Option Four
By PrettyGothGirl
Summary: Gippal knew he had several options when he met Rikku again, and that sometimes it was better to put off the "celebrity" in favor of old and dear friends.
Author's Note: Happy Birthday JustHaveFaith! So, okay, this is the last one of this theme, I promise. You see why I was saying beating on a dead horse. Cookies for those who figured out the inspiration from Option Two! Lastly, Best of Rikku/Gippal 2008 nominations have started over at the Livejournal community quitethecouple. Please go check it out and consider nominating the authors and artists you loved over the past year. Thank you!
There were some days that Gippal hated being a responsible leader. Particularly on the days that Rikku stood in the middle of his temple (his temple, why was it now his temple) courtyard with the High Summoner Yuna. He wanted to skip all the interviews his people were lining up and skip directly to talking to Rikku, but he couldn't, because he was a responsible leader. All he could think to do was fulfill his duties quickly and use half of his brain to figure out what he was going to do about Rikku and her current company. He had several options and he needed the time to figure them out.
He talked to those obviously out of shape, the over qualified and the under qualified. At last the press eased and he told his second in command that he didn't want to interview anyone else today. He'd had enough.
Then Rikku and Yuna walked in. He turned and walked up to them. He grinned at Yuna. "So, the great High Summoner wants an interview."
She placed her hands on her hips. "Former Summoner."
He tilted his head and peered at Rikku out of the corner of his eye. "I'll be right with you. Meet us on the bridge." He turned, grabbed Rikku around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. "Don't worry, you can have her back when I'm done with her."
Rikku squawked. "When you're done with me? What am I now, some kind of object? Gippal!" She squirmed and flailed.
He waved at a stunned Yuna and headed across to a private room. His workers chuckled. Gippal kicked the door open, "Out." He ordered. The few occupants scrambled out, hiding their own grins. The door shut behind them.
"All this leadership business has gone to your head." Rikku hit his back, working her hands to brace herself on his shoulders. He turned and sat on the bed, Rikku ending up straddling his lap. She glared at him.
He sighed and traced her cheekbone with a finger. "How are you?"
She blinked, positive that if she was outside on the bridge with Yuna that she could get away with smiling and lying. In here, where it was just her and Gippal, she slumped. "I'm all right." She inhaled. "It's not the same. I'm not the same and I am the same." Her fingers wiggled. "I get by."
"Anikki?"
Rikku bit her lip. "He's mad at you. He hasn't been right since Pops-" She swallowed and couldn't continue the sentence. Tears stung her eyes. She thought that the wound had healed, but sitting here with Gippal proved it hadn't. "It was just a pile of metal and screws. It was the people that were important, but afterwards we- it's just not the same. We aren't all together like we used to be. And the memories we had there- Dachi, Dachi's trying to hold Anikki back from going insane. Anikki and Pops had a huge fight and we haven't seen him since."
He brushed the tear forming in the corner of her eye and brushed her bangs back. "I've missed you."
"Me too." She ducked her head. "So, you're some big leader now."
"If I'd known that saying I wanted to study machina and going 'oh here's a good place to do it' would make me a leader. I would have passed." He grimaced and traced the shell of her ear. He tried not to be too sour about it.
She giggled. "Poor Gippal."
He frowned and pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her. "Exactly. Some days I don't know what I'm doing here or what I'm doing for that matter." Things would have been better if politics hadn't gotten involved. "So, you're here for a job."
"Well, it sounds like easy gil."
He rolled his eyes. "Rikku sweetie, it's digging in the desert. It's dusty. It's hot. It's boring."
"After spherehunting for the past year or so, boring sounds just about right."
"You're spherehunters."
"Well, you see Anikki found an airship and he had to have something to do with it that justified having it."
Gippal's eyebrow rose. "Uh huh."
"And it's fun." She grinned. "Don't fuss. I helped take down Sin. I can take care of myself."
"I know that."
"Don't lie to me. That's just self-preservation talking."
"I'm good at it!" He sighed. "I guess I should at least talk to Spira's greatest celebrity before just giving you the job."
"You don't have to give it to us."
"You think I'd dare refuse." He snorted. "Self preservation remember."
She giggled, leaned down and pressed their lips together. He closed his eyes. He'd been missing this as much as he'd missed the talking. The friction of their lips moving together created tingles from his throat downwards. The muscles in her back moved under his roaming hands as she wiggled closer to him. He didn't know how many minutes they kissed. She nipped his bottom lip and broke the kiss. "I'm glad we came in here." She whispered.
He smiled. "Good."
"Even if you didn't give me a choice." She sighed.
"Come on, let's go to the bridge. We've kept them waiting long enough." He stood and held onto her until she found her feet. This was another part of him hating to be responsible.
"I'll see you around, right?" She peered at him from under her eyelashes.
"Just you try not to."
"I could." She grinned, her dimples showing.
"Rikku." He growled.
She laughed.
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