Part Six

Cid,

Thanks for writing. Yeah, the talks are going alright, even if the other two are being stubborn. Rikku's alright too, stop worrying so much about her. It's not like I'm gonna kill her or anything… unlike Brother. Anyway, yeah, the Al Bhed're gonna get a fair shake in this if I have anything to say about it, so don't sweat it. And yeah, I'll tell Yuna you said hi.

Gippal

"Well, tell him I say hello back," Yuna said, turning away from Gippal. She had been avoiding him so well since he had arrived and the negotiations had begun, but she had known that he'd find her sometime. She just wished it would have happened while Baralai was around.

"Yuna, what's got you all riled up?" Gippal's hand found Yuna's shoulder, and she felt herself relax under his touch. "You've been hanging around in the temples too long; you need to relax."

His fingers worked at her shoulder muscles and, against her will, she relaxed back against him. "Gippal," Yuna murmured, trying to keep her eyes from fluttering closed, "What about Rikku?"

"What about her?"

What about her? Yuna wondered sometimes if she knew about Gippal's escapades… and if she did, would she really mind? With Rikku, you could never tell. It was even hard to figure out if she and Gippal were really together, or if he just lavished attention on her to try to woo her in the same way that had worked so well for Yuna.

The quiet sounds of Gippal's rough hands against the skin of her bare shoulder echoed down the hallway of the living annex, making Yuna feel self-conscious. She felt her breathing slow down as she became more aware of Gippal's hands on her shoulders and the precise way that he knew how to massage.

"Come on, Yuna, you know you miss it," Gippal whispered in her ear. "Let me remind you how to relax."

His offer was quite tempting, especially since Yuna knew precisely what Gippal was intending with his whispered words. Even though she knew what he was hinting at, she could feel herself submitting to it. It certainly couldn't hurt, she thought, and Gippal did know how to make her feel nice. He was like a guilty pleasure, like the fine chocolates they made in Luca… the ones that Yuna knew were terrible for her health but tasted so good. They melted on her tongue in a delectable way, leaving behind a sweet, sugary taste – even if, hours later, the stomachache set in and made those few moments of sweet pleasure seem minor in comparison.

Yes, Gippal was exactly like that. The few moments of blissful pleasure weren't worth the pain afterwards… and Yuna knew that. She knew how bad Gippal was for her, but she also knew how good it felt when he ran his hands along her shoulders… precisely the way he was doing right at that moment.

"Gippal."

Yuna opened her eyes. The voice, laced with warning, belonged to Baralai – she had no idea when he had arrived, or how much he had heard Gippal say to her. Half of her was overjoyed to see him; the other half wanted to run, crying, to her room and never come out. To be caught with Gippal -- and right after she had complained to him about Gippal's antics -- was shameful.

"Lai," Gippal said amicably, in a tone of voice that told Yuna all she needed to know about the friendship between the two men. It was hesitant at best – there was something between them, and Yuna knew exactly what it was. "You shouldn't interrupt the private time of others."

"Take your hands off her." If words could destroy people, Gippal would have been incinerated; Yuna could feel the hostile vibrations from Baralai's voice all around her. She didn't want the two to fight over her, but it seemed inescapable at that moment.

"She's not objecting," Gippal said, and Yuna could see the smile tearing across his face even as his voice remained warm and friendly. He seemed determined to throw Yuna's affection in Baralai's face!

"You heed no objections." Baralai's voice was frozen around the edges, as was his glare. Yuna felt the shiver run down her spine as she moved to step away from Gippal – however, he kept his hands on her shoulders, holding her right in place.

"No one ever objects to me," Gippal replied, his voice losing its warmth.

Yuna looked back and forth between the two men, seeing the delicate strings of their friendship freezing over, fraying underneath Baralai's icy glare and the heat of Gippal's fierce determination to show off. She felt caught in the middle, knowing that the negotiations for the future of Spira hung in as delicate a balance as their friendship… and she was the one tipping the scales. She couldn't let that happen, not when they were so determined to finally solve a few of Spira's problems.

"Gippal was just being nice," she said suddenly, desperate to put a hold on the uncomfortable situation developing in the hallway. She stepped forward, away from Gippal's grasp, and put her hand delicately on Baralai's arm. "Please, you two, don't fret over me so much." She smiled at Gippal, leaned up on her toes, and left a tiny kiss on Baralai's cheek before turning on her toes and walking down the hallway toward the outside door.

Dear Lulu,

You know I've always looked up to you – you're my big sister! I've been wondering… how did you know you loved Wakka? You've been friends for so long… when, or how, did you realize that you loved your friend? How do you know the difference?

Love,
Yuna