Author's note: Thanks so much for veryone who reviewed last chapter! I sincerely hope you enjoy this one as well. As always, read, review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own FFX2 nor am I in any way affiliated with Square Enix. Now take your lawsuits andgo away... damn ambulance chasers.

An Unexpected Twist of Fate

What had he just said? Was it what I thought he said? Or what he had said? Way back when…?

I ran after Gippal in a state of shock. I wondered if my imagination had been playing tricks on me.

"Hey, Gippal, wait up!" I said when I finally caught sight of him.

He stopped and turned around slowly. The way he was looking at me gave me the distinct impression he was slightly irritated with me. "What is it?"

"I, uh… I was wondering if you could repeat what you just said… please."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why?"

My eyes darted around nervously. "Well, because... I didn't hear you… I think."

A sadistic smile played on the corners of his mouth. "Oh?" It was pretty obvious he didn't believe me at all.

We stared at each other, as if both of us were willing the other to speak. A mental badminton was playing between our eyes, and I was determined to win this time. However…

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, the thing is, I thought you said something that kind of freaked me out… I mean, not in a bad way, but in an 'I can't believe he said that' kind of way… I guess… you know?" I was hoping he would give me a break.

As he shook his head, I realized I wasn't going to get one. "Look, Princess, just because I'm trying to be a friend doesn't mean that you have to assume that I was hitting on you."

My eyes widened in shock. "Wha… You... I... Wha-?"

I couldn't believe it. This self-absorbed jerk! I thought that he had done something sweet, something to make me feel like I wasn't alone in my thoughts and memories and he's trying to make himself feel like a sex-magnet!

"You sorry son of a Bi-" I started, until, that is, a hand clamped over my mouth.

"Whoa!" Gippal said, "Didn't mean for you to take it like that."

At this point in time I did my best to bite the inside of his hand.

"Ouch! Goddammit Rikku! You know what? Okay… we're going to go somewhere quiet so you don't make a bigger scene."

I looked around and was suddenly aware that the gossipmongers where listening attentively, ready for more ammo.

I gave Gippal a reluctant nod and followed to wherever he was leading.

"Where exactly are you heading?" I asked, growing frustrated.

"To your chambers, where'd you think?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Hold on one second mister."

He stopped and turned to face me. His face was no longer angry or irritated. It appeared as though he was eager to listen to anything I had to say. For some reason this worried me. "Yeah?"

"Why do you think we need to go to my chambers?"

"Well, it's a lot less conspicuous than if we were to go to mine, don't you think?"

"Okay, you're not understanding my point – Why are we going to anyone's chamb– oh, let's cut the crap – bedroom, huh?"

"Look, where else are we going to go to talk where someone isn't going to be there to listen?"

I gave him a look that suggested he do something unpleasant to himself in the most uncomfortable of places.

"Rikku, whadaya think I'm going to do to you?" he asked, arms spread out, hands open.

I looked him over carefully before nodding my head in consent. "I guess you've been up there enough before."

"Well, not at this Home, but yeah, I get your - "

"Shut up please."

We continued our trek up the many flights of stairs in relative silence until we reached my room. I opened the door and made a beeline for my "living" room – the place with no bed. Gippal followed in suit and sat across from me.

I crossed my arms and waited in silence for Gippal to start. When it became apparent that he had no intention of saying a word until I had, however, I was forced to start.

"So…"

Gippal was leaning forward onto his knees, hands clasped, and head down. "So?"

I gave an exasperated moan. "Gippal, Why did you feel the need to come up here to talk if you were just gonna sit here in silence?"

He didn't answer. I looked at him sitting there with his head down… and he reminded me of a child. A small, frightened little boy who had no one left.

"Gippal", I started, uncrossing my arms, "Why do you have to be so self-centered all the time? I didn't think you were hitting–" I stopped short as he held up his hand.

He smiled a slight, sincere smile as he looked up at me. "Rikku, I know what I said, and I know why you reacted like that. It took me a little while to figure it out, but now I know okay? I didn't mean for it to upset you, though."

I shifted uncomfortably, diverting my eyes from his. "Was it just a coincidence?"

He shrugged. "I dunno… I guess."

"When I was out there, in the sand, I was thinking about her. About those few days, you know?"

He nodded. "I kinda figured that out after I figured out what I said… I'm sorry."

I stood up. "Gippal, what happened to us? We used to be such good friends… I mean, that day… Why'd you stop being my friend? I needed someone… to be my… friend." After I realized how many times I used the word "friend" in those couple of sentences, I blushed. It sounded like that wasn't what I wanted at all, and I couldn't help but feel rather stupid.

"Rikku, do you even remember what happened? We were young – it was a scary thing to have those kinds of feelings and be barely a teenager. What'd you think was going to happen? I didn't know how to handle the situation!" He got defensive.

"Gippal, I was thirteen years old! You were the only real friend I had and you just abandoned me after you took something that I can never have again! That was my first kiss and you know it!" I stood up. I was horribly angry with him. Plain and Simple. Years of rage and resent filled me up to the brim.

"I…I had just watched my mother's sending and you left me in that room to stare at the walls and wonder why everyone I loved was leaving me!"

He stared at me for a moment before looking down at the floor, ashamed. "Rikku, I'm sorry. I was a kid – I was scared you'd hate me for doing it."

"'Doing it'?" I scoffed, "You can't even say it, for the love of Spira, Gippal! Say it! Say, 'for kissing you'! Please… just say it!" I knew I was crying, but I was too angry to really care.

" Okay! I was scared to death you'd hate me for kissing you when you were hurting! I thought you'd… I thought you'd think I was taking advantage of you – I'm sorry, Rikku. I really am."

I wiped me tears away violently. "Did you know that that was the only time! That was the ONLY TIME I'VE EVER KISSED ANYONE!"

He stared at me in disbelief. "Are you serious?" he asked quietly.

I sat down again, shaking with sobs. Gippal remained quiet as I tried to gain control over my emotions.

After several minutes, I looked up, still crying, though contained for the time being, and said, "You asked if I was serious?"

He nodded as he moved slowly to me and sat down by my feet.

I nodded. "Well, I was. After that, you left for the Crimson squad and I left to kidnap the summoners. For two years I traveled with Brother, looking for spheres, and then the whole thing with finding Tidus, then Vegnagun, then Tidus again… You were it for me."

He grabbed one of my hands. "Would you promise not to laugh at me if I told you something?"

I looked into his eyes and nodded.

"You were it for me, too. I know everyone thinks all kinds of horrible things about me, but…" He shook his head and laughed a slight laugh.

I couldn't believe my ears.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. "You're joking? What about everything people say about you and the things you've said and that you joke about…?"

"People talk. They see a guy that girls like to flirt with, someone confident, and they talk. But that's all it ever was. Besides, who'd believe me?"

I then realized how ridiculous this whole scenario was: this happened when we barely had all of our adult teeth. But yet, it still hurt like hell. After all this time, nothing hurt more than knowing Gippal was right: I had felt like he took advantage of me. And that was exactly why I had detested his presence for so long. He had the reputation of being a complete whore, and I felt it had started with me. But now, I felt like a complete jerk. How could I have said those things to him? About him? I know exactly how it feels to have it done to me… What was I thinking? I opened my mouth to tell him this, to apologize, but when I looked into his eyes…

It was as it had been those many years ago. Electric. As I slid down off the chair I was sitting in to meet Gippal on the floor, everything seemed to be in slow motion. His fingers grazed my cheek as I drank in how remarkable he looked. One of my hands found its way to his chest, where my fingers traced the neckline of his shirt. I was overwhelmed by the euphoria I felt at that moment. Apparently Gippal was too, because for the first time in my life, I saw a single, solitary tear make its way from his smiling eyes down across his cheek.

I cupped his face in my hands and pulled him to me as slowly as I could, savoring the moment for as long as Gippal would let me. As we both closed our eyes, our breaths mingled for a moment until -

The door flung open.

"Rikku!"

"Rikku!"

"… Gippal?"

I stood up quickly and whirled around in shock. It couldn't be…

"Yunie!"

However, obviously, it, in fact, could be. Yuna and Tidus were standing in my doorway, looking equally as dumbstruck as Gippal and I.

So... whadya think? Let me know! Due to the pronounced lack of reviews I recieved for chapter five, I will not be responding to them here. I will personally respond to you either on the review board or in email, if you provided one. Thank you for those of you who reviewed my story, I really don't think I could've gotten this chapter up without your encouragement.

brittany