Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Love and Duty ❯ Only Time Will Tell ( Chapter 10 )

Notes and Warnings: Minor spoilers for FFX-2, as it is post FFX-2.
A Gippal/Baralai [eventual] slash, and romancing.

'Because I need the Money' Warning: I think chapter 7 sums it up about right.

Personal Note: So, yes, it was a long time again since I updated, my sincere apologies. I've been a little busy, and let myself get side tracked from this.

Additional comment: "Only time will tell what the future has in store for us."


<<Enjoy Chapter 10: Only Time Will Tell >>


"Mmm...Gippal...I'm trying to sleep." He groaned groggily against my lips.

"And what do you think I'm trying to do?" I tease.

"You're trying to sleep with me, but in a whole different context." Baralai keeps his eyes closed, trying to sleep while I try to be romantic. "What happened to that passionate man who pinned me to the couch?"

"He got tired." Baralai responded weakly, falling into sleep.

"Sometimes I wish he was back." I mumbled. A split second later a long leg was bent and raised, the knee rubbing me intimately, as I was pulled down into a fierce kiss, nails pleasurefully raking down my back. It was short lasted as Baralai dropped back down to pillow.

"Your passionate man still exists, he's just tired, and went to sleep like you should."

That was, wow. Well, if the passionate man needs rest, than rest he shall have! I laid down to the side, still holding my still mysterious lover, and let myself drift back to sleep.


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Gippal had no idea who would bother him at this unholy hour.

"Cen! Cusauha ec rana du caa oui."(Sir! Someone his here to see you.)

"Damm dras du lusa pylg eh y luibma uv ruinc!" (Tell them to come back in a couple of hours!)

A new voice meet Gippal's ears. "Ev dryd'c fryd oui fyhd." (If that's what you want.)

"Oh, Baralai, I didn't know it was you. Come on in," Gippal gestured toward himself lying prone on the bed, in the relative dark. "Lmuca dra tuun uh ouin fyo uid." (Close the door on your way out.)

"You call this an unholy hour? It's 9h00."

"Al Bhed eat, dance, party, drink; you name it, until early morning hours. It just so happens I went to bed 6 hours ago."

"Then perhaps I should let you sleep," Baralai quipped coyishly, setting his things down on the other side of the room.

"C'mere." Gippal held out his hand, eye still closed. Baralai walked over, expecting to have to lift the man up. Instead, just as he was about to pull, he himself was pulled on the bed, right onto his seductive lover. Gippal rolled themselves to the side, snuggling into Baralai as if he was a plush toy of sorts. "Now I'm good for the next couple of hours."

Baralai chuckled, petting Gippal lovingly, smoothing down the sandy strands. "I wish I could, but I don't have time to sleep, unlike you." Gippal rolled over Baralai, laying sprawled out over his laughing lover. "I didn't come to sleep all day."

"No, " Gippal agreed, " you came to do this." Gippal pushed up, nibbling on his lover's jaw line.

Baralai's lip twitched, revealing a pearly canine. "No, I didn't. I came here to- Gippal! What in Spira do you think you are doing?!" Gippal hands undid the over worn robe, pushing it away from Baralai's shoulders and neck.

"Tell me you didn't miss this." Gippal nipped and sucked at the exposed skin, enjoying the feel of the tense body beneath him start to quiver.

"No, I didn't miss this," Baralai responded tersely.

"You didn't miss this?" His hand slid down the Praetor's neck, slowing as it traveled along his chest.

Baralai kept his now classic, indifferent poker face. "Not really, no." Before Gippal's skilled fingers could make it past his waist, Baralai rolled them, so he was now on top.

Gippal smiled at the strength of his lover. "You didn't come back for this?" Gippal's hand rubbed at the white-blond's crotch, the other following the tailbone to pressure it's destination.

"Let's just say it wasn't the only reason, 'kay?" Baralai hissed out through clenched teeth.

"For a minute there I was worried, " Gippal teased.

Baralai dropped a kiss on the Al Bhed's nose. "No, I came here, bringing good news, and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Gippal paused in consideration, before sliding his hands down Baralai's thighs. "The bad news."

Baralai took a deep breath. "The bad news is you won't get a black or white mage hear for another 7 months."

Gippal's face twisted sour. "You're the Praetor! And you couldn't get someone to teach some basic magic skill to-" Gippal was cut off.

"-The good news is, that the mage that will eventually be coming is me."

"You've got that right," Gippal responded, pulling his lover's slim hips against his own, grinding him senseless.

"Gipp! ....al..." Baralai breathily moaned, hands twisting in the fabric by the younger man's head. The praetor's eyes were barely open, only demure slits that would let Gippal see into those amazing, dark, glazed eyes. The tan cheeks are tinted red, lips almost blood red from stimulation, hair around him giving him an ethereal glow; he was a creature with magnificent beauty and power. And knowing that creature could give him pleasure, and that he could give this creature pleasure, brought a in return, made Gippal's possessive need for him increase.

The two stayed locked in passion, the barely clothed Gippal grinding relentlessly against his fully clothed, and travel weary partner. Gippal leaned up, letting his teeth graze the sensitive olive flesh. The older man gasped, nails scratching along the soft fabric held tightly.

"Let go," Gippal whispered softly, breath tickling the sensitive shell, "I want to see you." His lips moved, toying with the hypersensitive patch of nerves behind the ear.

Baralai whimpered against the onslaught, fighting for words. "But we've...I haven't even..."

"-I don't care," Gippal gasped out as Baralai bent his head down to pay homage to his chest. He pulled his delicate lover even closer, thrusting up into the waiting hips, increasing the heat and pressure.

Suddenly Baralai's body went rigid, intense quakes shaking his body as he began to reach completion. Gippal held back his own, enjoying the sight of the smoothly arched back, white teeth biting a red lower lip, eyes squeezed shut, and the euphoria infused into those supernatural features. A whimper escaped from the lovely bared throat, signaling the end of one climax and the beginning of another. Gippal held back his loud noises of appreciation, instead groaning out the name of his lover. Both men collapsed side by side, faces flushed, one with an almost wicked grin.

"Only because you ask so nicely," Baralai practically mewed as a hand idly stroked his sensitive neck. Gippal leaned close, wanting to go for another around when they were suddenly engulfed in pitch black darkness.

"Gippal!" Baralai shouted, as the man rudely accosted some of the Praetor's more intimate areas.

Gippal laughed in return. "Don't worry, love. It's not like I was going to go down on my hands and knees and suck you." Gippal's fingers wandered up blindly to the burning cheeks. "Maybe slow, sensual, sexual love making..." Gippal supplied helpfully.

Baralai couldn't help the moan that escaped past his lips at the positively sinful way those s's ran off that talented tongue. "What," Baralai responded breathlessly, "happened to all the lights? Another storm?"

"Mmhmm," the Al Bhed responded, nuzzling the olive flesh, which happened to be Baralai's hand. "We get power from the electromagnetic charge around this place. But occasionally the charge will draw magnetic storms, blocking out our equipment for some time."

Baralai chuckled as the man nibbled at the pulse point of his wrist. "But don't you have backup generators?"

"Yes," Gippal replied, lecturing as he lavished the hand, "but they're shielded in the inner temple, and it takes a while for it to be switched in replace to the man supply for emergency lighting." Gippal continued kissing each very sensitive finger pad, staying quiet until he heard a gentle hum. "And we should have light about...now."

Low light flooded in their dilated eyes, but Baralai only had to blink to adjust. "There is still an electrical charge around the temple, right?" Gippal nodded. "So, because of the storm, your equipment that harvests that energy is temporarily 'out-of-service?"

"That about sums it up. See, the machinery creates an opposite pull to the charged electrons, causing the lightening to strike the poles in which the energy is controlled and used for all our machine creations."

Baralai puzzled over this. "So when the machinery is cut off, you don't have enough energy to collect the energy?"

"Mhmm, my quick learner. It wastes more emergency energy trying to get the lightning to strike, even more so during the storms; it's like the storms almost come to recharge the temple. It's kinda odd like that."

"If I could," Baralai paused, gathering his thoughts. "If I could cast a a thundaga spell at one of the generators..."

"-You'd fry it. It can only take up to so much 'wattage' as we call it, on average what the temple can create. I can guess the temple would make you version of thunder. It could take at max your thundara." Gippal continued. "But if you could directly cast three thundara spells, one at three different generators....yeah, we could have this place running at full power for at least 16 hours, well after the storm effects are gone." Gippal turned to his lover, holding his face in his hands. "See? This is why I love you."

Baralai smiled coyly. "I hope it's not the only reason."

Gippal gave him a saucy wink. "Of course not, oh-sexiest-seductor-caring-gentle-smart-sarcastic-playful-studious-g ood-wonderful-"

"-Get to the point," Baralai added playfully; he loved the endearments, no matter how extravagant or unrealistic.

"-blushing-cute-adorable-serious-new yevon praetor," Gippal gasped for breath, "-love of my life."

"It's sweet of you to say, oh decadent-sweetly torturous-adorable-creative-gentle-sweet,"

"-Yeah yeah, get on with it. Awkward, one-eyed thief..."

"-Who wasn't skilled enough to steal my heart, but beyond wonderful to me, so I gave it to him, man."

"I want to meet this man of yours," Gippal played.

Baralai laughed. "You don't look in the mirror, now do you?"

"All the time, if you must know. Appearance is almost everything. Now, should we take a quick shower before we test your theory?"

Baralai grimaced at their sticky situation. "But the water will be cold, won't it?"

"I'll keep you warm."

"Oh I'm sure. "

"Actually, for heating water, we use natural gas that burns. We might not be able to see what we're doing, but we can have warm water."

"One invention I can definitely agree with." Baralai headed towards the medium-sized bathroom, pausing at the door. "No," he said sternly, pushing Gippal away.

"Four hands are better than two," Gippal offered.

"And next you'll tell me two heads are better than one." Baralai raised his hands before
Gippal's comment could escape. "We both know if we both go in there together, we'll get out a lot later than intended."

"Than you intended."

"No truer words were ever spoken. I'll be about in 15." Baralai did leave the door open for his lover, knowing Gippal would join him anyways. He always did.








Baralai licked his dry lips, eyes sliding shut, not all the way though, so he could still see his targets. Taking a deep breath, he called upon the energies outside him, more than inside, drawing on the immense energy he felt swirling around him from the restless clouds above and deep reservoirs below. Turning his thoughts into physical magic, he cast three thundara spells with pinpoint accuracy at the three receiving generators. Shocking blue-white streaks shot appeared to shoot down from above, though Baralai felt the true power shoot up from beneath. The generators hummed back into life, the dark temple exterior lit up with the usual night flood lights by the agency. He lowered his arms that naturally rose during the spell, back to his side as a roar of cheers and claps erupted. He returned his full gaze back on his lover, who had a grand smile on his face, one eyebrow raised. He mouthed 'showoff'. Baralai smiled.

Gippal made his way to the front of the wild, talkative crowd, addressing the mass in a short speech.

"Myteac, kahdmasah"(Ladies, gentlemen), Praetors," Gippal teased, chuckling quietly as some of his close friends, who were now close friends with Baralai, snorted with laughter as the Praetor lowered his gaze and blushed slightly in the attention.

A shout rang out in the crowds. "E tuh'd caa yho myteac rana."(I don't see any ladies here.) The man was quickly roughed by nearby females, the crowd erupting into laughter.

Gippal cleared his throat, waiting for the crowd's attention again. "Dryhgc du so tayn vneaht'c ramb," he pointed to Baralai, " fa femm pa nihhehk yd vimm lybyledo vun yd maycd 16 ruinc, famm bycd dra cduns avvaldc."(Thanks to my dear friend's help, we will be running at full capacity for at least 16 hours, well past the storm effects.) Mutual groans and cheers erupted. Gippal silenced them again, leaning back in his indifferent pose. "Pid, cehla E iciymmo keja oui mywo pisc draca geht uv tyoc uvv, E drehg fa luimt ymm dyga y pnayg vnus fung,"(But, since I usually give you lazy bums these kind of days off, I think we could all take a break from work,) he paused, the audience cheering again. "Vun dutyo. Yht,"(For today. And,) Gippal shouted over the masses, "dra tyo yvdan."(the day after)

Gippal noted with amusement people began crowd around Baralai, while he was only trying to slip away unnoticed. A slice of ego. A huge slice. That's what B needed. But, if he had any self-concern, yet alone an ego, would he really be the B everyone knew? Gippal decided he liked Baralai the way he was. Gippal sighed. It's about time he saved his lover from bursting a capillary from blushing too much.

Gippal whisked his lover into the temple romantically; in an Al Bhed way, at least. Shouting out orders, the Praetor was swept off his feet and passed through the crowds, surfing on an ocean of hands, much to Baralai's even more embarrassment. Gippal laughed, following his lover close behind. No worries, the man may have looked worse for wear, but there was definitely a large, though shy, smile on his face. Time for Gippal to whisk away his love, and do with him as he will.

"Gippal! Where are we going?" Baralai asked quizzically as he was drawn into away from the dispersing crowds.

"We're finishing what I started." Gippal said it simply enough, smirking as the elder blushed a little more, but had a genuine look of happiness. "Forever the virgin bride," murmured Gippal, turning back to look at his lover. He smiled. "But I wouldn't have it any other way." Gippal kissed his slightly dazed lover as they reached his door. "So in seven months you'll be all mine?"

Baralai purred appreciatively, walking through the open door into Gippal's private chambers. "Yes, It'll be the end of my term. Though I can't guarantee they won't whisk me away to Bevelle for who-knows-what every once in a while."

"As long as you come back to me," Gippal purred in kind, wrapping his arms around his heroic lover.

"I always will."

Gippal steered them towards the bed. "Oh heroic Praetor, whatever can I do to thank you for saving the Machine Faction?" Gippal sinfully slid down the long body.

"Gippal!.....Gippal....."

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"Gippal...c'mon now, it's time to wake up."

I opened my eye, wincing at light in the room. I saw him. The same, the more innocent dream Baralai; and then I blinked, bringing into view the real, sparsely dressed Baralai, who woke me up just when it was getting so good.

"Morning. I have some strong coffee in the kitchen-" Baralai was cut off by the pillow I threw at him.

"Of all the times to wake me! 15 more minutes, that's all I ask!" I futilely close my eyes again, hoping that dream would return. That Baralai was so experienced, yet innocent. So soft, and delightfully indignant and subconsciously submissive. An oh-so wonderful mix to play with. I heard him laugh, and felt the pillow hit my leg in revenge.

"15 more minutes, eh? From what I heard, your dream was nowhere near as interesting as mine."

It took a while for my brain to pick up the subtle clues. Sometimes Baralai could be damn cryptic. I heard the footsteps diminish, and that's when the thought struck me too late.

"Woah. Just what kind of dreams are we talkin' about here?" I yelled, Al Bhed curiosity sinking in as I wondered what he exactly he dreamed about. And preferably in full, juicy details. I was surprised when I heard a shouted response.

"That's for me to always remember, and you to never find out."

Oh, that's it. I am so going to dig it out of him, one way or another. Then a thought struck me. Maybe it's time I went back to dig through those journals, eh? I lick my lips at the prospect. Oh what fun. Now how to distract B.....


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Additional Note: I leave you with this one thought: Gippal, wearing chaps, and "Yeehaw, rid'em Al Bhed."

In quque: Chapter 11: Colors

"Colors of the past paint the future"