Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy chapter 13, I had fun writing it. ;)
TIDUS
I don't think my jaw has closed itself yet. From the moment we walk into the front door of Yuna's mansion, my chin nearly hits the floor. I never imagined I could be standing in a place like this . . .
"Holy shit," I breathe, turning around in small circles to get a look at everything. Rikku and Gippal are clinging to each other's arms, turning their heads this way and that wildly, desperate to take in all the sights. Paine and Lulu are dumbfounded.
Yuna stands awkwardly beside Sir Auron at the door, letting us drink in the place. Somewhere, someone is playing classical music loud enough to hear throughout the house. The floors are white marble in the main hall, and there is a gigantic crystal chandelier hanging over our heads. In front of us, there's a huge spiral staircase leading up a cylinder stairwell against a huge diamond-paned window that seems to take up the whole back wall.
"Welcome to the Ressan Manor," Yuna says, her face red with embarrassment. Auron is smirking at us, obviously proud and amused at our reactions.
"Can we have a tour?" I ask, still staring around me. She nods and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm going into town for the night to give you guys some privacy. Bel's out visiting her mother. Listen very carefully kids," Sir Auron says in a threatening voice. We all turn around to stare at him, and again I can't shake the feeling that I met him somewhere before. Of course I know him from the stories . . . after all, Auron's as famous as Lord Braska! But it feels like I knew him on a more personal level.
"This place is filled with surveillance cameras. Now, I've promised Yuna I'd keep this whole thing a secret, so I'm going to destroy the tapes when you all leave. But if anything . . .ANYTHING . . . goes wrong because of you, I'm showing the tapes to Lord Braska and I will leave your fate in his hands. And trust me, that is not something to take lightly. Got it?"
We nod seriously, knowing well enough not to lip off a guy like Sir Auron.
"Good. Don't do anything stupid, and for the love of Yevon, stay out of each other's pants," he adds. Yuna cries out indignantly, while the rest of us try not to snicker.
"Auron! My goodness, that was completely unnecessary of you!" she says, hands on her hips. He just shrugs.
"Have fun, kids!" the bodyguard says, ignoring her statement.
He nods at us all and pats Yuna's arm before heading outside again, closing the thick oak doors behind him.
As soon as he leaves, Rikku starts twirling around under the chandelier, smiling ridiculously wide, her green eyes closed in fantasy.
"I feel like a queen!" she says with a happy sigh. Yuna laughs and begins leading us into the next room for the tour.
"Trust me Rikku, the novelty wears off after a while," she says with a wink.
"No way! Not for delinquents like us," Wakka says, casually inspecting some antique jewellery behind a glass case. I catch his eye and shake my head warningly, making it clear that we are to behave, and we're not to steal anything.
The tour lasts a lot longer than I expected; I didn't think a house could have so many goddamn rooms. Even so, we've only covered the west wing of the house, and there's still a lot more to see. Wisely, Yuna decides to stop for a while.
". . . And this is my room," she says, coming to a stop at the end of a long hallway. I perk up slightly, pleased to know that we're about to step into her 'private chambers'.
"Man, it's about time!" Gippal pants, bending over to rest his hands on his knees. Rikku is positioned the same way. "You sure this place doesn't take up half the goddamn city?"
"If you'd cut back on smoking, you wouldn't be so out of breath," Yuna replies teasingly. He scowls at her, but both he and Rikku can't think of anything to say back.
Yuna pushes the door open and steps aside to allow room for us. We file in one at a time, and I immediately start to regret not doing our photography project here instead.
The word I could use to describe it is 'picturesque', like a scene you'd find in a home decor magazine or something. The walls are bright magnolia white, almost glowing, and one whole wall is taken up by floor-to-ceiling windows that have been left open to let in the breeze. White gauze curtains are fluttering around from the wind. I notice a pair glass doors that lead out to a small balcony overlooking the city off in the distance. There a huge canopy king-sized bed with white blankets and pillows that oddly remind me of marshmallows. Across the room from the four-post bed is a vanity mirror and desk, and off to the side is a tall bookcase placed next to a white lounge chair. There is a small glass chandelier overhead, and a walk-in closet that is probably big enough for a whole family to live in comfortably. Here and there, Yuna has set up exotic looking plants to bring a bit of colour into the room.
"Swanky," Wakka says, nodding with approval. Rikku and Gippal immediately hurry across the room and leap onto the bed, jumping up and down like little kids. Before long, Wakka and I join them, and the four of us suddenly find ourselves knocking into each other, laughing hysterically. The bed is soft and springy, and I feel like I'm jumping on a cloud. As far as I'm concerned, it's a pretty damn good way to feel.
"Is this living or what?!" I yell, narrowly avoiding a nasty collision with Gippal.
Wakka takes a hold of Lulu's hand and drags her up with us, and Rikku pulls Paine up as well. At first the twins protest, but it's only a matter of seconds before they start goofing around with the rest of us. Yuna stands nearby, smiling up at us with a delighted glint in her eye. I reach down and grab her around the waist and haul her up, grinning as she squirms and laughs in my arms.
As is bound to happen, I of course lose my balance and fall down on the mattress, still holding onto Yuna around her hips. She gasps as she lands on top of me, her hair tickling my face. I lie panting under her, and start to laugh at the expression on her face. She looks horrified at our position, but I quite enjoy the feel of her thigh pressed against my groin. Nobody else pays any attention, too preoccupied with their own fun.
"Sorry," she mutters, her face turning crimson. She tries to roll away, but I tighten my hold on her and flip her over onto her back. Before she can even react in self defence, I pin her down and start tickling her sides.
"NO!" she squeals, giggling uncontrollably, "Tidus, stop! No, stop, I beg you!"
Pretty soon, the idea spreads, and the tickle-fest begins.
Some time later, the seven of us are lying disorderly on Yuna's giant bed, out of breath and weak from laughter. Early evening sunlight pours in from the windows, flooding the room in a golden glow. We're all overlapping each other half-hazardly, but nobody seems all that interested in moving. Especially me.
Yuna is lying right next to me, her head nestled in the crook of my arm, one leg stretched across my thighs, her arm over my stomach. I have one arm around her shoulders, and the other is resting over her arm. Wakka is on her other side, his back against hers, cradling Lulu in one arm while the other is tucked under his head. Gippal is spooning Rikku, and they're both curled up together in a foetal position, while Paine is lying relaxed at Gippal's back, which happens to be right at my feet. She allows me to place my feet over her stomach.
"I could stay here forever," Lulu says sleepily, her words muffled against Wakka's chest. We all grunt in response, and Yuna sighs against me. The heat of her breath, oddly enough, gives me goosebumps.
Before I realize it, my eyelids start getting heavier and heavier. I turn my face to settle Yuna's hair and breathe in her scent, letting myself fall asleep without even caring.
A few hours go by when I start to return to awareness. My eyes flicker open and I lift my head up, for a moment forgetting where I am. After a lifetime of waking up to stare at a water-stained, cracked ceiling in a tiny bed, it comes to me as a shock to find myself in the most comfortable bed in the world staring at a glistening chandelier. Then I see my friends around me, also asleep, and the memories come back in a rush. I smile and let my head sink back to the pillow.
Wait a second . . .
I open my eyes again, and realize with a start that Yuna is not sleeping next to me the way she was when I dozed off. The bed feels strangely empty without her, and a frown, confused at her absence. Where did she go? How long have we all been lying here? I glance at the nearest window and see that the sun has only just set, and the sky is barely even dark. The clock says it's not even seven in the evening.
Suddenly the door opens, and I see Yuna's silhouette against the hall light. She is wearing fitted jeans and a form-hugging yellow t-shirt, and I can see the gentle curves of her body. I sit up from the mattress and blink at her in the light.
"Where did you go?" I ask, not bothering to keep my voice down. The gang stirs, and gradually they all start to wake up.
"What the fuck . . .?" Gippal groans, obviously not remembering where he is.
"Yuna, what is it?" Lulu asks, smothering a yawn. Yuna has a bizarre look on her face, a mixture of fear, disbelief, excitement, and triumph. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are glowing. Damn, she's gorgeous . . .
"I destroyed the surveillance tapes," she says in a small voice. It takes a moment for her words to sink in. There is a second of dead silence before the gang erupts with cheers. We leap off the bed and swarm around her, wrapping her up in a giant hug.
"Way to go Yuna!" Wakka laughs, ruffling her hair like a kid sister.
"I didn't know you had it in you, Princess!" Rikku says with a proud grin.
"You're serious?" Paine asks, staring at her with amazement.
"Yes," Yuna admits, slowly starting to look more and more pleased with her idea. Suddenly her face falls, and she bites her lip anxiously. "Oh dear, was it wrong of me? My father will be-"
"To hell with your dad!" I yell, lifting her up above everyone else. She yelps with surprise and clings to me. "Yuna, you're a genius!"
"What did you do to the tapes?" Lulu asks her, shaking her head wondrously.
"Trash compactor," Yuna replies simply, not needing to elaborate.
"Girl, you are just full of surprises," Gippal says with a satisfied smirk, clapping his hands slowly. "Why'd you do it?"
"I . . . I really don't know. I guess I didn't think about it," she says slowly, letting one arm slip around my neck, since I'm still holding onto her. I'm rather content to let it stay there. "It just seems a little unfair that we have to be videotaped having fun, that's all."
"Well, we're all proud of you," I tell her, setting her back down on her feet. "You fought for a worthy cause."
She smiles sheepishly at us and clasps her hands behind her back.
"I was almost tempted to just dump all the tapes into the pool," she says with a soft giggle. "Just to see the look on Father's face when he comes home!"
Rikku stiffens.
"You have a pool?" the Al Bhed girl demands.
"Yes, of cour- Oh! I haven't shown you all the rest of the house yet, have I? The pool is in the East Wing. Well, the indoor pool, that is," Yuna replies.
"Why didn't you say so earlier, Yunie?" Rikku asks with an aggravated sigh.
"I suppose I just forgot," Yuna stammers, clearly sorry.
"That's okay. There's no better time to swim than at night, after all," I say to her, saving her from discomfort. Rikku can be pretty intimidating when she wants to be.
"You . . . you mean you all want to swim now? But you haven't packed any swimsuits! In fact, none of you packed anything at all . . ."
"Psssht," Gippal snorts, rolling his eyes at her. "Who needs swimsuits? I say we go for a good old fashioned skinny dip!"
His enthusiastic idea is greeted by cold silence. He frowns at us.
"Fine, then," he mutters, folding his arms over his chest. Paine goes over to Yuna's walk in closet and peers inside. She leans back out and raises an eyebrow at us.
"The swimsuit issue won't affect us girls," she says in her lukewarm voice. "Yuna seems to have her own personal clothing store in here. You guys can just go in your boxers."
"Ooh, let me see what you have, Yunie!" Rikku says eagerly, hurrying over to step inside the closet. Lulu glides over to take a look as well. She shrugs and nods agreeably, and then turns around to face the men.
"Out, males," she orders firmly. Wakka and Gippal start protesting, but like the gentleman I secretly am, I drag them outside to give the girls privacy. Yuna still looks somewhat baffled at our sudden idea. I guess spontaneity is not something she's used to in this house. Or guys in their underwear.
We wait out in the hallway, me somewhat impatiently. I am rather interested to see what Yuna looks like in a bathing suit . . .
Rikku is the first to emerge, dressed in a pink bikini. The top covers more of her chest than Rikku is used to covering, but it seems to suit her. It's one of the more tasteful things I've seen her wear. Gippal eyes her appreciatively, and she flashes him a wink and a smile.
Lulu comes out next in a dark crimson bikini, but the top seems to be a little bit too small for her. After all, Lulu is quite blessed in that particular area, and Yuna does not match her . . . build. I can literally see Wakka's heart skip a beat at the sight of her, and I must say she looks damn fine.
Paine joins us out in the hallway wearing a dark grey tank top and black shorts she borrowed from Yuna. Even though she's hiding a lot more than Rikku and Lulu, none of us have ever seen Paine wearing so little, and I can't help but wonder what Baralai would think to see her like that. I myself see nothing to complain about.
At last Yuna appears in the doorway, and I nearly faint on the spot at the sight of her.
Yuna is wearing a dark blue bikini top along with denim cut-off shorts, and I must say I did not realize that she had such a great body. I knew she was in good shape and all, but as I stare now, I can see a trace of abs on her stomach and a bit of wiry muscle on her arms and legs. She looks a bit nervous under our stares, and I'm assuming she only ever wears bathing suits in the privacy of her home alone, never out in public or in front of other people. I start to wonder just how Yuna ever became so shy. I can think of dozens of girls who would kill to look like her.
"The pool is this way," she tells us, after clearing her throat uncomfortably. She leads us down the hall, and I cannot tear my eyes away from her rear end in front of me. Gippal was right: this girl is just full of surprises.
It's a long walk from Yuna's room to the pool, but thankfully the journey doesn't involve going up a flight of stairs like last time.
The pool room has a cave like atmosphere, since it has no windows and is designed to look like authentic stone. The walls are a dark grey granite, and the only light provided comes from the fluorescent glow coming from the underwater lights. The pool itself is shaped like a natural stone lake, and it could have fooled anyone if it wasn't for the bright aqua-marine colour of the water. Eerily, the water is reflecting off the stone walls, making the whole room feel dream-like. I catch myself glancing at Yuna to my side, noting how the light is also dancing off her face and hair. She looks unreal.
I walk to the edge of the pool and dip my foot in to test the water; not to my surprise, it's bathwater warm.
"Hey, guys," I say, beginning to turn around, "the water's perfe- WOAH!"
I am interrupted by Yuna hurling herself at me, catching me around the waist and shoving me into the pool. Instinctively I grab her and haul her in after me, sucking in a quick breath before plunging in.
I open my eyes underwater and see Yuna floating in front of me, grinning evilly. She is holding onto my by the hands, and I can see the whiteness of her teeth flashing at me. The blue lighting makes her look like some beautiful ghost, especially the way her hair swirls around her face. I grin back and push myself up to the surface only to find the rest of the gang is standing along the edge of the pool, laughing at me. I smile innocently and grab Wakka by the arm, who in turn grabs Lulu, who grabs Paine, who grabs Rikku, who then grabs Gippal, and I watch as one by one they all topple into the water like dominos.
Yuna is killing herself laughing, which is hard to do when she's also treading water.
"You think I haven't forgotten your little joke?" I demand of her, beginning to glide towards her. She shrieks and back paddles to get away from me, but I am the stronger swimmer after all those blitz lessons from years ago. I catch her easily and drag her underwater with me. I like the feel of her struggling against me, the softness of her in my arms. I'm holding onto her from behind, my arms around her waist, my face against the back of her neck.
Suddenly she stops struggling, and turns her head to look at me over her shoulder. She's not smiling anymore, but she looks . . . I dunno what the word is . . . she looks sort of thoughtful and peaceful at the same time. I offer her a quick grin, which she returns a little, and I notice with faint surprise that she lets her arms settle over mine.
I kick up to the surface again, taking her with me. Wakka is chasing Lulu, who is threatening to throw a Water spell at him if he doesn't stop (even though she looks like she's enjoying herself). Paine and Rikku are trying to steal Gippal's boxers by having one of them distract him while the other swims around behind him to pants him.
Yuna and I are still floating together, my arms around her.
"Have I stolen your heart as well as your breath, my lady?" I ask her in a low voice, trying to sound as sexy as I can. I'm rather glad no one else can hear us. I feel Yuna's heart pounding, and I wonder if she can feel mine pounding just as hard.
She pulls away from me and smiles then, breaking the intensity of the moment. I grin back, but it's a weak attempt. I can't help feeling more than a little disappointed when she goes off to help Rikku and Paine harass Gippal.
Rikku is sitting between me and Gippal on the couch, the popcorn hovering just beyond her lips. Her eyes are fixed to the huge flatscreen TV set, not even blinking. She's always like that whenever we watch horror movies.
Yuna is sitting on the carpet in front of me next to Lulu. Paine is on my other side and Wakka is at the very end of the couch next to Gippal, snoring quietly. He can never stay awake through any movie, even scary ones. I'm willing to bet money that Wakka has the attention span of a goldfish.
"Look out! Don't go in there, the murderer's waiting for you!" Rikku cries, dropping her popcorn to cover her eyes with her hands. Gippal and I exchange glances, rolling our eyes at her. Yuna turns around and rests a gentle hand on Rikku's knee.
"Don't worry, Rikku, this isn't a scary part," she tells her kindly. Rikku drops her hands to stare at the screen, confused.
"Really, but I thought- OH SHIT!" she shrieks, turning to bury her face in Gippal's shoulder as the murderer jumps out, decapitating his victim with one swing of his scythe. "Yunie, that was too a scary part!"
Yuna, along with the rest of us, is laughing wickedly. I give Yuna a high five.
"Aw, come on Rikku, you need to calm down. It's just a movie," I say, nudging her with my elbow. She lifts her head up to glare at me.
"Oh yeah?" she says challengingly. I don't have time to duck before she whacks me in the face with one of the couch cushions. Whooping with surprise I fall back and land on Paine's lap, who in turn attacks Rikku with another cushion.
It is not long before everyone is attacking someone else with a lethal pillow in hand. All of a sudden, the pillow in my hand explodes upon impact with Wakka's head, and white feathers go flying everywhere. There is a second of dead silence before laughter erupts once again, and the fight continues. Even Yuna doesn't seem to care about her pillow. Pretty soon, the whole room is filled with swirling white feathers as each pillow eventually splits open.
"YUNA RESSAN!"
Everything stops the second we hear that angry voice rings out from the doorway. We all turn around, to see Lord Braska standing there, his face twisted with angry shock.