Thanks sooo much to everyone for their great reviews! Just to let you guys know, in this fanfic, Rikku is 20 and Gippal is 21! I somehow saw Gippal as being a lot older than Rikku, but I will stick to Square's official ages, and keep them a year apart! Please read and review!!! Thanks so much guys! Oh, and by the way, some of the language is in Al Bhed, but I will post the translation next to the phrase in parenthesis, so you don't have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the translation. (I hate that!)
Read On!
Rikku stepped off the Celsius, her bags in tow. "Oh Poopie! How did Paine manage to talk me into this!" She stared upward toward the huge towers of the Hope of Spira headquarters.
"Great Spira! Bevelle sure is huge!" She said quietly, shielding her eyes from the blinding overhead sun. Brother Rikku's brother leapt off the Celsius and nudged her down the long walkway towards the HQ.
"Rinno ib Rikku! Lnywo kenm!"(Hurry up Rikku! Crazy girl!) He yelled loudly behind her. Brother hadn't changed one bit in the last 3 years. He was still loud, annoying, and had the biggest crush on Yuna.
"Shut up!" Rikku yelled at Brother, attempting to drag her heavy suitcases down the plush carpet that covered the walkway.
"Mish Rikku! Welcome to Bevelle! Pleash allow ush to helpsh!" A small group of Hypello approached Rikku and took her bags from her. "They will be waiting up in your roomsh for you Mish Rikku." Rikku thanked the Hypellos and adjusted her skirt. She had decided to wear her usual Thief outfit because that was the one she was the most comfortable in. And right now that was the only thing that was comfortable for her.
As Rikku and Brother approached the huge doors that led into the headquarters, a tall man wearing a black suit came out.
"Welcome to the new Hope of Spira headquarters Miss Rikku. My name is Ehren. It is an honor to meet you" Ehren shook hands with Rikku and Brother. "Your friends are waiting inside for you. Please, this way."
Ehren led Rikku and Brother through the large double doors. As Rikku stepped into the main room of the headquarters, she had to stop and stare in awe.
"Cfaad Pyrysid!"(Sweet Bahamut!) Brother said quietly, a low whistle escaping from his lips.
"Oui cyet ed..."(You said it)…. Rikku replied.
The main room of the headquarters was huge. This was the old New Yevon headquarters, but it had been completely re done a year ago to accommodate the Hope of Spira's ever growing popularity. Rikku had never seen such a beautiful place. The walls were a gorgeous shade of pearly white, and the ceiling had been painted to resemble the sky. There were two main staircases on either side of the room that lead to HoS's meeting rooms, council gatherings, and guest rooms. There was also a huge lift between the stairs that looked like it ran right through the ceiling. Rikku watched as it rose quickly upwards, and then watched as the ceiling opened up and the lift went straight through it.
Ehren noticed Rikku watching the lift and told her and told her, "Miss Rikku, that is the private lift of Master's Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal. Only they, their bodyguards, their personal acquaintances, and council members of a certain clearance can use that lift. It leads to a separate floor above this room that houses the Master's living quarters and also your living quarters.
Brother whistled loudly, obviously impressed at his sister's luck. Rikku was still at a loss for words. "How did Gippal manage to weasel his way into this…" she thought. "Probably gave his already giant ego a huge boost. As if his ego needed that sort of thing."
Rikku remembered the last time she had seen Gippal. It was two years ago at Djose Temple. Gippal had been gathering the members of his Machine Faction together to help transport his Machina to Bevelle where he, Nooj, and Baralai had decided to settle headquarters.
Cid, Rikku's father was out helping Gippal, and had called Rikku down to help out her fellow Al Bhed. Rikku had hesitantly gone. She really didn't feel like hearing her father lecture her on traveling so much, and she definitely didn't feel like hearing Gippal's constant teasing and trickery that never failed to follow her when he was around.
She had worked for 3 long days and nights at Djose Temple, dismantling, transporting, and assembling machina. After everything was done, and Cid and Gippal were standing near Gippal's airship, Rikku decided that she still wanted to travel Spira, and refused Cid's offer to go to Bevelle.
"No thanks Pops, I will be fine! I want to do things on my own for once. I need to be free for a while!"
"Well Rikku, you are 18 now, so you can fly like the wind…..safely of course…." Cid had said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He kissed Rikku on the forehead, and disappeared into Gippal's airship.
Gippal had stood silently behind Cid while he had said goodbye, but now he sauntered up to Rikku, with a smile on his lips.
"Well Well, Cid's girl. Growing up huh?" He clapped Rikku on her shoulder playfully.
Rikku looked up into Gippal's twinkling eye. A part of her would miss that playful smile, that funny twinkle in his eye, the constant joking. And the rest of her just wanted to escape for a while.
"Good bye Gippal. Maybe someday you will remember that my name is Rikku! R-I-K-K-U!!!" she said rubbing her shoulder where Gippal had slapped her earlier.
"Thanks for your help short stuff." Gippal said, his deep voice laced with delight. He loved teasing her.
"Grrrr…" Rikku growled under her breath. She hated it when he called her short stuff. Gippal smiled at her and tugged playfully on one of her many braids. Something he had done many times. He then quickly bent down, kissed Rikku on the cheek, and before she could react, he was off, leaping into his airship.
Rikku put her hand to her cheek as she watched the handsome Al Bhed's airship vanish into the distance. As she walked away from Djose, she could still feel the softness of his lips on her cheek, the tickle of his unshaven chin, and the heaviness of his hand on her shoulder.
Rikku had thought about that kiss for a long time after that, only because it was so unexpected coming from Gippal. They had been such great childhood friends. She and Buddy and Gippal and Brother were inseparable when they were younger.
But then the inevitable adulthood began to take over, and Gippal left her unexpectedly one day to join the Crimson Squad.
Eventually, along Rikku's travels Gippal's kiss had been pushed to the back of her mind. Rikku was convinced that is had been just another way for Gippal to rile her up-to tease her, like usual. And now here she was, about to spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week with the one man who knew how to push her buttons, and loved to do it all the time.
"What am I doing!" Rikku thought.
"Miss Rikku!….Miss!"
Rikku snapped back to present day. "The lift is ready Miss, your friends are waiting up above." Ehren pointed towards the lift, whose doors stood wide open.
Brother gave Rikku a quick hug. "I have to go Rikku, this is as far as I take you."
"But! But! But!" Rikku stammered. She had hoped that Brother would at least take her upstairs.
"But nothing silly Rikku! Get up there!" Brother practically shoved Rikku on the lift, waved goodbye, and hit the lift button, causing the lift doors to slide closed. Rikku leaned against the glass windows of the lift as it rose, watching Ehren and Brother's figures disappear.
"Here I go…" Rikku said to herself. As the lift rose into the ceiling, Rikku looked around at her new home. The upper floor of the headquarters was even more lavish than down below. Rikku stepped off the lift and into a large sitting room. A huge fireplace blazed in the middle of the room, and 4 huge couches surrounded the fireplace. Rikku watched as a large number of maids and butlers rushed here and there straightening things and watering plants. She counted 5 separate hallways that branched off from the large room.
"Wowsie!" Rikku exclaimed.
"Rikku!" Rikku heard a familiar voice call from her left. She turned to see Yuna in her gunner outfit running toward her.
"YUNIE!" Rikku clapped happily, and embraced her cousin in a hug. "Oh I've missed you Yunie!"
"Alright you two, break up the family reunion." Rikku turned to see Paine approaching with a small smile on her face.
"Party Pooper!" Rikku called to her, sticking her tongue out. "So, Yunie, how is Tidus? Is he missing you already? Huh? Huh??" Rikku nudged Yuna in the ribs with her elbow.
Yuna laughed at her silly cousin. "Well I am missing him, that's for sure. He has Wakka and Lulu and their baby back on Besaid to keep him busy, that is for sure. We stay in touch through personal comsphere though."
"Wow, this place sure is beautiful isn't it!" Rikku said looking around. Paine tapped Rikku on the shoulder. "I'll show you to your room Rikku."
"We'll chat later Rikku. I am going to go and check up on Nooj, and make sure everything is ok." Yuna ran down the third hallway and waved toward Rikku.
"Bye Yunie!" Rikku yelled before following Paine down the fifth hallway.
Later
Rikku emerged from her room after thoroughly breaking it in. She had showered two times, jumped on the bed, and yelled at Paine from her large balcony.
"This might not be too bad." She thought as she closed her door quietly. "Time to explore this maze."
Suddenly she felt her bikini strap on her back being pulled backwards.
"What the!?"
Before she could turn around, the strap was let go and it hit her back with a loud SNAP!
Rikku winced as the pain in her back radiated across to her sides. Then she heard a very familiar deep voice behind her.
"Well, Well, Well…..Lookin' good Cid's girl"
Well that is the end of chapter 2! Thanks again for the reviews everyone! Chapter 3 is coming soon! It is so much fun writing about Gippal and Rikku! If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know!!!