Nine:
It was Sunday morning. The family had missed church, but the pastor had been there bright and early in the morning discovering the bad news. Poor luck always seemed to befall Braska's family, and the devil seemed to have beef with him when so as far as he knew, Braska was just a good man trying to raise a daughter in an unforgiving
world...most of the time.
He remembered coaching him on dropping his stinginess and throughout all that time teaching the man to be closer to his daughter. Right then he sat by the window outside Yuna's room peeking through and wondering how she was doing right then. She hadn't made a peep ever since yesterday. He was relieved to know that she would be okay. Praise God.
She looked so peaceful when she was at rest. Braska remembered how he used to watch her sleep when she was just a little baby. Simply because he had nothing better to do. Back then, he had vowed never to lay one hand of harm against her simply because he felt inside that this was a child that deserved a lot from him. His kindness, and only his love.
Love for his wife had changed him. Whenever she used Yuna as a scapegoat he tried to argue, but as she became more independent, and began to run away from him he gradually became her enemy. Not that he meant to...he was simply upset that his whole plan for her was all going to shit. It used to be a father daughter team back when she was on swim team, and even sang at their old church, but then there came Seymour, and Cecil. She begged to be with them, and he was skeptical the entire time. He didn't want those wise guys to hurt his daughter, but then he didn't want his baby to be unhappy.
So he had to simply shut his mouth for awhile, and just let her have her way. He even started to believe nothing would go wrong.
He saw the little cuts and bruises. at first he was quiet, and pretended not to notice them. Eventually he had a private talk with her after her mother had shouted out the news. That was her in a nutshell. Braska could she how most of her personality trait didn't transfer to Yuna except for her naiveness. Maybe that's why a war was going on between Yuna and her. She turned to papa for consent, but after he'd been lied to for the longest time, it came to the point when he finally put his foot down.
" I'm sorry Yuna you can't."
Over time the resistance made his anger grow. He thought his daughter loved him. He should have known the 'Golden' rule of telling your child no. In fact this wasn't just a child's trait but one of the most common facts about humans. The more forbidden something is, the harder that person will try to get it.
Going by that rule, he decided he couldn't block her off completely, then Seymour had 'tee peed' his house on Halloween with Yuna in the car not saying anything, and he had to ground her. He used an excuse saying that it was her grades, that did drop, but not considerably low. The divide grew even more. He didn't care if 'I hate you' was only a hypothetical. The shit still hurt.
He had just about lost faith in her, she would be running around like a pro soon enough with the attitude she had, and he would be powerless to stop it all from happening, but there was one person that he heard about from passing rumors and unanswered messages on her phone. The last person she spilt up with was actually a good boyfriend. He was itchy towards Tidus only because it had all turned into a nasty cycle, but considering the things He'd done, Braska weighed the guilt and decided that the boy wasn't too much in the wrong after all, maybe if he could stop being a coward and go out to get his daughter, then things would be okay.
" Hey son."
"Uhhh..hey dad."
" The jerk wants to make an apology." He didn't sound like it but he was pleading for his Tidus's attention
" Cool." Tidus sat down on the porch instantly
" Relationship troubles huh?"
" Say what?"
" I heard. You're about to leave your next woman now huh? Tell you the truth....before I met your mom I thought I'd be chasing skirts till I was 40."
" Well see you are a hard man to please."
" Should I slug you right now?" Jecht lost his temper again
" Would it make anything better between you and I?"
" Well it'd give me relief."
" Errrgh. If you're trying to help you could be a little more considerate you know. I know you're pissed with me going out, and saying stuff to you, but try to see things from my angle." Tidus breathed in to keep from getting angry
" Okay." Jecht didn't want another fight " So who is this new one?"
" I told her already, that theres' someone that she deserves more than me. You know my friend Squall right?"
" Yeah...quite the mack and run-around kid player huh? How'd he get like that?"
" I don't know." Tidus shrugged " Well I'm thinking about getting him and her back. He's out hanging around the city, giving girls a good night and heading home, but he hasn't had anything constant, and he's crazy, and Celes is crazy, I don't care what differences they have...they just work together you know?"
" Well it's up to them."
" They better say yes or else I'll be stuck like this for a long time. I know Celes is nice but think that Yuna is a safer life investment. Not to mention the fact Celes is older."
" Actually age isn't much an issue. She'll be living in this area for a long time it's not like she's moving to New York to work on Wall Street and has a totally different life. Thats where we'd have a problem, and she isn't much older or manipulative or dangerous for you only thing is that she has different desires,.."
"..and Squall's fits. I remember he said that after he graduates, they would've had a plan to go off together. With his money, and everything it wouldn't be all that bad of an idea."
" As for me. I don't need to search for anyone else. I knew who it had to be ever since we started to relate to each other, but I don't think she feels the same at all."
" Well go and tell her."
" I can't."
" Boy! If I was at the hospital! You'd better friggin be there with all the get well cards and presents your little hands could make! You tellin' me you don't have the guts to see your old ex?"
" H-hopsital?" Tidus gasped " The fuck happened?"
Jecht bit his lip as Tidus turned back to look at him. He knew his son would only want the truth.
"....date...rape."
" Good God." Tidus lowered his head. He didn't speak for a long time. Jeacht sat and watched him bear the pain.
This was what he feared the worst about leaving. she had so many unsuccessful ordeals in the past, and with some of the guys he knew she'd be running to for sex, he figured things would only get worse. He thought things were great with him as her knight that finally she'd be with someone who didn't abuse her. Now she was recovering, but something even worse could have happened to her. Some bastard ravaged her body, and she actually let someone do it. How could she let it happen again?
He had to get a hold of himself. Getting angry wouldn't help anything. The only thing she would need was comfort and kindness right then. He rushed out to the car.
"Keys?" Jecht held them out. Tidus swore at himself, but then stopped. since when did his old man actually 'say' he could use his cars.
"Aren't these are the Jaguar keys pops?"
" I know....that's my baby." He smiled " Take em before I change my mind. I came to talk to you, because it was her father Braska who's been waiting to see you all morning."
" Oh great. So it's HIM that'll serve my execution. How do you two guys get along anyways?"
" Not exactly. He knows you had nothing to do with what happened. He told me that you were the only person he knew that he really could've trusted his daughter with....wanted to apologize too."
" Well I must be a senile old monkey. I'm hearing shit that I never thought I'd hear in an eternity! You guys saying 'I'm sorry?' That's new. A thunderbolt must have come from the skies, or the hands of God must have touched down on earth or something."
" Enough. Just go see her already. Quit rubbing it in."
He stepped on the gas all the way to the hospital, disrupting traffic, but not more than other foolish morning drivers. If he was stopped by a cop he wouldn't know how to handle it, but he had gotten off lucky on that one.
"Bullshit. Braska told him when he arrived and talked with him "She doesn't know what she's thinking when she goes off with those people. They only want to violate my daughter. From what I heard you wanted something else."
"For her to be safe and happy, and satisfied, I guess when I started shaming myself thinking that I didn't have the guts to pull it off. I got nervous I got scared, just ran away. "
"Yuna is very naive about such things. I think she inherited that from me. Thought that I could handle my wife. She still gets the best of me. I lose my mind these days. My family history has always put up with difficult relationships even spouses that influence violence. I almost fell into that trap long ago, but I want you as a good friend of hers to keep her away from the dangers around these neighborhoods Tidus. I need you to help protect my daughter. She didn't rush out of the door so fast to go off somewhere where she could get hurt so fast when you were her only interest."
"Sir. I'm not so sure if she wants to see me again after what I did."
"You broke her heart. You can fix it."
"What about her? She doesn't want to-"
Tidus felt an arm on his shoulder
"I know my daughter Tidus. I know her well. If it's one thing I know that I've passed onto her as a father it's a will to forgive, and that will is stronger than any sin a man could commit. I see it in her everyday. If you're honest, and you've got faith, she'll understand."
He sat down in the chair, nervously, thinking of what to say. He edged closer to the door. watching Braska go down the hall to comfort his wife. She came in a second later. They stared at each other. A minute went by.
" Who did this to her?" she wondered out loud
" 'Not I' says Tidus." He dumped his head to look away from her and Yuna
" You probably know who."
"Can't help you there ma'am. Really sorry but I don't."
" Then you HAVE an idea. This is total crap you know. Why are you here in the first place?"
" Your husband sent for me."
" Him and his crazy ideas." Yuna's mother rolled her eyes. " A coward like you that runs out on women and he probably believed that you would just waltz in like the knight in shining armor and kiss her back to life."
" Not what I had in mind ma'am."
" Will you knock off the 'ma'am' B.S. I know you and the rest of your friends are rotten little cheapskates."
She exhaled cigarette smoke
" I wouldn't do that in here if I were you." He tried to warn her
" And I'd shut the hell up if I were you! Get out of here you brat." she glared at him, but heard tapping on the window pane. Turning around, she could read Braska's lips.
" Laila? He stays."
The argument would carry on outside of Yuna's room. Since they had to let their girl get rest. Sleep claimed Tidus as he sat on the floor next to her bed with his head against the wall. He stopped halfway on the road while coming and brought all the flowers he knew she'd like. Call it a weird impulse but he figured that she would be all right, and if he were to see her again, he'd be totally indebted to her.
Opening his eyes forty five minutes later, he turned around slightly to discover a pair of eyes staring at him. Most likely while he was asleep.
He stood up suddenly, and wiped the sweat off of his face wanting to bolt for the door, but it was too late. He waited for her to say something.
" Hi."
"...Hi...uhh I can explain..your folks kept calling...telling me to come down and I..."
" Relax." She shifted in bed " If you weren't a real friend, then you wouldn't show up."
" You seem in quite the optimistic mood." Tidus dumped back down in his seat " You aren't still getting over that anesthesia and stuff that makes you love every single thing and person in sight are you?"
" No silly." She shoved him lightly with the little bit of strength she had in her hand.
"Was it...Seifer?" Tidus asked
It took a long time for her to say 'yes.'
" Bastard." Tidus whispered as he swore and looked up to the ceiling. " What the heck was on his mind?"
" I don't know." Yuna sighed
" You sound as if you don't care." Tidus raised an eyebrow
" Well it's fine now." She rolled her eyes
" Yuna. He violated you. This isn't okay. You can't let people keep doing this stuff. "
" I let you hurt me." She reminded him. It wasn't in her voice, but it was in the way she looked at him. That fierce stare
" Never physically-" He paused in the middle of his speech realizing what he had just said, and held his tongue. Hurting someone was still the same no matter how it was done.
" You're right. Who am I to talk? I don't have half the guts you do. You try to make things better with somebody and you have faith, but I'm the first to run away."
Yuna couldn't think of how to respond to that one. He looked at her.
" I didn't tell you before but that was a pretty good prank with the video."
" Beatrix's idea." she shifted uncomfortably in bed
" But you still suckered me in on the phone. That was a real Golden Globe performance."
" What about an Oscar?"
" Oscar? Ehhh well......"
" Say it or I won't be your friend anymore." she challenged. Tidus wasn't fazed by that one.
" I still can't believe I've managed to stay on your friend list. Didn't you see what a complete asshole I've become?"
" I've met worse. You're still the same. Unless you're still with...her."
" Squall's idea." Tidus interrupted quickly. " Thought our thing was just an experiment. He was really trying to push me towards Celes the whole time."
" but you went along with it." She reminded him again.
" I know. I know." Tidus lowered his head. " I guess I went back because I thought you.....didn't love me anymore. Everybody, and everything around me was just telling me. It's over. Move on. It's finished."
" You even flicked me off."
" That was you? Whoops. Sorry. sorry uhh I thought some driver would be passing by looking or some pedestrian would walk over saying 'get a room' or something."
" So are you still...?"
" Nah. I broke it to her. She didn't take it too easy but she was too much for me."
"Well well looks like the tough guy 'Tidus' finally met his match."
" Yeah." He kept looking at the ground " Well I got these for you."
" How sweet." Yuna said sarcastically then laughed lightly, and tousled his hair when Tidus began to wonder what she was getting at.
" Was the morning rush too much for you?" She could tell by looking at some of the rose petals
" Some other lunatic driver cut me off, but I heard you were hurt, and I came running...don't know why but I think I've got a pretty good idea now."
He stared at her remembering all the good times. Sure Braska had his back a little but he couldn't tell Yuna who she deserved to be with. She was a woman and that was all her decision. Was it all in his head or was she always so beautiful. In public he swore that he always looked pitiful next to her. Tried to ask her where she wanted to go or what to do, but she kept him on her schedule. Everything that she desired went. He thought things were okay and he was keeping her happy, but when she turned bitch on him there was no room for talk. He accumulated just as many girls as friends as he had 'dawgs' but he guessed that having Yuna seeing him with those nice women made her envious to the bone. He could only imagine the blood boiling inside her. Everytime that she watched from the shadows and he tried to get by her. Saying things such as 'I'm sorry but they're my friends. all of a sudden I can't hang out with my friends?' But restrictions grew on his freedom when he said he loved her yet again.
Something inside him told him this was not a girl he swore he knew. There was a sweet angel inside, not so driven to her own pride. This was a woman who always offered to bend and lace his shoes whenever he was having clumsy troubling days, and felt too handicapped or stupid to lift a finger for himself again. she found whatever burden was in his life and broke it. Taught him how to be independent, not only in appearance but within self, and getting back to the subject of 'beautiful'. Wonderful hair, baby face, an awesome smile, and whatever she would wear impressed him day after day. It was obvious why the crew had gotten jealous and started shouting 'mayday' 'emergency' (we must break this couple up. Because we fucking hate Tidus, and he's won too much) He didn't feel like a bigger man when he kissed her by her locker he was too busy being absorbed into the moment. He needed her like a junkie needed crack after going a week without a hit, his vision would go black. He'd go limp and crazy, but whenever relaxed in her presence, the world felt so much easier, but he let things get out of hand, and she went back to running around the school and streets looking for a man. It only ended the way her father knew it would. He kicked himself the ass telling himself that 'he should...' but didn't want to upset his baby girl again but since she almost got killed, he was wondering if he truly failed as man. Tidus felt the same pain. He looked back into her eyes hoping she could forgive him again.
" I'm sick of this shenanigan. These experiments you know....do you think there is a possibility that you could have me again if I swore to you right now on my honor that I'd never betray you from now on?"
" I don't know. I don't know how good your word is. All I've got to go on is that you used me wrong." Tidus sighed. She wasn't looking at him angry, but she was being honest
" You'll have to give me time to consider this."
" Consider what?" He scratched his head
" I'm still kind of disappointed in you, and I can't just come out and say yes."
" Understandable." Tidus put his hands up and backed away a little. He sunk his head looking down at the floor. Part of him still had a response for that one, and it put a small smile on his face. He raised his eyebrows as he said it.
" You won't find anyone else at the school. In fact you find anyone else in this area. I oughta know."
" What does that mean." Yuna gave him a serious look
" Rikku tell you that those drunk musclebrained frats were teaching the rest of the high school dudes how to manipulate girls? It's an epidemic among the guy half of our generation except for people like Squall, but he runs around. Not your preference. Me? I was confused before. I'm not now. There's no one else, and nothing else in the way. No illusions about better people."
" What do you mean?"
" If it could help 'US' I'd be more than glad to give you as much time as time as you wanted to think about it, but I know that no matter what the decision, you want someone to love you. You'll end up with a person. Singleness will drive you out of your mind, and people are like that, if you want to find somebody. I just couldn't stand the fact it's someone in this town with the people we know. When I found out you were hurt I panicked, not only because of what happened in the past, but I couldn't see you hurt." He shrugged as he tried to explain. He took her hand. She let him.
I'm confused by all these fallen attempts at love, and I guess that I just want to make something that works. I know I've been foolish in the past. All this sexual tension among peers has been driving me nuts, but I've no fantasies anymore. Because you keep popping up in all of them. That's a clue. All I can think about is mending, and fixing old mistakes, and making sure that shit like this doesn't happen again I can't see my self in anyone else arms or with anyone else. I've talked to friends and they have different desires, but you Yuna. You I know that I can at least give my all to make you happy. So I say screw the experiments huh. we can't try on love lives like pairs of jeans, we should take ours and wear them. Let's go beyond and try a new experiment huh? Commitment.
He had become a man before her very own eyes. Well in one sense, and she began to realize that this was him at heart. She knew the type of things other guys would say when they were desperate. If she looked hard enough she could see that there was a person hurting for her inside. He was running back to her, but not because he was still on a love trip, only because he was sick of taking the journey period. She never actually did meet a person who knew what they were looking for besides sex, and maybe someone who would stick their neck out to love and give her care was what she really needed. Who else in this town could she run to anyways. She fought to bring up the other side of the arguement but all his failures were shadowed out by what she desperately felt within the next few seconds.
Was she coming back again?
Tidus had gotten a clue. There were tears. Either he broke her damn heart and pressed the big dangerous red button that would have him tossed out of her room in seconds, or whatever sort of great Berlin wall that held him back was broken through.
Thank God it was the latter.
She reached out to wipe away the tears. Still staring at him. The look he gave her seemed innocent all over again. Obviously he was telling the truth. As he reached out to kiss her on the forehead she put a hand on his shoulder and pushed to let him down to meet her lips. There they stayed for a long time.
Braska watched with a smile. He was still betting that this was the outcome since he had time to ponder what would happen with Tidus's arrival, but he was still juggling it. When people was hurt the opportunity for forgiveness was really iffy. He tried to be more accepting towards people that were unfaithful to him when they were willing to change and had been hoping for years that it would be enstilled in his daughter. It finally worked
Perhaps this was a sign of things to come.
He breathed out, and walked over to join his wife. She was eager to look but he told her to leave them alone.
A/N: It may seem happy now, but I've got just one or two more challenge to open up. I know. Feel free to grit your teeth breath out annoyed if you must because it seems like a good stopping point here. But what about them mischevious frats and Seifer who attacked Tidus and Yuna? What'll the crew say when they find that after all their attempts to ruin the relationship they find these two are back together? Squall and Celes really havent done much either, and without her (besides Quistis) who else could he be hitting on and getting laid? All these questions will be answered in my finale saga. (short saga.) Soon to come. Keep reading ya'll.