A/N: Wow, thank you so much for taking time to review! You don't know how overjoyed I was to see such a jump in feedback and returned readers, and I appreciate every single one of your comments, thank you!

Many of you asked why Gippal is being such an ass. There is a reason for it, which I hope you'll get as you read the story, since I do not plan on directly stating it. Although, I will say that it's hard for someone who's been at the top to suddenly fall, and be forced to praise someone he's looked down on throughout his life.

To Recap: Gippal thinks he's done more than enough by offering Rikku residency and a daily wardrobe allowance, despite the fact that she never followed through with their agreement. But the money is little and the room is nothing special, leading Rikku to believe that he's just cheap. When she ends up selling a useless machine for a great 4500 gil, she eagerly tells Gippal. But instead of praise, he asks her if she "offered to fuck" the customer, leaving Rikku completely speechless.

Djose Days
Ch. 8: Black & Blue

Gippal

It's all here, all 4500 gil right in my hands from a machine that I had considered junk. And yet she managed to sell it. She, the clumsy ditz from the same bloodline as Brother, knows how to negotiate with customers better than me.

I put the money into the safe, lock it, and close the drawer, locking it as well. It's certainly the most profit we've made on any product in months, especially considering the poor state the machine. And she'd sold it. Easily and quickly, in the same time it took me to shower, she sold it.

I should've thanked her.

Turning off the office lights, I shut the door behind me and head towards the kitchen, passing the residential rooms along the way, glancing to see if the gap underneath her door is lit. But it's not, and I decide that she has cried herself to sleep again.

She'd done some grocery shopping earlier, and there's still half a loaf of bread and some butter in the fridge. I take them out and make myself a small snack, tempted to eat the entire thing but I save a few slices for her. For a while, hoping that the food will somehow grab away my feelings of anxiety as it passes through my body, maybe the water will drown away the guilt. But it doesn't, and I don't know how I could've expected it to.

I decide she's probably hungry and take the few slices spread with butter, putting them on a small plate and walk back toward her room. I feel my way along the walls for a part of the time, the temple lighting too dark to guide me once I've passed Selyna's old room, and the rest is unfamiliar territory. I listen against her door before entering, the knob unlocked and I realize she probably isn't furiously mad at me after all if she didn't lock it.

The first things I see are her arms, wrapped around her legs, and she's lying in a fetal position at the corner of her bed. I haven't given her any blankets or pillows yet, and the paleness of her skin highlights that fact.

I put the plate on her nightstand before stepping back and heading out the room again. Feeling that feeling she always makes me feel when I'm around her. The one that makes it seem as if everything that's ever gone wrong in her life is my fault, no matter what small role I played in it – because at the very least, I played a role. As if it's my duty to make sure that she's happy while she stays here. That she's content and given the opportunity to 'rediscover herself' and search for 'a new purpose in life'.

But it's not my damn business if she's lost her Rikku-ness. Just like it's not her damn business I'm losing control over the Faction.

- - - - -

Rikku

When the door's closed and I'm sure he's headed down the hall, I open my eyes and scramble toward the nightstand, shoving the bread into my mouth, chewing and swallowing hungrily. The only thing I had all day was my disaster-turned-yummy-but-burnt stew, and I would've gone back into the kitchen much earlier if it weren't for Gippal's… comment.

I lick my fingertips of the butter when I'm finished, wiping them on tissue paper afterward. I want to grab my new toothbrush I bought, and go to the bathroom to ready for bed. But I don't want to run into him. He's an ass and a half and I don't like him very much right now.

The thought of it makes me feel like crying again, and I suddenly feel terribly dehydrated. As I hold my legs close to reserve some warmth, I consider the idea of leaving Djose and Luca all together.

A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.

- - - - -

Gippal

Heat rises, so the top floors of a building are always warmer than those below it. And that is why, I decide, that I can't sleep. My room is too warm for comfort… unlike Rikku's.

I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed, staring blankly at the ground and think about her again. I can't help the feeling. She's the only one aside from me in the temple, and the only one I can't stay in the same room with for even five minutes without arguing. It's just how it's always been. We've never been close or good buddies from our childhood years or stuff like that. We've known each other yeah, You're Cid's kid and You're Gippal. And You're a klutz and You're annoying. Not much has changed since then.

I wonder if I should go find her a blanket and a pillow, even though she's already fallen asleep. Even though she probably doesn't want to see me, have anything to do with me, cold or not.

I eventually get up and decide to bring down my own comforter (since I'm surely not going to use it). And I'll just drape it around her or something – don't want her getting sick and blaming me once more. I begin to carry it steadily out, straining my head to the side to watch my steps.

When I hear a shriek from the direction of her room, I throw the comforter on a nearby bench and run.

- - - - -

Rikku

The door bursts open and he comes flying in like Valefor's summoning (except without all the special effects and anticipation), but immediately trips over the little machina, smashing it into the ground with his torso, as his head lands in the soft cushion of my shopping bags. I cover my mouth to stop myself from giggling.

Serves him right for rampaging into my room like that, as if the fact that it's my room still doesn't override his almighty command over everything and everybody in this temple. But I hadn't wanted the machina to get hurt in the process. That is something I feel bad for.

Climbing down from my bed, I wait for the machina to crawl out from under him and stumble back toward me, disorientated and convulsing as it rests against my arms. I rock it gently back and forth, soothing it with soft whispers until Gippal pulls himself off the ground and stares at me, irritated.

"What happened? Why were you screaming?"

I'm surprised, his concern for me making me have that bit of a soft spot for him again. And I can easily explain that it had been the machina that had suddenly jumped out when I opened the door, poking me and giving me a start. But I'm mad at him, so I turn away and don't answer.

"Hey, Kid. Did you hear me?" He sits up and pushes my shoulder. "Hey."

I move away and lean against my nightstand, petting the machina quietly. Completely ignoring him. Not listening to his persistent calls to my attention, waiting until he does something drastic. Like apologize maybe. Like say Sorry Rikku, I'm an unforgiving bastard who's just mad 'cause I haven't gotten laid in weeks. Like embrace me maybe. And hold my face and say I'm pretty and smart and mature and he respects me. But when I sneak a glance in his direction, I realize he's already left.

He always does that. He always leaves, because it's easier than facing me.

- - - - -

Gippal

She thinks she's cute with her little silent treatment and all. Thinks I owe her something, thinks I should be sorry. I think I oughta throw her out. Go back to Besaid or Luca or Bikanel, wherever the hell you want, Kid. Because clearly, she and me ain't getting along. Clearly, if this arrangement continues, we'd be after each other's throats by the end of the week.

I make myself relaxed on the comforter, spread out on the temple floor and stare through the entrance at the evening sky. Bluish black with a moon that occasionally disappears behind the clouds. It reminds me of all those nights I'd spent camped out here waiting for her, and oh fuck, what a waste of time that was. Now, all I can think about is having this temple to myself again.

She'd help the Faction's financial situation, that's no doubt. If she continues doing whatever she does to sell our crap, we'll surely be able to slowly crawl out of debt. It's the 'doing whatever she does' part that bothers me. The part where she does certain favours to every male customer we get, and giving my Faction a reputation I don't want.

A pain in my side reminds me of my earlier invasion into her room, and I wish I hadn't bothered, hadn't heard her yelling and screaming because clearly, she was fine. That's Rikku for you, always has to get your attention one way or the other. And it's not like you ever ask her for her attention on you.

I rest my hands on the back of my head, looking up at the ceiling at the dim lights flickering back and forth. Hoping they'll mesmerize me to sleep, and I am Rikku-free until morning. Because I've had enough of her, I really have. Ever since she came I've been jumpy and angry and really, I'd do much better without her.

Maybe tomorrow I'll give her that gil she earned for us. Give it all so she'll stop complaining and being stubborn. And then I'll ask her to leave.

- - - - -

Rikku

His office door is locked – which is quite insulting once you think about it. The fact that he doesn't even trust me. Because clearly, for some strange reason, there's only me and him and machina in this temple and yet he still feels the need to lock his office door.

I grab my bags off the floor and quietly walk out of the corridor, wondering if it's really worth it – sneaking into his bedroom while he's in there. I know I'm the best thief this side of Spira, but there's always the chance that he may wake up and catch me. And then what? I don't think I want to seduce him again.

I tip toe quietly, feeling my way along the walls and think about where else he may keep his money other than in his office and in his room. Maybe there's a secret safe somewhere, so I tap against the stone walls for any loose bricks just in case. I feel sort of bad I guess, but not so bad because he's a jerk, he really is.

Besides, all I want is the 4500 gil. That's all, and I'll be happy and I'll leave. I'll never come back and he won't ever have to get annoyed with me, and there are no awkward goodbyes or stuff like that. I'll walk my way into town, and maybe I'll run into Auburn Boy, Grey-Eyes, or even the mailman and they'll offer to take me somewhere far, far away. Kilika I think. I think I'll start a new life in Kilika.

My heart suddenly stops in three different places and I nearly fall back in surprise at the sight of Gippal in the main room of the temple. Lying down and asleep. And now I'm no longer worried about going up to his bedroom, but leaving out the front door is going to be quite a challenge with him blocking it like that.

I decide to think about that later, and first concentrate on grabbing the goods from his bedroom. I make my way quietly up the stairs and to his door, relived to find it unlocked, and rummage through drawers upon drawers for any wallet or box of cash. But all I end up finding are papers, envelopes, and more paper. Papers with numbers and big words all across the page that I don't bother trying to read in the darkness of the room.

I find his wallet though, in the pocket of one of his pants, pulling out a mere 400 gil – I guess he must've gone shopping somewhere earlier. I put the money into my shorts' pocket and check all his other pants for some loose change. I eventually come across an awfully familiar shirt. The puke-green shirt. The one that he had given me the first time I'd come here with the big box of machina scrap, the one that left me feeling giddy and playful at the thought of being his nightly mistress.

I don't know why it's still out in the room, and not washed and put back into his dresser. Maybe he's forgotten about it, seeing as it doesn't fit him that well, and just tossed it aside to rot. So I decide to take it with me by slipping it on.

After finding another 100 gil by his nightstand, I give up and walk out of his room and down the steps toward the main entrance again. I've stuffed my bags together to reduce their noise, and hopefully I can jump over him without him noticing. But I've already planned that if he suddenly wakes up and sees me leaving, I'm going to run. Run like a fugitive on the loose, I will run.

But there's a tiny problem once I've gotten close enough to him: I notice his shirt's a bit pulled up and I see his abdomen. And he has a really nice abdomen, I'll admit, rock hard and tanned golden. It makes me stop a bit and kneel down next to him. And that's when I see a little red cut.

On his side, and it's small but it's there. A bit of dried blood and all around that area his skin's a bit flushed, as if it has just been scratched at, but not bled. As if it's going to bruise tomorrow. All black and blue.

The thought of bruises reminds me of my own, all over my arms and legs and side – but fading now. Bruises from being hit by the horde of rocks and falling on the stairs just yesterday night.

It's a funny coincidence I think, that his bruise is going to be massive and maybe bring him down to his knees tomorrow, and mine have healed quickly enough for me to get up and go again. Because that's the kind of person I am – get up and go no matter what stands in my way. And maybe he's the kind of person that falls and gives up easily. Maybe. Maybe because he's not eighteen anymore.

Suddenly, I feel something stab my butt, and I immediately glare at his hands but they're right in front of me and not moving. Turning around, I see the same crazy machina behind me, bouncing and its arms flailing as it continues to poke my butt. I push it away but it reaches up and grabs onto my hair, spinning the strands around its little metal fingers and yanking me off the comforter. I try not to scream because that'll make Gippal wake up. So I just follow it as I try to untangle my hair from its grasp.

When I've finally gotten it out, and the machina walks into a pedestal and dies, I notice a stack of envelopes at the corner of my eye. I suddenly remember the day when the machina had nearly gotten me in trouble when it sent the mail flying into the air. The mail that was behind the door and not properly shelved in his office somewhere.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I grab a random envelope just to see what's so special about it that he has to keep a mountain of them behind the door instead of in the garbage. The name on the envelope rings a bell, Tye, the man that I'd gotten the box of bolts and the box of machina parts from. Maybe Gippal does some business with him too, being the Machine Faction and all.

I'm not sure why, but I slip my hand into the ripped envelope anyway, pulling out a letter and not expecting anything particularly interesting (except maybe a few paper gil he might have forgotten to take out, and I'll gladly relive him of it of course) until I read the first line:

Gippal, I'm still waiting for your payment on the last five orders…

- - - - -

Gippal

I suddenly notice my chest feels heavy, feels warmer than before. And I'm forced to wake up, my hand impulsively reaching in the direction of my nightstand drawer for my gun. But there's nothing but air greeting my fingers, and that's when I remember that I'm on the temple floor.

And suddenly there's this bush of blonde hair in front of me. Skinny arms wrapped around my torso and she's breathing softly with her head against my chest. Her legs draped on mine, almost as if holding me still. Keeping me grounded. Shielding me.

I try to push her off but she moans in protest so I stop before I wake her. I relax, tilting her head just slightly to see her serene, sleeping face, wondering what she's doing out here, from her room. And isn't she mad at me?

I decide not to question it too much for now, and reach up to rest my hand against the small of her back, caressing it gently. Liking how the pale green fabric feels smooth underneath my fingers, and her body warm against mine. Liking the way the moonlight hits her face and colours it a pale blue against the black backdrop of the dark temple room. And I guess -- I guess it's not her fault that she's irresistible. That I probably would've bought that crap machine for 4500 gil too if I were the guy, and all she'd have to do is look at me.

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