With the hot water hitting her back, Rikku stood in the shower yet again, thinking. She woke early, and then crept to the bathroom where she planned on getting ready and then leaving before Gippal would wake. Though, in the shower, with nothing to do but stand under the faucet, she began thinking. She did that a lot lately.

The shower she stood in was actually an odd design. The actual bathing area of the bathroom, was like an entirely different room. In the corn of the room, was a raised tile floor, with a tiny wall to keep the water in and a drain in the center. It had a small stool in it, for she liked to sit and wash herself sometimes. To the one side was the shower, another enclosed area with a curtain around it. To the other side was the tub, with a curtain around it too. Around the entire space was a yet, another large curtain. She stood in the shower area.

What exactly did Tidus and Gippal mean? Another reason? What reason would there be for Gippal to kiss her, other than to annoy her? What would he possibly get out of all that he was doing? Why was he even trying to be nice to her? He was giving her gifts, and sweet talking her, not to mention all the kissing.

What was his motive?

Her arms were wrapped around herself. Her head spun with emotion and different reasons. She couldn't think of anything, not one thing. Maybe she just wasn't thinking the right way. She had to think logically.

Why would anyone else kiss someone? Really, all it was, was the touching of lips, that's it. Well, Tidus kissed Yuna all the time—but they were married. It was the same with Paine and Baralai, and they were engaged. When she was little, she used to give them to her father, as a loving gesture. That was it, a kiss was a loving gesture that was shared between people you cared about.

Then it hit her. She stood up straight and her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart started to pound. She put a hand on her chest, trying to stop it. What if his entire reason was because he was being like Tidus and Baralai? What if Gippal... actually, liked her?

Her entire train of thought was cut off when she heard the door slam. That meant that someone came into the room. Moving out of the shower, she went into the first curtained area and opened the it at the hole, holding the white cloth around her form while sticking her head out.

"What are you doing in here?" she snapped.

There was Gippal. Why wasn't she surprised? He was bound to wake up anyway. He was only wearing underwear, but at least it was better than nothing at all. She flushed, but hid it as he started to take a few things out of the cabinet. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and shrugged.

"There's only one bathroom and I don't feel like waiting. I have work to do too," he replied. "Besides, princess, I've already seen you."

Rikku was definitely not showering with him in the room. It was too risky. She growled and pouted, brow wrinkling in frustration. There went her nice long shower.

"Hand me that towel over there, would you?" she asked.

He obliged, and she went inside again, turning off the water. Then, she wrapped the thing around her middle, making sure everything was covered, and fastened it closed, before coming out all together.

When she did, Gippal wasn't paying any attention to her. In fact, was a little surprised to see what he was doing. All over his lower face, including his cheeks, chin and mustache area, was a white foam. He was carefully and slowly removing it with a razer that was held in his right hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked, blinking with confusion and a wrinkled brow.

He turned to her, obviously very skilled at what he was doing, for he didn't need the mirror too much. "What's it look like?" he asked. "I'm shaving."

She went over to the closet and got out a special towel she used to hold back her hair with a little bit of a blush. "Oh."

Gippal looked back to the mirror and continued what he was doing. "I don't have a clean shave for no reason," he replied. "I have to every morning, just so you know."

"Oh," she repeated.

She was starting to doubt her suspicions. Why wasn't he trying anything? They were both in the same room, again, half naked and she wasn't freaking out. This seemed like the ideal opportunity. What was he waiting for? Or was he just not a 'morning person'?

Seeing what he was doing gave her an idea. She'd test her theory. A smirk crossed her face, but then she hid it as she went over next to him, just as he was washing off his razer, and went into the cabinet herself. On the counter were his things, so she took out her own. Unlike his, her gel had a fruit scent and her razer was pink. Then, without warning, she simply picked up her leg and put her foot on the counter.

He looked at her oddly. "What are you doing?" he said, echoing her words.

"Guess," she said confidently, lathering up her leg with white foam.

With the same kind of care he used, she glided the blade over her skin. Not only this, she was working on the leg that was closest to him, and the towel was parted on that side. This showed her hip and the entire one side of her body, including a few pieces of things that would usually be...covered.

This sight made him pause, only briefly, to look at her. She glanced in his direction and he instantly looked away and began what he was doing again. Suddenly, he flinched, and then hissed.She looked up to see him holding a point on his face with his finger, under it some red liquid. She made him cut himself.

Rikku grinned in satisfaction, but didn't say anything. So, she had proved her theory, that didn't mean she wanted to let anything on. That might make him think things.

But then, that made her think again. Oh, cred. He did like her. And when Gippal liked a girl, it was only a matter of time before he had her. And even if she was different than all those other airheads, the ones he used to like, this time, the circumstances were different.

Gippal knew her. He knew her likes, dislikes, how to make her smile and frown, and everything. Of course, she knew the same, for they grew up together. But that also left her with a few week spots.

He also had an agenda. This time, he was serious. He not only wanted her to himself, but also so that no one else could have her. He wanted to be her husband.

"Malady?"

Again, Elhana walked into her boss's office to find her princess face down on the desk, not doing any work, with her hair and clothes jumbled. She sighed, coming over with the morning mail, paper, files and coffee. Lately she'd been drinking a lot of it. This time, she put in more caffeine, in hopes to lift up her mood.

"Fa ryja xieda y vaf untanc vun ruicac," she said, in the native tongue. (We have quite a few orders for houses.)

Naturally, all Al Bhed preferred their own language. It was the one they had been brought up with. And with all non-Al Bhed workers coming, she hardly got to speak it.

So, Rikku replied the same way. "Zicd keja sa dra bybanfung," she said. (Just give me the paperwork.)

She took a sip of the drink and then looked through her mail. Sighing, Elhana turned and left. She knew what was wrong, so didn't ask. So, she did put her princess and Gippal in the same room on purpose. It wasn't like she did anything wrong.

She closed the door to the office and went over to her desk. Still she had a guilty conscious. All she wanted was the best for her princess, who was a friend as well as the next ruler of their people. And, Cid had mentioned something to her. She wasn't that slow; she knew what was between those two. And both of them were too stubborn to face anything, so something had to be done. She hadn't known the two almost her entire life and not notice anything like that.

Oh well, what was done was done and she had to stop worrying. She had work to do that she wanted to get done by lunch—she had a date with Sanron.

"Fru yna drao?" a five year old Rikku asked her father. (Who are they?)

Two, newly orphaned, children had arrived in Bikanel that day. It was an ordinary day, like others, with bright sun and lots of wind. But, when Rikku had gone to visit her father, she found him talking to another man, whom she recognized as her father's first hand man. He had two kids with him, that weren't his.

The taller, and presumably older, one was a girl around twelve. Her blonde hair was straight, coming down to her shoulders, with bangs. She looked completely blank, washed out. Her eyes were red, hidden slightly by her bangs as she looked down.

With her, holding her hand, was a shorter boy. He was her age, with spiked hair and a surprised and confused look on his face. He looked around tugging on her hand. "Cecdan, frana yna fa?" he asked. (Sister, where are we?)

She was ignoring him., paying attention to the other two men's conversation. "...Vuiht 'is fuhtanehk ynuiht dra cruna," the first man said. (...Found 'em wondering around the shore.)"Drao ryja hu uha." (They have no one)

At this, her father gave out a belly laugh. "Drao tu huv!" he exclaimed. (They do now!) "Hu getc uv so vneahtc femm ku nusamacc." (No kids of my friends will go homeless.)

The other man left and Cid finally turned to his only daughter. "Rikku, saad Nhadala yht Gippal," he said to her. (Rikku, meet Nhadala and Gippal.) "Drao'mm pa mejehk rana huf." (They'll be living here now.)He patted both of their heads.

"Ur," she said. (Oh.) She came up to the two. "E's Rikku," she said. (I'm Rikku.) "Fyhhy bmyo?" (Wanna play?)

Gippal eyes brighten and Nhadala smiled a little. "Cina!" he said for them. (Sure!)

Rikku smiled and led them both away by their hands, before breaking out in a run.

As Rikku recalled the first time she met Gippal, and Nhadala, she remembered how happy they looked to be with her as they played the first time. It was only later she discovered why they were there. Their parents had been killed, by an attack on an Al Bhed ship. How they managed to find themselves on Bikanel, the original destination, was beyond anyone. They were damp and covered with sand when found, not to mention half dead of dehydration.

To this day, no one knew who or what sunk the ship. The siblings had been the only ones to survive. She asked him what he remembered once. All he said, was he remembered a large explosion, then he and Nhadala falling into the water. They found something to grab onto and swam to land, that wasn't too far away. Gippal still didn't trust boats that much.

It hadn't occurred to her what it was to loose parents. Her mother died when she was a few days old. Her father was always there. She hadn't thought about it really. Still, from that day, she was friends with those two. That's how it all started. She'd never guess back then that she'd be like this twelve years later.

Tapping her pen on her desk, she stared at the clock, in the middle of some paperwork that had yet to be filled out. Why did time move so slowly? She watched the second hand tick its way around the circle of the clock. It took so long to go around.

As she watched it tick away, she looked out the window. Yep, still daytime; the sun was still out. Then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called.

The door opened and in walked a small figure, not too tall. He looked to be ten, maybe. There were goggles over his eyes and he wore shorts and a tank top. His hair was shorter, but blonde. He was Al Bhed, but he didn't register in her headas anyone she knew.

"Hi Rikku," he said, coming over to her.

She blinked and her brow wrinkled again. "Do I know you?" she asked, standing up a little, to get a better look at him.

The boy smirked. "You probably don't recognize me, but you know me," he said. "I'm Shinra, remember?"