Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just having fun with someone else's characters. =)

"Mine! Mine!" she shrieked as he held the sphere above her head. "You give that back right now, Gippal. That's mine!"

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking up at the sphere thoughtfully. "It doesn't have your name on it."

Rikku jumped around him, trying to reach the sphere just out of her reach. It was special. It contained private information. He absolutely could not hear it. She could not believe she had let it out of her sight long enough for him to pick it up.

"I'll make a deal with you," she offered, bouncing from foot to foot anxiously. "If you give me the sphere, I promise I will leave the bridge."

"I imagine you were going to do that anyway," he scoffed with a roguish grin. Gippal still held the precious news-bearing sphere aloft. "What's in it for me?"

"Well," she began slowly, "it would make me blissfully happy?"

Rikku did her best to look innocent as Gippal started laughing.

"Well thanks for laughing you big meanie!"

"You won't make me feel guilty with that one Cid's girl."

"Boo you!" she announced, sticking her tongue out.

This was so aggravating. He had to give her that sphere. As she considered her options, a small grin almost gave her away when she determined her next move. Just as Gippal was opening his mouth to declare victory, Rikku put her plan into action. She widened her eyes in feigned alarm.

"Gippal!" she cried as she raised her arm to point at something behind him.

"What's the matter?" he asked in sudden concern, turning around to see what she was pointing at. "Hey, Rikku," he began, "What were you pointing at?"

It was her moment! She launched herself at his back, grabbed hold with her legs and snatched the sphere. Triumph!

"Gotcha!"

Gippal knew he had been tricked. She had not gotten him with that one since they were small, but given the practice he knew how to handle it. Actually, he fancied he knew how to handle her. Quickly, he grabbed her by the ankles and backed himself against a wall.

"Woah. That was a throw-back, Cid's girl. Who knew you still had it in you?"

"Let me go! It was only fair. It's my sphere!"

"Well we've established you've got the sphere," he offered. "But at the moment it looks like I've got you."

"It doesn't look like anything," she huffed superiorly. "You're facing the other way, so you can't see me."

"That was profound. What's in the sphere anyway? It can't be that important."

Actually, it was very important. In any other situation, she would have been happy to wrestle him to ground but she really had to go. Now. He could not see the sphere played or her gig was up. What would she do if he knew before she was ready? Everything would change.

"Let me down or else!"

"It can't be anything I won't find out anyway."

Gippal quickly discovered he would not be finding anything out if he did not stop her from beating his brains out. Letting go of her ankles, he quickly twisted around. Gauging her face, he determined this was not one of their regular games. In the months spent working on the airship post-Vegnagun, he'd had the chance to reacquaint himself with the girl he had grown up with. Clearly something was wrong and he intended to know what it was.

"What is the matter, Rikku?"

He hoped she would not pay much notice to his use of her name, but he wanted her attention.

"Nothing."

She avoided his eyes, but her struggling was half-hearted now.

"It's not nothing. I've stolen your spheres before, but never gotten this reaction."

He wanted her to trust him. He had spent his childhood teasing and protecting her and she was more important to him than she knew. And they had been getting on so well recently.

Rikku wanted to give him a smart retort, but all she could think at that moment was of how close he was. They had worked side by side in grease and grime to get this ship back in the air for a long time now. The Gippal she knew now could be just as irritating as ever, but she liked him. Right now things were up close and personal, but not in the way she had fantasized. She hesitated.

"You've never been this serious before."

"Sure I have. Just not with you. I've never had a reason to be."

That was unexpected. Rikku was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Shocking as it may seem, I care about your feelings. What about that sphere has you so upset?"

Rikku was unsure whether to feel elated by his words or traumatized by the situation. Frankly, she was emotionally exhausted. Maybe it was making her think strangely, but suddenly just showing him the sphere did not seem like such a bad idea. Raising her head slowly, she looked at him with wide, nervously hopeful eyes and a tentative smile. Taking his hand, she pressed the sphere into his palm and wrapped his fingers around it with her own.

"You can watch it, Gippal."

Surprised by her hundred-eighty degree overture, Gippal focused on the weight of the sphere in his hand. Unsure what it all meant but aware that she was taking a risk, he took one of his own. Finding the bold courage he was known for, he took her free hand in his own and led her to the sphere reader. He placed the sphere inside, and together they watched it play.

It seemed the sphere was from Her Highness in Besaid. Gippal was unsure why a message from Yuna warranted such secrecy. He had certainly seen much of her correspondence with Rikku over the past few months. It was only when the high summoner started talking that the issue became clear.

"Don't worry," Yuna was saying. "You can tell Gippal him how you feel. And you should! You two have been dancing around the subject for months. He's not going to laugh at you. What man wouldn't fall all over himself for you? Especially Gippal. Arrogant as he is, he has always had a soft spot for you. And if I'm not mistaken, it's a lot more than a soft spot. Anyway, Tidus wants me to tell you something."

Yuna was smiling theatrically now. When she spoke, it was in perfect imitation of her beau.

"And I quote 'Gippal needs to get in the game. He's clearly been after Rikku since before I knew he existed. He's crazy about her. Better snag her before someone else does.'

"You know, Rikku," Yuna continued, returning to her regular tone, "Tidus announced that from across the room when I was chatting with Lulu about you. Everyone agrees! So go tell Gippal you're in love with him. He's going to be ecstatic. And don't forget to let me know how it goes!"

When the sphere cut out, there was silence. No one was on the bridge but them. Excited hope unfurled in his chest at Yuna's words and he was momentarily stunned in his elation. Rikku loved him? Rikku cared for him the way he had dreamed? She might actually have him after all this time? Gippal shook himself out of his joyous stupor. He felt Rikku's hand trembling within his own and she was studying her boots too determinedly. She was waiting for a response.

But before he could say a word, Rikku began to giggle anxiously.

"So you did find out, like you said you would."

Gippal knew it was true, then. He gently lifted her chin till she met his eyes.

"So I did," he agreed softly. "I couldn't have gotten better news if I had recorded it myself."

He would treasure the way her breath hitched and face lit up for the rest of their lives.

"Finder's keeper's, Rikku," he said as he took her in his arms and pressed his forehead to hers. "I've found the best of them all."

"So you're not going to laugh at me?"

"Of course I'm not. Much as I hate to admit it to him, Her Highness's boyfriend has a valid point. You're it for me."

It was then that it really hit home for her. Stepping out of his arms and grabbing his hands, Rikku started bouncing up and down.

"I'm in love and you love me, too! We're in love together! I can't wait to tell Yunie!"

She almost got him to dance along with her. Gippal could not believe the turn in his luck. The eternal calm had come, and he had the woman of his dreams.

"By the way, I'm telling Cid we're getting hitched in the near future."

Her laughter rang out across the bridge.

"Only you could make me so happy without actually saying anything. You can ask me properly in a few months."

"But your answer will be 'yes' regardless."

Next thing he knew, her elated features took on a sensuality he was only too happy to address.

"I know. But our talk with vydran can wait until tomorrow."