Done for the word #51 on 15-minute-ficlets. I guess you could take this as Rikku x Gippal, but really, it's just friendship brother-sister stuff. But if you want to see it as a pairing, go ahead. Very, very minor spoilers, set after the game. My first FFX-2 fic.
"This sucks," The petite blonde girl scowled, idly twisting a few locks of hair around her fingertips.
"Yeah, yeah," Her companion growled back. "Heads up!"
Giving a yelp as she caught the large piece of metal hurled at her, she very nearly stomped over and hit him with it. Resisting the urge, she settled for kicking some sand in his face, shoving him aside as he began coughing. "Let the expert handle this!"
"Since when are you an expert?" He questioned, standing and leaning against the hover. "I'm running this operation,"
"And since when was the last time you went digging?" Rikku replied, a satisfied grin appearing on her face when Gippal fell silent. "My point exactly,"
"I've been busy," Gippal finally replied, his response sounding rather lame even to himself.
"With what?"
"Things that we people in positions of responsibility have to do. I guess you're still a bit too young to understand," Snickering, he relaxed against the hover.
"I don't see you saving the world twice," She retorted.
"Once was enough,"
"The words of a coward,"
"The words of a sane man," Deciding this topic was exhausted, he bent down, helping her dig at the sand again. "I'm sure I dropped it somewhere around here..."
"We'd better find it quick," Rikku commented. "I can't believe you lost something so important!"
"I was distracted," Gippal protested.
"Whatever," Rikku giggled, knowing that although Gippal had been distracted, he most likely didn't feel half as guilty as he pretended to.
"I'm sure we'll find it soon," Gippal said confidently.
"Yeah!" Rikku cheered. "Rikku and The Gip to the rescue!"
-
Unfortunately, two hours later, their spirits weren't quite as high.
"We're never going to find it," Gippal groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"This is all your fault," Rikku scowled. "Come on, we're going back to the Celsius and you're going to explain exactly what happened to Paine's favourite dress-sphere,"
"It was your fault," Gippal grumbled, standing and offering a hand to her. "We dug up half of the desert and couldn't find it. I told you we should've dug deeper,"
"How was it my fault?" Rikku demanded, taking his hand. "You lost the sphere,"
"You were distracting me,"
"I was talking to you!"
"You were ranting and raving about something or other,"
"I knew you weren't listening!"
"Just get in the hover,"
It was only upon getting back to the airship that they were embarrassed beyond belief. In their absence, it would seem that -of all people!- Leblanc, Ormi and Logos had come, returning a sphere. Which was quite a big gesture from them, and probably the best gesture of thanks they'd ever receive from the blonde sphere hunter for saving her -and the rest of the world- from Vegnagun. Yes, Leblanc had found the missing dress-sphere. She'd found it exactly where Gippal had dropped it, and all she'd had to do was dig a little deeper.
"This is all your fault,"
"My fault? If you'd just listened to me...!"