A/N: I know this sounds weird but DON'T read this chapter, not unless you understand everything completely. For those who are confused, I slaved for countless hours trying to come up with something that will explain everything...and success! Chapters 10 - 13 have somewhat indepth summaries/recaps at the very bottom of each chapter. And I made them really easy to understand. Don't take this as an insult to your intelligence, I just don't want any more reviews with the words "I am so confused" ,anymore :)Read those first.
Hopefully my hard work will amount to something. Ontop of that, document manager mangled my work. I hope nothing was destroyed or ruined. Notify me after you read.
Enough of my tragedy...read this chapter (which is the longest so far). I hope you like the flashback - its so cute!
:.Chapter Fourteen.:
'Please, don't let this make it harder for me' he thought, glancing at the scenery for a moment.
He was feeling unsure at the moment, but knew that it wasn't his place to be with
Rinoa back at his apartment either. It felt as if, he didn't belong anywhere at the moment, except here.
A neighboring willow tree offered its shade to him, and a comfortable patch of grass was provided beneath it. He sat down and looked at the water, watching tendrils of light seep through the curtain of foliage and penetrate the depths beneath. It was nearing the end of summer, and the leaves of most plants were furling in.
This little secluded area always seemed to belong only to him and Yuna. It truly was a fluke of nature…after many years of heavy rains in the summer and movement of the water levels during winter and spring, a small rivulet had branched off from the lake separating Zanarkand from Bevelle. The small stream of water had traveled to rest between the crease of a valley and a forest, resulting in this: a piece of their own sanctuary right in the city. Because of the steady flow of the lake, the water here was always pristine and constant. Surprisingly, even with the amount of rainfall in the city, it never did overflow, but always did remain as one of nature's best-kept secrets.
His nervousness dissipated for a moment, at the calm scenery. His thoughts were far from finished, and were not willing to leave him just yet. He came here to forget, not remember!
Betrayed by his sudden tranquility, Tidus felt his mind opening to an encumbering image of the very person he was trying to forget.
Tidus breathed in the earthy smell of nature around him, and sighed happily.
Maybe it wasn't so horrible to relive that one moment again...
To see her there with the beauty of innocence on her features elicited a smirk from him. If he looked closer, he would be able to see the makings of a Cheshire grin on the corner of her lips, as if she knew all along that he would be there and perhaps, didn't mind at all.
He noticed her ever since she moved in with her brother. Often, Tidus would see her with a dreamy sparkle in her eyes, looking off into the city's sunset from her own balcony, while he shared the same view with her from his own. That tender balance between them was existed in complete innocence, for she never saw him ignoring the view of the sky oftentimes, to look at her.
Tidus had to admit, he had never witnessed anything more breathtaking, never thought that the beauty of two things could commingle in one entity when he had taken a closer look at her eyes. It embarrassed him thoroughly, because he was never this poetic.
Still, this reserve he had for her created some sort of respect that he, naturally, kept hidden.
He watched as her feet tucked closer against her, and her cute, nail-polished toes wriggled freely. The brown of her hair moves to rest on her cheek when the breeze rustles it, and he studies her intently as she brushes it gently with just the tips of her fingers each time. He wonders how every movement she makes is so delicate and tender.
The fact that she is lying down in a small, wooden paddleboat doesn't seem to faze her in the least. It seems as if she rocks with each movement, embracing it.
The blue of his own eyes rest to her eyes scanning the pages, never truly reading the words because she knows he is there. Tidus is content with watching her lips part slightly in an attempt to hide her own absurd smile. It strikes him as odd, that he somehow takes note of how her arms are tucked closely to her body even though it isn't cold. Somehow, he knows that if his presence weren't there to disrupt her, she would be content with just watching the shifting sky above her with each movement of the boat.
He smiles at the absurdity of it all, because he has never noticed so many things about a person in his life. No one else compelled him.
Though he knows Yuna has had next to none, or zero experience with other guys, she is playing him like a harp.
A smile plays on his lips even as he steps forward to reveal himself from his hiding
place. He is not at all ashamed to let her assume that he was watching her, but she already knows that he was.
Her sigh creates a tense environment, and she curls more closely to the book in her hands. Just the action itself makes him comfortable knowing that he can make her squirm with only his presence.
"You know, you can't ignore me forever."
This makes her scoff, the only thing that signifies that she actually heard what he said. He can almost see the dare in her eyes: "Do you want to bet on that?"
She still won't look at him, and it annoys him slightly. He crouches down to sit comfortably on a patch of grass under the shade of a willow, near the post where the boat is tied in place.
'Time for a different tactic' he muses.
Letting the words fall like honey from his lips, he continues, "Besides, I miss hearing your lovely voice".
Something in the way he has said it makes it sound so completely honest that even he is shocked.
Her eyes stay on the insignificant words in the book, but her heart is singing. She hates how he was so close to capturing her persistence and her silence in one swift movement.
'I know he doesn't mean it at all' she muses, 'but what makes me blush is the slight possibility that he might.'
Yuna almost shook her head to clear the fog in her mind. All of the "maybes" encourage the butterflies in her stomach to flutter with possibility.
Tidus watches as she brings the book closer to her face to hide the colour of vulnerability which is spreading on her cheeks with fervor, and smiles to himself.
The words are hard to bring up and the attempt of keeping her voice solid and uncaring threaten her eagerly as she speaks, "Go away Tidus".
Her subconscious swells at the possibility that she might've hurt his feelings but the realization that he is too arrogant to have his feelings hurt, reminds her. Not like what he did to her. Rinoa still doesn't talk to her, and she often spends her every waking moment alone now. Ever since he used her, and toyed with those delicate emotions she was once willing to show, she realizes that the risk is too great to be anything but stoic and indifferent around everyone.
His gaze and his aura are distracting her so that the ink of the pages swirl in a dizzy fashion to confuse her. He acknowledges the book and tries to strike up a conversation, "That must be interesting".
Since Yuna has already given up her vow of silence in an attempt to make him leave, she answers sarcastically, "Yes, this one sentence is amazing."
She almost doesn't catch his evil smile, and curses herself for allowing him to know that she can't stop thinking about him to read.
"Then I've been the perfect distraction."
He watches as she sits up and brings her knees closer to her chest almost as if she is contemplating what he is really up to.
"Just leave me alone Tidus."
His smile is hidden once more, "Fine."
She is surprised to see him leave, and strangely upset that he didn't put up much of a fight. Although she would never admit it, she was lonely.
Before he disappears completely, he turns back to face her for a moment, a dangerous smile exploding on his face. Then it hits her completely, with the force of two tons of bricks. He hadn't been moving, she had. She had been gaping at him as she looked at the post where the boat had been tied, then back at him.
Yuna decides for the first time that awareness is quite disconcerting.
Gathering up her dignity she swiftly searched for the paddles at the side, back and front of the boat. It donned on her that the paddles were safely nestled in the grass where he had been sitting, and was seated right now, watching with amusement.
Yuna fumes, and Tidus laughs.
The boat has drifted to the middle of the water where the remnants of summer and the new signs of autumn have taken residence. With an anger that makes her villain snicker all the more, she recognizes that he likes to create situations where she has no choice but to need him. For that, she despises him even more.
Tidus snickered lightly, thinking back to how his plan had worked so perfectly. His mind wandered back to that image sealed in the recesses of his memory.
"Tidus!"
He is too busy laughing to even look at her.
"You jerk!"
For a moment he stops, and lifts one eyebrow at her. "Now, now. That doesn't sound very nice. Do you want me to give you the paddles? Maybe I should just leave…"
Her rashness answers before she can stop herself, "Fine. Go. I don't care."
And to her horror, he does just that.
'Note to self: never call his bluff ' she thinks.
Scrounging up some pride once more, her hands dip in the water, testing to see if her hands will serve the purpose of a paddle. Doesn't work…
"Tidus, wait!"
He doesn't even flinch.
"Tidus! Please?"
She can feel his victorious smile radiating before she even sees it. For what seems like ten minutes, he cycles through: (1) pretending he is leaving (2) laughing at her (3) then pretending that he doesn't understand her or hear her pleas when he finally grasps the paddles in one hand, teasing her.
"Fine, I guess you've earned at least one of the two."
Feeling slightly charitable, Tidus reluctantly tosses one paddle into the water, causing Yuna to curse him for his blitz abilities because it reaches close enough for her to attempt to reach for it but far enough so that she is risking getting wet.
As if the wind itself is also mocking her, the paddle blows just out of reach. Although she has nearly given up, a last ounce of pride forces its way to the surface, and she dares to reach for it, balancing the boat while her shaky hands reach for it.
Her position is precarious, but she can't believe how happy she is to feel the wood of it again. Her victorious smile rivals his previous one, but only for a moment when the boat gives way beneath her.
Yuna swears she can hear his laughter from beneath the water.
The option of drowning herself from complete embarrassment is eliminated as she feels strong hands reach around her waist, pulling both of them up to the surface.
His eyes look like liquid sapphires, glinting from the moon that has now risen.
With one fluid movement, he rights the boat and lifts her gently to sit inside once more. Her dress clings to her with the moisture and her hair is dripping with pearls of water. Easily, he pushes himself up to sit next to her, smiling unabashedly at her anger and frustration.
"Want to know what you have to do for the second paddle?" he asks with a mixture of both innocence and mischief.
Her lips part in disbelief, "I hate you."
He smiles widely, knowing the secret of her heart, knowing that she means the exact opposite of what she said and always has.
Tidus presses his lips against the side of her cheek to dare her into pushing him away, then smirks when she doesn't. He continues with a burning trail to the edge of her lips.
His words muffle against her lips for a moment, "I hate you too."
As he presses closer to actually feel that first touch, he smirks against her smile and pushes both of them into the water once more.
○♥○
Her eyes cleared with the perception of blurry images fading to unclear fuzziness. Her hands were knotted into tight fists inside her pockets, and the gentle swish-swish of her sweater hovering over her form with each step taken, gave her comfort. She had been running for countless hours in the direction that seemed to lead to home. The one time she needed a ride, Cloud hadn't answered his phone. Sighing, she put her cell phone back in her pocket.
But, then again, she needed this time alone.
'Amazing how I nearly failed PE in highschool and now I can't stop myself from running away even if I tried' she mused, trying to laugh at her situation, but she couldn't.
Gippal's story had put her in a haze, and it made her wonder how much of her life she was willing to give up just so that she could pretend that everything was fine. It scared her to death to know that a secret could be buried so deep but at the same time, fester and destroy a person. That was why she left as soon as she could. She ran from that mansion, the memories there, the people and the horrible secrets that she wanted nothing to do with. It was too much to keep to herself, but too traumatic to tell others. They would worry about her, and she didn't want that either.
She didn't want to be Lenne anymore. Right now, she wanted to be near something familiar. She wanted to go back to the home and people that she abandoned to feel like she belonged once more, instead of roaming the planes of a world that was still scary to her.
Her mind wandered again.
As much as she didn't want to believe that it was true, she found herself feeling sorry for Gippal. It was an accident, but a lethal mistake that he made. She couldn't find any solace with the fact that he would be punished for something that he was forced to do because of his father. She now knew that sometimes love could be a very bad thing depending on whom it came from.
Shaking her head, she created a barrier around those thoughts. Thinking about Gippal and his murder made her feel more than scared and actually quite sick. It wouldn't harm her too much to think about it later, or perhaps not at all. One thing that made her feel a slight warmth to rival the chill that was left upon her, was the fact that maybe her father was looking down on her now. Her father had helped Gippal before, and maybe he would be proud to know that his own daughter had helped Gippal again. The beginnings of a smile hid behind her frown. She had been someone's angel.
Her feet were carrying her absently, like she was programmed for the route taken. She didn't realize when she had reached her building, or when the front door of her apartment was staring her in the face in all its wooden glory. She stared back at the glaring brass numbers of her address and froze for a moment. Did she deserve to come back?
Yuna suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and hugged her arms tightly around herself to shield from any more possible hurt. She vaguely remembered herself opening the door with her key, jostling it the same way she always did to get it to open. She barely noticed the living room and kitchen cleaned carefully to hide the remnants of the painful argument they had had, and the broken picture frame had been thrown away. The picture with the little Yuna and Squall that she could've sworn were someone else's happy children, was salvaged and put ontop of the table.
Her lips were sore from worrying them roughly with her teeth out of nervousness. He wasn't home, but she didn't mind too much. She felt as if she was floating on air because her legs directed her to Squall's room.
Her tired legs failed to support her and she slumped down next to his messy bed and desperately clung to one of his pajama t-shirts just so that she could feel close to him again. Tears were obstructing her view but she wouldn't let them fall. She realized it was the black T-shirt that Cloud had bought him as a joke. It read: "My friends say I'm indifferent…I could care less" in white lettering which was worn from constant use. She pressed the shirt closer to her so that it felt like he was hugging her and consoling her like he used to when she was five and she scraped her knee. Oh…but she felt like five years old all over again, vulnerable and lonely. But no…she wouldn't let the tears fall this time.
She heard the soft footsteps before she saw him, but she knew who it was.
Between suppressed sniffles, she answered before he could ask, "If you're looking for Squall…he's not here."
Yuna kept her gaze lowered and her voice soft. She was still weak and she knew it.
His soft voice answered to her, and she knew she had to stop pretending he was the enemy because he loved her. She couldn't blame this on him, he had no idea what had happened between his best friend and her.
"I didn't come to look for Squall. I came to look for you."
'How does he always know where to find me?'
She snuggled her cheek close to the shirt and whimpered softly. Her resolve was breaking down and she couldn't be strong anymore.
Cloud kneeled down in front of her and cupped her face gently with his warm hands so that he could look at her properly. She hadn't even realized that she was crying already. And just like that, he tenderly placed her in his arms and cradled her soothingly. She felt herself respond immediately to his comfort and hid her face in the crevice where his shoulder and neck met. He felt her sniffles against his shoulder, and he nuzzled the side of her face with his. Once again, he held her when she was crying without asking any questions. Just like when she was six years old, and got into an argument with her big brother.
○♥○
Squall sighed irritably. The view from the car window was depressing to him. Large, clean, expensive looking houses on every lane. He hated himself for doing this, for visiting her again and keeping it from Yuna.
'But, this is for Yuna' he thought, contemplating the contradiction.
The taxi neared its destination and Squall cursed at the price of his ride. Cloud had left minutes before he decided he would do this, and his best friend hadn't mentioned where he would be. Squall did tell him where he would be though, in case the blond decided to drive him back home instead of paying his life savings for a ride back home in a taxi.
Paying the taxi driver the absurd amount of money, his feet carried him across the walkway to the front door. He was sure the ground beneath him was paved with stones from some exotic island, and the flowers were probably imported right from Besaid. It was ridiculous that she lived this way, while he and Yuna struggled to maintain and pay for the apartment they had.
He knocked on the white door.
He released a shaky sigh at the appearance of the woman who had been part of the reason for every fear that quelled in his heart. Her features were the same since the last time he saw her: wavy, hazel-stained blonde hair, tell-tale emerald eyes that radiated a warmth towards him, and the distinct smell of the perfume she always wore since he was a child.
Squall didn't know if he should be happy, sad or angry to see his mom.
○♥○
Her tears had stopped, but still, she clung to him in his embrace.
Cloud felt her words murmured against his neck, "He's not here. Squall's not here. Where is he?"
Cloud sighed, sensing the fear and loneliness radiating in her voice.
"Yuna…"
She hid her face in the crook of his neck and held onto him more tightly before pulling away completely to look him in the eye. Something in his voice forced her to search his eyes and find the secret that lay there for her to read.
"You know where he is don't you?" she whispered, clearly distraught.
The words he had trained to swallow still wouldn't escape when she asked him. His silence answered her and the word lingered in the air between them, keeping them distanced.
"…you lied to me? How—"
Closing the gap between them, he hugged her closely again.
"Okay, wait. Before you say anything, let me explain."
Startled by his forwardness, she caught herself from laughing out loud. "Why are you hugging me?"
He held onto her more tightly still, keeping her where she was, doomed to have a view of Squall's many gruesome posters.
"Because it'll be easier to explain to you if I'm hugging you right now" he paused and they both laughed despite themselves at the ridiculousness of what he just said. But it was true. If he had her close to him, maybe she would understand why he did what he did, and still know that he cared for her. He never wanted her to doubt that.
Yuna sighed to herself. This was still her best friend, and deep down she knew that he never did anything with the intention of hurting her, but keeping her in ignorance to protect her often had repercussions.
"Squall was with me the whole time" he felt her tense against him but he continued, "and I didn't want you to know, because it would hurt you too much. I mean, he didn't even want me to talk to you before and I don't know…I just thought, maybe that—" he cut himself off.
He pressed his hand to the small of her back, "I'm sorry, Yuna."
She pulled away from him slowly, and absorbed everything he had said.
"Do you forgive me?"
Her eyes held the conflicting feelings of her heart, and he searched them to try to understand in his desperation.
She smiled lightly at him, "I…well, not yet. But I will, you know that... I always do. But please, promise that you won't keep anything from me anymore."
Cloud shared the smile with her, and called after her when she turned to leave.
"I'll take you to him."
She was surprised to hear those words uttered from his lips but she contained the mixture of fear, excitement and happiness that she would finally see Squall again. But the look of sadness from Cloud stopped her smile from spreading.
He continued, "Squall's visiting your mom."
○♥○
She clearly expected his arrival as she moved forward to embrace him. He stepped away to keep her from making contact with him and walked through the doorway to the house instead. It was interesting to see the pictures of another child on the walls of his mother's home, to see the memories and life she shared with someone else's children when she wouldn't be there for her own. Squall had refused her offer of staying with her so that they could be a normal family. He also refused the money she offered, as well as the sympathy. He didn't need any of it. If she wasn't there to offer if before when they truly needed her, what was the use of it now?
"Squall...please don't make this harder for me" she pleaded with him in the smallest of voices.
His frown remained even as her eyes threatened to spill tears. She folded her arms across her chest and changed the topic as well as her demeanor.
"So, how's Yuna?"
Squall looked at his mother with a mixture of incredulity and anger at her question, and at her casualness. He paused, testing her for actual sincerity before he answered coldly, "Who cares?"
The way she asked it made it sound as if she actually cared. She made it seem as if she was the one being kept from her own daughter when in fact, it was her choice to stay away from both her children.
His anger melted most of the words in his mouth, and for that he was grateful because he often lost his mind in the heat of anger.
She was taken aback by his response, suddenly becoming the tender woman she should have been in her children's youth. She was violated at her son's audacity.
"How can you say 'who cares'?"
Squall scoffed lightly and turned to leave, "Because I'd like to know."
○♥○
Yuna couldn't say much except that Cloud drove like lightning to get her there even if (to her surprise) the house, or mansion rather, was only about twenty minutes away. She was sure her heart was racing much faster than the speed of the car, especially when they made it to the front of the house.
She closed her eyes for a moment and wondered if she wanted to do this at all. To confront Squall was one thing, but meeting her mother for the first time?
She was happy to feel Cloud's warm hand slide over hers, gently prodding her to go and reassuring her at the same time.
"I'll stay in the car if you need me."
Yuna nodded and found herself walking slowly on the pathway to the door. Everything was so unfamiliar that she felt scared to tread on this path. Suddenly, she decided to run the rest of the way, knowing that if she looked behind, if she even so much as started walking, she would stop herself and never know what she could've had.
○♥○
His shoulders hunched, and his hands found their way into his pockets as he walked away. He heard his mother's steps behind him and tried to block out the sound of her pleas. If she didn't love them enough to stay when he was younger, why should he stay now when she needed him?
One voice, familiar and shocked stopped him though.
"Squall…?"
He stopped in his tracks and so did his mother. He watched as her eyes took in the sight of him, then saw her slight frown at the woman behind him. The look of shock and sudden realization hit Yuna.
Her voice was weak with the exhaustion of secrets and tears but still she managed to force the word out, so unfamiliar and yet fulfilling to say it, "Mom?"
Yuna felt as if silver-winged angels were guiding her to rest within the circle of her mother's open arms. What she felt was the deep love and pain hidden behind the pages of the years that had passes when her mother tentatively stroked her hair. Somehow, there was still an awkwardness and doubtful residue clinging to the brief heartfelt moment.
Yuna felt her cheek press against something cold, and raised her head to see a gold chain, a locket hanging from it. Mrs. Sierra…?
Something in the realization made her step away slowly. It felt too much like she was embracing a stranger, but not entirely.
Squall grasped her hand in his to reassure her. She leaned closer to his side, understanding completely what his gestures meant – afterall, she had lived with understanding him by his actions and not his words.
It felt strangely, as if they were standing against an enemy.
Yuna was angry at herself for letting herself become vulnerable and want the things that she should have had, but a part of her also felt happy to have that one memory locked safe in her heart, albeit, the feeling of comfort faded after a while. This woman standing in front of her was still a stranger when she should have been a mother. She suddenly understood Squall's reasoning for keeping her in a nest of safe lies to keep her protected from the truth.
"I…"
For some reason, Yuna couldn't force any more words out. All of the questions and thoughts about what she wanted to say and ask her mother were caught at her throat.
Offering a small smile to quell the flow of words instead, she breathed in deeply and watched as the delicate frown on her mother's face was hidden behind her own tentative smile. She seemed to understand what Yuna was feeling. Yuna could only guess that Squall had acted the same way the first time he met her as well…or, worse.
"Squall, give her the…" Mrs. Sierra gestured discreetly with the tilt of her head to something that he already knew of before. Squall answered with a nod, keeping his eyes downcast.
The older woman took Yuna's face in her hands and pressed her forehead against hers for a moment. Her green eyes penetrated the depths of her daughter's searching for her own secrets. She hugged her once more, tightly and securely, all awkwardness forgotten. Releasing her slowly, she looked at Yuna with a mixture of the regret, despair and longing that Yuna somehow, hadn't expected. Squall portrayed their mother as some sort of heartless monster. Her gaze seemed to tie Yuna in place, even as she and Squall turned to leave, both of their hearts full yet somehow missing something.
The green and blue of her own eyes searched for the green eyes of her mother to connect with an understanding left unspoken. When they did, she found that she couldn't be this strong anymore, and was willing to make her own silent vow to visit again when she was ready.
She felt emerald eyes tear into her heart and take away the fear when Squall stopped on the way to the car, and took a folded letter out of his pocket.
His eyes made contact with hers before looking to the ground again.
"It's…a letter from dad before he passed."
Yuna took the parchment with quivering hands and folded along the soft creases already made where Squall had folded it, searching for his own answers in their father's last words to them.
"Hey", he put his hand on her shoulder, "Don't look so scared, T."
He squeezed lightly, and she felt completely assured of his love.
Looking at the letter in her hands, she whispered that she needed to be alone for awhile.
And he let her go.
○♥○
With a sigh, Tidus stood up and started to walk away from the scene he left behind, though he had memorized every action, emotion and word shared between them that day. He could never truly leave it.
Thinking back to that time, he remembered how he acted, though he didn't regret any of it after what he had gotten from it with Yuna. Their relationship, was, strange to say the least. Back then, it wasn't quite anything but a game to him, one that he was so sure he would win until now. He had made the rules, and she had rebelled against every one of them, making her even more irresistible. If their "friendship" had been based on anything, it would be the push and pull of her actions. When she resisted him, he made it so that she had no choice but to need him. It was all fun to him, until he realized that she had easily trapped him so that he had no choice but to want her as well, but never actually have her.
Tidus resented himself for it now. She guarded the key to her heart so well, and back then he had it in his hands, letting himself toy with the possibility and at the same time, leaving her wondering and despising him for it. Because he was so arrogant, so foolish, he let it slip through his fingers, along with her as well.
That was why he continued his game with her up until this point, so that he could claim her heart but never truly commit to it.
Tidus stopped in his tracks, watching the sea of people walk by him, the traffic building on the streets, and the glint of a setting sun on the glass of many skyscrapers. His musing had left him roaming the city on his walk back home. Everything was so lively and bustling around him, yet he was stilled by a thought.
He wanted to break Yuna's heart. He would probably get some perverse pleasure in knowing that he was the winner in their game, that she was foolish to ever resist him.
Tidus shuddered. He did not want to become the same person that his father was, the very person he hated.
His footsteps traveled the distance for him as his mind came to a conclusion. The only reason he would ever want to do something so horrible to the person he cared for the most, was because he was insecure. He wanted to break her heart so that she wouldn't break his. He wanted her to admit to loving him because he was too scared in taking the risk of finding out for himself that she might not feel the same way. It horrified him to come to this revelation. Maybe, he was a better person for it though. And maybe…he would take the risk for himself, if for no one else.
Tidus put his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders closer to him for warmth. It wasn't until he reached the shady alcove of the city's park that he realized his steps hadn't guided him home.
The sky was now a purplish-grey, the markings of a day bruised with tender memories and bittersweet thoughts of what was and what isn't. It was evening already.
It was then that he saw her, sitting on a park bench, a letter in her hands. His steps had led him to her. For a moment, he braced himself against a nearby tree, watching how her hands trembled and her lip quivered. It was the first time that he had ever seen her so weak.
The drops of a new rain, persistent and looming above the city, began to fall.
As Tidus approached her, he wondered how he had ever fallen in love with a girl like Yuna.
○♥○
A/N: Hope you enjoyed that! I know I took forever but at least I aced my exams! Don't know when I'll be able to update again, but you have this nice long chapter now. And of course, everything else will be cleared up in next chapter, this chap. was more about reflections, memories, assorted troubles and confrontations. Also, sorry for the delay. And another thing, I won't write any more previews because I need to wrap this story up soon and that would just ruin the surprise.