A/N: I can't leave this story alone—I'm becoming…obsessive…compulsive….-spasms-

Rikku's Boat: Around Noon

"Hmm…" It would be our pleasure, Rikku." Sunny decided, giving her a winning smile. Rikku grinned and gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks Sunny! I owe you guys!"

"How about just by telling us what you've been doing these past few years on the trip, eh?" Bilak asked, his eyes twinkling. Rikku smiled at him.

"Well---I guess…"

Rikku hopped off of the boat as the three men shared a chuckle. "Hey Gippal! I got us a ride to Djose…" She stopped slowly, stopping in mid-step. She raised an eyebrow at Gippal. "Err—you okay?"

"Huh-what? Oh…fine…and I-I heard." Gippal said, his eyes frozen on the skyline in front of him. His skin had taken a sickly pale color, and his eyes had grown hugely wide. Rikku could see his whole body trembling, and him trying to still it.

"You don't look fine to me." Rikku stated, her eyes narrowing and hands on her hips.

"You're not my mother." Gippal growled, closing his eye and leaning his head against the wall of boxes behind him. Rikku sighed.

"Come on Gippal, just tell me what's wrong!"

"I-I'm not much of a seadog."

"Huh?"

Gippal opened his eye and glared at her, his head still leaning against the boxes. "I prefer land, all right? Are you happy now, your majesty?"

"You mean you're scared of being on a boat?" Rikku asked, trying to stifle an eruption of giggles. This caused her another glare from Gippal.

"I like anything-air, land, underground—but I just hate going on boats." He stood up shakily. "But now, that's none of your business, is it?"

Rikku sniffed and turned her back on him. "Sorry I tried to help. At least I'm coming to work at Djose for you—"

"Augh…why did I hire you again?" He muttered, his hands clenched into fists. Rikku walked up and poked his nose lightly.

"It's because you can't bare to live without me!" At that precise moment the two heard hurried footsteps behind the boxes.

"Gippal? Gippal? Oh, I'm SO sorry, Gippal! I didn't mean for it to turn out like that! We were just talking, and then suddenly—" A small sob escaped the person, "I would never mean to hurt you Gippal!"

"Well it's too late!" Gippal cried over the boxes. "You've hurt me already!"

Rikku cringed. It was that accursed Nhadala. How had she found him? Just when they were about to leave…

"Gippal? Oh Gippal!" Nhadala rushed around the wall of boxes and leapt into Gippal. He kept his arms frozen at his sides, glaring at her.

"Whaddya want?" He asked coldly. Nhadala looked up at him with sad eyes, and realizing he wasn't going to hug her back, took a step away.

"Well, I've been searching all over Luca for you this morning—"

"Pity."

"AND I was calling out your name and my apologies and everything—oh Gippal I was so drunk! I'm sorry! I've liked-no-loved you for the longest time! Please don't leave me…"

Pff. What a put on. Rikku growled inside, noticing the "fake" tears in Nhadala's eyes.

Poor Rikku. So filled with jealousy she forgot this was pretty much the scene when Gippal broke up with her-at least, that's how she acted.

"Love?" Gippal scoffed. "Love? Sorry, but when you look up the word love in the dictionary, it doesn't read 'Cheating on Gippal'. Nope. It's over Nhadala; and don't get mad at me-you're the one who started it."

"But—it's been almost a year, we have so many memories—"

"Well---we have more." Gippal stated bluntly, wrapping his arm around Rikku's waist. She growled at him, but he sent her a glare and she fell silent. She noticed that the men on board had suddenly become eerily quiet. Rikku didn't want to look for fear of embarrassment, but she guessed they were watching this whole scene.

Nhadala glared at Rikku. "You, and—and—Cid's daughter?"

"Now, now, don't say it like it's a dirty word Nhadala 'honey'—just because it's not you." Gippal took his arm off of her (much to the disappointment—er—relief of Rikku) and instead squeezed her hand. Rikku nearly died. All this affection was a little too much-even if it was fake.

Nhadala sighed and looked up in his eye once more. "So it's—really over?"

"Because of you-yes." Gippal retorted. Rikku glanced up at him. No matter how much of a charade he put on, she could clearly tell he was sad to see her-and to break up with her. You don't know a guy for 16 years and not be able to read him like a book.

"Er—come on Gippal-the boat's waiting." Rikku tugged at his hand. He glanced down at her and nodded, and Rikku once again noticed his pale face.

"Yea—right." He stated, gulping. But before they stepped onboard he turned around and held his hand out to Nhadala. "I can't leave acting like a jerk, can I?" He asked, giving her a small, grim smile. Nhadala glanced up at him, shook his hand once, and stumbled away.

Rikku and Gippal watched her run away. Without realizing it, Rikku gave his hand a reassuring squeeze-he was hurt, and she could tell.

He glanced down at their still interlocked hands. "Well, well." He said, smirking. "Rikku, I never knew-"

Rikku glared up at him and ripped her hand away. "I was being sympathetic. Unlike you-I'm not your little puppet to use to your liking!" Rikku cried out, her eyes narrowing to slits, suddenly filled with rage at what he had used her for. "Next time, don't use me as your little self-esteem booster, all right? Admit it to the next girl that's broken your heart—you. Are. Hurt. All right?" She tried to squeeze all her anger and fury into her glare. Thinking he had enough to think about, she whirled around and ran onto the boat towards the three men.

After she had gone, Gippal sighed. "I wish I could tell her." He muttered, shaking his head. "I really wish I could."

Later That Afternoon…

Rikku hummed a little tune as she leaned against the railing of the ship, letting the soothing waves splash around underneath her, and the salty air wrap her in its aroma. All afternoon she had been telling her friends of her first adventure. As much as she wanted to continue onto her second, they had had to go into the hatch to steer the boat…Bilak had said something else about plans, or—something, but she hadn't really been listening. She had just been moping over that they were leaving her, even though they had been separated for the longest time—and now she would have to be alone with Gippal.

She glanced to her right to see him huddled over by the crane, his face in his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs. She heard him muttering a familiar phrase in Al Bhed for safety—she smiled grimly. Boy, did he know how to make a girl feel guilty.

She walked over to him slowly and plopped down beside him, her legs spread wide in a "V" and her toes pointed upward. She rested on her elbows and glanced over to him. Just barely she could see his temple and his ear, his eye squeezed shut.

"Gippal—it's okay. You're not going to die." He shivered.

"Cid's Girl?"

"Yea?"

"Shut up."

She grinned widely. "I'm just letting you know-the trip's gonna be a while, and I don't think sitting there will help anyone."

"It's helping me." He growled, his voice muffled.

"No it's not—it's just increasing your fear."

"Since when did you decide to start talking to me again?" She heard his voice come out strained. She sighed.

"Since you made me feel guilty for bringing you on this boat-now become un-afraid so I don't feel so bad."

"Hey-you can be scared of thunder and lightning, I can be—not comfortable with boats, all right?"

Rikku sighed heavily. "Fine. Be that way."

There was a momentary silence in which Rikku started humming the song again, braided a strand of her hair, picked at something underneath her fingernails, wiggled her toes, hummed some more, and other things that annoyed Gippal mercilessly.

"Will you stop?" He asked, grinding his teeth. "Some of us are trying to forget where we are!"

Rikku smiled and poked at his arm. "Only if you stand up, okay? Please? Pretty please with sugar on top? I just want you to stand up, is all! One baby step at a time."

Gippal groaned. "What if I don't?"

"I—I won't work for you." Rikku knew it was a lie-but if she implied it in a serious tone, he just might believe her.

His eye opened and glared at her. "Serious?"

"Dead." Rikku stated, nodding. He sighed heavily. Rikku could almost see the gears working in his brain.

"Fine. Just standing up."

His arm reached blindly for the crane so he could steady himself. He unbent his legs and kneeled on one, his eye still clenched tightly shut.

"Come on, Gippal-it's all right." She gripped at one arm and lifted it slowly. He lifted up his kneeled leg so he was kind of standing/crouching. He raised his head a bit, which was a mistake. With a sickening thud it hit the bottom of the crane.

"Oh f-"

Rikku tugged at his arm. "Come on, just open your eye and you might not be so blind." Gippal opened his eye just a tiny bit, the eyelid fluttering. Rikku couldn't help but smile. She felt like a teacher-she was helping someone!

His other arm reached out for the crane until both hands were clutched tightly to its comforting metallic sides. His legs unbent, and soon he was standing, though rather shakily, as the boat moved forward in the water. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Hey! Hey! I can do it! I'm standing up on a boat!" He flashed Rikku a real smile, and she grinned back.

"Hey, the only way to get rid of your fears is to face them." Rikku murmured the words Gippal had told her many years ago. He seemed to remember too, for he flashed her –gasp- yet another genuine smile.

For a moment, everything seemed normal. This was when another memory flashed through her mind.

"NO! Gipp-NO way in Spira am I going in there!" The two friends stood at the Thunder Plains entrance from Guadosalam.

"Oh come ON Rikku, it can't be that bad!" Rikku could see a small smile on his face, which caused her frown to deepen.

"Oh, it CAN be, Gippal! If your brother zapped YOU with a lightning spell and had to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks, I'm sure you would understand."

The 13-year-old boy just grinned at her and ruffled her hair. "But I'M coming in with you-there's abso-posi nothing to be afraid of!" Rikku shuddered. Her friend's presence was comforting, but—no.

Her body started to tremble, and she clutched onto his arms. Memories of burning flesh, her flesh, screams, yells, ambulance, a hospital where her father sat in the corner crying—looking in a mirror to see her hair burned off so only a few inches remained…

"NO." She stated firmly, turning her back on the tunnel. "You're so mean to do this Gippal!"

She felt his hand on her shoulder as he approached her from behind. "The only way to get rid of your fears is to face them." Gippal breathed into her ear. She turned around so they were barely an inch apart.

She grinned shyly at him. "Well, I'm facing one of mine right now." She poked at his chest, and he gave her a cocky grin.

"Fine, I guess I'll have to go in alone." With that he turned around and walked into the tunnel, the rumbles of far off thunder ringing in Rikku's ears.

"Gippal-no!" She cried at his retreating body. She sighed. "What a meanie." With that she ran into the tunnel after her friend, knowing that, deep down, he was using a stupid scheme to try and help her get over her fear. She smiled wryly. "What a friend." She muttered.

"What a friend."

A sudden wave lurched at the boat, rocking it back and forth angrily. Gippal let out a yip and gripped onto the crane once more. Rikku, lost in thought, felt her body being thrown into the air. She screamed as she saw the railing sail away from below her. She clawed at the air, but there was nothing to hold onto. Already she was sinking, falling far below…it was too late…the boat would already be ahead by the time she resurfaced…

Now she knew why Gippal was scared of being on a boat.

Her scream was cut off as a strong hand gripped at her wrist, cutting a thin line when it came to her survival. She glanced up to see Gippal leaning over the rail, holding onto her wrist. Even though he had on an expression probably far more frightened then hers, he pulled her back up and over the railing in one swift movement. Rikku's mind was still moving slowly—she had been an inch from what would most likely be death, and Gippal, deathly afraid of being on a boat, had jumped across the boat and even leaned over a railing-just to save her.

Now that took guts from a guy who was scared of just swaying gently on a boat, let alone having to run across while a huge wave nearly swallowed the thing.

She breathed in slowly. "G-G-Gippal?" She managed to stutter, looking up at him. His hands were clasped on her shoulders, and his eyes held relief.

"Oh, thank Yevon." He murmured, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I thought you were gonna die, Rikku."

Rikku sighed happily and gave him a hug back. "Me too. Thank you for saving me…if you hadn't been here I would be dead." They broke apart and she gave him a small peck on the cheek, causing him to grow slightly pinker in the cheeks.

"Eh-it was no problem…" The boat wavered a bit as another wave came. This time both of them gripped onto each other for support—Gippal still afraid of boats, and Rikku still in the shocked stage of her near death experience. After the wave passed, the two looked at each other-sweaty, frightened looking, and clinging onto one another—and laughed.

A/N: Yay! I HAD to incorporate some fluffiness! Kind of just a filler chapter, but I felt it was necessary. Oh, by the way, when Rikku tells him to say his true feelings when the next girl breaks his hearts, and he says he wishes he could—he IS talking about Rikku, I just didn't know if that made any sense or not. R&R please, it'll make my day SO much better than you think!