A/N: My second FFX fic! I actually had this one saved on my desktop for a while, so I thought, "What the heck? I'll just put it up." I love writing Lulu, and Rikku's one of my favorite characters of all time, so I just had to include them in this one-shot.
Also, another quick thing: this would ONLY fit into the game if when Lulu told Tidus not to fall in love with Yuna in Guadosalam (while Yuna was waiting for Seymour), you chose, "Too late." Any other answer, and this one-shot wouldn't work. Of course, you can just use your imagination!
So, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, or else Tidus and Yuna would've been together the second we met them.
.:. Broken Gazes .:.
"He loves you. I hope you do know that."
Yuna stopped in her tracks, turning to the side in order to get a clear look at Lulu. They were trudging up the icy path to Macalania Temple, just having cleared the Thunder Plains, and the girls had fallen behind from the rest of the guardians. Tidus, Wakka, and Kimahri were farther ahead, the former strolling up the path with his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. Auron was behind them, bringing up the rear, dependable and trusting as always.
"What?" Yuna asked in surprise. Noticing she had stopped, Lulu turned around to face her a few feet ahead. She tilted her head to get a clearer look at the summoner standing behind.
"He loves you." Lulu turned around, black braids swaying in her wake. Rikku, noticing they had stopped, emitted a cry of surprise and ran back to stand by Yuna.
"Who?" Yuna asked, although she knew very well whom Lulu was going to say.
Lulu met Yuna's mixed blue and green gaze with a piercing one of her own. "The boy. Tidus." Her voice had considerably softened at the words, perhaps for Yuna's benefit.
But Yuna, however, was overcome by shock. Tidus? Loved her? What was going on? Sure, they were great friends and had great times together – Tidus was her guardian, after all. They were practically required to love each other. But… there was something more?
"I… I don't really know what to say," Yuna answered honestly, even though she could feel the fast and furious euphoria pounding in her stomach. He loves me, he loves me…
Rikku bounced on the balls of her feet and said, "Well, it's easy! Say you love him back. And don't deny it, Yunie. Remember when Maester Seymour proposed? You ran up to him first! You wanted his approval!"
Yuna stopped and considered it. She was supposed to be strong, supposed to be composed, supposed to train herself to summon the final aeon. If she couldn't take a simple lover's admission, then how could she be expected to take on Sin?
Shaking her head, Yuna turned to Lulu and asked, "How do you know?"
Lulu was staring off into the distance. As much as she possibly hated to admit it, Tidus was growing on her. Yuna could tell. Lulu had started to explain things like clockwork to him, and was even a little bit nicer, cutting back on most of the harsh insults, probably for Yuna's benefit.
Yuna knew Lulu only had her best interest at heart, but what if Lulu's best interest was the opposite of what she wanted?
"He told me. Asked me about marrying for love, when you were seeing Maester Seymour back in Guadosalam," Lulu said in a distant voice. "I told him not to fall in love with you."
"Lulu!" Rikku gasped, running up to the Black Mage's side. "Why'd you do that, huh? He loves her, and you told him not to?"
"Let me finish, Rikku," Lulu said in a calm voice, shutting up the hyperactive Al Bhed. "He answered that he had already fallen for you."
"And what did you say?" Yuna prompted, knowing much of her fate was relying on Lulu's answer. Even though she had one goal, only one goal – to defeat Sin – she was curious.
Lulu turned away. For a very strong person, Lulu was a huge softie when it came to talks of love. Maybe it had something to do with Chappu and Wakka – Yuna wasn't too sure of the details in between that love triangle. Love didn't seem to interest Lulu when Sin was still around.
She sighed. "Look. It's not important, all right? What is important is that we finish this pilgrimage and destroy Sin."
"But, Lulu, come on," Rikku pleaded, interlacing her hands in front of her chest. "Yunie deserves a happy ending too, you know?"
"Rikku, I said it wasn't important," Lulu responded in an even and low voice. Rikku slumped back, looking a little dejected. But Yuna knew her cousin – she'd bounce back soon.
"Thanks, Rikku," Yuna said, "but I don't think now's the time for any… relationships."
It was true. What would become of anything if Yuna married Tidus, instead of Lord Seymour? Tidus was nothing more than a reckless boy. Funny, and cute, and loads of fun to be around, but a guardian all the same. She couldn't have ties, couldn't form romantic relationships with anybody. Because of the Final Summoning. The sacrifice it would cause her.
Why should she cause him any more pain than necessary?
But, then why was her heart breaking when she said the words?
Rikku threw her hands up in the air and let out a frustrated cry. "We're on our way to tell Maester Seymour you're marrying him, aren't we? So there's obviously enough time for romance in this pilgrimage you're on, you know?"
"But, he's a Maester…" Yuna trailed off, knowing it wasn't worth the fight. Rikku didn't know the whole story – Jyscal's sphere, Yuna's single plan that nobody knew about, why she said she'd marry the Maester back in the Thunder Plains…
"Point being?" Rikku cried. "You should be with the one you want! And that's obviously Tidus! So just go get it on with Tidus and stop worrying about Spira for one second, Yunie!"
However, Yuna couldn't respond, because she was too overtaken by the giggles that were bubbling up her throat. "Get it on?" she repeated in a mocking voice.
Rikku started to laugh too. "It sounded much better in my head."
Even the corners of Lulu's mouth twitched up a little into a barely noticeable smile. One of the only ones Yuna had seen in a long while.
"Look, Yuna," Lulu said, turning towards the summoner once they were done joking around. "I want you to marry for love, but I want you to do your best for Spira more."
"Me too. But…" Doing my best for Spira would mean sacrificing myself. And no more Tidus. She knew the words that belonged at the end of the sentence, but she didn't dare utter them. Because the fight against Sin always came first. Always.
"Then you can still have Tidus now! Live your life how you want to while on the pilgrimage." Rikku smiled a little and patted her cousin on the shoulder. "But don't let it distract you, you know?"
"I… I guess you're right, Rikku," Yuna said.
But Lulu continued to shake her head. "Stick to Spira and bringing the Calm. Do what you can. That's all we ask of you. That's all that Spira asks you. So you'd be wise to distance yourself from the boy."
At that moment, Wakka stumbled down the slippery slope towards them. Tidus and Kimahri were still ahead, the former speaking animatedly and the later just nodding a little, staring off into the distance. Yuna could feel her heart soar just by looking at the man she loved. Wakka said, "Hey, you guys? You're way too far behind. Catch up, ya?"
Lulu nodded. "We'll be there soon, Wakka." And with that, the trio started up the path again, Yuna not daring to raise her head to meet anyone's gaze.
Because she was sure they would see her eyes, both blue and green, completely and irreversibly broken, just as she knew Tidus's were when she announced she was marrying Maester Seymour.
A/N: I hope you liked it as much as I liked writing it! Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it :)
