A/N: Hi guys! Back with the next installment. It took a little longer than I wanted it to, but I've been busy. Anyhoo, thanks for the reviews!
Disclaimer: FFX is not mine.
Chapter 22: Blitz Game
"Isn't it a lovely day?" Yuna questioned in a sing-song voice, as she pranced across the living room, making sure everyone was up and ready for another day at the beach. They had been invited back for another game, so the gang would be spending their day in Bevelle on the beach.
Rikku nodded her head, slipping a shirt over her bathing suit. Yuna had been happy and sing-songy since last night, and it was starting to slightly annoy Rikku. Not that she wasn't happy for her cousin, she really was, but Yuna was not supossed to know that Tidus was going to propose, and she wasn't acting very convincing.
"Are we ready?" Auron waltzed into the living room, prepared for a day at the beach. He wore a pair of red swimtrucks, a white T-shirt, a pair of flip-flops on his feet, and a beach towel flung over his shouder. He topped of his look with his trademark sunglasses.
"I am," Yuna replied, dressed in a plain navy blue one-piece with matching capris. "I'll go check on the others."
As Yuna left the room, Auron sat down on the couch next to Rikku. "She's in a good mood," he observed.
Rikku had been to busy staring at the man next to her and hadn't heard a word he had said. He looked good today. Actually he looked good everyday, but today he looked really good. The clothing he had on showed of his masculinity, and Rikku was surprised that she wasn't drooling.
"Rikku?" Auron interrupted her thoughts, waving a hand in front of her face.
The Al-Bhed girl flushed a bright red. "What were you saying?"
"What is going on with Yuna?" Auron repeated, leaning back on the couch.
"Uh-Nothing. She's just happy I guess," Rikku replied quickly. She felt guilty about lying. She also felt guilty for breaking her promise. But as long as Auron didn't find out, she would be able to keep her head, which she had grown attached to in her twenty-two years of life.
Auron raised a quizzical eyebrow. He was about to question Rikku further, but the rest of the group walked into the room.
"You gonna play with us today, Lu?" Wakka teased as he entered the living room.
Lulu rolled her crimson eyes, as if the gesture were her answer. "I'll leave blitz ball to the professionals," she answered, flipping the bill of his yellow Aurochs hat.
"Hey," Wakka cried, readjusting his cap, "hands off the hat, woman."
Lulu arched her eyebrows. Did he just call her woman? She placed a hand on her hip and gave him a what-did-you-just-say? look.
"I mean- Uh...Umm- Ma'am?"
Lulu couldn't help but smile at watching Wakka squirm. She flipped the bill of cap once more and headed towards the door. "Come on. We'll be late."
"The woman's right," Tidus declared, looping his arm through Yuna's and following Lulu.
Lulu stopped in her tracks and turned to Tidus with the same glare she had given Wakka a scant moment ago.
"I mean- Ummm..."
"Let it go, Brudda. Let it go."
"Just get out the door," Rikku sighed, pushing her way through her friends. "I need a tan."
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"I can't believe some of the guys didn't show," Tidus complained. The group had made it to the beach, only to find that the team the guys were supposed to be playing on was short two team mates.
"They shouldn't have celebrated so hard last night. I mean, we only made it to the next round. We didn't win or anything," one of team mates said. Actually, the only remaining team mate, besides Wakka, Tidus, and Auron.
"You can play, right Kent?" Wakka questioned.
"Sure can, man. We just need to find two replcements."
"Attention all blitz participants. The next round of the blitz games are about to begin. Please round up your teams and meet down by the water in five minutes. I repeat, round up your teams and meet down by the water in five minutes," a voice boomed over the loud speakers that were set up specifically for the blitz competition.
"Five minutes? How are we supposed to find two players in five minutes?" Tidus cried. "Every one here are already on teams, or are just here to watch."
"We need to move quickly," Auron agreed, scanning the beach for somebody, anybody, who could play for them.
He was on his second scan when his eyes rested on Rikku, Lulu, and Yuna, all laying out on a beach towel. Of course. Rikku was a good swimmer, and she had grown up with blitzball, as had Lulu and Yuna. Surely they could substitute for the two sick players.
"I have an idea," he announced. He quickly told his team mates his plan and lead the way over to the three woman, who were laying out on their towels, trying to catch a little sun.
"Hi, Auron," Rikku greeted through squinted eyes. As he moved to stand in front of her, she fully opened her eyes. "Uh, Honey, could you move? You're blocking my sun."
Auron paused for a moment. It was the first time she had ever referred to him as anything other than 'Auron', and he had to admit that it had a ring to it. He quickly recovered, squatted down in front of her, and asked, "May I have a quick word with you?"
Rikku instantly tensed up, and a small shiver ran down her despite the heat. She sat up, repostioning her orange bikini, and replied, "Sure."
"With all of you actually."
Oh Yevon, he's found out...Rikku thought. She glanced at Yuna and Lulu, and it was obvious that they were thinking the same thing.
"Five minutes, Auron," Kent reminded him, feeling as though it was taking to long to ask a simple question.
Auron made slight scoffing noise, deciding that if Kent wasn't right on the 'five minute' part, that he would have taken his own sweet time. "I need to ask a favor of you."
Rikku breathed a sigh of relief. "What kind of favor?" she asked, knowing that she would do just about anything that Auron asked her.
"Some of our team mates are sick-"
"And you need us to fill in for them?" Yuna guessed.
"Correct."
"Why not? Should be fun," Yuna replied, tossing her book aside and jumping up. She had played a few games in her lifetime, although most were just for fun. Still, she still knew how to play. Besides, as long as Tidus was there, she was up for anything.
"I'm up for a game," Rikku agreed, tossing her sunglasses on her towel and joining the group of men.
"I suppose I could play..." Lulu reluctantly agreed as well. Truthfully, she would have been much more happier laying on the beach.
"Actually, we only need two players, Lulu," Auron informed her. "I-"
Lulu picked up her book and placed her headphones back on her head. "Have fun," she said shortly, resuming her reading.
As the group of men, and two women, made their way down to beach, Auron feel in step with Wakka. "I didn't mean to upset Lulu or anything, but we only-"
Wakka interuppted him with a chuckle. "Lu's not upset."
"She isn't?"
"Nah. She's fine."
Auron shrugged his shoulders. He supposed Wakka was right. He had known Lulu a lot longer than himself. At the moment, he didn't have to much time to worry about the situation. He had a game to play.
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"I'm open!" Tidus yelled across the water. Wakka was surrounded by opposing team mates, and they needed this shot to tie the game.
"Throw it, man!" Kent encouraged from his position as goalkeeper. Glancing at the clock, he found that they had less than a minute before half-time.
"Easy for them to say," Wakka muttered, feigning a right and then jumping to the left. The rookies actually went to the right, and Wakka surpressed a chuckle as he chucked the ball in Tidus' direction.
Tidus easily caught the pass, but one of the opposing team mates were on him faster that he could blink. These guys are good...he thought, scanning the waters for somebody who was open. Auron and Wakka both were blocked, but Yuna and Rikku were open. Open and not paying attention. Great. Well, what did he have to lose?
"Ow!" Rikku cried, the blitz ball making contact with her head. She picked up the floating ball and looked around with a confused look. Now what was she supposed to do?
"Go for the goal, Rikku!" Tidus shouted.
Well, duh. Why hadn't she thought of that? Seeing one of the opposing men coming toward her, Rikku threw the ball with all her might, and prayed that it would go in.
Lucky for her, the goalie hadn't been paying attention to the game, so Rikku's shot went in, tying the game.
"Yay!" she cried, doing a little victory dance with Yuna. In the middle of their dance, the half-time buzzer rang, and the teams drug theirselves out of the water.
"Great job, Rikku," Kent congratulated. "I didn't really- Yow!" His compliment was interrupted as the bottom of his foot made contact with a sea shell. A very sharp sea shell.
"You okay, Brudda?" Wakka asked, watching as kent flopped himself down on the beach and inspected his injured foot.
"Ow. Look's painful. Does it hurt?" Rikku wondered, looking at the now bleeding gash on his heel.
"Just a little."
"Can you still play?" Tidus questioned, wondering what they would do if he couldn't.
"Sure, sure," Kent replied, standing up on one leg. "I don't need my foot to play blitz ball, right?"
At first, Auron thought he was being sarcastic, but when he saw the look on Kent's face, he realized he was serious. "Yes, you need a foot to play blitz ball. At least the kind we're having to play," Auron replied, referring to the fact that they had to stand on the ground. They weren't in a sphere pool after all.
"But-"
Auron held up a hand. "Go see the medic. We'll find another replacement."
Kent wanted to protest, but knew he stood no chance. He had only known Auron for a day, but he already knew that there was no arguing with him. "Fine. But you better find somebody good," he muttered, limping off to find someone who could bandage his foot.
"Great. Just great. Now what are we supposed do?" Tidus demanded, hanging his hand and sloping his shoulders. "That was our goalie. Our only goalie."
"Auron, I hate to agree with Tidus, but he's right. How are we going to find somebody to replace Kent?" Rikku questioned.
"Lu can play," Wakka suggested.
"That was my idea exactly."
"I'll go grab her," Wakka announced, walking away from the group.
Rikku watched Wakka and shook her head. "Good luck," she called after him. Then turning to the remaining group added, "If he can get Lulu into the water, then I'm a Chimera's uncle."
"Hey, Lu," Wakka greeted, having made his way over to his fiancée, who was lying on a beach towel, book in hand.
Lulu nooded her head, to engrossed in her book to do anything else.
"So, enjoying the game?" Wakka inquired.
Once again, Lulu merely nodded her head.
Wakka, sensing that Lulu wasn't paying a lick of attention to him, decided to make this situation work for his best interest. "Hey, Lu, Kent sliced his foot, so now he can't be goaltender. So, do you mind taking his place?"
As before, Lulu nodded her head, and turned the page.
"Great." He pulled her book away and reached for her hand. "Come on."
"Wakka!" an outraged Lulu cried. "Give me back my book!"
"You said you'd be our goalie, ya?" Wakka replied, snapping the book shut.
"You lost my place!" Lulu scolded. She paused; then, "I never agreed to be you goalie."
Wakka sat down on the sand beside her. "Yeah, ya did. I asked you, you nodded your head...I call that an agreement."
Lulu could have slapped herself. She hadn't been paying attention! That wasn't fair. She didn't want to play blitzball. "But, Sweetie, I'm busy." Yeah, that was gonna work. She needed to think of something better than that.
"Doing?" Wakka prompted.
"Reading. I've almost finished it, and I'm finally going find out who killed the main character."
"The main character's dead?" Wakka flipped through the book. Not a single picture. Just a whole lot of black and white. "Well, she probably died from lack of color."
Lulu rolled her eyes and made a grab for her book. Wakka jerked it away, and she sighed heavily. "Please give me my book."
Wakka ignored her plea and replied, "After you finish the game. Now get up."
"I can't. I'm tanning." At Wakka'a raised eyebrow she continued, "Look at how white I am. I need sun."
"You can get sun in the water, Lu. Now, come on." Wakka stood and tossed the book onto Yuna's beach towel.
Lulu racked her brain for an excuse.She did not want to get in that water. Who knew what kind of diseases were lerking in it? She scanned her surroundings and quickly noticed their belongings. "Someone has to stay here and keep watch over our things." That could work...
"What things?"
"Our towels, and bags."
"No one's gonna steal our things, Lu. Now get up, and come on."
Or maybe it wouldn't. "But-"
"Lulu," Wakka said rather firmly. "If you don't get up, then I'll make you get up."
Lulu's eyebrows shot up. His tone both annoyed her, and intrigued her. "Oh will you?"
"Oh my..." Rikku began, turning her gaze away from Auron to watch Wakka and Lulu making their way towards them. She had been talking game startigies with the whole group, but this was to good to miss.
"Are you guys ready?" Wakka inquired, approching the group. At their amused expressions, he added, "What?"
Rikku and Tidus broke into laughter, while Auron and Yuna just stood there.
"Wakka, will you put me down now?" Lulu begged. Never again would she test Wakka. He had been true to his word, and had simply picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She had tried to protest, but he was a lot stronger than her, so she had given up.
"Are you gonna stay put and be our goalie?" Wakka replied in a tone that suggested he was speaking to a child.
"Yes," Lulu sughed dejectedly. No use in fighting the inevitable.
Wakka placed her on the ground, but kept his arm around her. "Sorry about that, Lu. But you had agreed."
"Oh, shut up," she replied, stalking towards the water. She might as well get this over with.
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"Foul!" the referee cried, signaling frantically with his arms.
"Foul!" Lulu repeated with bewilderment and anger. "How is that a foul?"
"Illegal use of magic!" one of the opposing team mates cried.
"I don't believe I was speaking with you," Lulu hissed back, causing the young man to swim away quickly.
"He's right," the ref clarified. "That's one point for The Gunners," he added, referring to the oppising team.
"One point!" Wakka interjected. "Ref, that's not fair. She's never played a game like this before."
The referee glanced between Wakka and Lulu. This was their first offense. And, they were the legendary guardians. "Well, all right. But no more magic," he said firmly. "Understood?"
"Yes," Lulu agreed reluctantly. How were they supposed to win if they couldn't use magic?
Wakka nodded his head, and swam closer to Lulu as the ref went to fetch the ball. "That was a close one."
"Well, how was I supposed to know that we couldn't use magic?"
"I didn't say anything about that," Wakka said calmly, used to Lulu's nippiness.
"I don't see why we can't use magic. That Reflect spell worked perfectly," Lulu continued, fuming. And it had. She had cast it just as the ball was sailing towards their goal, and now the ball was many feet away from it's target.
"It's like cheating, Lu."
"I don't see how."
"It just is," Wakka said with a chuckle. The angrier Lulu was, the more Wakka was attracted to her.
"What is so funny?" Lulu snapped, wondering how she had been dragged into this whole ordeal in the first place.
"Nothing," Wakka answered, pulling his attention away from Lulu and back to the game. "Now, let's win this thing."
Lulu scoffed. With her as goalie, she highly doubted that would happen. "We can try."
Wakka chuckled and kissed her cheek lightly. "You can do it, Lu." He then moved his lips from her cheek to her lips. "I know you can," he added softly, before swiming back into play.
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"I can't believe we won!" Tidus exclaimed happily, holding their first place trophy. They had been down two points, and two his utter shock, Yuna and Rikku had been the ones to tie up the game. Lulu had even done her part. She had blocked what would have been the other teams winning shot. But, it was he who had scored the winning shot.
"Thanks to us," Yuna said smugly, though she quickly smiled, betraying earlier arrogance.
"You did your part," Tidus replied, pulling her to him for a quick kiss.
"I can't believe Lu blocked that shot," Wakka commented, flopping himself down on a beach towel. He turned to look at Lulu, who had her face buried back in her book. Sighing, Wakka pulled it away from her.
"Hey! I did my part! Give me back my book!" Lulu cried, making a grab for her book.
"I was trying to compliment you."
"Oh. Well, thank you," Lulu replied, moving in to give her fiance a kiss. As she did so, she got a hold of her book. "Now let me read."
Wakka sighed, getting up from his sitting position. "I'm hitting the showers," he said, walking of in the direction of the rest rooms.
Lulu lifted her head. "I had better go as well." She needed to watch of that disgusting lake water. Throwing her book aside, she jumed up and sprinted after Wakka.
"So should I," Yuna decided, beginning to follow the now together couple in front of her. She was half-way to the showers when she heard foot steps behind her.
"Uh, Yuna?" Tidus said, quickly catching up with her. "I was wondering if you wanted to have, uh, dinner with me tonight?" he asked, rather bashfully. He couldn't help but stutter about. He had asked Yuna to dinner many times, but never for something as important as proposing.
Yuna stopped, her heart beat picking up considerably. Oh my Yevon, he's going to ask me tonight! Yuna thought. She decided to play it cool, remembering that she wasn't supposed to think anything out of the ordianry was going on. "Sure. I'll ask Lulu where she'd like to go."
"No!" Tidus practically shrieked. He swiftly recovered, and began again. "I mean, no. I meant just you and me. You know, alone?"
Yuna almost jumped up and down, danced in the middle of the sidewalk, and hypervenalte all at once. He was going to propose! Somehow she managed to answer, " All right. That sounds lovely."
Tidus himself felt like jumping up and down. She had said yes! Okay, so she hadn't agreed to the propsal, but he was one-thirds there. All he had to do now was make it through diner, and pop the questiound. "Great!" he said happily, kissing her quickly. "Be ready around 6:30?"
"Okay, but shouldn't we get home first?" Yuna giggled, watching Tidus turn a bright red.
"Yeah," Tidus mumbled, offering Yuna his hand as they made their way to the shower. "But let's wash off first."
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"Aww. Aren't they cute?" Rikku cooed, watching Tidus and Yuna make their way towards the showers.
Auron grunted a 'suppose so', and watched Rikku intently. She had been ating rather skiddish around him all day, and he had been trying to figure out why. Then, a thought struck him. What if she had found out that he loved her? He wasn't sure how she could've found out, but it would explain her behavior.
"Auron? Are you okay?" Rikku question, placing a hand on his now rather tanned shoulder.
Auron noded a quick response. He had allowed himself to become lost in thought again. He had seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
A puzzeled look crossed Rikku's face. "Why?" she quired, busying herself with folding their beach towels.
"Well, you've been acting stragely all day," Auron replied, bending to help her with her task. He might as well just come out and say it. He'd have to if he wanted any answers.
Rikku shoved one of the towels in a bag. "Have I?" She knew she had been. In fact, she had been trying to avoid Auron all together because she felt so guilty about breaking her promise. But, seeing as there was no way she could avoid Auron for a whole day, she had just tried to keep quiet when he was around.
She was in the process of shoving a stubborn towel into the bag when Auron came to assist her.
"Have I done something to upset you?"
Rikku stopped trying to package the blanket and turned to look at Auron. He thought he had done something! How far from the truth that was. "No, Auron. You didn't do anything."
"Then what is wrong?" Auron shoved the towel into the bag and zipped it up. He moved to take her hand, and to his surprise, Rikku wrapped her arms around him.
"It's just me." Rikku's words were muffled, so she wasn't sure if he even heard her, but she didn't care. All the guilt had finally taken it's toll. She was going to tell Auron what she had done. She wasn't sure how he would react, so she had decided to hug him as much as possible.
"Rikku," Auron layed his head atop hers, "What is wrong?" he repeated. Her behavior was really confusing him. All day she had been avoiding him, and now she was hugging him.
"Auron," Rikku lifted her head, "I did something that I probably shouldn't've."
Uh-oh. That didn't sound good. Auron pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Continue."
"I sorta, kinda, said something that I wasn't supposed to say." Rikku shuffled her feet nervously. Why had she ever blabbed?
"Oh, Rikku," Auron sighed. "You didn't?"
"I did."
"You told Yuna!" he cried, wondering why he had even said anything in the first place. He should have known that Rikku couldn't keep a secret. Espeacially one from Yuna.
"I'm sorry," Rikku said quietly. "Besides, I didn't really tell her..."
Auron rubbed his temples. "What does that mean?"
"I didn't tell her. I kinda acted it out for her..." Rikku said slowly, feeling smaller and smaller by the minute.
"You went against my wishes by playing charades?" Auron sighed. "Unbelievable."
"I'm sorry," Rikku repated in a small voice.
There was a long pause. Rikku stood drawing small circles in the sand with her toes while Auron just stood in place, not moving a muscle.
Finally, Rikku could take the silence no more. "Would you just say something?" she asked, though it was more a plea then a question.
Auron still stood silently. He thought, not sure what to say. He didn't want to say something that he would regret later, and with the mood he was in now, he had to bite his toungue. Finally, he simply said, "I'm disappointed in you," and walked away.
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Reply to my wonderful reviewers...
Shadows-Of-Flame: She's not in as much trouble as I had intended her to be...
Yuna-Elena: 100 chapters is way to much for me! I don't know how I thought of charades...I really suck at the game...
Crazyanimelover: Glad ya like!
The Dr. :I had been really busy. Sorry for the wait!
tidusXyuna: Heh. Thanks!
Cazzyrulz: Here it is!
Terroroz: No she can't...
YAY: Well, I'm glad you like this Aurikku! Check out the next chaper, because there should be a lot of Tuna in it! Ha...Tuna..He he...
GiGgLyGaL: No internet! Gasp How will you survive! Heh...Well, thanks for the review!
Rikku-Thief: The world is getting better...Heh. Thanks. There will probably be at least three chapters...but I'm not going to start estimating chapters again. Last time, it didn't go over to well.
Chibi-Sorrow: Nope, she mimed it! Ha!
Mandyfanforevr: Tidus won't ever know...At least, I don't think he will.
Childsage: Glad you like it!
A/N: Well, there's the next chapter. I'm sorry it took me a while to update. I've been busy. Thanks for sticking with me this long, and reading my fic! I wouldn't be writing without you guys! I just have a quick question. What is an AU? I really have no clue...Well, thank you all for the reviews! The next chapter will be the proposal, so stick around!