Practice Makes Perfect
By RingPrincess
Chapter Three
Consequences

A/N I'm keep being bugged for more. AHH! Well anyways, if you're a rikku/gippal lover as always check out rippal(underscore)shippers(dot)livejournal(dot)com for more people like you!

Rikku

I wrapped the feeling of Gippal's kiss around me like a warm blanket and hoped it would keep me safe as my mind numbed. Gippal had kissed me, me! It was the perfect ending to a not so perfect day and I wanted to hold on to it. I didn't realize I had entered the bridge until I felt the weight of six sets of eyes upon me. I stopped just inside the door and held that warm feeling closer trying to get my mind to work at the same time. It didn't cooperate. Thoughts tumbled around my head among them things I should and shouldn't say, but my mouth was too dry to speak any of them. The silence lengthened and unaccountably I felt heat rush to my face. I had no reason to be embarrassed. They hadn't seen our kiss. That'd happened before they arrived.

Their gazes burned into me and accused me. It felt like they knew but they couldn't. I squirmed. Oh, his kiss had me al topsy-turvy. My legs felt all rubbery. I bit my lip. Why had I entered the bridge? Pure habit. Anyways, it was the wrong place. Sleep, sleep would be good or just to lie down, before I fell down.

Gippal had kissed me. I wanted to laugh. I felt like crying and I couldn't figure out how to do both at the same time. It robbed me of the ability to do anything, including jumping and squealing. The kiss, the wine, the shock on top of a long exhausting day, if someone would say something perhaps I'd be able to function or choose one reaction. But at the same time, if they did say something the warm fuzzy feeling might go away.

I couldn't stand here, not with my friends staring at me and something inside about to burst. I spun and walked back out and one emotion pushed through the mess. A smile stretched my face so wide it hurt but I just couldn't stop. The short trip from the bridge to the cabin was like a dream during which giggles escaped. I took the stairs one at a time, trailing my fingers on the handrail, prepared to grab on if my legs decided to give out.

My bed was still rumpled from earlier and I flung my body on top of it creating more wrinkles in the comforter. I rolled over and curled up hugging my pillow. I clung to it like I clung to the memory of Gippal's kiss.

The touch of his hand on my cheek, tender, his sexy face, high cheekbones a woman would die for the perfect almond shaped eye, the eye patch lending attitude, it filled my vision. So intent, slightly shocked, full of wonder as if he'd just seen me, truly seen me, the woman for the first time. The way he'd brushed his thumb across my lips so gentle it set them to tingling. The merest hesitation before our lips touched, enough that I felt the brush of his breath, enough I could've said nor or closed the kiss myself and then magic. He'd been so careful, tasting, testing only with his lips, soft but firm, hesitant and not, teasing my already sensitive lips making the tingle spread from head to toe.

I knew kisses could be gentle, passionate, friendly. His kiss had been sensual. Waking parts of me I hadn't known existed, a sensuality that could lead to passion, so unexpected, so right, so perfect. Warmth and drowsiness claimed my body making me feel heavy, glued to the mattress. My eyes closed, lips still stretched into a smile. It'd been a perfect first kiss.

--

Decks of airships can't help but be windy places. The warmth of the sun competed with the coolness of the breeze created by pushing through the air. I was never sure if one should shiver or sweat, especially in the morning, mornings by nature being cold with bright harsh sunlight.

I normally didn't seek the deck's refuge but that same harsh light had woken me before everyone else and brought to mind just as harsh memories of the day before than just Gippal's lips over mine. What an emotional mess. Sands, I'd gone to sleep with a smile on my face. I wanted to be happy. I needed to be sober. Thus the deck, unattended, quiet but for the wind in my ears seemed an appropriate place to get some perspective and hide. Maybe if people came to me one at a time I could deal with them. I couldn't face them in a group. I tried. Bad things happened.

I sat, knees pulled to my chest, chin resting on top of them. I didn't know what to do and once again I couldn't hide forever. This was my team, my family, my friends and I'd hurt them in more ways than one. I caused this problem and it was my responsibility to fix it. Somehow saving the world seemed an easier task.

And what about Gippal? He was confusion to chaos. He'd kissed me. I liked it, wanted more of it, needed it. He made me happy. We'd talked. Talked like we never had, like peers, like adults. Yet, my life had never been what you call stable. Was this a good time to pursue a relationship? I mean. I was a mess. My life was a mess. But I had that mess to thank for giving me an opportunity to be with Gippal as I hadn't been in years, as friends and then our kiss. It opened things to waters I'd never explored with anyone. I wanted to but was I ready. What if it didn't work out? What if the kiss didn't mean anything and nothing at all happened?

My chest tightened and breathing became hard. No. I refused that idea. That was unlucky and I could doom things before they even had a chance to start. So not like me. Something would happen, it had to and I'd see it through good or bad. How could I think so negatively? This was Gippal, the man I loved. I had to calm down, there was no need to panic over what ifs. Just have to take things slow is all. Long cleansing breaths helped me relax.

"Gullwings, to the bridge!" Brother's voice rang over the comm. System.

I stood up and brushed my clothes. Well, here goes.

They were all assembled in a large group before the Sphere Oscilla-finder. Brother noticed me first, but then again he was facing the door waiting to address the 'ground crew' as we called ourselves. His eyes widened above the flame tattoos and his fingers clenched into fists, tensing all his muscles down his arms showing that yes my brother did have nice muscles. I froze and bit my bottom lip. If anyone had been talking the room would've gone silent. As it was, everyone gradually looked at me over their shoulders and just as gradually looked away.

I winced but joined them on the main section of the bridge, sedately talking the stairs instead of vaulting over. I wasn't going to pretend that something wasn't wrong. And tight relations or not, Brother wouldn't start the briefing unless all of us were close. Of course, he might've been thinking to start without me and force me from the mission all together. I didn't want to pursue that line of thought and before I could Brother started.

"All right Gullwings, sphere reading along the Mi'ihen Highroad. You know what to do. Grab that sphere and since you shall be on the Mi'ihen you could try to talk to Lord Rin."

"Right," Yuna clapped her hands. "Lord Rin is our next target."

I nodded but remembered what I'd discussed with Gippal last night in particular about Rin and leadership. I doubted he'd be much help except perhaps monetarily. But I kept my mouth shut on my observations and any further ones I could have made. Yuna wouldn't want to hear them.

"Gullwings! Move out!" Brother shouted and headed for his seat.

I stepped in front of Paine as she turned to leave. I licked my lips. I couldn't read her expression but that was nothing new. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes narrowed and arms crossed. "And that's supposed to fix everything."

I swallowed. I'd heard this before and should've expected it. Why should this incident be any different? "No," I whispered. Yet it was a start, a step in the right direction, the right thing to do. I had to apologize.

She leaned towards my face, red eyes filling my vision. "Do you even know what I'm angry about?"

I had a few ideas but why waste time guessing which one was even close. "No," I muttered. Now I would just sound stupid and snotty.

"That you never warned us about your rage."

I winced. That hadn't been one of my guesses.

"That's what a friend who respected us would do. No sorry is going to fix your lack or respect. Just do your part on this mission." She pushed past me and I closed my eyes holding back tears. My eyes tickled and my stomach hurt. How was I to warn them? I thought I'd had it under control. So why should I've warned them? Why say something if it wasn't a problem? And when did things like that come up anyways? Not until after the damage was done. But if it had come up sooner, what was I supposed to have said? I swallowed a few times and opened my eyes. Where was Gippal when I needed answers to the tough questions? I looked at the back of Brother's head. His shoulders still tensed. I sighed, ragged and harsh. The closest I was going to get to a sob right now. I'd have to start working with him later.

I turned to the door. Tidus stood there his fists clenched at his sides. I froze looking into his eyes. He bit his lip, eyes flicking past his shoulder into the hall. My eyes widened. 'Yuna,' I mouthed no sounds passing my lips. His eyes closed and he trembled. His forehead relaxed despite tensed shoulders. I almost sagged to my knees in relief. Tidus wasn't mad at me. His chin jerked too small to be a real nod. Yuna was behind him someplace.

I understood. Oh how I understood. Tidus wasn't angry but Yuna. Yuna was his girl and whatever she felt, he didn't want to get in the middle of us. I placed my hands over my face. Oh sands, I'd placed Yuna and Tidus at odds. I never wanted that. Oh why, oh why couldn't I keep my temper? When I looked up, Tidus was gone. I had no choice but to follow. It was my team and we'd been given a mission. Plus, I was to be the one to talk to Rin or so we'd agreed.

The Celsius dropped us off at the southern end of the highroad. It stretched before us as a long grassy plain. The road no more sophisticated than packed dirt with a rock or two sticking up here or there. I've always found Mi'ihen to be pretty and today it matched half my mood while clashing horridly with the other.

I trailed behind Yuna, Paine and Tidus as we walked up the Highroad past people and making room for the occasional rented hover. Flowers bobbed in the breeze and the passing of fiends. They stopped, spread into formation, Yuna's gun up by her cheek, Tidus and Paine's swords unsheathed. I hung back, unsure. A lupus growled and the ice elementals chimed. It was just a normal fiend attack but I didn't move. What was I to do? Help, Fight? How would they take that? I bit my lip, hands straying to the daggers sheathed at my hips. I wasn't in the best position, behind Yuna, not really in the formation at all. At least not as I was, should I change it wasn't as if they even needed my help. It was a normal fight.

"All right!" Tidus shouted and I started. The fight had finished as I had stood in indecision like I'd been petrified. I let go of my daggers and let my hands return to my sides, so much for that.

We headed forwards again past ruined buildings the color of terra cotta and presumably towards the place where the sphere was hiding. I wasn't sure. I wasn't leading and if we ran into Rin so much the better.

Another hundred feet, another feet and again I wondered what to do. No one seemed to notice me lagging in the back. I turned around needing to feel useful. Perhaps I should be rear guard. It'd be a new experience, but I liked and preferred being point.

Ambushed! A lupus flew towards me, black eyes gleaming riveted on mine. It hit my shoulders and forced me to the ground. Air pushed out of my lungs so I couldn't shout. It's claws dug into my shoulders and I had to gasp the hollow feeling in my chest away before I could yelp in pain. The jaws snapped at my face. It's bad breath made me wrinkle my nose. I grabbed its legs flinging it off and rolling to my feet. It jumped up and charged me. Tidus shouted and I dodged. It skidded to a halt near me. I lunged onto its back wrapping my arm and hands about its neck, giving a sharp jerk. The neck snapped with an audible pop and the lupus went limp dropping to the dirt. Pyreflies exploded from the carcass and floated around me. I let go and stood hissing as it aggravated the wounds in my shoulders. Blood oozed out of them and the sun beat down on my back making me sweat.

Tidus was next to me. "Are you okay?"

I winced as a trickle of sweat hit the claw marks and I reached for a potion. "Ask me again in a minute."

He chuckled.

I looked at Yuna and Paine. Yuna stepped back, eyes wide and Paine seemed apathetic to the whole thing. I fumbled with the potion almost dropping it. Tidus grabbed my hand wrapping my fingers around the bottle. "Careful," he said.

Yuna's eyes narrowed and her shoulders tensed. I looked away. "Tidus," I murmured.

His eyes flicked to Yuna and he stepped away. "Uh, right."

Heat churned in my stomach and my eyes narrowed. Irrationally, I was angry. The crunch of glass breaking was loud against the drone of insects. The potion dripped down my fingers healing my cuts even as I made them. The wounds in my shoulders closed and my muscles tensed immediately. I looked down to see my hands closed into fists, shards of glass falling from between my fingers. I bit my tongue, this wasn't right. Tidus was my friend and if he wanted to help me he should be able to without Yuna's emotions getting involved. My muscles shook and I glared at my cousin. She took another step back and I finally recognized the look in her mismatched eyes, fear. My anger instantly faded.

"Yunie," I whispered, lips trembling. She was the last person I wanted to fear me. I'd never seen her fear anything or anyone. That's why I hadn't recognized the emotion in her. I already had enough people fearing me. I never dreamt that Yuna would be one of them.

"I-I-" Yuna stuttered.

I sighed. "I understand." It hurt to say it, let those two words cross my lips. The next ones were harder. "I'm sorry." I looked at the ground scuffing the toe of my boot against the dirt. There wasn't any more I could say. I couldn't turn back time and undo things no matter how much I wanted to. This was a lesson I'd learned long ago. What's done is done. I shifted my weight, locking a knee. I couldn't look Yuna in the eyes. I didn't want to see her fear, another person who I'd have to relearn trust with.

"Do you understand?" Paine asked.

Thank you, Dr. P, Miss Cynical. I huffed out a breath once again irritated. I looked up at her between my bangs. "More than you know."

She snorted. "How can you?"

Were confrontations always this way, questions, questions, questions. I brought my head up. "I can understand fear, I understand hurt. I feel them, a big tangled knot in my chest, all mingled together until it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I hurt, like you hurt. I lost my temper completely. This wasn't the first time and I can only hope it is the last. The consequences, hurt and fear are in the look in Brother's eyes as I walk, walk, across a room much less try to talk to him. The set of Buddy's shoulders as he stands ready to spring, which direction I'm not sure but ready for the worst at any second and I caused it. Feared, mistrusted, treated like a rabid chocobo." My voice broke. "This is what most of my life has been like. I spent five years making it go away and now it's for nothing. I have to live with this again watching those I love draw away for protection."

"You deserve it." Paine said, voice entirely without emotion.

I stumbled back, tears overflowing my eyes. My mouth opened several times, I couldn't feel my heart beating in my chest. I deserved this. How could she say such things? I knew she was angry. Things were happening so fast, I was doing the best I could to keep up to make things right. It had happened only yesterday. My brain scrambled for something reasonable to say and came up blank.

Tidus shouted. "That's going too far, friends don't say such things." He waved his hand.

Paine turned her head to look at him. "Some things go beyond the line of friendship."

Things fell in place inside my head, fitting together like a machine without conscious effort on my part. They tumbled from my mouth. "This is a real joke coming from you," my voice wavered. "You hid your past, didn't want to talk about it, refused. We found out anyways. Nooj attacked you, Baralai and Gippal." My insides warmed even saying his name. "You called it an accident though he did it deliberately. How is this any different? I didn't use a gun, but neither of us was in control. Is that it? Would you forgive me if I shot you?" I screamed, my fingernails digging into my leather clad palms. They stood frozen and more tears poured down my face, blurring their figures. I took a deep breath. "So," I began managing to sound surprisingly calm. "What are you really mad about?"

Paine didn't flinch. "I told you."

I didn't believe her. I couldn't. Yet, the emotional energy drained out of me leaving me too tired to fight. It wasn't getting us anywhere but farther apart and behind in our work. I could work with people I didn't like. "Fine, whatever." I said and stalked past them flipping on my computer guide map. "We have a sphere to find. Let's find it so we can go home." I started down the road, let them stare at my back for a while and the fiends wouldn't mind a beat down. I knew they followed me, but I didn't look back or around me.

Of course Tidus didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. "So, Nooj shot you?" He asked and it was so normal, so Tidus I couldn't help but smile.

--

Gippal

Blue lines chased each other against snowy white paper. They twisted and turned over the expanse of my desk mocking me as I stared at them hand at my forehead propping my head up a pencil between my fingers. It was the only way I could keep from flinging the pen and the incomprehensible prints across the room. My mind wasn't on engineering but on a certain female. I had three days to come up with a plan and ask Rikku out on another date. Three days to regain my characteristic attitude of nonchalance and pretend like taking her someplace else wasn't a big deal. Yeah right.

My hands shook and my brain worked furiously, hyper aware of the paper in front of me, the equations I needed to be doing and not wanting to do any of it. I set the pencil down carefully and rubbed my eye. I wouldn't give into my temper. The solution to my dilemma about Rikku would come if I could just stop thinking about it. After all, I had three days. Any less I'd be too eager. Any more, not interested at all. I didn't need to be nervous yet. I had three days, sure. But my stomach wouldn't untwist from the large knot that now resided in my middle. I exhaled and looked at the prints again. Gotta forget about the girl and concentrate.

"Didn't know that supporting the Psyches was affecting you this badly?" Ken's voice said from the door.

What? I looked up, seeing Ken but not seeing him. I frowned, confused and struggled to recall what he was talking about. Slowly the dots connected, the Psyches, Blitzball, the upcoming tournament, my investment, right. My eyebrows rose as I tried to think of something appropriate to say. Normally this wasn't a problem but he'd completely disrupted my thoughts and I didn't want to give my quandary away. Where to take- My brain stuttered. Oh shit, that was it. My shoulders instantly relaxed a loop in the knot of my gut came out. I stared at the prints hoping I wasn't flushing. My face and neck felt hot and usually that was a bad sign I was. I made a notation as some of the math finally decided to make sense. A2 + B2 C2 It seemed so simple now. Rikku liked blitzball. It was my understanding she even knew how to play, could follow the rules, not that there were many. I could just ask her to the tournament, easy.

My stomach turned again. Of course, she could say no, have other plans, maybe not so easy after all. A smart man, which I was, would make sure she didn't, right now. I clasped the pencil between my fingers so hard I could feel it bending, the wood felt hot and slippery. Let's face it, some say I had courage, more like idiocy or planned drowning of fear. I preferred a sure thing, beatable odds. Asking a girl on second date, never a sure thing. I needed the three days if only to shove my fear into a deep dark hole, like the one to the Farplane at the top of the temple. I was scared of rejection as much as the next man. This was precisely why I didn't do second dates, which meant I didn't get to third or fourth dates were these things might become easier and more commonplace.

I belatedly looked up at Ken, realizing how long the silence had stretched. His golden eyebrows were raised in his tan chiseled face. He was one of the few Al Bhed who went without masks or goggles and one of my most trusted Senior Technicians, someone I knew I could leave in charge and things would still get done. Older than me, but young enough to be my friend, Ken had been one of my first followers and supporters. Totally Al Bhed and machine mad, but I'd never trusted him with a personal problem. I didn't know if I could. Ken's arms unlaced from over his tan and navy shirt, black pants tucked into tan and orange boots. His lime green eyes bore into my one. I wondered if I could get away with lying.

I swallowed and looked back at my work. I couldn't claim it was boring. Engineering never was, a giant puzzle of endless fascination. Maybe silence was the better part of valor here. It wasn't like I needed my love life spread all over Djose and Bikanel. Wait, love life, I didn't have a love life. I just kissed Rikku. A kiss could be a, not so, friendly kiss. I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. "Is there something you want?" I asked. If not, could you leave me to my private humiliation. I wanted to add but wisely I didn't. But I forgot that I never answered his question.

"You've been staring at that paper for over an hour and not adding any thing to it." He said.

"I can't concentrate when people stare at me." I defended.

"You didn't even know I was here." He retorted.

I winced. I hadn't, at least not until he said something. Well, whatever he wanted couldn't be that important if he'd been there over an hour.

"Then," he continued. "I had to wait five minutes for a response after I did say something and I wouldn't call it an answer."

"I can't concentrate-" I began sounding like a broken sphere.

"I know, but if you didn't know I was here, I'm not the thing distracting you."

Silence was definitely the better part of valor.

"So my question is what's eating you?" He cracked his knuckles through his gloves.

I looked back at my paper and found another bit that looked solvable. I made a few marks as if to say, see I'm fine. Shut up and leave me alone.

"I figure it has to be the psyches. You've got a lot of money riding on them, an investment to keep up and the outcome is out of your control. Close?" He said.

"Yeah, sure," I mumbled, as he was nowhere near the mark.

"You call that lying."

I looked up at him. "Uh, your reasoning is plausible."

"Plausible," he shook his head. "Unless there is something going on I don't know about."

That'd be nothing new. I shook my head. "Nope, problem solved. You've been a great help." That at least was true.

"Uh, huh."

"You're right, completely out of my control. What happens, happens. Why worry?"

"It's only money." Ken shrugged.

I smiled even as the knot in my stomach became larger. "Exactly," I lied. It was more than that, not even that. There was my pride to consider. I mean, what if she rejected me? I didn't handle rejection well. I set my pencil down. This talking about one problem, which wasn't really a problem. I had money to burn. And thinking about another problem, which was a problem, could cause trouble. I glanced at Ken. He was frowning.

"I don't buy it." He said.

"See, I'm all right. I'm working." I picked the pencil back up. My fingers shook so hard it waggled sharply. I set it back down and clasped my hands together willing them to still. Ken waited. I hissed through my teeth. "It's personal." I said.

"It's effecting business." He replied.

He had a point. I pushed it away. "And it's solved, for now at least."

He accepted that with a shrug. "We've got new recruits." He nodded.

"Al Bhed, Ronso, Guado or Human?"

"Al Bhed."

I froze and licked my lips, Rikku's insinuations, no, blatant opinions suddenly at the forefront of my mind. Her honest belief I would be the next elder. Fuck, was I mad? Thinking about dating Rikku who not only was the Elder's daughter but also had the ear of the High Summoner. True it might be a closed ear right now, but it was still an ear. Dating Rikku could send the message I was trying to become Elder, even when I didn't want anything to do with the position. This is why I hated politics, tried to stay out of them even among my own people. Ken was right, this was affecting business, the very way I ran business. Wait. No one knew I was dating Rikku. I wasn't even doing that. It was just a second date. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I wanted a drink, something alcoholic, a smoke, something to settle my nerves. I really wanted to take Rikku by the shoulders and shake her screaming. 'How could you do this to me?' Then, of course, I'd kiss her again because if I had her shoulders she wasn't going anywhere and why waste an opportunity. But since when was being near Rikku an opportunity for a kiss? My mind involuntarily answered that question, warm, willing, soft, promising so many things to discover. One night with Rikku and my life was turned upside down. It used to be simple. Now dating her and this whole elder thing. I closed my eye, rubbing it with a hand. "I'll be down."

"Not in this state, you won't. One of us can do the final interviews."

I jerked my head up. "No, I'll take care of it." I licked my lips again. "I need to know-" I stopped speaking. I needed to know if Rikku was right or insane. Personally, I was hoping for insane. That way we'd be a perfect match. I pushed away from the desk and stood up. Match. I really needed to stop thinking. Was that feasibly possible? "Damn her," I grumbled.

"Her?" Ken blinked.

Shit. "Nothing," I waved a hand. That might've worked with Eri downstairs or Nhadala but not Ken. "We've got people waiting."

"They can wait a few more minutes. Her?"

"I told you, it's personal." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Something a friend of mine said."

"And it could affect business." He said arms crossed again.

"Uhh," I looked at the floor. Being Elder affect business. "Yeah, a bit. It was just a supposition and well, she's pretty good at those types of things, intuiting solutions and all. I need more evidence to see if she's right."

"Sounds like Cid's daughter."

I jumped and flushed at the same time. I glanced at him, a smile drifted across his face.

"You and Cid's daughter." He said.

Damn it. "Yes, no," I babbled. "Friends, good friends, old friends." I sighed. "Just friends."

"Really?" He grinned. When had Ken gotten so cynical.

It was one kiss. I looked up at Ken. His eyes were wide. Had I said that aloud? I thought back. I'd said that aloud. Heat rushed to my face and my mouth opened, I sputtered.

"One kiss," Ken drawled.

I couldn't even claim extreme circumstances. A kiss that I'd initiated and was a very willing participant. I stared at the floor. "One kiss," I said. "One date, another soon."

"Date?" He blinked. "Wait, second date?"

Evidently my reputation had gotten around. "Well, I did kiss her." I muttered. "Seems fair to take her out again."

He peered at me. "True."

"Just, don't spread this about, me and Rikku." I paused. "It could complicate stuff."

"Stuff, is that like things?"

I grinned. "Something like."

"Hmm, we've got time. Tell me everything."

I frowned. "There're people waiting. They've been waiting for over an hour."

"They can wait. Trust me, there're a lot of them. Tell me, think of it as the price for my silence."

My eye widened. "And Rikku says I'm a pirate."

Ken grinned. It was like he'd just gotten a key to become a friend to me, something had blurred in the line between employer and employee. "I know some of the story, might as well know all of it." He gestured towards my chair.

I sat and stared at the desk, strangely willing to tell him. I looked up at Ken sitting across from me feet up on the desk and his clasped hands across his stomach. I started at the beginning, a quick explanation of Rikku and her anger. He was vaguely familiar with it, I guess as familiar with it as he was familiar with her. I went on to the girl fight, how I'd distracted her from massacring anyone. He'd been there. How Shinra fetched me a few hours later, the chaos on the bridge, neutralizing her and the discussion while she slept. How distraught she'd been on waking, dinner, our conversation, real conversation, the walk, the stars and of course the kiss, a messy story that made as little sense as I told it as when I lived it. I either had it bad, it being love or the story itself was too screwed up for any logic to enter the picture.

Ken's face twitched and made interesting expressions as I told the much shortened and detail edited tale. He occasionally asked questions, clarifying a point, repeating a sentence. Retelling it, it felt like magic. It didn't seem real, me, Cid's girl on an actual date, not possible. He blinked at the end and pressed his lips together. Debating I think if he should speak or not. He did and I wished he hadn't.

"Has it occurred to you that you might be the man Rikku loves?"

It hadn't and suddenly I wasn't sure if it made things better or that much worse. That thought stuck with me as Ken and I went downstairs to interview more potential employees and I to discover if Rikku's thought of me being the next Elder held any truth. Neither thought was comfortable.

--

TBC...

Shout Out Time!
marajade963: Thank you so much. Compliments are always welcome and appreciated.
GippalsOLaydee: Gipster! (sniggers) The truth shall be revealed in later chapters of course. Thanks for reading!
Lady D: For some reason I think my Gippal voice is better than my Rikku voice, but then again I think Rikku knows what she wants and Gippal doesn't. Conflict makes for more interesting story telling. Until we meet again! Thanks for reading!