Our Buddy Yoorvin
by PrettyGothGirl

All Disclaimers Apply
Summary: Cid contrives a way for Rikku and Gippal to spend some Quality Time together. Sixteen: Cid gets some surface information and Rikku and Gippal try the direct route.
A/N: This is sort of a mix between a chapter and a interlude I guess. Plotty plot plot. I hope to get back to super sexiness soon. LOL Oh and xXx inspiration.

Cid threw a packet of pictures down onto Gippal's desk. "Your buddy Yoorvin is doing well for himself."

Gippal picked them up and began looking through them. "He's not my buddy."

Cid frowned. "Not his real name either. This ain't the small time operation that I thought it was." He didn't sound happy about it.

Rikku looked over from her seat at the windowsill. "Is it me or does the name Yoorvin have a very close resemblance to Yevon?"

Cid and Gippal didn't answer her. Cid sprawled into a seat across from Gippal's desk. "He owns at least three clubs. They're gil makers. Everyone in them got two things in common." Cid rubbed his chin. "They're filthy rich and criminals."

Gippal smirked. "We'll fit right in."

"Except for the criminal aspect." Rikku muttered.

Gippal turned about. "How so? If I recall both you and I were declared criminals by Yevon. They wanted to kill us and everything." He meant to look at her face, but his gaze caught on the bare length of leg and her fingers dragging up and down her calf.

Rikku tossed her hair. "We aren't criminals anymore."

He jerked his head and turned back to the photos. "Detail." He muttered. He held up the up the picture of one of the clubs. The recessed door protected by a deep columned porch. There were a few windows, thin tall slits in the walls. It reminded him of one of the temples.

It looked more like a temple at night when the darkness hid the crude materials used to build it versus the solid stone and mosaic tile that Yevon built their temples out of. Yoorvin didn't bother with electric spotlights but used gas lamps whose flickering flames played with the shadows and deepened the temple impression more.

Yoorvin was also more careful than other club owners. Gippal grimaced and handed his gun over to the bouncer just inside the door. He tightened his grip on Rikku's hip, his fingers sliding under the fabric of the skirt part of her dress. It wasn't the same one as their first excursion, but it was skimpy enough. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to see what he had decided to dub the 'on by luck' dress without asking. On by luck because he still couldn't figure out what had kept it on and he had had the intense desire to strip her out of it in that damn closet. Still had that desire to be honest. He steered her towards the bar and ordered them drinks.

She accepted hers with a smile and turned around so her back pressed against the bar. He moved so he was angled to look like he was leaning on her, but didn't turn around. She cuddled up to him, rubbing against him. He swallowed hard. "That's them." She said after a few minutes. "In the middle, some sort of raised room that overlooks the entire floor.

"Any ideas?"

"Fresh out."

"There's always the direct approach." He said and took a few swallows of his drink. Rikku liked the direct approach he'd noticed. Jump in and don't worry about the landing until you get there.

"I'll back you up."

His eyebrow rose and he leaned down. "With what?" He murmured into her ear. There had been a weapon's check at the door and she hadn't surrendered anything. She shivered and reared her head back to look at him, lips curved into a smirk. She pressed a hand onto his chest.

"Trust me." She said and glanced at her arm with the sleeve. He bit back the observation she'd snuck a knife in, maybe two. This was Rikku, she didn't go anywhere unarmed if she could help it, even to the bathroom. She went up on tiptoes and sucked his earlobe into her mouth for a second. "Plus, you didn't give up the gun in your boot or the knife under your bracer."

His breath hissed. "Baby." Now she was playing mean. He also didn't want to think about how she knew exactly what weapons he carried.

She licked his ear and then bit it. "Not getting any closer to a good nickname." She hissed and moved down, pressing her face into his neck. "Don't get hurt."

He finished his drink and set it down on the bar. "Wouldn't dream of it." He grabbed her chin, tilted her head back and kissed her. He let her go, walked towards the stairs and took them energetically. Since he owned a temple, he noted that the stairs were pretty much in the same place as most temple stairs and that the club as a whole was as large as the main floor of his temple without the walls that defined the rooms. He brushed past the guard on the top. "Hey, I need to talk to Yoorvin." Gippal stopped right in the edge of the room. He grinned, and cocked his hips. "Yoorvin. I heard you were-" He stopped as several weapons pointed in his direction.

Yoorvin glared at him, but his ire seemed aimed more at the man behind Gippal. "Wait."

The guns lowered.

Gippal smirked. "I heard you were the guy to talk to about hovers."

"Leave."

Two more men got up and moved in front of Gippal. The guns rose and cocked.

Gippal looked over his shoulder and watched as Rikku slid a knife against the front of the guard's throat. The guard stiffened.

"Leave, but we just got here." She purred. "Weapons down." She paused. "Please."

Yoorvin didn't move. Gippal released the knife in his glove and placed it against the side of the guy on the rights next. "Haven't you heard it ain't polite to refuse a lady?"

Yoorvin waved his hand. The guns lowered. "You have balls."

Gippal flipped the knife around and stepped aside as Rikku shoved the guard into the room. "More than what's good for me."

"You still need to leave."

Gippal crossed his arms. "We aren't welcome. We got that message."

Rikku placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed her body into his side. "Tell him the information, sweetie."

Gippal looked at her, their eyes met and he nodded. He met Yoorvin's eyes. "I guess you want Cid looking over your shoulder." He shrugged. "Not my problem. Come on, blossom." He turned and started down the steps.

"Hey."

Gippal turned. "Yes."

"Tell me about Cid."

"Are we in business?"

"Depends on what I hear."

Gippal shrugged and walked back in, his arm over Rikku's shoulder. "Cid's been interested in crime syndicates lately. Word among the families is he's now interested in you."

"And you come to tell me this, why?"

Rikku ducked out of Gippal's embrace. She smiled. "If you spread the business around it makes it harder for Cid to track and we need business. It's just a matter of gil."

Yoorvin leaned back and put his feet up on a table. "Nothing personal, just business." He eyed her figure.

Rikku turned her head and smiled at Gippal. "Just good business." She reached inside her dress and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Say, ten million gil business." She held it up between two fingers and looked at Yoorvin, raising her eyebrows.

"I think we can talk." Yoorvin gestured to seats nearby.

Rikku reached back and grabbed Gippal's hand. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. "That's what I like to hear."

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