Of Dreams And Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story!

A/N: Ok, faster update, shorter chapter. I know it's not much, but it'll do until I get over this...icky flu...thing. Plus, there's other fun stuff to write, and I wanted to span it out some. Yes, I am a tease. Yes, I love to flaunt that I am a tease...but especially in this story. It's kinda fun to watch you guys squirm in your reviews, lol! Anywho, on with the story, eh?

Oh, one more thing: I didn't even bother spell-checking or proof reading considering it's 4 a.m. That...and I'm just honestly too sick to care, lol. I'm sure it's not bad enough to detract from the story, though. You guys'll forgive me for it because you're awesome readers/followers/supporters, and for that I love you all. :D


She sat, watching his every move. There was something about the way the sun would catch his eye, or the way water rolled off his skin, glistening as it did so. Her eyes blinked slowly; almost as if in slow motion. His hands treading through the water leaving ripples at the base of his chest, and for just a second, her eyes found and stared at the point of origin from which they came. His smile came gentle and effortlessly – the suns rays reflecting off his white teeth. She too felt compelled to smile, and when she had, her heart thumped hard against her chest. His hand reached out to her, and automatically, she reciprocated the gesture – their fingers catching mid-way and intertwining.

She floated along the cresting waves, only to be caught in a gentle embrace from behind. His muscular arms wrapped around her feminine shoulders, with her back against his chiseled chest. Their legs swished back and forth, gently grazing as the water churned from the motion to stay afloat. She felt him tug her backward, letting her head find it's way to the crook of his neck – a perfect fit. His head shifted slowly, coming to rest on the side of hers; relaxed, melded, quiet...perfect. The dipping sun on the horizon glowed, setting the surface of the ocean on fire around them as it started to fall below and giving way to the moon.

"I know now," his warm breath grazed her ear in a whisper, "What I've been missing."

Her lips curved upward and eyes squinted as she continued to stare into the red, pink, and orange hues of the afternoon. His voice carried her a million miles away, and for a moment in time, she believed heaven existed here on Spira; a private heaven – one that only they created, and no one else could hope to duplicate.

"Can we stay like this forever?" she asked, feeling him tighten his embrace around her protectively, "You and I...just like this?"

He turned her just then. The only sound that reached her ears had been that of the water and the only thing she could see had been his eyes, which locked intensely on hers. His hands slipped below the surface, resting on her hips briefly before hoisting her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist. Though she wasn't too much higher than before, her eyes swore the world was much different; from here, nothing could touch her – from his protective embrace, nothing could hurt her.

"I want to," Tidus finally answered quietly, "I don't ever want this to end."

Without warning, a tear escaped from the shimmering emerald that was her right eye. Her hands met at the base of his neck, clasping together desperately. She didn't want to let go; she didn't want to leave him – not now, not ever. They could stay trapped like this, suspended in this limitless utopia, couldn't they? This paradise – the only one big enough to hold their emotions and feelings – could be their home now, right?

She knew.

"Then don't," Yuna whimpered, "Don't let it fade away..."

Tidus' eyes broke away from hers, dipping his head low slowly. She tensed and inhaled sharply, knowing exactly what his actions meant. All at once, Yuna clung to him, burying her head into his shoulder with fistfuls of his clothes in her hands. Her anguished sobs filled the silence between them, jarring their bodies, silently willing the world to just stop. Tidus could do nothing more but let his hands roam soothingly across her back and murmur softly into her ear.

Refusing to give up, Yuna lifted her head from the shelter of his tensed shoulder, staring into his oceanic eyes with her puffy and swollen ones. Tidus gave a painful smile but, this time, she didn't return it. Her eyes narrowed, her breath stilled, and she focused on something other than his eyes. His shirt still gathered angrily in her fists, Yuna drew Tidus closer, feeling his breath mingle with hers – their lips stood mere inches away, slowing closing the gap between them.

"I can't let you go," Yuna's voice came out painfully soft, "I won't let you go."

Tidus gave the softness nod, and in doing so, their lips and noses grazed ever so slightly. She couldn't help but to take in his scent that lingered – salty ocean breeze and summer heat mingled with sunshine and fresh rain. His hand ran further up her back, coming to rest under her damp hair at the base of her neck, drawing her even closer to his mouth. Her eyes fluttered shut slowly, and once they had, she squeezed them tighter as she had Tidus.

She knew.

And just as she should have felt the kiss seal, she didn't. She didn't have to open her eyes to know he was no longer there, and she didn't have to open her eyes to know she was drifting further toward the shore. The sob in her throat rose higher, but before it could escape, she slipped beneath the cresting waves, letting the blue waters carry her further away in silent solitude.

Yuna knew.

As much as she wanted it to, she knew dreams are never meant to go on forever.


He watched her, carefully studying every anguished expression, every tense stir, and every silent sob and tear. His heart wrenched inside his chest, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt for her restlessness, grabbing her hand and holding it to rest above his heart. He noticed her face slowly calm when he did, so he kept it there, squeezing slightly every so often.

I'm right here, Yuna. I'm not going anywhere – I promise.

Tidus spoke to her silently, hoping that somehow, they were reaching her in what he was sure a nightmare. His hopes were answered as she faintly squeezed back, still shifting uneasy at his side, covered in sweat. He wanted to wake her; he wanted her to sit up and smile, laugh, hit him – anything other than sitting here watching her like this. No matter what Yuna was dreaming, she didn't deserve it. She never would. Tidus slid closer to her, plucking the strands of hair that stuck to her face away, wondering if there was anything else he could do for her. Subconsciously, she turned to face him, snuggling into his chest whimpering faintly. And then it hit him, almost leaving him winded and feeling absolutely ignorant for not remembering this in the first place.

He pulled her closer, rubbing his hands gently across her back and bent down so that his lips were close to her right ear. Tidus licked his lips, and in a hush, he whispered and hummed to her.

"So lately, been wondering, who will be there to take my place? When I'm gone, you'll need love to light the shadows on your face."

With each word he uttered, her muscles relaxed. In his mind, she was still trapped within a haunting dream; but his voice brought her back to reality, and she found herself within his protective embrace once again. Maybe not the way Yuna would have liked, but she was there just the same – listening to the words that had meant something at one time, but now, meant something entirely different to her.

"And maybe, I'll find out a way to make it back someday. To watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days. And if a great wave shall fall, it will fall upon us all. Well then I hope there's someone out there, who can bring me back to you."

Yuna opened her eyes, knowing she was covered by the shelter of his chest.

Just a little while longer...

She reasoned, letting her soul calm with the humming and vibration that came from his body. But like with a lot of things between them, Tidus felt her wake. Even still, he didn't move and neither did she as he continued to hum the song into her ear. It gave him an excuse to be close to her, wrapping himself neatly into her scent.

"Better?" he whispered, smiling at her inability to hide the fact that she was awake.

Yuna nodded just once, allowing herself to smell him. It was uncanny just how real the dream had felt, right down to the scent of him. Even if her dream couldn't last and was doomed to fade, right now, reality would have to do; that is...until that faded as well. But for now, this would do.

"You wanna talk about it?" Tidus asked hesitantly, reaching up to smooth down her hair.

Yuna shook her head slowly, closing her eyes as he touched her. It was a simple gesture, but Tidus couldn't have known how much it helped. The trouble was, how much longer was he going to allow them to lay like that? And as the question plagued her mind, she felt his fingers on her chin, lifting her gaze up to his. In those eyes she noticed worry and concern, and it became very apparent that she was being selfish.

"I'm fine," Yuna smiled, "Really. Thank you."

You're lying...

Tidus nodded, loosing his grip from her and sitting up to lean against the head board. She would tell him when the time was right, but for now, he'd have to make the best out of the situation. That wasn't the hard part; in fact, it was probably the easiest thing he's had to do all weekend, and probably the easiest his weekend would get.

"Let me guess," Tidus chuckled, folding his arms across his chest loosely, watching her rise, "Even though I told you we'd go wherever you wanted, I still have to pick."

"Hmm let me think," Yuna hummed, giving an easy to read smile, "Yep. Nail on head, I'm afraid."

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"And you know you love it," Yuna quipped as she came completely off the bed.

Yeah, I do.

"I need to run next door and get ready," she added, standing in the doorway, "I'm sure you'll come up with something by the time I'm done."

She gave the briefest wink before disappearing completely, and Tidus could only shake his head from side to side, chuckling softly.

Don't you worry, Yuna. I've got it covered already.


Despite the events that had happened earlier, Yuna couldn't help but to notice the slight bounce in her step or the way her voice seemed to sing. Her shower never seemed more refreshing, the sky had never been so blue and her heart never so overflowing with emotions that were hard to contain. After grabbing a couple of things from her closet and throwing them onto her bed haphazardly, she caught herself eying her phone as it sat charging; she was checking to see if there were any missed calls or texts. Smiles and giggles escaped her, and only when nothing turned up on the screen did she frown, but only for a second, before resuming her happy-go-lucky mood.

So what if he hasn't called or texted yet? He's mine for the rest of the day.

Yuna thought to herself, relishing the selfishness of the idea proudly. The radio blaring in the background had her swaying carefree as she picked up several tops, only to discard them with a disapproving shake to her head or a wrinkle of her nose. Autumn was almost in full-swing, so the bottoms weren't hard deciding on; a pair of faded blue jeans which hugged her hips comfortably and flared further down.

After a few more groans and unsure expressions, Yuna stumbled upon what she was sure to be the perfect shirt for the occasion. She smoothed her fingers tenderly on the fabric of it, remembering that it was Tidus who had bought it for her just last year for her birthday. Taking it off the hanger and slipping it over her head, Yuna smoothed down the pale pink tank top, tugging the hem of it to her waist where her jeans sat. Bending over to grab the separate piece, she shuffled her arms through the stretchy fabric and looked into the mirror to see that it was on straight. Pieces of her skin could be seen where the the two pieces contrasted, but she didn't really care – it looked good on her, and that's really all that mattered.

Something tells me this is different from all the other nights we've gone out. For starters...I'm paying attention to every detail; almost like it's...a-

The doorbell rang suddenly, forcing out of her thoughts as she placed the remainder of her belongings into her purse.

"Just a second!" Yuna called out, giving her room one more glance over to make sure she wasn't forgetting something.

And once she was satisfied, she sprinted down the stairs, grabbing her keys. The idea was to go back to Tidus' house after she ran off the unexpected visitor and hurry him along. Yuna didn't even think twice before whipping the door open and twisting the lock from the inside, pulling it shut behind her and completely ignoring the person who had rung the doorbell in the first place.

"If you're looking for Braska," her voice came out breathless as she tucked her keys into her purse, "He's gone for the weekend on business. But I'll be happy to leave him a message Mr...?"

Judging by the persons shoes – which is all she attempted to look at – they were male. And Yuna rarely had visitors, so it was safe to assume it was one of her father's many college's seeking council.

"Actually," the male presence chuckled, "I was wondering if his daughter was around."

Yuna finally froze, and slowly she looked up at the unwanted guest. Or, at least, he was an unwanted guest. But one look was all it took for her to change her mind.

Wow...

She thought to herself, mouth slightly agape from the sight of him.

"Between you and me," he bent down to whisper in her ear, "I hear she's quite the catch."

Before Yuna could respond, he presented her with flowers and a rectangular box, complete with a satin pink bow tied to it. She blushed as her eyes caught his figure; nice blue jeans, a simple navy blue blazer, with a form-fitting tank top just underneath, exposing his collar bone. The same Zanarkand Abes necklace hung from his neck, and the matching earring adorned his ear.

Casual...

Yuna smiled.

And yet...formally sexy.

She smelled the flowers; a dozen roses – pink, white and red – and gave him a meek smile. Tidus had just showed up on her doorstep, with a dozen of the most beautiful roses she'd ever seen, complete with a present in hand, and all she could think about was how good he looked. In fact, Yuna couldn't seem to ever remember a date he'd went on where he had looked so good – whether that was just her trying to pretend it was for her sanity or not, was another matter.

"I figured if we were doing this," Tidus smiled sheepishly while running a hand through his hair, "We should do it right, ya know?"

"This being...?"

He shrugged, not being able to tear his eyes away from her, "A date? I dunno..."

"A date?" Yuna smirked.

"A casual date?"

"Best friends don't casually date, Ti."

Wait for it...

Yuna tried hard to suppress the giggle wanting so bad to erupt from within. She loved doing this to him; watching him squirm, which he was due to do at any moment.

"Who said they don't?" He shuffled his feet, "At least open up the present before you put me through the ringer?"

There.

All at once she doubled over from a burst of laughter that had finally won.

"I'm sorry," Yuna panted, still clinging to the gifts, "You're just too cute!"

"Yeah, yeah," he exhaled, "Come on! Open the present before I spoil it, Yun!"

Yuna nodded as he offered to take the flowers off her hands. As she carefully untied the ribbon, Tidus took the opportunity to selfishly relish the beauty that stood before him. Immediately he recognized the shirt he had given her last year, also noting that it had ridden up, exposing her soft mid-section. The way her hair fell around her face, or how different she seemed to be from this morning – opposite extremes.

And I love both of them.

He thought to himself as an involuntary grin slid across his lips. The way she laughed, cried, attempted to lie – it didn't matter – it was all Yuna. Everything added up to one simple, and ironically, inevitable conclusion:

He loved Yuna; all of her.

She glanced up at him, grasping the lid gently between her fingers. He smiled and nodded. Yuna looked back down at the white box in her hand. Scared, anxious, nervous, anticipation...they all welled up inside her, ready to burst at any moment. Was it a piece of jewelry to profess his love for her? Maybe an invaluable trinket he'd picked up somewhere from a shop that reminded him of her? A piece of rare candy, or even something sweet from her childhood that was a rare commodity on the island? But when she finally removed the lid completely, there was only one thing she could say to the item tucked gently and carefully inside.

"A...blindfold?"

He laughed, and Yuna looked up to see a smug expression on his face to contrast her perplexed one.

Clearly, she bit her lip, I've missed the joke.

"Now we can get on with the casual date," Tidus continued to laugh as he took the blindfold from the box.

He walked behind a still silent Yuna, sticking a tongue out at her while her back was turned, and tying the 'gift' securely on her head.

"This isn't funny anymore," Yuna pouted just then, jutting out her bottom lip, "That was mean, cruel, despicable and downright evil, Tidus Clearwater!"

And I love every cruel, despicable and downright evil thing about you.

"Whoa now," Tidus stepped in front of her in mock terror, "Pulling out the last name card a little early, don't ya think?"

Despite how badly Yuna wanted him to think she was truly upset, she couldn't; she never could. Everything about him made her walls come crumbling down, and she found she was always at her most vulnerable. She often wandered, if they weren't best friends, would she still be that way with him? Could she surrender herself to that smile if he held a knife to her back or her heart in his hands?

"After you, Miss Naras," Tidus gave a mocking bow as she slipped into the car.

"Yes," she answered her own questions as he shut the door and proceeded to walk around, "No matter what he'd do, I'd still be this way."

Yuna heard him open the door and slide in beside her, but she couldn't see due to the blindfold covering her eyes.

"How long do I have to leave this thing on," she asked with a giggle.

"Until we get to where we're goin'."

"Where are we going?"

"There would be absolutely no point in the blindfold if I were just going to tell you, Yun."

"Meh," she sighed, sinking into the passenger side seat, "Never hurts to try."

No, it doesn't.

Tidus smiled, grabbing her hand.

"You trust me, don't you?" he asked, glancing over with affectionate eyes that he knew she couldn't see.

You have no idea just how much...

Yuna smiled as she nodded. Though she couldn't see him, she felt him. But there was more than just his presence to feel as he held her hand. She felt his love, and admittedly, she hoped that he could feel hers. Also, it occurred to her that that had been the first time either of them had used each others last names. It was weird...yet it felt very...right.


A/N: Yay more Yunti fluff! Yay more...Yunti in general! And...YAY UNINTERRUPTED YUNTI FLUFFNESS! You know you love it. You wouldn't be back here if you didn't, and I would have stopped writing a long time ago :P