And now for something completely different...

Hello all! I'll get this out right now, I really don't know where this came from. XD But once I got started, I thought it was cute and playful, so I kept at it, and here's the finished product. :3 Now for the disclaimer bits that everyone loves... Rikku and Gippal do not belong to Squee. Neither does anything else Al Bhed and all that jazz. Also, Rikku and Gippal are not ACTUALLY ten and eleven. This story REWINDS. XD

Happy reading!

-Squee

"Hi Gippal!"

The blonde boy let his head fall back against the wall, his hiding place ruined. He'd been so sure that Rikku wouldn't look there, too… Phooey.

"Whatcha doin' down here?" the girl went on. Her head was cocked to one side, in her state of confusion. At ten years old, Rikku had yet to realize that maybe Gippal didn't want to play with her all the time – which was, of course, the situation exactly. Due to her father being who he was, the other boys didn't dare tease when she was actually around; they didn't want her running to Cid, telling him they made fun of her. Sure, Cid was the type who wanted his daughter to learn to deal with things herself, but at the same time, mess with his kids and your ears would fall off, with the talking-to you were in for.

But man, did they tease when Rikku was out of sight! It about drove the eleven-year-old to distraction. Just how many times he'd said that Rikku wasn't his girlfriend or wife was beyond him. He could probably figure it out, though by now, the number was likely out of his counting range.

"Hiding," he grumbled, shifting around in his shelter of crates. He'd been positive that she would never dream of looking for him in a lower level, abandoned storage stairwell. Positive! Yet there she was, peering over a box at him, standing on her tiptoes to ensure a better view. She was annoying enough to begin with; it didn't help that he was still a little sore over how she had humiliated him in front of his tough-guy buddies – a girl pouncing on him, what with the teasing that was already going around behind that girl's back, was not helpful in promoting a tough image.

"Ooh! Are you playing hide-and-seek?" she asked. What she would say next was inevitable, Gippal knew already, as he watched her scamper around the large box to join him in his little cubbyhole. "I wanna play!"

He didn't answer at first. What was he supposed to do? Be honest? Make something up? Tell her to scram before the fiends came and got her—hey! That was it!

"Well, I'm actually hiding out," he began, looking at her with a very serious look on his face. "I heard there was a fiend down here, so I wanted to find it." Oh man, this was priceless – her eyes were so wide! They looked like they'd pop right out of her head.

"But what if you get hurt?" she asked. Her look of surprise was quickly dissolving into a look of pure worry, and she held onto his arm. The grip she had wasn't very tight, but it was still there.

Was she... really worried about him? … Huh… Gippal almost felt bad for trying to avoid her so much.

"I brought grenades with me," he assured. He didn't want to lie, but it beat not having an excuse. Besides, Rikku's reactions were too funny to pass up – and Gippal was on his way to possibly extracting his revenge, the longer the gears in his skull kept turning.

"I'm telling Dad!" she exclaimed, after a moment or two of contemplating the situation. Within seconds she was back around the crate, preparing to scurry on back to the main level to find her father – or at least someone to tell about the supposed fiend down there.

"Suit yourself, chicken," Gippal mused, grinning to himself as Rikku stopped abruptly.

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Then why are you running away?"

The indignant girl's face was almost red as she stomped back to where she had been kneeling previously, and planted herself down beside him.

"Who's running away?" she asked. "I can take anything you or some stupid fiend throws at me."

"Anything?" Gippal asked, with as innocent a smile he could possibly muster. This was perfect. Nobody came around here, nobody would hear… Fantastic.

"Anything."

"All right then… You know, earlier we were all playing spy." Rikku was still sulking, but as Gippal brought up a game, he could tell she was mildly interested. "Spies have to be really tough. They have to be able to stand anything, no matter how hard it might be."

Rikku didn't say anything, but it was obvious she was listening. Gippal's smile went up to a devilish smirk. This was too perfect. She'd break, he knew she would, and he'd have his revenge for embarrassing him one too many times in front of his friends.

"You say you can take anything… How about we see how much of a spy you'd make?"

"Try me."

"Okay then," Gippal said. He shifted, turning so he faced her. "Gimme your feet." At Rikku's look of confusion, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Why?" she asked. Though, even as the question left her lips, she was scooting backward in order to better stretch her legs out.

"Just do it. You'll see," Gippal said. He went to work undoing the laces to her shoes, glancing up at her to catch the lingering confusion on her face and the newly formed nervousness.

"What're you up to?"

No reply. Gippal set the younger girl's footwear to the side, realized once again how perfect this was, then looked at her. Rikku knew she'd thrown herself into the hands of her doom, when she saw the smirk he wore.

"I bet you're ticklish."

Rikku, reminding herself constantly that she was supposed to be a strong, unbreakable spy, didn't answer. However, despite her calm and cool façade, her toes wiggled uncomfortably, thus giving it away that she was, indeed, highly receptive to light touches. This was going to be hell.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" she asked. The slight stutter at the beginning went ignored, or at least by her. Gippal noticed it, and knew that she was nervous. Rikku gulped when she saw the boy's smirk broaden. Oh yeah, this was definitely going to be hell.

"Nothing," Gippal said, shrugging nonchalantly and playing with the blonde girl's toes. When she had her feet together, they rounded in a perfect arc. The digits weren't long, but they weren't exactly short, either. A nice spot in the middle, yet still pudgy little things. He would gently grip a toe with his thumb and forefinger and wiggle it, the toe being chosen randomly. It didn't matter, because the longer it went on, the more Rikku found herself having to bite back the urge to giggle. Even if this was just light teasing, what he was doing combined with the knowledge of what he planned on doing made it ticklier than it really should've been.

"I still think you're ticklish," he said, after he was satisfied with this technique. The toe wiggling, simple as it was, was still effective. Rikku surely wasn't nibbling on her lip so much for nothing. He looked up at her with an innocent smile. "Still think you can handle it, Spy?" This got Rikku's attention, and she glared at him, scrunching down her toes in determination.

"Sure I can," she replied. "Go ahead." Oh gosh, had she really just said that? Had she really just given him permission to tickle her feet? That was it. She was absolutely done for. Call out the gravediggers; Rikku was about to die laughing – unless Gippal would be merciful, but what kind of eleven-year-old boy knew the meaning of mercy? Judging by the wicked grin that formed on his face, Gippal didn't.

"Oooh-kaayyyy," he said, in something of a sing-song voice, teasing her – they both knew she was doomed to lose this game. "If you insist…" He turned his eyes down to his victim's feet, soft and cute and undoubtedly too ticklish for their own good, and held them down firmly with one hand. With the other hand, he slowly and gently ran two fingers up and down Rikku's soles, one for each foot. Her toes spasmed immediately and it looked like her eyes would pop right out of her head, but she kept her mouth shut. Even if she would laugh eventually, she wasn't about to give in right away. Only chickens would do a thing like that, and Rikku was no chicken.

"What's the matter, Rikku?" Gippal asked, as if he was incredulous to her plight. "Does this bother you? Here, maybe this'll feel better." He changed his technique around, scratching his short fingernails against her arches. This got a sort of whining groan out of her, as she shut her eyes tight – biting on her lip just as tight, probably – and shook her head. Trying to block it out? Maybe. Gosh, she had known that she was ticklish, but not this ticklish! He was barely tickling her and she felt like she was about to explode in one giant giggle!

"Stop!" she squeaked, shaking her head in what she knew was a futile plea. In her efforts to keep her feet still, as pulling away would be a sign of weakness, it felt like her lip had been bitten right through and she looked on, pure horror on her face. Why had she even considered agreeing to this? This had to be the stupidest thing she had ever done. The thought confirmed itself with the wide grin Gippal wore, wiggling his fingers at her menacingly. "Please, Gippahahal--!" Rikku's eyes widened and she clamped a hand over her mouth instantly. No, no giggling, not yet… Oh, hell. She could feel them building up behind her lips, while they were clamped shut with a hand clapped tightly over them for reinforcement.

Gippal's grin got even bigger.

"Was that a giggle? I think it was." Quickly, the boy changed positions: now instead of holding her feet with one of his hands, they were wedged between his legs. He watched them wiggle helplessly as Rikku whimpered – those giggles were going to get awfully hard to hold in and she knew it. Boy did she ever know it. Gippal almost felt bad for her – almost, but not quite. His fingers, all ten now in use, scribbled every which way over her trapped soles. This varying technique surprised her, and in this surprise came the giggles.

"NonoGippahahahahaaa! PleheheheheEEE! Plehehease dohohonnn't!" Rikku giggled, unable to stop a giddy ticklish grin and falling backward. She wiggled her feet helplessly as ticklish giggles poured out of her so easily it was as if she breathed them, instead of the air. Occasionally she would squeal when he would find a new spot, which only encouraged Gippal. Gently the boy pried Rikku's toes back and held them in place, firmly but not so they were bent back enough to hurt, and his free tools danced over the delicate undersides and bases of those ticklish toes.

Rikku thought she was going to go through the roof. She squealed twice as loud as what she'd done before, and tried so hard to curl down her toes, but Gippal had them down too well. The tickling sensations lingered all over her poor feet, but oh, if he gave her toes much more of that treatment she was sure she would die.

"PLEHEHEHEHEEEASE NAHAHAAT THEHEHEERRRE!" she wailed, actually laughing now. Her face was becoming pink and her mouth hurt, from the huge grin forced from being on the receiving end of this and from laughing so hard. "PLEHEHEHEASE GIPPAL! DOHOHOHON'T TICKLEHEHEHE THEEEHEHEHERE!"

"Not here, huh?" Gippal mused, sounding a bit disappointed, and taking an agonizingly long time to think, his fingers never stopping their exploration. Rikku continued to lie there and squirm as much as she could, just laughing and laughing and laughing even more. But then, Gippal stopped. He didn't let her go, but he did stop – for now.

"Hehehehe… Are you donehehe?" Rikku asked, propping herself up on her elbows, calming down yet still giggling here and there. She watched the boy, curiosity in her spiraled eyes – eyes that widened when Gippal smiled and shook his head. He wasn't done? But he had already tickled her so much! This wasn't fair!

"Not yet, little Spy," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You said you can take anything, remember?" At his words, Rikku almost pouted, eyes shifting to the left and then to the right, before she nodded reluctantly. She had said that… She really wished she hadn't, but it was too late for that now.

"Noohehehee!" she giggled, shaking her head and watching as he toyed with her toes again. He had gone back to his first tactic, and it was even more effective now that she had been tickled for a while.

"This little piggy went to market," the boy teased, wiggling her left big toe then tickling its pad. Rikku looked on helplessly, not even bothering to even try to stop the giggles. Gippal thought she was quite cute when she was like this, giggling so much, but he was not about to admit something like that. Definitely not.

"This little piggy stayed home…" He repeated the move, this time to the next toe in line.

"Noohehehehe!"

"This little piggy had roast beef…"

"Gippahahaaalll! Pleheheease!"

"This little piggy had none…"

"Nooohohooo!" Rikku's laughter-filled protesting was even more fervent now, as she knew what was coming up next. Brother had played this game on her before, and if Gippal did it anything like he did… then oh dear.

"And this little piggy cried wee-wee-wee all the way home!" Rather than sticking to just the one toe, he let his fingers go all over. Rikku fell backward again, laughing and wiggling. The poor girl was very confused. She wanted the tickling to just stop, but at the same time, she found herself loving the attention. It didn't feel too bad, and it was just innocent fun… But still! At this rate he was going to tickle her until she peed herself!

Gippal let her catch her breath before he gently gripped her other big toe, first in line for the second round. When Rikku felt his thumb and forefinger touch down, she looked at him, horrified.

"Yohohou can't be seheherious…!"

"Can't leave out the other toes, can we, Rikku?" Gippal smiled at her. The toe was wiggled… and the game began again.

"This little piggy went to market!"

"Nooheheheheehee!"

"This little piggy stayed home… Must be shy."

"Stahahahaaap! My tohohoes! Too ticklishehehee!"

"Your toes? No no, Rikku; these are piggies – speaking of which, this little piggy had roast beef!"

"Yohohou're meheheeaan! Reheheally meanahahahaaa!"

"This little piggy had none… Poor little guy…"

"Poor himehehehehe? Mohohore like meheheheeee!" Especially now, at this point in the second round. Rikku braced herself as best she could for what was coming.

"And this little piggy cried wee-wee-wee all the way home!" Gippal cheered, grinning as his fingers went wild again – and, as expected, Rikku went into helpless ticklish laughter again.

"PLEHEHEEAASE GIPPAHAHAHAAALLL! I GIIIHEHEHEE! I GIVE UPPPAHAHAHAHAA!" Rikku thrashed about, her feet hardly able to wiggle yet going strong, and she even gave a small buck. "STAHAHAHAP!"

"Aww… Is little Spy too ticklish on her feet to handle it?" Gippal asked, in an obviously taunting voice

"YEHEHEHES! NOW PLEHEHEEAASE, STAHAHAHAHAAAP!" Rikku begged. She really didn't expect any mercy, but to her surprise, Gippal did as she asked. He removed his hands, and lifted his leg off of her ankles. Rikku immediately yanked her feet away from him, and began to rub the lingering sensations away. She hurriedly shoved her shoes back on, then glared at her tormentor.

"There never was any fiend, was there?" she asked. "You did that just to be mean."

"Wrong," Gippal replied. "You had to face a tickle fiend, right?" Rikku blinked a few times, then actually gave a small smile with a slight nod.

"Okay, so it wasn't a total lie," she said. "But it was still mean!"

"Look at it this way," Gippal began, as he stood up. "You embarrassed me in front of the guys, I tickled your pretty little feet until you begged me to stop. So if you ever do that again…" he trailed off as he began to walk away, looking back at her as he slowed down a bit. "I still don't know how ticklish that belly of yours is."

Rikku let out an audible squeak with wide eyes, and shook her head quickly. Just on her feet had been bad enough! She didn't know how ticklish her stomach was, but she didn't particularly want to find out, either!

"No no, I won't!" she assured, hopping up and scampering after him – but not getting too close; he had just cruelly tickled her, after all. "I promise!"

"You'd better remember that."