"Well!" Rikku banged her two empty bottles onto the bar next to Gippal. "I feel MUCH better!" she smiled that smile of hers. She and Buddy had just spent the past half hour feeling each other up in public. Gippal had spent the last half hour trying not to look at them while also trying to tune out Leblanc. Paine sauntered back up to the group adjusting her top. She had spent the last half hour in the bathroom.

"I'm glad," Gippal said flatly. Rikku ordered another drink and gripped the bar to keep from falling over. "Whoa there! Careful!" Gippal put a hand on her lower back to keep her steady. He used to put his hand there all the time. Damn it.

"I'm fine!" she shrugged him off and leaned on the bar, her small rear end sticking out dangerously close to him. He looked straight forward to keep the temptation of her sweaty body out of his line of vision.

"Just trying to help," He said.

"Oh YOU are just trying to help? Believe me. The LAST thing I need is any help from YOU," She got in his face. The bartender set another beer down in front of her. "No! Wait!" she grabbed him by the wrist. The young bartender looked nervously at her. He knew exactly who she was. She was the last costumer he'd want to upset. He had her autograph on a napkin hanging up on the other side of the bar.

"Is everything okay?" he asked nervously.

"Oh it's fine! Let me ask you something!" Rikku pointed at him. She was clearly drunk.

"Sure," the bartender shrugged.

"I've been coming here and drinking up your scrumptious beers for years now," Rikku began. "And I love 'em!" She grinned. "But I feel like you know me."

"I wouldn't exactly say I know you," the young man began.

"Close enough! Now, do you think I'm pretty?" Rikku batted her eyes.

"Rikku!" Gippal laughed.

"What? Do you?" she shot flirty looks at the bartender.

"Yes, you are very pretty," he blushed, cleaning at the counter with a rag nervously.

"Pretty enough to be your girlfriend?" she leaned on the bar, her tiny top showing off more than she probably realized.

"Oh my," the baby faced bartender blushed. "Certainly."

"Now, if I WAS your girlfriend," she glared at Gippal. "Would you sleep around with waitresses and inn keepers and mechanics and cheerleaders and strangers and waitresses' sisters and secretaries and merchants and merchants' sisters and-"

"ALRIGHT!" Gippal cried out.

"Would you?" Rikku looked up at the bartender with wide, playful eyes.

"Um," he swallowed hard. Gippal was giving him a look to kill. Rikku's look was killing him. "No. No I don't think I would," the bartender smiled at her.

"That is a very good answer, my friend! Now! Bring me a few rounds of shots for me and this player!" she pointed to Gippal.

"What? Shots! Rikku, that's a bad idea," Gippal turned to her.

"No it's not, it's a GREAT idea! You know what? Get me some for this bitch too!" Rikku grabbed Paine by the shoulder. Paine looked back startled.

"Oh, no thank you," Paine told the bartender.

"Oh come one, Dr. P! You NEVER party with me and we were having so much fun earlier!" Rikku whined and threw her arms around Paine.

"Alright, get off of me, we can do some shots," Paine sighed, peeling a very drunk Rikku off of her.

"YEAH!" Rikku pumped a fist in the air. The bartender set three glasses down in front of them. "Alright, this first one? Is to putting it behind us. I'm not going to be a meanie to you anymore," Rikku tapped Gippal on the nose. He stared back in shock.

"Don't forget, she's drunk," Paine reminded Gippal. "She'll forget tomorrow."

"I will NOT, PAINE. And I'm not taking your crap anymore either!" Rikku clinked glasses with both of them and they all threw the drinks back.

"Whew! That's some serious stuff!" Paine wiped her mouth.

"Alright, we did your shot," Gippal started to get off his stool. "We have a full day tomorrow, I'm going to hit the hay," he started to pull his jacket on.

"Oh come on! We just started!" Rikku pointed to another round she had ordered.

"No thanks. I'll take a rain check," Gippal smiled sadly. Maybe she really WAS over him.

"Okay, I guess I can just give this one to Buddy if you're too much of a wimp to keep drinking with me and Painey. BUDDY! Where did he go?" Rikku looked around. Gippal whipped his jacket off.

"Over my dead body. I'm no wimp, especially when it comes to this stuff!" Gippal grabbed a shot glass off the bar. Paine rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

"Alright! This one is to The Gullwings!" Rikku held her glass up.

"To the Crimson Squad!" Gippal made eye contact with Paine.

"What about you Paine?" Rikku asked, all three of them holding the shot up in the air.

"Nothing, just drink it." Paine said.

"Nuh uh! You have to pick something!" Rikku waved a finger at Paine.

"Fine. To booze," Paine shrugged.

"So creative," Rikku frowned at Paine.

"Just drink your damn drink," Paine glowered at Rikku.

Twenty Minutes Later

"To Yunie!" Rikku held another glass up. She couldn't stop laughing. Gippal's eyes were almost closed and he was giggling as well. Paine was hanging onto the bar, refusing to let on how drunk she was.

"To, oh, what's his name there, that little guy with the beak?" Gippal laughed.

"Tobli!" Rikku burst out laughing.

"Yeah! To that punk!" Gippal held his up too.

"Come on Paine!" Rikku laughed. "You have to pick another one!" Rikku put her hand over her mouth. Paine looked to be in deep thought.

"What do you think she's going to pick?" Gippal leaned closer to Rikku and whispered.

"I don't know!" Rikku was holding in laughter.

"To sex," Paine said matter of factly after a few moments of thought.

"Sex?! Dr. P!" Rikku gasped. Rikku was sitting in Gippal's lap, his hand on her waist. He retracted it uneasily at Paine's mention of the word sex. The two of them were giggling profusely.

"Yes. To sex," Paine lifted her chin a bit and smiled.

"Fair enough!" Rikku smiled as well as the three clinked glasses and tossed the shot back. Rikku stood up off of Gippal's lap and immediately fall back onto him.

"You okay?" He asked, steadying her by her hips.

"I have to pee!" she tried again and started tumbling towards the bathroom. She laughed hysterically when she hit the floor. Paine stifled laughter and picked her up by the arm.

"Come on, I'll go with you," Paine giggled.

"Dr. P!" Rikku whined from inside the stall. Paine was leaning on the wall just outside of it.

"What?" Paine asked. Her eyes were closed and she leaned her head on the wall.

"Paaaaaaaine!" Rikku kept on.

"Are you out of toilet paper in there or something?" Paine sighed.

"Why is he being NICE to me?" Rikku cried.

"He's always nice to you," Paine shrugged.

"He is NOT!" Rikku snapped.

"You're the mean one."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are. He's usually just trying to have fun with you and you turn it into a whole big bitchfest," Paine replied.

"I do not!" Rikku whined. She sounded like she was crying.

"Yes you do," Paine replied.

"I know!" Rikku moaned. She opened the stall door and stumbled to the sink to wash her hands. "I'm the jerk! It's me!" Rikku was a crying mess.

"Oh, Come on, don't cry," Paine tried. She didn't do crying.

"He slept with all those other girls, Paine!" Rikku gestured wildly with her hands as she spoke. "Dozens of them!" Rikku tacked on.

"I know, I know," Paine tried to comfort her. She didn't really know how and was JUST drunk enough to care.

"While he was with me!" Rikku squeaked.

"That sucks," Paine agreed.

"You know he never told me he loved me?" Rikku looked up at Paine, pressing her lips together, trying not to sob. Paine's eyes shot open in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Not once." Rikku cried harder. Paine didn't know what to do.

"Look, Rikku," she stepped closer to the younger blond. "If you tell anyone about this? I'm going to hurt you," Paine gave the Al Bhed a hug. Rikku fell against Paine and her crying seemed to stop. Paine tried to pull away, but Rikku's weight didn't give. "Rikku?" Paine shook Rikku a little. "Rikku?" the girl didn't budge. "Aw, fuck." She was passed out. Paine dragged her out of the bathroom where Gippal was patiently waiting. "Hey!"

"What the," Gippal trailed off.

"Yeah. She's passed out. Can you carry her back to the Celsius? I'm going to find Buddy and get the hell out of here," Paine pointed over her shoulder.

"Sure," Gippal said awkwardly, picking up Rikku.

"More shots!" she managed to mumble.

"No more shots, Babe. It's time to go to bed," He said quietly to her. She wrapped her arm around his neck, he had a hand behind her back and one under her legs. She was tiny, carrying her was effortless.

"Okay," she said in a sleepy voice.

He carried her out of the club and made his way through town. The streets were fairly empty. Most people had retired hours ago, and the few who hadn't were still in the clubs and bars. It was a warm night, but her body against his made it even warmer.

"Come on, Cid's girl, we're almost home," He smiled as he spoke. He was glad she was too out of it to see him.

"Don't call me that," she mumbled into his chest.

"Sorry, Princess," he grinned.

"Don't call me that either," she said.

"Can you get me a t shirt from over there?" Rikku moaned, pulling off her scarf and sleeves.

"Um, sure," Gippal looked through Rikku's trunk uncomfortably and found a plain white t shirt. He winced. It was his.

"Thanks," she took it from him and pulled it over her head and flopped down onto the bed.

"Ah, do you need some shorts or anything?" Gippal averted his eyes from her exposed behind.

"I'm too tired!" Rikku complained.

"Alright, come on, let's get you tucked in," he pulled the blankets back and helped her into bed. He looked down at her and she looked right back, a soft smile on her face. If he didn't know better, he'd say she looked like she'd been, crying. Must just be the booze. He moved to go and she grabbed his hand.

"Stay with me," she said, her voice gentle.

"Oh," he tried to hide his shock. He shouldn't. He couldn't. She was just drunk. "I don't think so," Gippal let out a nervous laugh.

"E's cunno," (I'm sorry) she whispered. "vun paehk cu nita." (for being so rude)

"You don't have to be sorry," he ran a hand through his hair, the other was still holding hers.

"cdyo fedr sa," (stay with me) she said again, moving over in her bed to make room for him. He loved it when she spoke Al Bhed. This was impossible.

"I can't," He said sincerely.

"Please?" she smiled. Oh, why did she have to SMILE.

"I'm going to let you sleep. You're going to be tired tomorrow," he said softly and kissed her forehead, pulling the blankets up around her shoulders. She rolled over and seemed to drift off. He watched her fall asleep for a few moments.

"Oh my," Paine said smugly from the top of the stairs.

"Jesus, Paine!" Gippal nearly jumped at her voice.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day," Paine crossed to her trunk to find something to sleep in. She tripped a little in the tall heels she was wearing.

"What are you talking about?" Gippal whispered. He didn't want to wake Rikku.

"I'm glad I got to see it for myself," Paine kept smiling.

"Paine!" Gippal hissed.

"Big Bad Gippal's still in LOVE."