Note: Here we go again with chapter two of On The Way Down. I'm sorry it took me almost a year to put up this chapter. Life kind of got in the way and we all know how that goes. I'll try not to take so long on the next chapter. Oh yes, there will be another chapter if I can help it.
I've noticed a couple of mistakes while reading the story, so I've gone back and did my best to correct them. Yell at me if you see anymore and I'll go back and correct those too. Also, reviews are always nice, so don't be shy now.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters!
On the Way Down
Chapter Two:
Denial
"Shorty."
"Cyclops."
"Peppy brat."
"Meanie!"
The taller blonde gave the shorter a quick flick on the nose.
"You know, you didn't do to bad back there, kid," Gippal said, referring to the fight against Vegnagun a few short hours ago. He placed a muscular arm on his newly founded arm rest; the top of Rikku's braided, blonde head.
"Thanks, but I'm not a kid anymore." Rikku stated while attempting to throw the taller blonde off of her. Though, her effort was futile.
He grinned. "Yeah, ok then, Cid's girl." Dismissing the topic, he gave her head a soft and swift pat.
"You're such a pain! Why can't you call me by my name?" She demanded furiously, for it's true that he'd never spoken her real name in a light conversation before. It seemed like it was only in battle when he ever used her name seriously. Figures.
"Thought I did?" He tried her patience by flashing her a quizzical look. She rewarded his sarcastic comment with a glare and an irritated twitch of her eye.
He snorted, "Hmm… Now where's the point in that?" he shrugged her glare off casually.
Smiling mischievously, he continued, "Nah, I like to see you all frustrated." She made a noise in response that sounded something like, "Pfft!"
After a short pause, he leaned over and whispered seductively into her ear, "It's more fun this way."
Now he'd done it.
"Fun!" She questioned in a high-pitched squeak.
"You're an easy target."
"So it's "fun" to pick on me because you think you're all high and mighty, Mr. Tough guy?"
He thought about it. "Yeah, that works," He smiled.
"I'll show you fun! My fist in your face for being so damned-"
"Unbelievably handsome?" He cut her off while blowing at his finger nails, and brushing them lightly against his collar. He leaned farther onto his fuming arm rest while stretching his hand away from his face, providing him with a better view of his dirt inhabited finger nails. He tilted his head and ran his hand through his soft, spiky golden hair, smirking as he did so.
He always looked so damned cocky.
"No!"
Though, he did have a point. She glared defiantly and tightened her fists. Hoping he wouldn't notice her scarlet face, she turned on her heel to march away from her captor, causing Gippal to lose his balance in the process. After quickly composing himself, he reached out, grabbing a hold of her frail wrist and twisting her back around to face him again.
"Wait a second! What's the rush?" Rikku gasped in surprise at his sudden motion and directed a hard swing of her fist at Gippal's face. But with his amazingly quick reflexes (or dumb luck), he caught her arm one handedly before losing his other eye to it. Close call.
"My, my…have I struck a nerve?" He asked rhetorically, seemingly unfazed by her attack.
Ya think?
"Why can't you just go away?" She asked through gritted teeth. No matter how many times she swatted her hand at the annoying, buzzing fly around her head, it would never take the hint to just buzz off.
He looked down at the squirming petite and pinched her cheek. "Are you blushing?" He asked, already knowing the obvious answer.
"I am not!" She yelled in protest, blushing even more.
"Denial." He stated obnoxiously.
"Just let go!" She pushed.
He chuckled and obeyed her demands, releasing his ironclad grip on her. "As you wish, Princess." He took a bow in front of her.
Princess?
"What?" She was temporarily puzzled.
Déjà vu
It was then when Rikku had a brief flashback of what seemed like ages ago. Black and white movie images that were her childhood past, raced through her mind as she tried to recollect the significance of that name.
Princess...
"Let go!" A fragile, eight year old Rikku pushed at a scruffy looking, older blonde in the lightly tanned sand.
It was a clear, warm sunny day in their home Island of Bikanel. They had previously been trying to fix what looked like one of Rikku's many broken gadgets, before she lost her patience and tore it away from the other.
"I was only trying to help, you know." The nine year old Gippal tried to reassure her.
"Trying to help break it more, you mean." She clutched the piece of metal in her arms protectively, as if it were a child.
"Well if you weren't so stubborn and impatient then-"
"I am not either!"
"What is that thing for anyway?" He asked, changing the subject rather quickly.
She looked from Gippal to the piece in her arms, and then back to him again. She stared hard into his big green eyes with her own, unsure whether or not to let him in on her secret.
"It's uhm..." She stalled.
"It's?"
"It's a piece Brother's new hover bike he crashed just yesterday." She spilled.
"You stole it."
"No." She corrected him," borrowed."
"...And you're trying to fix it." he stated, "Trying being the key word here."
"Oh, what do you know?" She took offence and stood ready to walk away.
"I do know that you're a girl and you should be inside playing with dolls or...err something." He said to her backside. "Taking things apart and fixing them, getting dirty, eating bugs, that's all boy stuff. Go home and be a girl for once!" He yelled.
"I don't have to play with dolls to be a girl!" She turned around and yelled back in the boys vs. girls screaming match.
"And-" he continued, "go home and take a bath because you stink." He plugged his nose to mock her.
Her dirt smudged cheeks, forehead, arms, legs, hair and even oil stained orange tank top, with pale green shorts were proof enough of that. She did kind of smell something of a machine factory. Very un-girly like. He always figured at his tender young age, that all girls were supposed to always smell clean and pleasant, like roses. Girls were supposed to be soft to the touch with bright rose cheeks, clean fingernails, and glimmering hair in the sunshine. Nothing at all like the greaseball mess stood in front of him. This was and would always be the Rikku he was going to grow up with and love. He probably wouldn't have her any other way.
She scoffed.
"I don't have to leave because this is my side of the desert." She stated rudely. She drew a crooked line in the middle of sandy patch between them. "You leave!"
"You can't do that."
"I can do whatever I want." She declared smugly while crossing her arms across her small chest. "My dad-"
"Just because your dad-" the golden haired boy emphasized "your" with a pointed finger in her direction, "is the leader of the Al Bhed, doesn't make you princess of Bikanel Island!"
She paused to think about the accusation. Yeah... Rikku, the Princess of Bikanel Island did have a nice ring to it.
"It does so."
Gippal scoffed, "It does not!"
"Does so!"
"Does not."
"So."
"Not..."
"You remembered that." she said in disbelief.
"How could anyone forget a spoiled, demanding, blonde little brat like you," he teased while patting her head again.
"I am not!" Shaking out of her amazement, she swatted at his hand. Those were the days of the calm where kids like themselves had no worries of the troubles adults had. Playing all day out in the open desert sands with their peers, without the responsibilities of preparing for war with Sin, was a privilege. It only lasts for so long, after all. Taking advantage of it, even wasting the day by fighting over a mere toy with Gippal, was worth it. Even her outfit had changed considerably since then. It was out with the old pale green shorts and in with the new yellow bikini and pale green mini skirt that complimented her womanly features very well.She'd changed very much in what seemed like such a short time.
"Why do you have to be so mean?" She whined.
"I'm not. You're just taking it the wrong way." He shrugged and glanced down at her confused expression."It's because you're Cid's kid," he explained with a heavy sigh, " It's my right to give his little girl a hard time. I have to toughen you up."
So you're being stupid to toughen me up? Right.
"You don't pick on Brother." She accused.
"Because I know he can kick my ass if I get him going." he chuckled and folded both hands behind his head.
"And I can't!" She shouted angrily. "You-" She jabbed her finger to his chest for good measure and intimidation, " are just bitter."
"And how so?" He said while crossing his own arms over his masculine chest, waiting for her reasoning for her accusation.
"You are a bitter jerk who can't stand the fact that it was three girly girls, including yours truly, who destroyed Vegnagun, and succeeded where you failed miserably." She grinned smartly.
Oh yeah, she could play dirty too. Score one for Rikku!
"Keep telling yourself that short stuff, and maybe if you pinch yourself a few times you'll wake up from your little dreamland." He added, "And by the way, it was Nooge and me who weakened Vegnagun in the first place before you and your little girlfriends took over."
"I did you a favor if you ask me."
"If you make one more reference to my height again and I swear-"
"Short-E." He tempted with a wicked grin.
At that exact moment of frustration, irritation and annoyance, Rikku had planned to take a quick step forward and pound him for his last "short" comment because friend or foe, she could still kick his would be sorry arse across Spira, and did he ever need a whooping after talking about Paine and Yunnie like he was. The arrogant ass! But she, unfortunately, didn't quite get as far as she would have liked.
(Damned boot laces…)
What happened within a blink of an eye really seemed like an eternity to Rikku. Her whole world froze and all that she could comprehend now was how much her face hurt. Why did her face hurt anyway? How come she was on the ground? Was that dirt she could feel in her mouth, up her nose, and in her brain? And was that Gippal laughing in the background? Laughing… hysterically…
Oh...
Gravity had never really been a friend of hers. All she wanted to do was stay frozen, face first in the dirt, where she lay and let the rather embarrassing realization sink in for the rest of her life. Could she just die now? Please? Maybe she would suffocate. Maybe she would disappear. Maybe by some miracle Gippal didn't see her ungraceful fall and was only laughing at a joke a mere passerby had told.
What seemed like ages later, Gippal's unnatural, annoying laughter eventually did cease and all was silent. He stared at the former Gullwing lying at his feet and blinked for a moment.
"Uhm..." He cleared his throat
Maybe not...
Another moment of silence passed. "Are you ok?" He asked hesitantly again to the motionless lump known to be Rikku, who's body was embedded in the ground.
"Rikku?"
"Nmph," was the muffled response.
"Come again?" He crouched down to her still form while tilting his head and gave her a good poke in the ribs.
"Nmph!"
"O-kay, this isn't working." He reached out for her with both hands, lifting her head gently and placing it to lie on one side, making her face himself now.
"I asked, are you okay?" He repeated with more sympathy in his husky voice. Her glistening eyes momentarily looked up into his before she spat out the dirt residing in her mouth, unintentionally onto Gippal's face and ruining the semi-romantic moment completely.
"Thanks," he said while absently wiping the mixture of spit/dirt/mud from his face and onto his shoulder.
"I-hic-hurt." She whined and hiccupped in unison.
"Well yeah I'd say so considering you just bit it." She pouted.
He took his hand to remove the stray hair from her eyes and dirt smudged cheek and asked.
"Can you sit up?"
She stubbornly refrained from answering him and he took the hint. Though she was reluctant to sit straight on her own, he managed to get her up without her help anyway. Gippal tried to stifle a laugh upon observing her.
"Well you don't look much different than you did ten years ago."
"Shut up," she whispered, avoiding looking him in the eye. She sat on her legs and straightened out her pale green mini skirt.
"Aww, come on. It really is pretty funny when you think about it." He smiled at her, trying to lighten the awkward mood they were now in.
She grudgingly proceeded to dust the dirt off her arms and down her well tanned front. She touched her face as she spoke. "Funny to watch I'm sure." She winced.
"You know I wasn't serious about all that Vegnagun talk, right?" He tried to sound comforting and apologetic.
He frowned at the new cut that appeared on her right cheek. "Looks like you've got yourself a battle wound there, slugger," he said, which in that moment began to bleed.
"Here." He took her face gently with both hands, one resting on her left cheek to prevent her from squirming and the other placed on her chin. He tilted her head to the left, placing the small cut in his view.
"What are you-"
"Shh, just wait a second," he ordered.
"It's really noth-"
"Shush!"
"Tch," she scoffed.
Maybe it was guilt that caused Gippal to be so quick to help her out now. After all, it was his fault for belittling her (oh he knew what he was doing!) It was his fault for talking about Rikku and her friends, which ultimately was what had pissed her off. It was his fault that she tripped and landed flat on her face, making a complete ass out of herself. It was his fault that her laces were untied in the first place. It was his fault that the inside of her mouth currently tasted like the bottom of a shoe. It was his fault that her face hurt. It was his fault that she was covered in dirt and grime now. All of it was his fault and damn right he should feel guilty!
She ceased all thought of hating him the moment he pursed his lips and blew softly onto her tender cheek, causing the cut to sting from the coldness of his breath, affectively making it clot and slowly heal. She winced at the irritation but ignored it. She was actually too busy concentrating on the feeling of his soft breath on her bruised face. She was hypnotized by it and made a mental note of how nice it smelled. Something minty. She then naughtily began to ponder if that breath actually tasted as good as it smelled.
But this was Gippal. This was her childhood friend she was thinking about. To her, he was always like her annoying older brother, who would tease and ridicule her, occasionally protect her and even taught her how to throw her famous right hook. And she always assumed she was like the girl next door to him. She was just a friend and nothing more. She wasn't supposed to think about him in that way. It was wrong, right? She wasn't supposed to imagine what his cool breath tasted like. What those inviting lips would feel like pressed against her own. She wasn't supposed to fantasize about him moving closer to her, touching her, smelling her, holding her. What would her friends think? What would her father think? What would…what would he think?
Gippal…
She didn't realize she was lost in her own fantasy world again, never noticing that the irritation had dissipated. Gippal pulled his face away from hers, though not completely. She didn't want him to anyhow. Never removing his hand from her face, he softly brushed his thumb lightly back and forth over her smooth cheek. She was strangely comfortable sitting here in the grimy dirt with him caressing her cheek with his soft touch. Although he had previously agitated the hell out of her, none of it mattered now. Her senses were overwhelmed with curious new emotions and she really liked it, even loved it. Who cared if it looked wrong to anyone else, it felt so right to her. She loved the way he looked down on her lovingly with his lone green eye. She loved that warmth that radiated from his body. She loved feeling that sense of a security any time he came near her. She looked up into his handsome face.
She loved...
"Better?" his soothing voice asked.
She hesitated her answer for a moment.
"Thank you." Her voice was no higher than a whisper. She was distracted, staring at his lips so near her own. Her heart was pounding in her chest and, panting slightly, she was terrified at what was about to happen. She knew it and she wanted it more than anything.
"You're welcome." He whispered back before reading her mind and leaning in to close the short distance between them with a gentle, almost surreal kiss.
He touched his lips lightly to hers and in that moment time around them had froze over and all of Spira stood in a hazy mist around her. Now that she finally knew what heaven felt like, there was nothing else in this world she wanted to feel more than the warmth of those lips against hers, to keep them there forever. She wanted to live with this warmth, this feeling, this love, with him forever. Nothing else existed in that pure blissful moment. Nothing else mattered but the two of them.
Nothing else...
However, all good things must come to an end.
She felt him slowly pull away and the warmth that she so suddenly fell in love with had disappeared.
"Rikku?"
She opened her eyes with call of her name and gasped. The world around her turned to dark and Gippal had vanished. She took her hand and stretched her arm into the void in front of her, touching the darkness with her fingers where he had been only seconds ago. All there was left now was the black, vacant surrounding. She came to the realization that she was alone.
"Where-" her voice echoed as she searched wildly around her for any sign of life.
"Rikku…" His echoed voice was altered, distant, and fading.
"What?" She whipped around in the direction of the voice and panicked. No one was there though he was just here with her. Her mind raced. Why was this happening? Why did he leave her alone? Had she done something wrong? Why, why, why?
"Wake up, Rikku." Said the voice for the third time, loud and ever so clear.
"Why?" Rikku shouted as she shot up from where she slept. Her Eyes were wide and body gasping for air.
"Why? Because you're going to miss your ride, that's why."
"Huh?" She blurted stupidly and turned to see the owner of the voice, only to meet face to face with an aggravated looking Paine. She was standing at her bedside, dressed in her regular black leather attire. Her arms were crossed as usual, face expressionless like always, and attitude still not adjusted. That was good old Paine for you.
"You were dreaming." Paine stated as a matter of fact. " And from the looks of you, it must have been something good."
"I…" was the only coherent word a bewildered Rikku could articulate.
As if lied to, Rikku scanned the room for herself and it was indeed different from the previous bright and hazy surroundings she, and Gippal were just in. Rikku was still in Besaid and Gippal was never truly there. She closed her eyes with the sweet sounds of the ocean flowing in the background, and began to reminisce the fading dream that took her breath away before the realness faded completely.
She brushed her fingertips lightly against her lower lip, with a lost, blank look on her face. The warmth was still there.
"Out of bed sleepy head or you're going to miss the airship to Djose." Paine gave the blonde a rather hard pat on the back before turning to leave the small hut.
Rikku blinked at the retreating Paine and fell backwards into her warm, cozy bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Djose..."
Dun dun dun. What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out next time on On The Way Down.