I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I've had a TERRIBLE case of writer's block—probably one of the worst cases I've had in a LONG time! Still, it's no excuse, and I'm terribly sorry it took me so terribly long to update! And to make matters worse...I kind of started to a new fan fiction to ease my writer's block! I totally made this chapter up as I went, and actually kind of like it, mainly because it has to do with something later, much later! Anyway, here it is! It's not as long as my last ones have been, but I've had shorter, so it's not so bad! Anyway, enjoy! (By the way, another big thanks to my reviewers! You guys all are the BEST!) Again, enjoy!
Chapter 19: An Attempted Goodbye
Yuna could never call herself a Blitzball fan, until now. She couldn't even sit down in the fancy seats Tidus had arranged for her; all she could do was pace up and down, watching Tidus, and then the clock, and then back to the team, and then to Tidus, and then back up to the clock. She was a nervous wreck, and she didn't know why. The score was tied two to two, and it was already in the second half. A waitress had come and asked Yuna if she wanted anything, but truthfully, Yuna was so nervous about the game that she couldn't even remember if she'd ordered anything or not.
She reached her hand into her pocket, bringing out her ticket, which she nervously tore at, thinking fast. "It's one lose, and you're out...If Tidus loses...If Bevelle loses...No, don't think like that! They're going to win!"
She continued pacing back and forth, noting that there were only two minutes left in the game, and the time was going fast. All of the fans out in the stands were at the edge of their seats, their eyes wide open, as they prayed under their breaths for their team to win.
Yuna was so in thought that suddenly a loud whistle boomed and people began screaming, causing Yuna to jump.
"Who scored?" she thought desperately, only to have that desperate look on her face turn into a smile immediately as she saw Tidus doing what she had decided to call his 'cocky swim'. He would swim quickly through the pool after scoring, giving high-fives to his teammates, and would then swim to the dead center of the pool and do a back flip in the water, looking quite pleased with himself.
Yuna watched as the scoreboard went from two-two to three-two, and the announcer started screaming, "BEVELLE SCORE BY TIDUS? What a surprise, eh folks?" he chuckled then, as if what he had just said was hilarious, and the game continued.
However, by now it was rather apparent that both teams were tired, and the Beasts seemed to have already accepted defeat.
"Poor Dona," Yuna felt herself think, "The Beasts were her team...Oh well, better her's to lose than mine!"
The final whistle blew, and the Brutes' fans all stood up and literally danced right there in their seats, cheering loudly. Yuna could only smile incredibly wide and nearly skip out of her box and toward the locker rooms, where Tidus had told her to wait.
She began to walk slow, however, as she neared the locker rooms, remembering her acquaintances with Nooj and Leblanc, and how after that entire deal, how Tidus had basically even been worried to let her go to the game. Yuna was sure that if he had it his way, Tidus would have made her stay. Yuna didn't understand what the big deal was, and she figured she never would understand it.
She reached the outside of the locker rooms, and took a seat on the bench outside, waiting for Tidus to come out.
He was the first to emerge from the locker rooms, and shouted something back to his teammates before his face lit to a smile when he saw Yuna, who stood up instantly to congratulate him.
"I told you we would win!" Tidus said, smiling cheekily at Yuna, "You owe me a kiss now, you realize that, right?"
"Yeah, I realize that," Yuna said, hoping Tidus didn't expect her to give it to him right then and there, although she noticed a lot of other Blitzers were receiving kisses from their girlfriends, whether they were coming from the game, or going to the next game. "Great game!" Yuna finally just said, out of lack to say anything better.
"It was, wasn't it?" Tidus said, smiling, slipping his arm around Yuna's waist, "But now I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat!"
They ended up going to the little café that was located in their hotel, and while Yuna wasn't necessarily hungry, Tidus literally inhaled three different orders.
Then, he looked sheepishly at Yuna and said, "You know, there's gonna be a huge party tonight at the Grand Hall of Luca. It's gonna be totally awesome, being that we won and all."
"Sounds like fun," Yuna said, leaning her head in her hands, "Who will all be there, your teammates and stuff, and then fans?"
"Yeah, whoever wants to come, basically," Tidus said, taking the last bite out of his hamburger, "So are you ready for an all-nighter?"
"An all-nighter, don't you have a game tomorrow?" Yuna asked.
"I don't need sleep," Tidus just said surely, "Sleep is one thing I do not need!"
"Good luck then for your game tomorrow," Yuna just said, although if Tidus stayed as alert-looking as he was right now, she figured he'd be fine.
"Oh yeah, party time!" Tidus said, walking into the large hall, dragging Yuna along by the hand. It was a lot like the after-party in Bevelle, only more...exciting. For one thing, she hadn't just ditched Seymour to see some guy Rikku had wanted to see, and she wasn't running from her father...exactly. As for another thing, she had Tidus as an escort. Only she could tell from the moment that they walked in that Tidus wasn't going to be necessarily the best escort that there could ever be.
On the way to the party, all Tidus had done was complained about how he couldn't stand his teammates, and how they were nothing but a bunch of big drunken idiots–kind of like his father, Tidus had been sure to put in–and that they were good-for-nothing, and they were this, and that. Still, the moment that they had walked in the door, Tidus had dropped her hand, and, as if forgetting she was even there, walked on over to where his teammates were sitting, grabbing a beer, although he'd also told her about a million times that he'd never drink, ever. Then, he sat down next to his teammates and some girls whom Yuna supposed were like official cheerleaders or something, completely ignoring Yuna, and honestly, making her feel somewhat...unwelcome.
So, poor Yuna just sat there, a ways from Tidus, watching him, and the sudden group who had swarmed around him, wishing she was there by his side. However, he didn't even seem to acknowledge that she was gone, or that he cared. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself more than he'd ever been enjoying himself earlier.
Sighing, Yuna just couldn't help but feel...well...hurt, as she sat there, just staring aimlessly at Tidus' happy face.
After what seemed like forever, and to Yuna, probably was forever, the group around Tidus cleared so that he was alone, and, he suddenly saw Yuna, and came waltzing on up to her, as if he hadn't even realized that she had ever left his side, which just so happened to be the case.
"Hey Yuna!" he said, taking a seat next to her, "Where have you been?"
"Right here," Yuna said, sounding annoyed with him, although mad at him, she couldn't help but feel happy that he was back by her side.
"Oh? I didn't see you," Tidus said, "I didn't even noti—."
"That I'd left," Yuna finished for him, "Yeah, I kind of noticed. In fact, uh, I didn't leave. You kind of left me."
"I did?" Tidus said, and just smiled, "Well, you missed quite the conversation. Wanna beer?"
"I thought you didn't drink," Yuna said, crossing her arms and looking away from Tidus.
"I don't," Tidus said, and without looking, Yuna could picture his usual cheeky smile plastered on his face.
"Then what do you call that? Look, I'm going back to the hotel, okay?"
"And miss all the fun?" Tidus just asked, looking as if he couldn't understand why anybody would want to leave.
"Yeah, because I'm having a blast," Yuna said, in heavy sarcasm.
"I am," Tidus said, smiling and nodding to a teammate who passed by.
"I thought you hated your teammates," Yuna said, shaking her head, "In fact, everything you said you hated about these parties are the things you sure seem to be enjoying."
Tidus didn't say anything, and he looked kind of in thought. He just stared straight ahead, as if thinking about Yuna's words.
Yuna had no idea how much he had drank, but she could tell the alcohol was having little to no affect on him, and she leaned her head in her hands, staring at him, before saying, "How come you act like such a nice guy around me, or at least, most of the time, but then you act...stupid around your teammates and stuff?"
"I don't know, Tidus said, tossing his beer bottle in a garbage, "Maybe it's because I think that this is how I'm supposed to act? I mean, look at all my stupid teammates." He pointed across the room, at some of his teammates who were now playing some drinking game with the cheerleaders, "You see, that's the kind of stuff I was brought up with. Drinking, acting like a moron, and Blitzball. They're the only things I've ever known.
"That's sad," Yuna said, but realized in a sense, she was no better. She'd always been taught not to fail in anything, to date someone prestigious like Seymour, even if he was a complete jerk, and to follow directions. Nothing else, really.
Tidus was silent for the longest time, and, then, out of the blue, he said, "Yuna, I've always known who you were!"
"What do you mean?" Yuna asked him, as she looked over at him. He was staring at her with wide eyes, and looked as if he was about to say something, but then stopped.
"What I mean to say...," he said slowly, "Is that I didn't know who you were when I...crashed into you, but, that day at the Blitz party after the Abes game, when we ran into each other, I knew that you were Lord Braska's daughter."
"Oh?" Yuna just said, "Uh, that's...nice?"
"No, it isn't," Tidus said, looking at her, "I said that day that I went to your house that I couldn't stop thinking of you and stuff...well, that was true, but it wasn't because I liked you."
"What?" Yuna tried not to sound shocked, or disappointed or anything, but she was just confused. What did he mean? And why did it matter to her?
"I...," again, Tidus stared at Yuna for a while, as if studying her features, before shaking his head and saying, "I...er...thought that if I dated you, it'd help like, my popularity or something."
"Okay," Yuna said, looking away from him, trying to soak in his words, "Why are you telling me this now?" Suddenly she felt kind of scared. Was he trying to tell her that he didn't like her at all? That she wasn't worth it, so he was going to dump her right then and there?
"Because, I..." Tidus paused, and bit his lip, as if trying to decide what to say, "I want you to dump me. Right here, right now."
"What?" Yuna was shocked. She was right! He did want to dump her! Or...he wanted her to dump him... "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not who you think I am," Tidus finally said, and was now looking at Yuna in a pleading way, "I didn't want to get attached to you!"
"Well...," it was Yuna's turn to bite her lip, and not in thought, but to keep from tears spilling out of her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening. Why was it happening?
"Don't cry Yuna," Tidus said, noticing obviously that Yuna was trying not to, "It's not that I don't like you," Tidus gave a little laugh, "It's that I like you too much."
"I don't understand," Yuna just said, still trying to conceal her tears.
Tidus swallowed, and looked close to tears himself, as if he couldn't decide what to do.
"I can't fall in love with you," he said softly.
"You could have told me that before I fell in love with you." Yuna thought, and she had to look away from Tidus, because as much as she didn't want to, she didn't know how she would be able to keep herself from crying.
"Why not?" Yuna could only manage, and her voice cracked as she said those two words.
"Because," Tidus just said, and shook his head, "I'm...a bad influence on you?" He said this more like a question, and looked up at the ceiling, as if wishing he could have said something that sounded better, or something.
"I don't care," Yuna said, and figured it would probably be best if she just let him go. Maybe he was right. Maybe they had grown too attached to each other, and maybe that wasn't such a good thing.
"But I..." Yuna swallowed her last words. Surely she couldn't just come out and say, "But I love you!", so instead, she said, "But I just don't understand!"
"Yuna, as much as I really want it to, it just wouldn't work out. And, I thought that I could manage to get through the rest of the week, but..." Tidus stopped, before finally just saying, "If you want, I can take you home right now."
She didn't want to go home. Ever. Especially without Tidus. Well, she'd be with Tidus, but not with Tidus. She didn't want to go back to that home without Tidus. Without Tidus, the only thing she had was just a foreign home. A home that no longer seemed like a home. A home that would be as gone as Tidus would be.
"Tidus," she finally choked, tears slipping down her face, "I don't want to go back to my life without you!" At that, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, as if thinking that as long as her arms were around him, he'd never leave her. Ever.
"I don't want to go back to mine either!" she heard Tidus say softly, and she wondered if he was crying as well, for it definitely sounded as if he was.
"Then don't," Yuna said, pulling away from him, "Please, stay with me?"
He looked at her, and finally just said, "Yuna, if I...I mean, even though I...first said I liked you just for the popularity, you don't...mind?"
"If you had told me then, I probably would, but you don't still feel like that, do you?" Yuna didn't care what he answered, because she knew that if he said 'yeah, I still like you for the popularity', she knew it'd be a lie.
"No, I...Really like you," Tidus said simply, "It's just that, I mean, even though my first intentions weren't...right...you don't care?"
"No," Yuna said, "As long as it's still not that way."
It took Tidus a while to answer, but he finally looked at Yuna and took a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Yuna said, and smiled playfully, "Just never bring something like that up again!"
"Alright, I promise!" Tidus said, his usual smile returning to his face. Then, his smile turned into a mischievious one again, as he said, "You know...you still owe me that kiss!"
"So I do!" Yuna said, and she leaned in close to Tidus. Then, with a smile, just as their lips were about to meet, Yuna said, "But after that stunt you pulled, I don't think you deserve it!"
"What!" Tidus said, as Yuna tried to stand up. He grabbed her playfully around the waist, pulling her down onto his lap, and put on a pout, before saying, "Come on, I played a good game!"
"Except you had me so nervous!" Yuna said, smiling.
"You were nervous? Ha, never doubt the amazing abilities of Tidus!"
"Oh, whatever," Yuna said, and then, before Tidus could expect it, leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips.
Tidus just looked at her surprised, and she just gave an innocent smile before saying, "Alright, I suppose you deserved it!"
Tidus just shook his head, and said, "What do you say we leave this boring place?"
"Sounds great," Yuna just said, and Tidus took her hand, and off they went, out the doors and into the Luca night.