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"Excuse me, miss?"

Yuna stirred. Her eyelids parted, and she was horribly confused. She had fallen asleep in the lounge area, and the sky was now stormy and dark. Standing in front of her lounge chair was a security guard.

"I thought you might like to go back to your room. You certainly don't want to get caught in the rain that's coming," He told her. Yuna sat up, nodding at the man and rubbing her eyes.

"Thank you," She replied, standing and walking back to the main deck. She didn't really feel like going to sleep, so she just lingered by the railing. There was the sound of thunder, and lightning struck in the horizon. It was majestic, in a way, and Yuna kept watching. Even as the rain began to fall heavily, Yuna continued to watch. The world around her was nothing. Her thoughts remained on the pattern of lightning bolts in the far distance.

"Yuna!"

Everything snapped back at the sound of his voice. She jolted around, only to stop herself from frowning. It was Tidus. "Everyone's been really worried about you. Especially…me," He told her, expecting some sort of explanation for her disappearance.

"Sorry…" Yuna began, then narrowing her eyebrows, "What's wrong with you?"

"What?" Tidus simply questioned.

"You flirt with me, and you make yourself seem completely interested in me. Then you go behind my back and flirt with that monster. You men are all alike," She angrily told him, then turning away from him. For that moment, there was nothing but silence. She then felt the warmth of his body right behind her, and he wrapped his arms around her. She had been so cold…it was so nice…

"Get off me!" She shouted, pulling his arms off of her and starting to walk away. Tidus then grabbed her forearm.

"You have to listen. I was talking to her, and I guess I come off as flirting even when I don't intend to. I have no interest in Gabriella, Yuna," He told her, then releasing her arm, "If you want to walk away now and never talk to me again…I guess I can understand. But I don't want you to…I really don't."

"He's just being nice, Yuna, you really should know better," It was Gabriella, and apparently she had only heard the second half of his sentence. She walked in between Yuna and Tidus, sneering at Yuna. "Have a nice cruise…not," She then concluded, expecting Yuna to walk away.

"UGH!"

Gabriella was on the ground, and Yuna lowered her fist with a glare. She turned away from both of them, storming towards the entrance. Tidus watched as Yuna walked away, and he completely lost himself. He felt miserable. The girl of his dreams had completely walked in and out of his life in moments.

"Help me up!" Gabriella commanded, expecting Tidus to do so. Tidus expected a pretty bad bruise on her eye for the rest of the cruise. That hardly did justice to her cruelty…

"I'm not your dog," He told her, shaking his head at her and walking in the same direction Yuna had...

Yuna arrived at her door, using her keycard and entering.

"Yuna!" Paine and Rikku called in unison.

"I heard what Tidus was doing with that crazy girl," Rikku informed her, shaking her head in disapproval. Paine noticed the redness on Yuna's knuckles, considering they were still clenched.

"What happened?" Paine asked her with a lifted eyebrow, motioning toward her hand.

"Gabriella pushed me too far…" Yuna simply answered.

"Yunie…" Rikku began as if in disappointment, "I am so proud of you!"

"That Gabriella girl had it coming…" Paine supported Yuna as well.

"I want to take a shower," Yuna told them sadly, walking into the bathroom with her nightclothes and locking the door.

"She seems so sad," Rikku commented, frowning.

"She got really close to Tidus. It's a risk people take when going into relationships. That's why I don't bother," Paine preached, folding her arms.

"Oh please!" Rikku replied in disbelief.

"Oh please what?"

"You know you have a crush on Baralai!" Rikku threw the reality into Paine's face.

"I do not," Paine denied, turning away.

"Liar! You always turn away from people when you lie to them!" Rikku argued. Paine jolted back around.

"Don't give me that!" Paine raised her voice, glaring at Rikku. Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door.

"Uh-oh," Rikku commented. They both knew who it was. Paine walked to the door, turning the knob and slightly opening it.

"Look, I really need to talk to Yuna," Tidus told Paine.

"I don't think she really wants to see you right now…" Paine informed him honestly.

"Listen, I just need her to hear me out," He persevered.

"Tidus, it's midnight. Go get some sleep," Paine refused, turning him away.

"I'm not leaving until I talk to her," Tidus then finalized.

"Good night, Tidus," Paine concluded, closing the door.

"I'm sitting right here!" Tidus shouted from outside. Paine turned to Rikku, rolling her eyes and making her way towards her bed.

"We might as well let him talk to her! We might be wrong about this, Paine," Rikku reasoned, starting towards the door. Paine shook her head in disapproval, but she let Rikku open the door.

"C'mon in…" Rikku tried to sound menacing. It never worked…

Yuna had changed into her night clothing, and she stared blankly in the mirror. The sink water ran down, tracing lines on Yuna's hands. She scooped a handful of water, chucking it at her reflection.

"What's wrong with you! I told you not to get attached…I told you!" She mentally scolded herself. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing quietly.

"How're you holdin' up in there, Yunie?" Rikku called from outside. This startled Yuna, and she wiped away her tears.

"Fine," She simply mumbled, then noticing the new person in the room.

"Yuna, you have to know. I only care about you, right now. I realize you probably don't trust me right now, but all I can do is tell you how sorry I am," He began without hesitating.

"Look," Yuna began with a sniff, "I just need my space to think. Please…just go." Tidus didn't say another word. He just nodded to her, walking towards and out through the door. Before closing her eyes to sigh, Yuna noticed Paine giving Rikku an "I told you" expression. She walked over to her bed, dropping down and burying her face in her pillow.

"Good night, Yuna," Paine said softly, feeling sympathy for her friend.

"Talk to you tomorrow, okie dokie?" Rikku then asked her rhetorically. They turned off the lights, and Yuna slipped away into unconsciousness…