Disclaimer: Rikku and Gippal as always belong to to square but the other imaginative figments are of my conjuring :)
Author's note: Another chapter is in the works! I promise! It will not take me as long to update :D
"Dammit!" she cursed, as the glass Rikku fumbled with shattered on the floor. She slid to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest, frustrated by her bandaged hands. A knock sounded at the door as she wiped away her angry tears and barked, "Its open!"
Gippal appeared in her kitchen and stared down at the broken glass and smiled, "looks like trouble paid a visit."
"Shut up!" Rikku barked as she wiped her angry tears on the back of her bandages, "no one asked you!"
"Come on Rikku, I came to see how you were doing, come here…" he helped her onto her feet and pulled her to his chest. "Watch your feet alright?" he wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up as he carried her out of the kitchen, placing her on the soft carpet.
Rikku's blush left her cheeks as quickly as Gippal's heat left her body, she frowned and then grumbled, "You didn't have to do that you know…"
Gippal had began to sweep the broken glass shards into a dustpan when he looked up at her and in a voice laced with sarcasm said, "you know a thank you would have sufficed." An exasperated sigh left his lips as he went back to sweeping.
Rikku stood there watching him, bent over on her kitchen floor and couldn't understand why she acted so coldly towards him, and for the first time in her life Rikku swallowed her pride.
"I'm sorry Gippal, it's just that's the second dish I've broken in three days. You don't realize how much you miss your fingers till they've been slashed to ribbons…"
Gippal stopped mid-sweep, "wait… Did you just say, what I think you said?"
"Yeah Gippal, I really just apologized, and guess what else? I'm going to thank you for stopping by," she shyly added as she pawed at her bandages.
"What's wrong?" he finished sweeping and discarded the shards into the trash.
"My hands itch," she frowned down at her mitten-like hands.
"Here," he led her over to the couch as he pulled a roll of clean bandages from his pocket, "I got these from the doctor, and you have been keeping up with changing these right?"
"You know, this whole being nice to Gippal thing is going to end really fast if you keep talking to me like that…" she glared at him.
"I'm sorry!" he stared at her for a moment as he held her bandaged hands in his, "… I just worry," he admitted as he quickly looked away.
"Now look who's apologizing," she laughed before she let out a hiss and a cringe.
"Sorry…" Gippal remarked again as he peeled the old bandage from her fingers. He stared down at her un-bandaged hands where the deeper cuts were still visible on her tiny hands. So many times he had felt the smooth skin of her fingertips, so many times he had kissed her palms and felt the softness against his lips, and now he bit back a silent scream because he hadn't watched close enough to protect the soft skin that was there.
And then there he was, caught in a memory. In the months they spent on the excavation ship as members of Rikku's brother's crew they had stolen touches, kisses, and so much more.
Gippal waited for her in their usual place, below deck and the entirely opposite end of the ship of both of their quarters. She was late, and he was fighting the urge to tap his feet or fingers against a nearby surface. He finally heard her light footsteps that were obviously trying not to sound rushed, but were.
"Sorry I'm-" he quickly cut off her apology with his lips.
"Took you long enough," he whispered as he pulled away for a moment only to cover her mouth again. Her hands were already unlacing the top of his shirt so she could run her hands along his neck and over his shoulders. He stopped her mid-unlace as he pulled the ties of her gloves with his teeth before pulling them off as he kissed her wrist and palm.
That was what brought him back, her wrists and palms.
"I was trying not to be obvious," she sighed, loving the feeling of his warm lips that always sought her bare skin.
He finished pulling off the first glove and started on the second in the same manner, keeping her prisoner within his grasp. She fought against it, tired of his teasing gestures. He got the picture and gave her what she wanted, kissing her roughly again only to quickly pull away. She whined as he pulled away, growing frustrated with his games.
"Now, if you can resist me for more than five seconds I have a surprise for you," he teased.
"Gah! Gippal, I can too resist you, and for more than five seconds!" she growled, "its you who can't resist me…"
"Well, in my defense I do have to watch my girl prance around in a skin-tight excavation suit all day and then sneak around behind her brother's back to even be allowed to be remotely close to her," he kissed her again playfully.
"Alright, what's the surprise?" she asked.
"Now who's eager," he smiled as he watched her face turn red, she was boiling. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing…" he reached into his pocket, "close your eyes first."
"Fine…" she rolled her eyes before she closed them.
"Alright," he held out his hand, "you can open them now." Rikku opened her eyes and stared down at his hand where a bright green stone dangled from a short silver chain.
"Where did you get this?" she gasped.
"I found it a few weeks ago in a shipwreck; it took me a long time to clean it because it's so small. You like it?" he asked, so unsure of himself.
"Like it? Gippal it's absolutely beautiful! You cleaned this?" she marveled at it.
"And repaired it, it was pretty beat up… But when I saw it glittering in the light it reminded me so much of your eyes that I had to find a way to fix it…"
"Well?" she put her hand on her hip, "are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me put it on?"
"Y-yeah, of course" he smiled awkwardly as she turned and brushed away her hair so he could fasten it.
"You're sweet, you know that?" she reminded him over her shoulder.
"Sweet eh?" he laughed before he pinned her against the wall with her back to his chest, "am I sweet now?" he asked before his lips caressed her skin lightly.
"Alright, I take it back," she broke his hold and turned around before tracing her fingers over the outline of his collar, "I know how much you hate it when I call you that." Her other hand played with the new necklace around her neck absently as it twinkled lightly in the dim light.
"Still doesn't do them justice," she looked at him confused, "your eyes," he smiled.
"Now how can I not call you sweet when you say things like that!" she argued.
"I'll stop saying them, if you keep making such a big deal out of them," he teased.
"Oh just shut up and kiss me," she growled as she grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her.
He ran his hands over the skin-tight suit, imaging how her skin would feel underneath it; his adolescent mind was racing being in such close proximity to her. His tongued delved inside her mouth between hot gasps for air and grasping at her hips and thighs. Rikku released his collar and reached for her own where she began to pull down the zipper on the front of her suit. He stared down at the stone in the hollow of her throat before he followed the path of the zipper as the fabric pulled apart at her breasts. She stopped as he followed the line of flesh back to her face, to the stone, and back to her face.
"I'll never take it off," she whispered.
"I know," he smiled softly as he ran his hands over her bare collar bone.
"Gippal?" Earth to Gippal, Hellooooo?" Rikku was still sitting, palms up.
"Hmm, what?" Gippal finally snapped back to reality where her hands were wounded and not the smooth silk of his memories.
"Did you go away to La La Land for a minute?" she asked.
"Yeah, something like that…" he muttered as he started wrapping her hands back up. "There, they shouldn't itch as much now with a clean bandage."
"Don't act like something isn't wrong, I believe I still know you well enough to know when something's up," she raised an eyebrow at him.
"It's really nothing Rikku," he ran his fingers angrily through his hair before leaning back away from her on the couch.
"Gippal…" she reached for his hand and held it between her bandaged ones, "It's me, Rikku, you can talk to me!"
He pulled his hand away and stood up, "it's nothing Rikku, really."
"I don't believe you," she glared.
"I'll check up on you again in a few days," he headed for the door, "the boys miss you on the floor, they keep asking about you," he almost said in a growl before he reached the door.
"You would come to me if something was really wrong, right Gippal?" she stood hopefully in the kitchen.
"Sure…" he mumbled before shutting the door behind him.
