Chapter 5

"Okay, girls," said Yuna brightly, rounding up her bridesmaids, "the wedding's only a week a way- you're all staying here until then, right?"

"Hoooolidaaaaaaay!" Brother yelled, jumping out of a tree.

"Get outta here, Brother! This is a Girls Only meeting!" snapped Nhadala, narrowing his eyes.

"I think Tidus is rounding the guys up though," said Yuna, shrugging.

"Doooona let him fiiiind meeee!"

"Maybe we should just let him hide in the tree," said Nhadala.

"Yeah, whatever," Yuna sighed, then she brightened. "Anyhow, I just wanted to thank you all for coming."

"Oh!" said Rikku, "and to tell you that we're all going up to the Gagazet Hot Springs today, to celebrate Yuna's last week as a free woman!"

Yuna punched her cousin's arm playfully, "yeah, okay. Anyone up for it?"

"No boys allowed, right?" said Nhadala loudly.

"I wasn't goooooonna!" Brother yelled from his tree, "you know I onleeeeey got eyes for yoooooou, baybee!"

"Whatever," said Nhadala, "I'm in."

"Me too," said Le Blanc, "sounds fun, eh, loves?"

By mutual consensus, the girl's were soon on board the Celsius and en route to Gagazet. And Nhadala really must have changed something about Brother, because he didn't follow.

-

"Sooooooo," giggled Rikku, divebombing into the water and spraying water as she resurfaced, "this is official Girl-Time, you all know what we've gotta talk about, right?"

"Boys, boys, boys!" Yuna squealed.

"Says the bride," Paine commented dryly.

"Give it a try, Paine!" Rikku chortled, "it's fun!"

"Who do you like, Painey?"

"Do I have to like anyone?" said Paine, rolling her eyes.

"Well, who's at the top of your list?" said Rikku, raising her eyebrows suggestively, because she, of course, already knew the answer.

"If you don't shut up," Paine warned, "I will hurt you."

"Oooh! She means it, Riks!" said Yuna, laughing.

"What? Miss Gloom-and-Doom actually has a crush on someone?" said Le Blanc, leaning forwards with a grin.

"I do not," Paine huffed. "Back me up, Lulu!"

Lulu just shook her head and smiled.

"Nadi?"

Nhadala grinned, "well, I dunno…" she trailed off suggestively and darted out of the way as Paine sent a tidal wave in her direction.

"Hey! Cool beans!" Rikku exclaimed, momentarily distracted, "let's play splashing wars!"

"No! No! I'm not playing!" Dona yelled, ducking out of the way.

"No fair! Get back here and fight like a girl!" Rikku yelled.

"I'll go find her," said Le Blanc, not wanting to get splashed herself, and she left.

"Now that those twits are gone… back to our previous game!" Rikku giggled and Paine huffed, ticking Rikku's respect points off her fingers.

"Don't be mean, Rikku," said Yuna patronisingly.

"Don't be mean to Paine or to Le Blanc and Dona?" asked Rikku.

"Le Blanc and Dona, obviously."

"-25, now. Wanna go lower?" Paine warned.

Rikku ignored her pointedly, obviously deciding that she'd win them back later with another homemade breakfast.

"I swear, you two, neither of you are at the top of my list right now."

"But we know who is!" Rikku sang.

Seeing the look on Paine's face, Lulu intervened, "I don't want to know, girls."

Sighing, Nhadala agreed, "me neither…" she groaned, though she did.

"3 respect points each," said Paine, grinning.

"Well, I'm going to tell you anyway," said Rikku brightly, and where Paine thought she would pause for dramatic effect, she just launched straight into it. "It's Praetor Baralai."

"Shut up," Paine snapped, "leave me alone."

"Painey and Lai-ai, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes looooove, then comes marriage then come a baby in-"

"Rikku, I swear I am going to murder you if you don't shut up!" Paine yelled, making a splash and desperately trying to stabilise as she got to her feet and slipped.

"Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!"

"Rikku, you officially have less respect point than Gippal!" Paine snapped, "I'm going back to the Celsius!"

"You do like him, don't you," said Yuna earnestly, grabbing Paine's arm and pulling her back down when she tried to leave… which wouldn't have been so easy if Paine hadn't slipped on a rock again, fallen back and hit her head.

"As a friend, yes," said Paine and Lulu laughed shortly. "What's so funny?"

"You have," said Lulu, "absolutely no idea how many times I told Rikku the same thing about Wakka- it won't deter her."

"Great! So now I have to marry 'Lai? Damn my luck…"

"Actually," said Lulu, "we came about the wedding ourselves… even though Rikku crowned herself the coordinator, the decision was entirely our own." She laughed again, "heres the thing about Rikku-"

"Still here, ya know?!"

Lulu ignored her, "Rikku will be Rikku- she'll set you up, then walk in on you at random intervals, just to point and laugh, but she means well… and she usually knows what she's talking about- even if we don't."

"Wow, thanks, Lulu- wait a minute! That was an insult, wasn't it!" Rikku exclaimed.

"A little," Lulu admitted, chuckling.

"You are so splashed out of this century!"

"Are you guys still playing?" sighed Le Blanc, coming around a corner.

"It's getting late- we should head back," said Dona, and Paine was the first one out of the water, storming away.

"What's got her knickers in a knot?" asked Le Blanc, staring after her.

"We were talking about her crush," said Rikku easily.

"Just be quiet," said Nhadala, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, yeah? Who?" said Le Blanc, ignoring Nhadala pointedly.

"Praetor Baralai."

"Paine has a crush on the goody-two-shoes Praetor???"

"They have a history," said Rikku, shrugging.

"Has she actually admitted it to you?" asked Dona cynically.

"No…" said Rikku, "but she will! Eventually! Lulu didn't admit to me that she liked Wakka until after they were engaged."

"Perhaps," said Lulu, speaking from obvious experience, "she is worried that the Praetor does not return her affections."

"Or maybe," said Nhadala, slapping herself in the forehead, "she actually doesn't like him and all of you are jumping to stupid conclusions!"

But, once again, she was ignored.

"Why would she think that?" asked Yuna.

"I know!" said Rikku, "I mean, when she's wearing something halfway normal, she looks totally hot!"

"And Baralai is way interested," Yuna giggled.

"Can we but out of Paine's private life before we lose all the respect points we have left?" snapped Nhadala and suddenly everyone shut up so quickly that she wondered if she should make a list too- just so that she could boss people around…

"Okay! Okay!" Rikku gasped, "please don't tell her."

"If we leave now," said Nhadala, "I'll keep my mouth shut."

Rikku was quick to obey and Paine was acutely mystified by her silence as the rest of her group piled back onto the airship.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!" Rikku squealed, diving into her chair with inhuman (even inRikku) speed.

"Whatever… can we leave now?"

"Right away, Princess Painey!"

-

The boys spend their girl-free day on the beach- Wakka and Tidus taking turns with Gippal and Baralai to watch Vidina.

"Say 'Gippy'," said Gippal, prodding the kid hopefully.

Vidina latched onto Gippal's finger and sucked thoughtfully, a few minutes later, he took it out again and clapped, "Gippip!" he said.

"Close enough," said Gippal, shrugging, "how about 'Lai'?"

Vidina stared at Baralai for a very long time then nodded, "love Pay," he said.

"W-what???" Baralai choked.

"Love Pay," Vidina repeated. "Pay go bye-bye now. Nipe-nipe Bidima, mama love oo."

Baralai breathed out, "are you doing impressions, kid?"

"Pay love Bidima," said Vidina happily. "Love Pay."

"Love Gippip?" said Gippal brightly.

"Love Gippip. Love Lai."

"Aww! Cute kid!"

"Lai love Pay."

"Hey, you don't know what you're talking about," Baralai huffed- then he remembered that he was talking to a one-year-old kid. "Sorry, little man."

"Lai love Pay," Gippal mocked brightly. "Lai love Pay."

Baralai looked away, somewhat grumpily.

"Pay love Lai," said Vidina.

"Silly, kid," Baralai mumbled affectionately, ruffling Vidina's hair.

"You guys doing okay with mini me?" puffed Wakka, running up, closely followed by Tidus.

"Love Gippip. Love Lai," said Vidina and Wakka grinned, picking him up and swinging him round.

"Who else d'ya love, little guy?"

Vidina thought for a moment, "love Pay," he said. "Love Mama. Love Yuna."

"Anyone else?" Wakka prompted.

"Love Titarus?" said Vidina.

"That's me!" said Tidus excitedly and everyone laughed.

"Aaaaand…"

"Daddy. Yes, love Daddy," said Vidina, planting a wet kiss on Wakka's cheek.

"Good little munchkin."

"We're back!" came Yuna's voice from the other end of the beach and everyone looked over.

"Hey, girls!" Gippal yelled, "where've ya been?"

"Hot springs!" Rikku called over.

Gippal huffed loudly, "well, why wasn't I invited?!"

-

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