And Baby Makes Three
Chapter Twelve - Feelings Are Complicated Things...
By: Digi-Esca Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own FFX or anything associated with it. I only WISH I did..... ;)
*******************************************************************************
Although thoroughly puzzled by the sudden disappearance of Tidus, Yuna couldn't help but look around her and notice at last
that she was hovering in a vast, seemingly endless sphere of water. The substance she was encased in, however, was nothing
like the kind of water you would take into your system to prevent dehydration; it was ethereal, and seemed more like a misty
substance than anything to Yuna. She closed her eyes, letting her body relax and submit to the tranquil, peaceful aura that
the oxygenated water brought onto her senses.
Surprisingly enough, she could hear very, very well underwater, and she began to focus on what sounded like someone
swimming. Opening one eye, she glanced over towards Kieran, who was contentedly practicing the four year olds version of
Tidus' sphere shot. A small smile tugged at her lips and her eye closed once again, focusing this time on letting her muscles
completely relax.
'Tidus probably forgot his blitzball in the locker room...' Yuna concluded to herself, leaving it at that and simply...forgetting.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned blitzball ace was treading water three feet away from the serene summoner, recovering from
the minor heart attack he had suffered when Yuna had opened on of her beautifully mismatched eyes and looked around. His
index and middle fingers were still resting against his neck, monitoring his pulse and waiting for it to slow a few more paces.
Once it had, he spread his arms and slowly advanced towards the unsuspecting, blissful young woman in front of him.
After only two minutes, Yuna's luxurious, quiet contemplation was interrupted, accomplishing two things at once:
One, the arms that encircled her waist brought her out of her little daydream very quickly;
And two, those same limbs sent shocked chills running up and down her spine the second they met with her skin. Even though
the area that his arms rested against was covered with the bathing suit she wore, the feeling was the same.
Tidus came to rest right up against Yuna, his chest pressed very lightly to her back, and his knee-caps just barely brushing
the backs of her legs. He bent his head so that his ear was near her neck, and he let the water overtake his hearing, allowing
him to listen in on how much he'd quickened her pulse.
Her heart was beating fast, her pulse racing much faster than he'd anticipated, surprising him, but in a good way. He wasn't
sure exactly what had affected her so much: his scaring her, his extremely close proximity, or a combination of both, but his
ego sincerely hoped for one of the latter two.
Being as close to her as he was at that moment, was an experience he hadn't partaken in since his last serious relationship,
which was more than a year and a half past already. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to be taken back to that year, when
he'd been going out with a bright eyed young girl three months his junior, named Sarah.
****
Sarah had been the one who was interested in him first, and he'd only asked her out because she was cute. But as the
relationship turned into a five-month 'thing', Tidus realized that maybe, just maybe, he thought of this particular girl as more
than just a toy. They became almost inseparable, sometimes sleeping over at each other's houses on weekday nights just so
they wouldn't be apart, even in the unconsciousness of slumber. Things took a nasty turn for the worse, however, as they
neared their one year anniversary.
Tidus had been hearing rumours about Sarah cheating on him, but he, of course, didn't believe them. One night, Wakka
called him up, asking where Sarah was. Tidus knew that this was perfectly legit, because the two had been assigned as lab
partners, and Sarah had taken home all of the work. But when Tidus remembered that she'd gone out to see her mother,
who had fallen ill, he informed Wakka immediately, preparing to give the number if he so needed. It was then that Wakka
fell silent for a long several minutes, leaving Tidus to finally interject and say something.
"What's wrong, Wakka?" He had asked, turning down the television to hear his friend's response.
"....I'm coming to pick you up. Be ready in five." Was the reply, followed by the dull pitch of a dial tone.
Tidus hung up the phone, switching off the TV and heading downstairs to grab his shoes and coat. He hollered into the living
room, telling Jecht that he was going out. His reply came as a grunt, followed by a, 'Be home around 1:00'. When Wakka
pulled up outside and honked, Tidus rushed outside, near leaping into the passenger side front seat.
Wakka said nothing, and just pressed his foot to the gas, driving off in silence. They didn't really say anything for the whole
ride, until Tidus questioned what they were doing when they came to a stop in front of Anthony Witon's home. Anthony was
notorious for throwing parties on weekday nights, but Tidus and Wakka never went, seeing as they didn't even like the guy.
"I gotta show you somethin, ya?" Wakka said sombrely, opening, locking, and then closing his car door behind him as he
stepped out. Tidus did the same, following the Besaidian up the steps and watching him ring the doorbell. A 10th Grade
student answered, welcoming them inside in a drunken stupor, not even knowing who they were.
The two friends pushed their way through the crowd, heading up the curling staircase towards a bedroom at the end of the
hall. Wakka kicked the door open, knowing it was locked, and waved his arm, motioning for Tidus to step inside.
There on the bed, was a stunned looking pair of naked teenagers, still holding onto each other, as they hadn't had enough
time to register that they'd been caught having sex to let go. One of the perpetrators was Sarah. Tidus didn't know, or care
for that matter, who the other person with her was, and he sure didn't want to find out.
He stormed out of the house behind Wakka, who had already started walking out as soon as he opened the door to the room,
heading towards the car with malice and hate glittering in the cerulean depths of his eyes. Sarah was running after him with a
bed sheet wrapped around her, crying out to him that it wasn't what it looked like, and that he didn't understand the situation.
There sure wasn't a whole hell of a lot one needed to understand, if you know what I mean.
Wakka took out his car remote, unlocking the doors as they walked out the front door of the house. He got in the car, waiting
for his friend to do the same so he could get them out of there.
Tidus slammed the car door in her face, not even making eye contact with her as Wakka turned the ignition, and pressed the
gas peddle to the floor. The ten minute drive home was silent 90% of the time, save for the one minute the two of them
talked.
"How did you know?" Tidus asked, struggling to keep himself composed.
"Leathen was there with his new girlfriend. He called me up when he saw them go upstairs into that room." Wakka replied.
When Tidus remained silent, he continued, "Look, if you need to talk-"
"I just need to do some thinking by myself, okay?" Tidus answered quietly, opening the door once the car stopped before his
house, "Thanks, Wakka. I'm glad I have at least two loyal people in my life." He added as almost an afterthought, closing the
door behind him and heading into the house.
That was the first night Tidus had shed a tear since after his mother's death, and it was also the first night that he'd gone to
Jecht for help of any kind, breaking down multiple barriers in that action alone. From then on, Tidus vowed to never enter
another serious relationship again, and he and his father grew closer, finally becoming able to walk into a room together and
not fight. They never progressed beyond that, however....
****
Tidus' eyes snapped open, and he winced as the tiny, yet familiar ache pounded in his chest again. He completely forgot
about it, though, when he began to focus on another sound that drifted up to his ears. Being pressed up so close to Yuna
enabled him to hear both her heartbeat and his own, and right now, they were beating in a rhythm that brought a smile to
his face, erasing the memories that had resurfaced from the forefront of his mind. All he cared about at that moment, was
Yuna.
They remained that way for several minutes, suspended near the middle of the sphere pool, while Yuna's mind cleared and
her pulse slowed down enough to allow her to think straight. She blinked hard, realizing that this was the first time a member
of the opposite sex had ever been this close to her. She had passed up many invitations to dance over the years, simply for
the reason that she had no idea how to handle herself in such intimate situations. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly hating the
predicament she currently found herself in, but she couldn't tell whether he was just doing it as a joke to freak her out, or if
he was semi-serious about just....holding her. They had barely been on the assignment for a week, after all.
Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Tidus' grip on her waist loosened, and he backed away enough to let her
turn around and look him straight in the face. The mischief and humour she saw floating around in his eyes was normal, and
not what caught her attention. What she noticed right away, was the glimmer of pain that she'd seen in his gaze the night he'd
come home with bruises from getting in a fight. Right when he'd gone to sleep, she noticed that he'd seemed deep in thought,
and that he wasn't too thrilled at what he was remembering. She had wanted to ask him about it, but didn't know him well
enough, so she assumed that he wouldn't trust her with his thoughts just yet. It could have been nothing, but she still wasn't
sure.
The mischievous look on his face only served to confuse her more, as she couldn't tell what he was thinking, like she could
with most other people she met. Whether he had been joking or not in regards to the embrace, she couldn't say.
Her answer came in the form of Tidus throwing a blitzball towards her slowly, smiling ever so slightly when she caught it with
ease. Yuna concluded that this action signified that he simply wanted to play blitzball, and only came up behind her like he
had to get her attention and give her a fright.
As Tidus swam over to fetch Kieran, Yuna couldn't decide whether she liked the possibility that he'd just meant to scare her,
more than the thought that he'd simply wanted to hold her......
Lulu paced back and forth, ringing her hands together and nervously reverting to her grade school habit of cracking her
knuckles. The popping sounds eased her a slight bit, and she was disappointed when they stopped just after ten. She would
most likely have to wait at least ten minutes until she could repeat the process, but by then, she knew, she'd be on the verge
of a breakdown.
Why was she so nervous about this? After all, it was just Wakka, right? And all they were going to do was talk. Not such a big
deal to anyone else, but to the frantic-looking mage, everything was about to become a giant ball of chaos. All she had to do
was talk to him; the big deal lay in the subject of the impending conversation. Could she handle talking about the best kiss
she's ever had, as if it was just a slip-up? Could she refrain from asking him if he felt the same way about it as she did? What
was she supposed to do, just stand there and say that the short-lived embrace gave her the kind of chills one gets when they
touch their soul mate?
She reached up to rub her temples, trying to breathe slowly and calm her racing pulse, while also trying to force the dozens
of questions out of her mind. She'd heard of multi-tasking, but this was ridiculous! Suddenly, she just stopped, halting her
feet and snapping her eyes open, fingers unmoving on her head. She took a deep breath, lowered her hands, and slowly
walked over to the window, taking a seat on the sill and leaning her back against the adjoining wall. She placed her hands on
her lap, folded them, and turned her head to look out onto the area that surrounded her new home.
The window faced a street, and on the other side of that street was a small playground for the neighbourhood children. Upon
further inspection, Lulu spotted two young girls who had come over the other day to introduce themselves to Jade and invite
her to play with them. She smiled, watching them play on the swings and monkey bars and trying to remember the times
about ten years ago when she enjoyed the same things.
She then cracked open the window, pondering for a moment before pulling it up all the way, allowing the warm summer
turning fall breeze to sweep over her face. She closed her eyes and sighed lightly, wondering how on Spira such small,
everyday things could calm and relax her to the point where she was ready to fall asleep. The sound of a small finch singing
floated over to her ears from a nearby tree, and soothed her senses even more. The tall Besaidian blitzer that had had her
preparing for the end of the world some short minutes ago was still on her mind, but was no longer ailing her thoughts.
Meanwhile, directly above the relaxing mage, Wakka was being conned into reading a story about a lost kitten to a young,
auburn haired girl with very persuasive hazel eyes. Despite the fact that he hadn't been with her for more than a week, she
had already stolen a small piece of his heart, winning him over in no time at all.
"Please?" She begged again, bringing out the big guns: the Puppy Eyes, "It's my favourite story...."
Wakka knew what she was doing, and was trying his hardest not to make eye contact, but something made him turn his head,
and he was hooked from then on. The look she gave him was priceless; too cute for words, and made him give in.
"Alright, alright," He said, admitting defeat and picking up the book while Jade clapped and grinned brightly. He took a seat on
the bed, leaning back against the headboard and opening the book. The girl leaned in to see the pictures, and gave her full
attention to Wakka the second he uttered the first syllable of the tale.
A mere fifteen minutes later, the story had been told, and the listener was sound asleep on the story-teller's shoulder. Wakka
closed the book, edging out of bed and laying Jade down under the blankets. He stood there and watched her for a short
moment, her chest rising and falling evenly in sleep, her breathing quiet and peaceful.
Quite the contrast when compared to Wakka's own fast heartbeat and quickened breathing.
'It's just Lulu,' He thought, walking slowly out of the room and closing the door behind him, 'It won't be that bad....'
Yeah right! His mind argued. Wakka groaned in frustration, pausing at the top of the stairs to collect his scattered thoughts.
For him, the kiss they'd shared had been one incomparable to any other he'd ever had; it was the first kiss that everyone
wanted, but never had. It was the kind of kiss shared by two soul mates finding each other after years of searching. It was
the kind of kiss that was talked about in fairy tales, and shared only by fictional characters, simply because that great of a
feeling can't exist in the real world.
It WASN'T the kind of kiss shared between two people who had wasted every previous breath on each other yelling and
feuding, but he had experienced it just the same. The only problem with it was, that he had no idea what kind of follow
through it required. What could he possibly say to a beautiful woman who had shared the best kiss in the universe with him,
then yelled at him for taking advantage of her? What do you SAY to someone like that?!?!?!?
Still completely unsure of what to say, he slowly began to advance down the stairs, barely being able to concentrate on
putting one foot in front of the other, like had all his life. A normal outside observer would not see the big deal in this
situation. Someone who had been following these people's lives since they moved in together (-_^) might not even
understand why so much emotion is stirring within the two young adults. They themselves don't even know....
The way we last left Lulu is the way Wakka found her; staring peacefully out the window, watching the children across the
street play, and listening to the breeze blowing through the tree leaves. She didn't appear to notice him at first, but truth be
told, she was only stalling for a few more precious seconds when an idea of something to say might hit her, and save her.
After a minute had passed, Wakka cleared his throat, unable to stand the silence anymore. Lulu acted like she was startled,
and turned slowly to face him. To her dismay, he seemed even more attractive than he had when she'd kissed him, if that
was even possible. He reached up to scratch the back of his head, like he always did when he was nervous, and smiled
slightly.
That was when the brainstorm of the century hit Lulu. The inspirational idea of what she could say hit her at last, and with
these words, she was sure to knock him off his feet with the power behind them. She rose to her feet, advanced a few steps
towards him, and opened her mouth to say the time-stopping thought buzzing around in her head.
Her lips parted, and she said, "Hey."
*******************************************************************************
Sorry that this chapter took so long to get out, but I've been busy and couldn't find the time to get into writing.
Well, we've learned a little more about Tidus' past, and that Wakka felt the same way Lulu did about the kiss. Interesting,
isn't it? Next time, we'll find out if Lulu's stellar opening line did anything to jar Wakka's senses and blow his mind. Also,
we'll see if Yuna's any good at water sports...
Stay tuned!
Till next time,
Digi-Esca Girl
laurie_22@hotmail.com
Chapter Twelve - Feelings Are Complicated Things...
By: Digi-Esca Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own FFX or anything associated with it. I only WISH I did..... ;)
*******************************************************************************
Although thoroughly puzzled by the sudden disappearance of Tidus, Yuna couldn't help but look around her and notice at last
that she was hovering in a vast, seemingly endless sphere of water. The substance she was encased in, however, was nothing
like the kind of water you would take into your system to prevent dehydration; it was ethereal, and seemed more like a misty
substance than anything to Yuna. She closed her eyes, letting her body relax and submit to the tranquil, peaceful aura that
the oxygenated water brought onto her senses.
Surprisingly enough, she could hear very, very well underwater, and she began to focus on what sounded like someone
swimming. Opening one eye, she glanced over towards Kieran, who was contentedly practicing the four year olds version of
Tidus' sphere shot. A small smile tugged at her lips and her eye closed once again, focusing this time on letting her muscles
completely relax.
'Tidus probably forgot his blitzball in the locker room...' Yuna concluded to herself, leaving it at that and simply...forgetting.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned blitzball ace was treading water three feet away from the serene summoner, recovering from
the minor heart attack he had suffered when Yuna had opened on of her beautifully mismatched eyes and looked around. His
index and middle fingers were still resting against his neck, monitoring his pulse and waiting for it to slow a few more paces.
Once it had, he spread his arms and slowly advanced towards the unsuspecting, blissful young woman in front of him.
After only two minutes, Yuna's luxurious, quiet contemplation was interrupted, accomplishing two things at once:
One, the arms that encircled her waist brought her out of her little daydream very quickly;
And two, those same limbs sent shocked chills running up and down her spine the second they met with her skin. Even though
the area that his arms rested against was covered with the bathing suit she wore, the feeling was the same.
Tidus came to rest right up against Yuna, his chest pressed very lightly to her back, and his knee-caps just barely brushing
the backs of her legs. He bent his head so that his ear was near her neck, and he let the water overtake his hearing, allowing
him to listen in on how much he'd quickened her pulse.
Her heart was beating fast, her pulse racing much faster than he'd anticipated, surprising him, but in a good way. He wasn't
sure exactly what had affected her so much: his scaring her, his extremely close proximity, or a combination of both, but his
ego sincerely hoped for one of the latter two.
Being as close to her as he was at that moment, was an experience he hadn't partaken in since his last serious relationship,
which was more than a year and a half past already. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to be taken back to that year, when
he'd been going out with a bright eyed young girl three months his junior, named Sarah.
****
Sarah had been the one who was interested in him first, and he'd only asked her out because she was cute. But as the
relationship turned into a five-month 'thing', Tidus realized that maybe, just maybe, he thought of this particular girl as more
than just a toy. They became almost inseparable, sometimes sleeping over at each other's houses on weekday nights just so
they wouldn't be apart, even in the unconsciousness of slumber. Things took a nasty turn for the worse, however, as they
neared their one year anniversary.
Tidus had been hearing rumours about Sarah cheating on him, but he, of course, didn't believe them. One night, Wakka
called him up, asking where Sarah was. Tidus knew that this was perfectly legit, because the two had been assigned as lab
partners, and Sarah had taken home all of the work. But when Tidus remembered that she'd gone out to see her mother,
who had fallen ill, he informed Wakka immediately, preparing to give the number if he so needed. It was then that Wakka
fell silent for a long several minutes, leaving Tidus to finally interject and say something.
"What's wrong, Wakka?" He had asked, turning down the television to hear his friend's response.
"....I'm coming to pick you up. Be ready in five." Was the reply, followed by the dull pitch of a dial tone.
Tidus hung up the phone, switching off the TV and heading downstairs to grab his shoes and coat. He hollered into the living
room, telling Jecht that he was going out. His reply came as a grunt, followed by a, 'Be home around 1:00'. When Wakka
pulled up outside and honked, Tidus rushed outside, near leaping into the passenger side front seat.
Wakka said nothing, and just pressed his foot to the gas, driving off in silence. They didn't really say anything for the whole
ride, until Tidus questioned what they were doing when they came to a stop in front of Anthony Witon's home. Anthony was
notorious for throwing parties on weekday nights, but Tidus and Wakka never went, seeing as they didn't even like the guy.
"I gotta show you somethin, ya?" Wakka said sombrely, opening, locking, and then closing his car door behind him as he
stepped out. Tidus did the same, following the Besaidian up the steps and watching him ring the doorbell. A 10th Grade
student answered, welcoming them inside in a drunken stupor, not even knowing who they were.
The two friends pushed their way through the crowd, heading up the curling staircase towards a bedroom at the end of the
hall. Wakka kicked the door open, knowing it was locked, and waved his arm, motioning for Tidus to step inside.
There on the bed, was a stunned looking pair of naked teenagers, still holding onto each other, as they hadn't had enough
time to register that they'd been caught having sex to let go. One of the perpetrators was Sarah. Tidus didn't know, or care
for that matter, who the other person with her was, and he sure didn't want to find out.
He stormed out of the house behind Wakka, who had already started walking out as soon as he opened the door to the room,
heading towards the car with malice and hate glittering in the cerulean depths of his eyes. Sarah was running after him with a
bed sheet wrapped around her, crying out to him that it wasn't what it looked like, and that he didn't understand the situation.
There sure wasn't a whole hell of a lot one needed to understand, if you know what I mean.
Wakka took out his car remote, unlocking the doors as they walked out the front door of the house. He got in the car, waiting
for his friend to do the same so he could get them out of there.
Tidus slammed the car door in her face, not even making eye contact with her as Wakka turned the ignition, and pressed the
gas peddle to the floor. The ten minute drive home was silent 90% of the time, save for the one minute the two of them
talked.
"How did you know?" Tidus asked, struggling to keep himself composed.
"Leathen was there with his new girlfriend. He called me up when he saw them go upstairs into that room." Wakka replied.
When Tidus remained silent, he continued, "Look, if you need to talk-"
"I just need to do some thinking by myself, okay?" Tidus answered quietly, opening the door once the car stopped before his
house, "Thanks, Wakka. I'm glad I have at least two loyal people in my life." He added as almost an afterthought, closing the
door behind him and heading into the house.
That was the first night Tidus had shed a tear since after his mother's death, and it was also the first night that he'd gone to
Jecht for help of any kind, breaking down multiple barriers in that action alone. From then on, Tidus vowed to never enter
another serious relationship again, and he and his father grew closer, finally becoming able to walk into a room together and
not fight. They never progressed beyond that, however....
****
Tidus' eyes snapped open, and he winced as the tiny, yet familiar ache pounded in his chest again. He completely forgot
about it, though, when he began to focus on another sound that drifted up to his ears. Being pressed up so close to Yuna
enabled him to hear both her heartbeat and his own, and right now, they were beating in a rhythm that brought a smile to
his face, erasing the memories that had resurfaced from the forefront of his mind. All he cared about at that moment, was
Yuna.
They remained that way for several minutes, suspended near the middle of the sphere pool, while Yuna's mind cleared and
her pulse slowed down enough to allow her to think straight. She blinked hard, realizing that this was the first time a member
of the opposite sex had ever been this close to her. She had passed up many invitations to dance over the years, simply for
the reason that she had no idea how to handle herself in such intimate situations. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly hating the
predicament she currently found herself in, but she couldn't tell whether he was just doing it as a joke to freak her out, or if
he was semi-serious about just....holding her. They had barely been on the assignment for a week, after all.
Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Tidus' grip on her waist loosened, and he backed away enough to let her
turn around and look him straight in the face. The mischief and humour she saw floating around in his eyes was normal, and
not what caught her attention. What she noticed right away, was the glimmer of pain that she'd seen in his gaze the night he'd
come home with bruises from getting in a fight. Right when he'd gone to sleep, she noticed that he'd seemed deep in thought,
and that he wasn't too thrilled at what he was remembering. She had wanted to ask him about it, but didn't know him well
enough, so she assumed that he wouldn't trust her with his thoughts just yet. It could have been nothing, but she still wasn't
sure.
The mischievous look on his face only served to confuse her more, as she couldn't tell what he was thinking, like she could
with most other people she met. Whether he had been joking or not in regards to the embrace, she couldn't say.
Her answer came in the form of Tidus throwing a blitzball towards her slowly, smiling ever so slightly when she caught it with
ease. Yuna concluded that this action signified that he simply wanted to play blitzball, and only came up behind her like he
had to get her attention and give her a fright.
As Tidus swam over to fetch Kieran, Yuna couldn't decide whether she liked the possibility that he'd just meant to scare her,
more than the thought that he'd simply wanted to hold her......
Lulu paced back and forth, ringing her hands together and nervously reverting to her grade school habit of cracking her
knuckles. The popping sounds eased her a slight bit, and she was disappointed when they stopped just after ten. She would
most likely have to wait at least ten minutes until she could repeat the process, but by then, she knew, she'd be on the verge
of a breakdown.
Why was she so nervous about this? After all, it was just Wakka, right? And all they were going to do was talk. Not such a big
deal to anyone else, but to the frantic-looking mage, everything was about to become a giant ball of chaos. All she had to do
was talk to him; the big deal lay in the subject of the impending conversation. Could she handle talking about the best kiss
she's ever had, as if it was just a slip-up? Could she refrain from asking him if he felt the same way about it as she did? What
was she supposed to do, just stand there and say that the short-lived embrace gave her the kind of chills one gets when they
touch their soul mate?
She reached up to rub her temples, trying to breathe slowly and calm her racing pulse, while also trying to force the dozens
of questions out of her mind. She'd heard of multi-tasking, but this was ridiculous! Suddenly, she just stopped, halting her
feet and snapping her eyes open, fingers unmoving on her head. She took a deep breath, lowered her hands, and slowly
walked over to the window, taking a seat on the sill and leaning her back against the adjoining wall. She placed her hands on
her lap, folded them, and turned her head to look out onto the area that surrounded her new home.
The window faced a street, and on the other side of that street was a small playground for the neighbourhood children. Upon
further inspection, Lulu spotted two young girls who had come over the other day to introduce themselves to Jade and invite
her to play with them. She smiled, watching them play on the swings and monkey bars and trying to remember the times
about ten years ago when she enjoyed the same things.
She then cracked open the window, pondering for a moment before pulling it up all the way, allowing the warm summer
turning fall breeze to sweep over her face. She closed her eyes and sighed lightly, wondering how on Spira such small,
everyday things could calm and relax her to the point where she was ready to fall asleep. The sound of a small finch singing
floated over to her ears from a nearby tree, and soothed her senses even more. The tall Besaidian blitzer that had had her
preparing for the end of the world some short minutes ago was still on her mind, but was no longer ailing her thoughts.
Meanwhile, directly above the relaxing mage, Wakka was being conned into reading a story about a lost kitten to a young,
auburn haired girl with very persuasive hazel eyes. Despite the fact that he hadn't been with her for more than a week, she
had already stolen a small piece of his heart, winning him over in no time at all.
"Please?" She begged again, bringing out the big guns: the Puppy Eyes, "It's my favourite story...."
Wakka knew what she was doing, and was trying his hardest not to make eye contact, but something made him turn his head,
and he was hooked from then on. The look she gave him was priceless; too cute for words, and made him give in.
"Alright, alright," He said, admitting defeat and picking up the book while Jade clapped and grinned brightly. He took a seat on
the bed, leaning back against the headboard and opening the book. The girl leaned in to see the pictures, and gave her full
attention to Wakka the second he uttered the first syllable of the tale.
A mere fifteen minutes later, the story had been told, and the listener was sound asleep on the story-teller's shoulder. Wakka
closed the book, edging out of bed and laying Jade down under the blankets. He stood there and watched her for a short
moment, her chest rising and falling evenly in sleep, her breathing quiet and peaceful.
Quite the contrast when compared to Wakka's own fast heartbeat and quickened breathing.
'It's just Lulu,' He thought, walking slowly out of the room and closing the door behind him, 'It won't be that bad....'
Yeah right! His mind argued. Wakka groaned in frustration, pausing at the top of the stairs to collect his scattered thoughts.
For him, the kiss they'd shared had been one incomparable to any other he'd ever had; it was the first kiss that everyone
wanted, but never had. It was the kind of kiss shared by two soul mates finding each other after years of searching. It was
the kind of kiss that was talked about in fairy tales, and shared only by fictional characters, simply because that great of a
feeling can't exist in the real world.
It WASN'T the kind of kiss shared between two people who had wasted every previous breath on each other yelling and
feuding, but he had experienced it just the same. The only problem with it was, that he had no idea what kind of follow
through it required. What could he possibly say to a beautiful woman who had shared the best kiss in the universe with him,
then yelled at him for taking advantage of her? What do you SAY to someone like that?!?!?!?
Still completely unsure of what to say, he slowly began to advance down the stairs, barely being able to concentrate on
putting one foot in front of the other, like had all his life. A normal outside observer would not see the big deal in this
situation. Someone who had been following these people's lives since they moved in together (-_^) might not even
understand why so much emotion is stirring within the two young adults. They themselves don't even know....
The way we last left Lulu is the way Wakka found her; staring peacefully out the window, watching the children across the
street play, and listening to the breeze blowing through the tree leaves. She didn't appear to notice him at first, but truth be
told, she was only stalling for a few more precious seconds when an idea of something to say might hit her, and save her.
After a minute had passed, Wakka cleared his throat, unable to stand the silence anymore. Lulu acted like she was startled,
and turned slowly to face him. To her dismay, he seemed even more attractive than he had when she'd kissed him, if that
was even possible. He reached up to scratch the back of his head, like he always did when he was nervous, and smiled
slightly.
That was when the brainstorm of the century hit Lulu. The inspirational idea of what she could say hit her at last, and with
these words, she was sure to knock him off his feet with the power behind them. She rose to her feet, advanced a few steps
towards him, and opened her mouth to say the time-stopping thought buzzing around in her head.
Her lips parted, and she said, "Hey."
*******************************************************************************
Sorry that this chapter took so long to get out, but I've been busy and couldn't find the time to get into writing.
Well, we've learned a little more about Tidus' past, and that Wakka felt the same way Lulu did about the kiss. Interesting,
isn't it? Next time, we'll find out if Lulu's stellar opening line did anything to jar Wakka's senses and blow his mind. Also,
we'll see if Yuna's any good at water sports...
Stay tuned!
Till next time,
Digi-Esca Girl
laurie_22@hotmail.com
