XIV: Keeping a Promise
All of Besaid gathered around a bonfire. The town musicians were playing, people were dancing, and everyone took their turn to bid farewell to Kimahri. He was leaving in the morning to return to Mt. Gagazet.
Wakka saw Lulu standing alone by the fire. 'I wish I'd found you first.' Wakka thought sadly. Longing to be near her, he walked over. "Hey." She looked up to him with a big smile. "Having fun?" Wakka asked.
Lulu nodded. The fire crackled by their feet. "Hey, follow me." Wakka said. He walked slightly behind her, gently leading her forward with his hand on the small of her back. He took her to a secluded corner where they sat on a fallen tree limb. She sat down first, and he sat beside her; close enough that their legs touched.
"Wakka? You were going to tell me something earlier."
"Oh... it was nothing." Wakka lied. Lulu saw right through him. She glared at him, calling his bluff. He finally decided to confess.
"Yeah. Umm… Remember when I brought Tidus here for the first time? And you got kinda mad." Lulu nodded. She wasn't sure where he was going. "Lulu, Chappu was my brother. No one will ever take his place." Lulu was confused. "Well… what I'm trying to say is… umm… Chappu will always be special to you too."
Lulu remembered her promise to Yuna. 'Now is the time,' she thought. 'Wakka is my friend, and if nothing else, I can at least be honest with him about my relationship with his brother.' Lulu thought as she drew together the strength to speak. 'Chappu, I hope you understand.' Wakka was looking at the ground by his feet. The words he wanted to say couldn't come out of his mouth, and the words he did say didn't come out right. Maybe it was because of his brother, or maybe he just didn't know if Lulu ever got over Chappu.
Lulu took a deep breath. 'I'm telling him now,' she thought. 'I'm telling him everything. I owe it to myself.' "Wakka?" Nervously she reached over, touching his hand. He was dumbfounded by her sudden and tender touch. He looked into her eyes. "It was always you." His speechlessness frightened her, but she continued anyway. "It was you from the minute I saw you … Even when I was with Chappu." Lulu waited for him to say something… anything.
Wakka felt relieved, and finally confident enough to tell her the truth. "Lulu, there's something I need to tell you." Wakka took both of her hands. "I love you…"
Wakka ran his hand along her bare arm, and with the other hand around her waist, he pulled her close to him. Lulu's heart began to beat faster and faster, as their faces neared. He ran his hand up her arm… over her shoulder… behind her neck… and he pulled her to him. Their wet lips met and they closed their eyes; and they kissed near the shadows of the forest.
The nervous air melted away as she let him wrap his arms around her. She felt so safe in those arms. They forgot about the party, their friends, and the whole village watching them. They didn't care what everyone might be thinking. For the moment, they let their selfish desires consume them. Not thinking about Chappu, not thinking about anything but their love.
Their secret matchmaker stood from afar watching. Yuna smiled at her success. She knew they would be happy together. But in seeing their bliss, she remembered Tidus. Wanting to be alone, she walked away from the town, down the path and past the waterfalls. She stood where the river opened into the sea. The moonlight skipped over the waves. 'I'll never forget you, Tidus.' Yuna thought as she admired the moonlit ocean. She put her hand to her lips and whistled.
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Next chapter coming soon...
All of Besaid gathered around a bonfire. The town musicians were playing, people were dancing, and everyone took their turn to bid farewell to Kimahri. He was leaving in the morning to return to Mt. Gagazet.
Wakka saw Lulu standing alone by the fire. 'I wish I'd found you first.' Wakka thought sadly. Longing to be near her, he walked over. "Hey." She looked up to him with a big smile. "Having fun?" Wakka asked.
Lulu nodded. The fire crackled by their feet. "Hey, follow me." Wakka said. He walked slightly behind her, gently leading her forward with his hand on the small of her back. He took her to a secluded corner where they sat on a fallen tree limb. She sat down first, and he sat beside her; close enough that their legs touched.
"Wakka? You were going to tell me something earlier."
"Oh... it was nothing." Wakka lied. Lulu saw right through him. She glared at him, calling his bluff. He finally decided to confess.
"Yeah. Umm… Remember when I brought Tidus here for the first time? And you got kinda mad." Lulu nodded. She wasn't sure where he was going. "Lulu, Chappu was my brother. No one will ever take his place." Lulu was confused. "Well… what I'm trying to say is… umm… Chappu will always be special to you too."
Lulu remembered her promise to Yuna. 'Now is the time,' she thought. 'Wakka is my friend, and if nothing else, I can at least be honest with him about my relationship with his brother.' Lulu thought as she drew together the strength to speak. 'Chappu, I hope you understand.' Wakka was looking at the ground by his feet. The words he wanted to say couldn't come out of his mouth, and the words he did say didn't come out right. Maybe it was because of his brother, or maybe he just didn't know if Lulu ever got over Chappu.
Lulu took a deep breath. 'I'm telling him now,' she thought. 'I'm telling him everything. I owe it to myself.' "Wakka?" Nervously she reached over, touching his hand. He was dumbfounded by her sudden and tender touch. He looked into her eyes. "It was always you." His speechlessness frightened her, but she continued anyway. "It was you from the minute I saw you … Even when I was with Chappu." Lulu waited for him to say something… anything.
Wakka felt relieved, and finally confident enough to tell her the truth. "Lulu, there's something I need to tell you." Wakka took both of her hands. "I love you…"
Wakka ran his hand along her bare arm, and with the other hand around her waist, he pulled her close to him. Lulu's heart began to beat faster and faster, as their faces neared. He ran his hand up her arm… over her shoulder… behind her neck… and he pulled her to him. Their wet lips met and they closed their eyes; and they kissed near the shadows of the forest.
The nervous air melted away as she let him wrap his arms around her. She felt so safe in those arms. They forgot about the party, their friends, and the whole village watching them. They didn't care what everyone might be thinking. For the moment, they let their selfish desires consume them. Not thinking about Chappu, not thinking about anything but their love.
Their secret matchmaker stood from afar watching. Yuna smiled at her success. She knew they would be happy together. But in seeing their bliss, she remembered Tidus. Wanting to be alone, she walked away from the town, down the path and past the waterfalls. She stood where the river opened into the sea. The moonlight skipped over the waves. 'I'll never forget you, Tidus.' Yuna thought as she admired the moonlit ocean. She put her hand to her lips and whistled.
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Next chapter coming soon...