Author's Notes: Wow guys, I'm gonna cry!! This is like, the most reviews I've ever gotten for two chapters in one week, like ever! And none of them are flames, you all love it! *tears up* Okay, I'm fine, really. hehe, I hope you like the next chapter, and make sure to leave me a review! I squealed at each and every one of them when I was reading them, so please be kind and leave one for my enjoyment! Love ya all, and thanks so much!!
You Were Mine
Chapter 3
Memories and Making Amends
"I took out all the pictures of our wedding day
It was a time of love and laughter, happy ever after
But even those old pictures have begun to fade
Please tell me she's not real, and that you're really comin home to stay."
Bright sun rays spread through Tidus's apartment room. Lindsay lay still asleep beside him, sheets covering her lavender colored, spaghetti-strap pajamas. His eyes became slits and he grabbed his head, which ached incredibly, and removed the sheets from his muscular bare chest. She was turned away from the sun, which was probably why it wasn't bothering her, and he swung his legs over the bed, heading for the bathroom and leaving Lindsay in her same position.
Opening the glass medicine cabinet, he reached for the pain reliever. He could hardly remember any of what he'd done the night before, besides seeing a few people he knew he hadn't seen since he'd disappeared from Zanarkand. He recalled vaguely seeing someone who left the bar in a fierce manner after seeing him, though he couldn't summon who it was exactly and why they had been so angry. Whoever it was, he would probably know about it today. Whether it was by nasty phone call, or a personal confrontation. He filled a bathroom glass with water, gulped the two white caplets, and left the bathroom for the kitchen.
As he opened the refrigerator door, he grabbed the egg carton. One thing he knew Lindsay liked was when he made her breakfast. She thought it was romantic and sweet, and he usually was rewarded with a kiss for it. Lindsay meant so much to him, and it wasn't just the kiss he enjoyed, he loved making her happy.
He'd met her while he was living in the real Zanarkand, for she had been in the same situation as he when he disappeared. He had been depressed since he'd arrived, and she had been the first to make him smile. Their meeting seemed surreal, and he couldn't help falling for her. They were at the beach, and both sunbathing instead of swimming in the warm water. Lindsay didn't feel comfortable in her bikini, and Tidus had no one to swim with. He missed his friends, most of all Yuna, and felt uncomfortable himself. They struck up a conversation, and things progressed from there.
"Beautiful sun, isn't it?" Lindsay said, offering a friendly smile. He glanced up from the chair his face was pressed against, and nodded without smiling back.
"Yeah, it's great." He said nothing more, and she was silent for a few moments, disappointed that she hadn't received a return smile. She was determined to get him to converse though, her flirting techniques almost always worked, and this time would be no exception.
"Don't you want to go in the water?" she asked, still staring over at him. "I hear it's pretty nice. Warm and everything."
He gave her the once-over as he looked up again, and then replied, "You're not in there."
She was undisturbed by the stare he gave, and held her head high. "I plan to. I just...don't feel comfortable in this bikini, that's all. I'm pretty self-conscious in one."
He raised an eyebrow, still showing no lift in the corners of his mouth. "Yeah right, you're not going in. You would've done it already."
Her jaw dropped a little at the brazen comment, but the conversation was going in just the direction she wanted it to. "Fine, you don't believe me? I'll prove it to you." Raising herself from the lawn chair, she adjusted the suit, and headed for the water. She stopped to look back at him, seeing his eyes curious and waiting, and knowing she had him already. She jumped into the foamy water, a wave crashing over her small body, and disappeared into the ocean. He felt a small smile creeping on his lips at her flirty attitude and blatant show of rebellion, but it quickly left his features when she didn't come back up. Worry creased his eyebrows, and he assumed she needed help. He knew it was probably the lifeguard's job, but he didn't see one near where they were.
He leaped off of the beach chair, and ran into the water, never thinking twice about the stares he was receiving from the fellow people on the beach. He felt panicked; he didn't want to be responsible for the death of a girl he didn't even know. Tidus plunged into the warm water, opening his eyes underneath, paying no heed to the salty sting of the substance. His Blitzball days had forced him to get used to it, as well as given him amazing speed through the water. He found her floating upward, her eyes closed, and wrapped two strong arms around her slender frame and bare stomach. He paddled for the surface, and breathed in sweet air that was being held in under the water. Lindsay was in his grasp, and still had her eyes closed, appearing to not be breathing. Crowds were gathering on the beach at the scene now, watching Tidus's heroism from the sand.
He brought her up to the shore, and attempted to prepare for CPR. But as soon as he was ready to perform it, her eyes opened wide. She grinned from ear-to-ear, and jumped up from the sand, throwing her arms around him. Shock filled his face, as well as the rest of the faces around them. She laughed genuinely, as if nothing was wrong and they were just playing around. Seeing his expression, she put a hand up to stop whatever he was about to say to explain.
"Before you start to ask questions, let me explain. First of all, thanks so much! Although I really wasn't drowning, that was a wonderful gesture. I appreciate it. Sometimes I spend a little too long under the water and people think I'm dying under there. But it's good to know you care! I got you in the water, didn't I?"
He felt anger burn in him, but couldn't help feeling a little humor in the situation. That was a very clever move, he had to admit. As much as he wanted to be furious with her, he couldn't be. Laughter he hadn't heard in months worked its way up in his throat, and out his mouth. The sound surprised him, and Lindsay loved it. Sticking a wet hand out at him, she said, "I'm Lindsay."
Still smiling, he shook her hand with his damp one. "Tidus." From then on, they were the greatest couple among their many friends.
During his reminisce, the eggs began to fry. He turned them frantically, glad they hadn't burned, and breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing he'd come out of the stroll down Memory Lane fast enough to stop them from turning into charred eggs. As he continued to fry them and listen to them sizzle on the pan, two hands crept around his uncovered chest. A warmth crept over him, the feeling he'd felt everytime she held him since their first date. He knew she had an affect on him like no other had before.
Tidus had never forgotten about Yuna, of course. Just because he'd come back with another girl, didn't mean his feelings for her disappeared entirely. But in the time he'd been spending with Lindsay, she made him feel differently than Yuna ever had. She offered a different love, a love he was willing to share and give to her. But Yuna was still a part of his heart. He couldn't choose between Lindsay and her. How could he?
"Good morning," she mumbled, breathing in the scent of his blonde hair. Her hands skated the upper part of his arms, making him shiver with the delight.
"Morning," he replied, keeping his attention on the eggs. "How ya feelin'?"
He was referring to her hangover, she figured, and gave a moan of response. "Like hell. Like someone just took a two-ton boulder and smashed it over my head."
Tidus chuckled, and turned away from the stove to put her face to face with him in his arms. He kissed her lips softly, and said, "Better?"
Lindsay smiled, and then nodded. "We really had too much to drink last night, didn't we?"
It was his turn to nod. "Yeah, we really did. I don't even remember half of the people we ran into. Do you?"
She seemed to search her memory for recollection of the previous night, and then informed him, "Some girl named Lulu, another one named Rikku, some weirdo guy named Wakka who spoke in a funny accent and had big hair," by this time Tidus was laughing heartily aloud. The people she was speaking of he had known for quite a while, and the way she described Wakka amused him. "And..." her voice trailed away and a frown creased on her face.
"What? What is it?" he asked, seeing the distraught look. She was looking away from him, unwilling to meet his eyes.
She hesitated before saying, "...I think there was a girl from one of your past relationships there. She seemed really...bitter. I dunno."
His immediate thought was of Yuna. There could be no one else that would've been with Rikku and Lulu. So she was there last night. What had he said? He could only imagine the stupid things he must've said before being sober enough to reason. Whatever he had said, he knew he'd have to make amends with her before he could be friends with the rest of them again. How he could make that happen was the question. Lindsay seemed to feel threatened by Yuna, although she had no reason to be. He understood how she might feel that way, however. Taking her in his embrace, he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I'm with you now, Lindsay Kryceck. Don't you forget that, okay? Yuna isn't a part of my love life anymore. You are. Okay? I love you, not her." He meant the words he told her, but the last sentence bothered him a little. Like they weren't quite solid. He only hoped Lindsay didn't notice.
Fortunately for him, she didn't notice. She grinned, and ran a hand along his cheek bones. Stubble could be felt underneath her fingers, but she didn't mind. She thought it was sexy in its own way. "I love you too," she stated softly, and leaned her head into his chest. "More than anything in the world."
**************************************************************************************
After a short, delicious breakfast made by Tidus, he and Lindsay decided it was time to go their separate ways for the day. Both of them had matters to attend to: Tidus to his rude manners the night before, and Lindsay to her job at the Besaid Grocery Store. Because they'd just arrived back home, it was only her third day working for them, so she was fairly new at it. Coming to work with a hangover on the third day probably wouldn't reflect well on her, but she was accustomed to hiding it pretty well when she had to.
After their breakfast, Lindsay prepared to head out the door. Tidus walked her to it, and she turned around to say good-bye. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and smiled.
"So I'll see you at lunch?" she said, looking into his clear blue eyes.
He nodded, replying, "You betcha. The usual restaurant?"
She giggled softly. "Yeah, the usual restaurant." Giving him a kiss, she said as their lips parted, "I'll meet you at noon. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye Lindz."
"Bye!"
With that, she was out the door of their apartment. Tidus walked back to their kitchen and reached for the phone, punching in a few numbers and listened as Rikku picked up with a drowsy hello after a few rings. He responded with, "Hey Rikku! It's me, Tidus."
"Oh, hey Tidus. Why are you calling me at this hour?"
His cheerful tone faded slightly, but he tried his best to keep it light. Stammering a little, he inquired, "I-I was just-uh, wondering what you were planning to do today."
She hesitated before saying, "You know, I don't know for sure. I don't normally think about those things at 7:00 AM."
Tidus was more than a little surprised at her harsh tone. Being Rikku-or at least the Rikku he knew when he left-he always pictured her being one of those obnoxiously annoying morning people. The person who got up at 6, fixed eggs and bacon for those still sleeping, and when they finally rose, drove them all nuts with a Sunshine Happy Dance. But this Rikku was quite the opposite.
His voice revealing the fact that he was taken aback by this behavior, he said, "I'm sorry...I just wanted to get an early start and see if I could find some time to catch up with you today."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then a light sigh into the receiver was heard. "Sure, you were pretty far gone last night. All I really got out of you was that you're back and you brought someone with you."
His face reddened a little. "Sorry, Lindz and I decided last night was the night to celebrate coming back home. I never thought we'd run into you, honest."
She giggled lightly, easing his tenseness about her agitated air just moments before. Obviously, she was more awake now. "It's okay, Tidus. I actually found you quite amusing. Although...I can't say the same for Yuna."
Tidus grimaced at the mention of his old flame he'd been thinking of hours before. His imagination could only wonder at the thoughts of the things he must've said last night.
"I bet," he said through clamped teeth. "I can't wait to hear some of the inane things I said to her."
Rikku laughed again, this time dryly. "Yeah," she agreed. "I think you're going to have a hell of a time trying to explain yourself."
Tidus smacked a hand to his forehead. This could be pretty ugly. How was he going to dig himself out of this? "Do you think she'll talk to me on the phone?" he asked, hoping he'd have the guts to call her.
She snickered a little. "C'mon Tidus, we're not in grade school anymore. I hope she has the maturity at this age to at least talk to you on the phone."
Skeptical, but still hopeful, Tidus said, "Okay. But you never answered my initial question."
"What?"
"Did you plan anything for today? Or can I meet and catch up with you at some point?"
She thought for a moment, and then answered, "I think I could squeeze you in about two or three o'clock this afternoon. You going to see Yunie first?"
Yunie. He'd forgotten Rikku's nickname for her friend. He'd hardly picked up on calling her that when he left. What was Yuna like now? Was she the same Yuna he left behind years ago? He could only guess as of yet.
"Tidus?"
"If she'll have me, yeah."
"Thought I lost you for a sec."
"Sorry," he replied, smiling. "Just lost my concentration there. Spacing, as you'd probably put it."
"Yeah, probably. I just have one small piece of advice for you before you hang up."
"What's that?"
"Wait until at least nine to call Yuna, okay?"
He chuckled, half in amusement, half in embarrassment. "Gotcha."
"Here's her number." He scrawled the seven-digit number on a nearby piece of paper, and confirmed it. "So I'll see you this afternoon?"
Hadn't he heard something along those lines just before? "Yep."
"Alrighty. Talk to you soon, Stranger."
"Got it. Bye!"
"Bye!"
You Were Mine
Chapter 3
Memories and Making Amends
"I took out all the pictures of our wedding day
It was a time of love and laughter, happy ever after
But even those old pictures have begun to fade
Please tell me she's not real, and that you're really comin home to stay."
Bright sun rays spread through Tidus's apartment room. Lindsay lay still asleep beside him, sheets covering her lavender colored, spaghetti-strap pajamas. His eyes became slits and he grabbed his head, which ached incredibly, and removed the sheets from his muscular bare chest. She was turned away from the sun, which was probably why it wasn't bothering her, and he swung his legs over the bed, heading for the bathroom and leaving Lindsay in her same position.
Opening the glass medicine cabinet, he reached for the pain reliever. He could hardly remember any of what he'd done the night before, besides seeing a few people he knew he hadn't seen since he'd disappeared from Zanarkand. He recalled vaguely seeing someone who left the bar in a fierce manner after seeing him, though he couldn't summon who it was exactly and why they had been so angry. Whoever it was, he would probably know about it today. Whether it was by nasty phone call, or a personal confrontation. He filled a bathroom glass with water, gulped the two white caplets, and left the bathroom for the kitchen.
As he opened the refrigerator door, he grabbed the egg carton. One thing he knew Lindsay liked was when he made her breakfast. She thought it was romantic and sweet, and he usually was rewarded with a kiss for it. Lindsay meant so much to him, and it wasn't just the kiss he enjoyed, he loved making her happy.
He'd met her while he was living in the real Zanarkand, for she had been in the same situation as he when he disappeared. He had been depressed since he'd arrived, and she had been the first to make him smile. Their meeting seemed surreal, and he couldn't help falling for her. They were at the beach, and both sunbathing instead of swimming in the warm water. Lindsay didn't feel comfortable in her bikini, and Tidus had no one to swim with. He missed his friends, most of all Yuna, and felt uncomfortable himself. They struck up a conversation, and things progressed from there.
"Beautiful sun, isn't it?" Lindsay said, offering a friendly smile. He glanced up from the chair his face was pressed against, and nodded without smiling back.
"Yeah, it's great." He said nothing more, and she was silent for a few moments, disappointed that she hadn't received a return smile. She was determined to get him to converse though, her flirting techniques almost always worked, and this time would be no exception.
"Don't you want to go in the water?" she asked, still staring over at him. "I hear it's pretty nice. Warm and everything."
He gave her the once-over as he looked up again, and then replied, "You're not in there."
She was undisturbed by the stare he gave, and held her head high. "I plan to. I just...don't feel comfortable in this bikini, that's all. I'm pretty self-conscious in one."
He raised an eyebrow, still showing no lift in the corners of his mouth. "Yeah right, you're not going in. You would've done it already."
Her jaw dropped a little at the brazen comment, but the conversation was going in just the direction she wanted it to. "Fine, you don't believe me? I'll prove it to you." Raising herself from the lawn chair, she adjusted the suit, and headed for the water. She stopped to look back at him, seeing his eyes curious and waiting, and knowing she had him already. She jumped into the foamy water, a wave crashing over her small body, and disappeared into the ocean. He felt a small smile creeping on his lips at her flirty attitude and blatant show of rebellion, but it quickly left his features when she didn't come back up. Worry creased his eyebrows, and he assumed she needed help. He knew it was probably the lifeguard's job, but he didn't see one near where they were.
He leaped off of the beach chair, and ran into the water, never thinking twice about the stares he was receiving from the fellow people on the beach. He felt panicked; he didn't want to be responsible for the death of a girl he didn't even know. Tidus plunged into the warm water, opening his eyes underneath, paying no heed to the salty sting of the substance. His Blitzball days had forced him to get used to it, as well as given him amazing speed through the water. He found her floating upward, her eyes closed, and wrapped two strong arms around her slender frame and bare stomach. He paddled for the surface, and breathed in sweet air that was being held in under the water. Lindsay was in his grasp, and still had her eyes closed, appearing to not be breathing. Crowds were gathering on the beach at the scene now, watching Tidus's heroism from the sand.
He brought her up to the shore, and attempted to prepare for CPR. But as soon as he was ready to perform it, her eyes opened wide. She grinned from ear-to-ear, and jumped up from the sand, throwing her arms around him. Shock filled his face, as well as the rest of the faces around them. She laughed genuinely, as if nothing was wrong and they were just playing around. Seeing his expression, she put a hand up to stop whatever he was about to say to explain.
"Before you start to ask questions, let me explain. First of all, thanks so much! Although I really wasn't drowning, that was a wonderful gesture. I appreciate it. Sometimes I spend a little too long under the water and people think I'm dying under there. But it's good to know you care! I got you in the water, didn't I?"
He felt anger burn in him, but couldn't help feeling a little humor in the situation. That was a very clever move, he had to admit. As much as he wanted to be furious with her, he couldn't be. Laughter he hadn't heard in months worked its way up in his throat, and out his mouth. The sound surprised him, and Lindsay loved it. Sticking a wet hand out at him, she said, "I'm Lindsay."
Still smiling, he shook her hand with his damp one. "Tidus." From then on, they were the greatest couple among their many friends.
During his reminisce, the eggs began to fry. He turned them frantically, glad they hadn't burned, and breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing he'd come out of the stroll down Memory Lane fast enough to stop them from turning into charred eggs. As he continued to fry them and listen to them sizzle on the pan, two hands crept around his uncovered chest. A warmth crept over him, the feeling he'd felt everytime she held him since their first date. He knew she had an affect on him like no other had before.
Tidus had never forgotten about Yuna, of course. Just because he'd come back with another girl, didn't mean his feelings for her disappeared entirely. But in the time he'd been spending with Lindsay, she made him feel differently than Yuna ever had. She offered a different love, a love he was willing to share and give to her. But Yuna was still a part of his heart. He couldn't choose between Lindsay and her. How could he?
"Good morning," she mumbled, breathing in the scent of his blonde hair. Her hands skated the upper part of his arms, making him shiver with the delight.
"Morning," he replied, keeping his attention on the eggs. "How ya feelin'?"
He was referring to her hangover, she figured, and gave a moan of response. "Like hell. Like someone just took a two-ton boulder and smashed it over my head."
Tidus chuckled, and turned away from the stove to put her face to face with him in his arms. He kissed her lips softly, and said, "Better?"
Lindsay smiled, and then nodded. "We really had too much to drink last night, didn't we?"
It was his turn to nod. "Yeah, we really did. I don't even remember half of the people we ran into. Do you?"
She seemed to search her memory for recollection of the previous night, and then informed him, "Some girl named Lulu, another one named Rikku, some weirdo guy named Wakka who spoke in a funny accent and had big hair," by this time Tidus was laughing heartily aloud. The people she was speaking of he had known for quite a while, and the way she described Wakka amused him. "And..." her voice trailed away and a frown creased on her face.
"What? What is it?" he asked, seeing the distraught look. She was looking away from him, unwilling to meet his eyes.
She hesitated before saying, "...I think there was a girl from one of your past relationships there. She seemed really...bitter. I dunno."
His immediate thought was of Yuna. There could be no one else that would've been with Rikku and Lulu. So she was there last night. What had he said? He could only imagine the stupid things he must've said before being sober enough to reason. Whatever he had said, he knew he'd have to make amends with her before he could be friends with the rest of them again. How he could make that happen was the question. Lindsay seemed to feel threatened by Yuna, although she had no reason to be. He understood how she might feel that way, however. Taking her in his embrace, he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I'm with you now, Lindsay Kryceck. Don't you forget that, okay? Yuna isn't a part of my love life anymore. You are. Okay? I love you, not her." He meant the words he told her, but the last sentence bothered him a little. Like they weren't quite solid. He only hoped Lindsay didn't notice.
Fortunately for him, she didn't notice. She grinned, and ran a hand along his cheek bones. Stubble could be felt underneath her fingers, but she didn't mind. She thought it was sexy in its own way. "I love you too," she stated softly, and leaned her head into his chest. "More than anything in the world."
**************************************************************************************
After a short, delicious breakfast made by Tidus, he and Lindsay decided it was time to go their separate ways for the day. Both of them had matters to attend to: Tidus to his rude manners the night before, and Lindsay to her job at the Besaid Grocery Store. Because they'd just arrived back home, it was only her third day working for them, so she was fairly new at it. Coming to work with a hangover on the third day probably wouldn't reflect well on her, but she was accustomed to hiding it pretty well when she had to.
After their breakfast, Lindsay prepared to head out the door. Tidus walked her to it, and she turned around to say good-bye. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and smiled.
"So I'll see you at lunch?" she said, looking into his clear blue eyes.
He nodded, replying, "You betcha. The usual restaurant?"
She giggled softly. "Yeah, the usual restaurant." Giving him a kiss, she said as their lips parted, "I'll meet you at noon. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye Lindz."
"Bye!"
With that, she was out the door of their apartment. Tidus walked back to their kitchen and reached for the phone, punching in a few numbers and listened as Rikku picked up with a drowsy hello after a few rings. He responded with, "Hey Rikku! It's me, Tidus."
"Oh, hey Tidus. Why are you calling me at this hour?"
His cheerful tone faded slightly, but he tried his best to keep it light. Stammering a little, he inquired, "I-I was just-uh, wondering what you were planning to do today."
She hesitated before saying, "You know, I don't know for sure. I don't normally think about those things at 7:00 AM."
Tidus was more than a little surprised at her harsh tone. Being Rikku-or at least the Rikku he knew when he left-he always pictured her being one of those obnoxiously annoying morning people. The person who got up at 6, fixed eggs and bacon for those still sleeping, and when they finally rose, drove them all nuts with a Sunshine Happy Dance. But this Rikku was quite the opposite.
His voice revealing the fact that he was taken aback by this behavior, he said, "I'm sorry...I just wanted to get an early start and see if I could find some time to catch up with you today."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then a light sigh into the receiver was heard. "Sure, you were pretty far gone last night. All I really got out of you was that you're back and you brought someone with you."
His face reddened a little. "Sorry, Lindz and I decided last night was the night to celebrate coming back home. I never thought we'd run into you, honest."
She giggled lightly, easing his tenseness about her agitated air just moments before. Obviously, she was more awake now. "It's okay, Tidus. I actually found you quite amusing. Although...I can't say the same for Yuna."
Tidus grimaced at the mention of his old flame he'd been thinking of hours before. His imagination could only wonder at the thoughts of the things he must've said last night.
"I bet," he said through clamped teeth. "I can't wait to hear some of the inane things I said to her."
Rikku laughed again, this time dryly. "Yeah," she agreed. "I think you're going to have a hell of a time trying to explain yourself."
Tidus smacked a hand to his forehead. This could be pretty ugly. How was he going to dig himself out of this? "Do you think she'll talk to me on the phone?" he asked, hoping he'd have the guts to call her.
She snickered a little. "C'mon Tidus, we're not in grade school anymore. I hope she has the maturity at this age to at least talk to you on the phone."
Skeptical, but still hopeful, Tidus said, "Okay. But you never answered my initial question."
"What?"
"Did you plan anything for today? Or can I meet and catch up with you at some point?"
She thought for a moment, and then answered, "I think I could squeeze you in about two or three o'clock this afternoon. You going to see Yunie first?"
Yunie. He'd forgotten Rikku's nickname for her friend. He'd hardly picked up on calling her that when he left. What was Yuna like now? Was she the same Yuna he left behind years ago? He could only guess as of yet.
"Tidus?"
"If she'll have me, yeah."
"Thought I lost you for a sec."
"Sorry," he replied, smiling. "Just lost my concentration there. Spacing, as you'd probably put it."
"Yeah, probably. I just have one small piece of advice for you before you hang up."
"What's that?"
"Wait until at least nine to call Yuna, okay?"
He chuckled, half in amusement, half in embarrassment. "Gotcha."
"Here's her number." He scrawled the seven-digit number on a nearby piece of paper, and confirmed it. "So I'll see you this afternoon?"
Hadn't he heard something along those lines just before? "Yep."
"Alrighty. Talk to you soon, Stranger."
"Got it. Bye!"
"Bye!"