The next morning found Paine and Rikku slumped in chairs at Lulu's breakfast table. A few drinks around the fire turned into a few more and reminiscing into the wee hours while having just a few more drinks around the fire. Lulu was at the stove with a pot on for tea. Vidina was sitting on the kitchen floor playing with a ball and a few toy animals. Rikku and Paine had their elbows resting on the table and their faces in their hands.
"Rikku, go get my pack from the living room and get some potions," Paine grumbled.
"You get my pack! I have Al Bhed potions in there!" Rikku snapped.
"Oh good. After all those drinks Wakka put in my hand I feel like I'm poisoned and slow," Paine coughed.
"Tell me about it," Rikku croaked, her voice barely making it up her throat.
"Did you lose your voice? Yuna's going to KILL you!" Paine sat up a little straighter.
"No, no, it'll be back in a little while," Rikku waved a hand. "Vidina! Come here little buddy!" Rikku got the baby's attention and he smiled and ran to her. "Go in the living room and get Auntie Rikku's pack on the couch, okay?" Rikku mustered up the sweetest voice she could. The toddler looked thrilled to please and ran off, his little feet padding against the carpet.
"Hey Hey! My little man!" They could hear Wakka's voice and it was too loud for the morning.
"I hope you remembered to get dressed, Paine and Rikku slept in the living room!" Lulu yelled over her shoulder.
"Oh, barfaga," Rikku groaned. Lulu laughed.
"Not my Sunday best, but I think I pass?" Wakka was wearing some blitz practice shorts and was carrying Vidina by the back of his overalls. Vidina was grinning and clutching Rikku's pack. "Hey, Rik. This little guy had your bag," Wakka held his son up to Rikku's eye level. His happy childish smile was inches from her face.
"Thank you, Vidina. You're being a very good boy," Rikku took the bag and kissed his cheek. Wakka set Vidina back on the floor with his toys.
"Good morning, Sweetheart," He kissed Lulu's cheek.
"Hi Daddy," Lulu purred, leaning back over her shoulder and kissed his lips.
"Give me one of those damn things before I double cast barfaga all over this place," Paine grumbled at Rikku.
"Aw, come on now! Just a little love in the morning, yah?" Wakka nuzzled Lulu a bit, gave her a loving smack on her rear and headed for the front door. Lulu jumped a little and shot him a flirty smile. He winked at her and turned to the other girls. "You two feel better! I'm headed down to the beach to whip that team into shape!"
"We're trying!" Rikku's voice cracked.
"Bye, Babe," he gave an adoring look at Lulu once more and finally ducked out the door.
"You two are awfully frisky first thing in the morning!" Rikku said slyly. Paine threw her potion back in a big hurry. She'd had enough mush.
"And not just in the morning," Lulu deviously raised an eyebrow.
"Lulu, you dog," Rikku took her potion and was back to her giggly self in a matter of moments.
"What can I say?" Lulu shrugged and poured each of the girls a cup of tea and joined them at the table with a mug of her own.
"Years later and still that much spark? Ooh, what I wouldn't give!" Rikku whined, resting her chin in her hand and smiling at Lulu.
"Sounds like an awful lot of work," Paine grumbled.
"Someone's extra grumpy! Do you need another potion?" Rikku asked with a giggle.
"I liked you better with no voice," Paine sipped her tea. It was perfect and relaxing. Not quite relaxing enough to drown out the oohs and ahhs of Lulu's love life, but still, relaxing.
"Ladies, please. We have a full day of fun ahead of us. No whining and no grouching." Lulu said sweetly to Rikku and Paine respectively.
"I need to get my tan on. I'm going to hit the beach today. I gotta look hot for my adoring public!" Rikku held her arms out examining her color.
"You're always tan," Paine said half heartedly.
"I know," Rikku smiled arrogantly and sipped her tea.
Tidus and Gippal were setting up the sound equipment outside of the temple for the evening's concert. They'd carried speakers and amps and boards and crates upon crates of wires and cables out to the stage. That was after they assembled the stage as well. The midday heat of Besaid was bearing down hard. The two workers had stripped down to shorts and work boots trying to get the job done without fainting. Tidus had done his part, he'd carried everything and put it wherever Gippal told him to. Gippal, after lugging all of the speakers and amps and sections of stage off the Celsius, now had to put them all together.
"So, ah, you know how all this stuff works?" Tidus asked. He was watching Gippal plug things into the back of one of the amplifiers.
"Yup," Gippal spoke around a small screw driver clamped between his teeth. He was in no mood to deal with Tidus. It was hot, but not just hot, hot he could handle, he was from the desert after all, but the humidity in this place was killing him. He was frustrated with the previous night's events. He was obviously lying through his teeth but he really had no choice. Was she just drunk and horny? Or did she really want to be with him? To have him stay?
"So how did you learn about all this stuff? Machines and technology?" Tidus asked. He was genuinely interested and it made it more annoying. Gippal had found explaining the technical workings of everything he was carrying to Tidus much like explaining it to a brick wall. But the brick wall didn't keep asking more questions.
"It's kind of an Al Bhed thing," Gippal spit out the screw driver and tightened a tiny screw alongside the cable he'd connected.
"That's cool," Tidus nodded. He seemed satisfied with the answer for a bit. He leaned his elbow on the amp Gippal was working on and watched as Gippal connected this to that and flipped this switch and pushed that button. "So like, do ALL Al Bhed understand this stuff? Are you born with it or something?"
"Practically," Gippal grumbled.
"Wow, that's great. Do you have to like, go to school for it?" Tidus kept on.
"Some of us do," Gippal sighed. "The ones who are really good at it," he added, stepping over to the control board and flipping a few switches. They lit up.
"Awesome." Tidus smiled, wiping some sweat off his brow. Gippal moved over to a set of speakers and started plugging and connecting. There were dozens of colors of cables and all of them seemed to have a very specific place that Gippal seemed to magically know. Tidus watched with enthusiasm. "Did you go to machine school?" he asked after a long lull.
"A bit," Gippal replied trying very hard to keep his cool. What did Yuna see in this guy?
"Yeah, I figured," Tidus shrugged. Gippal worked while Tidus watched and carried things for another hour before they took a break for water and lunch. Both of them were sitting on the edge of the stage relaxing and eating when the fifth group of women to happen by and wave and giggle passed.
"Hi!" one of them giggled. The closer she got, the younger Gippal realized she was and the guiltier he felt about the things he thought about her chest.
"Hey," both guys gave a half hearted wave. She and her friends giggled together and kept walking, glancing over their shoulders.
"So glad to work along side such a famous sports star," Gippal said sarcastically.
"Who, me?" Tidus pointed to himself.
"All the ladies love you," Gippal waved a hand in the direction the teenaged girls had left in.
"Oh, yeah. That," Tidus looked down at the water bottle in his hands.
"Why the long face? Chicks are great," Gippal gave a short laugh and took a long drink of water.
"Nah, I know." Tidus smiled a little, almost embarrassed.
"The wife?" Gippal grinned.
"She's kind of over protective," Tidus said, looking back up at Gippal and squinting in the sun.
"It's cool," Gippal replied, pausing to wave at yet another group of young women who were whispering and staring.
"I mean, she cares, and I understand. I can't DO anything about it, I mean, babes love athletes. I just like playing the game. I'll sign autographs all day, man, but I'm always coming home to her," Tidus replied.
"Touching," Gippal said, resuming his work on a nearby amp.
"So what's up with Rikku, man? Are you going to be cool on this tour with her?" Tidus asked, picking himself up and strolling over to where Gippal was working.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Gippal asked, his words hollow while he focused on the bolts at hand.
"I don't know. Didn't you two have a messy break up?" Tidus asked.
"Which time?" Gippal said sarcastically.
"Uh, the most recent time?" Tidus looked confused.
"Yeah, it was messy," Gippal replied without looking up.
"What happened?" Tidus asked, looking around at things and scratching the back of his head. There sure was a lot of stuff. He was still concerned about how Gippal knew how all of it worked.
"I cheated on her," Gippal said flatly. "A lot."
"You did? Dude, that's bogus," Tidus gave Gippal a look.
"Yes, I know," Gippal said, moving to the control board again.
"Rikku's hot, Dude," Tidus said, following behind him.
"I know she is," Gippal sighed.
"So like, you were with her, and you two were real serious, and you still cheated?" Tidus asked, trying to wrap his head around the idea.
"YES." Gippal said firmly.
"Whoa, chill, man. I just thought you two were in love," Tidus shrugged.
"What is it with everyone and love these days?" Gippal snapped.
"Yikes! Gippal, man, chill out!" Tidus held his hands up.
"Yeah, I fucking cheated on her, alright? All the time," Gippal sighed, calming down and going back to his work. "But she was no saint either."
"Get out, sweet little Rikku?" Tidus leaned against the table the control boards were on and crossed his arms over his chest.
"You don't know her like I do, pal," Gippal said, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.
"Good thing or Yuna would KILL me," Tidus laughed. Gippal joined him.
"She's not as sweet as everyone thinks she is," Gippal reached for his water.
"No way," Tidus cocked his head a bit to one side. "She's a doll!"
"In public," Gippal shrugged. Tidus caught on.
"Oooooh I see what you're getting at." He grinned. "Nice."
"It sure was," Gippal heaved another sigh. This humidity was terrible. He was happy they only had to stay a day. "And I'm not the only one who knows about it."
"So she cheated on you, too?" Tidus asked.
"No," Gippal replied, flipping switches and setting dials.
"So?"
"We've been on again off again for four or five years now. And when we're off again?" he paused. "She's out of control."
"But she was faithful?" Tidus asked.
"To my knowledge," Gippal said, turning the board off once everything was set.
"So your girlfriend was statistically the hottest woman around, she's a freak in the sheets, she loved you, and you cheated on her?" Tidus asked, getting his facts straight.
"Yeah. That about sums it up, thanks, man." Gippal said sarcastically.
"Just getting to know my boss a little better?" Tidus joked right back.
"Well, keep it up and you're fired. I'm sweating my balls off, we're done here, let's head down to the beach," Gippal pointed over his shoulder.
"Hey! You little thief!" Rikku giggled. "Come back here with those!" Gippal watched from a distance as Vidina pulled Rikku's sunglasses off and started running as fast as his little legs would carry him. She'd been lying on her towel asleep for all he knew. She hadn't moved since he'd arrived on the beach with Tidus. Gippal was sitting in the sand with Yuna and Tidus a ways down the beach from where Rikku had staked out the perfect tanning spot alone.
"So everything is ready for tonight?" Yuna asked, getting Gippal's attention. He was blatantly staring at Rikku's long perfect legs as she stood up and brushed off some sand and headed after Vidina.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah. It's fine," Gippal looked back at Yuna.
"I'm really glad you could help us. I would've been heartbroken if we had to cancel the tour," Yuna smiled at him.
"Anything to help," Gippal forced out a fake smile.
"I'm gonna get you!" Rikku yelled playfully, letting Vidina get ahead of her. He was giggling even more than she was.
"What does he have?" Yuna asked, squinting to see Rikku engulf Vidina in a hug.
"Her sunglasses," Gippal said, a little too quickly.
"Like she doesn't have enough pairs!" Yuna huffed. "That girl has more clothing and accessories than most of Spira combined."
"Oh, come on, Honey. She just likes to look good!" Tidus patted Yuna's thigh. Her mouth dropped open. Gippal coughed. This guy was an amateur. He walked right into that one.
"Are you saying I don't look good? I don't go out and spend all my gil on glasses and skirts and make up and jewelry and itty-bitty tops, so I don't look good?" Yuna sat up straighter.
"What? No! Wait, what?" Tidus shook his head trying to figure out what just happened.
"You like how she looks, then, is that it?" Yuna snapped.
"Rikku's a sharp dresser!" Tidus's voice was getting higher and higher. Gippal hid his entertained grin.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Yuna huffed. Tidus looked at Gippal in a panic. Gippal held his hands up and looked away.
"She chases the trends," Tidus tried.
"Hm." Yuna didn't seem satisfied.
"Unlike you. You're classy and timeless," Tidus grinned, giving her a quick kiss. She smiled.
"Nice save," Gippal said under his breath as he stood up.
"What?" Yuna looked up at him.
"Nothing, I'm gonna take a dip," Gippal nodded towards the water and walked down towards the ocean.
"Gotcha!" Rikku laughed, scooping Vidina up and snatching back her glasses. She pulled him into a big hug and strolled over to where Lulu and Paine were sitting. "Somebody's turning out to be quite the little thief!" Rikku laughed, setting Vidina down in the sand next to a pile of sand toys.
"Oh?" Lulu gave him the eye and a motherly tone. He blushed and shrank up, covering his face.
"Snatched my sunglasses right off my face!" Rikku laughed.
"Aren't those last year's anyway?" Paine said dryly. "Is stealing the crime? Or is the crime at stake out of date fashion?" she raised an eyebrow at Rikku.
"Psh, last years, shmast years, these are hot," Rikku slipped her shades back over her eyes.
"I hate to ask this of you two since I know you have a big night tonight, but I have to get some things done back at the house to prepare for the party later. Would you both mind keeping an eye on Vidina for a bit?" Lulu sighed, looking back and forth between Rikku and Paine.
"Not at all!" Rikku picked the little boy up and spun around with him, getting that little giggle of his out that she just couldn't get enough of.
"Oh great. Now I can baby sit TWO giggly little kids," Paine rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Rikku turned and stuck her tongue out at Paine.
"Set. Match. Win," Paine smirked, turning back to the book on her lap.
"Oh, you big meanie, that wasn't even fair!" Rikku had one hand on her hip, the other holding up Vidina who was now sticking out his tongue, mimicking her.
"Uh oh. Learning lessons from your Auntie Rikku, are you?!" Lulu wagged a finger at Vidina.
"I think he might have learned that one from his father, isn't that right, my little buddy!" Rikku snuggled him in again, their faces close as they both laughed.
"But you girls don't mind?" Lulu asked as she packed up her things.
"Lulu, please. You're doing ME a favor! I never get enough time with him! Every time I get back he's grown up so much, I want to hang out as much as possible!" Rikku replied.
"Thank you, Sweetpea. If he gives you any trouble just come to the house and get me," Lulu said, picking up her beach bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
"I will," Rikku replied.
"Paine?" Lulu looked over her shoulder.
"Yes?"
"If SHE gives you any trouble, come to the house and get me," Lulu smirked. Paine laughed.
"HEY!" Rikku snapped.