A/N: read between the lines

:.Chapter Eleven.: Midnight

He held his hand out to her, welcoming a handshake. She just looked at his hand, then back at him without any emotion at all. He gritted his teeth in slight annoyance; it wasn't everyday he would throw himself on the line and be the vulnerable one.

"Let's start over, alright. Friends?"

She released a puff of utter confusion and disgust. After all he had done to her and everyone around her, he had the audacity to ask, no demand, forgiveness?

"It must be hard at night, to wake up next to a stranger. Another girl without a face, without a name. You can just use them then throw them away right? Easier for you not to get hurt. If you hurt her again, I'll make sure there will never be a next time."

Crossing her arms, she felt a slight twinge in her voice as she spoke, but decided against depicting if it was from anger or hurt.

"Where do you think you can get off thinking you know everything about me? What's the difference between you and any other girl I go out with?"

"I have shame, and at least I can resist your so called "charm". Does that answer your question?"

It was nearly five minutes after their scheduled date, he told her to meet him behind the bleachers in Gym AB. Why wasn't she here yet?

Yuna turned to leave, and he grabbed her sleeve just in time to stop her in place. He would kill two birds with one stone here, he wasn't going to give up this plan. She recoiled roughly from his touch, but he caught her smaller hands in his own. He saw something like a mixture of fear, embarrassment and disgust in her dual toned eyes, but he ignored it. This wasn't about what she was feeling, this was about him.

"Wasn't it you who thought I was cute ever since third grade…?"

He completely disregarded her uneasiness as he slowly pushed her against the wall, shaking off her irritation and resistance as a hidden desire. This was working out just as he planned.

She knew she shouldn't have diverted Tidus and Rinoa's paths to have this little warning. She was wasting her spare on this trivial mind game Tidus loved to play, and she hated to admit it- but he always won. Didn't he have science this period anyway? Why didn't his teacher notice something when he left for a drink of water thirty minutes ago?

"Let go of me, or I swear I'll make it so that you never have children."

Her back was already resting against the cold wall.

His light chuckle irritated her deeply.

Ok, so she did have a crush on him, just a tiny one…when they were younger, but that didn't matter now. He just wanted to tease her, and twist her way of thinking so she thought she still liked him. She didn't…she really didn't.

"And little miss perfect is usually the quiet one…"

Yuna made sure to fix her lips into a put-together snarl, mirroring her disgust. What was he getting at?

"And it's always the quiet ones that are hiding something…"

She saw him leaning forward, but she couldn't stop him. She wanted to imagine his lips touching hers, she wanted to live in this dream she had constructed so long ago, just for a moment, just for a moment…

"Hiding what?"

She couldn't help that her voice was a whisper, that she was only daring him to continue further. It wasn't too late to crawl out of his reach, and go back to the library and study for the business test she had next period.

This wasn't the same boy she knew in third grade, and she hated to feel as if she still needed him. She didn't need him, she didn't need anyone. She considered moving, but something inside her froze, her body didn't want her to resist. She was in third grade again, and she wanted to be with her crush.

…she couldn't move even if she tried.

"I don't know yet…"

She could feel him coming closer, the heat washed over her, forcing, tempting, luring.

"…But, I'll find out soon enough."

She couldn't see anymore, but she could taste and feel him on her mouth. She heard the gym doors click open, then closed, his smirk on her lips, and the cool air against her face when he left her to sink into confusion. She remembered the look on Rinoa's face, and his secret wink as he walked away chasing after the other girl..

She remembered tasting salt.

This time they were her tears, not Rinoa's.

○♥○

She clutched the material of his shirt tightly, hoping he would back off now. She was stiffened against him, her mistake hitting her with full force.

"Stop" she muttered against him, her fingers were sore from clutching onto the thin fabric so tightly, and her lips were slightly swollen from his gentle, yet expectant kiss. He was gradually losing the tenderness in his actions, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he knew of her intentions, her secrets, and her possessions. He knew something that she didn't. Yuna was angry.

She distanced herself from him, pushing him away with her arms.

"What are you doing?"

Her frown was burned onto her usually pleasant features.

"What…? I thought you—"

Her eyes flamed at his presumption. It was really he who had started and presented the kiss, how could he have ever imagined that she wanted to become any more than just her husband's friend to him? She was contradicting her past feelings, she knew this, but she couldn't decide for herself if it was really her that was alive in that moment. She was changing into someone else.

"—No" she replied startled, and furious. She got a strange feeling now as if the room was beginning to spark with tension. She remembered Lenne, and Shuyin, their undeniable love for each other… why would Lenne ever give the impression that she wanted to be with someone else? It wasn't fair that because of her little mistake that their future had to change. In theory, she belonged to Tidus…and she was upset at him now too. She secretly wanted him to see and experience the pain that she felt, to feel that dagger through his heart. It hurt, it hurt a lot. She couldn't feel any worse than to know that if he did see –which she doubted with a passion- that she was the one to plunge the dagger deeper. She wanted him to be the one to save her this time too. Why wasn't he here protecting her like he always insinuated in short conversations they'd had earlier. Maybe she was reading him wrong. But what did it matter? She was being selfish in that one little moment, why couldn't she be the selfish one for once. Why would Tidus care…? 'He wouldn't' she decided with a burning passion.

"I'm married Gippal, you know that."

She flinched as she remembered she didn't even have Lenne's ring on her finger. He absent-mindedly massaged her ring finger with his thumb.

"One mistake can't hurt, right?"

She saw him get up, start to walk off, a small smirk playing on his lips the whole time.

He stopped at the door, "I mean…who's gonna know?"

He closed the door behind him and let her muse over his words.

○♥○

He moved his burnt chestnut hued hair to the side in annoyance. He held his cell in one hand, the remote in the other, debating on what to do.

"Tonight on ' When Good Linen Goes Bad' we explore the secret world of stain removers! Up next, we talk with a professional cleaner to get your whites their whitest!"

Ok, he would definitely call her.

"Why are you watching this crap? You know, usually people sleep at four-o-clock in the morning. Some people are attempting to get some shut-eye you know."

A boxer clad Cloud walked in, scowling through squinted eyes. Squall had crashed at his place right after the scene with Yuna, he couldn't bring himself to stay there.

Squall ignored his irritated best friend, and looked back at the phone. He smoothed his fingers over the flat buttons, wondering if he had the strength to dial the right numbers and actually talk to her. How did he screw up so badly anyway? The problem was no matter how long he stood up at night, he still couldn't figure out what he did wrong.

"Thinking of calling her? Just do it already. She won't wait forever for you."

He knew it was very early in the morning, too early for any one in their right mind to be up, but he knew if he was suffering this much, then she had to have been in the same predicament. He dialed the familiar number, the digits he used to press almost every minute of every day. Surely, she missed him just as much as he did her. Hopefully she would forgive him before it was too late.

"Hey, this is Rinoa. Can't talk with you right now, so leave a message after the beep. Beep "

Squall looked wordlessly out at the dark sky.

'I wonder where she is right now…'

○♥○

It was ironic how the past could intertwine with the future. She was actually enjoying it now. Her eyes would twinkle with anxiety now, her fingers twitching with excitement. The sound of her fingers drumming against the old, wooden planks reassured her of the old memories that had been plaguing her. She remembered he loved to come out here with her whenever time allowed. They used to spend so much time together. Today she would wait for him.

She looked back to the beach-house behind her to see the flash of car headlights reflecting off the ocean then back to the gravel as the driver turned to stop.

She drew a pattern into the soft sand. A small smile fixed itself onto her lips. For only one night, she could live in the past. Her heart beat faster at what could possibly happen.

Her dark eyes made contact with his as he stepped closer. She saw the confusion on his face but just smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

His eyes were gentle and calm, like the lapping of the waves behind them, and she desperately missed that look from Squall. She didn't want to go back, she wanted to know that he still loved her, but she never saw it. His eyes were dark and cold now, not like the ocean blues that were looking back at her now. A shy smile crept onto her lips this time, as his eyes traveled to the water behind her and the light dusting of sand that lay on her dress. She could see his knowing smile.

"I know you like to watch the ocean at night, and I thought you might want some company."

His smile faltered slightly, but she couldn't tell the difference. He looked up at the half moon hanging onto the thin dark velvet of the sky. Half of him still belonged to someone else, the other half wanted to love someone else and get another chance. He was ready to move on, yet he was still hanging on to the past. It all depended on how you looked at it.

"Let's go then" he smiled.

'No' he thought, 'somehow I'll always end up being the one to love her, whether she lets me or not'.

○♥○

Yuna lay a hand over her heart, feeling her heart race beneath her skin, thumping wildly. She tried to breathe steadily as best as she could. She reached around her neck for the chain she always wore. It wasn't until she felt nothing but her warm skin that she realized it was missing. She always wore the locket, always. Her eyes widened at the thought of someone looking inside of it, the picture of her family was in there. If anyone saw it…

After a quick search around the room, Yuna found it resting inside the wardrobe, ontop of her neatly folded clothes. Releasing a sigh of relief and drifting fear, she twirled the chain around her fingers, twisting it so she could get to the clasp at the back and fasten it properly. She smiled lightly at the feel of cool metallic against her warm skin. Touching each feature on the chain in a sort of habit she had always had, her fingers rested on the locket's clasp. She felt the crease between the locket and the rose-shaped clasp, her finger edging the space between it. The locket hadn't been closed properly, this sometimes happened. Only she knew how to close it properly. Maybe she had been playing around with it that night at the ball, she sometimes didn't realize she was fiddling with it. Closing it properly, she made sure she heard the small 'click' before letting it rest in place.

It wasn't until she had lain down to attempt to calm the unsettling feeling in her heart that she realized, the night of the ball, she wasn't wearing her locket.

○♥○

A/N: that took forever to write, hope you appreciate it. Let me know what you think, and just a hint, if you don't understand something read it over, because i'll admit parts were confusing. But that was intentional, to get you to think about some things...

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> words in italics within the summary/recap are proofs from the actual story

Chapter Eleven: summary/recap

What's up with the italics (from the chapter): everything in italics is a flashback to the past in the time of Yuna and Tidus's highschool days. It seems that Tidus and Rinoa were an item during that time. Yuna and Rinoa are best friends, and the good person that she is, Yuna plans on giving Tidus a piece of her mind. She doesn't want him to use Rinoa like he has with other girls. She doesn't know that Tidus has other motives for her being there.

Tidus, the womanizer that he was in highschool wants to break up with Rinoa, and decides to use Yuna to do so. He uses the knowledge of a past he shared with Yuna to get her to bend to his will. He seems near heartless doesn't he? He is using the delicate feelings Yuna once had for him to expose something that may work to his advantage. But if we dig deeper, there may be some semblance of an attraction that Tidus has for Yuna. Because, what reason does he have to use her to break up with Rinoa?

For a brief moment, Yuna can feel his kiss. The moment she opens her eyes, she feels foolish and disappointed in herself for falling into his trap. Rinoa was there, and she saw Tidus and Yuna together. She sees Tidus's smirk, and immediately hates him all over again. She not only lost herself to the moment, but also lost a best friend.

This whole scene is there to give you a feel of why there is so much hatred and tumult between Tidus and Yuna. Also, it tells you why Yuna is so hesitant to trust Tidus when he tries to comfort her.

What's up with Yuna: as she and Gippal continue to indulge in that moment, she is thinking of the above flashback. Despite the fact that she hated Tidus, she has been having feelings that contradict her original thoughts on him. The memory of what happened brings some things into perspective. For one thing, she realizes that she is becoming like Tidus, and is risking a marriage that isn't rightfully hers to begin with. What if someone were to see? She doesn't want to feel the guilt again, and realizes that this time, she has a choice to stop it.

Gippal doesn't know what's coming to him. Yuna/Lenne is furious about the kiss (mind you, it was just a kiss, nothing else) and reminds him that she is committed to Shuyin despite whatever possessed him to think otherwise. She knows deep inside that this isn't entirely his fault, and so, she carries the burden deep inside even after he leaves. His change in demeanor suggests that he was manipulating silence into her, and that he knew she wanted this just as much as he did. Perhaps, he is right. The knowledge of her mistake and the deep feeling in her heart festers within, while the ignorance of what Tidus saw leaves another trouble left buried for the moment.

What's up with Squall: despite his indifferent attitude, Squall is somewhat bent out of shape. After the argument with his sister, Squall couldn't bring himself to stay at their apartment and decided to stay at Cloud's. Other thoughts besides the turmoil in his relationship with his sister, plague him. His break-up with Rinoa causes his thoughts to wander to how much he needs her. Sleep eludes him, and his musing over the heartbreak leaves him with a grumpy Cloud and an anxiety that he has never felt before.

What's up with Rinoa: who says that the past can't catch up with you? It is pretty obvious that Rinoa is coping with her grief in a much different way.

Remember the flashback? It is fair to say that she has some lingering feelings left for Tidus, and no matter how insignificant they may seem, she has to confront him. The breakup with Squall has given her new options that are made clear with each passing day. Maybe Tidus isn't the one for her, but he is the only one for her right now.

She didn't want to go back, she wanted to know that he still loved her, but she never saw it. His eyes were dark and cold now, not like the ocean blues that were looking back at her now.

She realizes that Tidus understands something inside of her better than Squall ever could. Is that true? Well, Squall's temperament may disguise any feelings that he may have, and sometimes he seems uncaring, which leads to the misinterpretation that he doesn't feel the same way about her that she does about him. That is why she turns to the only other serious relationship she had, and awaits Tidus on his piece of paradise, hoping that he can give her what she needs.

With the light dusting of sand on her dress, and the smell of the ocean in her hair, it leaves the readers wondering if her intentions are truly innocent.

What's up with Tidus: he is just as surprised as we are to see Rinoa waiting for him with a shy smile. Tidus isn't stupid, he knows that the reasons bringing Rinoa here are probably the wrong reasons, but still, he welcomes her. There is a familiarity between them with the situations they have both faced, and those experiences have brought them closer together in a relationship better than what it was in the past. He muses if his feelings will be sincere and wonders the same of her intentions. Nonetheless, Tidus is hurt because of Yuna. With the Jecht-factor in there, it is safe to assume that he will do anything to forget, even if it means loving someone else to a lesser degree.

Afterall, what are the chances that he will ever feel the same way about another, again? It seems as if the sensitive Tidus is reverting to the arrogant, womanizer of his highschool days. Why? Simply because he won't get hurt again, not the way Yuna tore at his heart unknowingly.

What's up with Yuna: the commotion from all of the events that took place takes a toll on Yuna. She searches for her locket in a frenzy, and is reassured when finding it but only for a moment. It feels as if someone has already opened it, but since she always kept it well hidden and sometimes is careless with closing the clasp properly, her worry dissipates. That is, until she realizes that she wasn't even wearing her locket that night.

How it all wraps up: Tidus and Rinoa are left to their own devices at his beach house. Squall is ignorant to the sudden coupling of Tidus and Rinoa, but is still wallowing in his own pit of misery.

Awareness has hit Yuna full in the face. She manages to remember, that she wasn't even wearing her locket the night of the ball. This means someone else did look inside of it, and now knows that she is not really Lenne. Now she is instantly terrified at the knowledge that someone in that mansion knows who she really is. Considering that she can no longer trust anyone in that household (because of the apparent "murder case"), there isn't much hope left for her. Depending on who saw it, the leak of information could be dangerous. But in the mean time, the mystery of what occurred leaves us musing. That gives us something to mull over for now.

On to Chapter Twelve -->