Disclaimer: I do not own FFX-2 or FFX. Umm, yeah O.O
Thankya thankya THANKYA! For the reviews, it means a bunch to me. -anime hearts- And yeah...
Has anyone ever played Dark Ages? o.o -is an ex-player- Every time I see a shooting star, I wish that Nexon would go bankrupt... -sighs dreamily-
Yuna's bicolored eyes widened as the two kissed, and her muscles tensed as she tried to not burst out in fits of giggling. Clutching her bloated stomach, Yuna was silently laughing when a sharp kick brought her back to her senses. Ouch. It wouldn't be good to go into labor right here and get caught...
"Time to head back," Yuna muttered to herself. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She should be resting, or better yet, making sure Tidus doesn't drive any of her friends crazy. Okay, this was never a good idea. But - Oh! Leije and Rikku. Rikku and Leije. Mrs. Leije. She should have guessed before when she had that little discussion with Rikku.
'I wonder what kind of wedding dress she'll pick out? And - oh, would it be an Al Bhed sort of wedding, or maybe a traditional Yevon-style, since Leije - Okay, maybe I'm getting just a little ahead of myself here. Oh well, I guess I'll just go back a few steps - matchmaking it is, then.'
Happily following the path back to the Guest Quarters, Yuna was humming a little tune when she remembered something Tidus had said. About Gippal. Now, Yuna was usually very mild, meek, and overall amiable, but you have to pardon her - she was fast approaching the birth of her second child and a bit moody.
"That - that - I won't let him ruin Rikku and Leije's future relationship!" Yuna seethed out, to no one in particular. (Okay, maybe more than a bit moody.) Destination set, Yuna sprinted - or rather, hobbled - off to find Gippal and have a nice, friendly little chat. Of course, she had no real basis for confronting him, save Tidus's statement, but hey - who needs proof?
"Oh, Mr. Gippers, where are you?"
Everything was nice and serene and comfortable when Leije looked at her, called out her name, and kissed her. Just like a snap of the fingers, their relationship went from friends to something more.
At first Rikku was shocked - after a moment the shock was replaced with surprise, and then confusion. Instead of being filled with love and happiness, they were filled with regret and hurt - her thoughts had instantly turned to Gippal. Rikku had always wished she had shared a moment like this with him, but apparently she wasn't his type. Mentally scolding herself, she inwardly told herself to forget about him, screw him, may he go to the farplanes and beyond!
With this thought guiding her, she responded to his kiss, causing him to wrap an arm around her. After a moment Rikku broke away and smiled up at him. They sat in yet another comfortable silence.
She would forget him.
One, two, three more steps... Aha! Yuna had reached the bar. And really, where else would he have been?
Knock. Knock. Kno- wait, why was she knocking? It wasn't his room, but he was in it so much - Oh, forget it. Yuna clutched the handle of the door and walked in.
Yep, there was Gippal, sitting there - as usual. But he wasn't drinking - he was writing. Yuna blinked.
"Gippal?" Yuna said meekly, creeping into the room.
Startled, Gippal hurled himself from the stool onto the tiled floor, landing on his feet, clutching his notepad like a little girl would her doll. "Whoa... Hey, Yuna. What do ya want?"
She gave him an odd look. "Why are you writing in here?"
"Uhh.. Well, I thought this would be a nice, uh, private place. Comfortable," he finished lamely.
Yuna raised an eyebrow. "So what, your room wasn't private or comfortable enough?"
"Nope."
"Oh."
Silence.
Gippal had the nerve to break the silence first, genuinely curious. "Why're you here?"
Oh, no reason. It's just that... Well, back at Djose, do you happen to have a... love interest?"
Gippal stared at her. "You mean a girlfriend?"
"Umm, sure."
The Machine Faction leader scratched the back of his head. "A few," he answered carefully, eyeing her.
Yuna's own eyes widened, and relief washed over her delicate features. "Oh! So you wouldn't have any interest in Rikku then?"
"No! Why would I have 'interest' in Cid's girl? I prefer mature women, if you catch my drift," Gippal's eyes refused to make contact with Yuna's. He blankly stared at the floor, face revealing no emotions.
"Oh. That's too bad," Yuna responded cheerfully. "Well, I'll just be going, then." After taking a few steps, the former High Summoner stopped in her tracks. "Wait," she glanced back at Gippal, who hadn't moved and wasn't planning to. "Rikku works for you, right? And so does Leije?"
Gippal finally met her eyes and gave Yuna a curious look. "Yeah?"
"And you're their boss? Both of them?"
"..Yeah. So what?"
Yuna's face glowed with happiness. It looked like she wouldn't have to play matchmaker alone - that is, if Gippal would help her. Besides, he had more experience with this whole... dating thing than she did.
You've got to help me, Gippal," Yuna smiled, temporarily forgetting to actually ask the question.
Gippal blinked back at her. "Help...wait, what?"
"Oh, yes. Help me get Rikku and Leije, you know..." She gave him the best secretive look that she could manage. Gippal didn't catch on.
"Get them together. You know, a couple?" Yuna intertwined two of her fingers and held them up in front of Gippal's face.
A shock look encompassed his features, soon replaced with narrowed eyes and a wary look.
"Don't look at me that way, Gippal. There is something between them, and you know it. Besides," she lowered her voice and added, "I saw them kiss."
"You saw them what?" Gippal seethed, clenching his teeth and tensing his muscled.
"It was so romantic. But - oh- Promise you won't tell Rikku? She'd really nail me if she knew I saw... I shouldn't have told you..."
"That bastard kissed her?" Gippal continued, ignoring Yuna entirely. The former Summoner just continued to mutter to herself worriedly until Gippal cut in"I won't help you."
Yuna stopped mumbling. "What? Why not?"
"'Cause I don't want to," Gippal stubbornly retorted.
"Why not?" Yuna persisted.
He gave a semi-dramatic sigh. "'Cause I don't like Leije."
"What do you mean, 'I don't like Leije,'? You don't have to like him, just Rikku. What's not to like about him?"
"I just don't like him." Gippal repeated.
"Why not?"
The one-eyed Al Bhed was really beginning to dislike that phrase. "'Cause I just don't, okay? And speakin' of which, Leije is the last employee I would pair up with Rikku at work, so thank you for givin' me the heads up, miss super star," He spit out the last words venomously, a malicious tone etched in his voice.
"Good Yevon, Gippal!" Yuna had sobered up quite a bit. "Don't mess this up for Rikku. Don't you want her to be happy?"
"There's more than one way for Rikku to be happy, and Leije isn't gonna be one of them. I'll personally make sure that doesn't happen."
"In that case," Yuna gave him an ice cold glare, anger written all over her face. "I'll say what I came here to say in the first place. Stay away from Rikku."
"Excuse me?" Gippal asked incredulously.
"Don't get in the way of their relationship, if you aren't going to help urge it on. I had a feeling that Tidus was telling the truth," Yuna said the last statement mainly to herself, ignoring the fact that she indeed, hadn't believed him.
"What's so great about Leije?" Gippal threw up his hands angrily. "What has he got that I don't?"
Yuna stared at him, a bit of realization dawning on her. "You don't have the capacity for love, and you don't love her. Even if you did, you of all people could never love her the way Leije could!"
"Why the hell not?" Gippal sputtered, finally snapping and losing it. "What gives you the right to say anything?"
Yuna was shaking now. She was pissed. And that's saying something - she never got pissed. Come to think of it... Had she ever really been overly angry about something? She was probably overreacting, another one of her mood swings. Thank Yevon the pregnancy was almost over.
"You're a flirt, an egotistical, arrogant, seductive one night stand-"
"Crid dra ramm ib!"
Yuna cringed and realized that she had gone too far, gone way past her usual meek, sympathetic personality. What was she thinking? Maybe she was being a little too protective, getting angry over nothing...
"Get out," Gippal seethed, his one eye unreadable.
"Wait. Gippal, I'm sor-"
"I said get out!"
'Getting out,' Yuna thought to herself as she sprint slash hobbled out of the bar, not out of fear but out of guilt and regret. Just as she closed the door, she heard Gippal slam something on the counter and ordered something; she didn't stick around to hear what it was.
"What was the blitz ball originally called when it was first created?" Baralai read, directing the question to the other paired up teams - Rikku, Leije, and Yuna, Tidus.
Rikku was the first to hit her buzzer. "Ummm... uhhh, wait never mind," She gave a ditzy laugh.
Baralai sighed. "Rikku, you buzzed in, you have to answer now."
"...Water ball?"
"Wrong," the praetor stiffled a smile as Paine took a point off of Rikku and Leije's score.
Rikku glanced over at Leije, who seemed to be bored. As if on cue, he mumbled, "I think I'm gonna go take a walk."
"Leije! Then I won't have a partner," Rikku whined, her heart only half into it - he hadn't scored them any points. Had he even played Blitzball before?
"Blitzball Trivia isn't exactly my favorite game. Go ask Gippal to play, or something. Speaking of which, where has he been?"
Silence.
"Well, whatever. I'll see you in a while, Rikku." Leije gave Rikku a reassuring grin and rose, heading out the door and leaving Rikku partner-less.
"Awwww, poo-"
Paine glared at Rikku. "You sound like a toddler when you talk like that. Grow up."
"Fine. Awww, man!" Rikku scowled. After a moment, she continued, "Has anyone seen Gippal lately? I am not going to forfeit this game; we werealmost winning!"
"Yuna and Tidus have 13 points, Baralai and I have 7, and you have negative 5." Paine stated, supressing a smirk.
"And your point would be...?"
"Gippal's in the bar," Baralai cut in, gesturing towards the hall. "Although your odds of getting him to play are very unlikely."
"Rikku," Yuna faced her cousin, looking a bit fretful. "Maybe it'd be better if you just teamed up with us. It'd be better not to... bother Gippal right now."
"No way!" Tidus objected. "We're gonna lose if she's on our side!"
Rikku just glared at him and rose from her position at the table. "I'll just have to force him to play then," she smiled and walked off.
"Wait. Really, Rikku, it'd be better not to."
"Yunie, what's wrong? It's not that big of a deal." Rikku shrugged off her cousin's warning and closed the door behind her.
Skipping towards the wooden door to the taproom, she gave three loud knocks. No answer.
"Gippal?" She gently opened the door, softly closing it behind her. There he was, head bent over the counter, empty glasses littering the area. Hearing her as she approached, Gippal turned around, taking in her figure with clouded, hazy eye(s).
"..R-Rikku..?"
-blinks- Review! Bmayca:D