Author's Notes: Hey guys... I'm sorry I haven't updated lately . School's been killer and I've been hooked to FFXI. But... haha yeah. On to the story...
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While being lost in a daze alone on the Celsius's bridge, Gippal waited for Brother and the gang to finally return to the Celsius to take off. Gippal didn't hear the door open behind him, but he felt a soft grip reach for his arm and spin him around, guiding him away from his daze. Obviously, it was Rikku who had just pulled the bold move, yet he didn't mind the interruption. After all, it was Rikku. He watched her smile at him and greet him in a sing-song voice -- the usual and most typical. Gippal replied by calling Rikku sexy and lifted her from the floor. It was just moments ago since both him Rikku shared their first intimate moment, and they still couldn't get enough of each other. He placed her on the railing atop of the bridge and kissed her deeply, taking every breath of hers away. Gippal was never the romantic type, always aggressive and upfront. Knowing Rikku, she probably wouldn't ask for romance from him, and that was a reassurance he loved to know. Gippal knew he cared and had love for Rikku, but he kept on feeling the insecurity of having her take over him. That was a line he didn't want her to pass. He used her as he pleased, but never going overboard, afraid of losing his heart.
"Ahem. Care for a room guys? My childhood eyes can't bear to watch anymore of this." Gippal heard a scratched voice call from behind. This voice was Shinra's, the one, the only. Gippal was annoyed by the second disruption and ignored the kid, continuing to kiss Rikku. He felt Rikku smile and give in to his devious wants. He was in control now, and no kid was about to stop him from having some fun. Shinra started up again, "You hormone-filled teenagers --"
"Go away kid." Gippal said turning his face sideways, interrupting Shinra in the middle of his sentence. Rikku, not liking the fact that Gippal had stopped kissing her, still continued to try and kiss him, shoving his face back into hers. This was a aggressive Rikku, a sexy one. Gippal liked... If only the presence of the kid standing behind him wasn't ruining the atmosphere.
"Don't say I didn't warn you..." Said Shinra as he walked past the two towards his seat. Gippal heard buttons being pushed and rapid typing. 'What a geek.' He thought and figured to just ignore the annoying presence. 'Wait a second... warn me about what?' Gippal stood back, letting go of Rikku and looked behind him. He heard footsteps echo in the hallway.
"Damn. Brother." Gippal whispered to Rikku. Rikku's face turned upside down and Gippal saw how displeased she was. She didn't like the sound of having Brother around any more than Gippal did. It would've been just weird for the both of them to be making out while he was there. Brother's presence would ruin almost every atmosphere. Gippal slowly backed off of Rikku and walked away to the corner. He saw Rikku smile wide, even though she was unsatisfied with having to break away from him, she was still happy over what he had done to her. She dazed hypnotically at Gippal before turning around and headed down to the center of the bridge. Gippal watched her stumble a bit, as if she were walking on air and he laughed at himself. Had he really done that to her? Gippal brushed off the thought as he heard the door open and Brother came rushing in with Buddy behind him. Brother was whooping in excitement. He then idiotically jumped over the railing, getting one of his ankles caught and crash-landed to the floor with a loud thud. Gippal laughed at Brother who was moaning in agony and avoided making any movement. Gippal was sure that the hard-headed Brother was alright, he didn't need to care for him.
It was obvious that no one had cared about Brother injuring himself; Gippal watched Buddy nod his head in sympathy before walking over to his usual seat. Glancing over to Shinra, Gippal noticed that he had completely ignored the situation. Gippal then spotted Rikku pouting at Brother as she said to him that he deserved it. After that, she turned her back and minded her own business, bouncing gently in place. A smile spread across the corner of Gippal's lips as he stared at her, reminiscing about the sensual kisses he and her had already shared. Suddenly, the thought of the nights he would stay awake just thinking about her and needing her in his arms flushed back into his mind. A stroke of fear struck him. Now that he was with her, he knew the pain he experienced those nights would flood back to him the moment he and her split up.
Gippal leaned his head back to the wall and stared up at the ceiling. Was making that very first move on Rikku a bad choice? He knew his heart wouldn't be able to handle a heartbreak from her. Being with Rikku was becoming more of a pain than a fortune to him. Worry always appeared to sweep him from his normal thoughts, and he knew he was changing into something he always feared to become. Gippal was a womanizer, and how was it that Rikku had hit him where no other has? This wasn't right... Gippal needed the control, and most times he was with Rikku, it was hard to tell whether he was self-controlled, or if he had let her grip his heart right out of his chest and slowly squeeze the life out of it as much as she pleased. He had to admit that he liked it whenever he was with her, but he hated the fear he felt every time he touched her, afraid that she'd pull away. As much as Gippal did to fill himself of her, he also did his most to try and push away the feelings that came along with it. Gippal wouldn't dare tell Rikku of his emotions either; if she liked him for the way he normally acted, he'd have to keep his act up. He knew Rikku loved fun, and Gippal tried his hardest to make himself stay like that. Becoming an emotional sissy might just make her pack up and leave... which Gippal feared just as much as he feared himself.
"Uuhhh....to Besaid!!! ... Ergh." Gippal heard Brother mumble before standing up slowly and wobble to his seat. Gippal closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. Moments later, Gippal heard the engine fire up and felt the Celsius lift up and fly away along with his thoughts.
"Woo hoo! Besaid, here I am!" Rikku declared as she hustled down off the Celsius. She inhaled the deep fresh air; something different compared to the damp atmosphere back in Home and loved it. There was another smile on her face that couldn't be wiped off as she sprinted towards the tents. She was so excited to see everyone again that she had forgotten about Gippal, who was still behind her near the ship. She knew he wouldn't mind though, these people were her family. Rikku had reached the entrance and stopped in her step. She browsed through the people walking around, looking for a familiar face or two. Luckily, it was just seconds after till she had spotted Tidus walking out of his tent. Her smile had grown to her ears. To her, there was never a down moment when Tidus was near; Rikku felt envious towards the bond Tidus and Yuna shared.
Rikku left a row of dust behind her feet as she sprinted off towards Tidus, screaming his name aloud. She was glad he had finally come back; she had missed him so much. Every time she saw him felt like seeing him for the first time, and it always made her happy. The screaming had caught Tidus's attention and he turned his head to look at her with a surprised smile on his face. Rikku leaped into his open arms and gave him a quick bear hug before she backed off and started to talk to him.
"It feels so good seeing you again! " Rikku gleamed.
"Yah... How's it going, Rikku?" Tidus looked at her with his clear blue eyes, his face appeared to glow from the nice tan he had gotten.
"Good, good. Home's almost done! You need to drop by our Completion Party! It'll be a blast!" Rikku was bouncing heavily in place, her excitement was taking over. "Ooo...and I got a secret to tell yah!" Rikku winked at Tidus and then hushed her lips. Tidus smiled at the childish soul that was still in her and nodded. Rikku wanted to tell him about Gippal, hoping he'd accept the fact that she was with him. She knew Yuna was going to have some problems; Yunie always found herself being creeped out by him. Yet, Yunie didn't see the other side of Gippal that Rikku saw... sometimes. Rikku was hoping Gippal wouldn't return to the jerk that he used to be and make both her and Yunie dislike him.
Tidus then lifted his head and looked behind Rikku's shoulder, spotting Gippal. His eyebrow raised from curiosity as he watched Gippal stiffly walk into Besaid. Gippal seemed so foreign with his heavy armor and his dark appearance compared to the summer side looks of everyone else. Rikku turned to see what Tidus was looking at and smiled at Gippal. Gippal returned the smile and walked up to Rikku and Tidus.
"So... Tidus. It's been a while." Gippal said, standing next to Rikku. Rikku saw a smirk form on Gippal's face as Tidus and him started to make light conversation. Rikku figured she'd leave the guys alone told them she was going to look for Yuna, then turned around and headed towards the tent. Rikku popped into Yunie's tent, nearly stumbling all over herself and found Yuna fixing her hair.
"Yunie!" Rikku shouted and raced towards Yuna to hug her tightly. "I missed you so much!"
Yuna was shocked by the sudden appearance, yet she was happy to see Rikku again. "Rikku. It's been so long! I'm glad to see you again." Yuna said in her soft gentle voice. She stood up and hugged Rikku once more. "How's it going, Rikku? Is Home coming along well?"
"Yep... We're almost done too! After all this time..." Rikku rambled. She went over and sat on the sofa, soaking into the comfort that came with it. "So... how's you and Tidus? You're so lucky Yunie."
"Well, I guess I am. Tidus is so wonderful Rikku." Yuna sat down next to Rikku and turned to face her. "Him being here with me feels so great, and every morning when I wake up to see his face, my heart just cries with happiness."
Rikku smiled at the thought and then continued to listen to Yunie speak about Tidus. "It feels like I'm living a dream everyday. Nothing seems real, but it is. And for that, I'm so thankful. Do you understand what I'm saying Rikku?"
"Uh..." Rikku scrunched her eyebrows and looked at Yuna with an uneven face. Even though she knew she liked Gippal, he had never made her feel that way. Rikku sat in silent confusion. Yuna didn't wait for her to answer and started to speak again.
"I can always smile when I think of Tidus," Yuna said as she stood up and beamed back at Rikku. "His eyes dance with mine whenever I see him and when we touch... I feel like I'm touching a ghost. It's so unbelievable... but so good."
Rikku stared at the floor and started to play with her feet. She was happy for Yuna and Tidus, but the feeling she was experiencing inside troubled her. She wanted what Yuna had, but of course she didn't get it. "Well... that's great Yunie! But hey... can I ask you something?"
"Of course Rikku, what is it?"
"Do you... do you think I can ever feel the way you feel?" Rikku said with hope in her voice.
"I believe you can, Rikku. You just have to find that special someone. That someone's out there for you." Yuna said with a smile.
"Well, do you think Gippal can do that to me?" Yuna's eyes suddenly changed it's dreamy look and her face twitched with displeasure. "Whoops..." Rikku slightly whispered, realizing that she hadn't thought about what she just said before it came out of her mouth. She squeezed her eyes and pulled back her jaw in embarrassment. She had to think of something quick to take back the words that she had just said. "Uhh..uh.. or Baralai? Or anyone else?"
Yuna stared at her for a moment then smiled once again. "Well... there are many fish in the sea. You'll find the right one someday." Yuna winked at Rikku as Rikku gave out a big sigh of relief. She was so close to getting caught, good thing she had thought of something quick to say. 'Rikku, you slick girl. You're so smart.' She thought to herself while smiling real wide. Now that the conversation was over, Rikku was curious about Wakka and Lulu.
"The baby!" Rikku squealed as she hopped off the sofa. She skipped to the entrance and opened the flap. "I want to see! Let's go see the baby!"
"Wooo.. woooo!" Rikku babbled as the child in her arms giggled in delight. Rikku lifted the baby above her head and swayed it to and fro, giving the baby a gentle roller coaster ride. Rikku laughed along with the baby and then stabled the child in her arms, stopping the fun. The baby started to grip on her lose braids, causing Rikku to squint with pain. "Ouch ouch, ouch, ouch. Nice baby! Come on, let go of Rikku's hair!"
Lulu softly laughed and then removed the baby from Rikku. Lulu settled him down and placed him back in his crib. "He gets it from his father. Sometimes a little too playful."
"Hey now. He's going to grow up and be the next Blitzball star of Spira! It's a good trait, yah." Wakka said as he pounded his fist together with pride. Rikku smiled at how fatherly Wakka had become and yet, he still knew how to be the same ol' Wakka. Wakka then walked up to Rikku as Lulu was occupied with their child. "Hey Rikku, do you mind doing us a favor?"
"Hm?" Rikku responded, wondering what Wakka was about to ask her. She closed her hands together behind her back and leaned forward.
"Want to watch Jr. here just for a little while? It's been forever since me and Lulu had the chance to just hang out alone, you know? I want to bring Lulu someplace nice. Yuna and Tidus have been too busy and I'm not trusting the team players with my child." Wakka remarked, sounding a little desperate. Rikku then thought of how the both of them wouldn't have the chance to spend time together because of the baby, and she was sympathetic towards their situation.
"Yeah. Of course I will Wakka! Anything for you two. Hehe." Rikku said in confirmation. Wakka smiled and patted Rikku on the back; he then turned to his wife to tell her the good news. Wakka and Lulu gave Rikku instructions, kissed their baby goodbye, and then walked towards the door. Lulu turned around to bow courteously before Rikku. Rikku smiled and said, "You guys have fun now, you hear?"
"We sure will!" Wakka said while heading out of the tent. After they both had left, Rikku plopped on the bed then sighed happily at the thought of Wakka and Lulu finally having the chance to squeeze a little more romance into their life. Rikku got up from the bed and walked over to the baby's crib, finding him fast asleep.
"Wow! You do take after Wakka... you're already asleep the second you close your eyes!" Rikku whispered as she tucked the baby with blankets. Rikku sat next to the crib, watching the baby sleep, which had made her tired. She yawned and stretch her arms out wide then laid on the couch. "Maybe... I'll get a little rest too." Rikku wearily whispered under her breath as she silently dozed off.
Gippal had finished his conversation with Tidus and had walked over to the entrance of the temple, overlooking Besaid. The place was so original and untouched by any means of Machina. Gippal found it sort of disgusting, but it was nice in it's own little way. The sun streaked the land in every corner, something Gippal was not used to seeing. There were kids running around and one decided to come up to him to tug on his pants.
"Hey Mister, Mister!" The young boy said trying to get his attention.
"Woah... yeah, little man? What is it?" Gippal faced down to the pest that was nearly ripping his pants off.
"You came with Rikku, didn't you?" The little boy smiled and looked back towards the tents.
"Ahem... yes I did. What's it to yah?" Gippal said to the boy out of curiosity. "Do you like her?"
The little boy blushed slightly and told Gippal yes. Gippal gave out a hearty laugh and rustled the boy's brown hair.
"Well, sorry little man, but she's with me." Gippal said confidently.
"Awww..." The little boy groaned. "Can't I have her?"
The question the boy had just asked made Gippal chuckle. "If you grow up to be better than me. Who knows -- miracles can happen. That's means you got a lot of work to do!"
"Hmm... I wanna be like Tidus now then." The little boy told Gippal before he ran off to play with his other friends.
"What?" Gippal's mouth dropped and then scrunched together. 'What in Spira was that?' He pondered, a little frustrated. Suddenly, talking about Rikku had made him wonder where she was, so he went searching for her. He walked into Wakka's tent and found her laying on the sofa soundly asleep, just like the baby in the crib. "Nice babysitting, Rikku. You're asleep just like the baby."
Gippal kneeled down and put his hand over Rikku's face. He caressed her cheeks slowly and pushed back a lose strand. He placed a warm kiss on her lips and grabbed a blanket to put over her body. After he tucked her in, he whispered into her ear, "Huf oui'na so pypo." [Now you're my baby.] Gippal then sat near Rikku's feet and decided to help her watch the child even though he wanted to go back into the Celsius, where he'd feel more comfortable. He placed his head back and stared at the top of the tent, eventually causing him to drift off into a dream state. When Gippal woke up, he found Rikku's face just inches away from his. He was surprised to see her already awake.
"Wake up sleepy head!" Rikku said as she pulled him up by the yellow straps that crossed his lower chest. "But be quiet... the baby's still sleeping."
Rikku placed a finger over Gippal's lips as he smiled gently. Gippal then grabbed her arms and wrapped them around his neck. He took his hands and wrapped them around Rikku's waist, gently tickling her spine with his fingers. The warmth of her body was comforting and her eyes were sparkling with excitement, making Gippal heat up along with her. Gippal leaned over and started to tease her lips with short, sensual kisses. He then left her lips and started to kiss her jaw, eventually lowering to her neck, which made her giggle. Gippal could picture Rikku's face as he was pleasing her, eyes closed, small smile, and a heart beat too unstable to control.
"You... you know what, Gippal?" Rikku said through breaths. Gippal didn't stop what he was doing and made her question rhetorical. "I... I don't think my heart's crying."
Gippal stopped and looked at her in the eyes with confusion. "What are you talking about?" He waited for Rikku to answer, but all she did was stare at him. Without answering his question, she placed a kiss on his lips and then hugged him deeply.
"I'm talking about you..."
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Author's Notes: Hey guys! I'm SO SORRY it took me nearly FOREVER to write the next chapter... . sorry, sorry, sorry! Hoped you liked!