Tidus and his friends entered the arcade to see Yuna and the Aurochs huddled around a skeeball machine. As they got closer Tidus saw that his brother was indeed getting his butt kicked.
"Hey guys." Chappu motioned to Tidus. "This here is the new guy in town. His name is Tidus. Tidus this is the first and only blitzball team: Keepa, Botta, Datto, Letty, and Jassu."
Tidus and the Aurochs exchanged pleasantries and handshakes.
"Wow." Datto said. "You look like Shuyin's…"
"Twin. Yeah, we know." Tidus and Shuyin replied in unison.
The group had a chuckle and the brothers blushed. After that the group split up and made their way over to the other games. Tidus walked over to an empty skeeball machine and looked it over. Baralai came up beside Tidus and picked up one of the blue-grey balls beside the machine.
"Have you played skeeball before, Tidus?" He asked.
"Nope."
"Want to learn how?"
"Sure."
Baralai held the ball out to Tidus. When he took it the taller teen walked around behind Tidus. The blonde blushed as Baralai guided him through the motions. Paine and Lulu watched this from the racing game they were playing.
"Is it just me or is Baralai totally putting the moves on Tidus?" Paine asked.
"He's definitely putting the moves on Tidus. The real question is does he actually like Tidus that way or is he hoping this will make its way back to Gippal and a miracle will happen and Gippal will be jealous…?"
"That is… a long question."
"I'm guessing the latter but… I'll give him the benefit of the doubt." Lulu said.
"Tidus has that big brother of his anyway. If he suspects Baralai is using his little brother he'll do something about it."
"True enough."
The girls went back to playing the racing game. Chappu watched Baralai and Tidus, one eyebrow raised, before he went to play a fighting game.
"Ahhh…damn…" Shuyin sighed. "I lost again."
"You need more practice." Wakka grinned.
"I need a miracle." The blonde chuckled.
Wakka messed Shuyin's hair then went to play another racing game with the Aurochs. Yuna wandered over to the DDR machines and Shuyin went over to Baralai and Tidus. He gave Baralai a look over. The blonde wasn't sure if he wanted this guy's paws all over his little brother.
"Hey Tidus…how about a game?" He asked, subtly driving a wedge between Baralai and Tidus.
"Sure!" Tidus grinned. "We'll see who sucks more."
Shuyin laughed and he and Tidus started playing. Baralai smirked slightly. Tidus definitely had a protective older brother. Still smirking, the teen walked off to play another game. Lulu walked after him.
"So Baralai…got your eye on Tidus, hmn?" She smirked.
"He's cute." Baralai replied. "Every time he looks at me with that cute look in his eyes I want to hug him."
Lulu chuckled, "What about Gippal?"
The silver-haired teen sighed softly, "I don't know. If he's not interested then why should I bother with him?"
"You need to ask him if he's interested first, Baralai. Gippal isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed."
Baralai laughed, "Yeah… I know. I don't know…how to ask him though and if he really likes Rikku I don't want to destroy that for him."
"I could do that for you." Lulu teased.
"No, that's okay." Baralai replied with a small smile.
Shuyin sighed heavily and hung his head. He'd just lost miserably to his younger brother.
"Beginner's luck." Tidus chuckled.
"I bet. I have a feeling I've been swindled or something." Shuyin joked.
"I'd never." The blonde laughed.
"So uh…you like that tall guy that was man handling you?"
The younger blonde blushed. He was used to his brother being protective (and sometimes over protective). "His name is Baralai and he's nice."
"Friendly too."
"Oh Shuyin…he wasn't hurting anyone…" Tidus gave his brother a playful shove. "You man handle people that you like all the time."
"I'm special though." Shuyin replied with a grin.
"You're something special all right."
The older blonde laughed and messed up Tidus' hair.
Over the course of the hour people slowly went home. Yuna and Lenne were the first to leave. Lenne blushed and gave Shuyin a small hug before leaving. Jassu, Datto, Dona, and Barthello left next. After bidding goodbye to his friends Chappu left with his brother. Jassu, Letty, Botta, and Keepa left a few minutes after Wakka and Chappu. Lulu offered a ride home to Shuyin and Tidus but they chose to walk.
"See you later Tidus." Baralai said, hugging the blonde.
"Bye." Tidus replied, blushing.
Shuyin rolled his eyes and waved goodbye to his younger brother's friends.
"So are you and Lenne going out yet?" Tidus teased as he and Shuyin walked along the boardwalk.
"No." The blonde smirked. "But soon…maybe."
"Ooooo."
"Ah shaddup…" Shuyin laughed.
The two blonde playfully shoved each other around all the way home. They found Auron and Rin sitting on the deck in the backyard sharing a pitcher of lemonade.
"Hey you two." Rin smiled, motioning for the blondes to join them. "How was skeeball?"
"I got my butt kicked by both Wakka and Tidus." Shuyin said, sitting beside Rin.
"How was your trip?" Tidus asked.
"Well I had one of my most promising job interviews yet. They seemed really interested in my work." Rin replied.
"And Luzzu's apartment is ready and waiting for him." Auron reported.
"Good news all around." Shuyin said.
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Later that night Tidus was sitting on his bed reading when the phone rang.
"Tidus! Phone!" Rin called from the kitchen.
"Okay!" Tidus called back.
The blonde picked up the phone that was between his and Shuyin's beds.
"Hello?"
"Hi Tidus." Click. Rin hung up. "It's Baralai."
"Hi Baralai. How are you?"
"I'm good. Yourself?"
"All right."
"Tidus…"
"Yes?"
"Will you… do me a favor?"
"That depends on what the favor is." Tidus replied.
"Will you ask Gippal…what he thinks of Rikku? I'd do it myself but if he starts prattling on about how special Rikku is and that he wants to marry her and all that I may feel the urge to 'convert' him…and I really don't want to make an ass of myself and destroy any hopes of having a friendship with Gippal by doing that. If I hear that speech from you I won't be tempted to jump Gippal and make an ass of myself…"
Tidus thought this over. "Well okay…but you have to do something for me."
"…What?" Baralai asked, sounding wary.
"You have to give me a hug."
Baralai chuckled, "That I can do."
"Is there any particular time you want me to ask Gippal this?"
"Nah…just as soon as you can is good."
"All right."
"Well I have to go. I've got homework due tomorrow."
"Okay. Goodbye Baralai."
"Bye. Thanks again, Tidus."
Tidus hung up the phone and went back to his reading. He wondered how he was going to subtly bring the subject up with Gippal…or if he should be subtle at all.
"The things I get into…" He sighed with a small smile on his lips.
Shuyin entered their room and moved to sit on his bed.
"I start basketball practice tomorrow morning." Shuyin said. "So unless you want to come to school with me at an ungodly hour you'll have to make other arrangements to get to school."
"Hey perfect!" Tidus exclaimed.
"Huh? What's perfect?"
"I'm playing matchmaker right now and you just helped me solve a problem."
"Uh… cool?"
Tidus got up and walked over to their computer. He logged into the school's website and looked up Gippal's number. The blonde grabbed the phone and called his friend. The phone had just barely rung once when someone answered.
"Ibanez residence."
"Hi, may I speak to Gippal?"
"Hold please."
Tidus waited. There was some clicking noises and finally Gippal answered.
"Yo."
"Hey Gippal."
"Tidus, what's up?"
"Can you give me a ride to school tomorrow?"
"Sure thing. I'll swing by and pick you up."
"Great."
"Cool. Well I hate to leave already but I have a date with Rikku and I still have some primping to do."
"I understand. See you tomorrow Gippal. Don't forget."
"I won't. Bye Tidus."
Gippal hung up. Tidus sighed and hung up as well. Things didn't look too promising for Baralai.
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When Tidus awoke the next morning Shuyin was already gone. He could smell breakfast cooking and got up out of bed. With a great big yawn Tidus walked over to his dresser and rummaged around for clean clothes. He dressed and headed for the washroom. Auron was showering so the blonde just brushed his teeth and left the bathroom.
"Do you have a way to get to school?" Rin asked as Tidus entered the kitchen.
"Yeah. Gippal is going to pick me up."
"Oh good. Have I met Gippal yet?"
"Not yet. You can meet him today if you want."
"Sounds good." Rin dished some bacon, hash browns, and scrambled eggs onto a plate and set it in front of Tidus. "Would you like a drink?"
"No thanks." Tidus picked up his fork. "Thank-you for breakfast."
"You're welcome."
Rin made a plate for Auron and set it in the man's place before making his own plate and sitting down.
"Did you get up early and make Shuyin breakfast?" Tidus grinned.
"Of course." Rin replied with a small laugh. "Couldn't let my oldest son have junk food from a vending machine for breakfast."
"You're all heart, Rin."
The man chuckled, "Yeah I know."
The two started to eat their breakfast. A few minutes later Auron joined them and read the newspaper as he ate.
Tidus had just finished eating when he heard a car pull into the driveway.
"Gippal's here. You two want to meet him?"
"Sure."
Auron and Rin rose from the table. Tidus made his way into the front hall and picked up his backpack. Auron and Rin followed their son outside. When Gippal saw them he rolled the window down.
"My parents wanted to meet you." Tidus said.
"Ah, that's cool."
Gippal got out of his car. Tidus introduced Auron and Rin and both men shook Gippal's hand. After that Auron and Rin gave Tidus a hug and he was off to school with Gippal.
"So uh… your parents are…"
"Gay. Yeah…"
"That's cool. They adopted you and Shuyin, right?"
"Yeah. After our biological parents died Auron and Rin took me and my brother in."
Gippal nodded and turned a corner. He was actually driving normal. Maybe because it was day time and there were a lot more cars on the road.
"Your…girlfriend Rikku seems nice." Tidus finally said after many minutes of silence. "She should hang out with us more."
"Hmn…" Gippal smiled crookedly. "Rikku isn't really my girlfriend."
"Oh?"
"Nah. She's just…" The blonde shrugged. "There."
"I see."
"I must sound like a complete ass."
"A little." Tidus replied, blushing slightly.
"Yeah… I know what everyone really thinks of me."
The blonde shifted in his seat. "Well Gippal…you must know that sleeping with virgins then dumping them is… mean-spirited."
"Yeah…"
"Then…why?"
"When I was fourteen my parents forced me to go to summer camp to get me away from my friends. Incredibly sad and pathetic long story short… I was seduced by one of the camp counsellors. I tricked myself into thinking that I loved her but once she had my virginity… she just dumped me. Since then I've had like… this urge to pass my pain on, to use other people like I was used. I know that sounds totally fucked up but…"
"No." Tidus interrupted. "It makes sense. It really does. But Gippal…you know that your behaviour has to stop. What you're doing will never fill the void inside you."
"What am I supposed to do then?"
"Well…you've already did something good for yourself… you've talked about what happened. You should talk to other people you trust and maybe even a professional."
Gippal turned another corner and pulled into the school parking lot.
"And you need to not use Rikku."
"Yeah." Gippal nodded. "I've been tryin' to resist…those urges."
The blonde pulled into his parking spot and killed the engine. He looked over and Tidus and smiled weakly.
"Thanks for listening, Tidus. It did feel good to get that off my chest."
Tidus nodded and unbuckled his seatbelt. "You're welcome, Gippal. I'm always here if you need to talk."
The two blondes smiled at each other then exited Gippal's car, heading across the parking lot and into the school.
To be continued…
Awww. Poor Gippal :(. R&R Please :).