it's been three days. I haven't even seen him cry."
The younger Al Bhed looked to the skies and shook her head. "You likely won't. He never did like crying. Figured it was something guys didn't do." She thought of the one time she was unfortunate enough to see him bare such emotions. He had been seven when a fiend took out the vision in his eye. It wasn't something she was likely to forget. For weeks after, she had had nightmares of blood-stained sand mingling with the screams and sobs of the injured boy.
She frowned, looked to Nhadala. "That's actually why I'm here. Pops wants to take him to the funeral whether he wants to or not."
Nhadala nodded slowly. "It might be good for him, but... just kuut milg, Rikku. He's not himself."
Rikku thanked her and proceded through the temple entrance. She took in the determined work of the surrounding Al Bhed, ears picking up fragments of conversations as she made her way to the right chamber.
"How I`m going to get this finished by tonight I don`t know--"
"Rin wants these set up tomorrow--"
"Fifteen sets?!"
She pushed the door open, shut it behind her and rubbed her forehead. Maybe she would come to help out after she got Gippal out of here for a bit.
The room was, contrary to all of the other times she had seen it, meticulous in it's organisation. It was unnerving, actually, as she stepped towards the slumped figure atop the central desk. She leaned down and lifted the eyelid of his uncovered eye. Watching it fall shut again, she sighed. "Gippal," she whispered, shaking him slightly. "Gippal, fyga ib."
Hating to break his sleep, she watched as he groaned, slowly pushing himself upwards. "Hey Cid's girl, what are you doing here?"
He didn't appear to be quite awake yet, so despite herself she smiled. "I have a name," she said halfheartedly. Ruffling his messy hair, she continued. "Come with me, Gippal. You've got somewhere to be today."
"For the faction?" He mumbled, looking around for his schedule book. He pulled it towards the middle of the desk and made to flip it open, but she snapped it shut before he could.
"For yourself, Gippal. Pops wants you to come to the funeral."
He didn't speak, just stared at her hand on the desk.
"E fyhd oui du lusa du dra vihanym duu."
He scratched his head and sighed. "I'm busy."
"Too busy to say goodbye to the man that raised you? Gippal, this isn't like you. You loved--"
"Oac, E mujat res," he seethed, pushing his chair away. "Forgive me, Rikku, for not wanting to say goodbye just yet." He walked around her, flinging off the hand that tried to settle on his arm. "Could you leave?"
"Gippal!" She shouted as he left the room. She groaned and slouched against the now unoccupied desk. A sudden crackle startled her in to an upright position as Brother's voice filled the room: "Rikku, come in! Tet oui kad Gippal? Rinno ib!"
Annoyed, she shut off the device. "Why don't you try convincing a stone wall to move, idiot."
XXX
He gazed out at the still waters of the Moonflow, fiddling with his fingernails as he tried to ignore the hum of the Celsius just above the temple. The calm of the area was nice, and he liked coming out here every once in a while just to think. His younger roots, however, had him longing for the hot days and freezing nights of the desert. His thick Al Bhed skin, trained to withstand extreme temperatures, had been put through many a digging expedition by his father up until he was six. It was because of the man that he had honed his skills and managed to survive the years after the sickness developed in the old man's lungs. It was just before seventh birthday, Gippal recalled.
His parents helped him to plan a birthday party with all of his friends. His birthday present from Yevon, he supposed (had he believed in Yevon), had been the surprise disease that rattled their entire family. He'll be weak, unable to move for the rest of his life once we start the treatments. But he will be alive, the tuldun had told them. Gippal had watched with hatred as the man left the room which was to become his father's home for the following years. He had been upset, understandably, but the birthday party went ahead as planned, turning his spirits.
He smiled softly. He had met Rikku for the first time at that party.
Throwing a pebble in to the water, he watched it sink in to the surface of the water, disappearing from sight. He knew the girl meant well. Her father, too. Cid was always worried about him, even if he didn't admit it. They just didn't understand that for him to acknowledge the death of the man he loved so much when he was younger, yet neglected to visit the last couple of years of his life, would rip him apart.
The guilt, he thought, would hurt more than anything else.
Soft footsteps alerted him to the presence of Rikku beside him. "You remember what he used to call us?" She murmured, a smile gracing her lips. "Cuimsydac," she laughed. "He was so certain that I was in love with you and you were too stupid to see it. As if I would fall in love with a lunkhead like you."
Gippal grinned despite himself. "Lies. You had the worst crush ever."
She made a noise, shaking her head slightly. "It wasn't a bad one, you know. I don't regret sticking with you all those years. Dfu bayc eh y but, he said. Oui'na cdilg dukadran."
Her hand closed on top of his, squeezing gently. "You're stuck with me, Gippal."
The breeze whistled passed the two figures, standing side by side on the empty bridge. The sun was setting, and he closed his eyes. His hand, covered by hers, started to shake and he hung his head. She smiled and looked ahead, pretending not to see the tears falling down his cheek.
"Let's go, Cid's girl," he whispered, pulling her back to the temple. The Celsius left just as the sun sunk below the horizon, carrying one nervous young man back to his past.
Notes: Bare with me, here, I promise this will pretty much be the extent of my notes for this story. It's been forever since I've even written anything, let alone fanfiction, so I hope this was enjoyable! It's not my first time attempting this pairing, but it is my first time publishing it online, so I'm kind of nervous, haha. Sort of inspired by the fact that, in preparing for my cosplay of Rikku next year, I've been replaying X-2 over again (how many times is this now?). I'd almost forgotten how much I love Gippal! Anyway, I know nothing about if Gippal's family/childhood is ever mentioned in the game (I don't think it is), so as you can see I've taken liberties there. I, of course, own nothing related to Final Fantasy, it's plot or it's characters. Square owns all. I'll try to update this semi-frequently (weekly? I don't want to jinx myself...). Also, apologies for the excessive amount of Al Bhed used in this chapter (and probably chapters to come). I'm sort of in love with the language and culture. -cough- I'll leave translation notes at the end of each chapter, or if you'd prefer to use the translator I used, type "al bhed translator" in google and the first result is the winner. :) Thanks guys~! Let me know what you thought.
"Rikku, ed'c kuut du caa oui!" ("Rikku, it's good to see you!")
"Oui duu." ("You too.")
"...kuut milg, Rikku." ("...good luck, Rikku.")
"Gippal, fyga ib." ("Gippal, wake up.")
"E fyhd oui du lusa du dra vihanym duu." ("I want you to come to the funeral too.")
"Oac, E mujat res," ("Yes, I loved him,")
"...Tet oui kad Gippal? Rinno ib!" ("...Did you get Gippal? Hurry up!")
tuldun (doctor)
"Cuimsydac," ("Soulmates,")
"...Dfu bayc eh y but, he said. Oui'na cdilg dukadran." ("...Two peas in a pod, he said. You're stuck together.")