"You didn't have to come here with me!" Rikku yelled over the loud music.

"I know?" Paine shrugged, raising her hand to get the bartender's attention. The two women were seated at the bar in one of Luca's night clubs.

"How much is Gippal paying you to spy on me?" Rikku asked, tipping back her seventh drink of the day.

"I'm not here because he sent me," Paine almost laughed.

"It's Buddy, then. What does he want anyway?" Rikku huffed.

"Buddy didn't send me either," Paine strained her neck looking for the bartender. The place was packed.

"Yuna?" Rikku gave Paine a quizzical look.

"You find it hard to believe that I might just want to spend time with you?" Paine shrugged. Rikku gave her a look. "Alright, fine. After a day like today? I need a fucking beer as well," Paine smiled as the bartender set a drink down in front of her. Rikku broke into a laugh.

"I don't blame you for hurrying off that ship either," Rikku rolled her eyes. "If I had to spend one more second just knowing that he might pop up at me around the corner, I would probably just-"

"Cid's Girl!" Gippal and Buddy appeared behind Rikku.

"Right behind me?" she looked straight ahead at Paine who was trying VERY hard not to laugh.

"Oh yeah," Paine looked away.

"WHAT are you DOING here?" Rikku growled, turning on her bar stool to face Gippal.

"Nothing. Just out having a drink with my old friend and new boss!" Gippal threw a chummy arm around Buddy who shifted uncomfortably.

"I'll bet," Rikku continued to glare at him.

"Princess, you flatter yourself too much. I just followed Buddy in here to get a beer. How would I know where you hang out?" Gippal shrugged and flagged down the bartender.

"Are you sure he's not paying you? Whatever it is, I'll double it," Rikku looked over her shoulder at Paine. Paine held her hands up and shook her head no. "I don't have to sit here and take this!" Rikku huffed, slamming her empty bottle down on the table. "Buddy?" she turned her attention to the other Al Bhed man.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to dance?" Rikku slid off her barstool and nodded towards the crowded dance floor.

"What?!" Gippal and Buddy yelped in unison.

"Would you like to dance with me?" Rikku rested her hand on his arm. He looked back and forth from Gippal to Paine. He gave Buddy a death glare. She gave Buddy a shrug.

"Um…sure, Rikku. I'd love to dance with you," Buddy forced a smile through his nerves. Rikku rolled her eyes at Gippal as she pulled the darker Al Bhed out onto the floor.

"What. The hell!" Gippal turned to Paine.

"Hey, I'm not the one who's simply irresistible," Paine smirked.

"Perhaps not, but you do look LOVELY in this light," Gippal leaned in to plant a sarcastic kiss on Paine's mouth. She shouted and pushed him away.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Paine shuddered.

"I knew you were into chicks." Gippal waved a hand.

"Excuse me?" Paine sat up straighter.

"It's cool, Paine. Baralai and I always knew you were playing for our team," Gippal smiled.

"Gippal," Paine began slowly. "I like men."

"Sure you do, keep telling yourself that," Gippal took a sip of his beer. Paine scowled.

"Please tell me the two of you aren't here on a date," a strong male voice asked from behind the awkward pair.

"Nooj!" Gippal exclaimed, clapping his long time friend on the back.

"How are you both?" Nooj shot Paine a friendly smile.

"We're not so bad. How 'bout yourself?" she leaned one elbow on the bar and smirked back.

"Just fine until I saw what looked like you two out together," Nooj replied, still laughing.

"We are most certainly NOT here together," Paine rolled her eyes.

"Besides, you know Dr. P's a lesbian," Gippal gave Nooj a knowing smile.

"Well, that's certainly news to me," Nooj smiled at Paine.

"Me too," Paine rolled her eyes.

"Hey, where's what'sherface?" Gippal asked.

"NOOOOOOJIEEEE!!!!" a shrill cry came over the loud music and bustle of the crowd.

"Oh Christ," Paine winced and put a hand to her forehead. "You brought HER to a place like THIS?" Paine turned to Nooj.

"It was her idea to come?" he shrugged.

"For crying out loud," Paine grumbled.

"Gippal! Paine! How ARE you darlings?" Leblanc found the group by the bar and got too close for comfort as usual.

"Just fine, just fine," Gippal lifted Leblanc's hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. She blushed and gushed in her typical fashion. Paine rolled her eyes again. "See, Paine? I have this effect on women. Women who aren't into other women anyway," Gippal said smugly to Paine.

"Give it a rest! I'm into SMART men!" Paine flicked Gippal in the forehead and got up off her stool. "I'll be back in a while," she blended quickly into the crowd. Nooj craned his neck.

"Where'd she go so fast?" He looked around.

"Who cares? Probably chasing skirts. Let me get you guys some drinks," Gippal waved a hand.

On the dance floor, Rikku was sweating up a storm and rubbing all over Buddy. He wasn't a bad dancer, certainly good enough to keep up with the energetic Al Bhed princess. She, on the other hand, was an animal on the dance floor, and it wasn't helping the huge crush Buddy had on her.

It had been going on for years, the beginning of the Gullwings really. That thief outfit wasn't helping his cause at all. Her attitude, her demeanor, he ability to always just laugh, no matter what, it all caught his attention. Nothing changed the fact that she was his best friend's little sister. That would never change, no matter how tan her legs were. The older they got, the harder it got to hide it. She would throw herself at him when she was drunk and he would let her, but the guilt always caught up with him whenever it took a turn further than kissing. He couldn't do it if she wasn't in the right state of mind, he couldn't do that to her like all the other guys did.

She was too good for that, whether she knew it yet or not.

And by the way she was dancing it would seem that she did not. There were two places where Rikku never held back: the battlefield and the dance floor. He did his best to keep up with her rocking hips and fast moves. All the while with a drink in each hand! She was incredible!

"That Rikku certainly can dance!" Leblanc sighed.

"I hadn't noticed!" Gippal grumbled. He was draining another bottle of beer. There was a healthy amount of empty bottles in front of him. Nooj had excused himself twenty minutes ago for, something, neither Gippal nor Leblanc were really listening. Paine was still keeping her distance leaving the Al Bhed and Nooj's woman with nothing to do but watch the dance floor and drink as much as fast as possible.

"Does her father know she's out in public like this? Honestly!" Leblanc waved a hand and rolled her eyes. Gippal just stared at her drunkenly.

"What do you mean 'out like this'?" he asked.

"Hun, her naughty bits are everywhere, she trounces around Spira in a hairline mini and all those braids? What is she hiding up there?" Leblanc scoffed, taking a healthy swig of the pink drink in front of her. "They've got to serve a dirty purpose."

"Handle bars," Gippal nodded without thinking, then caught up with the conversation. He shook his head a few times. "Where do you get off complaining about her outfit? Your neckline reaches your navel! And I don't believe I have ever seen you stand up straight! And that tattoo screams tramp," Gippal pointed, eyes half closed, at the heart on Leblanc's chest. Leblanc's mouth hung open.

"My Noojie-Woojie and I are quite monogamous thank you!" she huffed.

"Whatever." Gippal grumbled as he watched Buddy's hands slide over Rikku's hipbones. Those were supposed to be his palms against her damp dance hall body. Leblanc crossed her arms over her chest and tried very hard to pretend Gippal wasn't there.

"Where did Noojie run off to? Did he say?" she looked around the club not really expecting to spot him. On the other hand, he WAS hard to miss.

"I don't know," Gippal gritted his teeth as Rikku pressed her back to Buddy's front, her delicate little hands snaking up and touching his neck and shoulders. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back onto Buddy's chest. Buddy's hands traveled up to her waist as he kept up with her dancing.

"He's been gone awfully long," Leblanc sighed. Gippal watched in pain as Rikku danced. Her dancing was something he was familiar with. They used to go to clubs all the time. Mostly because they didn't have to talk if they were dancing. Talking always got them into fights and fights got them into break ups which got them into make ups which got them into bed, but the cycle had come to a halt months ago. He hadn't so much as had a civil conversation with her in half a year. She drove him crazy.

But she was achingly beautiful.

And hot.

And all over Buddy, her hands straying all over his body. She spun quickly to face him, his thigh between her legs. She had her arms draped around his neck as she pumped to the beats. She came dangerously close to smacking him in the face with her braids. Gippal watched with angry eyes and prayed that the beads would get him, some of those big fat colored ones she wore in those braids would just get Buddy right in the mouth. No such luck. The Al Bhed heiress threw her head back, her lips parted, eyes half shut as she moved her body in waves against Buddy.

"So go fucking look for him!" Gippal snapped at Leblanc.

"Goodness, someone's got his wrenches in a bunch," Leblanc sighed and glanced away.

"Sorry," Gippal grunted.

"If it's about the girl," Leblanc nodded towards the pair of Al Bheds grinding on the dance floor.

"It's NOT."

"Well, if I were you," Leblanc smiled. "I would not tolerate that for a MOMENT," she pointed at Buddy.

"It's about time!" Paine growled, impatient.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to be discreet," Nooj replied pushing the bathroom stall door closed behind him. The loud music in the club was muffled in the bathroom.

"She's an idiot, Nooj! She's never going to figure it out!" Paine threw her hands in the air.

"She may if you don't keep that mouth closed," he stepped closer to her.

"Keep MY mouth closed?" Paine pointed to herself.

"Who knows what kind of vents this place has! What if she comes in to use the restroom?" Nooj looked nervous. Paine eyed him curiously. He was usually so confident with her.

"What's gotten into you?" Paine asked.

"Nothing," Nooj said, his voice a little higher. Paine examined him a moment longer before pushing his back into the stall door and kissing him hard. He ran his hands up her sides, pushing her top up over her head.

"If nothing is wrong, why are you being so shady?" Paine asked, grabbing at the front of his clothes frantically undressing him.

"I'm not being shady!" he grabbed her at the waist and backed her into the wall. She was straddling the toilet as she pushed his shirt back, exposing his broad shoulders. He dove at her neck, kissing and biting.

"Look, if you're worried about her finding out, why don't you just dump her. There's nothing left of that relationship anyway," Paine got out through hard breaths. He knew exactly where all her buttons were and exactly how to push them. He grabbed at her breasts and worked a few moans of delight out of Paine. "She's not giving you what you want, all she's causing you is stress," Paine said, throwing her head back into the wall at some perfect maneuvers of Nooj's tongue against her nipples. He didn't respond, just kept at her body, licking, kissing, nibbling. Paine's breaths came faster and shorter as she arched her back away from the wall, pressing herself into his hands and mouth. Nooj worked at the buckles and straps involved in her shorts. He couldn't count how many times they'd been in this situation, but he still couldn't get her undressed without thinking about it. "And really, what do you even SEE in a woman like that?"

"Will you shut up?!" He looked her sternly in the eye. Paine's mouth hung open. "I'm trying to get you off here and all you want to do is talk about my girlfriend? Can we not talk about her please? You're ruining this for me!" He hissed.

"I can't believe you just told me to shut up!" Paine glared at him.

"I can't believe you WON'T shut up! Stop asking me about Leblanc when I'm trying to get your pants off!" Nooj snapped. With a fierce yank he got her shorts down.

"I can't believe it's taking you so long!" Paine smirked.

"Oh, you bitch," Nooj grinned, sliding his hand between Paine's legs. She let out a low growl.

"Don't call me a bitch, Nooj, it's not nice," she got out between pants.

"Don't talk while I'm working, it's not polite," Nooj growled, forcing a few fingers inside. Paine stiffened in surprised, then settled down onto his hand and moved with him.

"I never was good with manners," she kept on.

"Are you even enjoying this? You have time to come up with witty banter while I'm inside you?" Nooj stopped, standing up straighter and backing way from her for a moment.

"I AM witty!" Paine cried.

"Look, we don't have to do this if you're not into it anymore," He told her.

"I'm fucking into it! Why are you stopping! I thought you liked the talking!" Paine yelped.

"I like the filthy stuff, but this is just weird, we're not supposed to be having a conversation! Gippal's right, isn't he. You're not into this at all, that's why you keep talking about Leblanc, you want a fucking woman!" Nooj yelled. Paine drew back and slapped Nooj across the face.

"How dare you even say that to me!" Paine snapped, outraged. She thrust her hands into his pants and pulled him out. "This is the shit I want now stop pansying around with this 'what do you want' crap and FUCK me like you always do!" Paine growled through clenched teeth.

"Ah, there's my girl," Nooj grinned, slamming into her.