A/N: Second chapter! Woohoo. Will secrets be revealed? …perhaps.

The cold wind whipped around the faces of a man and woman shrouded in shadows. Rain had been pouring for hours, and was still coming down in bucket fulls. The young mans hair was plastered against his head. The girl, a foot or so shorter than him, shivered from the cold.

Why had he brought her here, and in such nasty weather conditions? Thunder boomed in the distance, and the girl shivered. Lightning flashed and she yelped, leaning into the safe arms of the boy in front of her.

Expecting him to hug her tightly and tell her everything was all right, she sighed happily. "I love you Gippal." She muttered dreamily.

But his gloved hands grasped at her shoulders and lifted him off of his chest. She stood up, looking at him with round, confused eyes. But he didn't look back. His head hung in a sad way, his eye closed as if he were in pain.

"Why won't you say you love me?" Rikku asked suddenly, tears of frustration collecting in the corners of her eyes. Her voice was trembling, and she tried to still it, but it wouldn't.


"Am I not good enough?"

"No! Rikku, it's-it's not like that! I'm not-I'm not—" He sighed, running his hand through his wet, wild hair.

"You're not what?" She asked coldly, feeling her body numb. Why was he doing this to her? WHY?

"I'm not READY, all right?" He finally managed, looking into her eyes with a sad expression on his face. "I'm not that type! I can't be in a long-lasting, REAL relationship! My things last one or two days, a week or two at most!" Gippal sighed and hung his head, a single tear streaming from his eye.

"W-What?" Rikku mustered, eyes now freely spilling tears. What did he say? He didn't—didn't love her?

"I can't say those words. I'm not a committed person! The only thing is that—I don't want this to be just a fling-I want it to last. But it can't—because I can't. What else can I say?"

Rikku could clearly tell it hurt him to say he couldn't say those words-the ones she had told him herself many times, with him answering with just a smile, or a ruffle of the hair-she should have figured it out then. He didn't REALLY care for her…

Rikku opened her mouth, about to retort "You CAN say something else! You can say you love me!" but she stopped herself. Would she really want to hear it—if it meant nothing at all?

Her head hung low, blond hair flying around her head as a breeze blew past her. The memory flashed before her eyes, and it still stung her now. Right before she had left on her first journey…when she thought he could have come with her…but instead, he had ruined the only thing important to Rikku.

She HAD truly loved him. They had been friends ever since she could remember…she had had feelings for him ever since a young age, and they had been through so much-wars, arguments, rebuildings of Home, machina expeditions…everything.

And he had ruined it all by not being strong enough to stay in a relationship. She had acted happy through out the past years, just because she felt the need to seem happy. Even though she wasn't .She never could be, knowing she had meant nothing to Gippal.

And now that it was all over, Rikku just felt plain anger boiling inside of her again. Those emotions were a bad combination-anger and sadness could kill a person.

"Rikku?" A tentative voice called from the balcony doors.

"What?" She asked sharply. Plainly, she just didn't feel like conversing at the moment.

Whoever it was took those words as an invite to come walk up behind her. "Are you—all right?"

"Does it look like I'm all right?" She growled, her arms resting lazily on the balcony's wall while tears streamed down her face.

Suddenly two strong, well built arms wrapped around her waist. She froze, her eyes wide.

"Cunno." The voice muttered softly resting their head on her shoulder. For a moment, Rikku felt relaxed, with his strong, familiar arms protecting her, and his breath right near her ear. She felt shivers ease up her spine, when—

"What?! Get OFF of me, Gippal!" She shrieked, whirling around and kneeing him in the stomach.

"Ow! Jesus, Rikku…" He muttered, backing up from her, his arms clenched tightly around his stomach. Rikku just 'hmphed'.

"What in Spira do you think you're doing, Gippal?! Don't TOUCH me!" She screamed, even louder than before. Gippal raised his head and glared at her.

"Shut UP Rikku, people will hear you!" Already a few curious heads were turned in the direction of the doors. Gippal swerved around and shut them abruptly so no one could hear the two have a soon-to-be screaming fight.

Rikku had turned back to facing outside. WHY had he touched her? Hadn't he broken up with her? Why was he acting like they were back together again?

"It was just an apology." He finally muttered. Rikku whirled to her left to see him standing against the balcony edge, his legs crossed and his one arm resting lazily above his head on the wall.

"Some apology." She muttered. "Reminding me of what we used to have? Yea-great idea, genius."

"Now, now, anger doesn't solve a thing, young grasshopper."

"Since when have you cared about that? You used to bash people upside the head for taking something of yours—"

"Yes, BUT, I've changed."

Rikku glanced at him to see a twinkling in his eye with an eased smile on his face.

"What a load of crap." She muttered with a grim smirk on her face.

"No, no, it's true! Being with Nhadala has inspired me to look at life in a completely different view."

"Oh yay. Now I've got a goody-goody two shoes hanging around me." Rikku glared up at him, and he just watched her with a steady eye. She finally sighed.

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"Oh you know what I mean!" Rikku yelled. He sighed.

"Almost a year."

"A-A YEAR?!" Rikku shrieked, turning around to face him.

"Yes. A year. Have a hearing problem, Granny?" Rikku glared at him.

"You haven't changed that much."

"I'm workin' on it."

A silence ensued those words. "Why?" She finally asked. "WHY can you stay with HER for almost a year, but with me, it's a big, fat, no no?"

Gippal sighed. "I have my reasons."

"They probably suck."

"Probably."

"But I just-just don't get it!" She finally cried, rubbing at her eyes to stop the tears from falling. "What does she have that I didn't? A lobotomy or something?!"

"Huh?"

"Well she seems to be pretty wrapped up in you-listens to anything you say, agrees with anything you say, GIGGLES at anything you say—she'd probably jump off of a bride if you asked her to, all the while GIGGLING!"

Rikku breathed heavily, her eyes round and wild. She looked up to see an angry look on his face.

"Look, just because she's actually interested in me and what I say doesn't mean you get the right to judge her!" He hissed.

"Judge? Who's JUDGING? I'm stating simple facts! If you came out of your trance and actually paid attention to her and not just her looks, you might notice that!"

"Are you calling me shallow?" He asked, eye wild with rage.

"Well you didn't seem to be interested in anything else when you were with ME!" Rikku finally shrieked, heading for the doors that led back to the dance.

"There's more to it than that!" He called as she reached for the handle. She stopped, her grip loosening. She wanted to hear it all-everything he had to say and why he had left her…maybe there WAS a reason…maybe he didn't mean what he had said.

"Cunno." She muttered, as she opened the door. "I don't have time to listen to more of your pathetic lies. Your love is waiting for you by the punch table by the way—" She stopped, an evil grin overtaking her lips.

"Looks like she got a little tired of your ego." Rikku then opened the door to walk back in, with a curious Gippal striding quickly over to the door. As she stepped in she heard him gasp. A small ping of sadness for him overtook her-she couldn't help but feel bad for him.

Who wants to find their girlfriend kissing some other man?

"Cred." She heard him mutter. She sighed and turned around.

"Cunno, Gippal. But next time, think before you choose your mates, all right? They might want a little more than an eye staring at them, and nothing else."

"But I paid attention to her! We talked and laughed and-and you saw us dancing!"

"Did she ever say I love you?" Rikku finally asked, rage pricking at her skin. Gippal stopped in mid sentence and glared at her.

"Yes." He mumbled.

"And did you ever say I love you back?"

Another awkward pause.

"No."

"Well THERE'S your answer!" She cried, throwing her arms in the air. "Don't expect to stick with a girl if you never admit to your feelings-I've had plenty of experience with that."

With those words Rikku turned around and headed for the doors that led out of this god forsaken stadium.

After she left, she would be free of Gippal—no more temptation to remind her of her sadness.

She could finally be set free.

"OUT! OUT!" A maid screamed at Rikku in one of the hotels in Luca. She moaned, legs kicking the air to try and get the blanket off.

"One sec!" She cried to the maid outside. "Ballistic much?" She muttered, as she grabbed for her usual bikini outfit.

Finally, as she packed up her things in the bathroom, she glanced at her hair. "Hmm…" She muttered, glancing up at it. "I think it's time we changed your do."

After a quick word with the maid (more like a few screams), Rikku got some extra time to quickly undo her braids. Soon her hair was let down, wavy blond locks cascading over her shoulders and down to almost her elbows. She grinned, and decided to leave her hair down. Soon she escaped the room of the hotel and headed down the staircase. She needed to get out of this city-everyone was still yibbering on about the social last night-not like she enjoyed listening to it.

With a sigh of relief she stepped out onto the bustling streets of Luca. A few stray seagulls flew past her, cawing out for food. That reminded Rikku-she was hungry.

After buying an apple or two from a nearby vendor, Rikku sat at a bench, munching on her apple while lost in deep thought. Where would she go? Not Besaid, Yunie and Tidus needed their time…not big cities like this, NOT Bevelle, Bikanel was now just a big pile of sand…

With a sickening realization, Rikku knew…there was nowhere for her to go.

"Augh, get out of my eyes." She muttered at her hair. She quickly pulled the wind blown hair behind her ears. What to do…what to do…

Suddenly she gasped. Her eyes had been staring at one, shadowy corner…but she hadn't actually paid attention to what was in it. She quickly stood up, but just as fast sat back down.

She couldn't go talk to him-not after their huge argument last night. As much as she wanted to hear his voice talking to her, she forced restraint. The last thing she needed was temptation.

With a sigh she stood up to leave the area. But she needed to get rid of her apple cores. Great. Just what she needed. The only trash can was right near the shadowy corner. If she could just drop them in and run…

Rikku slinked over to the corner, afraid to even look at him. But he wasn't paying attention anyway. He sat cross-legged, head in hands and eye trained on the ground. Quick as a flash she dropped the apple cores in and started to make a mad dash.

"Cid's Girl?"

She cringed as she heard a small chuckle.

"Nice hairdo." She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not—you can never tell what a man means when he's moping over losing a girlfriend.

"Do you mean it?" She asked, trying to sound cold. But instead, it came out sounding hopeful.

Aw man.

"Yea. Surprisingly, I do." He stood up and fingered a fly away strand and tucked it behind her ear. She shivered.

It doesn't mean anything, it doesn't mean anything…

"Thanks." She muttered, starting to blush.

"So where're you headed?" He asked lazily, leaning up against the stone wall. Rikku resisted the urge to roll her eyes. No matter how sad he was, he always tried to act calm.

"I-I-" She paused. "I really don't know." She finally managed. "Everyone's leaving to do something, and there's really nothing to do for me, or anywhere for me to go…"

"Come to Djose." Drawled Gippal, interrupting. Rikku faultered.

"What?"

"Come. To. Djose." Gippal repeated, smirking. "Seriously, get a hearing aid."

Rikku blushed. "No thanks. Working on machina-"

"Machines."

"Right. Working on machines doesn't really appeal to me with you breathing down my neck all the while."

"Aw, come on. Do you really think I'm hiring you just so I can pay all of my attention to you?"

"Yes." She answered immediately.

"Oh, geez. Come on."

"No way in Spira."

"You said so yourself, there's no where for you to go."

"Nu-uh."

"Pretty please?"

"In your dreams."

"Look. You don't usually hear me beg." Gippal growled standing up to his full height. "And this is the last time you ever will. I know you love working on machina-machines, sorry. I know you do. No one can live with you for 16 years and not notice. And the Machine Faction won't be just me, there'll be all sorts of other people to supervise you."

"Weeellllll…" Rikku pondered this. She did love machina, and Gippal mentioning knowing her for 16 years made her heart flutter. Wait. What did THAT have to do with anything?

Anyway, and besides…if she got paid…

"Am I getting paid?"

"You normally do at a job."

"Hmmm…" She tapped her chin with a finger softly.

"I'll think about-but if, and only if…you accompany me to the docks."

"Huh? Why?"

Rikku shrugged. "I just have a feeling there's something there I should go see."

You just want to buy more time with him. Chided a voice.

SHUT UP! We're over, I don't want to bother him anymore.

It's HIM who asked you to work for him, is it not?

I'm just going to grumble angrily at you…

"Fine. It's a deal." Gippal gave her a genuine smile and held out his hand for her to shake.

"It sure is." She replied, grasping his hand and shaking it firmly.

A/N: Gak! I'm sorry! I ran out of ideas! –sob- I did the standard "let's work for you, Gippal my love!" Augh. Don't say I'm uncreative-I know I am. –cringes- If you've read my first story, you can tell this one is written a little differently. Hopefully not in a bad way! R&R please!