Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X or its characters. I *did* get some doujinshi though! Hmm...come to think of it, the doujinshi people don't own them either. ^_^

Character thoughts are in "italics." Dakara, zenbu hanashite okitain da...

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Just whistle and I'll come running.

Sounds like only a simple reassurance, doesn't it? It was something that was supposed to help you find your way.

Somehow, this simple phrase has become something more; a vow.

I'll come back to you, no matter what happens.

Just whistle and I'll come running. I promise.

**************

Final Fantasy X: Beginnings

Chapter Four: Love's Refrain

**************

Tidus and Yuna ended their electric kiss after a few moments, since well, a whole blitzball team was watching their every move (much to their discomfort). They looked into each other's eyes after parting, the world consisting of only the two of them. That was until...

"Whoa-ho!" Wakka put Tidus in a tight headlock.

"O-ooow!"

"Good to have you back ya?" Wakka let him go after a good amount of struggling on Tidus' part.

Tidus looked up to see the entire team of the Besaid Aurochs, who were figuring out just what to say to the one man who could bring their blitzball team farther than it already has. In the time since Tidus disappeared, they've made semifinals with little effort on their own...but never won the big cup.

"Uhhh...Sir Tidus?"

"Could ya..um..."

"Sure I'll play for you guys! Who else would I play for?" Tidus pumped his left fist in the air--his usual pose. The Aurochs cheered, Wakka laughed, and Yuna laughed along with him. Tidus smiled at everyone's reactions. "Feels almost like Zanarkand...only better." Yuna stopped laughing for a bit to turn to him, the trace of her smile still evident.

"Want to meet the others?" She reached out and took his hand underneath the water, so only he could notice. She blushed a little as she did this. "I-I'm sure they'd be excited to see you!" She could still barely contain her own excitement.

"Yeah Yuna, that'll be great!" He squeezed her hand under the water as he said this, a blush creeping up to his face too. He was about to turn away to hide it, but decided against it. "It's how I feel about her!" He smiled at Yuna, noticing her blush as well. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You're really cute when you blush, you know?" She giggled a bit, further proving Tidus' comment. She got closer to him and whispered in his ear too.

"You're cute when you blush too."

It started as giggles, but they both laughed loudly after this exchange, much like they did on their first trip to Luca. The Aurochs and the people on the Besaid shore gave them perplexed looks, weirded out by the sudden burst of laughter, much like Yuna's guardians did on her pilgrimage. This time however, they weren't laughing to hide underlying sadness.

Yuna started running towards the shore, letting go of Tidus' hand. "Race ya!"

Tidus, momentarily disoriented, quickly caught on. "You're on!" He made big splashes as he chased after her.

Wakka laughed at all the commotion that just passed him by. "Hahaha...That's young love, ya?" The Aurochs responded in similar fashion.

"You said it Cap'n Wakka!"

"Aww...makes me tear up, ya?"

****************

Yuna stepped into her hut, soaking wet, and as usual Lulu was there to greet her with a towel and a few reprimands.

"Yuna! How many times have I told you to dry off before coming in?" Lulu busied herself over her, drying her hair so more water wouldn't get on the furniture.

"Sorry Lulu! I'll try and remember next time!" Yuna smiled extra big, and the smile stayed there for quite a while.

*Flash!*This was a tip off to Lulu that something was out of the ordinary. "Yuna...did something good happen today--?" She was cut off as Tidus walked through the door, breathing heavily, and also...soaking wet.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Lulu screamed in surprise, mostly because of Tidus, but also because of the excessive amounts of water he brought into the hut. She quickly ran away into one of the rooms.

"Uh...Yuna? What's with her?" He pointed towards the direction she ran off to. He grinned and said under his breath, "Besides being pregnant, that is."

Yuna giggled under the towel Lulu had placed on her head. "Might be you. You think?" She peeked at the puddle of water accumulating at Tidus' feet. "Oh...and that too."

"What too?"

"You'll see." She giggled a little more.

Lulu came rushing back in, another towel in hand, threw it on Tidus, and dried him up as well. "There," she put her hands on her hips, proud of her work. She then hugged him suddenly.

"Wha--? Lulu?" Tidus was very confused by her behavior.

"It's good to have you back..." she hugged him tighter. "... especially for Yuna."

Tidus could see tears starting to well up in her eyes at his arrival. "Aww...c'mon Lulu!"

She pulled away from him and looked him over. "You've grown."

"I have?" Where Tidus was concerned it has only been a few days since he left the Farplane. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Yuna nodding in agreement. "Wait...if Lulu's pregnant, Yuna's practicing blitzball, and 'I've grown'...just how long has it been?"

Yuna saw the confused look in Tidus' eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Yuna. Be honest." His features became serious, and he grabbed her shoulders, for the first time really looking at her uniform. "The uniform of the Zanarkand Abes. What's she--?"

"O-ok." Yuna replied, the atmosphere no longer as cheerful as when they had first walked in.

"How long has it been?" Tidus asked, his voice softening. "Since I left. Since... I left you." As he looked into Yuna's eyes, for the first time he could tell that she had changed with time as well, her features more like a woman's, instead of the young girl he met that fateful day in the temple.

Yuna turned her head away, unable to answer. "I..." Too many bad memories of his absence came to the surface at his question. Her sapphire and emerald eyes showed the pain of the past.

"Two years."

Tidus turned towards Lulu, who had spoken up. "Two...years?" He couldn't believe it. "I...I didn't know."

"All that matters is that you're here..." Yuna said, her voice no longer shaky. An uncomfortable silence followed this exchange, that was until...

"RIKKU'S BACK!" Rikku's voice came bursting through the door long before she herself did. She made a grand entrance into the hut, jumping through the entrance energetically, sort of like she was further emphasizing the fact that she had arrived. As a greeting, she slapped Tidus on the back, HARD.

"Heeeeey! Heard you were back so I rushed over! Heeheehee." Rikku was as hyper as ever.

Tidus tried to hide his grimace, and Yuna laughed, the tension from the previous situation released. "H-hey Rikku..." he turned around to face her. Rikku looked almost the same as when he had left, though like Yuna, she had grown more beautiful with time. Of course, he wasn't about to say that out loud, it might give off the wrong idea. "Wow! You look like Yuna more than ever!" He paused after saying this. "Wait, maybe that was the wrong thing to say..."

"Really now?" Rikku smirked and looked Yuna's way. "What a compliment! Considering the way you two are..."

This elicited a blush from 'those two.'

"Ahem." Lulu had been a quiet spectator for too long. She still had the knack for getting everyone's attention though. "How about..." she walked in the middle of everyone. " How about...we have a little party for Tidus' return?" I think it would be a good way to commemorate today..." She was already running over preparations in her head.

"Hey, great idea Lulu!" Rikku exclaimed. Lulu was still her role model after all these years.

Tidus looked at Yuna, who nodded in agreement. "Ok Lulu, I'll help!" she said happily.

"Umm...small problem guys..." Tidus spoke up amid the excitement.

Yuna perked up. "What is it?"

"Well you see... it all started when I was in Luca..." Tidus sat down and began to tell his story.

****************

[Luca-Flashback]

Tidus had just had his movie sphere eaten by the mischievous fish, and was pretty down in the dumps. "Well..." He fumbled around in his short pockets for the money he had left. "I've got just enough to get to Kilika...I'll just have to walk it from there." he said this last part with a saddened expression on his face. He could still see all of Yuna's supporters gathering at the dock where her boat left. "Wish I could get to her sooner...ooof!" Tidus had absent-mindedly walked into someone exiting the dock.

"'Scuse ME! Watch where you're going M-m-mister?!" The woman looked up, her face turning pale.

Tidus was very confused. First she had been rude, and now it looked like she had seen a ghost. "Uh, ma'am? I'm really really sorry..." he tried not to make a scene of this and lowered his voice. "Do you need any help? Did I hit you too hard?"

"Sir Tidus?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Yeah...that's me. How did you know my name?"

"SIR TIDUS! IT'S AN HONOR!" She immediately took his hand and shook it. This caused the whole crowd of Yuna's supporters at the dock to turn toward the commotion, effectively turning their attention elsewhere.

"Sir Tidus? Here?"

"I thought he was dead?"

"Wow! A living legend!"

"Uwaaaaa...just like Sir Auron was!"

Tidus could do nothing but look helpless as he was engulfed by the swarm of people, reporters and cameras appearing out of nowhere. "Wha-what just happened right now?"

"Sir Tidus!"

"About Lady Yuna..."

"How does it feel to be a legendary guardian?"

"Me? A legend?"

[Flashback end]

*****************

"So..." Tidus continued, "Somehow I got a free ride to Besaid, and umm...ehhehe..." He showed a little hesitation.

Rikku was getting impatient. "Yeah? Yeah?"

Yuna laughed. "You sound just like Wakka does...ya?"

Lulu smirked at this. " I agree." Rikku shot daggers in both of their directions. "Anyway, so what was the problem again?"

"Well you see...since everyone knows about well, me...all of the reporters and Yuna's supporters are coming over to Besaid...tonight." Tidus hung his head low. "I was lucky enough to have them not follow me on the boat I was on!"

"WHAT?" Rikku exclaimed.

"We've been trying to avoid them for a while now, but I guess it can't be helped..." Lulu propped up her head in thought. "I guess we'll throw a party with them in mind then..."

"Whoa, a big party now?" Rikku thought a bit. "That could be fun too...and besides, now EVERYONE can know you're back in Spira!"

"Yay." Tidus said non-enthusiastically.

Yuna shared his feeling, and smiled softly. "We'll have a little celebration later on to make up for it, ok?" She put his hand over his.

"Ok... Thanks, Yuna." He smiled, he didn't want her worried. He had made her worry for two years, he wasn't about to make the same mistake again. He wanted to reach out and kiss her right now, with her hand covering his, and her pouting lips tempting him. "My feelings have never been this strong before..."

But now was not the time. "I'll tell her soon. I'll tell her that I love her."

"Hi everyone! Miss me?" Wakka came through the hut's entrance, though not as dramatically as Rikku. Being the good husband that he was, he had dried off outside, much to Lulu's relief. As he walked in, he sensed something amiss. "Eh...what's up everyone?" he directed his attention towards Lulu, she usually knew what was going on.

"Get dressed for a party Wakka, there's going to be a big one tonight!" Lulu looked him over. "And NOT the blitzball uniform, ok?"

"Yeah! So his pudgy stomach won't show!" Rikku giggled at her own joke.

"Wakka? You've got a belly now? Lemme see!" Tidus' curiosity was piqued.

"Hey! Leave me alone brudda!" Wakka said, pushing away Tidus' poking finger. "You gotta get dressed out of your blitzin' outfit too!"

Tidus continued to try and see Wakka's stomach under his uniform, with little success.

"Stop that! It's embarrassing, ya?!"

Everyone laughed at Tidus, Wakka and their bickering.

Yuna smiled and reluctantly got up to end the boys' 'fight.' "Come on now, stop it you two!"

Tidus grinned mischievously and turned his poking finger to Yuna's stomach instead. " Nice stomach ya got there!"

Yuna blushed, embarrassed by the sudden turn of events. But why should she be? She had been working at it for two years. She had a thought, then suddenly started poking Tidus' stomach, effectively turning the tables.

"Haha! That tickles!" Tidus reeled back from laughter, and Yuna giggled at his reaction.

Lulu saw once again that things weren't really going anywhere. "Ok everyone! Let's get ready and get to work on the preparations! We have to tell the village what's going on still..."

After a long pause, Wakka broke the silence.

"Hey Lu, do you know where my 'real' clothes are?" I forgot where you put them...hehe."

This earned him weird looks from everyone, including Lulu.

"What?"

*****************

Lulu had employed the help of the people of Besaid to set up a 'Welcome Back' party for Tidus. It was to be a grand affair, much like the celebration they had when Yuna had first proven herself as a summoner. As night came, a big bonfire in the middle of the village was lit to provide light and warmth for the outdoor party. The air was filled with revelry and anticipation, as people got themselves ready for the grand event.

Tidus was having a hard time finding something to wear. He didn't bring anything with him from Zanarkand or the Farplane, since well, it was just plain impossible. After a quick search through the hut (and Wakka's things) he decided to just give up. "My uniform'll just have to do..." He sighed and moved outside of the hut to gaze at the stars.

"Tidus? What're you doing standing around here?" It was Lulu. She had come out of the hut, wearing a purple satin dress that did nothing to hide her (pregnant) figure, but still managed to look stunning.

"I know this might sound stupid, but to tell you the truth, I can't find anything to wear." He grinned goofily.

Lulu looked him up and down thoughtfully. "Hmm..." She then made eye contact with him. "You really are a dead ringer for Chappu, down to his build...I think I might have some clothes for you then." She measured his broad shoulders by eye.

"Uh, Lulu, are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything..."

Lulu smiled. It was odd to have *him* worrying about her of all people. "I'll be all right, don't worry. I'd be more worried if you show up in front of everyone dressed like you're going to a game!" With this, Lulu pushed Tidus into the hut to change him into something more suitable for the celebration. "And..." Lulu thought, "...for Yuna." She was in the position to be matchmaker, why not have fun while you're at it?

*****************

In time, the 'guests' (Yuna's supporters, reporters, and other random people ^_^) arrived to the small island, surprised by the village's joyous welcome. They eventually settled into the mood though, enjoying food, drinks, music and dancing in short time, almost forgetting about the reason they came. The residents of Besaid on the other hand, were happy to grasp another opportunity to celebrate.

Tidus peeked out of the hut, just a tad bit uncomfortable in his borrowed clothes, though admittedly they did fit him pretty well. Lulu had done a good job, choosing black slacks and a dark blue long sleeved ribbed v-neck sweater for him to wear. The sweater showed just enough of his collarbone, and his Abes necklace shone brightly against its dark surface. Spotting Wakka (wearing a black suit and tie), Rikku (wearing a sleeveless salmon colored dress with a side slit) and Lulu among the crowd, he finally decided to come out.

Big mistake.

The moment Tidus stepped out, a reporter (or two) instantly noticed him (a sixth sense!).

"Sir Tidus!" The reporter pulled a mike from nowhere and a cameraman appeared magically behind her. "Mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"Uh.." Tidus hesitated. "I kinda, um. I mean..." He looked around for a means of escape, and saw Yuna across the way in a similar situation, a crowd of her supporters and various groups surrounding her by the minute. He stared a tad bit too long, looking at her smile, as well as her outfit. It was a white dress held up by spaghetti straps, and coming down mid-thigh, the glitter of the material shone in the moonlight. She also wore teardrop earrings, further accenting her beautiful face. (A/N: Think Rinoa's outfit from FF8)

The reporter caught wind of this. "Tidus, sir... you and High Maestress Yuna..."

Tidus really didn't want to answer questions about his personal life, but how else was he going to get out of this? He knew these people weren't going to stop until they got every ounce of his life on tape. He knew this from his past experiences on Zanarkand.

"All you really have to know about that, is that I'll stay by her side. Always." He smiled at the reporter and at the camera, hair falling sexily in front of his face. "Anything else you want to know?"

The lady reporter swooned a bit before continuing on her barrage of questions, much to Tidus' amusement.

With time, the other reporters as well as the residents who wanted to welcome back their hero, came to Tidus to ask him questions of life, love, and...whatever. ^_^

***************

Yuna had also noticed in her search for an escape from her 'fans' the crowd of reporters and officials that were currently crowding around Tidus. "He sure is popular with everyone tonight..." She smiled as she saw a glimpse of what he was wearing. "And handsome too."

"Lady Yuna, what do you think about the Al Bhed situation?"

"We think that if you join our group, it will benefit all of Spira! Please consider?"

"Can I have your autograph?"

Yuna took and deep breath and started answering questions one by one. This came as part of her responsibility. It was something she had gotten used to over time, but what she really wanted to do was enjoy the festivities...with a certain someone of course. "Good things come to those who wait..." she mumbled absent-mindedly under her breath.

"What was that Grand Maestress?" One of the group leaders was hanging on her every word.

Yuna snapped back to reality. "Oh! Nothing, nothing..." she laughed nervously and urged the people to continue asking her questions, and she signed a few autographs for the children that had come to her.

***************

The time came when the people became tired of their own endless questioning. A party was for having fun, not for business! With time, the people dispersed among the celebration, freeing up Tidus and Yuna to finally have some fun for themselves. Through the crowd of partygoers, they tried to reach each other from opposite sides of the central bonfire.

"Yuna?" Tidus called out loudly, he had lost track of where she was while weaving through the crowd. The music for the next dance was already starting up and he wanted to get to her before then.

"Ouch, you...you don't have to yell so loud!" Yuna joked, followed by a giggle. She was practically under Tidus' nose.

"Oh, haha! Sorry! Didn't see ya there!" He bowed slightly in apology, smiling his trademark grin. They both looked up as the song started to get underway.

"Haha, come on now silly..." she took his hands and placed them on her slim waist, noticing that for the first time she had seen, they were ungloved. She then snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Care to dance?" she asked, though it was more of a request than anything.

"I'd love to." He smiled at her, and they started to sway to the music as they slow danced. In time, Yuna set her head down in the crook of Tidus' neck, and Tidus wrapped his arms around her small form.

"He's so warm..." Yuna thought as she gazed at the golden tan skin of his neck. She closed her eyes, never wanting this moment to end.

"Yuna?" Tidus asked, his voice soft and gentle.

"Mmm?"

"I know I can't make two years time up to you...I-I really didn't know I hurt you that much..." Tidus could feel her tense up from his touch on her skin, but continued. "I'll explain what happened in the farplane sometime..."

Yuna cut him off. "All that matters is that you're here..." she added under her breath. "...and that you kept your promise."

Tidus smiled. "There is something I have to tell you more than anything though..."

Yuna lifted her head up to look into his eyes. "What is it?" She had a feeling of apprehension, "Is there some sort of 'catch' from being brought back from the Farplane? Is he only temporary? What if he--?"

"I love you." He said it loud enough so that only she could hear. He had finally said it. A look of relief and pure joy crossed Yuna's features.

"I know." she smiled. She had known from that night in Macalania. "But could you say it again? It sounds so nice." She placed her head on his shoulder once more.

"I love you, Yuna." He whispered it softly into her ear and stroked her face gently. He hadn't imagined that saying these words would come so easily, but there was one more thing he wanted to do while the mood was right. "May I kiss you?"

"I'd love it if you did...but all these people--mmph!" Yuna was stopped mid sentence as Tidus' pressed his lips to her own, he had taken her comment as a go-ahead.

"I don't care what everyone else thinks! I..." He continued to kiss her gently, and Yuna kissed back, her lips telling him that she had wanted this also.

Eventually, the couple pulled apart, and while looking into her eyes, Tidus realized just what was going on here. The music had long stopped, and everyone's attention was directed toward them, not that he didn't mind. He could hear the murmuring of the crowd, and above it all, Rikku's "WAY TO GO YUNIE!!!" accompanied by the muffling efforts of Lulu and Wakka. Yuna laughed, she couldn't help herself.

"I'm falling in love with her all over again..."

****************

The rest of the party went as planned, Tidus danced with Yuna several more times, though on occasion Rikku or Lulu would cut in, just because. Yuna danced with Wakka also, though he was so tall, dancing with him was a bit weird at first.

As all good things must come to an end, the party eventually wound down to its final moments, the numerous guests returning home on the arriving ships, and the residents of Besaid turning into their homes for the night. Wakka, Lulu and Rikku went back to the hut tired from the day's exciting events. Yuna and Tidus stayed behind for a little longer, gazing at the stars together before they too, retired for the night.

"When the friends are gone, and the party is over, we will still belong to each other."

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Author's notes:

I'm so so so very sorry for making you wait for this chapter! If you haven't noticed, I tried to make it up to you by making this chapter longer than usual. ^_^ School has started for me once again, and I can't get much writing done during the week, so expect updates more like on a weekly basis. Kay? Kay.

The beginning quote is something most of you might recognize, it's part of the opening line Tidus uses in the Japanese version of the game. It is roughly translated as: "That is why ('Because' in my case)...I want to tell you everything." U.S players know this as "Listen to my story. This may be our last chance."

The end quote here, donated by the cool-as-heck Christian (or SuperSlayer-13...whatever you like to call yourself) is a line from Shakira's "Underneath Your Clothes." Would you believe that one quote jump started the whole chapter you just read? So if you have any ideas for what I should write about next, ANYTHING helps, believe me. Review, email me, or IM me! All the info is in my profile.

I love you all for the wonderful reviews you gave me!~ Keep it up, ya?