I must admit I really thought that I might be able to continue updating every other day, but with it being the end of the quarter and everything...well, let's just say things have been quite hectic. I wanted to get over with the Luca stuff in 2-3 chapters, but it looks like I accidentally will have to put another one in, since this chapter was nothing like it was supposed to be! By the way, I just wanted to also mention that yes, I know things are happening fast, but I want it that way. What's the fun in having tons of chapters where the readers know Tidus and Yuna will eventually get together, but they don't until like the last few chapters? Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, there's still not a direct plot, except for maybe Yuna's relations with Tidus and her father, and Tidus' with Yuna and his father. However, hopefully in the next chapter, a real plot will come in! Yay! Anyway, as for now, enjoy! (I wasn't too happy with this chapter either, being that to me, it's nothing really plot-worthy, but I suppose it helps the story go, right?) Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 17: A Sudden Change in Mood
"I'm surprised I've made it this far!" Yuna laughed, as Tidus smiled, glad that he'd managed to turn the whole 'sphere screen problem' into a joke. At the moment the two were walking back to the hotel, laughing about their performance that was on the screen earlier.
"Yeah, I know!" Tidus laughed along, as they walked into the hotel. Tidus' smile dropped, however, as the two stood there, in the center of a huge crowd, for the many Blitzball teams had officially arrived, and were all lined up to check in.
"Wow!" Yuna just said, smiling, "This is so incredible! Look at all of the teams! Is Zanarkand here?"
"Nope, they're not here, which means..." Tidus paused, and put a smile on, "The Brutes are sure to take the cup!"
"That's what you think!" a member of the Kilika Beasts said, smiling, "'Cause the Beasts are takin' the cup!"
"No! The Guado Glories!" a guado put in.
"That's what you think! The Ronso Fangs are taking the cup!" A loud growl of a ronso erupted into the hotel.
Tidus just smiled, closing his eyes in the bliss, and said to Yuna, "Don't worry, it'll get a lot uglier later on! Now come on, let's get back to the room! Tomorrow's gonna be a huge day!"
Tidus took Yuna's hand in a childish manner, and excitedly dragged her into the elevator, pulling her along down the hallway, which was littered with people. Suddenly a somewhat larger man stepped our of the door, saying something to someone, and then stopped. He smiled at the couple, who had turned to a walk, and Yuna knew at once who it was.
"Wakka!" Yuna cried, dropping Tidus' hand and running over to him, pulling him into a friendly embrace, "How are you?"
"I'm good," Brother's old childhood friend said, "You'll never believe what I got though!"
"What?" Yuna asked, smiling at her friend.
"I'm the new coach and captain of the Besaid Aurochs!" Wakka said, throwing his fist in the air, smiling widely, only to have his smile disappear when a snort was heard behind him.
"Yeah...So you're that new guy," Tidus said, shaking his head, a smile that completely read 'I'm better than you are' plastered on his face.
"Um..." Yuna paused, looking at Wakka's sudden change from a smile to a frown, "Wakka, this is, er, Tidus. Tidus, this is Wakka. He's a friend of mine."
Tidus rolled his eyes, and said, "Whatever, I'll be in the room."
Marching off, letting out yet another snort, Tidus made his way into the room, with Wakka and Yuna both staring off at him.
"Who's dat?" Wakka asked, scratching his head, "He a friend of yours?"
"Uh, yes," Yuna said, looking at her feet, "But he's not usually like that..."
"I know who he is," Wakka said, shaking his head, looking disappointed, "We went to Blitz camp together once. He's kind of stuck up, ya?"
Yuna smiled, as she always did when she heard Wakka's islander accent. Wakka had originally grown up in Besaid, but had gone to Bevelle to study to become a priest, or something, being that he was a total follower of Yevon's teachings, probably even more than Yuna herself was. Wakka had been friends with Brother, until he'd learned that Brother was Al Bhed. After that, Wakka refused to even speak with Brother. He had the worst hatred toward Al Bheds. Wakka's dreams of becoming a priest were smashed, for it turned out Wakka wasn't necessarily the brightest in all of Spira, so Wakka turned to an old love, which would be Blitzball. His brother, Chappu, had played on the Aurochs some time ago, and had always remained in Besaid, where Yuna would visit him when her father and she were on vacation. However, a year ago, Chappu had been killed in a fiend attack on the village, which had left Wakka grief-stricken. Yuna was sure that was the reason he had never passed his priest training.
"He's not always like that," Yuna said again softly, staring at the door to her hotel room, where Tidus had disappeared behind only moments ago, "I don't know what gets into him."
Wakka just shook his head again, and then said, "Anyway, it was great running into you and all, Yuna, but, I find it somewhat strange that Lord Braska allowed you to come without a guard or anything..."
Yuna bit her, lip, and, not looking at Wakka, just said, "Uh, well, I was surprised too that he let me, but he did, so...here I am!"
Wakka smiled, and then, said goodbye to Yuna, and left her, saying he had a captain's meeting he had to go to. Yuna smiled back at him, and then went into the hotel room, seeing that Tidus was sitting there, munching on something or other, with his eyes glued to the sphere screen.
"Who are you rooting for?" Tidus asked, not looking at her, as she shut the door behind her.
"What do you mean?" Yuna asked, standing there, looking as if she'd done something extremely wrong, for the tone of Tidus' voice wasn't at all pleasant.
"Are you rootin' for my team, or that loser team, the Aurochs?"
Yuna instantly frowned, not knowing what it was with Tidus. He acted as if just because she was friends with someone that it automatically meant she would take their side.
"No, of course I'm rooting for the Brutes," Yuna said, forcing a smile, although Tidus wasn't looking at her as it were, "What gave you the silly idea that I'd root for the Aurochs?"
"You're friends with that guy," Tidus said, leaning back in his chair.
"So," Yuna said, walking over to Tidus, "I'm friends with you, too."
Tidus' eyes rolled, and he sighed and said, "I thought I was more to you than that."
"Well, you are," Yuna said with a shrug, as she took a seat in the chair next to the one Tidus was in, "I was only speaking with Wakka. He's an old friend! I haven't seen him in quite some time."
"Whatever," Tidus just said.
Yuna didn't know why, but suddenly she was feeling angry, although she had decided long ago that she would keep her cool when Tidus had one of his mood attacks.
"Look here, Tidus," Yuna said, her teeth clenched, as she stood up and grabbed the remote and turned off the sphere screen, causing Tidus to look angrily at her, "So I can't even catch up with an old friend, but you can go make out with any girl you feel like, and maybe do a little more? What's your problem, anyway?"
Tidus seemed to be chewing lightly on his tongue, as if in thought, before he finally stood up and suddenly said angrily, "Oh yeah? Do you know how hard I've tried not to make out with a girl or anything? 'Cause you most certainly never want to make out with me, or maybe do a little more! You act like we're friends, and nothing but! "Oh Tidus, what room do you want?" And you blush every time I take your hand, even if it's just to drag you from place-to-place, and you always say, "Oh, he's just a friend", and you never act like you even want to be around me!"
"Well I don't see you kissing me!" Yuna said, although she knew that some of his words were somewhat true.
"I don't know how to handle you!" Tidus said, and by now they were standing, only about five feet apart, yelling at each other, "I've never been with somebody who's barely ever kissed a guy in her life! I don't know how to act around you!"
At that, he slammed himself back in the chair, intentionally looking away from her.
Sitting down also, although somewhat more calmly, although she still wasn't at all calm, Yuna said, "But you know...it's because I don't know what to do. I expect you to lead me. Don't you get it? I blush when you take my hand not because I'm embarrassed, but because I'm...surprised...I don't know! It's because, I don't know what to do. So, I only can blush."
She had calmed down some, and she could he was too, for he leaned back in his chair, not looking nearly so tense, and finally just sighed.
"You just seem so, I don't know, innocent," Tidus said, shaking his head, again purposely avoiding her eyes, "I just...have never been around anyone that I would consider to be...innocent."
Yuna had to smile at the way he had put those words. Innocent? Her? Was she not the girl who had completely defied her father and had fled to Luca to stay with a boy? Was she not the girl who had stolen the crush of her cousin long ago just so that she would have an excuse not to go out with Seymour? Was she not the girl who had made out with someone she hardly knew...
Suddenly, as if the weight of everything suddenly coming down on top of her, Yuna could only bury her face in her arms tiredly, and say, "Everything just happened so fast! I just...don't know what to expect anymore..."
She didn't know why, but suddenly she felt hot tears on her bare arms, which shocked herself, for she really didn't feel sad.
"Yuna...?" she heard Tidus' voice someplace in the distance, and the next thing she knew, he was in front of her, with a caring look on his face.
"I'm sorry," Yuna just said, and now it was her that was avoiding his eyes, "I didn't mean to cry."
"It's okay," Tidus said, with a strange laugh, "It's mostly my fault. I'm sorry I was so rude to your friend, and then to you, too. And, I'm sorry that I've managed to put you through so much..."
Yuna had to smile at this remark, and she looked up at him.
"You know," she said, doing her best to wipe off her tears, "The first time I ever laid my eyes on you, it was as if I sensed this hatred between us, and the next thing I knew...well, there you were, I guess. Suddenly, my feelings turned upside down." She closed her eyes then, and said, "Please don't ever be sorry for coming into my life the way you did."
Then, she couldn't help but sob, although she knew not why it was she was sobbing, and she pulled her arms around Tidus' neck, and cried on his shoulder, while he just gently put his arms around her back, rocking her slightly.
As soon as he sensed her tears were dry, Tidus placed a kiss on her cheek, causing her to be surprised somewhat, but only slightly. The two just continued for the most part, standing there, in each other's embrace.
Yuna held Tidus closer, not ever wanting to let go. She didn't know why, but it was then that she realized that all this time, she truly had always somehow considered Tidus to be just a friend. Maybe a 'special friend', but nothing more. However, right then and there, while in his arms, she knew she only wanted to be with him, and no where else. That's why Tidus' question probably didn't shock her as much as it may have if Tidus had asked it only earlier.
"So," he said, and Yuna could feel a smile forming on his lips, "What do you say we forget the second room?"
She probably would have thought of a smart comment to say, such as, "Why do you want to sleep in the living room?", but she was too busy trying to decide if he was even serious to begin with.
Of course he was smiling, but not at all jokingly, although his smile dimmed slightly as Yuna let go immediately of him, and looked at him, and must have looked startled, for he suddenly looked as if he wished he hadn't said anything.
"Uh..." Yuna didn't seem to know what to say. Sure, Gippal had tried numerous times to get her to sleep with him, and each time she had turned him down in a heartbeat, but for Tidus...everything suddenly seemed so much more different.
"I..." Yuna said, stuttering around, as if not at all knowing what to say. Something in her head continually told her, "NO! TELL HIM NO!", while there was this small little part in her that said, "What would it hurt?"
"It's fine if you don't want to...," Tidus said then, now looking as if he wished more than anything he hadn't said anything, "I mean, I wouldn't do anything to you...we'd just...you know...lie there..."
Yuna had to smile. Now it was he who was stuttering around.
"Alright, but no funny business, Mister," Yuna just said, flashing him a smile, enjoying the look of shock that suddenly overcame his face.
He came out of his shock as Yuna started toward the bathroom, saying she was going to ready herself, and he just teased her, saying, "It's Yuna, gone bad! Oh Yuna, you naughty girl!"
She turned from the bathroom entrance, sticking her tongue out at him playfully, and saying, "You're the bad influence!"
"Whatever," Tidus said, "I'm a good little boy!"
"Sure you are," Yuna said, sarcastically, as she entered the bathroom, swiftly slipping on her pajamas and taking care of all of her other necessities, such as washing her face, and brushing out her hair, as well as brushing her teeth.
When she finished, she saw that the light to the bedroom that they had chosen was already off, obviously meaning Tidus had retired to bed already. Feeling somewhat nervous, Yuna entered the room, shutting the door halfway behind her, figuring Tidus was already asleep.
She crawled silently under the covers, her stomach suddenly hurting, for she was terribly nervous, although she continued to convince herself that it was no big deal to sleep next to somebody.
She had just closed her eyes when suddenly Tidus sat up and hovered above her, wrapping his arms around her, and said, "So Yuna, up for some fun?"
Yuna's eyes popped open as Tidus hovered over her, his face looking so serious. Yuna's thoughts instantly sprang back to some certain talks Rikku and she'd had a little while back when Yuna had first announced she was going to Luca with Tidus.
"Um..." Yuna must have looked even more startled than she even felt, for suddenly, Tidus started laughing.
"I just knew you'd react like that!" he laughed, shaking his head.
Yuna tried to give a meek smile, seeing now that it had just been a mean little ploy Tidus had decided to put on her. Smiling, and still shaking his head, Tidus reached down and kissed Yuna's forehead, and still shaking his head, turned the opposite way, and said with laughter in his voice, "Goodnight Yuna."
Taking a deep, and somewhat shaky voice, Yuna said, "Goodnight Tidus."
Then, now shaking her head, she turned the opposite way of Tidus.
"You so should have seen your face!" Tidus said again, but Yuna just smiled, and then, before she even could think anymore, Yuna fell into a rather nice slumber.