For the 1st line challenge on QTC (First chapter, at least):

1) Don't worry, I read her diary. She likes your butt and fancy hair.

She thinks it's fancy?

—PrettyGothGirl

(hides under a rock as she waits for a response to her first FFX/X-2 fic)

Disclaimer: I don't own, or there would be more than hinting and flirting going on between Gipster and Cid's Girl.

"Don't worry, I read her diary," Paine's eyes rolled as she informed him dryly of her actions. It was the sneakiest thing she had ever done, and she still felt guilty about it, but Paine needed proof to get through to this idiot's brain. "She likes your butt and fancy hair."

"She thinks it's fancy?" Gippal's reply was only half-joking. He was brooding, and Paine knew it.

Smirking, she leaned against a nearby tree as she crossed her arms, obviously amused. A few feet in front of her, the Al Bhed stood with his arms crossed, looking uncharacteristically serious as he seemed to be looking out at Besaid's blue waters. She knew exactly what was on his mind…

Yuna giggled as she balanced Vidina in her arms carefully while Rikku rubbed sunscreen on his pale and easily burnt skin. The toddler was eager to waddle his way into trouble, and it was a real challenge for her and Rikku to keep an eye on him while Lulu cleaned house. Rikku had the bright idea to go down to the beach where there was little for him to disappear into. Paine was staying safely out of the way. She Did Not Do babies, and Rikku and Vidina both were prone to sand throwing in peaks of temper.

"I thought it would be good practice, keeping an eye on him," Yuna admitted as she reluctantly sat the redhead toddler down. With a wild shriek, he bee-lined for the water's edge, plunking down happily to splash in the shallow water under three pairs of cautious female eyes. "Lulu didn't say he was such a handful though."

"Considering that one's daddy, you need to get used to it, Yunie," Rikku teased as Yuna protectively rested her hand over her growing womb with a blush. The three friends were stretched out on a set of beach towels, none of them but Rikku in actual swimsuits, just enjoying the fresh air.

Letting a handful of sand trail out of her hand in thought, Paine eyed Rikku curiously. The blonde had been careful to keep all the attention on Yuna's pregnancy, Tidus's adjustment to being alive again, and Paine's own budding relationship with Baralai. It was unlike the Al Bhed to avoid her own gossip. "So Rikku…" the warrior drawled, "How are things in Djose?" She smirked when the younger girl instantly froze. No one was supposed to know Rikku had been working for the Machine Faction since a month after the whole Vegnagun instance.

"Gippal gossips like an old bag lady," the princess whined, flopping onto her back as Yuna giggled. However, she didn't continue which made Yuna and Paine share startled, bewildered looks before focusing more closely on Rikku.

"How is Gippal?" Yuna tried to ask casually, though her eyes were bright with curiosity and suspicion.

"Same old same old," Rikku tried to reply just as casually as her cousin had asked, only to have her pout ruin it.

"Oh Rikku…" Yuna murmured sympathetically to her cousin.

Paine, however, snorted. "You both are so annoying," she drawled, "You dance around each other, both when you are around each other physically and when the other comes up in a conversation."

"He talks about me?" Rikku sat up at that, her eyes bright and alert at this positive bit of news, making the two friends laugh. When she pouted and grumbled, "Meanies," they only laughed harder. When they finally quieted down she said uncharacteristically softly, "I don't know, you guys… maybe I should just give up…" Laying her head down on her arms, the Al Bhed completely missed the distressed look Yuna sent Paine and the equally bothered look the warrior sent the ex-summoner. Something must have happened for Rikku to be seriously talking about giving up her three-year pursuit of the leader of the Machine Faction that even pre-dated their friendship.

"Rikku…?" Yuna said her name again tentatively, poking the depressed blonde's shoulder. "What happened?"

Her lower lip quivering, Rikku said sadly, "He… He was talking to a couple of his workers, and they were teasing him about me, and he said…" A tear fell down her cheek before she could hide her face. "Gippal said that I was just a kid and didn't know what I was doing or saying…"

Yuna gasped and hugged Rikku's shoulders comfortingly, but Paine's eyes flashed in anger as she stiffened in rage. She knew for a fact Rikku had been the subject of Gippal's affections and fantasies alike for over two years now, the man whined to Baralai about it so much. His well-known reputation as a player and her own status as a two-time world saver, plus the closest thing to royalty the Al Bhed had, kept him away from her…well, that and his own stupidity for letting those insignificant things get in his way.

She was going to smack him with her sword till he saw reason again. For a logical person, he was a real jackass most of the time.

Like you know, now, while he stood in the tree line, watching Yuna comfort a still quietly crying Rikku, which was freaky in and of itself. Paine knew that he knew she knew he came here because he couldn't stand being away from Rikku for more than a couple of days and this was her second week in Besaid according to Lulu, who had shoved Vidina on Yuna and told Paine and her firmly to use the time to wriggle what was bugging Rikku so much out of her. Yet he just stood there instead of being a man about it and striding forward and kissing the girl senseless so she would realize what an ass he was.

"Yuna, Vidina is about to eat a starfish," Paine said warningly. Maternal instinct reared its head in both cousins as they shot after the toddler, and the warrior stalked into the trees, her hands twitching for her sword already.

…His neck is still bruised, Paine noted gleefully. Yuna and Rikku had returned to the village hours ago. "I'm going to have to smack you again, aren't I?"

He raised his hands defensively. "No, no! That's completely unnecessary," he assured, eye wide. Rubbing the back of his neck when she relaxed, Gippal sighed and looked in the direction of the path to Besaid. "I don't suppose you would bring Cid's girl down here, would you?"

Seeming to mull it over, Paine held up one finger to urge him to wait a moment before stalking off towards the path. She resisted the urge to laugh when his sigh of relief came from behind her.

It took only a little wheedling and a forceful shove to get Rikku to run down to the shoreline. Paine waited a few seconds before she followed. Like she was going to miss a minute of this…

Resuming her place along the trees, almost exactly where Gippal had been hiding that morning, Paine smirked as a nervous Gippal paced in front of a rather confused Rikku. He would frequently pause, open his mouth, and then shake his head before resuming his pacing.

"Are you going to say what exactly was so urgent sometime tonight? Like ever?" the petite girl finally teased. The ocean breeze carried her words easily to Paine's hiding place; like she expected any less after she saw Gippal hiding there. "There isn't anything wrong back in Djose, is there?"

"No," Gippal muttered, frustrated with himself.

"You haven't forgotten to pay the workers again?"

"No."

"Lost the account ledger again?"

"No."

"Broke your comsphere down for parts again?"

"Rikku, I love you."

Both Rikku and Paine blinked in unison at the sudden, blurted confession, much less the fact Gippal actually used Rikku's name. "I'm sorry, I heard you wrong," Rikku said as she reached up to wiggle a finger in her right ear. "I could have sworn I heard you actually use my name and then say you love me."

"I did," Gippal said. His habit of barely speaking one to three word sentences when he was nervous appeared. He was rubbing the back of his neck again, eyeing her warily with his one good eye. Paine was willing to bet gil he was worried about losing one of his remaining limbs.

Rikku blinked slowly, and then smiled too brightly. "I get it," she said with a laugh that made Paine wince at the forced quality to it, "This is part of one of the worker's pranks or something, isn't it? Don't worry, I won't hold it against you, Gipster. Well, I need to get back to Yunie…" She twirled around in the sand with ease that only came with growing up in a giant sand trap and headed back towards the path.

"Cid's girl, wait!" Gippal said desperately, his expression incredulous. Paine could have been nice and warned him that all his snide comments had made Rikku unwilling to believe him on the first try, but that would made it too easy for him. He ran forward and stood in the petite girl's way, raising his hands to grip her shoulders firmly.

"Gippal really, I get it," Rikku tried to be cheerful as she reassured him. It was painful for Paine to have to listen to.

"Rikku, please I…" When Gippal was once again lost for words, Paine closed her eyes and resisted the urge to smack her own forehead. He was helpless. "Fuck it." Crimson eyes snapped open at the curse and watched in amazement as the Al Bhed man hauled the much smaller girl into his embrace, arms like steel keeping her pressed against him by her hips and shoulders as he wildly kissed her. Paine almost felt her jaw unhinge. Well, that's one way of proving that you mean it…

She was growing worried that he was going to suffocate the other girl when they finally pulled back for air, him resting his forehead against hers as he refused to let her go, making her have to hold on to his shoulders for balance as she was barely able to touch the ground any more. Rikku's infectious laughter, finally ringing true again, echoed along the beach.

"You know, I love you too." Paine grinned as Gippal's victorious shout echoed after her laughter and heartfelt confession, followed by Rikku's squeals of joy as he swung her around before pulling her lips to his again for a kiss.

Not bad for a few hours' worth of matchmaking… the warrior thought with a smirk as she returned to the village to give the new couple some privacy.

First Chapter submitted! The second will probably post tomorrow and the third after I finish it (I'm half-way done) and PrettyGothGirl finishes Beta'ing (she is an awesome Beta, I just wish I hadn't been so lazy and waited to send it to her, I couldn't make nearly enough changes like she suggested... ;_;).