Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not, REPEAT, do not own anything from Square Enix, not the characters, not the places etc.
Summary: (T/Y) They were best friends as kids, but as time passed they grew apart. Now a couple of years later, they unexpectedly find themselves brought together. The coarse of true love never did run smoothly...
A/N: So, this as you know, is a Tidus-Yuna. Well, it's my first time writing in the FFX section. It all depends on how much you like my work, that'll I'll continue to write in the FFX section. And, um, the setting will be Tokyo, Japan. No Zanarkand and etc. And last, two characters from the FFVII series will appear in this fiction. So go on…review when your done.
"This love has taken it's toll on me, she's said goodbye too many times before." - Maroon 5
Prologue: Broken Hearts
"How long is forever?" A eight-year-old Yuna asked.
She turned to look at her best friend and crush---to which he never knew---Tidus. They sat under the shade, in the playground a couple of blocks away from their house. Away from the scorching heat of the sun. It was a very humid day outside in Japan, and both preferred to be in the shade, then in the heat.
"My sister was talking about how much she loved her boyfriend, saying that she was going to be with him forever." She explained. "I know that forever is an eternity, or was it always is forever?" Yuna questioned.
"Either way, I think." Tidus simply replied, in a melancholy voice.
"Will my father be with my mother, my sister and me always and forever?" Yuna meekly asked. "Will your mother be alright?"
Tidus slumped. Though, they did what they usually always did on their schedule, this was a day like no other. It was a day of agony for the two. Both finding out that one very important person in their lives were probably soon to be gone from the earth, they were both scared that soon they would never see them again.
Tidus looked at Yuna with watery cerulean eyes. "I really don't know, Yuna. I'm scared though. Really scared, but dad says I have to be strong for mom."
The young girl slowly reached her pale, small hand out and delicately put hers atop of his small hand as well, as if to try and help, but both their world's were crashing. And their was nothing either could do about it. "My father…the doctors say that he has less than a year to live…"
She gently squeezed his hand, in a unconscious state. "My mother called grandma and she was crying on the phone telling her…I overheard. My sister knows, but mom wouldn't tell me, she said I was too young. I had to find out by myself." She incoherently spoke.
It was quiet after that, as both reflected on each of their problems---that were both similar in a way. Yuna looked up at the lush, green leaves that occupied the trees, as if searching for something…she didn't know what she was searching for, but she knew she was searching. Today was truly a beautiful day, but both felt empty and non-energetic. They didn't want to play. It was now just that time that they moped together, both entrusting each other with their problems, as they had did many times before.
A tear escaped Yuna's green eye, and slowly fell down her pale cheek, over her pink lips. She already knew the outcome of one of her parent's health. Yet, she was hoping, that somehow, all could be changed.
"Yuna?" She heard her best friend call her name.
"Yes…?"
Tidus looked at her, revealing a sad, fake smile. "I was just think-…you know…what you were talking about before? With your sister saying that she was going to be with her boyfriend forever?"
Yuna gave him a quizzing look. She was confused. Where was he going with this?
"Well, all we have is each other right? I mean our parents are always hiding things from us, telling us that we're too young to understand…so we always confide in each other. I was thinking we should make a promise…." He looked at Yuna again, this time he clutched her small hand, and out it between his. And he let out another weak smile.
"Let's be friend's forever. Promise?"
Yuna smiled, as she watched him---this time smile a true smile.
"I promise."
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If it was up to either one of them to keep the world from oblivion by forever holding onto their friendship…
All would've been lost.
Times changed, things changed, they changed, and no longer where they the friends that were always side by side. Cherishing each moment spend with each other. In fact, instead of that, they never spoke one word to each other.
All through the years, through high school he became too occupied, being the famous school playboy. While she became the girl that no on noticed. Now she was a young twenty-one year old still living with her mother in Tokyo, Japan. While he traveled around the world, playing his blitz ball tournaments. Things still quiet…unsaid between them, nearly thirteen years later after their promise.
Things had changed. Especially after the death of her father, Braska. As to the death of his mother, Amy. That same year---when both were eight---Amy, and Braska both died. Amy from spinal trauma caused from a fatal car accident. Braska for being diagnosed with cancer.
After the horrible incident, Yuna was practically doing all the house work, trying to help out her depressed mother, hardly ever having any time at all for having fun. At the age of nine she practically had responsibilities of a twenty year old. She learned to cook to feed her mother as well as her sister and herself. She cleaned the house, bought the groceries, stood inside to make sure that everything was in order, perfect.
It was as if she was the mother.
Like they say, things fall apart. Sometimes you could never control what goes on between friendships or in your life. Yes, things had certainly changed, but it was a way of life that both had lived and gotten used to for thirteen long years.
But while some things may change for the worse, they also could change for the better…perhaps fate had meant to reunite them…
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Her room was just as dark as her heart, her heart was just as empty as her room. Not even the moon shone through the blinds of the curtains to light up her mood. She stood their, lying down in her bed, giving into her body's need to fall apart. A low sob escaped her throat, passed her lips, and she stood their, her body shaking, resembling a wounded animal.
Silent tears poured down her face as she kept her unique eyes staring up at the blank, dark ceiling. She had spent her whole afternoon like this just as soon as she had gotten home, she threw herself on the bed and wept. Today was her father's thirteenth year since his death. And tomorrow she knew that she would be invited over to mourn at her next door neighbor's house. The one place that she had not ventured in for the past thirteen years. She always avoided any confrontation with her ex-best friend or anything that had to do with him.
She cuddled up more with her blankets in the room, as if to comfort herself before shoving her hand over her mouth to keep from whimpering. She was…alone. Just as she had been since her father's death.
This time of the year was always hard for Yuna. This was the day of every year when she would stay home, show her true weakness and mope. Her mother had gotten used to her dark mood on this day. It seemed that everyone else could take it better than her. When she was younger---for years she would complain about how her mother or sister would be whining about how they would never let her grow up. And now, finally when she felt like she wanted to be a child again, just to have someone their to comfort her, that didn't come. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, she knew that her remaining parent knew that she---the one who always stood her ground---was now weeping. Not even asking what was wrong. Not even asking if she needed anything. Her mother thought she knew. She only knew half.
A special friendship was lost as well.
She remembered that they had once been inseparable. Always together, having fun. Confiding in each other. Never once had they kept a secret from each other, until that day she ended it all. Why did their friendship end? Because that day at the hospital she had simply told him to get lost. And how diligently he did just that. She remembered she expected him to fight for their friendship, but he simply left, head down, shoulder's sagging.
From that point on she knew that she had made a terrible mistake.
A mistake she would forever regret. Not only did she have nobody to confide in, but as well she was utterly alone all the time.
No matter how long she told herself that things might just work out. No matter how much she told herself that she was hopelessly in love with him, even after years of not talking to him, she continued to be miserable. Not even how many other days she would wish he would come around. There would never be anything more between them. Never. And each year on this day instead of coming into terms with that, she would mourn all day.
She only blamed herself though for being so stubborn, so stupid. She didn't want to feel, to talk, to even eat after the time of her fathers death. She was too depressed. Too depressed and too selfish to think about what she had ended.
She would always take the time to think about what might've happened between them if she never had ended anything…if she was smart enough and kept everything going. Would they still be as close? In love, maybe? Or would they just be the same…forgetting about each other…in Yuna's case, trying to forget. She would never know. Not ever.
She let out one last whimper, before slowly wiping her eyes that were full of tears. She slowly stood up from the bed, untangling her body from the sheets. She wondered what would he think if he saw her now? He would probably laugh in her face. Yes, that's what he would do. She had cried her eyes dry, she found out, for not one more tear found it's way out. It was time to shove everything away. All of her insecurities, all of her fears, it was time to start a new day.
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"Claudia I understand but-…yes…life altering? Please don't exaggerate Clau-…I'll try my best…I know…I'll be sure to tell her, she's coming over today with the children and her husband." Hikaru spoke on the phone. "Claudia you won't hardly let me finish a sentence, let alone three words. Can I please say something without you interrupting?" She continued on the phone receiver. Claudia is Tidus' step-mother. Four years after Amy's death, Jecht had remarried. Deciding to move on. In a short amount of time she had become very close with Tidus, and had a daughter of her own with Jecht.
Yuna watched her mother, curious, as she spoke to Claudia on the phone. She was already frustrated, and she knew what she was calling for. What she always called for on this day. To come over to their big mansion and hang out to try and relieve the stress. Yuna truly didn't want to show the frustration on her face. 'Life altering news'. Yuna inwardly scoffed, what could she be talking about now?
"Oh, really?" Hikaru's eyes lighted up with surprise. "…wow…I had never thought-…what? No of course not! What would make you think such a thing-…Yuna? I really don't know…I mean…I think she might be busy…" Yuna looked at her mother just as her mother had looked at her. She gave her the look that read 'no-I'm-not-going-anywhere!', and crossed her arms. She could still hear Claudia with her motor mouth going 50 miles.
"Important? You think? I really wouldn't…" Hikaru bit her lip, and Yuna knew that she was about to fall for one of Claudia's tricks. Yuna still had her arms crossed, as if in a stubborn matter. "I guess she could cancel…though just this once…oh yes-…what time will he show?" About three seconds later, Hikaru nodded, as she received her answer. "Okay, well, I'll be getting ready-…okay…okay…yes Claudia, okay…bye." She sighed before looking up at her daughter with her green eyes.
"Claudia thinks that if you show up, it will be good for you. It's going to be a huge party where you can have fun and socialize." Hikaru spoke.
Yuna sighed. There was no way; if hell froze over, if chickens learned to soar in the air, even if her father was to be brought back, would she make an attempt to go over there. She wouldn't show up. Yuna shook her head. "Mom, I'm not going!" She yelled, as she threw her arms up to add affect to the protest. "I do not want to go, I don't care."
"She said that it's very important, Yuna. Why don't you give it a try for once?" Her mother asked, her eyebrows rose in a suggestive manner. "You're sister goes…she has no problem. They just want to help out, they know what this day is like for us."
Yuna gave her mother a quizzed look, she looked tired just then. "Mom, it's always 'very important'. With Claudia, that's all it ever is." she spoke in an exaggerated voice. "Then when you get their it's just like the other get together…boring and useless. It never helps me."
"She said that Tidus…will be there." Hikaru said in a playful voice, knowing about her daughter's little childhood crush and weak spot. But Yuna---this time---hadn't flinched like she usually did. At the one mention of his name she would usually flip.
Yuna only gave her mother a hard stare. Hadn't she told her mother before that she didn't want to go? She didn't want to see him. She knew that she would feel like a complete fool if she did---finding some way to humiliate herself. Somehow. She knew.
"Why would I care?" Yuna questioned, but before her mother could answer, she continued. "We had a friendship that ended thirteen years ago. How could that be good for me? I'm not going. I don't care. I feel sick, and I'm going to spend this day resting and being lazy." she clarified, saying the first thing that came to mind. Though it wasn't exactly a lie. Thinking about her father's death and Tidus made her feel bad, bad enough to do just as she said, stay at home and lay down in her bed all day. With the exception of crying her eyes out. She couldn't spend at least one minute in a room enclosed with him. She knew she would freak. And she couldn't---wouldn't make herself look like an idiot affront of him. Her mother must've sensed it as well, because she gave Yuna a look that said so.
"What's wrong dear? Do you need to go to the doctor's or something? Anything you want to tell me?" her mother asked her, a sweet smile on her face, before Yuna quickly shook her head.
Yes, something has happened. Something that she would forever keep in her heart and never open up. Despite herself, she did let out a chuckle though. Yes it was bad, but it was probably obvious to all of those around her. Her mother a number one example.
"Oh, sweet mother," Yuna spoke, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She let out a joking smile, a smile let out just to let her mother know that she was just going to humor her. "Ask one question, then proceed to the next." Her mother let out a ghost of a smile, knowing that her daughter was doing nothing, except mocking her.
"Are you feeling well?" She asked.
"Why, of course mother…" Yuna answered bluntly, titling her head, making her fake cheer obvious.
"Well, in that case." Hikaru smiled, just as her daughter had done earlier. "Get ready to go over. We're being expected very soon." Yuna opened her mouth to object, but closed it again. She knew that no matter what age she was or would be, once her mother had made up her mind, she wouldn't change it.
No matter what.
Yuna crossed her arms, looking like a child. "Damn." she muttered before slowly dragging herself to her room, as she heard her mother call from downstairs living room.
"And wear something nice!"
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She and her mother stood quietly outside the door. 'I can do this…' Yuna thought as she waited by the door nervously. She hadn't heard his voice in nearly thirteen years, she hadn't spoken a word to him in nearly thirteen years, and she hadn't once seen him in four years since high school. And now they expected her to come over here and chit-chat with him as if nothing happened? Not going to happen.
She still remembered the last time she had went to a party in their house when his mother was still alive and all was good. She had just turned seven, and when she hadn't been depressed or deprived of her childhood. She remembered how much they laughed together, and played together. And after she pushed hi away, it was as if all was lost. They stopped their daily calls, and letter's. All was different, and heartbroken, they both never said a word of it. She already decided in her mind that if he were to pass by and be in the same room as her, she would just ignore him, acting like it was nothing new. Like she wasn't scared.
She woke out of her revere when she heard her mother greeting Claudia and walking in. Then shortly Claudia turned to her. "Oh, Yuna. How are you?"
Yuna gave out a fake smile. "Fine, thank you."
Claudia opened the door just for her to pass in. When Yuna walked in, the first thing she thought about was how much this place had changed in the last thirteen years. It no longer held that smell of white plums that Amy had when she occupied the house---still alive. Instead, it had a kind of rosy smell. All of the interior was changed, the pictures of Amy were all put down. Taking away the only memories that she thought Tidus would treasure in his house. The strange aura that was held in this house was gone with Amy alive no longer. And this…bothered Yuna.
Yuna took another step slowly, making sure to watch her feet as she did so. She wasn't quite used to walking I heels and she didn't want to make a fool of herself by falling and tripping on her face in front of all these rich people. That's when she saw Rikku running over to her, well, trying to run, her tight blue dress and heels wouldn't let her do such a thing, she was doing an imitation of running.
"Yunie, you look great!" She smiled at the girl as she wrapped her arms around her in a loving embrace. "You should wear dresses more often. You look better than me, and I don't toss that compliment around that much." Rikku laughed, and the brunette blushed. Yuna had worn something simple, at least in her eyes, she had on a soft milky pink dress, which stopped a little over her knees, showing much of her legs, and the dress was tight around her curves, and she had a two thin straps with a little pendent that her father had given her before his death. Her hair was pinned up, as she let some of her hair come down, in a beautiful bun.
Yuna looked over Rikku. She had a long sky blue dress, with a slit on the left side. Her hair was let loose, for once, and she had a little make-up. She looked much better than Yuna in a dress. "Hi to you too, Rikku." Yuna finally greeted. "Thanks for the compliment, but you look much better in a dress than me."
Rikku was Tidus' other step sister. The one that Claudia had with another man named Cid. Rikku was from America. She wasn't Jecht's real child like Tidus or their other daughter, who was only nine, Lenne. She was treated by Jecht just as Claudia had treated Tidus. And since the death of Amy, as well as the falling out with Tidus, she could talk to her. She always seemed to understand.
Both excited, they linked arms together, as they walked further into the large mansion. Dona was the first to greet them as they entered the living room, and Yuna let out a little snort.
Rikku gave her a little nudge with her elbow. "Yunie, you know she's one of my friends. Try and be nice." Rikku reprimanded.
"I know," Yuna answered. She didn't like Dona one bit. She always thought of her as a sneak---which she was in fact. She acted as if the world revolved around her, and Yuna wasn't up for that.
"Hey Rikku," Dona greeted, as she gave the blonde a light kiss on the cheek. Then turned her attention at the brunette. "Yuna, how are you doing?" She questioned.
"Fine." Yuna let out another one of her famous fake smiles.
Dona smoothed out her emerald green dress, before looking up to smile at her. "Well, that's good." Yuna could quickly tell that she was being just as fake and it seemed Rikku could to, because she then gave Dona an excuse to leave, taking Yuna with her.
They walked up into a corner where nobody could see them before proceeding. "Yuna, what was that all about? Why don't you like her?" Rikku questioned. The other woman shrugged.
"She's a sneak." she simply answered.
Rikku sighed. "Okay, we're going to go out their again. This time both of you better act nice, okay? That's all I ask, Yunie." And she dragged her back to where Dona was. Rikku rekindled the conversation, while Yuna decided to sneak off.
"I need some new friends." She mumbled, as she walked away from the both of them.
She searched around the room with her unique eyes. There she spotted her sister, Tifa, with her husband, Cloud, and their four children at the entrance inside the mansion. She looked over Tifa. She had on a tight, black, oriental dress with white patterns of design on it, with a cut off at her knees, but then got longer in a diagonal way o the other side, which had wrapped down to her ankles. Her waist length hair was let loose, in it's usual way, while she wore long white-gold earrings, and a matching necklace. Tifa always went to the fullest when it came to looks and parties. Yuna quickly noticed that Cloud looked handsome as well, his hair still spiky, but his attire completely different. Their children, Ayame, Braska---the one that mom had asked Tifa to name after their dad---and Kaname looked really cute too. They all looked fine together.
Yuna quickly walked over to them, a smile on her face. As she left the two girls going over shopping plans.
"What's up, Teef?" She greeted, as she lay her arm on Cloud's shoulder. Yuna smiled as both Cloud and Tifa admired her "plain" attire. "Why are you late? Me and mom got here twenty minutes ago."
Tifa smiled. "Well, we don't live next door like you and mom do." She answered. "Plus, I had to dress the kid's and Mr. Strife over here." She joked, as she gave him a humorous look.
Yuna playfully punched Tifa in her arm. "Hey, if you don't want this hunk of a man, I'll take him. Cloud is a really good husband to have around."
"Hey!" Cloud entered, giving Tifa a offended look. "you see, at least Yuna would appreciate me!" They all laughed, and Yuna once again looked around the room, but as soon as she saw someone enter, she stopped laughing completely, and put her hand onto her stomach. Her face had seemed to have paled as well.
"Yuna, are you okay?" Tifa asked, putting a hand over her younger sister's shoulder. Yuna quickly nodded.
The truth was she wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. Why? Because he had just made his entrance. Tidus. He was here. She could see her hands visibly shaking. 'oh dear God, what am I going to do?' She thought, as she looked up, only this time to find him staring at her just as she had done to him when he entered.
Startled, she turned her face away, a large flush on her cheeks. Tifa seeing what direction her sister's gaze had been on, looked herself. "Oh! There's Tidus, come on, let's go talk to him!"
"No, Tifa. I'm going to-"
Yuna protested, but before she could even finish, she felt her sister grab her forcefully, and drag her over to where the blitz ace stood, talking with other's, Rikku, and Dona. Yuna walked behind, a large frown on her face. Why had her sister always made her do things like this?
As they finally stopped, Yuna felt her sister tug her to the front, able to give Tidus a full view of her attire. Yuna stood up slowly, scared---yet she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She couldn't.
"Tidus!" She watched as Dona threw herself into his arms, Yuna rolled her eyes. "I haven't seen you in so long! I never, ever want you to leave me."
Tidus smiled. "Well, I guess your in luck cause it seems I have a three month break." He spoke, not yet noticing his ex-best friend.
"Really!?" Rikku jumped in, full of excitement. "That's great! Now you can spend some time with me, Dona and Yuna." At the sound of her name, Yuna swore she saw him flinch, but quickly recover as though not to look suspicious. He turned his gaze away to look around the room, when he saw her, right there affront of him, a ghost of a smile on her face. She swore that after this, she was going to murder Tifa.
"Speaking of Yuna, there she is!" Rikku giggled. He nodded.
"Hey."
"Hi." She responded. For both, it was very unusual she could tell. And then suddenly she felt that feeling come back to her again. The feeling of being helpless. She didn't want to be here. Talking to a stranger.
Because both knew that to each other, that's what they were. Strangers.
Yet, they were stranger's filled with a ocean of needs. Strangers that used to know each other inside out.
Stranger's that knew nothing about each other at all…
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A/N: Well, there goes the first chapter. I hope it was good enough for all you readers. If you want me to continue sent me a review. That way I'll know people are into it. Next chapter's will be much better. Remember, first chapter's are mostly the dullest. But things will speed up slowly, little by little. So, like I said, leave me a comment review, or if you have any death threats. Haha. Just kidding. No flames please. Thanks.