TIDUS' POV: Finally I hear you say :P


Chapter Seven: Kiss it all Better


The feeling of emptiness and loneliness came flooding to me as I stirred from my sleep. It didn't take me long to realise a certain beauty was absent from the bed.

I raised my head with confusion and instantly wondered what the time was... was it time to go? Was Yuna out there preparing? Instead of in bed with me. Since we were underground I couldn't tell what the time was and lazily I walked into the living room where the clock was placed centrally on the wall. As I suspected I had only been asleep for a few hours... so where had Yuna gotten off to? She was definitely not in the house which was so small I could hear her breathing wherever she may be... I just couldn't feel her presence... which I had found myself becoming largely addicted to.

A heavy worry weighed me down as I dressed hastily searching for my steel through the pile of mess Yuna called home. I couldn't believe that Yuna would venture out into the woods, probably the most dangerous place to be after Bevelle, why would she endanger herself like that, after everything we had succeeded in? Not being able to believe she would do such a thing I did a quick search of the house just to be sure, like I had suspected her splendid form was nowhere to be seen, so with worry in my heart I sprinted up the stone steps to the door where I froze. "Damn I need the damn key!" I said clenching my fists, and inhaling sharply. Yuna kept it in her Bra and it's not like she was around, so there was no chance of me getting out. Unless... she had been to careless to lock the door behind her after she had let herself out. It was a long shot but it was worth a try. I held my hand out hesitantly... I felt the cold metal of the doorknob greet my fingers. No longer being able to take the suspense I gripped it turning it with amazing speed. It was a miracle! Yuna being careless, it was a miracle!

As I stepped out into the forest I was soon daunted with a bigger problem, Yuna's whereabouts? I could probably search this whole forest and not find her. Or even worse, maybe she had ran off and left me. I thought about it, it would be so much easier for her if she left. Her plan, get me to set her free, then ditch me and run off herself... how could I have been so stupid. I was awoken from my thoughts when the sound of a loud sob filled my ears. It had definitely come from the spring, since I was right in front of it and had heard the sound quite clearly. If I wasn't mistaken it wasn't just one sob, it was the sound of steady sobs that died down seconds after they had gotten out of control. "Yuna..." I dashed to her side dropping my sword, as I prepared myself to sit next to her.

A large red mark was clearly visible across her angelic face, and she held her stomach in anguish. Instantly she tried to shield herself from me and turned her head away. "Tidus what are you doing here...?" She said flatly, you know it was funny because I was just about to ask her the same question.

"Yuna what in the Yevon happened here..." I said uncertain on whether to touch her or not. She was silent and continued her soft sobbing into her knees, as I sat there useless. I desperately wanted to help her, but it was dangerous here and I wasn't going to have a little chat to Yuna out in the woods at 3 in the morning when guards where on our trail. So I boldly stood up tucking my sword away and picking her up in my arms, she didn't seem at all pleased about this, but couldn't voice her frustration with screams or noises as that would have been pretty stupid of her, instead she decided to pound my back with punches from her fists, and kicked in a desperate attempt to get free.

I laid her down with force on the bed after I had entered our hideout, I held her down scared that she would run away and hide from me in some room, I didn't want her to shut me out anymore, whatever she had on her chest she had better let it out to me because I was going to find out what was going on right now and that was a promise!

Her struggling had come to a halt and she lay motionless on the bed with her sobs continuing to haunt my ears. I sat to the side of her my hands planted either side of her head, staring at her bruise intently. "Yuna... what happened..." I stroked some hair out of her face so I could see the mark more clearly, she tried her hardest to turn her head away from me and also refused to look me in the eye, but it was inevitable. "Yuna look at me..." I said gently holding her chin and tilting her head to the centre, her eyes darted everywhere, but not once could she look at me. "Yuna" I said firmly cupping the sides of her face with great caution, last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I brought her face right up to mine... I could feel the shivers run through her body and the urge to devour her lips with my own was so tempting I had to break the moment so I spoke. "Look at me..." I whispered terribly upset that she couldn't even find it within herself to look me in the eye. She shut her eyes and sighed, constantly sobbing, misery embedded into her eyes, I wiped her tears away softly and waited for her to open her beautiful eyes. After some time Yuna opened her eyes and looked at me longingly another angst filled tear slipping down her cheek,

"What happened...?" I said after winning the first part of the battle, raised my head a little, not being able to take the heat she placed upon me. I placed a hand on her stomach to hear her gasp out in pain, and I had instantly caused the release of more tears. "Y-Yuna...." I grabbed the hem of her top, wanting to explore the reason for the pain she was feeling, I tried my hardest to lift her top, only to have her push my hands away in one fast movement.

"Don't." She cried her voice nothing but a mere beg,. I didn't want to disobey her and wanted to respect her wishes, but the great pain she had felt from my light touch had to be further investigated, I would never forgive myself if she was hurt and didn't try to help her. So I decided to be brave, I persisted in trying to lift her shirt, making sure I was only going to lift it as far as it needed to go. She squirmed and fought me with great violence, when finally she rolled onto her stomach Her sudden movement only resulting in more screams of anguish. She cried out in pain causing me to cringe. Would she really rather cause herself this pain than have me take a look at whatever was causing this disturbance? "Yuna... I know you're hurt... just let me take a look at it, you can't hide since I know you're hurt already... just let me take a look." I said running my hands through her hair to calm her, she seemed more than obliged to roll back onto her back and nodded at me which I took as a signal to go ahead.

I gulped and nervously slid my hand up Yuna's shirt stroking her stomach tenderly, as she seemed sensitive at the slightest touch, she jerked a little at first but calmed down with my soft delicate touches and closed her eyes. Just as I was about to push her top up to inspect the damage, she talked.

"Tidus why..." She sobbed. I was scared for her, frightened for her, her tears continued to fall down her soft cheeks, her eyes were continually filled with pain, her voice quivered with every word, and her body seemed totally shut down. Not being able to reply to her question I revealed her stomach to me. "Sh-shit!" I said leaning back slightly from shock, the very sight of the bruise making me feel queasy. It definitely looked like the forming bruise was going to get worse and was already about as bad as I could imagine, never should Yuna have to endure this pain, never should any woman for that matter! "Yuna, what the hell happened to you?" I cried out hurting at the sight of her horrible marks.

"I fell..." She said bringing her hand up to the side of her face to see if she could feel the damage, which luckily didn't look to swollen but I wasn't going to take my chances and decided I was going to put ice on it.

"You fell? Yuna... you falling on the ground would not do something like that at all how stupid do you think I am." I paused at the sight of her rolling her water filled eyes "I don't think I want you to answer that." I sighed, what was I going to do with her?

"I fell onto a rock..."

"Yuna there was nothing around there! Please stop lying to me, I know this is human inflicted I can tell Yuna...just let me get an ice pack." I said flinching at the sight of her battered body again before returning from kitchen with the ice pack in my hand. I decided I would alternate between the two bruises the priority being her stomach. I placed it on trying to decrease the shock of the cold against her skin. "Yuna what's going on with you...? I doubt this was a guard... since you wouldn't be alive, so who was it Yuna? There wasn't anyone else with you." All the signs were pointing to self infliction; I prayed to yevon that this wasn't the case and grabbed her hand squeezing it tightly. "Yuna... did you... do this to yourself?"

"...... I...." She managed to say, but after that there was a long pause again.

"Yuna, please if you did, I beg you don't do anything like this again, and if it wasn't then you can't let anyone hurt you like this." For once she looked fragile, like she needed me... It felt so strange. The sight of her only brought back memories of her nestling herself into me but a few hours ago, she had seemed so happy then, but now, I had no idea how things could change in but a few seconds.

I lifted the ice pack up just to check her process... I knew it wouldn't, but I kind of just hoped the bruise would disappear, I wished her pain would just leave.

I bent down and placed my hands on her stomach, what I had the urge to do was completely in-appropriate but her perfect body needed to be loved, needed something more than the ache she felt, someone as perfect and as beautiful as her did not deserve this, she was made by Yevon to be loved. So with great tenderness I pressed my lips to her stomach and kissed her gently, starting on her lower stomach as low as it was safe to go, and moved up trailing soft kissed all over her stomach, her flesh was cool from the ice pack... and I was betting my lips made a pleasant warm surprise. Yuna squirmed under my affection making no noises of protest so I continued, making my kisses a little more passionate as I rested in between her legs. This was one thing I was good at... I knew how to love a woman down to her very toes and no matter whether Yuna felt the same way, I knew I was making her feel good and the very thought was probably driving her insane. I couldn't quite tell since I was too engrossed in her smell, her touch, her softness, but I was sure I heard a moan escape her kissable lips that I dreamed of one day kissing fervently.

"T-tidus what are you doing..." She said a little out of breath her hand pushed my head away from her stomach in a unconvincing way. I hoped I hadn't caused her any pain and I had made sure I kissed her so softly she probably wouldn't be able to feel it.

"I was kissing it better!" I grinned. "Now for your face." I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and moved the icepack up to her face, I continued to look down at her, the crying had now ceased and she looked dazed and confused.

"Tidus why... are you like this to me?" She asked.

"Yuna, if you didn't want me kissing you and such I'm sorry, I just want to kiss It better I promise I don't mean anything by it." I quickly said trying to cover up my embarrassment, whenever I even hinted at touching her in the way a lover would she got all defensive and angry, perhaps my feelings would never be returned, after all she did deserve someone better than me, but sometimes I just couldn't help my self. Everything about her was just so inviting, her lips called to me, the was she swung her hips when she walked could have me staring for hours, her laugh, her rare smile, her touch her smell, everything about her! I couldn't get away from my hungry desire to wrap my arms around her small waste and shelter her, protect her. Knowing I had never felt this way about a girl before, I knew Yuna was the only one I would ever want, but why should she feel the same way?

"No, I mean, so kind and caring to me, what have I done to deserve it?" I saw the tears start to well up in her eyes again and felt my heart sink, all I wanted to do was make her happy.

"Are you serious? You deserve better than this but I do my best." I wanted to tickle her and make her laugh, make her troubles go away, but wouldn't dare touch her in a rough manner, the sate she was in.

"Tidus, don't...." She got of the bed holding her stomach with pain. "You don't know anything about me, and you don't want do, trust me just stay away from me okay, JUST STAY AWAY!!!" She said cowering into a corner as I approached her. I paused in front of her for a few seconds before taking her into a hug, tight enough to send a message but not to hurt her.

"I want to know everything about you, no matter what happens I will stay with you."

"Tidus don't do this to me..." She said tugging on my shirt with frustration as she returned the hug and cried into my chest. "Please stop hugging me..." She begged. "Why don't you stop?" I whispered into her ear. If she wanted so much to stay away from me, how come she could not find it in her will to pull away from a simple hug? "I am going to go sleep on the couch tonight please just stay away from me, please." She let go of me but I knew it was done with reluctance.

"Yuna just wait, I'll stay away from you but you have to sleep in the bed, I can take the couch, you're hurt, I promise I wont question you about what happened tonight, I wont hug you, want do anything I promise just please get a good nights sleep."

She turned around, absolute bafflement was written all over her face, no matter how great Yuna was, there was one thing she let her guard down on, body language. "Umm...sure..." She said, my statement obviously taking its time to sink in, sometimes I worried about her, if I showed the slightest sign of care she would be absolutely startled... just what type of treatment had this woman endured? She started to approach me slowly, opening her mouth hesitantly

"Tidus...." She said after a few moments. "Have a good sleep and thank you for understanding." She hung her head in what seemed like disappointment and crawled back onto the bed clutching her stomach with pain.

"You sleep well to." I tucked her in and ran my hands through her hair before heading for the couch, we had slept together before, So why was it such a big deal now? Had I done something to offend her? It was probably for the best I didn't want to accidentally hurt her in my sleep or anything. Sighing I lied down on the couch realizing I had nothing to sleep with for the night, and for some reason this place was like a freezer. Shivering I wrapped my arms around my self and snuggled down into the couch not daring to beg for mercy from Yuna. "Tidus... I just realized you don't get a blanket..." Yuna said, startling me and causing me to jump up from the couch.

"Yuna ahahaha didn't see you there..." I said scratching the back of my head trying to contain my embarrassment over the shock. "Tidus you can sleep with me." She said rolling her eyes and heading back to the bedroom, I didn't know if she was really happy about it or not, but I was freezing and as long as she had invited me I guess I really couldn't say no.

Jumping back into bed Yuna generously gave me plenty of the blanket and turned the opposite way taking a deep breath, she still seemed deeply upset about something... and I swear if I listened hard enough I could hear her faint sobs through the silence. Even if I had made a promise to Yuna not to but in... I couldn't help but worry about the bruises that lay upon her body, her sadness, could all this pain come from one fall as Yuna had said it was all caused from? Some how, I knew Yuna had this deep dark secret she was never going to tell me, I knew Yuna would probably never open up to me either... but I had to try... were all these strange happenings somehow related to Marks death?

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"Tidus, JUST WAKE UP ALREADY!" I opened my eyes groggily to see the blurry image of Yuna standing above me impatiently. "Finally!" She said letting her hands drop to her sides in an annoyed tone. "What time is it?" I said wondering, as my eyes still felt quite heavy with fatigue, rubbing my eyes I grabbed the pillow and held it to my chest.

"About 5 in the morning, I know it's early but it's not like were going to move through the woods in broad daylight is it!" She said with determination. I guess she did make a point but it didn't change the fact I was practically dead. "You look pretty funny!" Yuna said starting to giggle furiously from my sight, it was probably my hair, always had a mind of it's own in the morning, maybe it was my fault for always neglecting the fact it needed a haircut, but I liked it the way it was and no-one could force me to have one of those neatly trimmed cuts that made the business men look like stiffs. I was broken out of my thoughts when I noticed Yuna's face had completely healed.

"Yuna... you're face... it's...?" I was totally confused did she heal at the speed of light or something? Because if I was correct her face should indeed look a lot more swolen to this date. "I guess you really did kiss it better?" She said jumping onto my lap I laughed and wrapped my arms around her. "Hey, I know I am good, but not that good, tell me what really happened Yuna." I said giving her a serious look

"I am a white mage, I can heal myself I was just to tired to do it last night..." She gave me a weak smile and placed her hands behind her back. Heal herself? That was impossible from what I had heard, apparently it drained so much strength out of you that you could almost end up killing yourself never had I heard of such magic. "It has been a gift passed down through my family." She stated noticing my bewilderment. "Now you got to get up and get ready, because if we don't arrive in Bikanel soon..." She trailed off and looked down to the ground in deep thought.

"If we don't arrive soon what?" I chuckled jumping up and taking her with me, I grabbed her lightly on the shoulders and awaited her reply. "Never mind... I am all ready I will be waiting for you." Yuna took that as her invitation to leave me alone in the room. Growling with pain at the sight of the mess I would have to sort through to find my stuff I started to search through the many articles of clothing and who knows what else... After a few long minutes I had retrieved most of my clothing and my sword... missing one shoe.

"Looking for this?" Yuna held up my shoe, leaning against the door with an evil smile on her face, I didn't care what type of smile it was though, a smile on Yuna was enough to make my heart skip thousands of beats. She chucked my shoe at me with force, I skillfully dodged the shoe flying towards me and laughed at the look of absolute repulsion on her face. "I will get you Praetor Tidus... you just better be ready!" She stormed out of the room over dramatically. Laughing at her childish behavior I quickly dressed myself and reflected on how she had changed... or maybe it was just the pressure of being in the jail that had made her well... I don't know the word for it, a depressed, apathetic... analyzer... it sort of scared me to say in the least. "Ready!" I said enthusiastically running up the stairs towards her my sword at the ready.

"I have no idea how we are going to get through this alive... as we have to pass the Bevelle entrance to get to the tunnel for Bikanel dessert." Yuna said unlocking the door carefully and placing the key back into her bra safely, no matter how many times I had been exposed to that I could never stop shaking when I watched her do it so as a solution I turned my head.

But if what Yuna said was right, then there would be a reason to panic, and I knew very well that the Yevonite soldiers would be wide awake at this time, they weren't that stupid... She gestured me to follow her with her index fingers, her motions signaling me to be more than just silent (if that was humanly possible) I peeked around the corner to see the two guards circling near the entrance in deep conversation.... Over no-one else but me.

"Okay here is the plan." Yuna said pressing her small frame close up against mine so less sound would escape her mouth when she whispered into my ear. Still I couldn't help the feeling of heat start to rise through my body when her usually intangible body, was not just a vision and was pressed up against me more touchable then ever. "We run and raise our weapons, I'll take the right with my gun, and you take the left with you're steel, deal?" She said running her hand un-necessarily down my chest, was she trying to make me more nervous? I nodded and took a gulp as she backed away and winked at me. This felt good, me and Yuna partners in crime... Maybe she decided to get extra close to me as a way to do whatever she wished, whatever the reason was... I liked it.

In one fast movement Yuna had jumped out and pointed her gun to the back of the Yevonites head. I quickly followed her lead and tried to reach the left soldier as fast as I could, but his reflexes were obviously well trained, and in a second he had turned around from the sound and aimed his gun at Yuna. "Don't move!" Yuna shouted unaware of my soldier that was pointing a gun straight at her. I pointed my sword at his neck, causing little pain just enough to scare him.

"Lady Yuna, Praetor Tidus?" The one aiming his gun at Yuna gasped.

"What of it! Drop you're weapons or I'll shoot!" Yuna spat, pushing the gun further into the back of the mans head. "We don't mean no harm lady Yuna..." The man being harassed by Yuna stuttered. "We c-could never harm Sir Tidus, P-Please spareee us!" He wailed. Yuna looked at me with a disgusted look as if to say 'this is the type of men you recruit?' I laughed when I realized who the man was. "Bruce?" I asked lowering my sword and Yuna's gun "What the hell are you doing Tidus?" Yuna said aiming at her newly found target me!

"Tidus she killed Mark, what are you doing with her? Why did you go against the teachings of Yevon! You are a traitor." David said, both David and Bruce were very close friends of mine and I was extremely grateful that they were both on this shift otherwise we may not have been so lucky. David was the smarter one, always coming up with the plans, he was first introduced to me when he had some ideas for Bevelle my father couldn't be bothered dealing with, so therefore he was sent to me to have his thoughts carried through with. Bruce had always accompanied him... but rarely did he talk anything that made much sense.

"She is innocent, believe me, Yuna is innocent..." I said looking at her and smiling weakly she instantly turned her head and looked at the ground lowering her weapon. "But the high priest said-"David started.

"I don't give a damn what that old geezer said, he is going crazy anyway, I know Yuna is innocent I am just having a hard time convincing anyone else, even one of my friends!" I glared at David who backed away and gave out a nervy laugh. "Besides look at her, does she look like a killer?" I said patting Yuna on the back, who almost chocked on the sudden gesture, and looked up at the two men smiling sarcastically.

"To tell you the truth yeah..." Bruce said. "Shut up!" David said slapping Bruce across the head with his gun. "Sorry bout that Lady Yuna..." "No problem, get stereotyped all the time because I wear black and carry a gun, not my problem." She said folding her arms with impatience. "So what's the deal, you going to go run to Jecht and get us locked up?" She raised her eyebrows.

"No Mam!" Bruce said saluting Yuna, so she had yet crippled another man with her beauty, David also seemed to be doing his fair share of sizing Yuna up, which either made me annoyed or jealous I couldn't tell which. "Tidus, it's really serious Jecht has sent the Yokatta's after you, they are assigned to track you two down and kill you on site, they just passed through here..." David said side glancing Yuna once again.

"Where were they headed do you know?" Yuna asked walking up to David with a questioning look on her beautiful face. "Er, no Mam." David replied obviously nervous from the amount of distance they lacked.

"You sure?" Yuna whispered into his ear placing one of her hands on his neck, I almost got the impression she was about to kiss David and I tensed my fists in order to control my sudden anger and jealously.

"Well, they were headed for Thunder plains... and after that well...they didn't inform me of their plans I am sorry Lady Yuna." He stuttered leaning back slightly from her. He sighed and wiped the sweat of his face as Yuna stepped back with a shrug and continued to lean against me, her back on my arm, and me supporting her body weight. "Tidus, the plan is still in place." She said glancing up at me, I smiled and nodded. "Tidus, you may pass this once but I am afraid if we see you again..."

"I understand, thanks for putting yourselves out for me, I will remember this and I owe you big!" As I finished Yuna took it as her cue to run in the direction we were headed. I waved at my mates flustered and ran off after her, slowing down as we approached a huge entrance to what looked like a tunnel.

"It leads to Bikanel." She said taking my hand and leading me through it. It was quite a short trip and before I knew it we were out in the dessert, the amount of yellow blinding my eyes with furious pain. "I know the way don't worry, but we have to hurry, it's not far but if we stay out to long... well it's just not a good look." She said not quite taking the pace of a run but more like a fast walk.

I shielded my eyes that were still not used to so much brightness, and felt my jealously over the previous event bubble like green nuclear waste that was about to explode and kill off the rest of Spira. "Yuna... why were you that way with David?" I asked my question intending her overly flirtatious behavior.

"Why was I what way?" She said half heartedly, continuing to walk ahead with determination in her eyes. "Like... ALL OVER HIM!" I said trying to joke about the matter.

"Because I felt like it." She shrugged fastening her speed and I was finding it hard to keep up with her as my feet kept getting bogged up in the sand, the Al Bhed lived out here? Now I realized that they had to be isolated due to people like my father, if you ask me I looking forward to meeting the Al Bhed... I would get to see if they were really the monsters my father made them out to be. "Oh I see..." I replied sighing, Yuna was a free spirit she did as she wished... I knew Yuna probably didn't have the slightest interest in me, but I wish that she would just stop leading me on and having these mood swings.

"Listen Tidus." She glanced over her shoulder with a look of sympathy on her face. "I can do what I want! You don't own me, I think David was hot and if you weren't standing there I probably would have taken him into a corner and done my thing with him. Just get over it okay, I don't like you! I don't want to be watched by you or questioned by you 24/7 OR CARED FOR BY YOU FOR THAT MATTER! You rescued me and I am grateful, but we will not be GETTING MARRIED!" She said with an angry shaky voice. I tried to ignore the fact her comment had cut deep, but studied her body language, she seemed to be shaking as she walked and continued to sigh, she also looked like she was about to tear up when we stopped for a few seconds due to the fact we were almost about to climb a hill made of sand and I got to observe her face. Maybe there was some truth in what Yuna said.... But I could tell that there were also a lot of lies.

I didn't bother saying anything to her about it and tried my best to continue walking up the steep sand dune. "Whoa...." I looked out over the city when we reached the top of the hill. The city looked awesome, huge, bright, brilliant and technological, but something strange was happening, nothing what so ever seemed to be happening at all , the city was completely quiet... it sort of let me down I was expecting huge machina to be flying through the air, machines to be buzzing, and the city to be bustling with life... but nothing.

"Hmmm that's strange...." Yuna said placing her hand on her chin thoughtfully. I glanced back at the city that seemed like a ghost town... when the most annoying sound I could have ever hoped for pierced my ears. "YUNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" I turned around to see a beautiful young girl running up the hill towards us, with excitement on her face from which I presume was over Yuna...


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