Yaaaay! happy dance

Update August 10th: I realized that about one sentance was in first person hehe. Must've gone blank. Anyways, it's fixed now!

The airship stayed over Djose Temple for the night. After she had eaten a small dinner, she told Brother that she was going out.

"Going out where?" he asked.

"Out, okay?!" she yelled, hardly feeling like being pressed at the moment. "I'm just gonna buy some stuff." She said, jumping out of the ship.

"You can buy stuff here!!!" Brother yelled from the door. Rikku rolled her eyes and proceeded towards the Temple.

As usual, there were guards at the door.

"Sorry Rikku, you can't come in now." One of the guards said wearily. Rikku glared at him.

"Oh really?" She practically yelled. "Y'know, I had to knock a few guards out and Yunie's concert and you guys are no different seeing as my father OWNS YOU!" she said, yelling the last part. She was tired and not exactly in the best mood. The guard sighed.

"Fine but try and be kinda quiet. The boss is sleeping." He said, moving his machina down.

"Not for long." Rikku mumbled, opening the doors. She walked straight to the only room that had a bed in it and swung open the doors. To her surprise, Gippal was asleep. He was completely wrapped up in his blanket, mumbling inaudible things. Rikku thought for a moment to just back out of the room. She shook her head as if to rattle the thought out of her brain and marched over to him. She grabbed the end of the cover and pulled it away from him, revealing the rest of his body to whatever cold there was in the room. He stirred and groped around, trying to find the blanket again. Instead, he grabbed Rikku's hand. She felt a shiver run up her spine as his callused hand gripped hers. His good eye slowly flickered open to stare at her hands. He tilted his head for a moment, as if confused, then looked up. He looked completely stunned.

"Oh, shit…" he whispered. "Rikku…" She smiled at him in a scornful way.

"What is wrong with you?" she hissed. "I mean I know I told you to pretend… but what was that all about! I didn't tell you to ignore me! I thought you were dead until this year, and then I never heard from you! Why didn't you come back?" she said, more concern and desperation in her voice now.

"I did come back… but when I did, you weren't there. Cid said you never came back from trying to nab a summoner. I thought you were dead! Until of course I heard that you became a sphere hunter. What was that about?" he said, sitting up and rolling to sit on the side of his bed.

"Why would I be dead?" Rikku asked, throwing her arms up in the air.

"There were five guardians! You're machina blew up! You did a really nice job of informing everyone that you were alive and a guardian!" He said, resting his chin on his knuckles once he finished. Rikku couldn't really believe that some people thought she was dead.

"Still, I would've appreciated it all the more if you had decided to… acknowledge that I was there in front of you! After two years!" She whimpered. Gippal stood up, towering over her.

"You want me to acknowledge it?" he said, standing up.

"Yes!" Rikku said, relieved he was getting the point.

"Fine!" he said. Too swift for Rikku to react to, Gippals arms flew out. One snaked around her waist, while the other took the back of her head and pulled her over to him. His lips gently touched down on hers, and she remembered how she had felt like their lips were made to fit each others. She stared over his shoulder at the spot he used to be, her lips not immediately forming to his. But, he stayed persistent. Eventually, she opened her mouth and allowed herself to be carried away into it. I can't believe I'm making out with Gippal… again… She wasn't happy that it had ended like this. Or was she…? She had hoped to come out the victor in the argument. Instead, she came out the once again jumped. Her attention somehow turned into a giddy repetitiveness of saying in her mind over and over Open, closed, open, closed…She wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand tangling in his hair. Somehow, Rikku found herself on top of Gippal on his bed, his arms now wrapped tightly around her waist. She couldn't remember getting there, but she couldn't remember how long she had been kissing him either. She didn't mind for some reason though. She would have time to be angry later. For now, she just wanted to stay like this. Remember the times when things were perfect.

It felt like hours until there was a creak.

" Rikku, I—oh…" said the guard from before at the door. Rikku immediately sprang away from Gippal, rolling off of him onto the floor.

"I-I'm leaving s-soon…" she said, getting up and rubbing her back from her fall. Gippal had a slightly stunned look on his face. The guard turned, obviously uncomfortable, and left the room. Rikku spun around, ready to finally have her dramatic exit, when Gippal's arms swooped down on her and picked her up into the bear hug of her life.

"I missed you, kid." He mumbled into her neck.

"Awww, I missed you too fishy." She said with a giggle, hugging him just as tight. "Now, put me down! I'm not fifteen anymore y'know! Times have changed. I'm wearing a miniskirt! Isn't that different?" she said, wiggling to get out of his grip. He laughed and let her down, and studied her face.

"Well, you're wearing the earring I gave you." He said.

"Huh?!" she whispered, her hand flying to her ear. The earring was there. "Hehe… yeah." She took her hand away and looked closely at him. "Where's yours? You didn't lose it did you?" Gippal reached under his shirt and pulled out the feather.

"Don't worry, Rikku. I still got it. You're lucky the Crimson Squad didn't find it. They would've thought it was some Al Bhed sign and taken it." He said, laughing faintly. They stared at each other for a moment. Gippal reached out slowly and rested his fingertips on Rikku's cheek. He stepped towards her and kissed her lightly.

"When're you coming back?" he asked.

"Sometime soon. Don't you worry! This is not the last of me!" she said. With that, she spun around and walked out of the door. Siiiigh…