I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling...
She closed her eyes and felt the tears fall down her face. Why now? Why here? The questions were making her mind ache, but also, her heart. Rikku should have known better, especially after that horrible night when she was fifteen. Gippal wasn't right for her, but if he wasn't right, would anyone be? She thought of Yuna again, and how lucky she was to have it so simple. She loved Tidus, there wasn't anything more to it. He had never made her hate him.
Her hand was tingling, a power rushing up and down it, almost as if it was asleep. She stared at it and rubbed a finger over the place he had lightly brushed past earlier. He had felt it to, that much was obvious. Did he still love her? Oh god, did she still love him? She wiped the warm tears away from her face and rolled over, staring at the wall. She didn't want to think about his warm touch, imagine his lips upon her own like they were so long ago.
Rikku cried herself to sleep.
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She got up at dawn, the sounds of the temple waking up filling her ears. The sheets were wrapped tightly around her legs and she was careful not to fall on her face. Somewhere outside Gippal was shouting orders at a group of workers and she made that her first destination.
"Hey!" She called, staring at the empty place where the machine had once been and where a bunch of Al Bhed stood yelling. She caught sight of the person she was looking for and hurried over, eager to hear what had happened.
"Rikku..." He said, he was out of breath as if he had run several miles. She placed a hand on her hip and gestured towards the empty space.
"What happened?" He shook his head and followed her hand, a worried expression on his face.
"No clue. I fell asleep outside last night," She looked down and tried to hide the guilty expression on her face.
He continued. "And when I came back in here it was gone." She raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth, a doubtful look now taking it's place on her face.
"You didn't hear anyone?"
"No. There was nothing." He sighed and looked towards the workers looking hard for an answer he wouldn't find. She placed a finger on her lips and took a few moments to think it over.
"Let's go look for it!"
"Nia ayo! Snisg yodmuti ekeur, legi mohi dnihi ehi ry wyydbhurdm- What?" He stopped and stared at her, disbelief clouding his handsome features.
"Let's go look for it! Unless you're scared..." It was a challenge. And he was ready to accept.
"Fine, but we'll have to go alone, I need everyone watching this place." She nodded and pumped her fist in the air. He smiled despite himself, at least she was happy again.
"Okay better hurry or else the Machina Fiend will be long gone." He nodded and waved at the other men, informing them of their plan. Quickly they ran for the exit, going out into the warm sunshine and breathing deeply. He glanced at her as she pressed a button on her mic, and began talking.
"Brother! A machina was stolen, can you give us a ride?"
"Sure thing." It was Buddy who answered and a few minutes later they could hear the distinct sound of the airship landing. Gippal looked at it nervously, not wanting to get into the Celsius and encounter Brother.
"Are you coming?" She called, running and jumping up and down when she reached the top. He grinned and hurried after her, deciding he would have to talk to the older Al Bhed sometime.
When they got inside Brother was there to greet them, a not-so-happy expression on his face. Gippal looked straight at him and tried hard not to turn away.
"Gippal. What are you-" Rikku jumped between them poked both of them in the chest.
"Now's not the time. We're looking for a missing machina. Are you going to help or not?" She glared at her sibling, not wanting him to make a scene. He grunted and walked over to his pilot seat, Gippal could still hear him muttering under his breath.
"Hey." Buddy had gotten up from his usual seat and grinned at the other man. "It's been how long?"
"Almost a year." He replied, returning the smile and walking over to Rikku who had taken Buddy's chair and was scanning the sphere waves. "Anything?" He asked her when she settled back and sighed.
"Nope, no reports of any strange activity anywhere. This has to be a first." The eighteen year old sighed and crossed his arms, wondering what to do next. "Guess we should wait awhile and see if anybody spots something." It was the only thing they could do.
"Fine. I'll be on the bridge." He did a mock salute and hurried onto the elevator, eager to get away from the cool
silence that had fallen among the passengers. When the hatch opened and he was hit by a gust of fresh air he finally felt a little weight slip of off his shoulders.
Of course they had all known what had happened between Rikku and Gippal, it had been big news around Home for ages. Cid's most trusted assistant had fallen in love with his daughter and they had been planning to run as far away from the Al Bhed home as possible. What was stopping them? Nothing. At least, at first.
He had chickened out at the last possible moment. She had been so ready, so willing, but he had been scared. He questioned everything, and found he didn't have any answers. When Rikku went looking for him that fateful night, he had run off, but without her.
"I'm sorry." He practiced, before they could ever have a future he needed to apologize. Wait, he was already thinking of the future? Maybe he really had gone crazy. "I know I left you, and you probably won't forgive me but...I need to tell you." Gippal sighed and said the last words more quietly. If he couldn't say it to himself how could he say it to her?
He heard an intake of breath and his eyes glanced at the form of a young woman who was behind him. Her long blonde hair was hanging loosely in her face and her eyes were slightly glazed over. She stared at him, her hands hanging by her sides and her mouth open ready to say something.
She never got the chance.
"GIPPAL YOU WANT YOUR MACHINA? YOU BETTER GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!" The words shattered the moment and left Rikku blushing and the words she wanted to say unspoken.
"I...I guess we better go down there, huh?" He nodded and followed her, wanting desperately to throw Brother from the ship.
He decided to put it on hold.
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Hey everyone, thanks for reviewing my story, glad you like it so far! There's going to be three more chapters left, at least, that's what I'm hoping. Anyway, I'm having a lot of fun writing this so don't expect this to be my last Rikku/Gippal fic!
