Disclaimer: I don't own any characters involved in this story, although I have named a couple of locations.

-

Chapter 6: Confrontation

-

Tidus and Wakka stood there in shock, staring at Tidus' father, Jecht. His dark eyes were drilling holes into Wakka. Wakka and Tidus were frozen stiff, eyes wide with horror and anxiety.

"Get away from my boy," Jecht growled almost inaudibly.

Wakka stepped away from Tidus very slowly.

"Explain yourself, boy," Jecht said in the same dangerously low voice.

Tidus' face was ghostly white. "I-I, er, you see…"

Wakka spoke up. "Sir, I can explain."

Jecht turned his piercing gaze on Wakka, awaiting an explanation.

"There was a stuck boat in the boathouse," Wakka explained without even so much as a shivering voice, pointing back at the boathouse. "My boat was tied too tightly and Tidus helped me get it loose enough to guide it out. I was gonna go with the others to the island, but my boat wouldn't cooperate, so Tidus helped me out."

Jecht turned his rock-hard gaze on his son, questioning the validity of this statement.

Tidus nodded slowly, trying to give Wakka a little backup.

Jecht's eyes narrowed as he looked at Wakka, making Wakka's heart sink into his big toe. Without looking at Tidus, Jecht said, "I want you home in thirty minutes, kid. Don't be late."

Tidus nodded as Jecht turned and started up the hill. It took him three minutes to get out of sight. After he was gone, Tidus dropped to his knees on the dock, breathing in relief.

"Tidus," Wakka murmured, watching his friend recover from the panic. He walked over to his blonde friend and helped him stand up and pulled him into a hug. "You can't keep going like this, man. Your father's got to figure out that you're who you are, and he can't stop that by keeping you separated from everyone you love."

Wakka felt Tidus nod against his chest. Tears were welling on both of the boys' eyes, scared and ashamed for Tidus.

"You've got half an hour," Wakka said, pushing Tidus out to arms' length. "Let's make the best of that half hour, ya?"

Tidus sniffed and wiped his eyes, then nodded. The two of them got in Wakka's boat, which was actually tied up to a post to the right of where Jecht had been standing, and rowed off for the tourist island, a two-minute row.

When the two got there, they made a break for the arcade, where they played a couple games. Wakka let Tidus beat him at a couple things, but once Tidus actually won fairly. Wakka bought Tidus an ice cream cone and rowed back to the docks.

When they got there, Riku was standing with his arms crossed, looking a bit disgruntled.

"What's going on, Rik?" Tidus asked, hopping out of the boat as Wakka tied it up.

"It's your dad," Riku said, looking up the hill. "He was muttering something about how ungrateful you were."

Tidus' stomach clenched. "H-He was?"

Riku nodded and looked back at the blonde. "When you go home, make sure that you're extra polite to him. I don't think he's had that great of a day."

Tidus and Wakka shared a glance, and Tidus set off up the hill on his own, not even bothering to say goodbye to his friends.

"What was that?" Riku asked Wakka.

"What was what?"

"That look you and Tidus gave each other."

"Oh. That." Wakka chuckled nervously. "Jecht saw me with Tidus about a half hour ago."

Riku's face twisted into a look of disappointment. "You let him catch you with him?"

"It wasn't like that," Wakka cried. He stopped. "At least, I don't think it was."

Riku raised an eyebrow and gave his redheaded friend a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"I-I don't really know," Wakka replied, embarrassed. "When Jecht saw me and him, I made up some phony story about a stuck boat in the boathouse to get him out of trouble. I think he bought it, but I can't be sure. After that, we went to spend some time together." Wakka looked up and met Riku's gaze. "I think…"

Riku's eyes were emotionless in waiting for the redhead to continue.

"I think I like him, Riku."

Riku laughed. "Is that all? There's no shame in that."

Wakka's confidence rose a little. "Ya think?" he asked pleadingly.

"Definitely not," Riku replied with a chuckle. "That means that the feeling is mutual, and with a mutual friendship like yours and Tidus', Jecht can't possible interfere."

Wakka considered for a moment. He seemed to reach a conclusion, but wasn't sure. "Well, I think I'll just keep this between us, ya? For now, at least?" he asked the white-haired boy.

Riku nodded in understanding. "'Course," he replied. "If you don't want the others to know, they don't have to."

Wakka nodded, not looking Riku in the eye. "You know," the redhead began, "you're really good at this whole keepin' secrets stuff."

Riku folded his hands behind his head and laughed. "Thanks, I think."

"No, I mean it," Wakka said, turning his gaze back to the aquamarine-eyed boy. "You never let Tidus' secret slip. You knew why he was grounded, but wouldn't tell anyone because he asked you to keep the information to yourself."

"Right. Well," Riku shrugged offhandedly, "I'm Tidus' friend, and friends aren't supposed to spill the secrets of their friends."

Wakka dug his foot at the ground. "Yeah."

"I'll tell you a secret, though," Riku said, lowering his arms. "I have a secret, too. We all do. Every person on this island has a deep, dark secret. I'm sure Tidus has another secret, a big one that someone would actually take notice of."

Wakka looked at the boy quizzically. "Okay, what's the secret you want to tell me?"

Riku chuckled. He made a motion with his hand and Sora appeared from inside the boathouse. Wakka's eyes went wide, then his brow furrowed.

"Hey! He didn't overhear us, did he?" Wakka cried.

Riku laughed and shook his head. "I don't think so. Did you hear anything, Sora?" he asked the brunette, wrapping an arm around the younger teen's waist.

Sora shook his head. "Not a thing." He rested his head in the crook of Riku's neck.

Wakka just stood there, dumbfounded. "You mean you…and him…" he said, pointing at Riku and Sora in turn.

The two other boys just laughed at Wakka, who just stared.

"Yeah, we are," Riku said with a laugh.

Wakka shook his head and laughed. "Never woulda thunk it," he said with a smirk.

"Hey, you two crazy lovebirds! C'mon, already!" Kairi called from on top of the hill. "It's dinner time!"

Wakka looked up at the sun's position. Yeah, it was! Time had flown by today, oddly enough. "You're eatin' at Kairi's tonight?" Wakka asked the two boys.

Riku nodded. "Kairi invited us over. You want to come, too?" he asked the redhead.

Wakka considered, then nodded. "Sure."

"Okay, then," Sora said, releasing Riku. "I'll race you!"

"What? You've gotta be kidding," Riku said with an eye roll.

"Ready? Go!" Sora cried, taking off up the hill.

Riku and Wakka laughed, looked at each other, and shot off themselves, easily catching up to Sora.

The three boys caught up with Kairi, who turned and started running as well, and the four of them ran down the middle of the street towards Kairi's house for dinner.

-

Hmm…so that's what's going on! Read and review if you'd like.