A/N: Well, happy birthday rikkufan! I'm glad my fic made your day even better than! Oh... and cutekitty2 I don't get my Al-Bhed from a sight, I get it from I book. =P I was looking at the wrong letters as I was typing and translating. Whoopsies! I dunno what I was typing, but it WAS completely wrong. I Mess up sometimes too yah know. x-x Maybe I'll double check the letters on a site though. Maybe there's a mistake in the book? =/ I'm actually attempting to learn Al-Bhed and Elvish. Not the easiest languages to learn. =P Sometimes when I'm typing and I start to type out 'you' I realize I'm typing 'oui' instead. Lol. Well, Imma stop my nonsense now. This is my only other chapter I plan on having in Rikku's POV. The others are either Gippal's, or mixed.

Emerald On Emerald

Chapter 6 – "Zenira"

I smiled at Gippal happily, humming lightly. He turned to look at me. "I'm going to bed, you should go to bed soon too. We have a big day ahead of us." He smirked and messed up my hair, then turned towards Djose and walked towards it.

That's right! I heard Gippal saying that Nhadala had called, turns out they had salvaged an Ancient Machina in Bikenal Desert this morning. They're shipping it to Djose tomorrow morning by airship! Very exciting!

Right as the doors closed behind Gippal a familiar, "Finally!" Came from the other side of the bridge.

"Who's there?!" I asked, slightly alarmed. I backed up and looked to where the voice came from, only to see the smiling face of Zenira come from the darkness.

"Hello Rikku." He gave a smile. He was such a mysterious man. I couldn't help but smile back. I loved his hair... I had never see anyone with hair like that before. He was also good looking and charming. That's three good things about him, and that's three more good things that Gippal doesn't possess.

A small blush crept across my Al-Bhed face. "Heya Zenira." My hands placed themselves behind my back and held on to each other tightly. "What are you doing here this late? Shouldn't you be home?" I asked suddenly.

"Well..." Zenira walked up next to me and looked up at the sky, a breeze picking up, catching his hair and my hair lightly. "It's funny..." He continued. "I get all the way down to Bikanel, wait for Nhadala to finally get back from some 'Great Excavation Hunt', then I find I needed a signed letter from the Machine Faction Leader in order to dig." He turned away.

"Gippal never gave you your letter?" I held in my laughter. That was the day I had gotten mad at Gippal and he walked in on Zenira consoling me. He probably did that on purpose to show Zenira who was boss. I knew Gippal well enough to know that much about him.

Zenira looked at me and nodded. "Yes, so I had to come all the way back to Djose just to get the darn letter." He huffed and leaned against the side of the bridge.

I smiled up at him, "I'm uh... sure Gippal didn't mean to forget. He does have a lot on his mind." I lied, knowing all too well. I tried to give him a hopeful smile, and he smiled back.

"Thanks Rikku, but I don't know." He replied. "He didn't seem to like me too much." He added. "I think it was because I like you."

"Oui... fryd?" I asked in Al-Bhed totally not thinking. Did he just say what I thought he just said? He must have, right? No... a sweet, charming, adorable man like him couldn't have...

He looked away, blushing slightly. No... He wasn't just joking. I was blushing a furious color of crimson red when I decided to look the other way. "I do..." He suddenly said. "Very much."

This couldn't be happening! I was so embarrassed, not quite used to attention such like this. I was staring at my feet when I decided to ask the obvious question that was floating in my mind. "Why?"

"What?" He looked at me, slightly confused. "Why?" I nod my head slowly, not bothering to look up. I didn't want him to see how many different shades of red I was turning. He walked up to me and extended a hand, placing it below my chin and lifting up my face, only to face his own. "You're funny, smart, and a wonderful person to be with." He paused for a moment, moving his ruff hand to my cheek. "You're beautiful." He added thoughtfully.

"WHAT?!" As red as my face had been, I think it was scarlet now. I managed to pry my eyes off of his face. I couldn't see his eyes anyway; his goggles were in the way. The first day I saw him... I've wanted to know. "You don't really mean that..." I started. All that time I've had Gippal lower my self-confidence... I didn't want to take Zenira seriously.

"Oh... don't I?" He asked, laughing slightly. He let go of my cheek and turned the other way. "You seemed surprised. I thought beautiful girls like you were told this stuff all the time." Then he turned to me. "What does he tell you anyways?"

I looked at Zenira, a hand rising to meet my chin thoughtfully. "Who... Gippal?" I asked with a sigh. Dummy! I scolded myself, Of course he meant Gippal, it was plain as day he was jealous of Gippal. I mean... Gippal had everything an Al-Bhed man would want. He had the Machine Faction, respect, power, and most of all my dear daddy's approval.

"Uh... yeah." He replied plainly, his face as blank as his words. What was this guys deal? One minute he was sweet... next he was blunt. In a way he reminded me of Paine. I just shook my head.

I turned towards the temple doors so he wouldn't see me smile. "He... calls me Cid's Girl and makes me feel like a child sometimes." I paused. "But then there are times... that he can do a complete one- eighty on me and do something to blow me away." I blushed, thinking of Tagnath.

"E caa..." He replied dryly.

My head turned to see him now looking down. "You see?" I crossed my arms and leaned on my right foot. "What do you mean? Don't get me wrong, Gippal's a friend." My boot had been tapping the ground the whole time. "Nothing more."

An innocent smile crossed Zenira's face, "You sound pretty sure." He replied. His gaze fell from my face to the cold gravel, then up at the dark sky. "I wonder where all those clouds came from."

I looked up also. Yeah... there weren't any clouds when Gippal and I were out here earlier. It made Djose seem darker; in fact the only thing lit was the strange energy that held the rocks that floated above the temple. I stared at them in shock, they almost mesmerized me. I started thinking... about home and how you would find stuff like this floating all over the place. Home... Then Zenira snapped me back into reality.

"Uh... Rikku?"

I shook my head and turned to him. "Yes?" I asked.

"Can I... can I kiss you?"

Wow! What a gentleman! I smiled lightly and nod my head slowly. And that was the moment that he finally lifted his goggles and let them rest on the top of his head. He had wonderful deep black eyes. I got lost in them as he drew near me and leaned into a kiss.

Wow! He was a good kisser!

So many thoughts were running through my head. I barely even knew Zenira, so this was wrong... right? Just stop thinking Rikku! Stop! I closed out my thoughts and let the kiss flow; unaware that we had someone watching, though I now think Zenira did, because he pulled away, staring down at me with a small smile. There was so much emotion in his eyes. His eyes told you so much about him, I just couldn't pull my gaze away. Until...

"Are you sure there's nothing between you and Gippal?" He asked, his hands falling briskly to his sides.

I stared at him awkwardly for a moment, and then nod slowly. "Why?" I asked. Why did he keep bringing up Gippal? Was my and Gippal's friendship so important that he would let it bother him so much.

"It's just... the way he looked at you... that day." Zenira stared at the ground, deep in thought.

"The... way he looked at me?" I also looked at the ground. That day, I was so mad that I didn't even care how Gippal felt. And now... I just kissed another man even though I knew I had deep feelings for Gippal. I shook my head and smiled pretending not to care. "I don't know, I wouldn't care!" I lied, flashing a giant smile.

Zenira just laughed and picked me up, "I'm bringing you to bed, then I have to get back to Luca 'til morning."

I blushed as Zenira carried me into the dark lonely temple and into my room. He set me on my bed and smiled down at me. "Get some sleep, Rikku." He said, and kissed my nose.

I giggled, "I will." Zenira nod slowly and left the room, I heard his footsteps disappear and the temple door creak closed. What a day! I grabbed my blue stuffed chocobo and held it tight, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Oui... fryd?" – "You... what?"

"E caa..." – "I see..."

A/N: Sorry I had to cut this chapter short... but I can't wait to get started on my next chapter. I don't really think this chapter is that great and I hope the next one will make you a bit more interested. It is in Gippal's POV once again. Sorry It's taken me so long for one short chapter that isn't even that good... Well, see you in the next chapter!

Riu