A/N: yes, yes, last chapter was short, but I wanted to get moving. This chapter will HOPEFULLY move along quickly, but knowing me I'll drag it on with little, insignificant details.
Well, there I sat, all through supper FULL of anticipation. I nearly wet myself. Paine and Yuna were still sleeping when I checked on them after supper. Good, good. The less of seeing them, the better.
I skipped out of the temple and ran full speed for the highroad-he knew me, and was probably laughing at his very sneaky torturing. And it was torture, all right.
Rikku wiped away the braids that flew in her face as she ran for the road. God, those things were stupidly annoying.
An eerie silence settled on her as she entered the path. The sun was just starting to set, and the road was darker than she liked. Shivering, Rikku looked around anxiously for Gippal, but he wasn't there.
"Augh...ang." She muttered, hearing her teeth chatter. Why was he being so mean?!
"Rikku?" A soft voice called from her left. She whirled around to see Gippal sitting bravely on the edge of the cliff, his legs hanging lazily over the edge.
"Yes!" She moaned. "What are you doing? It's freezing!" Gippal just grinned, standing up and wrapping her in a small blanket.
"There. NOW will you shutup?"
Rikku giggled, and nodded. Gippal smiled. "Good. Now, I'm gonna blind fold you for your surprise.
"No! Gippal! You're doing this just o TORTURE me, aren't you?"
She heard a chuckle as the dark cloth covered her eyes. "Yup."
"If you DARE bring me near that edge-"
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Good." Rikku mumbled.
"Now, I'm going to lead you to the suurrpriise." Gippal sung the last word in her ear, filling her with anticipation.
"Just hurry up!" She giggled, wrapping the blanket tighter around her.
Gippal just grabbed her shoulders and led her in front of him. For a while it was silent, Rikku puzzling over where she was. But Gippal was smart, and turned her around a few times, and led her up some hills and down some. (Rikku didn't even know hills were near the highroad). Soon though, Gippal told her to stop, and she willingly obeyed.
"Okay...I know it's not the greatest thing ever, but you're going to have to forgive me for my uncreativity when it comes to romantic junk like this. It's your last night with me, so I thought, heck-why not do something for Rikku!"
Rikku just smiled. "Ready? Okay—surprise!" Gippal untied the cloth around her eyes and pulled it down. Rikku's eyes fluttered open, and she gasped as she looked at the scene in front of her.
"Oh Gippal..." She breathed, feeling her love for him grow at least 10 more times.
The two were standing on the old, abandoned Al Bhed machina that had been used against Sin. The beach around it had been cleaned and purified many times, so the beach was glowing white under the moonlight. The sound of waves lapping against the shore eased her nerves and calmed her soul. Stars twinkled at them from above the black sky, and-oh-the best part.
In front of her lay a small blanket, one that hadn't been used before. On it sat two plates and a small little basket of food. Two cups stood beside each other, both filled with pop, considering Rikku was underage.
"Surprise!" Gippal whispered in her ear. She looked over to see him blushing red. "It's not the best thing ever, but-"
"Oh Gippal!" Rikku cried, her eyes filling with happy tears. "I love it! I love you!" She turned around and have him a quick kiss and a hug. "Thank you sooo much!" She cried, her voice muffled into his shoulder.
Gippal grinned. "Your welcome. I'm glad you like it."
For the rest of the evening the two lay down the blanket beside each other, munching on goodies and reliving good memories and updating each other on what had happened over the past few years.
"I missed you soo much." Rikku said the for the billionth time. Gippal chuckled.
"I missed you too."
After at least 4 hours of talking, Gippal pointed at the sky. "Now for the best part."
He lay down, his face to the sky. Rikku grinned and did the same.
"Let's count them." She suddenly blurted.
"You're on!"
In a silent race, the two pointed at numerous stars, trying to outdo each other. Finally Gippal groaned and his hand fell limp.
"I give up! You win!"
Rikku laughed. "Yahoo!"
There was a silence again, where Rikku shivered once more. It was getting pretty late-and cold. Without really thinking Gippal slid over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She snuggled closer to him, laying at his side. She breathed in his scent-one of some kind of shampoo and the smell of the ocean.
"This is perfect." She whispered, and Gippal just nodded.
"It sure is."
The Next Morning
Rikku opened her eyes, the annoying feeling of sleep still in the corners of her eyes. She sighed happily. Last night must have been a dream. After star-gazing she had fallen asleep beside him. Actually, both of them had fallen asleep. Just at dawn Gippal sleepily shook her awake, and the two walked back to the temple sleepily, both looking forward to falling on a bed for more sleep. They had parted with one final kiss, and all those events had made Rikku feel even worse-more sad. How would she live without him?
She sighed, stretched, and turned over, almost sitting up.
"She moved!" A voice from the corner whispered. Rikku froze. Yuna? Paine? Who knew? Well, she didn't WANT to know...she wasn't done spending all her time with Gippal. Not yet. That's why they had both devised a plan last night...one that would get them both a few more hours at least.
"Ssh!" A voice reprimanded the first.
Rikku closed her eyes once more, pretending to fall asleep. She really hoped Gippal was up and ready to put the plan in action.
A small knock on the door told her he was.
"Who's there?" A voice whispered-Yuna's.
"Gippal. Can I come in for a sec?"
"Oh—fine." Rikku heard someone walk to the door and unlatch it. Gippal stepped in, and she could almost feel his eye gazing at her.
"Still asleep?"
"Like a log." Paine's sharp voice said.
"Hm...I have a feeling you two want to get moving."
"Yes!" Yuna cried, a bit too loudly.
"Hmm..." Gippal stood there in mock thought. "How about this, then. You two go ahead onto Moonflow, and wait by the Shoopuf. I'll tell her where you are and take her there, how about? I have a feeling she had a very late night last night." Rikku could almost sense that Gippal was trying to hide a smile.
She then decided she wasn't this quiet and still when she slept. She let out a snort and rolled over, so from time to time she could sneak a peak-but she probably wouldn't risk it.
There was silence from the two girls. Rikku was silently praying they would agree. Rikku didn't want to say good-bye to Gippal when two very annoyed and restless girls were standing beside her.
"Fine." She heard Paine say suddenly. "She'll take forever anyway, Yuna. And I want to see what the fuss is about this Tobli's show."
Rikku could have sworn it sounded like Paine knew what was going on—like she was trying to hide it from Yuna...but how could SHE possibly know?
Yuna sighed unwillingly. "Fine. But YOU better make sure she gets there soon."
"But of course." Gippal said, and Rikku opened her eye a teensy bit to see Gippal giving them a salute.
With a wave Yuna strode out, but before Paine walked out she stopped in front of Gippal.
Rikku watched closely.
"I know now..." Paine said, her back to Rikku. Rikku saw a slightly shocked expression on Gippal's face, but it soon turned into a smirk.
"Yea—I kinda knew if you hung out with Rikku something would slip."
"She said nothing—those letters you wrote, you told me it was to a 'Princess.'" She pointed at Rikku. "Princess, eh?"
Gippal blushed a bit. "Well, yea-to the Al Bhed."
It seemed like Paine was going to say more, but a call from Yuna stopped her.
"You better take care of her, Gippal—I'm warning you, no funny stuff around her. Say NOTHING." She hissed the last words and was off, her boots echoing off the hall walls.
Rikku was terribly confused. They must not have known she was actually awake. But what was this all about? Letters? Well, she knew that much—he had sent her letters from the Crimson Squad...so Paine must have been with him?
Augh, it was too much to think about right then. With a heavy sigh Gippal walked over and pushed at Rikku gently. "Wake up, sleepy-head." He whispered.
Rikku moaned and turned over, as if she had been asleep.
"Come on, it worked!"
Rikku slowly sat up and blinked her eyes a few times. Good acting, if she must say. "H-Huh?"
"They bought it. Now we have a few more hours together."
Rikku grinned and threw her arms around him. "Walk me to Moonflow?"
"Well duh." He said, grabbing her and hoisting her out of bed. "Now I'm going to be a parent and make you eat breakfast! Go! Go!"
Rikku squealed and ran out of the room, hurrying down the halls. But as she got near the end, a lump formed in her throat.
She was leaving him. It hadn't truly sunk in yet, but—she wouldn't see him again for who knows how long.
Well, those thoughts put a damper on things.
That's right. I was sad-heart-broken, you know, the all around effects of leaving a loved one. I hated it how HE had left me the first time, and now I was doing the same thing. Why couldn't Yuna just move on and let me and Gippal stay together?
And then I realize...I wasn't moving on either. I forced myself to believe me and Gippal would stay together forever, and no matter what I would come back.
But how much of that was true? I didn't know...I still don't.
A/N: Nothing REALLY happened...probably another two chapters AT LEAST...they're getting longer, I know, but it's because I try to fit all I can. It's such a difference from like, my first chapters. Those things were horrendously short—but I hadn't been planning then to make it a full-fledged story.
Writing this and playing the game again made me realize that Rikku and Gippal are MADE for each other, and anyone against that should go hide themselves in a hole.
Oo Well, R&R please!