This tension.

This goddamn tension.

Why did it have to be like this? Everything had been perfect until a few months ago. That incident had changed everything, and it was all my fault.

"Tidus."

"What is it, Auron?"

"We need to talk."

I rolled my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "What now?"

"About… Um…" I could tell he was struggling with his words, so I decided to spur him along.

"Spit it out already, I have blitzball practice in half an hour," I said, realizing afterwards it probably wasn't the most tactful thing to say.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I hadn't realized that my eyes were roving over his body until he said that, and I pulled myself together and forced my eyes to look into his. "Like what, old man?" I said, and he replied, "Like um…" He turned to go. "Never mind. Okay?" he said, then started to walk away.

"Quit avoiding the subject that you wanted to talk about and talk to me already," I said, moving aside slightly on the couch, giving him an open invitation to sit down, one that he took.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

I wasn't expecting that. "Well, uhm, I guess I just haven't found the right girl yet, Auron, why?" I knew I was babbling, but didn't care. Because… I'm not interested in girls. Because I'm not interested in anyone. Anyone but… You, Auron.

"I've just been wondering. In sixteen years, you've never been able to find a girlfriend, even though the girls just hang off of you."

"Auron, I don't want to talk about this right now. I need my mind completely focused on the game, not on the fact that I'm fucking alone, okay?" I said, the expletive slipping past almost unnoticed.

"What are you hiding, Tidus?"

Bad choice of words.

"Fuck you, Auron! There's some things I don't always want to talk about, okay?!" I screamed, and jumped off the couch and tried to run away crying, like I always had. "Tidus…" he said in a tone that I'd never heard him use before, and he ran after me, grabbed me, and held me close. He hadn't held me since I was young, but I was so glad he was holding me now.

That's when the incident happened.

He was holding me so close. I could smell his cologne. He was looking at me in a way I'd never seen before, but I liked it.

I laid my hand on the side of his face and tried to pull him closer to me.

I froze.

When I realized what I had done, I broke out of his embrace and ran out the door to the blitzball arena.

Things were never the same after that.

"Sorry," we both uttered almost simultaneously as I brushed my hand against his, and I recoiled almost as if I had been bitten by an asp. Even the simplest touch managed to bring this hideous tightening feeling to my groin and stomach.

Oh, sure, I had had a girlfriend or two since the incident, but nothing could even hold a candle to what I felt for Auron. I kept telling myself it was simple lust, that it was just my hormones ruling my brain, but that never worked. I knew there was something more to it than that, but I was scared. Scared to find out exactly what "it" was.

"Tidus?" Auron said, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "What?" I said angrily, and got up and went to walk away. "Tidus," Auron said, and I looked back over my shoulder and shook my head, almost imperceptibly. I walked out the door, found one of my many blitzballs, and began to take out my frustrations on it before crumpling into a ball myself, sobbing quietly and mumbling Auron's name.

A/N: Whoo! This is my first fanfiction, so please don't be too rough on me! I know Auron's probably OOC, but I can't help it, I'm only halfway through FFX and I don't know any better. So yeah. I'd like three reviews before I go on, and I already have Chapter 2 finished and Ch. 3 almost finished. So. R&R please!