Quality Time: Interlude 22
by PrettyGothGirl
Summary: Cid Contrives of a way for Rikku and Gippal to spend some quality time together. Interlude 22: Gippal corners Rikku and tries to manipulate her into doing things his way.
A/N: Happy birthday Ninja_butterfly! Sorry, sorry, I meant to update this sooner. I have good excuses, though they shouldn't have kept me from doing what I love to do. Oh well. Anyways, yes, Quality Time... onward!
Gippal didn't know who to thank, the fates, the fraudulent Yevon, the sleeping Aeons, but he was thankful that Cid was not on Rikku's side. Gippal wasn't sure Cid was on his side either. But if the old man was willing to help, Gippal was going to take it and run like a chocobo out of hell. Cid might have a hidden agenda. Gippal at the moment didn't care.
Rikku was alone, that was the key thing, in the bar area of the Celsius. No annoying friends or family, no intrusive lisping Hypellos, alone. He stepped behind her and placed his arms to either side of her body. She wasn't going to even think she had a chance of running. She spun to face him. Her ponytail whipped his face and the draft of her perfume intoxicated him. The heat of her glare was nothing against the radiating heat of her body. He smiled. It was a half smile, but a smile, his first in days. "I didn't want to have to do this."
She blew bangs from her eyes. "Do what?"
"Corner you to get you to talk to me. I'm glad it worked." He flexed his hands on the bar.
She clenched her jaw. "But you're doing it anyways."
"I don't have a lot of patience." He said. She rolled her eyes. He tilted his head. "Or time."
He watched emotions shift across her face. Her brow furrowed, her lips pursed, eyes tightened, then her nose wrinkled, and then everything relaxed. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She didn't want to ask the question. However, curiosity would always get the better of her. "Time?"
"Time." He smiled. He just needed more time with her and he could make everything better. "We've been invited to a card game."
"You're horrible at cards." She tilted her head in mockery.
"Only when I play against you." He retorted. "We've been invited to a card game." He started again. She opened her mouth and he glared at her, overriding her before she could say anything. "By our buddy Yoorvin, tonight and it would look extremely odd if I showed up by my lonesome, considering how close we are." He smirked. "And how important you are to me."
"No." She crossed her arms.
"No?"
"I'm not going."
Damn it. He was going to have to manipulate her. "So, you're saying you can't do it."
She straightened. "I can so."
He grinned. "Ah."
"But I won't." She narrowed her eyes.
"So, you're going to tell Cid that you can't finish the job he hired-"
"Shanghaied."
He decided to ignore her interjections. "-us to do, for which he pays-"
"A pittance."
She had a point there. "-us to do and is for the good of the Al Bhed-"
"Who don't care."
Which made him wonder why he cared. Wait, quality spending time with Rikku, right. It was a very big reason to care. He had to keep his eyes on the prize, and it was a very pretty prize. "All because we had a fight."
"I've already told Pops that I quit."
"Gorgeous, we're in a little deep to quit."
She leaned forward. "Don't call me that." She hissed. "I have a name. I quit."
Interesting. That hadn't worked as well as he'd hoped. She was getting harder to manipulate. Flummoxing. Fine. He finally glared back. "There are two people on this team and I say we aren't done and I won't let you quit." He leaned in. "And I'm the leader, remember?"
"You can't make me do anything." She stood her ground.
"Wanna bet?" He licked his lips. "Because right now to get anywhere you have to go through me."
"I could punch you."
"But you won't." He was putting a lot of faith into that premise. She wouldn't punch him. She was Rikku and she'd promised to yell at him first. She hadn't yelled at him yet, so therefore, she shouldn't punch him.
"You deserve it."
"Never said otherwise, are you walking off this ship or going over my shoulder?"
She jutted her chin out. "You wouldn't."
"I don't want to have to do this."
"You said that already.'
"But-" He grabbed her waist, tossed her up into the air and over his shoulder. "A man's got to do, what a man's gotta do."
"Gippal."
He hefted her up and down. "You're really light."
"This isn't funny." She slapped his back. "Put me down." The next thump was a fist.
He headed towards the door. "Nope."
"I said-"
"Out of choices, gorgeous. Put up and shut up time."
"I am not-"
"I'll get kinky next." He warned.
She stayed silent. Hopefully she was mulling what that meant over. Damn, he wasn't even sure what he meant, but he'd do it. He would find some way to force her to stay with him if he had to, use every rule of manipulation he had against her. "I'll walk." She said quietly.
"I knew you'd see things my way." He set her down, keeping his hand on her hips.
She glared up at him. "Don't push it."
"You say that a lot, and I always do."
"And what exactly does that say about you?"
He grinned. "I haven't a clue, but I'm sure you'll come up with something." He shifted until he had an arm about her waist. She growled and tried to wiggle free, but he tightened his grip and steered her the way he wanted to go. She might kill him at some point, but what a way to go.
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