Disclaimer: FF X-2 is not mine. Nor are their characters. But this story line is. So review, but don't steal.

Buddy strolled down the Cabin corridor Celsius with Shinra at his side, slowly making their way to the elevator. The engine shook the ground beneath them like an earthquake, rattling the brains in their skulls as they were jostled about. Buddy groaned and covered his ears, shaking his head in an attempt to keep the sound from buzzing around in his skull like an angry hive of bees. "Damn it, why is it so noisy?" Buddy groaned as his eardrums began to beat like conga drums.

Shinra shrugged, shaking his head. "Doesn't really bother me. Anyway, if you want it fixed, talk to Brother; he is our leader."

Buddy laughed mirthlessly, placing his hands on his hips. "Leader? What exactly does he do? We have the ship on auto-pilot most of the time." Shinra sighed and nodded in agreement. Buddy rubbed his temples, shutting his eyes tightly, hoping that would lock out the rattle. "Damn this noise! I can't stand it!"

"Then go up to the deck. Probably won't be able to hear it up there." Shinra said, exasperated. “Honestly, you act younger than me sometimes.” He grumbled under his breath.

Buddy paused mid step and a slight smile lit his face. "Yeah . . . I think I will." He said cheerfully, opening the elevator doors for Shinra and himself to walk in. The little boy scurried past the doors and pressed the bridge button. Buddy clambered onto the platform as the doors slammed shut, locking them in for the trip up. The elevator rumbled beneath their feet, combining with the continued shaking from the engine room jostled them as they slowly crept up the passage to the upper areas. A small bell chimed and the doors opened, signaling that the elevator had stopped at the bridge. Shinra scampered out the doors as they opened, leaving Buddy alone in the elevator. He tried to block out the noise of the engine as he slammed his index finger down onto the deck button. He tapped his foot impatiently as he slowly rose from the bowels of the airship and onto the top. He sighed and closed his eyes as the doors opened, the sweet, fresh air sweeping over his face. He carefully walked out, making sure to keep his footing as Celsius zoomed along the clouds like a hover over desert sands. He took a deep breath and cleared his head of the incessant rattling that the engine had caused. He placed his hands behind his head and strolled out farther, scratching the back of his shaved blonde skull while the wind swept away all the metallic jangling of the broken engine. He opened his eyes, grateful that they were pseudo guarded from the bright noon sun by his azure goggles, and almost toppled over in shock. Long blonde hair flowed in the wind, a few thick braids tossing up and down beneath a indigo wrap that was secured to her forehead. "Rikku?"

The girl turned around, a small smile on her face. "What're you doing up here Buddy?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders, blinking against the still bright sun that streamed through his goggles. "Needed to get away from the rattling engine."

Rikku cocked her head to the side, her fiery scarf blowing across her bare stomach. "Rattling engine? Hasn't Brother taken care of that?"

Buddy shrugged again, shaking his head with a small smile twitching at his lips. He always felt like smiling when he was with the perky girl. "You know Brother. Too important to actually do anything on the ship."

Rikku sighed and pursed her lips angrily. "Guess I'll have to fix it then. Pop seriously spoiled that brat." She muttered under her breath, her vivid emerald eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

Buddy blinked in surprise. "You can fix the engine?"

"Yeah; why wouldn't I be able to?" She asked, laughing softly at his surprise.

Buddy scratched his head again, squinting behind his protective goggles. "Then why didn't you before?"

Rikku shrugged, tugging at one of the straps of her yellow bikini top. "Cuz I told Brother to do it."

Buddy sighed and shook his head at her naivety. "And you expected him to listen?"

Rikku pouted, her hands on her hips as she leaned to one side. "I was hoping . . . oh well." She sighed, shaking her head, sending waves of gold cascading over her shoulders. "Guess I'd better get started then. See ya Buddy." She walked past him, her scarf caressing his face as she strolled into the elevator and down to the engine room.

Buddy took her place at the front of the deck and looked at the endless horizon, his baggy blue pants flapping in the wind as Rikku began her work to fix the engine beneath him. Buddy stayed up there until the sun began to move from its afternoon position and into early evening and the air grew cooler and cooler, his muscular arms getting colder and colder as he wished that he had grabbed anything other than his light blue vest. Giving into the chill, he rubbed his arms to regain some warmth and retreated into the heated elevator, waiting as it slowly crawled down the shaft and to the bridge. Only after the doors had opened did Buddy realize that the jangling of the engine had finally stopped. He grinned and jauntily stepped off the elevator platform, nearly waltzing into the bridge. The doors slid open and he stopped in the doorway.

Rikku stood in front of an uninterested Brother, who barely sent her a glace as she stamped her foot on the Celsius floor. "E ducp oui du weq dga ahceha Brother!" She yelled, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

Brother shrugged, his eyes shut in boredom. "E tetr'd wiic cusi ud." He yawned, scratched his semi-bald head. Rikku scowled and lifted a tiny foot, lashing out at Brother's leg. The leader hopped op with a yelp, clutching his injured leg. "Uf uf uf uf uf!"
Rikku nodded with a "humph" and watched with amusement as Brother limped back to his seat.

Buddy hid a laugh as a cough and leapt over the railing, landing as gracefully as a cat on the balls of his feet. "Thanks for fixing the engine." Buddy whispered to Rikku as he walked past her to sit in his chair.

Rikku smiled and nodded, even though he could no longer see her, and sent another glare at Brother. "Next time the engine breaks, fix it. Got it?"

"Oapn, oapn." He called over his shoulder, still massaging his aching leg.

Buddy shook his head with a small smile. 'She still expects him to listen.'

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?

"I told you to fix the engine Brother!" She yelled, her hands placed firmly on her hips. Brother shrugged, his eyes shut in boredom. I didn't feel like it." He yawned, scratched his semi-bald head. Rikku scowled and lifted a tiny foot, lashing out at Brother's leg. The leader hopped op with a yelp, clutching his injured leg. "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

"Okay, okay." He called over his shoulder, still massaging his aching leg.