"Man! Lulu's pasta never gets old," Wakka commented excitedly as his wife set his plate before him. His brown eyes shone with radiant glee as he rubbed his thick, rough palms together, taking in the smell of steaming tomato sauce that filled their small hut. The twenty-five-year-old former blitzball coach and guardian dug in heartily, looking at his guests in polite undivided attention.
"Yes, thank you," Auron added upon receiving his dish, making himself comfortable in the circle of friends that sat around the table in the center, underneath a straw roof that let faint streaks of light steal in. Cushioned well over multicolored mats and rugs, he, Rikku, Paine, Wakka, and his wife Lulu sat awaiting news from Tidus and Yuna.
"This is good news, I expect?" Lulu asked, with one visible amber-red eye questioning the young couple while the other was covered by a mass of curling deep-brunette bangs. With her purple makeup applied well, she was very pretty, and distinctively stylish when one noticed exotic hair ornaments that struck through a bun at the back of her head, and several long braids that fell behind her.
Tidus wiped his hands over his black, heavy overalls that only hung mid-thigh, before blushing and taking a long swallow of green tea. Yuna cleared her throat and stood for the group, smiling proudly at Tidus. For a moment she toyed with her clear, well-manicured nails and finally gathered up the courage to announce:
"We're getting married."
Five mouths fell open at once, but the first to make a sound was that of Lulu and Wakka's baby son. Vidina's mother crossed the room to feed him, then silence dominated again as Yuna and Tidus smiled sheepishly.
"Yunie..." Rikku finally said. "That's... that's wonderful!!! I'm so happy! And excited!!"
"Not that it isn't good news, but I'm just... I'm just shocked!" Wakka exclaimed with his island accent aflame. "How long have you been planning this?"
"A few months now, I guess," Tidus spoke, looking to the roof rather than meeting anyone's eyes with his aqua-blue ones. "I guess it all started when her New Yevon friends in Bevelle said they wanted to see her wedding someday soon, and... I don't know, it all came so fast. But we've got our minds made up." He reached over for Yuna's hand as his bride seated herself again, blushing uncomfortably.
"New Yevon said that because they'd been wanting Yuna to marry Baralai for awhile," Paine said with a chuckle, sipping her tea. Her glossy carnation lips formed a sly smirk at the couple and she sighed contentedly. "But I think I like this arrangement a lot better."
"Congratulations," Auron spoke, raising his cup. "What more can I say? I trust Yuna fully. You know you have my blessings no matter what."
"Sir Auron," Yuna cooed in admiration. "Thank you. Thank all of you. We're so excited, and we knew you guys would be, too."
"So it seems that we've got a wedding to plan," Lulu said brightly, comforting her son in her arms, who was chubby and sunny with a tuft of his father's same red-orange hair curling outward from a colorful little hat. Vidina made a game of tugging at the fur lining of Lulu's dress, thick and cut super-low at the front. "I always wanted to see Yuna married, but I had no idea that this special day would come so soon."
Slowly the group began to burst with bubbly chatter about marriage, with the exception of Rikku and Auron. The seventeen-year-old Al Bhed leaned back with her head cradled in her hands, a pensive grin spread across her face, forming dimples at her flawless cheeks.
'A wedding,' she thought to herself as she played with a long beaded braid that escaped her massive blue headband. 'It's never an ordinary day with us, is it? I'm going to have so much fun, Yunie will settle down soon and have a family, I could be an auntie soon, but that only leaves me to hang out with Paine...unless Auron... no, that can't happen. I'm having my very first serious love and everything, but, it can't be my time yet.'