Tree Huggers, a final fantasy x fanfic

Note: Damn, this has been in my 'Unfinished' folder for so long it's not funny- well, here you go! All done! Oh, and don't ask me to explain the name, lol –Xx-Rissy-xX-

Disclaimer: I don't own 'I Could Fall In Love With You' by Selena, nor do I own 'In Love With You' by Vanessa Carlton, or any of the Final Fantasy X Characters. I do, however, own the "Embarrass Lulu Fest 2000-and-Something" and Rikku's "Spira-Wide Disco," because I'm pretty sure that neither are featured in the game D

Tree Huggers

"Hey, Lu."

I turned, a little too fast, a little too eager, but he didn't seem to notice, "hello, Wakka."

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," I said disdainfully, "just watching Rikku turn my tiny little birthday party into a Spira-wide disco."

"She's doing a good job," said Wakka appreciatively and I coughed, just to show my disapproval.

"Hey," said Wakka defensively, "it could be fun."

I glanced around me at the giant speakers and flashing neon lights, "fun? Like how?"

"Well you could try dancing?"

"Thanks Wakka," I chuckled, "I needed a good laugh."

"Hey! I'm serious, ya!"

"So am I," I said, "I am seriously not dancing."

"Come on, Lu!"

"No! No way! You can't make me- ahh!"

He was making me.

I stood there, frozen in the middle of the commotion, "I am not- hey! Stop!" I struggled out of his grasp as he tried to move my arms about to the beat, "get off!"

"Hey, Luluuuuuu!" came Rikku's voice, and Wakka, momentarily distracted, let go of me. "Having fun?"

"I don't like dancing," I said sullenly, glaring at Wakka, who had the good grace to look just a little bit rueful.

"Nonsense!" Rikku cried, "everyone likes dancing! Give it a go won't you?"

"No thank you, Rikku, I think I'll just go to bed now-"

"But it's only nine o'clock! No fair!"

And some how I wound up dancing with him again.

I could lose my heart tonight

If you don't turn and walk away

'Cause the way I feel I might

Lose control and let you stay

'Cause I could take in my arms

And never let go

I could fall in love with you

I breathed in deeply.

Dancing isn't fun.

…

But dancing with Wakka… damn, now that's fun…

Then the song changed. Buh-bye Spira-Wide Disco- hallo Embarrass Lulu Fest 2000-and-Something. It was slow and soft and the absolute worst type of dance to dance with someone that you're completely and totally in Goddamn love with.

Because it's up close. And involves touching your partner- holding them… Funny- I never seem to be able to form full sentences at times like this. When I'm with him.

I can only wonder how

Touching you would make me feel

But if I take that chance right now

Tomorrow will you want me still?

I look at him and wonder if he's thinking the same thing… oh, Yevon, what I wouldn't do to know that he loved me back. After everything- all the hard times- …everything… But no. Everything is too much… far too much.

I sighed deeply and he chuckled.

"You keep doing that, Lu."

"Mind your own business," I murmured, poking him in the chest and sighing again.

"Since when were you not my business?"

"Since Chappu," I said, knowing it would shut him up… only it didn't, for once. Tonight, it only seemed to make him more determined.

"You still sour 'bout him, Lu?" he asked, not unkindly, but not all that happily, either.

"Sour, Wakka?" I said, halting in my movements to glare at him. "Chappu died- I have every right to be unhappy about it."

"Sure ya do, Lu," Wakka agreed, also stopping, "you go ahead and be as unhappy as you want- just don't go around making the rest of us unhappy too."

I couldn't reply. Was he mad at me? Wakka was never mad at me! I got mad at him- that's just how it was!

"I don' wanna be unhappy anymore. You always told me to get over him, Lu, and I'm trying –really. You're the only one holding me back."

I'm holding him back…?

"Hey, guys, what's up?" asked Rikku, poking her head in. "Anything wrong?"

Something inside me snapped just then, and I reached up and slapped him hard across the cheek- not caring about the looks that I was getting. "Good evening, Wakka," I said, my voice coming out a deathly whisper, and I turned on my heel and left.

So I should keep this to myself

And never let you know

I could fall in love with you

I could fall in love with you

And I know it's not right

And I guess I should try to do what I should do

But I could fall in love, fall in love with you

I could fall in love with you

"Lulu? Are you okay?"

It was Rikku, coming to look for me. I climbed a little higher up the tree I was sitting in and bit my lip, saddened knowing that it wasn't Wakka- that he was still mad at me.

"Lulu? You around here somewhere?"

Several hours have passed now- the party's over and people are going home. This tree is my latest hiding spot. Looking down, rather than where I was going as I scrambled upwards, away from Rikku, I slipped in my heels and gasped softly as I fell only half a centimetre before feeling another hand close around mine.

I still didn't look up, but let my benefactor help me regain my footing silently. I knew who it was, anyway- I had memorised the feeling of his hands in mine.

"Thank you, Wakka."

"Don't thank me- anyone would have done it."

I hated the way his voice sounded- low and grudging. Did he hate me?

"But anyone didn't- you did," I said, and he shrugged. "So thank you."

A few moments of silence passed and I climbed up from my lower branch to sit beside him on his, "remember when we use to climb trees together, Wakka? You, me and Chappu?"

"I remember," was his only reply.

"And that one time I almost fell and both you and Chappu took one of my hands and pulled me up?"

"You were four and I was five," said Wakka, vaguely amused. "And you wouldn't let go of either of our hands for hours and hours in case you fell again, so we couldn't climb down either."

I nodded. "Then, when it was really late, Chappu said he would go down to get help and left me with you."

"He forgot about us the moment he saw the dinner your mom was making."

"We stayed up in that tree all night… you could have left- but you didn't."

"Why are you bringing this up now?"

I smiled gently, "I was always too proud to say thank you. I apologise- I should have done."

"It doesn't matter now."

"Yes, it does."

I cannot help it

I couldn't stop it if I tried

The same old heartbeat

Fills the emptiness I have inside

And with it you can't fight love so I won't complain

So why would I stop the fire that keeps me going on

"It does matter. I've never told you how much I appreciate you, Wakka- no matter how much you do for me… I've taken you for granted in the past and I didn't even realise it- that I was holding you back from moving on."

"Hey, you're forgiven. I shouldn'ta said that, Lu."

"No," I said seriously. "I need to say this. Ever since Chappu died, I've been silently relying on you to be strong for me. I thought that if you were keeping it together, then I could too. The way you held me when we sent his ashes out to sea… I wanted to always feel that safe. Everything I've said- everything I've done… it's just a front. I tried to do the same for you- I thought we could support each other, but I was never the same as you. You wanted to see him off with dignity- I wanted to hide him deep within myself and never let him fade. I only made things hard for you, and I'm sorry."

"Don' beat ya self up. We were all upset when Chappu died. I wanted to help you too and I'm glad that I could, ya!"

I smiled and nodded, "still, can you forgive me?"

"You were always forgiven."

I laid my cheek on his shoulder and let out a small, muffled sigh against the soft black fabric of his cotton shirt as he worked his hands through my collection of stiff black braids.

Cause when there's you I feel whole

And there's no better feeling in the world

Without you I'm alone

And I'd rather be in love..ohh

"I love when you're like this, Lu."

I looked up in surprise but didn't pull away from him, "like what?"

"Like you are now- soft and really open with me- not carin' what nobody thinks of you. I mean, you hurt sometimes too, right? When you admit to your mistakes, it makes it that little bit easier for us mere mortals."

"Wakka, I'm no different from any of you," I chided him.

"Yes, you are!" said Wakka and I tried not to think how I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. "At least, you're always trying to be- lording it over us all!"

"Are you trying to insult me, Wakka?"

"No! I'm jus' saying that you're only human, Lu- I'm saying I like it when you bring yourself down to our level and just be you, ya know?"

I hid my face in his shoulder.

"So are you angry again?"

"I'm trying to decide between angry and… something else…" I admitted.

"Is the 'something else' gonna land me with scorch marks too?" asked Wakka and I smiled.

"Sometimes," I chuckled, "…it's something I've felt for you for a long time and you're still alive."

"What, ya?"

"You can't guess?" I said. "Rikku has."

Wakka's eyes widened a bit as I kissed him. If I wasn't so –ahem- nervous, I might have laughed at the look on his face when I drew away. As it was, I only giggled softly.

Feel you holding me

Why are we afraid to be in love..to be loved

I Can't explain it I know it's tough..to be loved

And I feel you holding me

"Stunned?" I asked.

"A little, ya."

"Shocked?"

"Very."

"Horrified?"

Wakka shook his head at this, grinning, "not at all."

I smiled and was, as ever, glad for his firm one-armed hold on the tree's trunk as I swayed dangerously and almost slipped. "Can we climb down now? I'm getting anxious."

"Sure, ya. We can get down, find Rikku, tie her up somewhere very far away and then I can kiss you back," said Wakka, kissing my cheek clumsily before moving away and starting down. "What do you reckon?"

I blushed a little and smiled, "sure," I said, patting the small lump in my dress that represented my favourite moogle, "sounds fun."

Oh, And when there's you I feel whole

And there's no better feeling in the world

'Cause without you I'm alone

And I'd rather be in love

Oh, I'd rather be in love, Yes I'd rather be in love

Oh, I'd rather be in love with you

Feel you holding me

Fin