All Disclaimers Apply
Summary: Gippal knew he had three options when he reunited with Rikku and all of them were likely to get him punched...
Author's Note:A what if?/I want to see the game this way! story. So, if you've played the game you've seen option two. Option one is kind of brewing about in my head as a possible super short.

Gippal saw her long before he reached the end of the bridge, Rikku. It'd been roughly more than two years since they'd parted. Two years since he'd seen Rikku. So, he couldn't exactly describe what that one word meant to him. How that one word for a short time had become his one grounding point in the midst of absolute horror. No matter how different she looked. He would always know her just by her stance, her height, the color of her hair and the braids she insisted on wearing right behind her ears.

He knew he had three options when he reunited with her and each option was going to get him hit. He kept his eyes forward as he caught a whiff of her scent and only gave the leading girl a glance, which turned into a long look, because he thought it might be High Summoner Yuna. Of course, Lady Yuna being Rikku's cousin, whom else would she hang out with?

He had things to do. Lady Yuna and Rikku were just going to have to wait their turn. Plus, it would give him some time to figure out what to do.

All through the interviews, his options rolled about in his mind. No matter what, Rikku was going to punch him. He couldn't see any way around it. He could ignore her, and be punched. He could treat her like he did when she was six and he was seven and thought her an annoying little brat and be punched. Later, when no one was around and she had him to herself for a good ten to fifteen minutes. Or, if she was still the same Rikku, which was extremely likely, he could slide his hands about her waist and kiss her mouth and be slugged just on principle of the thing.

He could not win.

And there was Yuna and Rikku entering the doors, and he needed more time. So, he stalled, moved the interview. He strode out to the bridge thinking about his three options. It wasn't like this should be a hard decision. It was Cid's girl, Cid's little girl, Cid's only little girl, Rikku. Not that her parentage had ever mattered to him. It was the fact she was short, mildly curvy, cute bordering on beautiful, and intelligent enough to scare him when she actually bothered to put it to use. Usually, it involved explosions, dangerous explorations, kidnapping or well, killing things and taking apart lots of machina.

He still hadn't come to a clear decision. Hadn't even answered the question; 'what would a smart man do?' They had been close to a relationship when they parted. He thought that she had a crush on him and he'd definitely had a crush on her.

He ran out of time. So, he focused on Yuna, or tried, with Rikku standing right there it was rather hard. And those clothes didn't do near enough to cover the things that every boy loves, her chest, her waist, her hips, her legs and damn it, that mouth.

And he couldn't put it off anymore and he couldn't decide what to do. It was sixteen years old again and staring sideways at each other because they weren't sure what came next and shifting feet and saying things at the same time and- awkward. He hated awkward. He was charming. He was smooth. He truly still wanted Rikku. And he was going to get punched, slapped, or something of a violent nasture.

So, he might as well go all the way.

Rikku's wide eyes were totally worth it as he grabbed her about the waist, picked her up and set her back on the rail. He had a split second thought that he might die for this little stunt. Just, if he died after what he was doing then he guessed it wouldn't matter because he'd gotten to do it.

He positioned his body between her legs and leaned down. "Hey, Cid's girl."

Her lips parted and he kissed her. Her eyes stayed wide for a few seconds, her mouth not moving, body rigid and then, she relaxed. Her eyes fluttered closed. Her soft lips made demands against his.

His hands tightened around her waist rubbing against the skin, smooth satin silk against his fingertips. He slid his tongue inside her warm mouth and he closed his eyes to focus more on her, her feel, her scent. The way she had one hand grabbing his arm and the other sliding around the back of his neck to play with the hair at the nape, fingernails lightly scraping. Tingles ran along his skin.

"We're here for the interview." A voice interrupted, familiar and filled with mild amusement.

Both he and Rikku froze, lips parting, the kiss ending. Their eyes snapped open and they stared at each other. Rikku's cheeks turned pink and he felt heat rise in his face and along his ears.

Paine! How had he missed her? Well, she was good at being missed. Just, he'd done something stupid in front of Paine and if she ever figured it out. She'd never let him live it down. And what the hell was she doing hanging out with Rikku? And maybe, maybe Rikku could slug Paine instead of him since she'd interrupted. Yeah, that'd work out much better for him.

They licked their lips and he straightened. Rikku's hand slipped from his neck and her fingers curled up around the belts crossing his chest. Her hand dropped from his arm and his fell from her waist and somehow they met and entwined.

He licked his lips again. Rikku's eyes fell to them and she flushed a little more before meeting his eyes again. He smirked. "Yeah, the interview." He kept his eyes on Rikku, not quite daring to look away. He didn't want her to go away quite yet.

He figured they could take care of themselves in the desert. Rikku was raised there. Yuna had destroyed Sin and Paine was Paine, nigh indestructible in her own way. Still, he had to ask. "Are you ladies sure about this? It's the desert, not exactly a picnic."

Rikku rolled her eyes.

"We're sure." Yuna said, quiet, firm.

He shrugged a shoulder. He still didn't get why a celebrity like Yuna would want to dig around in the huge sandbox that was Sanubia Desert, but he wasn't a celebrity so he couldn't claim knowledge of the way they thought.

He let go completely of Rikku's waist and reached into a pocket. He pulled out a letter and passed it towards Yuna. "Give this letter to a woman named Nhadala. You'll find her at the camp on Bikanel Island." The letter was tugged from his fingers.

Interview complete. He stubbornly ignored Paine and returned his entire attention back to Rikku. "How ya been?"

She smiled. "Same as ever."

He grinned. Nothing rocked Rikku for too long. "Same as ever is right."

She tugged him forward. "Anikki's still around, Dachi too." Her voice dropped. "And sometimes, I have this dire need to get away." Her eyes widened and she made her mouth tremble. Help me!

He sniggered. There was about sixteen years worth of conversations in two sentences and a look. "Oh really. Hmm." He brushed his lips across her. "Give me some time to think about it. Come up with some ideas."

She grinned. "Don't take too long. It's not only Dachi who's going steadily crazy."

He pulled his head back and widened his eye. "Rikku, it's me."

She slid off the rail, rubbing against his entire body. Instantly he was aroused, cock hard. She smirked up at him. She knew exactly what she'd done. Little bitch. "Yeah, and?"

He kissed her again, hard. She went up on tiptoe and returned it. He broke the kiss and let her hand go and she let him go as well. He took a step back. "Happy digging!" He grinned and walked off, waving a hand.

He heard Paine, voice full of disbelief. "Annoying but all right?"

"Umm," Rikku said. He could see her in his head, biting her lip and rubbing the toe of her boot against the ground. "I'm as surprised as you are?" Short silence. Paine must be utilizing one of her many looks. Rikku continued. "So, I forgot to mention he's hotter than the sands in midsummer. It's not like it was important." That wasn't all she'd forgotten to mention. More silence. Gippal wondered if Rikku remembered how well sound carried over water. He figured on another Paine look. "Let's go digging!"

Or maybe she did or Paine's looks were as unnerving to her as they were to him. How anyone conveyed as many emotions as she did in the same stance with almost the same unwavering expression, he didn't know.

He nodded at his guards and tried to ignore the one's knowing smirk. He couldn't see the other guy's face behind the mask and maybe that was a good thing.

Now, how was he going to distract himself from thoughts of Rikku, and her lips, and her body, and her scent, and her hands. He ignored yet more grins and small laughs as he crossed the floor and entered the room to the left of the stairs. There he paced, trying to get her out of his head and feeling relief without exactly remembering why.

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