iDisclaimer: yet again, same as before. I hope you all don't mind a break form Lenne and Shuyin just now, I have to bring Yuna back in. =) /i

Chapter Three: Some Things Never Change.

Yuna woke up to the welcoming feeling of the warm Besaid sun shining on her face that was streaming through the slit in the tent door. She shifted back on the bed to try to go back to sleep and found herself pressed up against another body. Yuna felt as though she had just jumped out of her skin, and was about to jump out of bed, when she remembered who was sharing her bed.

She closed her eyes and tried to tell her heart beat to calm down, and tried to slow her breathing. Soon, she felt an arm fall over her and pull her closer. Her bed-mate whispered in her ear, a hint of laughter in his voice, "Forgot I was here, eh?" Yuna laughed lightly and turned herself under his arm to face him. She looked into his bright eyes and smiled. She didn't know how to reply, and he knew this.

He brought his face closer to hers until their noses touched. "I won't leave you again," he said, his deep blue eyes so full of emotion that they seemed even darker than usual. Yuna smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. "I'd never let you," she told him, and she meant every word.

The two quickly averted their eyes to the entrance of the tent when they heard a soft chuckle. "As much as I hate to ruin this sickening," Wakka received a swift elbow in the stomach from Lulu, who was standing with him, "I mean lovely, and romantic moment, you've got reporters on your tail again, Yuna." Yuna smiled wider.

"Did you tell Paine and Rikku?" she asked.

"Yeah, big mistake, though," Wakka said laughing. "Rikku's givin' 'em hell, ya know?"

Now everyone laughed, knowing exactly what he meant.

Yuna replied, "Alright, I'll be up soon."

Now it was Wakka's turn to laugh. "Sure you will," he said, winking at Tidus, who answered, "Oh, get outta here already, Wakka!"

Once Wakka finally left, Tidus pulled Yuna's shoulder down gently until she was lying on her back again. He crossed his arm over her and propped himself up above her. Yuna smiled as Tidus lowered himself on top of her and kissed her gently. He looked her in the eyes once more, and at length said, "We really should be getting up. If those reporters find us, there'll be hell to pay," he said, laughing.

Yuna loved the feeling of him laughing, and wrapped her arms around him, and moved so that he figured out she wanted to be on top. He complied, and she answered, "Alright," to his comment.

"But will you do me a favor?" she asked, a coy smile on her lips as she played with his hair. "Sure," he answered, a cocky questioning in his eyes.

"Stop wearing a shirt," she said, giggling and leaping out of bed before Tidus could catch her again.

"Only if you do," he replied smiling broadly. "Trust me, no one would mind," he laughed.

Yuna laughed with him as she pulled a white halter top on that she'd picked up off the chair. "Sorry, no dice," she said, blowing a Lady Luck kiss his way. "Hurry up and get out of bed," she said, walking out of the tent with a smile.

Tidus just closed his eyes and laid back on the bed. *She really has changed,* he thought as his mind drifted.

After much effort and will power, he pulled himself out of bed and dressed quickly: shorts and a yellow tank top. He pulled back the curtain-door and blinked blindly at over-powering sun that shone loudly in his face.

He closed his eyes and listened quietly for a moment, and when he had located Rikku's voice amongst the rabble he made his way to the center of the village where the reporters and the Gullwings were currently at odds.

He laughed quietly to himself and kept in the shadows in the shade of a tent situated behind the reporters. He leaned against a stack of crates and crossed his arms.

Soon, he became bored with just standing there, and proceeded to make all sorts of amusing faces at Yuna. The funny part was, she was oblivious; but Rikku was not. At first she kept glaring at him, and mouthing 'Stop it', but soon started smiling, then laughing. In no time she was nearly falling off her chair in a happy fit of laughter, much to the confusion of the reporters and the other Gullwings. Tidus finally cracked and started laughing, and that's when Yuna finally noticed him and put two and two together.

Paine actually smiled throughout the entire conference of interviews, thanks partially given to Tidus for amusement. Yuna remained calm, and feigned energy and happiness, but Tidus could tell she was getting tired of answering the same questions over and over again.

She was thrilled that Spira was safe from danger once more, but free again at the expense of her friends' and her own expense. She hardly had a moment's peace to herself; but, she convinced herself that Spira had some right to know who she was; but some of her friends were anything *but* convinced, and spent a lot more time chasing away reporters than they spent sleeping.

At the end of the conference Yuna took a seat under the shade of the nearest tent, and sighed deeply. "You don't have to keep doing this, Yuna," Paine told her in her usual quiet voice. "They've intruded on your life enough." "Yeah, Yunie!" Rikku said, sitting down and giving her beloved cousin a hug. "I could tell them where to go from now on," she said smiling, and putting a fist into the palm of her other hand.

Yuna sighed again and acted as though she was about to say something, but she was distracted by the illuminated form of Tidus who was walking toward her, and her expression instantly brightened. She could tell he was smiling, even though she could hardly see his face; it was in the way that he walked.

He kneeled down in front of her and put his hands gently behind her head and kissed her with equal calm. "Keep smiling. That's the Yuna I know."

Yuna fell forward and buried her head in Tidus' chest, beginning to cry. Rikku and Paine looked at each other and took this as their cue to leave.

As her two friends retreated, Yuna began to sob a little harder, and positioned herself so that her face could be buried in Tidus' neck. He wrapped his arms around her, a little bewildered. "Was it something I said?" he asked quietly. Yuna shook her head weakly. "No," she said, but of course it came out sounding more like, "Doh." Tidus smiled beside himself and began running his fingers through her soft hair. "Then why are you crying?" he asked gently.

"I'm so tired," she said after a long silence had passed between them. "I can't sleep, and all my waking hours are spent answering questions." Tidus frowned. "Sorry," he apologized. "Oh! It's not you!" she said, sitting up and looking into his eyes. "You're the only thing that keeps me smiling sometimes," she told him.

Tidus leaned forward and gently kissed the tip of her nose. "Glad to hear it," he told her, softly wiping away the tears that were still spilling from her eyes.

"I think you need to sleep," he told her gently, looking into her red- rimmed eyes, his own eyes full of concern, Yuna nodded. "Okay," she answered, and she allowed Tidus to help her stand and lead her back to bed.

Yuna snuggled under the covers and Tidus turned to leave, but was stopped by Yuna gently holding his hand. "Stay with me. At least until I'm asleep," she pleaded softly. Tidus' heart broke, and he kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed behind her, and cuddled closer to her, warming her amazingly cold body. He wrapped his arm around her, and buried his face in her soft hair, and inhaled slowly, enjoying the soft floral fragrance.

He stayed with her until he felt and heard her breathing become soft and timed, and he knew for sure that she was asleep. He hated to leave her when she was at last peaceful, but there were some things that he really needed to talk about, and it was better if Yuna was asleep.

He slowly crawled out of their bed, being very careful not to wake his sleeping beauty. Not even bothering to put his shoes back on, he made his way over to Wakka and Lulu's. "They'll know what's going on," he told himself optimistically. "I hope."