Quality Time: Interlude 20
by PrettyGothGirl
Summary: Cid contrives to have Rikku and Gippal spend some quality time together. Interlude 20: Gippal tries to talk to Rikku, and Shinra gets suspicious.
Author's Note: Rikku and Gippal aren't doing too well with this keeping things a secret. Since, it is so short, I shall have to post more soon. :) If you haven't yet, you should considering nominating in Best of Rikku/Gippal 2008. Taking requests! And does anyone know if Underworld 3 has any good 'love' scenes?

It was supposed to be a joke, just a simple funny joke. How had it gone so wrong?

He'd tried going after her. His things though had been on the shore and by the time he'd gathered them. She was long gone, not even the scent of her perfume remained. He wasn't a tracker either to be able to read bent grass and know which way the hawk flew.

Three days ago. Three days since he watched her back getting smaller, her hair bronze from all the water saturated in it.

He straightened his shoulders and picked up the commsphere. It was just a call. He could do it. Again. He pressed the sphere downwards.

Shinra answered, again.

"Can I talk to Rikku?" He asked. Damn it. He felt like a broken sphere, doing and saying the same things over and over.

"I don't know. Can you?"

Gippal struggled not to glare at the brat. "May I, please?"

"I'm just a kid." It had to be Shinra's way of saying 'we'll see.' He turned away, said something, waited and turned back. "She's not accepting calls," Shinra paused to get the unspoken 'from you' across. "Right now, if ever again."

Gippal sagged into his seat. "Thanks Shinra."

Shinra shrugged and the commsphere died.

Gippal sighed. How was he supposed to make up for the problem when she wouldn't even speak to him? It seemed he was going to have to resort to a higher power.

--

Shinra couldn't tell from the angle he was at, but he thought Rikku was leaning back in her chair and glaring. That was the third time Gippal had called in as many days and Rikku hadn't gone out in three nights either. It didn't take a genius to make connection. Something was going on between Rikku and Gippal and right now it wasn't good. It wasn't his place to intervene.

Rikku became angry with Gippal so often, it wasn't worth the trouble. This time, it didn't seem like a normal Rikku rage at Gippal. Shinra stared at his computer. Maybe he should say something. He pondered and then shuddered. No. Rikku would then get mad at him for butting his nose in.

Just, in his opinion and in his observation, nothing was going to change unless she talked to Gippal. Shinra shook his head. He didn't understand girls. Gippal was trying, maybe he wasn't trying hard enough, but he was trying. Shinra decided more research was needed, though he was beginning to think Rikku and Gippal weren't good subjects.

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