AN: Yay! On to the dessert of this meal which is the BEST course and the last segment! It is baked in love with a rich, creamy fluff sauce and sprinkled with kisses to accent the beautiful taste that is the end. Ah, being a waiter does things to you. SO...Read, Review, Enjoy and never fall asleep in front of your friend with a sharpie. It never turns out good.

Disclaimer: Ditto

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sharply went to sit up. But the very real weight on top of her would not allow it.

Paine opened her eyes and focused on the refreshing form of Rikku as she lay snuggled against her abdomen. She almost laughed at the picture until she caught sight of the puddle forming on her bare stomach. Realizing it was high-time to put the girl aside, Paine grabbed a nearby blanket, wrapped it up and placed it gingerly under the girl's head.

She stood up, careful to step away from the sleeping lumps of her friends before daring to stretch. It wasn't that she had gotten drunk, but Paine didn't want to take any chances of falling on top of them and waking them up. She could just imagine the ear-bleeding scream that would emit from Rikku. And as selfish as Paine could be, she figured no one wanted to hear that.

Tenderly, Paine lifted her arms above her head before bending backwards and side to side. Kinks in her back were a daily ritual when she went to stretch, but she faintly noticed they weren't as bad today as they normally were. Not that she had much time to sort it out when her attention diverged to a lone figure sitting on the shores against the ocean.

With a curious huff, she headed towards the figure, shadowed from the illumination of light that was only beginning to reach the horizon.

"No hangover?" she questioned lightly.

Gippal turned, grinned half-heartedly and faced the ocean once again. "Guess I'm just lucky like that, huh?"

He looked worse for wear. But she had seen him on far less pretty-days, so she could say this was a mild case. In fact, she thought it strange that he seemed…okay, at least. Must be the effects of alcohol, she thought as she glanced around his profile.

Or not.

Deep bags under his eyes spoke of his disposition. No, she didn't imagine it felt wonderful to get your ass shot down by the person you…love? Is that it? Does he love her? Is it just fondness, perhaps?

Her lips pursed. "I think karma helped balance your odds."

"Hm…How so?"

Paine shifted and sat next to Gippal, visibly relaxing as she drank in the view. "You have shit-for-friends. Or more accurately a shit-for-friend."

Gippal paused, a thoughtful frown forming on his face before a smile started to curve on one corner of his mouth. "Are you trying to apologize, Dr. P?"

"Something like that."

The Al-bhed laughed, hooking a friendly arm around his long-time companion. "For what it's worth…you're forgiven."

An inaudible sigh escaped the hard-shelled woman as her face was pressed against the Al-bhed's sleep-warmed skin. Suddenly, she knew just where she wanted to be and calm no longer seemed like such a bad thing. But Paine would never make life that easy on herself; as life would always have some obstacles to throw her way. And she was pretty sure with Gippal that would only double her chances.

"I'm…not prone to making promises…" She mumbled, peace seeming to wash over her like a gentle wave "But if you have an extra room, perhaps I'll take up on the offer."

For a minute Gippal just stared at the woman resting against his chest.

And in that moment he didn't think he could find any other reason to love her more. If he had to wait a lifetime for her reciprocations…maybe…just maybe he would be okay with that. He didn't want to wait forever, but at that point, he felt he could. Still, delusions were delusions and better left for dreaming.

The sad and unforgiving truth was he couldn't wait forever. With so much love to give, he could only hold out so long to give it, but Paine was the type of woman that made him want to wait. So he resolved that living with her wasn't such a bad idea after all.

But maybe he could try speeding up those feelings he knew she had for him, even if she didn't see it for herself.

"Hm. I don't know if I do…might've given the last rooms up without even thinking about it."

Noticeably her demeanor dropped. The peace that crept in suddenly wasn't so peaceful anymore.

What was she expecting? Well, quite frankly a 'yes'. But still, she should have known that on such short notice, there might not be anyone who could help her along. Paine needed to keep herself going on her own resources.

She should've known; shouldn't have hoped. After all, that was the logical answer. She just allowed herself too much freedom at one given time.

"Ah." She managed, but the rest of the words she was about to call upon failed her; lodged in her throat like food that went down the wrong pipe. But the Heimlich couldn't help remove this baby. It was a papa rock, wedged in there deep.

"Are you okay?"

Paine nodded only because she couldn't produce anything else. She wanted to say 'Of course I am. I expected that.', but she didn't and she couldn't.

Strong fingers grasped her chin and tugged. Soon she was face to face and lip to lip with the sneaky Al-bhed. Before swift reactions, quick thinking or even the alphabet could be sung, Gippal had her in a lip-lock, loading all of how he felt about her in to that one kiss. It was soft and delicate at first. Just a teasing taste of what he wanted her to feel. Just a lingering promise of what he meant to say the other day; that of which words could not pronounce.

She was shocked at the proposal, the sudden spring of something blossoming within her bosom. But for once, Paine ignored it and allowed the swell of heat to propel her actions forward.

Her lips bit back on to his and he immediately reciprocated by deepening the kiss; stroking hard only to feel the buoyancy in her tender skin. His tongue dove into her mouth on a whim, slipping in and out before her teeth snapped shut in rebellion. Tongue, teeth and lips speaking magnitudes of his desire.

"You're a fucking liar." She moaned in to his mouth, nipping his bottom lip before she pulled back to look at him; that signature grin plastered on his face; his one eye dazzling about that 'no room' bullshit.

"Just stretching the truth, babe." He leaned in to resume kissing when she tossed her head back, her hand on his face as she shoved him in to the sand.

"I wonder if Nooj has an open room."

"Paine!" he sputtered, spitting out sand and taking off in a sprint after her as she marched up the beach; looking for an excuse to rile him up.

Unenthusiastically she glanced back to watch him struggle when the view caught her eye.

The sun was peeking serenely over the horizon.

Caribbean blue seas melted seamlessly into the orange birth of morning skies; the only definition between one another was but a small, white crest of ocean waves as they breached shore and touched dry sand.

Calming, fruitless and eternal.

She smiled.