Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Love and Duty ❯ Common Sense ( Chapter 17 )

Notes and Warnings: Minor spoilers for FFX-2, as it is post FFX-2.

A Gippal/Baralai [eventual] slash, and romancing.

'The Warning everyone else has' Warning: I am (probably) ignorant thereof and don't own anything in the legal sector of ownership of: FFX, FFX-2, and all other things. It's ©2003 SQUARE ENIX CO, of course. And if it's not, then I don't have a clue.

Personal Note: Let's skip all babble on why I'm updating so late and am so sorry and busy. Onto the good stuff.




{Enjoy Chapter 18:Common Sense}




Maroda pushed open the heavy ornate doors, a more somber look on his perpetually happy features. He knew something happened last. Something that probably needed to be done; the details were sparse from his brother, but he got the hint. So, while in his somber mood, he wasn't exactly prepared for the more comical sight that would great him.

He found his brother, head down, asleep on the large, wooden desk, still in the chair, still holding a pen loosely in his grasp. But even more interesting was the man sitting adjacent to him. Baralai. And not looking so worse for wear. He looked damned tired, but seemed more lively than he had been..in well, many, many years.

"Good morning, Maroda."

Maroda smiled at the sight of his deep-sleeping brother. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed, where I put you last?"

"Isn't he supposed to be awake?"

Maroda smiled ruefully at Isaaru, seeing how the honey brown hair spilled over all the documents. And how he was resting oddly on a book of records, most likely creating a wonderful. long red line of the side of a pale cheek. Maroda chuckled at the thought of how he'd look. Then his eyes shifted from the desk, to the book and documents propped up on Baralai's knee. His eyes narrowed.

"Are you doing work again, Baralai?"

Baralai shrugged cooly, sending him a warm smile. "What can I say, I'm addicted."

Maroda shook his head. "You sure are. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with you... I'll have to put new locks on your doors to keep you out."

Baralai's lips curled in amusement at the mere thought. "You could, but I bet you I'd pick the lock, or crack the code in no time."

"True. So, what are you doing up this early?"

The light of the sun was just barely surfacing, small golden rays flooding the office.

"I...I felt like I had energy to spend. It's amazing how much you get done when you're motivated." Maroda looked from one pile to the next. The Praetor had been busy.

"So.. are you okay now?" Maroda posed the question, curiosity overriding his protective circuits.

Baralai smiled, a wistfulness entering his soft baritone voice. "I don't know if I'll be okay, but for the first time in a long while I'm not running or hiding." Baralai smiled, but it soon slipped as he heard a commotion outside.

Maroda quickly motioned for Baralai to stay put, while he quickly explained the situation. "Great, I'll take it that your sanity has been restored. Now, you see, there is this fanatic girl who's been hounding my security since three a.m. to see you. But she's pretty vivacious and lively.."

"You mean, she's been beating up temple security?" Baralai asked, amused.

Maroda frowned at the young man's sense of humor. "I'm serious, she's crazy. Her majesty has been demanding entrance all the way up here. Listen, Baralai, she won't go away. She's hung up on some personal vendetta with you, and it's all crazy talk from there."

All three men jumped as the heavy doors were suddenly kicked open, and said young lady made her fiery entrance.

"Tysh ed Baralai! E's kuehk du payd ouin ycc cu pyt oui'mm pa dra uhmo uha eh dra farplane fedr y fraamlryen!" (Damn it Baralai! I'm going to beat your ass so bad you'll be the only one in the farplane with a wheelchair!)

Rikku was not one to make her entrance lightly. No, guns blaring was more appropriately ascribed to her entrances. Braids flying, she ran up to Praetor of New Yevon, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him so they were almost nose-to-nose, with all intention of being close enough to curse and spit on him simultaneously.

Although surprised, Baralai remained calm, even though he suspected the feisty blond wouldn't be beyond biting his face off.

"Good morning, Rikku."

"Don't you dare 'good morning' me! I'm here for revenge, you pycdynt! I may have tried my whole life to win over the likes of Gippal, but here you come waltzing in, and right back out, breaking his heart! " Rikku paused to growl, "you have no idea how much I hate you right now."

Maroda, the shocked bystander, was sure he knew just how much she disliked his surrogate brother. She had one foot perched on an armrest, and both hands wrapped around the robe's material, forcefully holding Baralai up to her face.

Baralai took a soft breath, looking his once ally straight in the eye. "It was never my intention to break his heart, nor 'waltz' right out of it."

Rikku, seething with rage, tugged him harder, unaware of the pain her actions were causing. Or, uncaring. "Listen to me; I don't want to hear this noble crap. He's tried to contact you. You never respond. You always have some stupid, inane excuse. He's written letters, dammit! Handwritten letters! He's never done that for nobody! Nobody!"

Maroda cleared his throat, his habits getting the best of him. "Anybody. The correct grammar is -"

Rikku briefly ignored her prey, sending a deadly glare to the interrupting man. "Shut. Up." A silence permeated the room, only to be broken by a furious former summoner.

"If anything, it is the other way around! I myself watched Baralai write letters, send spheres, and even try to make contract via radio with your all-mighty crush!"

"You lie!" She spat, the mere thought like venom on her lips.

"If anyone's been misinformed, it's been you!" Maroda joined in the argument.

All eyes turned to Baralai, his face consumed by a pained, and ironic look. "You mean to tell me, he's tried to contact me, and I've tried to contact him, and this whole thing was a mere miscommunication?" Baralai chuckled quietly to himself, a certain relief spreading through his body, until he stiffened at a thought.

Rikku had calmed down a bit, realizing in fact she did only hear one side of the story, not even first hand. Her foot slid off the chair, and slowly her fingers uncurled from the thick fabric.

"Rikku, did Gippal ever say to who he talked to, or who received the letters?" Baralai's eyes turned solid and dark; it was like Rikku's vehemence slipped from her right into him.

Rikku paused, assuming a thoughtful pose, still quite aggressively close. "Well, you're secretary, of course. All the transmissions, letters...well, not all. The only person he talked to here was Isaaru, and that's only because Isaaru contacted him, telling you woke up...and-oh-my-did-I-hurt-you, I-am-so-sorry..." Rikku spoke hurriedly, her moods swinging like a pendulum.

"I might be temporarily deaf, but beyond that, I will be okay."

Rikku looked down with doleful, wide eyes. " I'm so sorry, I didn't really mean to take this out on you."

"Sure you didn't."

All eyes went to Maroda. Baralai turned his head, looking his companion in a disapproving glance. "Maroda..."

The man in question raised his hands defensively, and backed away. "Hey, just a joke."

Baralai turned back to the fretting, pretty young blond, who currently picked at her braids in apprehension and worry. It was driving him nuts. He reached out, taking her hand away from the bound hair.

"Listen, Rikku. This is very important. Have you ever tried to visit here before?"

Rikku's face grew youthful once again. "Yeah, and that sassy hater secretary wouldn't even let me in, even though I was Yuna's cousin, and saved the world.. what.. two times already. That's why I tried to sneak in at night. And let me tell you, temple security was is a lot better than it used to be. Or I probably would have slit your throat by now," Rikku added sweetly, blissfully unaware of the shocked stares.

Baralai cleared his throat, looking back over to Maroda. "Yes, temple security has been quite excellent recently. Dear Maroda, might you be willing to have a little chat with my dear secretary, and have his things confiscated and searched? Oh, and tell him he's on leave starting now, pending investigation."

Maroda grinned, saluting in his old-fashioned manner. "Yes Sir! Right away Sir!" He pivoted smartly, exiting with a gleeful grin and a short laugh.

Rikku stared down at him. "What does arresting your secretary have to do with Gippal?"

Baralai smiled. " I think I found our communication's glitch."

Rikku gasped. "No way. I mean, people aren't so keen on the Al Bhed-Bevelle thing.. but.. that old sicko. He should keep his nose out of other people's business!" Rikku's body seemed to convulse as she threw a little fit. " I mean, we're all friends now! What ever did we do to him, hm? Nothing! Why do so many people hate us here?"

Isaaru spoke first. "Why do so many of you hate us?"

Rikku opened her mouth, but wisely closed it, giving thought to her answer. "Really, it's about nothing. Most Al Bhed don't even meet your kind. It's just kind of.. a cultural... thing. Anyone who knows a Bevellian usually ends up liking them."

"There's your answer."

"We'll, it's stupid Isaaru. People shouldn't be like that."

"But they are."

Rikku sighed and threw up her hands. Then she placed them back down on Baralai's shoulders, stretching like a cat as she spoke.

"Well, whatever on that. Listen, how are we going to get you two love birds back together again, hm? I know Gippal won't come out of that hole of his; but you have-"

"-Absolutely no reason to stay here, and all the reason to go to Djose," Isaaru filled in.

Rikku looked up briefly at the interruption. "Is that true? Can I drag you over there so this whole thing can be behind us?"

Baralai smiled back at Isaaru. "That sounds wonderful. In fact, Yuna, Tidus, and your father were going to come in an airship later this morning, and we were going to Djose."

Rikku's eyes twinkled. "Ah, what luck! But we have to get you to look all nice and pretty before you meet him!" She looked at a digital read-out. "And we don't have much time! Hurry, we'll have to go shopping here!"

"Pretty?" Isaaru questioned.

"Shopping?" Baralai mimicked, but with much more disdain.

"Yeah! We got to get you into some real clothes!"

Baralai looked down at himself. "What's wrong with-"

"-Everything! C'mon, you can dress incognito or whatever you praetor's do!" Rikku tugged on his wrist. "C'mon! You want to impress him, right?"

"Well yes, but.. no. I mean, I don't want to seduce him or anything. I just want to talk to him." Baralai began to be flustered, unaccustomed to being dragged out his office.

"That's what all the guys say." She winked, pulling Baralai towards the doors with an inhuman strength. She turned around and pouted when he broke free of her grasp. "Geeze, maybe you want this whole relationship to fail, eh? Don't tell me you hate trying on new things."

Baralai looked down at his clothes, finally taking a real good look. Well, he really never changed his style in.. well, many years. But neither had Gippal. But he was always fashionable. "I've never really been clothes shopping before..."

Rikku gasped scandalously. " You're a shopping virgin!"

The room went eerily silent, and Baralai coughed, sending a warning glance to a very amused Isaaru, who seemed to have something very important to say.
Fortunately for Baralai, he never said anything. Unfortunately, Rikku seemed to pick up on their silent communication.

"Baralai..." Rikku started off slowly, "you're not a virgin, are you?"

Baralai groaned, turning away. "Rikku..."

The young lady, if she could be called such, spun around and clapped her hands, laughing merrily. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to tell Gippal!"

"Oh Yevon.." Baralai pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, futilely trying to fend off a headache, as his two companions laughed at his misery.

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Later, and elsewhere
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Yuna laughed at the interesting turn of events, all told giddily by her best friend. "My, Baralai, what a busy morning you've had!" Baralai just sat there, too tired to even think of being upset.

Tidus leaned over, ruffling his hair, sympathizing. " I know man, shopping drains the heck out of ya. But you'll get used to it." Baralai dropped his head to the table, forehead resting on his arms, mumbling words wearily to himself.

Rikku became even cheerier, if possible. " So, how was it?" She grinned with a manic smile.

Tidus was the one who spoke first. " It was quite lovely. We eloped, got married, lounged around, swam in the ocean," Tidus was abruptly interrupted by the light smack across his chest.

"He said we'd elope. That he had the perfect spot. We were supposed to be married in Kilika. And where does he take me? To the one place I didn't want to be! Besaid!" Rikku began laughing at the look on the newlyweds' face.

Tidus merely shrugged, flashing his brilliant smile. "What can I say? Lulu threatened me that if she wasn't there for the wedding, that she'd castrate me after our first child."

"I'd believe it."

Baralai looked up sharply at the familiarity of the voice. "Paine," he smiled curiously.

She sat down next to him, eyeing him in a strange way before voicing her opinions. "Nice clothes."
Baralai did his best not to roll his eyes, and Rikku grinning triumphantly.

"See? You didn't get one bad comment about them! You look fine."

Baralai spared a glance back down at the long sleeved shirt, and, after special touches by Rikku, an Al Bhed looking pair of pants. Black was never his color, but the dark pants actually did go well with the white top...it's just... he felt so..under-dressed. He picked at his shirt.

"I feel..." what was the word, "naked."

Tidus' eyebrows shot up. "Y'know, we could remedy that for you," he completed his jest with a saucy wink, holding his wife close as she leaned against him, trying to scold him between breaths of laughter. Everyone else seemed to get a chuckle at Baralai's expense too.

Paine had a sly grin, and it was directed towards him. "Naked?"

Baralai looked defiantly straight into her eyes. "Yeah. You want to do something about it?" He spoke brazenly, trying hard to keep a straight face.

Paine poked him in the undamaged side of the chest, punctuating the words with her finger. "Not. In. A. Million. Years." Both Baralai and Paine then started into a short wind of laughter, leaving the others clueless in their wake.



It wouldn't be long after the amiable chats that they would arrived at their destination; Djose Temple.


The group, in a bit less ecstatic mood, stood on the dry earth, striding purposefully through the parting crowds, many people staring and whispering in hushed groups as the famous, and infamous celebrities walked by. The group of friends met more familiar faces the closer they reached the temple, eventually reaching a blockade of sorts at the temple doors.

Many acknowledged Lady Yuna and Rikku, some even Tidus, but the rest were as equally ignored as stared at in a certain hostile malice. The pleasantries were less than pleasant that afternoon.

A guard firmly turned down Lady Yuna entrance. "Sorry Lady Yuna, but I'm sure you know of the attack on Gippal's life; he is trying to recover right now and doesn't want any visitors."

This is when Rikku turned from candy-sweet to feisty and daring in a flash. "Nalujanehk so ycc. Ra fyc banvaldmo raymat dra mycd desa E jecedat res. Ra'c zicd eh drana subehk ynuiht mega y kuut vun hudrehk...damm res Baralai ec rana. E's cina ra'mm lryhka rec seht" (Recovering my ass. He was perfectly healed the last time I visited him. He's just in there moping around like a good for nothing...tell him Baralai's here. I'm sure he'll change his mind.)

Baralai set his hand calmly on her exposed shoulders. "Rikku," he spoke firmly, and obediently she kept her mouth shut. It was then more a spectacle occurred. Cid came storming forward out of nowhere, right up to the door until one of the Al Bhed blocked him.

"I"E'mm ryja hu kuut-vun-hudrehkc eh so vysemo! Dryd puo paddan cruf rec vyla nekrd huf un vyla dra luhcaxiahla !"('ll have no good-for-nothings in my family! That boy better show his face right now or face the consequences!)

Baralai watched the verbal fight ensue, his head aching from all the flavorful insults that he was sure would bleach his hair white. He looked up at the white strands, a small smile coming to his face. Composing himself, he walked right past the heated argument, sliding past a stunned man standing guard.

"Aqlica sa,"(excuse me) Baralai spoke fluently, opening the door and sliding in, ignoring the protests from the men behind him. He was surprised at the quiet temple atmosphere. Not many people people were inside, and if they were, they were busily working on machines, not readily noticing the new presence. Recalling from his memory, he guessed where Gippal might have his personal residence. The first door he entered was a preparation room transformed into a conference hall. Thankfully, no one was it in at the time. Getting his bearings straight, and remembering the original layout of the temple, he found himself drawn to a room, that was often used for exhausted summoners after a long, hard day of praying and trials. The door was suspiciously locked. Baralai laughed at the irony as he carefully maneuvered the controls in a such a way Gippal had shown him only a few years ago.


Gippal looked over from his favorite part of the ceiling, glancing curiously at the door. For a second he wondered if someone was trying to get in, but immediately put his mind at ease. No one would ever guess-

"Hello Gippal."

The blond almost fell off his bed at the soft voice that reached his ears. He immediately sat up, looking for Baralai, but only finding an unfamiliar figure that kept to the shadows.

"Please Gippal, before you get angry, let me explain."

Oh, Gippal recognized the voice alright. The one that had haunted him for what seemed weeks on end. Angry? Oh, he was passed angry.

"Baralai," Gippal snapped, rising from the bed, "I don't know how you got here but get the hell out." The Al Bhed watched as the shadow stayed stationary, them, seemingly on a whim, moved gracefully into the light, only to exit the room.

"I'll always love you, Gippal." Gippal watched in dawning horror as his only dream come true walked away from him, like in all those nightmares. He raced forward, catching an arm of the man right outside the entrance.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Gippal snapped, desperately wanting to hate and love the man in front of him. Baralai turned around, the Al Bhed's grasp still tight on him. Gippal couldn't help but admire that breathless beauty once again.

"I was planning on going back to Bevelle."

Gippal huffed, enraged that Baralai could be so serious and calm talking about this kind of stuff. He was usually gentle, but oh, now was not the time for that kind of stuff. He grabbed the man, only slightly startled by the different clothing, and shoved him against the nearby wall. Hard.

"So you're going to run back home, eh?"

Baralai projected his calm, keeping his voice level and sincere. "I didn't say I was running, or that was my home." Gippal blinked at the intense, cool gaze that held his own wild one. Starting to attract attention, Gippal forcefully grabbed his once wartime companion, dragging him back into his bedroom, forcing him up against the closed door.

"Why'd you come back, Baralai?"

Baralai winced internally at all the jarring his newly damaged nerves were receiving. Still, he kept amazingly indifferent to those things around him, answering the question succinctly and truthfully.

"I came back because I decided that I would love only you, no matter the outcome. I came back because I needed to meet my destiny, whether you wanted to be part of it or not."

Gippal pulled back slightly, shocked by the quiet sincerity of the words. The questioned burned on the tip of his tongue, and he finally asked the very thing he was afraid of being answered. "Why didn't you ever respond?"

Baralai smiled lightly, the words coming easily to him. "I think I could ask the same thing." Gippal registered some mild shock and curiosity. "And I think we'd both ultimately have the same answer. A communication error, that's being taken care of as we speak."

Gippal was lost after that last one. "What?"

Baralai smiled, this time with more warmth. "It seems a certain secretary of mine was loathe to let our relationship continue on it's current level."

Gippal would swear to anyone his jaw actually hit the ground. "You're telling me a stupid, racist secretary kept us apart for..what...weeks?"

Baralai smiled with less intensity. "No matter how stupid it sounds, yes. Isaaru, Maroda, and Rikku can attest to it first hand." Baralai waited, hoping...for something. But it never came. Receptive to his fate, he smiled, albeit a bit weakly, and turned away from Gippal. "Well now that is all said and done, I should probably head back."

Gippal smiled, trying to fight off the tears that he just knew threatened to spill at any moment. "Are you sure you have to go back right now? Maybe..if you'd want to, you could spend the night...y'know, rest up before you go back..." Gippal let out a choked sigh. If anyone here was horrible at concealing feelings, it was him.

Baralai turned, hand still on the door. "Only if you want me to." Only if you love me.

Gippal smiled painfully, emotions seeping out from who knows where. "What ever gave you the idea I didn't?" Duh, I love you.

Baralai hesitantly broached the next subject, taking wary steps toward his love. "I would like to to know now, if I can. Can we still have a relationship? Even if it's only friends?"

Gippal knew it. He was going to cry. Definitely. "Call me greedy, but can't we have both kinds?"

Baralai took another step forward. "I have no problems with that."

Gippal tried his best to give a naughty grin. "Can we start where we left off?"

Baralai sounded incredulous. "Getting shot?"

Gippal's foggy mind seemed to clear at that single thought. "Baralai!" He pulled the man close, holding desperately the love he thought he'd lose. "Promise me to never get shot again, okay? It's too much emotional stress for one guy."

Baralai chuckled, arms securely around the Al Bhed's torso. "Only if you promise not to get shot again too."

Gippal pulled back slightly, some of the light returning to his features. "Kind of hard to make a promise like that, B."

"My point." A pause. "Maybe.. maybe part of the reason we..kinda fell apart is because we emphasized the physical too much. Maybe..we should back off for a while..let our heads clear."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But it doesn't matter, 'cause as long as I'm with you... ..I can still tease you, play practical jokes on you and.."

"Gippal."

A comfortable silence. Then it slid into awkward.

A sigh. "I hate to be the hypocrite, but Gippal, may I kiss you?"

"So much for the 'not physical ' side of our relationship.

"Oh shut up."

A kiss. Then laughter.

"Oy! Leave them alone for ten minutes and they sure do go at it."

"Yeah, with them it's more like 'kiss and make-out."

Gippal and Baralai looked embarrassed and amused at their newly acquired audience.

"Quick, someone get a recorder!"

A growl. "Rikku..."

Baralai laughed. "You have my permission to make fun of her, tease her, and anything else."

Rikku gasped, while her cousin and Paine laughed merrily. Well, Yuna did.

Baralai continued to explain further, for Gippal's sake. Call it fishing for sympathy. "She pinned me to a chair, threatened my life and various other temple members', and then dragged me out shopping."

Gippal chuckled at Baralai's unique complaint, and Rikku's dramatic, devastated look. She sputtered out her response,

"Yeah, well, Baralai's a virgin! So there!"

A silence once again filled the room.


Gippal pulled Baralai tight against his side, tilting his head back, and purred licentiously to his companion.

"...Baralai, is there something you want to tell me...?"