A/N-WOW! I got sooo many reviews for the last chapter! Well, thanks to my reviewers! I now feel really inspired and I'm gonna focus on this fanfic, and put my other five on hold. *sweat drop* Ok, on with the story!
♥Every Heart♥
Chapter Three: Why I Fell In Love With You, I Don't Know Why
Gippel watched with mild surprise as the young blonde Al Bhed crumpled to the floor, her eyes faintly glaring daggers at him as they fluttered close and she collapsed onto the hard ground. Cid winced, before shrugging and scratching the back of his bald head.
"Well, I guess you have the honors of carrying her to her room." Before Gippel could object, the old man raced away and out of sight. Sighing, Gippel faced Rikku, scanning her body. Slowly, he kneeled down on his knees, carefully picking Rikku up.
"Please don't wake up, please don't wake up, please don't wake up…" He carried the unconscious Al Bhed to her room and laid her down on the small bed, covering her up with the comforters. Stepping away, he stood and examined her again. She was still as breathtaking as the first day that she came into his life in Bikanel Desert.
His memories took over and he crossed his arms, remembering the many times he had pulled pranks on her when they were little, and the many times she would call him meanie, hiding her tears. He would feel guilty, but act arrogant when the other kids were around, but once he and Rikku were alone, he would tell her that he was sorry. Rikku would smile like nothing was ever wrong, because that was just the way she was. Always happy. She would give him a hug and forgive him. But the next day, Gippel would be the same cruel jerk he always was to her, just to mask his inner feelings.
And every time, she would forgive him.
That was what Gippel liked about her. Rikku didn't tend to hold grudges. She was carefree, bright, and fun to be around. Her blonde hair was always her own style, matching her hyperactive personality, and her grin always lit up anyone's darkest days. Of course, he never told her that.
The two of them were complete opposites. When Rikku was eleven and Gippel twelve, they were allowed to join a group of older kids to dig in the desert for machina parts. In the desert, when it came to digging up machina, Gippel thought of it as a race to see who would come up with the most. He was dead serious, a slight contrast to his cocky and teasing demeanor. Rikku, on the other hand, would always hum a song, skipping around one of the many expanses and cheerily digging around with the hover nearby. Almost always, the two rivals would tie, and every time, Gippel would accuse her of cheating. Rikku would just stick out her tongue at him, becoming immune to his taunting.
He remembered that one fateful day in Bikanel Desert. As usual, the two of them were racing around the Western Expanse, trying to beat the other.
"Ah ha! I found another part!" little Rikku had cheered, pumping her small fist into the air.
"You're cheating! You're mediocre, nothing above average. You're cheating, I know it!" Immediately, he had felt regret as small tears welled up inside her eyes.
"E ryda oui!" And then she had taken off, running blindly off into the distance, the desert sands enveloping her. It stung, he'd admit that. Deciding that he had deserved that, he had chased after her. No sooner had he stepped foot into the sandier area when he heard a shrill scream. It was to his left. Grunting, he pushed past the maze of the sandstorm. His heart stopped when he saw Rikku whimpering in front of a huge fiend, its claws raised high into the desert sky, ready to strike her.
"Fydlr uid!" he had screamed. Without even thinking twice about his own safety, he had stood in front of her, protecting her from danger's wrath. And then it happened. In the blink of an eye, the fiend had lashed at its new target, taking out his right eye completely. He was in too much shock to feel the pain, but he could feel a liquid-like heat rolling down his right cheek, and the recognizable putrid taste of copper dripped into his mouth, invading his senses. He heard Rikku scream in fright. And then he had blacked out, reaching out to her with his left hand.
"E's cunno…"
When he had woken up, he could only see through his left eye, and he felt a throbbing in his right. Afraid to look, he had just lain there with a blank look on his face until Rikku entered timidly, tearstains streaking down her pretty face.
"Gippel! You're awake! Oh, I'm so sorry I got mad at you! If I hadn't run off, none of this would've happened!" And then she had latched onto him, hugging him tightly. After she had recovered from her outburst, she had handed him an eye patch. Without a word, he gratefully took the material and carefully wrapped it around his head.
"Thanks…"
And there never went a day from that moment that Gippel never wore that eye patch.
At the age of thirteen, Gippel had realized what it meant to fall in love.
He would feel suddenly self-conscious and small around her. His heart would start pounding loudly in his chest whenever she flashed him a warm smile, and he would break out in a sweat. At first, he didn't do anything about it. His teasing had decreased to a minimum of two smart remarks per day, but other than that he was quiet around the twelve year old girl. Their relationship had changed from rivals in the desert to a friendlier form. Sure, they still bickered and raced around for machina, but that was all. No pranks.
Then one night, at a party celebrating the find of a legendary machina part, Gippel got the courage to ask her to dance. He didn't remember how, or why she said yes. All he remembered was her emerald eyes and their enchanting, dizzying swirls. Of course, Brother just had to come up next to them, cooing about how it was the cutest thing.
Sure, Brother was a cool guy. He had always had Gippel's back when they were younger. Like when Gippel had dared Rikku to spend a night in the desert, and when the nearly frozen girl had been taken inside, Brother stuck with him all the way, even though his little sister was freezing and bloody from an encounter with a fiend. But right now was not the best time. He remembered feeling his cheeks heat just a little. He remembered snapping at Brother to beat it, sending him a warning glare. It wasn't funny at the time, but now that he looked back on it, he had to chuckle at the old memory.
As that night wore on, and the two continued to dance, the thirteen year old blonde had chanced a glance at Cid, who looked disapproving, sternly staring at Gippel.
He remembered thinking that he wanted to make Cid angry for some reason. He remembered turning to Rikku and asking her out, and when she surprisingly said yes and the fireworks filled the air, he had kissed her. It all seemed like a fairytale. The starlit night sky, the fireworks exploding into the air as people cheered, and the feel of her soft, warm lips, smiling as he closed his eyes. That was each their first kiss, and it was sacred.
Their relationship lasted about two and a half more years. During that time, Cid had started to approve of Gippel when the young Al Bhed had proved to him that he truly did have feelings for his only daughter. He even pulled him aside from his work one day to say that Gippel would be the perfect candidate for Leader of the Al Bhed tribe. He never thought much of it, though, because he created the Al Bhed Machine Faction during the whole Sin episode.
When Rikku was almost fifteen, she left Bikanel Desert to join another Al Bhed group that was trying to get people to work with machina once more. It had pained him to see her go, but she had promised to come back someday. It was too much for him, and he couldn't see their long-distance relationship working, so he had broken up with her, but they had still remained friends. Of course, he didn't tell her that he still had the strongest feelings for her. It would only make her feel bad.
And then Sin came. Rikku had become a guardian for the daughter of High Summoner Braska, Yuna. He remembered thinking that he'd never see her again. In his panic, he had almost left his home, but his duties as Leader of the Al Bhed Machine Faction kept him there. It was a huge relief when he had found out that she was ok, and cheerful as ever, even after defeating such a horrendous creature for the last time.
And then came the whole find Tidus episode with the Gullwings. YuRiPa. He had to chuckle at the creative group name. Shaking his head, he slipped out from memory lane and looked at Rikku's sleeping form once more. She was moving around a little, her eyebrow furrowing.
"Gippel…" Almost automatically, the blonde Al Bhed male smirked. A hopeful smirk. Do you still feel the same way about me as I do about you right now…? "Come back here…Don't…run…away…This hammer…doesn't...hurt...much…" His eye widened and he nervously shuffled away from Rikku, looking frantically around the room for a shield. Sure, this girl was weak when it came to physical attacks, but who knows what she could do with her black mage outfit, and angry with him, too? Slipping quietly and hastily out of the room, he closed the door and leaned against the frame, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Why I fell in love with you, I don't know why…" he muttered, walking away.
A/N-Ok, so that had to be THE WORST chapter I have ever typed. I don't know why, but it just felt like it was lacking something, ya know? Well, I'll probably edit it after I find out the problem, so whatever, ya? Please review! I LOVE REVIEWS!!! And if ya'll give me a lot of reviews, I might post up a few more chapters, and you know that Valentine's Day is coming up! *evil cackle* Well, love ya'll! Peace!
Moshi Moshi Mai
Translations:
E ryda oui! : I hate you!
Fydlr uid! : Watch out!
E's cunno : I'm sorry
