Heads-UP! Next update this story will belong to the ffx-2 category.

Old pale memories of someone you knew
Keep crawling through the back of your mind-- stealing time
In the daylight you're crossing all your wires
You never knew just how to put out a fire
And-- The closet's been shaking with bones
Little reminders that you're out on your own

Today Will Be Better, I Sware!- Stars

June 3rd, 4020

Rikku

I sink my heels into the course gravel, leaning back against the fence so that its diamond-patterned wiring digs into my flesh. Patiently I wait while Tidus and Gippal are busy touring the glorified parking lot, inspecting the rusty, over-priced used vehicles. There are a lot of things Tidus and Gippal don’t see eye-to-eye on, but they’ve always shared a passion for cars; for this reason it hadn’t surprised me when Tidus called this morning, gushed to me about his plan to sweep Yuna off her feet, and asked to speak to my husband. Tidus has decided it’s time Yuna got a new car and that he’s given her a fair enough grace period for mourning the deceased Volvo that she’s driven since high school. Although the idea’s sweet—I’ve never really been a fan of Yuna operating machinery; there’s something about the way she handles a car that has always seemed unnatural and awkward.

At the far end of the lot, Gippal stalks a green Camaro. The car is bitten with rust and looks far from safe. I highly doubt this is something Tidus would consider for Yuna, but I know the look in my husband’s eye, the soundless whistle drifting from his lips as he runs his hands evenly over the chassis. Gippal has fallen in love.

I shove myself away from the fence and trek towards Tidus, now eyeing an equally-elaborate car, also probably not suitable for Yuna. I take his arm and gently pull Tidus away. “I don’t think she knows how to drive stick-shift.”

He uses the palm of his gloved hand to rub the back of his neck before quickly glancing back to what I can now tell is a Mustang, similar to the one he already owns. “I was just looking.”

“Come on, I saw an old BMW close to the entrance.” He seems reluctant to follow but I pull tightly on his bicep and lead him back to the gate of the dealership.

The vehicle that caught my eye is a dusty shade of midnight blue with classic lining of its antique body, and taupe-leather seating. It’s Ancient technology, but Yuna wouldn’t want anything fancy.

“It kind of smells apple juice,” He scrunches his nose, but opens the door to slide into the driver seat. “But you’re right: she’d probably buy something like this for herself.”

“And you’re right about the smell,” I reply. “But maybe it, you know, adds character?”

“I could get it detailed,” he reasons, softening to the idea. “But I still wish I could get her something new…”

“I think she’ll like this better,” I reply softly, knowing Tidus’ intentions are well placed but my cousin would feel guilty accepting a costly gift.

“I know,” He grunts. “I just want to make her birthday special this year.”

I nod, and leave him to an inspection of the car. My husband, ‘the mechanic’, is no help. Gippal drifts amongst the rusty classics—as if I’d let him buy another one. He licks his lips with indecision as he meanders back over to the Camaro. I know what comes next: begging, pleading, promises… and if that doesn’t work he’ll return tomorrow and hide it from me at his workshop. I remember his first purchase, The Dodge. Although he’s bought many cars since, when he heads for the garage, he always ends up working on his first love.

Bringing my thumb and forefinger to my lips in a loop, I whistle. Gippal nearly falls over himself when he turns to follow the sound. He shades his eyes against the sun, striking up one finger to tell me he’ll be over in a minute.

“I like this car,” Tidus decides, thumbing the steering wheel.

“I think that it’s kind of perfect. Isn’t it?” I agree, feeling pleased with myself.

“This it?” Gippal says, as he saunters towards us, checking out the car in a glance that I’ve seen him use on women. He bends at the waist, placing his hands on his hips as he leers through the windows and into the interior. He motions for Tidus to get out of the driver’s seat and takes his position behind the wheel, reaching beneath it to pop the hood. The auto top lifts from in front of the windshield wipers. Gippal grabs the cover and pulls it open to expose the engine. He meanders through its mechanics, plucking around the heart of the car before reinstating the hood. “Not much work needed here, maybe a tune-up, a little elbow grease, and something to get rid of this smell...”

“Think we should keep looking?”

“Nah, Tidus, this baby’s gold. I can probably get Dave to hook us up with a good price on her,” Gippal knows the salesman on first-name basis. He takes another walk around the body. “What do you think?”

“How long would you need to fix it up?” Tidus asks, I notice him rocking on the back of his heels. “I need something that can be ready in like, a week?”

“Give me two days,” Gippal replies with a self-satisfied grin.

I nudge Tidus, sharing a wink with him. “She’ll love it.”

He smiles, looking down at his boots. “I think she will. Unless she hates it…”

“Tidus…” I start, weighing my words. “I think she’ll be pleasantly surprised. You’re putting a lot of thought into this, and that’s kind of…you know, not like you.” I watch him furrow his brow, slightly offended. I burst into a mild fit of giggles. “It’s just that I seem to remember you forgetting a couple birthdays over the years.”

“I’ve never forgotten your birthday, Rikku. I don’t think I’ve forgotten Yuna’s either.”

I raise my brow, and decide to dismiss the subject. He has, of course, missed plenty of birthdays. I look back over to the car and my mind flashes back to those automotive year-end sale commercials, where the husband brings his wife home a new sports-utility-vehicle with a big bow. Tidus should get Yuna a big bow.

I look to Gippal, currently on his phone, and back to Tidus. We wait in an awkward kind of silence as Gippal brings his conversation to an end. “Well?” I ask him, wondering who was on the other line.

He ignores my question, instead turning to Tidus. “What do you have planned for the afternoon? ‘Lai could use our help moving.”

“Where’s he moving?” Tidus asks, obviously clueless.

“Biting the bullet,” Gippal replies matter-of-factly. “He’s shacking up with Paine.”

“I guess I could spare an afternoon.” Tidus says. “I don’t feel like going to the gym, anyway.”

“Great.” Gippal grins and confirms with Baralai before excusing himself to go find Dave.

Biting the bullet is right. Paine… I don’t think I’d ever want to live with her. We don’t really get on. She’s very strict, but surprisingly kind of a pig. Gippal likes to spend time with her and ‘Lai, but I’d rather go out with Shuyin and Lenne, or Tidus and Yuna. Baralai and Paine don’t talk much, they just kind of sit and listen, and Paine stares. I feel kind of nervous around her, which usually results in me rambling and by the end of the night I wind up feeling stupid. I think she dislikes me more every time we meet.

It doesn’t take long to find Dave, the sleazy, balding Guado who runs the dealership. I’ve only ever seen him wear colorful three-button suits; today his is bright green and doesn’t really match his chocobo-patterned dress shirt. He talks with a mixed accent and overzealous hand gestures, insistent we’re trying to ‘rob him’. The car ends up costing Tidus around 7,000 gil, but Dave throws in a spare tire and a palm-tree shaped coconut air conditioner because apparently Dave, ‘values his customers’. I think the coconut might smell worse than the apple.

Tidus drives the car off the lot, following us to Baralai's apartment. It’s not too far from his high-rise in the metropolitan Zanarkand area. We park across the street. The weather’s warmed up a bit. I remove my peach sweater and tie it around the waist line of my denim skirt.

Baralai’s apartment isn’t really anything special. He lives on the fifth floor of a building without an elevator. Six years of college yet he can’t really afford anything fancy, not while he’s working as an intern for the governor’s research team. Baralai’s always been interested in politics, and in high school he even worked a bit with Yuna’s father. I kind of thought that ‘Lai and Yunie would eventually hook up, but I guess she always had eyes for Tidus, and Paine … well maybe she scared him into dating her?

The boys race up the stairs, taking them two at a time as I trudge behind. I wish I had asked Gippal to drop me off at home. Tidus waits for me, holding open the door to Lai’s apartment. I had hoped Paine wouldn’t be here, but I spot a pair of lace-up, knee-high, black leather boots-- and I don’t know anyone else who they could possibly belong to.

Lai nods us in from the living room, looking frustrated and a little sweaty. The apartment is a furnace without any air conditioning. The only operable window is over the sink in his small kitchen and looks down out into the alley without much of a draft.

“Sorry it’s such a mess,” he apologizes, wiping sweat from his tanned brow. “I really appreciate the help, guys.”

“It’s no problem,” I smile. “Where do you want me?”

“Actually Rikku, if you wouldn’t mind helping Paine in the bedroom… she’s organizing and boxing up my wardrobe. I thought that might be right up your alley.”

He’s right, but I’m reluctant to work with Paine... I smile and nod. “You know me well.”

“Thanks.” He smiles a sweet but fleeting grin before turning back to scratching his head at what I think was once his entertainment center.

I knock on the door tentatively and it swings open slightly under the weight of my fist. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Paine replies in her alto monotone without glancing up at me.

I step into the room. Like the living area, it’s pretty much a mess. Clothes draped over all surfaces in no particular order as Paine labels boxes with a thick, black marker.

I don’t ask Paine what to do next; I figure she doesn’t really know what she’s doing here. I’ve seen Paine’s closet and have struggled to figure out how she manages to dress herself in the morning. I start with Baralai’s suits, placing them gently in a fold-over garment bag. Lai keeps his shoes organized in a stack of small boxes at the back of his closet; I stack them in a larger cardboard box. I then move on to his jeans, not that he owns many, and fold them along the seams and then twice along the length of the leg and stack them in a box Paine has labeled in her surprisingly feminine cursive; ‘jeans’.

“I need a break,” Paine announces, halfway through a debate of why long-sleeved dress shirts can’t be folded up with t-shirts, and polo shirts.

I let her leave, figuring I’ll probably finish up here before she gets back. I kind of hope she doesn’t come back. I’d rather work alone. Paine doesn’t talk much, and she doesn’t much like to be talked at either. I’ve always been surprised by her relationship with Gippal and Baralai. I guess the three had parents that were good friends and all, but she’s so… different. Dark and sardonic, nothing like Gippal, but for whatever reason I think he’s closer to her that he is with ‘Lai. It’s not like Tidus and me; I don’t think they think the same way we do, not really. Sometimes I think it’s because they’re opposites, and I wonder if she interests him, or vice-versa and that’s why they’re so close. When I think about it, I can’t help but feel jealous of their friendship.

When I finish with the clothes, I start bringing the boxes out into the living room, stacking the luggage and cardboard boxes next to the entranceway,flush against the wall. This is something I would actually appreciate Paine’s help with. So, of course I can’t find her.

Tidus cracks open a beer and then hands it to me. “It looks like you’ve been working.”

I laugh. “Believe me, I have.” I take the beer, forgetting that I don’t really like beer. I drink it anyway. At least it’s cold.

“You haven’t seen Gippal, have you?” he asks, drinking from his own. “He took off about a half hour ago to load a couple boxes in ‘Lai’s trunk. I’m surprised he’s not back.”

“Well, you know him,” I reply with a shrug. The apartment has darkened considerably. Through the picture window we watch the sun sitting on the horizon, ready to sink into oblivion. “Something probably caught his eye…”

“Well, when he finds his way back we should probably get going. I was kind of hoping I could beat Yuna home tonight.”

“Aren’t you cute,” I reply. “Do you have something planned…?”

“You guys can’t go yet,” Baralai interrupts almost desperately, I’d almost forgotten he was here. “I ordered us pizza. I was hoping we could finish the front room by night fall—if you are up to it?”

I rub my neck, feeling moderately guilty for wanting to ditch. “Of course ‘Lai, we’ll stay as long as you want us.”

“I really appreciate it guys,” he says with a mild smile.

“Do either of you know where Gippal and Paine are coming back?” I ask them, feeling irritated that we’ve been doing all the work when this was Gippal’s idea, and Paine is Baralai’s girlfriend.

“Paine told me she was going out for cigarettes. I don’t know why she’s not back yet.”

“It’s okay. I’m going to go find Gippal and make sure he’s not napping in the back of the car,” I announce after setting down the last box from the bedroom. “I’ll try to make it back before the pizza gets here. I’m starved.”

It takes me longer than I had originally thought to find Gippal. I figured I’d run into him in the stairwell, and if not there than in the parking lot, or out front. I eventually find him lounging around the building in the alley, near the dumpsters and talking with Paine. So they’d ventured off together? Maybe they had been texting and decided to meet up while the rest of us were busy actually working? Maybe they’re having an affair? I think spitefully. I open my ears, trying to quiet raving thoughts in order to figure out what’s going on.

“Well, if it works for you,” Paine says, her voice hoarse after taking a drag on her cigarette. “It’s kind of lame though—therapy. You’d be better off just telling Rikku to grow up and get over it.”

Gippal shakes his head, taking Paine’s cigarette and bringing it to his lips. When did he start smoking? He hands it back to her and breathes out a fountain of grey into the night. “I don’t think I’m such a bad guy, Paine. I’ve never cheated on her or anything…”

“Okay.”Even from my somewhat skewed position peeking over the garbage bin I can see the disbelieving arch in Paine’s eyebrow. She doesn’t believe him. Why doesn’t she believe him?

“Really,” he insists. “Did you know Yuna and Tidus are hooking up now?”

“Okay,” she says again, this time slightly more sarcastically. “And when did this happen?”

“I don’t know, maybe a little over a month or two ago? I never really figured they’d get together, but don’t mention it to Baralai or we’ll both owe him money.”

Paine chuckles, dropping her fag to the pavement and crushing it with the pad of her foot. “I don’t think he remembers.”

“Maybe not,” Gippal agrees, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “…Paine?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t say anything about -- you know-- to Rik. She’ll take it the wrong way.”

“I try not to talk to Rikku,” Paine smirks. “So you don’t have a problem.”

I swallow, somewhat hurt. At least I’m not surprised. I always kind of figured she had something against me. I notice that they’re about to get going and decide that I better leave first. When I figure out what Gippal’s been talking about I don’t want him having any sliver of evidence so he can give me a guilt trip for eavesdropping. I know it’s wrong, really I do… but I can’t feel guilty, not when I know now that he goes to her to complain about me.

*

I meet the pizza guy at the door, narrowly beating Paine and Gippal. I pretend to have just answered, and call Baralai. I try to look nonchalant, though my face must appear flushed from running up the stairs, and I suppose so do Baralai and Tidus’ after spending most of the day without air conditioning. I smile at my husband, quirking my head to the side, when I ask him what took so long.

Omniscient

“So what, you were spying on me?” Gippal had taken her outside by the elbow after dinner. She’d spent the entire time making a deliberate effort not to talk to him, grinding her teeth and shoving around the food on her plate. The issue had been backed by so much pressure that free from the constraining company of their friends she couldn’t help yelling at him. She wanted him to feel her anger. He imagined Rikku had sat through the entire dinner working herself into a fit.

“No,” she said with indignation at the audacity of his accusations, although she knew he was right. “Not spying. I was just… Whatever! This isn’t about me anyways. It’s about you and—and Paine. If you trust her so much, and value her so—so much more than me you should just be with her!”

“Look, Rikku… you obviously have it wrong.”

“Oh, I have it wrong?” Rikku said, crossing her arms, leaning forward to glare at her disgruntled husband.

“Yeah, all wrong. You’re going fucking crazy and it’s nothing.”

She snorts. “Now that’s just illogical. No one goes crazy over nothing. You’re obviously, like, in love with her.”

“You can be a real bitch sometimes, Rikku.”

“So I guess that’s how you really feel about me. Was that what you were doing? Telling Paine, how much of a ‘bitch’ I am?” Rikku knew their voices would carry into the apartment; she thought of Paine and how she’d probably laugh and call her immature. She’d side with Gippal, she was the enemy, and she was the bitch. “Maybe next time you want to talk about our relationship you should try coming to me.”

“Talk to you?” He laughs, wildly running his hands through his hair as he turns, looking for something to kick. “You have no idea how difficult you are to talk to.”

“Try me.”

“Maybe that’s just it… I’m done trying, Rikku, I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do...”The silence thickened, leaving little room for her rebuttal. “I don’t have a plan Z…”

Gippal took the first step, surprised by how easily he could leave her behind.

Rikku

The bathroom door separates me from everything, everyone else. Gippal took off, treating me like I had no right to be angry. But I do, I honestly believe that I have every right to be angry. I drink my beer, inspecting the details of the small room, the stitches of my outfit, the throbbing of my feet. I could sit in here forever, rot and starve to death until the apartment is abandoned, my skeleton turned to dust wrapped in silk and designer heels. How Fabulous.

I brace my shoes against the door, and lean my head back against the cupboard, staring up at the lines of ceiling tile. My drink is almost empty, my marriage is almost over, but I don’t know which upsets me more. I thought we were working on things and with the help of a therapist Gippal could change. But really, nobody changes, do they? Least of all Gippal… this was something I once absolutely loved about him, his unwavering charm and spirit. Gippal always tried to make me laugh, no matter how inappropriate laughter might be. I’m starting to think that he lacks the ability to take anything seriously— not me, not fixing this relationship.

I slip the back straps of my shoes off my ankles and peel them from my feet, piling them at the base of the shower. I use the wall to help myself into a standing position. My eyes connect with the bathroom mirror. Unaware that I had been crying,I grab a piece of tissue and dab at my running makeup. It’s late and the time shows beneath my eyes. I wonder who’s still here and if I can sneak out unnoticed.

A spark of noise intrudes the room and the door is pushed open. My eyes connect with his as Tidus slides into the bathroom, blue eyes alight in curiosity. “Sorry, are you busy in here or something?”

“Kind of…” I reply, turning the tap off after splashing my face with cool water. “Do you need the washroom?”

“I was looking for you.”

“You were?” I turn to face him, bracing myself on the bathroom counter. “What? Were you worried?”

“Funny,” he quips, sipping from his beer. “It’s not like you to just disappear.”

“I guess you’re right,” I reply, grabbing a hand towel to dry my face.

“I thought maybe you left with Gippal.” He quirks his brow. “So what are you doing hiding out in here?”

“I’m not hiding out. I’m… I’m just taking a break.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh, shut up.” I draw back the shower curtain and settle myself in the tub, dramatically closing it after me. “And leave me alone.”

I can still see him through the curtain, inspecting his reflection in the mirror, twirling the ends of his perfectly tousled hair. “Do you think I need a haircut, Rik?”

“Ask Yuna.”

“I don’t think she cares much about my hair.”

I pull the curtain back so I can face him. “So … Gippal really left, huh?”

“Sorry.”

“And he didn’t, you know… say anything?”

“No… is something happening with you two lately?” He comes to sit beside me on the floor. “I thought therapy was working out?”

“Gippal doesn’t take it seriously. He spends half of the session chatting up the shrink… I even feel kind of like the two of them are siding against me. Gippal pretends to be so open and ready to discuss everything in session, and he comes home with this big, cheesy grin on his face, talking about how great it was to get everything off his chest—and then he sits down on the sofa, cracks open a beer, and starts watching blitzball.”

“How do you know he’s ‘pretending’?”

“He just wants to look good for her, because she’s pretty and sophisticated.”

“Come on Rik, you don’t actually believe that,” he replies, placing a tentative hand on my knee. “I’m usually the last person to stand up for Gippal… but we’ve all known him for a long time. I don’t believe he’s ready to give up on you yet.”

I can’t help my sneer. “Gippal give up on me? He’s the one gallivanting around town, drinking and women and… it’s like he just doesn’t care anymore. It’s like I don’t know him anymore.” I throw up my hands, and then sink farther into the bathtub.

Tidus rests his head back on the wall, giving me a look I just can’t accept. He doesn’t know Gippal like I do, or at least the new detached man who’s inhabited my late husband’s body.

“You know, Gippal wanted to try again.” I tell him.

“What do you mean, try again?” Tidus asks.

“He wants to have a baby,” I reply sarcastically. “Can you believe that?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah, he brought it up in therapy… metaphorically speaking.”

“What kind of things do you guys talk about in therapy?”

I rub my sweaty palms on my thighs, and look up at the showerhead. “I don’t do much of the talking. Gippal wants me to trust him more.”

“Is that why he left?”

“It’s just that… him and Paine have a history, you know? And he was talking to her about me. I don’t like that. He should talk to me about me. When it’s just us he’s so light-hearted and … but like she gets to see this whole other side of him. He never shows me that.”

Tidus nods, drinking from his can. “Do you talk to him about it at all?”

“He’d just make fun of me—say I’m being jealous, make a joke out of it. It just pisses me off so much! He’ll discuss our personal issues with her, anyone but me. There’s obviously something between them.”

“Rikku, don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, wiping my eyes with the back of my forearm. “I’m just so angry.”

Yuna

A bright flash of light slaps across the window pane, illuminating the living room. My heartbeat catches in my chest; for a moment I forget to breathe-- A far-off rumble and another strike of light flashes across the sky while rain pelts down against the city. I mute the volume on the television and gather the duvet from my room around my shoulders, shuddering. I’m not afraid but I wish Tidus was here.

He should be home by now, sitting here with me on the couch watching scary movies like we’d planned: just us. But right now it’s just me and the storm, me and an empty apartment. I think that any moment he’ll walk through the door and come to apologize, kiss me and tell me he’s missed me all day. I miss Tidus so much I don’t know what to do with myself.

The kettle whistles. I remember setting it on the stove with the intention of boiling water for tea. I drag the duvet with me to the stove and calm the whistling pot, removing it from the stove’s heat. I reach up for a cup. Thunder flashes again.

Startled, the glass slips through my fingers and shatters against the floor. It’s just a mug, I tell myself and bend down to carefully pick out the bigger shards. One at a time I place them into a plastic shopping bag. My nerves are frayed; I’m sick of being alone.

I tie the straps of the bag securely into a knot and discard it in the trash bin. I grab another cup and drop in a tea bag before adding water, leaving it on the counter to soak while I look for the vacuum. Does Tidus own a vacuum? I check the hall closet—linens, towels…

And,

My eye catches at a box sitting out of my reach on the top shelf. The name, marked in messy cursive, is one I recognize, fear.

Adrianna: is this how he remembers her? Preserving his emotions, locking away stale feelings in something as harmless as a cardboard box at the top of his linen closet? Bile rises in my throat. Why would he keep her alive here, after everything she’s put him through?

I hear the click of the door, and struggle to quickly close the closet. I feel guilty; I hadn’t meant to snoop.

“I broke a mug,” I explain, involuntarily shaking.

He smiles, knitting his eyebrows as if he’s confused by my confession. “That’s okay. I’ll help you clean up.” Tidus comes to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. Over his shoulder I notice a very wet, shivering girl standing in the doorway, suitcase in one hand, eyes large and alarmed.

Lightning strikes. Rikku drops the suitcase, glassy eyes shifting towards the window. “Y-Yunie?”

Tidus lets go of me, brushing back my hair. I move around him to Rikku, taking her hand and guiding her to the sofa. My cousin, a dripping mess, stares down at where I crouch at her feet, massaging her hand in mine. I look up to Tidus, who shakes his head.

He looks lost for words, unable to explain. “She just kind of broke down.”

“She’s drunk,” I say, smelling beer and tequila seep through her skin.

Tidus smiles half-guiltily. “Uhm, well, we stopped at the bar on the way home from ‘Lai’s.”

Rikku gathers her limbs into her chest, turning her gaze out of the window. She fiddles with her fingers, softly humming to herself. Why were Tidus and Rikku at Baralai’s when he told me he was at work? “I thought you had practice?”

He shuffles a bit, color coming to his cheek. “We were helping him move. Rikku, Gippal and—“

“Gippal.” Rikku hiccups, moaning into her hands.

“I guess they had a fight.”

“You guess?” I sit down beside Rikku on the couch, rubbing the palm of my hand in slow circles against her back. She rests her head on my shoulder.

“He doesn’t love me anymore, y-you know?”

“I’m sure it was just… a misunderstanding?” I try, hoping to calm her.

“He left us there after we ate. I didn’t know what else to do so we swung by her house to get some clothing and I was gonna bring her right back here, but…”

Rikku shifts, pressing her cold cheek to the bare stretch of skin on my thigh where my cotton shorts have ridden up. “I wanted to get… d—drunk. I’m sorry Yunie. Will you forgive me?”

*

It doesn’t take long to put Rikku to bed. I help her undress, digging out a cotton pair of pajamas, and unraveling the braids in her hair. Rikku tries to tell me what occurred between her and Gippal, yawning and fidgeting beneath the covers. I remain in the room, listening and playing with her hair until after she’s fallen asleep.

Adrianna… I think she’ll be in my nightmares tonight. “He’ll never forget about her, will he?” I ask Rikku as she rests. “He loved her a lot. Tidus will probably never love me like that. But I—“

I wish he would. If only I knew for certain how Tidus felt I could relax and stop questioning him. All that should matter is that he’s with me now. Still, I’m trying my hardest to not feel intimidated by the people who’ve come before me, the one person I fear Tidus might still prefer. I don’t want to feel like a fraud, a substitute for the woman he let break his heart.

The bedroom door creeks open, light spills in from the hall. Tidus stands at the entrance, holding my tea which has probably grown cold and bitter by now. “Is she sleeping?” he asks in a quiet voice.

I readjust myself, sitting up and leaning back on my elbows. “Yeah, she’s out.”

“Well, now maybe you could let me put you to bed, huh?” He smiles, leaning against the doorframe.

I shuffle off of the mattress and follow him out into the hall, careful to close the door quietly. I take the tea from his hand. We walk out into the kitchen, where I empty the mug and place it into the dishwasher. Tidus waits for me on the couch, flipping though the channels. I settle down beside him and he pulls me close and kisses my shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make you wait.”

I watch the television, images flashing across the screen and I don’t know what’s happening. Something is missing, something is off. I nestle into him, waiting for my fitful nerves to settle, worrying my bottom lip, unsuccessfully trying to void my thoughts of negativity.

Tidus turns the volume down on the screen. He shifts himself to face me. “Can we talk for a minute?”He proceeds without reply, “I don’t want you to get the wrong impression about today. I know that I probably should have called…”

“But, you didn’t call.”

He grimaces. “Yeah, but I missed you. I’m really sorry things didn’t work out, like we planned, “He gestures towards my room. “But I figure tomorrow’s a new day, right?”

“Right,” I say, not understanding his point. “And tomorrow you have practice and that meeting with your agent, and…”

“I’ll skip it,” he tells me with a wide smile. “I’ll skip all week, so it will be just you and me. We can head to Kilika.”

“Won’t the team fine you?”

Tidus ignores my question, excitement growing in his tone. “I’ll rent us a suite, and we’ll finally be able to spend some quality time together.”

“I’ve never been to Kilika…” I say, tempted by the idea, although I already know it’s not possible.

“I’ll book the tickets right now. Just say you forgive me?”

“Rikku,” I justify.

He smirks. “We’ll…Can’t we just ask Lenne to babysit her?”

“No! We can’t do that!” I laugh, kissing his forehead. “I’m her family, and I think she needs us right now.”

“You’re probably right,” Tidus admits reluctantly. “But there has to be something I can do to make it up to you.”

“There is one thing, something I know you won’t like.”

“It can’t be that bad...” He encourages me with a small smile.

I swallow, thinking that maybe he’s right—it’s not all that bad. “Would you consider coming with me to my father’s retirement banquet?”

“As …your date?”

“That’s the idea…” I say, lowering my eyes.

“I guess he doesn’t know about us yet, does he?” Tidus looks up at the ceiling, running a hand through his hair. I wonder if he’s asking himself if it’s worth it, if I’m worth it. Tidus and my father have not always seen eye to eye. “Will it make you happy?”

I nod, attempting timid smile. “It would.”

He kisses the tip of my nose. “Then I’ll do it.”

I can’t help but smile as an overwhelming rush of relief washes over me. I kiss Tidus, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He chuckles, masterfully maneuvering me onto my back, beneath him. “You know Yuna… This will kind of make us official.”

“Official?” I ask, feeling somewhat offended.

“Like… now everyone will know. You won’t be able to keep me your dirty little secret anymore.” He jokes, touching his lips briefly to mine.

“You’re not something I want to keep a secret.” I tell him, “I really don’t mind what Braska thinks. You make me happy.”

Rikku is in the next room, Adrianna is in the closet, Tidus is here with me.

A/N:

Yes… it has taken me a long time

Yes… this is the longest chapter to date

Yes… this chapter still leaves things a little unconcluded from chapter 13, but I’m getting to it

Yes… I’m still alive, kicking, and already working on ch 16

This chapter was difficult; I’m not going to lie. Continuing on from chapter 13 definitely put me in a blocked stand-still, I didn’t want everything to avalanche quickly from there. I know it must bug a lot of you that my story progression is a little slow, but I feel there are a lot of little things that will end up helping me build the characters and plot that I need to include. I know some people might want a flashback/reflection on Tidus and Yuna’s emotions at this point. But, for Tidus especially he’s at a point here where his feelings are building and I really don’t want to rush things (even though there was an extremely momentous occurrence… but I’m going to handle it, in a different way). So I really hope no one is disappointed, I’m getting to the juicy bits, real soon, right now I just need to squeeze on some secondary characters for your drama-lemonade.

Oh…

No… I didn’t lie about updating 3 or more times this summer, check out the new (by that I mean rewritten, not just edited) versions of chapter 2/3 (four and five are written, in limbo atm. It will be out soon.)

Yes… I would very much appreciate it if you review!

Thank you to my Beta Readers

Serial Ravist

&

Devon

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