"Midnight Conversations", chapter 10 to 'Strangers'
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X2 or any of its characters. Sadly enough. I’d be a rich mofo by now.
Author: Senpai//xelijahbabe07x//beautiful nightmare07
Rating: This chapter, PG13. Overall, M.
Characters: Rikku, Gippal, main Final Fantasy X/X2 cast, some OCs, Gippal/Rikku
Author’s Note: Originally posted to ff.net. Wanted to post it to my community as well because I’m still debating on deleting my ff.net account and I want this in separate places. So, with that being said, this is the story. It’s based off the song, “Until We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” by Bon Jovi. Enjoy.
--
"Just talk to me baby, 'till we ain't strangers anymore." - Bon Jovi
****
The weeks passed by at a devastating pace. The fact that Takeira was forced down Rikku's throat at every possible moment only made time creep by that much slower. And the thick tension that she and Gippal shared was beginning to grow physically painful. There was a point last Monday during his regular appearance to check on his beloved machina that she was so uptight that she had actually jammed her thumb into a valve.
The shriek that pierced the room was enough to make all of them fall deaf. Luckily, Gippal simply made a scoffing noise and left. Tamai had been left to help her out of her pickle. Which he found rather amusing once she was free and unharmed for the most part.
The laughter he filled the room with fell short when she covered his nose with a long streak of grease.
How long had it been now since Takeira had been here? Probably close to two weeks now. Two long, gut-wrenching weeks.
It was during one of the long nights alone in her room that she came to the decision that something had to change or she was leaving. The thought saddened her, she had become rather attached to Tamai. But the idea of suffering like this for god knows how much longer was not a welcomed concept. One that she would definitely not put up with or entertain.
And thus, with a heavy heart and an even angrier strand of pride slipping away, Rikku sought out Gippal on Friday after the day was through and everyone had retired to their respective tents or headed out for the weekend.
Since her visit to Besaid, she had stayed in Djose, typically going on long walks with Tamai and a picnic every once in a while.
Night was beginning to fall a little earlier now. A change in the time and a change in the perspective of everything around you. It was easier to feel tired now that night fell a good two hours earlier. It was easier to be more depressed with less light to enjoy. But the extra sleep was definitely a plus. Who could complain about that? 'I'm sure Gippal would find a way if he hasn't already,' Rikku thought with a bitter expression on her face, flipping her braids behind her exposed shoulders. Today was a normal day for her, her typical thief dress-sphere in place. These weekend walks with Tamai had given her a chance to brush up on some of her combat skills and it had proven to be quite helpful. She had twice the gil she typically had and quite a few gil-worthy items she could easily pawn off.
This weekend the camp was rather vacant. A small group of the workers had actually been deployed to Bikanel for site excavation and so a few tents were permanently empty…well for now. A new shipment of workers was about to arrive any week now.
With a shortage in physical attendance, locating Gippal should have been an easy task. But without the need to find him as of late, he had always been the one to show up. Which was strange…typically he had gone out of his way to distance himself from her, but with the arrival of Takeira, he had become increasingly available. Something she thought to be a rather odd side-effect considering the temptress' always giving nature.
So where could he be now? The main lobby of the temple was deserted. The camp site was cleared out for the most part, including Tamai. He had to make a run to Luca this weekend and as much as he had begged and pleaded for her to accompany him, she had refused. This issue needed resolved and it needed resolved immediately. Perhaps Gippal had left for the weekend too?
"--And leave his beloved Machine Faction behind? I think not."
The lack of using her voice caused her last word to crack upon leaving her throat, earning a mocking expression from some of the other workers who were close enough to hear her rants to no one in particular. If she wasn't so uptight over all the issues with Gippal and Takeira, perhaps she would have found the idea of sounding like a pubescent young man funny. Today, however, the humor eluded her.
"Ryja yho uv oui cbuddat Gippal mydamo?" (Have any of you spotted Gippal lately?)
The workers simply shrugged and went back to whispering immoral ideas about the girl amongst themselves, the women simply glaring with jealousy. Why they felt the constant need to nitpick over her appearance also escaped her realm of comprehension. Surely there were women who dressed a lot worse than this. And it wasn't like she wasn't covered justly. She was young. She didn't need to dress like an old hag…which she had once accused Yuna of being nearly three years ago when she had been skeptical to shred her summoner rags.
With a groan she waved her thanks and continued to search the premises. With no results, she headed towards the highroad. Perhaps he would be close by and easily spotted.
--
With the blue flashes of lightning in the distance and the stars and moon beaming down for light, it was easy to distinguish a very familiar figure leaning over the railing of the bridge that connected Djose to the highroad.
He was slouched over, his head nearly hidden by his shoulders. His back was curved into a c-shape; his legs sprawled out lazily underneath him. And something was sitting on the ground. A bottle.
She wanted to let out a groan of agitation. Gippal and saké never mixed. Ever. His tongue loosened in a way that typically wasn't flattering for the Al Bhed or any female counterpart he may be sharing company with that night. Reddened cheeks and shrieks of objections were usually the results of Gippal's intake of the drink.
She, however, wasn't about to succumb to his blunt mouth. Tonight, she was the one talking. And he would listen, for once in his life; he would heed her words and take them for what they were. He could either knock it off or she was gone. Plain and simple.
Opening her mouth to speak, she was rather surprised when a slight chuckle came from his direction.
"Are you going to say anything or just stand there?"
Observant as ever: "I was gonna --until you rudely cut me off."
"How can I cut you off? You hadn't even said a word yet, Cid's girl."
True.
"I need to talk to you Gippal."
"Can it wait?"
"No, it can't. It's rather…urgent. Well not like life threatening but it's urgent in the sense of business."
At the mention of his business, Gippal immediately perked up, pushing himself from the railing to stand at his full height, "What about it?"
"Well…it's just that…Gippal…we need to talk. Seriously."
"Oooh, seriously. A word you rarely use. I better pay attention then, hrmm?" He breathed, jerking his head for her to follow him. Where were they headed?
She eyed him warily, chewing on the inside of her cheeks for a moment before deciding that no matter what was out there during the night hours that she would be able to handle it.
Once they began their walk and were far enough from Djose, he broke the silence, "What's the matter, kid? Afraid to be with me in the dark?" He teased, the distinct stench of alcohol perforating the air, tickling her nose.
"No…it's just that basilisks like the dark-"
"You aren't afraid of any basilisk. How about you stop making excuses and just get to the point. I'm only supposed to be talking to you under business terms, after all. A basilisk is not anything close to machina and therefore not business related."
They went to stand at the junction between the highroad and the direction of Djose temple. With a sigh, he went to lean against a boulder and she took a spot standing before him.
"Gippal, what's the deal with bringing Takeira here?"
The darkness hid his face except for the twinkle in his good eye cut through the veil of black like a spotlight, "Takeira is a valuable asset to the Machine Faction. She keeps things orderly. Do you not agree?"
Rikku shook her head stiffly, "No, I don't. You've managed to run the Machine Faction with no problems up until this point. Nothing's changed at all. I kinda think you brought her here just to make me upset."
At that, the air stayed silent except for his monotone breathing.
She shifted uneasily, "Well…not that it matters but it certainly isn't any way to treat an employee, especially one you claim happens to be so skilled with machina. Wouldn't you want me to be happy here-"
"You want to leave because of Takeira?"
Rikku blinked. This wasn't exactly the way she had anticipated the conversation heading. He was taking all the wrong hints from the clues she was giving him. 'Just be honest and let him have it!'
"Is it because of how she dresses?"
His tone quickly jerked her from her mental showdown, her eyes quickly finding his, "What?"
"You know," Gippal began, raising himself from his slouching position, taking a step towards her, the tips of his blond spikes shimmering underneath the moonlight, "Takeira dresses rather suggestively. Is that what you find discomforting about her presence?"
This earned him a raised eyebrow, "Well not really but it wouldn't hurt if she would-"
"--Put some clothes on?"
She tilted her head to the side, rather unsure the direction he was taking this. So she simply shrugged.
"Perhaps I should lend her one of my shirts as well," He murmured, another deliberate step taken towards her direction.
Immediately she realized the trap she had fallen into, "…I'm different."
Gippal chuckled darkly, "Different? You're both women, are you not? What is so different about it? You have-"
Saké filled her nostrils along with the smell of rain, the smell that was distinctly Gippal. He was too close now. Too close to be comfortable. She could make out every detail in his face. Details that she remembered all too vividly in her dreams.
"Gippal-"
"-Arms like her," He muttered, his fingertips brushing over her shoulders, "You have curves like her," He continued, the palms of his gloves finding her exposed sides and rubbing downwards to settle at her hips.
If she had any common sense at all she would have objected. She wanted to object. She really did. But the fact that her tongue felt three times its normal size didn't make it any easier.
Her rounded eyes only encouraged his demonstration further, "You have legs like her," Gippal informed her, his eye looking down at the long extensions with a ravenous hunger hidden within its depths.
"I don't think you should-"
"Ah, ah, ah, I'm not finished. You shouldn't interrupt, Cid's girl. It's rude."
At this point she was beginning to shake. This couldn't be happening. She had come here to yell and demand his respect and instead she had turned to jelly with the slightest of touches.
"You have long hair like her," He continued, his left hand reaching up and fisting inside the golden locks, jerking her head upwards.
This was wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
He was breathing heavier now too, his normally cool composure beginning to melt away into a smoldering hunger, quickly overpowering his need to remain collected, "You have lips like her-"
Her eyes widened, her breathing cutting itself off as his head tilted and he angled her head with his left hand. He was coming closer. Closer still. If she breathed in, she'd be stealing his air. Once false move on either of their parts and they would be tangled together with their lips tied as the knots.
"NO!"
Where it came from or how she had made it happen was beyond her, but the sudden shriek from Rikku's mouth seemed to sober the man, his hand immediately freeing itself from her hair and his head returning to its normal place. Within one breath, he was standing a good two or three feet away from her. It was over.
"G-Gippal?" She gasped, pulling down her skirt out of habit, coughing ever so slightly.
"If you have everything she has and you can dress more provocative than she can, what makes you think she should have to dress any differently?" He growled.
His demeanor had changed so suddenly that for a brief moment, she was silent.
"Gippal…are you bipolar?"
At this, the jade eye that had been hungry quickly turned to anger and loathing, "Excuse me?"
"I mean c'mon, Gip! This is ridiculous! This is what I wanted to talk to you about. You know, when we were kids growin' up you and I were friends but then all of a sudden one day you were too old for me. You weren't there for me anymore. I was annoying. I didn't deserve your company. And you distanced yourself from me. And we barely spoke after that. I mean when I came back here with Yunie during our journey to find Tidus you acted like you barely knew me. You were more interested in Yuna and her hips!"
"Where are you going with this, Cid's kid?"
"And then you have me work for you and you even try to help me out by helping me fit in but then all of a sudden you're nasty, making me feel like a stupid animal with the way you yell at me. And I go on a weekend visit to see my cousin and all of a sudden Takeira works here? What's your deal? Why do you treat me like this? How about you man up and try to be honest with me for once? I'm tired of playing these little mind games of yours. Whether you know it or not, I'm a full grown woman now. Sure I like to have a good time, but that doesn't mean that I'm stupid. That doesn't make me immature. That makes me Rikku. That makes me, ME. I mean, damn Gip, didn't you ever even know how I fel-"
"Stop."
She stared at him pleadingly, waiting.
"I don't want to hear it. Listen kid, I'm not a good guy, alright? I've never been a good guy. No matter what I do I can't seem to change that. I thought the Crimson Squad would make me a better person, instead it gave me an eye complex and secrets that I don't ever want to tell anyone. But you…Cid's kid…the clumsy, air-headed little girl from Home-- you, at the mere age of fifteen, helped defeat Sin. You, dressed like you should be dancing in Luca, at the mere age of seventeen help defeat Vegnagun and help restore the Eternal Calm. You, still dressed like you should be giving lap dances and just as clumsy as ever, at the mere age of twenty come to Djose and completely uprooted my entire Machine Faction in a mere month? How is that you, this girl, can do all of this, but as hard as I try, I can't seem to shake this dark air that surrounds me no matter what damn path I choose? If you break a crystal, the world rejoices. If I create a machine that will change the future, I hear one round of applause, and it belongs to me. Don't you get it, Cid's kid? No matter where I go, no matter what I do, no matter what I invent, no matter what I change. I'm always going to be that little orphaned boy that tried his best to keep up with the precious 'princess' of Bikanel. That suspicious Gippal that always could lie straight through his teeth. You're the princess of Bikanel and I'm the pilfering pirate."
Rikku stared at him, her breathing ragged, knees shaking with the weight of her discovery. "So what you're doing…what you've always been doing when you're like this with me-"
"You can't be attached to me, girl. I'm no good. Keep your distance. I came to Djose hoping to keep that distance in tact, but of course, you found a way to ruin that for me. You can't ever just trust my intentions, you always have to assume the worst with me. I don't blame you, you should, but sometimes I'm trying to do a good thing."
"Gippal, you-"
"Stay away from me, understand?"
"You've been trying to distance yourself from me because you don't want to…hurt me."
He rolled his eye, folding his arms lazily over his chest, "Whatever, Cid's kid."
"That's why you brought Takeira here!" She exclaimed, her fingers snapping together out of her excitement, "You thought I was getting too emotionally tied to you again, so you brought the one person who managed to completely discourage me. The one person who was your first lov-"
"Takeira is many things but she‘s not that," Gippal laughed, glancing up at the sky, "Takeira is here for me. Don't get any ideas. I wanted her here because I missed her."
Straight through his teeth again, this lying thing was definitely his forte.
Rikku glared at the ground, her epiphany quickly fading from her blood, instead to be replaced by embarrassment and disappointment yet again, "I see."
"Don't pout. I hate when you pout," He grumbled.
"You should be used to it," She corrected him, kicking at the ground.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That's all you ever do is try to make me cry. Do you like watching me breakdown or something? Does it make you feel more like a man?"
He snapped. Just as she expected him to. In one quick movement he had her shoved hard against the boulder he had been casually leaning against only moments earlier, "First of all, I hate watching you cry. Secondly, the fact that I can't change myself makes me feel like a pathetic. Everything I do is to better myself and everyone's opinion of me. I can't remain as the poor orphaned Gippal who cried whenever someone asked him where his parents were at. I can't remain the dark underbelly of the machina world. And you…the strange thing is, as much as you don't seem to realize it, you always chase after something you don't deserve. So how about you take a long chug of coffee, smell the fuckin' roses, and move on with your life -without me in it."
With a last glare and a low growl, he stormed back towards the temple. Rikku was left in a heap of confusion and sadness. Finally it made sense. His entire life…Gippal had been pushing her away not because he found her to be the weakest link, but because he wanted to protect her. And what was all that business about not deserving him...what level of the spectrum was that statement to be taken from?
She waited for a while longer, giving him enough time to be safely secured behind the door of his bedroom before she attempted to reenter Djose for the night.
--
For once, she didn't know whether she should be angry or happy or sad or just plain humiliated. What should she do? Was leaving still the best idea? Or did Gippal need her here?
"No…he doesn't want me here," She corrected herself, nestling into her bed a little later. 'He said as much. He came to Djose to distance himself from you further.'
Why did this have to be so confusing? What was going on? Would she ever understand the way his brain worked? Probably not. She had made it this far in life without really understanding the cocky pirate-like Al Bhed. A few more weeks wouldn't hurt her.
There was her answer. If things didn't get better within another week or two, she would be gone. For good. No more Djose. No more Takeira. No more Machine Faction. No more…Tamai. No more…Gippal.
'"-You thought I was getting too emotionally tied to you again, so you brought the one person who managed to completely discourage me. The one person who was your first lov-"'
'"Takeira is many things but she‘s not that…"'
But if Takeira didn't hold that title…if she wasn't the one who had the original hold of Gippal's heart strings…the one who still held his feelings in the palm of her hand, making it impossible for him to treat or love anyone else the way they deserved…then who did, exactly?
As her eyes sank closed and sleep called her home, she couldn't help but be thankful, for once, that Gippal enjoyed his saké.
Author: Senpai//xelijahbabe07x//beautiful nightmare07
Rating: This chapter, PG13. Overall, M.
Characters: Rikku, Gippal, main Final Fantasy X/X2 cast, some OCs, Gippal/Rikku
Author’s Note: Originally posted to ff.net. Wanted to post it to my community as well because I’m still debating on deleting my ff.net account and I want this in separate places. So, with that being said, this is the story. It’s based off the song, “Until We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” by Bon Jovi. Enjoy.
--
"Just talk to me baby, 'till we ain't strangers anymore." - Bon Jovi
****
The weeks passed by at a devastating pace. The fact that Takeira was forced down Rikku's throat at every possible moment only made time creep by that much slower. And the thick tension that she and Gippal shared was beginning to grow physically painful. There was a point last Monday during his regular appearance to check on his beloved machina that she was so uptight that she had actually jammed her thumb into a valve.
The shriek that pierced the room was enough to make all of them fall deaf. Luckily, Gippal simply made a scoffing noise and left. Tamai had been left to help her out of her pickle. Which he found rather amusing once she was free and unharmed for the most part.
The laughter he filled the room with fell short when she covered his nose with a long streak of grease.
How long had it been now since Takeira had been here? Probably close to two weeks now. Two long, gut-wrenching weeks.
It was during one of the long nights alone in her room that she came to the decision that something had to change or she was leaving. The thought saddened her, she had become rather attached to Tamai. But the idea of suffering like this for god knows how much longer was not a welcomed concept. One that she would definitely not put up with or entertain.
And thus, with a heavy heart and an even angrier strand of pride slipping away, Rikku sought out Gippal on Friday after the day was through and everyone had retired to their respective tents or headed out for the weekend.
Since her visit to Besaid, she had stayed in Djose, typically going on long walks with Tamai and a picnic every once in a while.
Night was beginning to fall a little earlier now. A change in the time and a change in the perspective of everything around you. It was easier to feel tired now that night fell a good two hours earlier. It was easier to be more depressed with less light to enjoy. But the extra sleep was definitely a plus. Who could complain about that? 'I'm sure Gippal would find a way if he hasn't already,' Rikku thought with a bitter expression on her face, flipping her braids behind her exposed shoulders. Today was a normal day for her, her typical thief dress-sphere in place. These weekend walks with Tamai had given her a chance to brush up on some of her combat skills and it had proven to be quite helpful. She had twice the gil she typically had and quite a few gil-worthy items she could easily pawn off.
This weekend the camp was rather vacant. A small group of the workers had actually been deployed to Bikanel for site excavation and so a few tents were permanently empty…well for now. A new shipment of workers was about to arrive any week now.
With a shortage in physical attendance, locating Gippal should have been an easy task. But without the need to find him as of late, he had always been the one to show up. Which was strange…typically he had gone out of his way to distance himself from her, but with the arrival of Takeira, he had become increasingly available. Something she thought to be a rather odd side-effect considering the temptress' always giving nature.
So where could he be now? The main lobby of the temple was deserted. The camp site was cleared out for the most part, including Tamai. He had to make a run to Luca this weekend and as much as he had begged and pleaded for her to accompany him, she had refused. This issue needed resolved and it needed resolved immediately. Perhaps Gippal had left for the weekend too?
"--And leave his beloved Machine Faction behind? I think not."
The lack of using her voice caused her last word to crack upon leaving her throat, earning a mocking expression from some of the other workers who were close enough to hear her rants to no one in particular. If she wasn't so uptight over all the issues with Gippal and Takeira, perhaps she would have found the idea of sounding like a pubescent young man funny. Today, however, the humor eluded her.
"Ryja yho uv oui cbuddat Gippal mydamo?" (Have any of you spotted Gippal lately?)
The workers simply shrugged and went back to whispering immoral ideas about the girl amongst themselves, the women simply glaring with jealousy. Why they felt the constant need to nitpick over her appearance also escaped her realm of comprehension. Surely there were women who dressed a lot worse than this. And it wasn't like she wasn't covered justly. She was young. She didn't need to dress like an old hag…which she had once accused Yuna of being nearly three years ago when she had been skeptical to shred her summoner rags.
With a groan she waved her thanks and continued to search the premises. With no results, she headed towards the highroad. Perhaps he would be close by and easily spotted.
--
With the blue flashes of lightning in the distance and the stars and moon beaming down for light, it was easy to distinguish a very familiar figure leaning over the railing of the bridge that connected Djose to the highroad.
He was slouched over, his head nearly hidden by his shoulders. His back was curved into a c-shape; his legs sprawled out lazily underneath him. And something was sitting on the ground. A bottle.
She wanted to let out a groan of agitation. Gippal and saké never mixed. Ever. His tongue loosened in a way that typically wasn't flattering for the Al Bhed or any female counterpart he may be sharing company with that night. Reddened cheeks and shrieks of objections were usually the results of Gippal's intake of the drink.
She, however, wasn't about to succumb to his blunt mouth. Tonight, she was the one talking. And he would listen, for once in his life; he would heed her words and take them for what they were. He could either knock it off or she was gone. Plain and simple.
Opening her mouth to speak, she was rather surprised when a slight chuckle came from his direction.
"Are you going to say anything or just stand there?"
Observant as ever: "I was gonna --until you rudely cut me off."
"How can I cut you off? You hadn't even said a word yet, Cid's girl."
True.
"I need to talk to you Gippal."
"Can it wait?"
"No, it can't. It's rather…urgent. Well not like life threatening but it's urgent in the sense of business."
At the mention of his business, Gippal immediately perked up, pushing himself from the railing to stand at his full height, "What about it?"
"Well…it's just that…Gippal…we need to talk. Seriously."
"Oooh, seriously. A word you rarely use. I better pay attention then, hrmm?" He breathed, jerking his head for her to follow him. Where were they headed?
She eyed him warily, chewing on the inside of her cheeks for a moment before deciding that no matter what was out there during the night hours that she would be able to handle it.
Once they began their walk and were far enough from Djose, he broke the silence, "What's the matter, kid? Afraid to be with me in the dark?" He teased, the distinct stench of alcohol perforating the air, tickling her nose.
"No…it's just that basilisks like the dark-"
"You aren't afraid of any basilisk. How about you stop making excuses and just get to the point. I'm only supposed to be talking to you under business terms, after all. A basilisk is not anything close to machina and therefore not business related."
They went to stand at the junction between the highroad and the direction of Djose temple. With a sigh, he went to lean against a boulder and she took a spot standing before him.
"Gippal, what's the deal with bringing Takeira here?"
The darkness hid his face except for the twinkle in his good eye cut through the veil of black like a spotlight, "Takeira is a valuable asset to the Machine Faction. She keeps things orderly. Do you not agree?"
Rikku shook her head stiffly, "No, I don't. You've managed to run the Machine Faction with no problems up until this point. Nothing's changed at all. I kinda think you brought her here just to make me upset."
At that, the air stayed silent except for his monotone breathing.
She shifted uneasily, "Well…not that it matters but it certainly isn't any way to treat an employee, especially one you claim happens to be so skilled with machina. Wouldn't you want me to be happy here-"
"You want to leave because of Takeira?"
Rikku blinked. This wasn't exactly the way she had anticipated the conversation heading. He was taking all the wrong hints from the clues she was giving him. 'Just be honest and let him have it!'
"Is it because of how she dresses?"
His tone quickly jerked her from her mental showdown, her eyes quickly finding his, "What?"
"You know," Gippal began, raising himself from his slouching position, taking a step towards her, the tips of his blond spikes shimmering underneath the moonlight, "Takeira dresses rather suggestively. Is that what you find discomforting about her presence?"
This earned him a raised eyebrow, "Well not really but it wouldn't hurt if she would-"
"--Put some clothes on?"
She tilted her head to the side, rather unsure the direction he was taking this. So she simply shrugged.
"Perhaps I should lend her one of my shirts as well," He murmured, another deliberate step taken towards her direction.
Immediately she realized the trap she had fallen into, "…I'm different."
Gippal chuckled darkly, "Different? You're both women, are you not? What is so different about it? You have-"
Saké filled her nostrils along with the smell of rain, the smell that was distinctly Gippal. He was too close now. Too close to be comfortable. She could make out every detail in his face. Details that she remembered all too vividly in her dreams.
"Gippal-"
"-Arms like her," He muttered, his fingertips brushing over her shoulders, "You have curves like her," He continued, the palms of his gloves finding her exposed sides and rubbing downwards to settle at her hips.
If she had any common sense at all she would have objected. She wanted to object. She really did. But the fact that her tongue felt three times its normal size didn't make it any easier.
Her rounded eyes only encouraged his demonstration further, "You have legs like her," Gippal informed her, his eye looking down at the long extensions with a ravenous hunger hidden within its depths.
"I don't think you should-"
"Ah, ah, ah, I'm not finished. You shouldn't interrupt, Cid's girl. It's rude."
At this point she was beginning to shake. This couldn't be happening. She had come here to yell and demand his respect and instead she had turned to jelly with the slightest of touches.
"You have long hair like her," He continued, his left hand reaching up and fisting inside the golden locks, jerking her head upwards.
This was wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
He was breathing heavier now too, his normally cool composure beginning to melt away into a smoldering hunger, quickly overpowering his need to remain collected, "You have lips like her-"
Her eyes widened, her breathing cutting itself off as his head tilted and he angled her head with his left hand. He was coming closer. Closer still. If she breathed in, she'd be stealing his air. Once false move on either of their parts and they would be tangled together with their lips tied as the knots.
"NO!"
Where it came from or how she had made it happen was beyond her, but the sudden shriek from Rikku's mouth seemed to sober the man, his hand immediately freeing itself from her hair and his head returning to its normal place. Within one breath, he was standing a good two or three feet away from her. It was over.
"G-Gippal?" She gasped, pulling down her skirt out of habit, coughing ever so slightly.
"If you have everything she has and you can dress more provocative than she can, what makes you think she should have to dress any differently?" He growled.
His demeanor had changed so suddenly that for a brief moment, she was silent.
"Gippal…are you bipolar?"
At this, the jade eye that had been hungry quickly turned to anger and loathing, "Excuse me?"
"I mean c'mon, Gip! This is ridiculous! This is what I wanted to talk to you about. You know, when we were kids growin' up you and I were friends but then all of a sudden one day you were too old for me. You weren't there for me anymore. I was annoying. I didn't deserve your company. And you distanced yourself from me. And we barely spoke after that. I mean when I came back here with Yunie during our journey to find Tidus you acted like you barely knew me. You were more interested in Yuna and her hips!"
"Where are you going with this, Cid's kid?"
"And then you have me work for you and you even try to help me out by helping me fit in but then all of a sudden you're nasty, making me feel like a stupid animal with the way you yell at me. And I go on a weekend visit to see my cousin and all of a sudden Takeira works here? What's your deal? Why do you treat me like this? How about you man up and try to be honest with me for once? I'm tired of playing these little mind games of yours. Whether you know it or not, I'm a full grown woman now. Sure I like to have a good time, but that doesn't mean that I'm stupid. That doesn't make me immature. That makes me Rikku. That makes me, ME. I mean, damn Gip, didn't you ever even know how I fel-"
"Stop."
She stared at him pleadingly, waiting.
"I don't want to hear it. Listen kid, I'm not a good guy, alright? I've never been a good guy. No matter what I do I can't seem to change that. I thought the Crimson Squad would make me a better person, instead it gave me an eye complex and secrets that I don't ever want to tell anyone. But you…Cid's kid…the clumsy, air-headed little girl from Home-- you, at the mere age of fifteen, helped defeat Sin. You, dressed like you should be dancing in Luca, at the mere age of seventeen help defeat Vegnagun and help restore the Eternal Calm. You, still dressed like you should be giving lap dances and just as clumsy as ever, at the mere age of twenty come to Djose and completely uprooted my entire Machine Faction in a mere month? How is that you, this girl, can do all of this, but as hard as I try, I can't seem to shake this dark air that surrounds me no matter what damn path I choose? If you break a crystal, the world rejoices. If I create a machine that will change the future, I hear one round of applause, and it belongs to me. Don't you get it, Cid's kid? No matter where I go, no matter what I do, no matter what I invent, no matter what I change. I'm always going to be that little orphaned boy that tried his best to keep up with the precious 'princess' of Bikanel. That suspicious Gippal that always could lie straight through his teeth. You're the princess of Bikanel and I'm the pilfering pirate."
Rikku stared at him, her breathing ragged, knees shaking with the weight of her discovery. "So what you're doing…what you've always been doing when you're like this with me-"
"You can't be attached to me, girl. I'm no good. Keep your distance. I came to Djose hoping to keep that distance in tact, but of course, you found a way to ruin that for me. You can't ever just trust my intentions, you always have to assume the worst with me. I don't blame you, you should, but sometimes I'm trying to do a good thing."
"Gippal, you-"
"Stay away from me, understand?"
"You've been trying to distance yourself from me because you don't want to…hurt me."
He rolled his eye, folding his arms lazily over his chest, "Whatever, Cid's kid."
"That's why you brought Takeira here!" She exclaimed, her fingers snapping together out of her excitement, "You thought I was getting too emotionally tied to you again, so you brought the one person who managed to completely discourage me. The one person who was your first lov-"
"Takeira is many things but she‘s not that," Gippal laughed, glancing up at the sky, "Takeira is here for me. Don't get any ideas. I wanted her here because I missed her."
Straight through his teeth again, this lying thing was definitely his forte.
Rikku glared at the ground, her epiphany quickly fading from her blood, instead to be replaced by embarrassment and disappointment yet again, "I see."
"Don't pout. I hate when you pout," He grumbled.
"You should be used to it," She corrected him, kicking at the ground.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That's all you ever do is try to make me cry. Do you like watching me breakdown or something? Does it make you feel more like a man?"
He snapped. Just as she expected him to. In one quick movement he had her shoved hard against the boulder he had been casually leaning against only moments earlier, "First of all, I hate watching you cry. Secondly, the fact that I can't change myself makes me feel like a pathetic. Everything I do is to better myself and everyone's opinion of me. I can't remain as the poor orphaned Gippal who cried whenever someone asked him where his parents were at. I can't remain the dark underbelly of the machina world. And you…the strange thing is, as much as you don't seem to realize it, you always chase after something you don't deserve. So how about you take a long chug of coffee, smell the fuckin' roses, and move on with your life -without me in it."
With a last glare and a low growl, he stormed back towards the temple. Rikku was left in a heap of confusion and sadness. Finally it made sense. His entire life…Gippal had been pushing her away not because he found her to be the weakest link, but because he wanted to protect her. And what was all that business about not deserving him...what level of the spectrum was that statement to be taken from?
She waited for a while longer, giving him enough time to be safely secured behind the door of his bedroom before she attempted to reenter Djose for the night.
--
For once, she didn't know whether she should be angry or happy or sad or just plain humiliated. What should she do? Was leaving still the best idea? Or did Gippal need her here?
"No…he doesn't want me here," She corrected herself, nestling into her bed a little later. 'He said as much. He came to Djose to distance himself from you further.'
Why did this have to be so confusing? What was going on? Would she ever understand the way his brain worked? Probably not. She had made it this far in life without really understanding the cocky pirate-like Al Bhed. A few more weeks wouldn't hurt her.
There was her answer. If things didn't get better within another week or two, she would be gone. For good. No more Djose. No more Takeira. No more Machine Faction. No more…Tamai. No more…Gippal.
'"-You thought I was getting too emotionally tied to you again, so you brought the one person who managed to completely discourage me. The one person who was your first lov-"'
'"Takeira is many things but she‘s not that…"'
But if Takeira didn't hold that title…if she wasn't the one who had the original hold of Gippal's heart strings…the one who still held his feelings in the palm of her hand, making it impossible for him to treat or love anyone else the way they deserved…then who did, exactly?
As her eyes sank closed and sleep called her home, she couldn't help but be thankful, for once, that Gippal enjoyed his saké.