A/N-Oh wow! I didn't expect so many reviews! Thanks a lot, you guys! I'm really happy about how this story is flowing, and I'm so glad you guys like it! I didn't expect it to be this great! The school year has finally ended and now I can start writing this fic again! I think I'll finish this story either before or during June. Aren't you excited? This story is coming to an end soon! In this chapter, some more romance sparks! gasp And something weird is going on with Uppahc! double gasp Tee-hee! Oh, and I'll try to insert some PainexBaralai romance, ok? Ok, let's get the story on the road!!!
♥Every Heart♥
Chapter Fourteen: Something in Your Eyes
As we headed down the path back to Djose Temple, Gippel's gloved hand found its way onto mine and before I knew it, we were holding hands. I blushed fiercely and pretended not to notice, focusing on the temple ahead. As we approached the front doors, Leblanc fell through, catching her balance before she hit the floor. She immediately noticed us and locked eyes with me, looking relieved and still a little angered.
"There you are! Oh, you've found Gippel…" she trailed off, eyeing him. "You know, you shouldn't have run off like that." Before Gippel could reply, I cut in.
"How'd you get out of the room?" I asked curiously, noticing the perspiration on Leblanc's fair brows, her ragged breathing, and disheveled appearance. She smoothed back her now messy locks and adjusted her hair sticks before smirking evilly at me.
"Let's just that the doors around here don't come cheap." I gasped and tried to give Leblanc my evil eye, but obviously it had no effect on her as she continued to sneer. "Well, let's get inside then. You guys need to rest for tomorrow morning."
"…What's happening tomorrow morning?" Gippel asked suspiciously, still holding onto my hand.
"Oh? I didn't tell you?" Leblanc tried to feign innocence, "Since we couldn't schedule the date last time, I've decided to take you guys somewhere more romantic than your first date tomorrow morning…"
"More romantic? I didn't know there was anything more romantic than that place," I muttered. Leblanc raised an eyebrow and her gaze lowered to our intertwined hands.
"Oh…I don't think you guys mind that much, anyway," she said in a singsong voice, smiling as we both blushed. "Now, get to bed!" She all but shoved us both inside the temple and we went our separate ways, reluctantly releasing our grip on each other.
I plopped down onto my bed and sighed. I could feel our relationship had grown stronger since that talk we had at our special place. I smiled. I couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring.
Next Morning/Djose Temple-Rikku, Gippel, and Leblanc
"GET UP, GET UP, GET UP!!!" I screamed as I bolted upright in my bed, my eyes squinted shut in an expression of torture as the lights were flipped on. My hair messily fell around me and I wrinkled my nose as stray hairs tickled my nose, giving off static-y feel. "Rikku, love, what are you still doing in bed?!" She strutted over to my side and started to drag me out of the bed and out the door, where Gippel had a scowl on his face. His hair was messy as well, his one eye almost closed, and his usually arrogant posture stripped down to bent-over-and-trying-to-remain-awake.
"Wha…What time is it?" I asked incredulously as I looked at the window in my room. It was pitch black outside. Leblanc did her little 'tsk, tsk' thing, seeming frustrated.
"It's three in the morning! Now hurry up, shower, and get dressed! We're going somewhere about an hour away!" Gippel and I both stared at her like she'd gone insane.
"THREE IN THE MORNING?!?" we yelled simultaneously, glaring at the older woman as she looked bewildered.
"W-well, yes, loves! We're all going to watch the sunrise, so I had to wake you up this early!" she chirped, winking. Before either of us could tackle her, she bolted away, yelling over her shoulder, "I'll be waiting by the front doors! And don't you dare try to go back to bed!" I groaned and stumbled back into my room, grabbing whatever was in reach in the closet. I mean, who cared what I wore at this time in the morning, right? I pushed past Gippel, who was leaning against the wall and snoring lightly. Growling, I tiptoed over to him and smacked him over the head. If I'm not getting any sleep, neither is he!
He winced and brought a hand to the back of his head, glaring at me. I sniffed and turned away, waltzing into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom, hair dry, no bags under my eyes, but half-asleep.
"What the hell are you wearing?" Gippel spoke from his position against the wall. I looked down to see exactly what I had uncaringly chosen: A ruffled white miniskirt with knee-high black stockings, neon pink platform shoes, and a lacy dark green tank top with a fur jacket over the top. Needless to say, I mismatched. I shrugged half-heartedly and walked in the direction of the temple doors.
"Rikku, love, you're so…colorful…" Leblanc stared me up and down, smiling.
"Eh…new look?"
"…Right. Kids these days," the older woman mumbled, adjusting her hold on…a picnic basket? "That's right, love! We're going on a picnic date!" Leblanc spoke smoothly, as if reading my mind.
"Ugh…right," I replied, crossing my arms. A few minutes passed and I started getting restless. I checked the flowery watch I had attached to my wrist and looked around. No sign of Gippel. "I'm going to look around to see if I forgot anything for this trip, ok?" Before the blonde could reply, I walked away. I was walking down the dim hallway when someone suddenly snatched me, covering my mouth before I could scream.
Djose Temple-Gippel, Rikku, and Leblanc
"Ngghhh…" Gippel spoke intelligently as he stumbled out of the bathroom, dressed in a dark red sweater and slacks. His boots strummed against the floor as he headed toward the temple doors where only Leblanc was waiting. "Hey, where's Cid's little girl…er, I mean, Wee-Wee?"
"She went to her room to check for stuff. She's been gone for an awfully long time…it's already 3:45am! We're behind schedule!" Leblanc sighed, adjusting her grip on the basket.
"I'll go look for her," Gippel piped up, beginning to walk away.
"Oh no you don't! If she comes back here while you're gone looking for her, it'll take another few minutes and we don't have much more to waste!" Leblanc cried impatiently, roughly grabbing the Machine Faction Leader's shoulder and pulling him back.
"Ok, ok! Geez…for an old lady you sure have a strong grip," the Al Bhed muttered, ignoring the glare sent his way. Time seemed to slowly slip away for a moment longer because the steady drum of platform shoes could be heard. Rikku emerged from the shadows, looking disturbed and curiously confused. She dazedly walked over to the two other people in front of the doors, a glazed look crossing her swirled eyes. Concerned, Gippel waved his hand in front of her face.
"Yo."
"Hn…?"
"Ok, she's definitely out of it," Gippel spoke obviously, eyeing her.
"What? Hey, I'm not out of it!" the younger Al Bhed chirped, her eyes sharpening.
"Welcome back."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Welcome back. Duh."
"Why you--!"
"Children, please!" Leblanc cried, hushing them both, "We're already late as it is! Now let's get a move on!" Sighing in frustration, the magenta-eyed women pushed through the double doors and the other two warily followed suit.
Hover Ride to Meadow/Cliff-Rikku and GippelAs we climbed into the hover, my mind started to wander again. Man, Gippel could be such a jerk! One moment he's all romantic-ish, the next, he's making fun of me again. But I would find it kind of weird if he started to be more gentlemanly to me. Well, whatever, it was the least of my worries. As the engine started to come to life, I zoned out and recapped what had just happened minutes ago.
"Nggh!!!" My scream became strangled and I started to violently jerk, trying to loosen my captor's grip. This only made the person's grip tighten, and soon all the energy was drained from me. Amazingly enough, as soon as I started to give up, I felt the person's grip loosen. Slowly, I was turned around and all the color drained from my face as I saw clear blue. "Uppahc?!"
"Shh…Miss Rikku, please calm down." I slowly backed away from him, casting a wary eye.
"Wh-what is it? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Uppahc crossed his strong arms. His pose strongly resembled someone I knew. It was so frighteningly close to…someone I liked to call 'Tubby'.
"I noticed how your eyes widened when you saw me using that blitzball on that machina a few days ago. I have something important I want to tell you. I can't keep it in much longer. I want someone to know my secret."
"Your…secret? What is it?" Curiosity sparked, I leaned in close to him, almost eagerly awaiting his reply.
"I…I can't tell you now. Someone might hear. Meet me outside of DjoseTemple at midnight sharp tonight. I'll be waiting. Until then, Miss Rikku." He slunk back into the shadows, and I was alone once more.
Needless to say, him jumping out at me like that was just plain freaky. But…why did he want to tell me a secret? Me, of all people? My mind began to think up of possible reasons, but none of them seemed logical enough. I sighed.
"Oh well, I'll just find out tonight."
"Find what out tonight?" WHOOPS. Did I just say that out loud? I turned to my right to see Gippel looking at me confused. "Talking to yourself, Wee-Wee, dear?"
"…It's nothing, GIPPY-WIMPY."
"H-hey! I thought we decided it would be Gippy-Wippy!" I shrugged nonchalantly and turned my head away, deciding to take a look at the scenery. I didn't notice the concerned stare he was giving me…
Meadow/Cliff-Gippel, Rikku (Leblanc)
"Ah! Here we are! And it's five in the morning sharp!" Leblanc cheered, practically hopping out of the hover.
"Thanks for reminding me," Gippel and I replied simultaneously. We exchanged glances and I smiled slightly, feeling a blush spreading. Awkwardly, I made to jump out of the hover and was surprised to see Gippel holding out a hand.
"My lady?" he spoke arrogantly, bowing dramatically. I rolled my eyes, but gratefully accepted the offer, grabbing his hand. We followed Leblanc down the road until a clearing came into view. It was definitely the perfect place to watch the sunrise. We were going to sit in a meadow that was perched just before a cliff where the mountains far away seemed to steadily take on a glow. The mist swirling around the place gave it an unreal feeling, and I sighed as I cupped the substance in my hands. "Uh…Wee-Wee?"
"Stop calling me that!" I snapped, glaring up at him to notice he wasn't smirking or even looking at me. His eyes were on my legs. "What is it?"
"You stepped in an ant pile…" Ok, next to freaky scary thunderstorms, ants are definitely number two on my freak-out list.
"YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" I screamed for all the world to hear, jumping up and down. I latched onto Gippel, who looked very bewildered. He started yelling also as the ants that had gotten onto my shoes and stockings started bouncing onto his woolen sweater. Yep, I jumped THAT high onto him. It probably looked painfully ridiculous to anyone but me, but I couldn't stop screaming. Next thing I know, Leblanc is calmly flicking the little critters off of my stockings. "…Thanks?"
"No problem, love. Now stop messing around and come over here." Still shaking, I placed a hand onto Gippel's shoulder for support, walking over to the 'safe' grounds. The picnic had already been set up and I gratefully plopped down onto the checkered blanket, sighing with relief. Gippel sat to my right, and I eyed his neck. Ouch. Ant bites were already starting to form on his skin. Luckily, I had stockings on so those evil things couldn't have bitten me. I started to feel really bad. After a while, Leblanc stood up, saying we needed some 'alone time'. I really hated her.
Silently, I stood up from the blanket and sat down on the cliff, dangling my legs lifelessly over the edge. The sun still hadn't risen all the way. I felt Gippel's presence before I saw him as he slowly sat down beside me.
"Sorry about the ants," I whispered, casting a sideways glance at him. He snorted, absentmindedly scratching his neck.
"Don't sweat it. I'm fine."
"If you say so…" We lapsed into a comfortable silence, watching the mountains in the distance.
"Hey, Rikku?"
"First-name basis?" I asked slyly, smiling, "What?"
"About last night, I just wanted to say thanks…"
"Hmm? For what?"
"For saying it wasn't my fault. I…"
"Gippel, I understand." I smiled and leaned against his shoulder, wondering why the heck I just did that. Oh well, I couldn't just lift my head off of him. That would make things way more awkward than it already was. But, it wasn't really THAT bad…
I could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, and I wondered why. Was he…nervous? I slowly lifted my head, concerned and stared into his suddenly unreadable eye. Some emotion I couldn't quite describe flickered in his eye. My heartbeat suddenly quickened as well and I started to feel myself burning. His eye was intensely boring holes through me and I couldn't look away.
"Gippel…?"
Next thing I knew, his lips sealed mine in a kiss.
A/N-BWAHAHA! What do you think? Please review, I'd really appreciate it! Oh, and I've thought of another story! It's going to be called If Love is a Rose:
Summary: Rikku POV: I've given up on guys and on love. All guys are jerks, and there's nothing and no one that can change my mind.
What do you think? Too lame? Nice? Weird? Cliché? Tell me please. After I finish this story, should I start on Caprice first or this one? Do tell! Thanks and see you guys next chapter!
-Moshi Moshi Mai
