*Thanks for the reviews and everything! Here's chapter two, it's from Gippal's perspective and it's a bit longer than chapter one. Enjoy!*

Gippal's P.O.V.

-Hours Earlier-

'Damn Thunderstorms,' I thought to myself, we wouldn't be making it to Besaid anytime soon. I heard light footsteps behind me.

"Hey honey," It was Mara, I looked to my side, towards her, as she interlocked her arm with mine, "Why don't you come inside? It's raining."

"I'll join you in a bit. I just wanna spend some more time out here." I smile at her and then look back up at the sky.

"Alright, but you'll get sick before the wedding," Mara removed her arm and headed inside, "I'll never understand why you like the rain so much."

I smiled to myself. Mara would never let me set foot in the rain again if I told her why I liked it so much. I could imagine it now: "Well Mara, I love the rain because of my ex-girlfriend who happens to work for me and is only like my best friend and who I still have these confusing feelings for." Yeah. That would go over famously.

I loved the rain because of Rikku. This storm, however, was about to turn into a thunderstorm which was NOT something that Rikku liked which is why I agreed to go back inside after a bit.

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"Come on Rikku, you're gonna get us both sick!" I yelled to my best friend. We were 14 and 15, and in Luca with our families, some Al Bhed politics stuff. People looked at us strangely, not because we were Al Bhed, they really had no way to tell in the darkness of the storm, but because we were the only ones NOT heading for shelter.

"Can we just stay out a little longer? Please?" Rikku skipped to where I was, pouting. She knew I wouldn't deny her.

I sighed. She took that as a yes and pulled me out further into the rain.

Rikku kept dragging me along until we reached a bench in the street, near the Travel Agency we were staying at, where she let go of me and sat down. She looked up towards the sky, eyes closed, and just let the rain splash her face.

I smiled at her, remaining standing, my stomach full of butterflies. "Rikku?" I said quietly. I had this feeling I should do something but, I wanted to make sure she was OK with it first.

"Hmm?" She questioned, not moving or opening her eyes.

"Um…Can I...I mean…May I…well…Would it be alright…if…I kissed you?" I scratched the back of my neck, awaiting her answer.

Rikku's eyes opened slowly. She paused, looking into my eyes, and then smiled. "Yes."

And before I could even do anything, she was standing, eyes closed again, waiting for me.

I had wanted to do this for such a long time. Slowly, I leaned towards her, and at the very last moment closed my eyes as well as our lips met for the first time of many.

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There was only one way I could describe that first kiss with Rikku: Fireworks; And I'd never had another kiss that held as much feeling as a kiss did when I was kissing her.

There was a flash of lightening in front of me, followed shortly by the sound of thunder. I laughed to myself as I headed back inside, why did I always let myself get so caught up in thinking about Rikku?

-Hours later-

We finally made it to Besaid before the second storm started. It was dark, late but I was sure Paine and Rikku would still be up, or at least wake up to welcome us.

"I'll show you to your tent." Baralai said to the priest that we had brought to marry Yuna and Tidus. I chuckled, Baralai was always a gentleman.

"Thank you." The priest replied. I stood still for a moment, waiting for Baralai to re-emerge from the tent. Mara wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. She was nearly as tall as me, taller when she wore certain heels. I generally went for smaller girls but the day I met Mara, which was also the day I decided to give up my 'new girl every week' ways, I felt the need to try something new. I hadn't always been like that, a 'new girl every week.' When my relationship with Rikku ended and after the whole Crimson Squad experience, I just couldn't stick with one girl for long, until I met Mara, that is.

Baralai emerged after a couple of minutes and led us to the tent the five of us would be staying in. I wrapped my arm around Mara's waist, trying to be reassuring. She wasn't very happy when she found out that Rikku would be in the same tent as us; Something about Rikku making her nervous. This was something I understood, I'd seen the looks Rikku and Mara gave each other. I was nervous too, nervous one of them would kill the other.

We entered the tent, me and Mara first, Baralai a couple of steps behind to find Rikku and Paine awake, sitting up on their cots.

"Hey Guys!" I said quietly, didn't want to wake any other guests up.

Mara spoke next, "Hey Rikku, guess you're the only single one in our tent." She smiled at Rikku. Shit. What is she thinking?

It didn't seem to faze Rikku, however, she just smiled and said, "Yup. Just means I get to scope out all the hot single guys at the wedding." And for some reason, I felt I pang of anger and jealousy, wind through me. I wasn't liking this idea.

"Well, if you don't find one, I'll let you steal a dance with Gippal." Mara replied. I could tell she was trying make Rikku angry. I watched Rikku, her smile faded quickly, for a moment I thought she was going to charge Mara, which she probably deserved, but I stepped in front of Mara, back to Rikku anyways.

I raised my eyebrows at Mara and she quickly wiped the smirk off her face and quietly, so Rikku wouldn't hear, no doubt, whispered an apology, "Sorry."

"I'm going out. I'll see you guys in the morning." I turned around to see Rikku, walk out of the tent, into the cold, in her pajama short shorts and tank top.

"Rikku, wait!" I called after her, but she just kept going.

"Way to go, Mara." Paine said, lying back on her cot.

"Hey! It's not my fault she can't handle the fact that Gippal and I are in love." Mara snapped back, sitting down on her cot, rather please with herself.

"Could you look any happier about upsetting my best friend?" I asked her. I wish the two of them would just get along. It would make MY life a whole lot easier.

"Babe." Mara rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, I am, but I just don't like her. And she doesn't like me. You never talk with her about not upsetting me, and she does it all the time."

I was silent for a moment. I looked at the blanket on Rikku's cot. She'd freeze out there….

"I'll be back." I grab the blanket and start to head outside, but I'm stopped by Mara.

"Gippal, don't. She'll be fine."

"No she won't. I know Rikku. Someone needs to talk to her and since my girlfriend is the cause of her agitation, I think I'm obligated to be that person."

"Fine. But don't be out to long. You promised you'd pick up Aila in the morning."

"I know. But I wouldn't count on me being back until then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I turn back towards the tent flap, "It means that as long as Rikku's out there, so will I." And I walked out, almost identical to the way Rikku did.

I found her lying on the sand on the beach closest to our tent. She had her eyes closed so I figured she was either thinking, or sleeping and I didn't want to disturb either. I walked through the sand as quietly as I could until I was right next to her. Slowly, I draped the blanket over her and sat down next to her. She didn't move, but I noticed a stray hair in her face. I brought my hand to her face and pushed the hair away. Now she moved slightly and I knew, she knew she wasn't alone anymore.

*Hope you liked it! R&R, please! :) Next chapter is on it's way!*