Author's note: Did anyone else get a tingly feeling inside with the slight Rippal touch in the last chapter? xD Me too!!!
"How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being."- Oscar Wilde
"Jealousy is the tie that binds, and binds, and binds." –Helen Rowland
*********
The weekend passed by without incident, and by incident, she meant encounters with the Machine Faction leader. After her last run in with the pirate Al Bhed, she realized that another chance encounter was not something either of them needed. Of course he would blame everything on the Sake, and she had done much of the same thing. However…beverages such as Sake were often criticized for making a man speak his mind in ways that he typically wouldn't. Many found this to be an alarming quality of the drink. Rikku, however awkward it may be now, liked the fact that he had been more open with her in one night than he had been in nearly six years. That was saying something!
With a slightly happier outlook on the entire situation, Rikku rose for work on Monday with a renewed spirit. Dressing in a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, typical Rikku attire, she brushed her teeth, brushed her hair and threw it into its typical pony tail contraption, and headed for her job.
She was rather eager to talk to Tamai. She hadn't seen him since Friday when work ended, so catching up was in order.
For once, she couldn't stop her excited fidgeting.
"Oh my gosh, Tamai. Let's hear all the de-"
She came to a skidding stop, her eyes glancing around the chamber frantically, "-tails."
He was no where in sight. That was strange. Tamai prided himself on being punctual. Something was wrong. Was it not Monday? Was it a holiday? When was Summoner Yuna Day? Surely she wouldn't forget such a date? Was she too early? Just what the hell was going on?!
"Tamai?" She tried, although more than aware that there was no where for the man to hide. The chamber was empty except for her presence and the machina that was being assembled.
With a groan of clear agitation, she spun around on her heels and headed straight for the lift again when she heard the contraption kick to life. Someone was coming up.
With a long sigh of relief, she headed back to her station and pulled on her greasy work gloves. With a hiss and a groan, the lift docked and a set of footsteps headed her direction, "Thank machina, I thought something had happened to you. You know you had me a little worried there for a minute. Here I was thinking I wasn't gonna get to see your face-" The Al Bhed princess mumbled aloud, turning to Tamai. If it had been Tamai.
"-again."
His head tilted to the side, "And here I thought you couldn't stand to look at me."
Rikku's face fell into an awed expression as her counterpart dawned his own pair of gloves and wriggled his fingers at her playfully, "Shall we?"
"Where's Tamai?"
He raised an eyebrow, "He hasn't come back yet. He did send a transmission that something had come up and that he would return this Friday."
"What happened to him?" She gasped; worry reverberating through her vocal chords.
"He didn't explain but he's a good worker. I didn't find any reason not let him have an excused absence until Friday. So I'll be your partner for the week."
She swallowed, "Y-you? But aren't you…busy or something?"
The Al Bhed sighed, "Seriously…I try to do something helpful and I have it called into question. Do you want another partner that badly?"
"N-n-no…"
"That's what I thought. Now, let's get to work, Cid's kid."
Rikku held Gippal's stare a little longer before she nodded solemnly and joined him in his work at attaching a state of the art claw to the machina.
Where was Tamai? Was he hurt? What happened? Would he really be gone until Friday? He couldn't leave her alone with Gippal for that long. Didn't he realize that he was making her suffer?
'That's selfish, Rikku. What if something is seriously wrong?'
…
'Tamai…'
They worked in silence for the most part. Which she was thankful for. A recap of what had happened that weekend was not something she wanted to live through right now, not to mention that her thought process was so clouded that actually having an engaging conversation with Gippal at this point in time would prove to be quite useless.
So when it was time for lunch, she nearly lost a finger inside one of the machina fans as she snatched her hand from the machine and dislodged her gloves.
"Could you at least try to pay attention? You about ruined the machina."
Rikku threw him a sympathetic grin, "Sorry."
Gippal rose to his full height, losing his gloves as well, smacking his hands together to free his hands of any dust or dirt that may have accumulated inside his gloves during the work process.
"Are you that hungry?"
Alright so it was embarrassing but almost as if on cue, her stomach gurgled and exposed her famished state to her supervisor.
Gippal crossed his arms, his jade eye gleaming at her with a piqued interest, "Ah, so you are. Where is it that you and that Tamai fellow go to so frequently…that side café on the highroad, correct?"
Rikku blinked, a little unsure of his questioning, "Yeah…they have the best fried rice."
"Good. Let's go there."
Her mouth fell open to protest, "Gippal, wha-"
He held up a hand and closed his eye, "Ah ah, no whining. I won't be insufferable; I haven't been so far have I?"
She had to accept his point. He hadn't been too ruthless, not as much as he had fashioned as of late. Actually…it had been a rather typical day, with the exception of Tamai's absence. Maybe the conversation they had held that weekend had done a lot more good than the damage she was sure would have been its outcome.
And what could the harm be in a simple lunch with Gippal? She should be eager at the chance to reconnect with someone that held so much of her past…so much of her, shouldn't she? So-
"Alright. But you say one thing slightly mean and I'm punching you. It's our lunch break so I'm off the clock. It's fair game."
Gippal's lips curved into a sly smile, "Alright then. Fair game."
The head chef was rather surprised when the Machine Faction's leader dined with his new found friend Rikku instead of her typical company found in Tamai.
"I'll have what she's havin'," Gippal informed the chef, leaning back casually in his seat, his gaze falling to Rikku, holding her under his scrutiny. Almost as if saying, 'pick something good, girl.'
Swallowing, she pointed at the chicken, rice, and dumplings. Simple, but tasty.
The chef gave them a slight bow before returning the kitchen to prepare their course.
"What makes this place so great?"
Rikku took a long drink of her iced water and sighed, "You'll see once you take a bite."
"Hmmm," He breathed, his scrutiny of the thief more than obvious. One thing about Gippal, he rarely hid his motives. He was always right out in the open for people to understand him. This was no different. He was trying his best to figure her out. For what reason, she still was unsure. Perhaps she had crossed a boundary on Friday? …No, he had needed to hear it.
"So," She began, glancing around for anything to start a conversation with, "it's a pretty day out today."
"Mmmhmm."
Fail. Epic fail. Why did he have to be so hard for her to crack sometimes? Apparently she was like clay in the palm of his hands but whenever she attempted anything with Gippal, it always turned out like this. Disinterest and awkwardness.
But she wouldn't give up. Giving up meant failure and Rikku was not a failure, dammit!
"So how do you think the machina is coming along?"
"Alright."
"Just alright? Tamai and I work hard on that heap of metal, Gippal."
"I'm aware of that."
"And it's just alright?"
Gippal set his drink down and leaned on the palm of his hand lazily, "It's not completely put together yet, and we have yet to see how it runs. I can't make a decision on it yet now, can I? That would be irresponsible on my part. Besides, do you really need my approval? Since when?"
He had a point. Rikku was always a woman who did what she wanted, when she wanted. His approval was never needed…wanted…but never needed.
"I was just askin'," She grumbled, chewing on a piece of ice from her water.
With a quick glance at him, she immediately discovered he was enjoying this. Enjoying teasing her and enjoying making her wonder what he was thinking. He had done much of the same thing when they had been kids. He would always recline in a chair with an air of mystery surrounding him and then wait for her to fester long enough until she simply lost it and came to him, demanding to know what his problem was. A sense of control. Gippal had always been that way.
"You seem a little edgy, something on your mind?" He asked lethargically, his eyebrows arching into a form of amusement.
She shouldn't bite. It would only turn on her. But her need to speak her irritation was more than evident.
"I just don't understand you, I guess. We work so hard, and we don't even get a good job. I don't talk to you, and you go out of your way to punish me. But one talk to you while you're drinking and then all of a sudden you're my partner and lunch buddy. What's the deal Gippal? What are you getting at?"
Just as she had suspected, the Sake conversation wasn't something he wanted to relive if his facial contortions were any clue.
"I don't think this is appropriate conversation between an employer and an employee."
Rikku smirked, her green eyes flashing their victory, "But as we both said, it's lunch time. We're off the clock. Right now it's just Rikku and Gippal. Have at it, now that you're sober."
The food arrived moments later. 'Thankfully,' Gippal thought.
After the bill was paid, each paying for their meals separately of course, they headed back towards the faction, quietly.
Rikku was lost in a land of her thoughts. Gippal was lost observing her. He still couldn't quite figure her out. The Takeira situation hadn't gone over exactly the way he had planned.
"Tomorrow night is a gala, you might want to make sure that you remain inside your room or you go somewhere else for the evening."
Immediately she was jerked from her thought process, an insulted expression on her face, "A gala? Like a party?"
Gippal nodded firmly, "Yes. Well, it's business. But a party to cover up the negotiations. Make everyone relax, that sort of thing. If you do not wish to partake in the social event, I suggest you either stay in your room or you find somewhere else to stay for the night."
Rikku's eyes rounded with wonder. A party? It had been the first one since her arrival to Djose. It had been nearly 2 months…3? Gosh she couldn't remember anymore.
"Anyone can go?"
Gippal tilted his head to the side, "It's a black tie affair. You'd had to dress…acceptable," He breathed, scratching at the back of his golden hair.
The princess smiled brightly, "Oh, can I come Gippal? Puh-lease? I'll be good. I won't even bother you! I just wanna dance and drink and have some good food."
He considered her for a moment before speaking again, "Don't make a scene."
She nearly jumped three feet into the air as she exclaimed with excitement, "Oh I won't! I wish Tamai could come! I'm so excited. Thanks for letting me go."
Gippal took a step towards her, his eye serious, "Consider us even now. No more threats to leave and no more making up on my end. It's completely even. Understood?"
Her mouth fell open as she attempted to protest, but he was already on the move.
Work passed by uneventfully, and the next day as well. The night of the party dawned upon her and she couldn't quite contain herself. Her first chance to actually mingle with people who didn't wish physical harm upon her.
So she showered. Straightened her long blonde hair, which was much longer than she remembered. Wearing it up all the time had left her completely unaware of the actual length of the long waves of gold. Although she typically didn't want to adventure down the make up path of beauty, tonight was a special occasion. Gippal did say not to embarrass her and that it was a black tie affair, so…
She managed to execute a layer of make up to the best of her ability, and hurried over to her dress, smiling at the familiar gown. Why she had bothered to bring it with her was beyond her realm of comprehension. A good thief was always prepared, so in hopes of remaining under this tradition, she had brought the gown with her.
It was a little snugger than she remembered. Maybe she had filled out in her hips and chest a little more than she had thought. But still, she looked like a picture. Flipping her hair down over her shoulders and applying a small amount of perfume, she grabbed a small handbag and headed towards the sounds of the moonflow band softly playing outside underneath the moonlight and lightning.
She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. It had been a while since she had been dressed like this…the last time she remembered was when she was about to turn fifteen-
Gippal pulled at the color of his tux, grumbling aloud to himself about it being so damn hot that you could roast a chocobo out here. To which Takeira smirked and nuzzled in to his side further.
"You look rather dashing tonight, Gippal."
He laughed darkly, "I always look good, Keira."
She shrugged, her long lashes batting at him playfully, "I guess you're right, love."
"Ahh, Gippal. It has been too long. We have missed you in Bevelle."
Gippal stuck out his hand and eagerly shook a well dressed former monk of Yevon's outstretched hand, "I've been busy, Hendricks. Surely you of all people can sympathize with that?"
Hendricks nodded, "Indeed. This is quite the gala you've managed to throw yet again. You're making poor Rin look bad, Gippal. I thought your kind always stuck together."
This made the Machine Faction leader's eyebrows lift, "My kind?"
"Yes, yes. The Al Bhed. The sand people. I thought you all grouped together."
Had it not been for the fact that he was there representing his business, Gippal would have clocked him. He hated people who always seemed to have a stereotype for the Al Bhed to fall under. 'Sand lovers. Thieves. Towheaded liars.' You pick it, they've said it.
"Well…business is business, my friend. You know the drill."
Hendricks nodded, "And who is this? You're ultimate weapon against the masses? Blind them with beauty and they'll submit to whatever you wish?"
Takeira faked modesty, cooing as she stretched out her hand for him to take, "My name is Takeira, sir-"
Hendricks shook his head, "No, not you, my dear. That divine creature. Do my eyes deceive me or is that the famous Al Bhed guardian to the High Summoner Yuna who defeated Sin?!"
Takeira's face immediately fell, as did Gippal's. The pair nearly fell over one another as they tried to turn and look at what exactly Hendricks and the rest of the party happened to be drooling over.
Just as he had suggested, Rikku was making her way timidly through the crowd, large green eyes filled with wonder and excitement. People were her element and it was more than clear as she smiled and waved at the random people she had never before encountered in her entire life.
Takeira went rigid, her entire body forming into make-shift stone as she stared at Rikku heading towards the buffet table.
"Who invited her?!"
Gippal blinked stupidly, his chest burning with the sudden increase of his breathing. That dress…that body…that girl. That was…Cid's…kid?!
The purple dress was all too familiar. It was the replacement gown she had thrown on the night of Cid's extravaganza where he had intended to parade her around like some sort of show girl. This was her mother's gown. Not seeming a bit outdated, even by Al Bhed standards, she was absolute perfection.
Her long hair framed her bright face to create an elegant appeal of innocence and sensuality, all rolled into one more than grown woman. A woman…the small girl from Bikanel…grown.
He couldn't believe his eyes. That creature had been working under him for nearly 2 ½ months now and he had just now realized her curvy figure, although not nearly as dangerous as Takeira's, she still had the womanly curves that could easily be held on to.
And the way she carried herself…that's what brought the whole look together. She kept her head high, eyes alert, and smile on her face at all times. Her personality just seemed to illuminate the entire gathering, rendering every man speechless and every woman green with envy.
"That woman…is that not Rikku from Bikanel? Her father is Cid, the leader of Home?'
And then it hit him. That same protecting, nagging feeling he had always held while he had lived in Bikanel with the girl. The need to keep all preying eyes off of her flesh, and the need to always be near her. Finally he had realized what it had been this entire time. At first he had simply thought he was annoyed with her presence, but now, while the light bounced off of her blonde hair and the mood changed from uptight to flowing, everyone seeming to feed off of her energy, here, in this moment, he realized.
Takeira prodded Gippal in the side, glaring at him, "How about you close your mouth, you pig?"
He glanced at her from the side of his eye, shifting uneasily, "I'm not gaping, Takeira. How about you try not to be jealous?"
Hendricks gave them both a slight bow before dismissing himself, heading straight for Rikku.
Gippal could only watch after him with a scoffing expression. Takeira smirked, "Now who's jealous?"
Alright so it's a little shorter than usual, but, I wanted to leave the last line as Takeira totally throwing Gippal's arrogance right back into his face. =P And so the tide changes. Hope you guys liked it! I love the reviews; keep 'em coming!
Much love,
~Nikki~
