Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story. They belong to Square. Although, wouldn't it be cool if someone just bought the rights to, let's say, Lulu? Then, I can say that I own Lulu, and everyone will have to put my name in their disclaimer. Unfortunately, I don't have the kind of money to make that happen, so I don't own anybody. Just the story... and a dream.
Warning: If you're not open to the idea of Tidus with anyone besides Yuna, stop reading.
Sin's Eyes
by The Incredible Dancing Quatre
The stars were burning brightly that night in the Calm Lands. While the rest of his party was replenishing their energy from an arduous day of wandering the endless plains, Tidus was still wide awake. He silently lay on his back, cradling the back of his head with his gloved hands. Several years had passed since Tidus had been able to remember seeing such twilight and even longer since he had taken time to enjoy its presence. Zanarkand, the city that never sleeps, drowned out the heavens themselves with its neon splendor, preventing Tidus from ever knowing anything but looming skyscrapers in its vast night skyline. There was a simple elegance to the stars, impressive but not imposing. Gazing up into that dark infinity of space, Tidus's mind began to swirl with thoughts, and as they sometimes do, his thoughts turned to Yuna.
Tidus thought quite a bit about Yuna. Although, that's to be expected as he was one of her guardians. Still, he did care for her beyond that of a simple bodyguard. After all, Tidus had kissed her. He knew not what drove him to do so at the time, but he did not find it unpleasurable. Still, his mind was filled with doubt. Was this... love? What was the significance of the brief moment of passion that Tidus and Yuna shared? He knew that Yuna loved him at least. He could see in her eyes, a deep longing. Did he feel the same? He pondered this, but he already knew the answer. No, it wasn't love. Perhaps, he imagined, he was consumed by fear. The thought that he might lose his friend and summoner was more than Tidus could take, and for one instant in time, Tidus lost control of himself. He almost regretted it now. It was not his right to distract Yuna from her pilgrimage. After all, what would be the point of getting close if she died?
"If she died," he whispered to himself. He hastily tried to purge such thoughts from his mind, as he did not want to think about losing his friends anymore. Tidus could not stop thinking about the pilgrimage though. What was the point of it all? His mind continued to race with questions he could not answer.
Unfortunately, Tidus was too far lost in thought to notice that he had an unwelcome visitor. A wolf-like fiend was on the prowl and perusing the area for its next source of nourishment. Its demonesque eyes met with Tidus, and it started slinking over towards the blonde athlete. The creature wasn't choosy about its meals, for food was far from copious in this desolate and God-forsaken piece of Spira. The fiend let its tongue loll out of its mouth as its appetite for the young man intensified. Tidus heard a twig snap in the grass near him, but it was too late. Just as he was reaching for his sword, the fiend pounced him, pinning both shoulders hard to the ground. Tidus struggled frantically to free himself. He vainly tried to extend his fingers in the direction of his weapon, but the weight of the great beast was not to be overcome. The fiend glinted his sharp fangs and growled at Tidus. It descended its head towards his supple neck, but a small blast to the fiend's ribs knocked it off of Tidus's heavily breathing torso. The fiend gave a shrill yelp and limped off towards the horizon.
"Pesky creature. Go find another snack tonight. This one's with me," a sultry voice let its presence be known from behind the boy. Tidus hurriedly whipped himself around to confront his savior. Standing before him was none other than Lulu, an arm still outstretched from casting her last spell.
"Lulu, you saved my life!" Tidus exclaimed with a warm smile on his face. Lulu was amused by his jovial attitude and almost child-like innocence even after almost having his flesh ravaged by a monster.
"I'm sure you would have been able to get your weapon eventually. I just saved you some unnecessary scratches. You should be more careful." Lulu shot a rather condescending smirk toward the unconcerned boy. Tidus scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I was just sort of lost in thought." He blushed a bit at his own ignorance. A guardian should be more aware of his surroundings. How could he be expected to protect the life of another if he couldn't even save his own?
"The stars can do that. One can feel at peace when they gaze at the stars, even if there is danger all around." With that statement, Lulu strode over almost floatingly and took a seat next to Tidus, adjusting her long black dress to make herself more comfortable. Tidus arched his brow and gave her a quizzical look, but she was too intent on the points of light in the sky above her to notice.
"So, how long were you standing there?" Tidus inquired, mildly curious.
"Long enough," she replied without hesitation. "I couldn't sleep with Wakka's snoring." Tidus chuckled quietly. She paused for a moment, then posed a question. "You were thinking about Yuna, weren't you?" Tidus's eyes then downcast themselves. He sighed and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. Not much escapes Lulu. Though physically, she was the picture of youth, she was wise beyond her years.
"I worry about her," was Tidus's reluctant answer. "I don't want to see her die, Lulu. Tell me, why didn't you stop her? You're like her big sister, aren't you?" Lulu's eyes also began to look sullen at the accusation. A feeling of guilt swept through her body, but she tried to suppress the urge to become emotional.
"It was her choice. She's a big girl now." Tidus wasn't satisfied with her answer.
"Why do you always have to be like that?" he questioned, a tinge of frustration in his voice.
"Like what?"
"You act all cold at times, but I know you care about Yuna just as much as the rest of us. So, why do you have to hide it?" Lulu's eyes widened as she turned to face the young guardian. Any traces of innocence on his face were replaced by a look of absolute conviction. How could he see through her so well? Staring deeply into his intense blue eyes, she could see an inner maturity she had not seen in him before. Maybe there was a serious side to this boy after all. Nobody had looked at her like that in a long time. She smiled.
"You know, Chappu always did say I was too cold, too. I guess there's no hiding it from you." Her smile washed away from her features when she thought about Tidus's question again. "Of course I care about Yuna. I don't want anybody else to die. I've already lost my summoner and my fiance. I... just cause more hurt than good." Lulu turned her head to the side, not wanting Tidus to see her shed the tear that rolled down her cheek. Tidus gently took her shoulders and rotated her to face him again.
"No, you're wrong, Lulu. It isn't going to happen again. I won't let anybody die. Not Yuna. Not you. Not anybody. We're all going to live to see Sin defeated. I'm going to kick his big butt, and then we're all going to celebrate!" The dark mage couldn't help but smile again through her sadness at the young boy's optimism. She looked softly at him and began to speak.
"Look into my eyes."
"What?"
"I want you to look into my eyes, Tidus. Do you see these blood red eyes of mine? When I was born, the high priest of the temple said I had Sin's eyes. They said I was cursed to bring death wherever I went. Nobody at school ever played with me. Chappu was the first friend I ever had. He said my eyes were funny-looking, but he never thought me any different than anybody else. Then, he died. All of my classmates were grown up by then and didn't blame me for Chappu's death, and I tried to tell myself the same thing..." Suddenly, Tidus cut her off.
"But you still blame yourself, don't you?" Tidus knew he had hit the mark, because his companion frowned in such a way that it was obvious she was deeply troubled. She shifted a little.
"All this time and Wakka still hasn't had the sense to figure that out," she said, mocking levity.
"Well, you know Wakka. Sometimes the message doesn't get through unless you spell it out for him." They both chuckled at the expense of the red-haired blitzer, breaking some of the tension. Lulu didn't speak, however, so Tidus quelled the silence once more. "Actually, I like your eyes. I think they're rather pretty."
Lulu just gazed back at Tidus, their eyes interlocked. It amazed her how honestly he could look at her. When he stared back at her, she knew that he wasn't seeing the dark woman people had always dismissed her as. He only saw her. His vibrant eyes reached into Lulu's soul, and she knew that he was the one person who could understand what she felt. He was... remarkable. "Tidus, how is it that you can look at me like that? Like I'm normal?"
"No, you're not normal, Lulu," he said, eyes still mingling with hers. Lulu wanted to let out a sigh of disappointment, but resisted when Tidus's strong hands gently clasped around her arms. "You're perfect."
Not another word was spoken. At that moment, everything around the pair in these endless plains melted around them. Neither of them were conscious of anything but each other. He drew her into his warm grip, and they kissed. They cradled each other affectionately and relished in each others' touch. The two became lost in the moment, overwhelmed by the sweet, innocent touch of the other's lips.
When their lips parted, Lulu opened her eyes to see Tidus smiling back at her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body, and she nuzzled herself in his well-developed chest. Together, they sat and watched the stars, candles in the sky that shined just for them. Tomorrow, the journey would continue anew, but until then, the night was theirs.
Author's note: I'm a little weary about how this fanfic is going to be received. Not only is it the first romance I've ever done, but it's the first Lulu+Tidus story I've ever even *seen*. So... please leave me a review and tell me how I did.
Warning: If you're not open to the idea of Tidus with anyone besides Yuna, stop reading.
Sin's Eyes
by The Incredible Dancing Quatre
The stars were burning brightly that night in the Calm Lands. While the rest of his party was replenishing their energy from an arduous day of wandering the endless plains, Tidus was still wide awake. He silently lay on his back, cradling the back of his head with his gloved hands. Several years had passed since Tidus had been able to remember seeing such twilight and even longer since he had taken time to enjoy its presence. Zanarkand, the city that never sleeps, drowned out the heavens themselves with its neon splendor, preventing Tidus from ever knowing anything but looming skyscrapers in its vast night skyline. There was a simple elegance to the stars, impressive but not imposing. Gazing up into that dark infinity of space, Tidus's mind began to swirl with thoughts, and as they sometimes do, his thoughts turned to Yuna.
Tidus thought quite a bit about Yuna. Although, that's to be expected as he was one of her guardians. Still, he did care for her beyond that of a simple bodyguard. After all, Tidus had kissed her. He knew not what drove him to do so at the time, but he did not find it unpleasurable. Still, his mind was filled with doubt. Was this... love? What was the significance of the brief moment of passion that Tidus and Yuna shared? He knew that Yuna loved him at least. He could see in her eyes, a deep longing. Did he feel the same? He pondered this, but he already knew the answer. No, it wasn't love. Perhaps, he imagined, he was consumed by fear. The thought that he might lose his friend and summoner was more than Tidus could take, and for one instant in time, Tidus lost control of himself. He almost regretted it now. It was not his right to distract Yuna from her pilgrimage. After all, what would be the point of getting close if she died?
"If she died," he whispered to himself. He hastily tried to purge such thoughts from his mind, as he did not want to think about losing his friends anymore. Tidus could not stop thinking about the pilgrimage though. What was the point of it all? His mind continued to race with questions he could not answer.
Unfortunately, Tidus was too far lost in thought to notice that he had an unwelcome visitor. A wolf-like fiend was on the prowl and perusing the area for its next source of nourishment. Its demonesque eyes met with Tidus, and it started slinking over towards the blonde athlete. The creature wasn't choosy about its meals, for food was far from copious in this desolate and God-forsaken piece of Spira. The fiend let its tongue loll out of its mouth as its appetite for the young man intensified. Tidus heard a twig snap in the grass near him, but it was too late. Just as he was reaching for his sword, the fiend pounced him, pinning both shoulders hard to the ground. Tidus struggled frantically to free himself. He vainly tried to extend his fingers in the direction of his weapon, but the weight of the great beast was not to be overcome. The fiend glinted his sharp fangs and growled at Tidus. It descended its head towards his supple neck, but a small blast to the fiend's ribs knocked it off of Tidus's heavily breathing torso. The fiend gave a shrill yelp and limped off towards the horizon.
"Pesky creature. Go find another snack tonight. This one's with me," a sultry voice let its presence be known from behind the boy. Tidus hurriedly whipped himself around to confront his savior. Standing before him was none other than Lulu, an arm still outstretched from casting her last spell.
"Lulu, you saved my life!" Tidus exclaimed with a warm smile on his face. Lulu was amused by his jovial attitude and almost child-like innocence even after almost having his flesh ravaged by a monster.
"I'm sure you would have been able to get your weapon eventually. I just saved you some unnecessary scratches. You should be more careful." Lulu shot a rather condescending smirk toward the unconcerned boy. Tidus scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I was just sort of lost in thought." He blushed a bit at his own ignorance. A guardian should be more aware of his surroundings. How could he be expected to protect the life of another if he couldn't even save his own?
"The stars can do that. One can feel at peace when they gaze at the stars, even if there is danger all around." With that statement, Lulu strode over almost floatingly and took a seat next to Tidus, adjusting her long black dress to make herself more comfortable. Tidus arched his brow and gave her a quizzical look, but she was too intent on the points of light in the sky above her to notice.
"So, how long were you standing there?" Tidus inquired, mildly curious.
"Long enough," she replied without hesitation. "I couldn't sleep with Wakka's snoring." Tidus chuckled quietly. She paused for a moment, then posed a question. "You were thinking about Yuna, weren't you?" Tidus's eyes then downcast themselves. He sighed and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. Not much escapes Lulu. Though physically, she was the picture of youth, she was wise beyond her years.
"I worry about her," was Tidus's reluctant answer. "I don't want to see her die, Lulu. Tell me, why didn't you stop her? You're like her big sister, aren't you?" Lulu's eyes also began to look sullen at the accusation. A feeling of guilt swept through her body, but she tried to suppress the urge to become emotional.
"It was her choice. She's a big girl now." Tidus wasn't satisfied with her answer.
"Why do you always have to be like that?" he questioned, a tinge of frustration in his voice.
"Like what?"
"You act all cold at times, but I know you care about Yuna just as much as the rest of us. So, why do you have to hide it?" Lulu's eyes widened as she turned to face the young guardian. Any traces of innocence on his face were replaced by a look of absolute conviction. How could he see through her so well? Staring deeply into his intense blue eyes, she could see an inner maturity she had not seen in him before. Maybe there was a serious side to this boy after all. Nobody had looked at her like that in a long time. She smiled.
"You know, Chappu always did say I was too cold, too. I guess there's no hiding it from you." Her smile washed away from her features when she thought about Tidus's question again. "Of course I care about Yuna. I don't want anybody else to die. I've already lost my summoner and my fiance. I... just cause more hurt than good." Lulu turned her head to the side, not wanting Tidus to see her shed the tear that rolled down her cheek. Tidus gently took her shoulders and rotated her to face him again.
"No, you're wrong, Lulu. It isn't going to happen again. I won't let anybody die. Not Yuna. Not you. Not anybody. We're all going to live to see Sin defeated. I'm going to kick his big butt, and then we're all going to celebrate!" The dark mage couldn't help but smile again through her sadness at the young boy's optimism. She looked softly at him and began to speak.
"Look into my eyes."
"What?"
"I want you to look into my eyes, Tidus. Do you see these blood red eyes of mine? When I was born, the high priest of the temple said I had Sin's eyes. They said I was cursed to bring death wherever I went. Nobody at school ever played with me. Chappu was the first friend I ever had. He said my eyes were funny-looking, but he never thought me any different than anybody else. Then, he died. All of my classmates were grown up by then and didn't blame me for Chappu's death, and I tried to tell myself the same thing..." Suddenly, Tidus cut her off.
"But you still blame yourself, don't you?" Tidus knew he had hit the mark, because his companion frowned in such a way that it was obvious she was deeply troubled. She shifted a little.
"All this time and Wakka still hasn't had the sense to figure that out," she said, mocking levity.
"Well, you know Wakka. Sometimes the message doesn't get through unless you spell it out for him." They both chuckled at the expense of the red-haired blitzer, breaking some of the tension. Lulu didn't speak, however, so Tidus quelled the silence once more. "Actually, I like your eyes. I think they're rather pretty."
Lulu just gazed back at Tidus, their eyes interlocked. It amazed her how honestly he could look at her. When he stared back at her, she knew that he wasn't seeing the dark woman people had always dismissed her as. He only saw her. His vibrant eyes reached into Lulu's soul, and she knew that he was the one person who could understand what she felt. He was... remarkable. "Tidus, how is it that you can look at me like that? Like I'm normal?"
"No, you're not normal, Lulu," he said, eyes still mingling with hers. Lulu wanted to let out a sigh of disappointment, but resisted when Tidus's strong hands gently clasped around her arms. "You're perfect."
Not another word was spoken. At that moment, everything around the pair in these endless plains melted around them. Neither of them were conscious of anything but each other. He drew her into his warm grip, and they kissed. They cradled each other affectionately and relished in each others' touch. The two became lost in the moment, overwhelmed by the sweet, innocent touch of the other's lips.
When their lips parted, Lulu opened her eyes to see Tidus smiling back at her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body, and she nuzzled herself in his well-developed chest. Together, they sat and watched the stars, candles in the sky that shined just for them. Tomorrow, the journey would continue anew, but until then, the night was theirs.
Author's note: I'm a little weary about how this fanfic is going to be received. Not only is it the first romance I've ever done, but it's the first Lulu+Tidus story I've ever even *seen*. So... please leave me a review and tell me how I did.