Holding Out: Chapter One
Title: Holding Out: Chapter One
Fandom: FFX-2
Characters: Rikku x Gippal, Paine
Rating: PG
Format: Chaptered
Status: Complete, (a little) polished, spellchecked.
Words: 1370
Disclaimer: I don't claim ownership of characters or games, only themes within.
Author's Note: X-Posted to quitethecouple. First Gippal/Rikku story I've written in quite awhile! Mah!
Holding Out: Chapter One
“Ehn.” I really hated it when he talked like that. Ehn. That maybe-yes-maybe-no sound that emitted from his nose and throat. It made me sort of want to rip his face off. My mother woulda been horrified, but I figured it was a pretty normal reaction. I rolled over and studied the outline of Gippal's face; the lines of his eye patch cutting into his tanned face. Beads of sweat were seeping down his forehead and I sighed.
“Well, either you wanna come with me to see him, or you don't,” I said, sitting up and reaching over for my bottle of water.
“Ehn,” Gippal said again, shrugging one shoulder and rolling over onto his stomach, “I'm not too interested. I got things to do.”
Yeah. Things to do. Sure. He always had things to do. I shoulda realized that the first time around, and I shoulda skipped town the second. Being young and stupid with a head full of dandelion fluff isn't much of an excuse, I guess. Three years I'd sat around waiting for him, after he'd walked out and then walked back into my life, and I still couldn't figure him out. Taking a sabbatical from loving hadn't done my good sense (if I'd ever had any to begin with) anything, and I was right back where I'd started: awkward and feeling like a knobby-kneed fourteen year old.
“Well-” I started and he just let his hand fly up, cutting me off without even looking at me.
“I'll try and make time next month, Rikku, but right now I gotta bunch of orders to fill for Rin, and Baralai's chewing my ass out over some mechanical problems the lights are having in Bevelle.” He rolled over, and slipped one toned arm around my back. With one tug I spilled over his stomach, and was nose to nose with him. He smiled, his good eye crinkling up around the edges, sparkling bits of sand sticking to his skin.
“Gippal-”
“'Sides, Rikku, you know he always makes me sleep on the couch when I go with you.” His kisses melted down the side of my neck, and my will power slipped out of my fingers like sand. My eyes closed when his fingers flicked the back of my swimsuit open and the straps of it slid down my shoulders.
“I guess you're right; you're too busy,” I said, trying to keep the reluctance out of my voice as he mouthed down my collarbone.
“You know I am.”
---
“You've been avoiding me.” Paine was up on a ladder, a clipboard balanced on her hip as she counted medical supplies. Every so often she'd make a disgusted noise, and an expired potion would drop into the box at the foot of the ladder. I shrugged a little, my curved-in shoulders curling a little more.
“Maybe,” I said, “not really.” Had I been? It'd been only a few...
“Three months and eighteen days,” Paine supplied. I rolled my eyes and she twisted a little, a smile crossing half her face. “You had your mathematics expression on.” She sighed and hopped down to the floor, in a move that would probably have her wincing in another five years. Age was creeping up on both of us, even though I was fighting the idea that I was even acknowledging it.
I tagged after her as she picked up the box of old potions, and I rushed to grab a few bottles that had missed their final resting place. She smiled again at me, relaxed, content, and it was nice to see that change in her. Paine was smiling more, and I wanted to know why. Maybe out of curiosity, maybe so I could steal a little star shine for myself.
“I've been a little busy,” I admitted as we walked out of the store room of the infirmary. She put the box down on her desk, and I squirmed up onto it, swinging my legs and poking through the potions and salves she'd discarded. Sometimes some of them were even better after they'd gone bad... eh heh, but not for curing things, y'know? Better than booze, elixir was when it'd turned funny.
“Mmm; so, have you heard from Yuna? Pass me that clipboard, please.” Paine took the board from me, pulling out the sheet and putting it in a tray labeled In. How... productive. I scanned her office. Nooj could have done with a worse Chief of Infirmaries, and still been fine. It was so different from Gippal's, I thought, and then smiled. Starting with the lack of machina gears and springs everywhere. And it was actually clean.
“No, but she's busy too,” I said. “Tidus t-sphered me and let me know she's following Lu's lead and popping out another.” I wasn't sure if I was grateful or upset all my tests always came back negative.
“Yes,” Paine said, sounding preoccupied as she copied down something from one paper to another. I bit my lip.
“You know, we could make this easier if you let me get you one of Gippal's new consoles-”
“Thank you, but no,” Paine said, holding up one hand. She smiled at me to take the bite out of her words. “I prefer paper, to be honest, it feels more... substantial.” I eyed her stuffed filing cabinet.
“Yeah, well let me know when you substantially collapse the walls of your office,” I said, and she made a muffled snorting sound of amusement behind her hand.
“I'll try to ask for one before that happens.” She wrote for several minutes more as I poked around her office. I caught her glancing at me, and I was sure there'd be an order of Rikku, don't touch that or Rikku, put that down, but she must have been in a good mood or something, because she didn't say anything to me about juggling X-potions.
“So, are you going to be seeing your father and brother soon?” she asked, shuffling her papers into a large pile and walking over to tuck them into the cabinet. I shrugged and put the X-potions down.
“Yeah, I got some time off from Gippal. Pops hasn't seen me in a bit either, and he gets antsy. Maybe he figures I'll take a leaf out'a Yuna's book and get spawn a litter if he doesn't keep tabs on me.” I tried to laugh, but it sounded tinny and small, so I squelched it like a bug under my boot. Paine's eyes flicked up to look at me, though her hands stayed steady on her papers.
“Maybe he figures that, because it was one of your plans.” The cabinet snapped shut and she turned on her heels to look at me straight-on. Never face off with a warrior on her own turf, I thought to myself, it was too dangerous and she knew all the exits.
“Heh heh,” I said, scratching the back of my head, “well, y'know, I sorta changed my plans. I was fifteen at the time, Paine!” Everyone makes big plans when they're young, my eyes said plainly. Just because you get older doesn't mean you have to give them up, hers responded. I couldn't even win a silent argument, I thought with disgust.
“I suppose,” Paine said, and then began packing a few supplies together in a box. “Here, anyway, take these to your brother. Buddy tells me that the two of them are still a little bit accident prone, and Shinra can't keep up with all the broken bones.”
She smiled and pushed the box into my arms, and I stepped backwards under the weight of it.
“I'll let them know you care so much,” I said and shook the bangs out of my eyes as she held the door open for me.
“Don't be such a stranger, Rikku,” she said, catching her hand on my shoulder as I edged out of the room. I paused and I met her eyes, surprised at the pure warmth waiting for me there. I had to smile in return, and wonder if she'd stolen all of the grins that used to grace my face for herself.
“I won't be.”
Fandom: FFX-2
Characters: Rikku x Gippal, Paine
Rating: PG
Format: Chaptered
Status: Complete, (a little) polished, spellchecked.
Words: 1370
Disclaimer: I don't claim ownership of characters or games, only themes within.
Author's Note: X-Posted to quitethecouple. First Gippal/Rikku story I've written in quite awhile! Mah!
Holding Out: Chapter One
“Ehn.” I really hated it when he talked like that. Ehn. That maybe-yes-maybe-no sound that emitted from his nose and throat. It made me sort of want to rip his face off. My mother woulda been horrified, but I figured it was a pretty normal reaction. I rolled over and studied the outline of Gippal's face; the lines of his eye patch cutting into his tanned face. Beads of sweat were seeping down his forehead and I sighed.
“Well, either you wanna come with me to see him, or you don't,” I said, sitting up and reaching over for my bottle of water.
“Ehn,” Gippal said again, shrugging one shoulder and rolling over onto his stomach, “I'm not too interested. I got things to do.”
Yeah. Things to do. Sure. He always had things to do. I shoulda realized that the first time around, and I shoulda skipped town the second. Being young and stupid with a head full of dandelion fluff isn't much of an excuse, I guess. Three years I'd sat around waiting for him, after he'd walked out and then walked back into my life, and I still couldn't figure him out. Taking a sabbatical from loving hadn't done my good sense (if I'd ever had any to begin with) anything, and I was right back where I'd started: awkward and feeling like a knobby-kneed fourteen year old.
“Well-” I started and he just let his hand fly up, cutting me off without even looking at me.
“I'll try and make time next month, Rikku, but right now I gotta bunch of orders to fill for Rin, and Baralai's chewing my ass out over some mechanical problems the lights are having in Bevelle.” He rolled over, and slipped one toned arm around my back. With one tug I spilled over his stomach, and was nose to nose with him. He smiled, his good eye crinkling up around the edges, sparkling bits of sand sticking to his skin.
“Gippal-”
“'Sides, Rikku, you know he always makes me sleep on the couch when I go with you.” His kisses melted down the side of my neck, and my will power slipped out of my fingers like sand. My eyes closed when his fingers flicked the back of my swimsuit open and the straps of it slid down my shoulders.
“I guess you're right; you're too busy,” I said, trying to keep the reluctance out of my voice as he mouthed down my collarbone.
“You know I am.”
---
“You've been avoiding me.” Paine was up on a ladder, a clipboard balanced on her hip as she counted medical supplies. Every so often she'd make a disgusted noise, and an expired potion would drop into the box at the foot of the ladder. I shrugged a little, my curved-in shoulders curling a little more.
“Maybe,” I said, “not really.” Had I been? It'd been only a few...
“Three months and eighteen days,” Paine supplied. I rolled my eyes and she twisted a little, a smile crossing half her face. “You had your mathematics expression on.” She sighed and hopped down to the floor, in a move that would probably have her wincing in another five years. Age was creeping up on both of us, even though I was fighting the idea that I was even acknowledging it.
I tagged after her as she picked up the box of old potions, and I rushed to grab a few bottles that had missed their final resting place. She smiled again at me, relaxed, content, and it was nice to see that change in her. Paine was smiling more, and I wanted to know why. Maybe out of curiosity, maybe so I could steal a little star shine for myself.
“I've been a little busy,” I admitted as we walked out of the store room of the infirmary. She put the box down on her desk, and I squirmed up onto it, swinging my legs and poking through the potions and salves she'd discarded. Sometimes some of them were even better after they'd gone bad... eh heh, but not for curing things, y'know? Better than booze, elixir was when it'd turned funny.
“Mmm; so, have you heard from Yuna? Pass me that clipboard, please.” Paine took the board from me, pulling out the sheet and putting it in a tray labeled In. How... productive. I scanned her office. Nooj could have done with a worse Chief of Infirmaries, and still been fine. It was so different from Gippal's, I thought, and then smiled. Starting with the lack of machina gears and springs everywhere. And it was actually clean.
“No, but she's busy too,” I said. “Tidus t-sphered me and let me know she's following Lu's lead and popping out another.” I wasn't sure if I was grateful or upset all my tests always came back negative.
“Yes,” Paine said, sounding preoccupied as she copied down something from one paper to another. I bit my lip.
“You know, we could make this easier if you let me get you one of Gippal's new consoles-”
“Thank you, but no,” Paine said, holding up one hand. She smiled at me to take the bite out of her words. “I prefer paper, to be honest, it feels more... substantial.” I eyed her stuffed filing cabinet.
“Yeah, well let me know when you substantially collapse the walls of your office,” I said, and she made a muffled snorting sound of amusement behind her hand.
“I'll try to ask for one before that happens.” She wrote for several minutes more as I poked around her office. I caught her glancing at me, and I was sure there'd be an order of Rikku, don't touch that or Rikku, put that down, but she must have been in a good mood or something, because she didn't say anything to me about juggling X-potions.
“So, are you going to be seeing your father and brother soon?” she asked, shuffling her papers into a large pile and walking over to tuck them into the cabinet. I shrugged and put the X-potions down.
“Yeah, I got some time off from Gippal. Pops hasn't seen me in a bit either, and he gets antsy. Maybe he figures I'll take a leaf out'a Yuna's book and get spawn a litter if he doesn't keep tabs on me.” I tried to laugh, but it sounded tinny and small, so I squelched it like a bug under my boot. Paine's eyes flicked up to look at me, though her hands stayed steady on her papers.
“Maybe he figures that, because it was one of your plans.” The cabinet snapped shut and she turned on her heels to look at me straight-on. Never face off with a warrior on her own turf, I thought to myself, it was too dangerous and she knew all the exits.
“Heh heh,” I said, scratching the back of my head, “well, y'know, I sorta changed my plans. I was fifteen at the time, Paine!” Everyone makes big plans when they're young, my eyes said plainly. Just because you get older doesn't mean you have to give them up, hers responded. I couldn't even win a silent argument, I thought with disgust.
“I suppose,” Paine said, and then began packing a few supplies together in a box. “Here, anyway, take these to your brother. Buddy tells me that the two of them are still a little bit accident prone, and Shinra can't keep up with all the broken bones.”
She smiled and pushed the box into my arms, and I stepped backwards under the weight of it.
“I'll let them know you care so much,” I said and shook the bangs out of my eyes as she held the door open for me.
“Don't be such a stranger, Rikku,” she said, catching her hand on my shoulder as I edged out of the room. I paused and I met her eyes, surprised at the pure warmth waiting for me there. I had to smile in return, and wonder if she'd stolen all of the grins that used to grace my face for herself.
“I won't be.”