A/N: OMG what a HUGE chapter! I hope you guys like. Thanks for all the encouraging words about Japan. I'm sorry your all jealous… You should all come and visit me there coz I will be in serious need for some non-japanese company at some point :) Anyway, I got this out as soon as I could. READ and ENJOY! (R&E) Oh and the 1 is a chapter note, see the bottom of the chapter for an explanation!

.:How Can I Not Love You:.

Yuna was in hysterics. She couldn't stop laughing. Both Tidus and Gippal looked so cute when they were angry… and wet. She laughed again when she saw Paine laughing. It was a rare and beautiful sight to see both Paine and Baralai laughing together. She drew her laughing down to a giggle and looked at them, and realized that she was kind of envious of them, of what they had.

Why is it so damn hard for me? Everyone else seems to have someone. I know Tidus is here now, but how do I know that he won't just… Yuna's thoughts were interrupted when she felt dripping on her arm. She stopped giggling when she looked up to see Tidus standing above her, soaking wet, with one brow cocked in a challenging glare.

"Find something funny?" He asked, trying to keep a straight face as Yuna tried to stop laughing, a look or horror on her face.

"No, I was just… Um… I wasn't laughing at you… I.. Uh…" Yuna didn't really have an excuse. She knew what was coming, and she wouldn't give Tidus the satisfaction of throwing her in the pool. Not like Rikku.

Yuna looked towards the house and went to move. Tidus, thinking she was going to try to run into the house, moved to stop her. But instead she ran towards the pool. This confused Tidus. He started after her, and when he realized that he wasn't going to get to throw her in, that she was going to jump in on her own, he simply stopped and smiled.

Yuna dived fully clothed (although she was in her board shorts) into the pool. Just before she jumped, she saw Paine look at her watch out of the corner of her eye. She sank herself to the deepest part and sat there in the silence that being underwater offered. She loved being underwater. She used to image she was in space, floating among the stars. Ever since she was a child, she used to try and stay under as long as she could. She would stay under until she was blue in the face. It wasn't until recently however, that she actually started to time it.

She remembered once that she had stayed under too long and Paine had to pull her out and do mouth to mouth because she had taken a huge lung full of water. That was scary. She never wanted that to happen again. Paine had thought she was trying to kill herself.

No, she wouldn't be killing herself any time soon. Not if it felt anything like drowning. She had never been so scared in her life.

She slowly opened her eyes and realized she was still under the water. She didn't even feel out of air. She can't have been under for so long.

2 minutes is my best. I wonder how long it's been now…? Yuna heard her name being called. Tidus must have been calling pretty loud for her to have heard it, even under the water. She looked up to the surface though water-blurred vision and saw a figure on the edge of the pool.

She didn't move because she knew the best way for her to be able to hold her breath was to keep still. Suddenly a there was a crash and the silence of the water was shattered as someone jumped in. Yuna started as they began to swim towards her.

Tidus grabbed her arms and dragged her to the surface. Yuna spluttered.

"You scared the wee out of me, Tidus! What's the matter?" She asked as Tidus pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.

"I scared you? Jesus girl, I thought you were drowning or something!" They both looked at each other seriously but their gaze was broken by a soft snort/laugh from Paine, who was now leaning on the pool fence looking at them.

"She wouldn't drown herself. At least not a second time…" Paine smiled at Yuna and Yuna gave a small laugh back. "By the way, Yuna. That was a new record. Two minutes and forty-one seconds by my watch!"

"Oo! My longest yet!" Yuna laughed again when she saw the look of utter confusion on Tidus' face. "I've been practicing holding my breath. I used to always go under and stay as long as I could. Until one day Paine had to drag me from the pool and do mouth-to-mouth. From then on, I timed myself and tried a little harder every time. I beat my old record by 41 seconds!"

Tidus blinked a few times and looked from Paine to Yuna. "Paine gave you mouth to mouth? Like as in, girl on girl?" Tidus grinned and Paine just rolled her eyes.

'She was saving my life, you dolt!" Yuna started.

'That doesn't matter, it's still hot! Wait a minute… Did you say I scared the wee out of you? You weren't being serious… Were you?" Tidus looked at Yuna now, a questioning look on his face.

Yuna simply smirked and her eyes darted to the right, and her gaze fell on the water.

"Ewww, Yuna that gross!" Tidus yelped as he made his way hastily to the stairs and out of the pool.

Now it was Yuna's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh my lord, Tidus. You don't honestly believe I'd pee in the pool, do you?" She looked at Tidus who was half-way through taking his shirt off.

"No…" He took his shirt fully off anyway and flung it over the fence to dry. "No I 'spose not… Hey…" He looked around. "Where's Gippal and Rikku?" It was at that exact moment that Rikku poped her head out from the back door.

"Hey guys, Gippal and I are going back to his place. He has to work tomorrow morning so he needs his beauty sleep." Rikku had a towel around her Gippal was now standing behind her.

"But it's only," Yuna looked at her watch, "quarter to 6."

"Like I said. Gippal needs his beauty sleep. A LOT of beauty sleep." She smirked at him and he glared back.

"Don't forget you have Uni tomorrow morning Rikku. " Paine added motherly.

"I know, I know. I'll see you in the lecture." She added as they both waved goodbye and Yuna, Tidus, Baralai and Paine all waved and said their goodbyes.

"Wait, Who's driving?" Tidus asked concerned.

"They walked." Baralai answered.

"Walked?"

"Gippal only lives a 20 minute walk away. He gets Rikku to walk home to his place all the time. Take a bit of… bounce… out of her." Baralai smiled.

"Oh."

"Speaking of home… I think it's about time I went back too." Baralai frowned.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Paine asked, concerned. Yuna remembered what Baralai had said at the club about his father being an arsehole.

"Would you?" He asked, almost ashamed. Paine gave him an I-can't-believe-you-think-I-wouldn't look. And she turned to Yuna, who was still in the pool.

"Is that ok with you, Yuna. I might not be home tonight." Paine asked seriously.

"That's cool with me. Don't forget you have Uni tomorrow morning…" She copied Paine's voice so well it made Baralai and Tidus smile. Paine rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Paine pointed now at Tidus. "And you. No funny business." Tidus saluted her and she waved to them both as her and Baralai made their way into the house and left.

"Who was driving those two?" Tidus asked Yuna who was now leaning her chin on the pool side.

"Baralai wasn't drinking."

"Oh."

"You say 'Oh' a lot" Yuna smiled.

"I'm sorry I just lose track of things. I'm so happy at the moment I just find it hard to pay attention. And you…" Tidus slipped into the cool water and came up behind Yuna. "Are making it even more difficult." His bare chest pressed against Yuna's back and she leaned into the warmth. He brought his hands up and placed them on her shoulders. Slowly, he worked his fingers into her muscles and she brought her arms up and folded them on the edge of the pool and then rested her head on them.

Tidus continued to massage Yuna's shoulders, back and neck for about 20 minutes. They would normally have been cold my now, but their body warmth was keeping the cold away.

Finally Yuna stirred and turned around so she was facing Tidus. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and looked sleepily at him.

"Anymore of that and I would have fallen asleep." She smiled contently.

"Nice to know my company is so enthralling…" Tidus pretended to be hurt.

Yuna gave him a look that told him she didn't mean it that way.

"I know, I know." Tidus smiled. "Well, to prove that you don't think I'm boring, you'll just have to come out on a date with me. To the movies or dinner or something else just as original…"

"Sounds wonderful." Yuna looked at him happily. Then something came into her eyes and she looked away. 'What about Seymour? What if he sees us?"

Tidus thought for a moment. "Well. If it's anything like last time…" He thought back to Yuna practically holding him off Seymour. Although Tidus would have surely won the fight, he would have definitely copped more that just a punch to the eye. "Ok" He said. "We can go, if you'll be my bodyguard." He smiled. Yuna smiled broadly back at him.

"And you can call me 'Betty'" She laughed slightly.

"And, Betty, when you call me, you can caaallll meeee Al…" Tidus sang and grinned back at her. 1 They both laughed as they sat in comfortable silence in the cool water together.

Slowly Tidus leaned in and placed a long kiss on Yuna's damp forehead.

"Don't worry about Seymour. He's just a jerk." Tidus ran a hand gently over Yuna's wet hair and let it rest on her neck. "Forget him. We'll go out, just the two of us. We can, Yuna. We can both go!"

Yuna was silent for a bit then, beneath his hand, Tidus felt her breathing get uneven and she started trembling. He took his hand away and looked at her. The afternoon had grown dark and in the diminished light of early evening, just a few stars in the sky, Tidus looked down at Yuna.

She was crying! A droplet trickled down her face and fell sparking into the water.

"I can't! I just can't" She said, her voice full of sadness with a hint of bitterness. "I can't go." Yuna started sobbing. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, ashamed to be crying (again!) in front of Tidus.

Tidus didn't know what to do. He looked at her and blinked. His blue eyes reflecting the sparkle of the stars from the water. Behind him, if Yuna had wanted to look, she would have seen more stars appearing to spend their night shining in the sky. A dim blueish glow lit up the side of his face from the full moon that had risen.

I have to do something. He thought. God damn it! He finally reacted. Tidus placed a firm hand on Yuna's left shoulder. Followed by one on her right. He looked down at her. She still wouldn't look at him as gasps of air were brought in and out as she tried to stop herself from crying. Look at me, Yuna!

"Yuna." He said simply, quietly. Slowly her gasping slowed and she looked up to meet his intent gaze.

Tidus' arm snaked slowly and gently round Yuna's shoulders and she looked at him though tear filled eyes. He slowly shut his eyes and leaned in and kissed her lips.

Shocked out of her crying, Yuna slowly closed her eyes and began to kiss him back. Under the water she drew her arms around him in a warm embrace. The water was silent but for a few small splashes the couple made as they moved slightly, trying to get as close to one another as they could.

Yuna had spent a lot of time with Tidus over the past few days. She had laughed with him, cried with him, slept with him, kissed him, been angry at him, been happy with him. But what she was feeling now was something that she hadn't felt for a long time.

As they continued to kiss; Tidus' tongue exploring her mouth, tasting her gently; Yuna tried to grasp the emotion she was feeling. It was almost like some one had opened a box of butterflies in her belly and they were fluttering all over the place, trying to get out.

She was worried. She was beginning to really like Tidus. Maybe even love him.

That's ridiculous, Yuna She thought to herself. You don't even know him. How could you possible love him so soon? You don't want to fall in love… Not again… Her negative thoughts were interrupted when she felt Tidus begin to fall sideways.

As the two slipped beneath the waters surface, Yuna forgot everything she was thinking.

Tidus could tell she wasn't fully into the kiss when he first did it. She was confused inside. He tried his best to attract her mind's attention by intensifying the kiss, but that didn't seem to work. Thinking quickly he began to lean to the side.

She will have to concentrate if we are under water. She can hold her breath, I know that for sure. Tidus thought to himself.

The pair continued kissing under the water breaking apart once to look at each other. Tidus reached up, and though his clouded vision, brushed away a few stray hairs that were flowing into Yuna's face. Although he didn't have enough hair to get in the way, Yuna reached up and brushed his warm cheek with her fingers. They both smiled at each other.

Yuna's thoughts were on nothing but Tidus and his were on nothing but her. For all they cared, they were the only two in the world. It was then that Yuna made one of the most life-changing decisions she had ever made.

Yes, she thought as she looked into Tidus' blurry smiling face. Yes, I will love again. I won't be afraid.

Yuna placed her arms over Tidus' shoulders and leant in to kiss him again. He wrapped his arms warmly around her and they slowly floated up to the surface.

Yuna drew in a deep breath as she pulled reluctantly away from Tidus. He looked at her and she shivered.

"Cold…" She whispered as she smiled.

"Let's get out, then." Tidus smiled back and took hold of Yuna's hand. He led her out of the pool and over to the table. Tidus sat down and Yuna spoke.

"I'll just grab us some towels." Tidus watched as she did a little shake at the door, trying to get as much water off as possible before she went into the house.

Yuna… Was all Tidus could think.

Yuna emerged from the house wrapped in a big beach towel and carrying another. She threw it at Tidus who began drying himself. Yuna stood and watched him with her head tilted slightly in thought.

"Hey… Quit staring… It's creepy…" Tidus joked as he stood up and walked over to Yuna.

"Sorry." Yuna laughed.

Tidus looked at Yuna in the moonlight. Her pale face was illuminated with a light blue hue, almost ghostly. He reached up and placed a hand on her cheek. Yuna leaned into the hand, closed her eyes, and sighed softly. Tidus took a small step forward and guided Yuna's mouth to his. He kissed her softly, still gently caressing her cheek.

Yuna let go of the towel that was wrapped around her and her wet clothes and drew her arms up, pressing her palms onto Tidus' bare chest. Curling her fingers slightly, she softly ran her nails down over his chest, abs and stomach until they reached the top of his damp jeans. Looping her fingers into the belt loops, Yuna pulled Tidus' hips towards her. Tidus made a noise of anticipation and pulled his lips away from Yuna's. He kissed the tip of her nose softly; bending down, he began kissing her neck and cheek. His hands were now on Yuna's hips pulling her towards him, mimicking her.

"Don't move." Tidus stated as he pulled away. He bent down and picked up the discarded towel and flicked it out so it was spread out on the grass.

"What're you…" Yuna started but was interrupted when Tidus scooped her up into his arms. Yuna startled and grabbed onto Tidus' shoulders for dear life.

"I won't drop you." Tidus looked down at Yuna's surprised face and grinned.

"I should hope not!" Yuna laughed.

Tidus loved the sound of Yuna's laugh. He wished he could hear it more often. People had always told him that you can't know happiness unless you have experienced sadness, but Yuna had been sad. She didn't have to still feel that way, right?

She should be allowed to laugh forever and never have to feel sad ever again. Tidus thought as he leaned in slowly to cover Yuna's mouth with his own in a futile attempt to keep Yuna's laugh safe from escaping.

Yuna closed her eyes and lost all her thoughts in that kiss. She didn't notice Tidus kneel down with her still I his arms and it wasn't until she was fully laying on the towel with Tidus on all fours above her still kissing her, that she opened her eyes and broke the kiss.

She looked up at Tidus' face. His tanned skin and Yellow blonde hair cast a shadow on her own face as the moon was behind his head. A blue glow surrounded him and the stars glimmered brightly in the blackness of the night sky.

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place. Yuna thought blissfully to herself.

Tidus sat back on his heels and admired Yuna's content expression. He brought his hands to the base of Yuna's shirt.

"You'll catch a cold wearing wet clothes like this." He said matter-of-factly, tugging gently on the material.

"Is that so?" Yuna smiled. "Well I guess you had better take it off…" She leaned up and lifted her arms over hear head. Tidus slipped the shirt up and off and put it beside them.

Yuna look a slow look down from Tidus face. Tidus watched as she looked him over. He was getting more and more turned on just from the look of embarrassed lust in her eyes. Her eyes trying to take in every part of his body. She saw his neck, saw the skin just under his chin move with his pulse, saw his chest rising in and out with every breath he took, saw his nipples, frigid from the cool air and heated situation, saw his well defined and tanned stomach, she saw the top of his jeans, and the prominence growing beneath the denim. She frowned.

"You know…" she said as she looked back at Tidus' face, "That not only will you get a cold from your wet jeans, but you'll probably get stuck in them. Denim shrinks in the wash. And at the rate you're going…" she eyed his crotch, "You'll never get them off…" She grinned. Tidus smirked, then stood to take off his pants. Yuna felt suddenly cold without Tidus' body heat near her. "Now get back down here…" She smiled and held her arms up to him.

Before he complied, Tidus eyed Yuna's board shorts and raised his eyebrows. Yuna sighed and rolled her eyes playfully, completely understanding the 'I took my pants off its only fare you do too' look from Tidus. She lifted her bum off the ground and pulled her shorts off, placing them in the steadily growing pile of clothes next to her.

"That's better." Tidus said as he knelt back down over Yuna.

"Close your eyes." He told her and she complied. Tidus sat on his heals, one leg on either side of Yuna's hips. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up a bit then placed them on her shoulders. Ever so slowly, he moved them up her neck. His skin only just touching hers. From her neck, he moved them slowly down to just above her bra. He lingered here, feeling her heart beat quicken and her breathing become faster.

Gently moving his hands down, he rested them on her breasts and Yuna sighed. Yuna took in a big breath, trying to raise her chest into his teasing hands but Tidus moved with her, never touching her harder than a butterfly kiss.

Moving his hands down her soft skin to her belly, he felt himself getting more and more excited.

I don't know if I'll be able to hold back if this continues… Tidus thought guiltily to himself. Not knowing that at that moment, Yuna's thought mirrored his exactly.

He drew his hands down to the top or her undies and stopped. Staying like that for about a minute, Yuna finally got frustrated. She opened her eyes and sat up. Wrapping her arms around Tidus' shoulders to keep her up, she kissed him passionately. Tidus could take a hint.

Reaching around behind her, he unclipped her bra and slid the straps off her shoulders. She let go of him for a moment so he could pull it fully off. Another addition to the clothes pile.

Pulling her to him, Tidus felt their bare chests heat up at the skin on skin touch. Kissing her again, Tidus pushed her backwards until she was lying down on her back, and using his knees, he moved her legs apart and lay in between them, boxers and undies the only thing keeping them apart. Tidus kissed Yuna harder, his need to finish what had been started pressing hard onto Yuna's hips. Tidus ran his hand down Yuna's side and back up, stopping to gently flick her nipple with his forefinger.

Yuna moaned then and when Tidus broke away from her mouth to nip and kiss her neck, she began doubting herself.

He's not Seymour, he's not Seymour, he's not Seymour… She repeated in her mind. But she wasn't convincing herself. Although it had been a while since what had happened, she hadn't been intimate with another guy since. And now, with Tidus on top of her, kissing her, toughing her, grinding himself into her crotch, Yuna knew why. It still scared her shitless. Putting her hands onto Tidus chest, she gently pushed him up and turned her head to the side, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Yuna," Tidus stopped everything he was doing and looked down at her, concerned.

"I'm sorry , it's just…"

"Seymour?"

"Mmm. The whole situation with him. It scares me."

"Look, Yuna, I'm not trying to pressure you. If you want to stop, I won't touch you again. But seriously," He climbed off her and sat beside her. Reaching down, he turned her face to his, "You need to enjoy this. I'm not Seymour. I can help you forget about him. It will take time, but by the end of it, you won't even remember his name. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm touching you because I think you're beautiful; because I think you're smart and funny and gorgeous; because I can't stop thinking about you; because when I'm with you, my mind can't even form words. I'm touching you because when you're sad, it makes me sad; because I wish I could make things better; because I wish I could change the past. Because I need you. Yuna, I'm touching you because, as crazy as it sounds, I think…"

Yuna lay still, mesmerized by Tidus words. "You think what?" She asked, scared of his answer. Tidus blinked and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Because I think I'm falling in love with you."

The tears that Yuna had been fighting back now trickled from her eyes. An infinite silence passed between then and when Yuna said nothing after a while, Tidus sighed sadly and went to get up to leave.

"Wait." Yuna said quietly, reaching out and grabbing his hand. Tidus looked at her and she smiled beautifully. Letting go, she reached down and slowly took her undies off and placed them in the pile. She looked back at Tidus who was smiling back at her peacefully. She took hold of his arms and gently pulled them so he would move on top of her. Tidus looked down at her, she was still smiling, if somewhat nervously.

"Yuna… Are you sure?" She nodded. "No. Say the words. Tell me it's ok."

"Tidus, I want you to sleep with me. But, there's one condition."

"Anything." Tidus said simply.

"Stay with me until the end. Please?"

"Not until the end." Tidus whispered; Yuna frowned slightly. He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Not until the end…Always."

A;N Ok next chapter will be total lemon. Just a warning. I hope you all liked it.

1 It's a line from a Paul Simon song. If you don't know it, you should. Songs called "Call me Al", the line goes: "If you'll be my body guard, I can be your long lost pal, I can call you Betty. And Betty when you call me, you can call me Al"