Chapter 8

Was it a dream or reality?

"Go Abes! Go Abes! Go!" shouted Rikku, as she entered the house Saturday night.

I looked up from the book I was reading in the quiet living room and saw her doing this crazy little dance with her arms twirling above her head. "So, how did it go?"

She turned to me with a huge grin. "The Abes won the game, of course!"

I forced a smile out and returned to my book. That night had been the last game of the blitzball championship and Rikku had gone over to Gippal's to watch it with the rest of the gang; even LeBlanc was going to be there… Apparently, I was the only one who was missing, but when my cousin had asked why I wasn't going, I had told her that I was tired and wanted to get some rest. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. The fact was that I just didn't want to watch the game. I loved blitzball; I'd loved it since I had met Tidus… But I hadn't watched one single game of the Zanarkand Abes since Tidus had gone to that team, and that day wasn't an exception. I just couldn't stand watching him on TV, so close to my eyes and yet so far away from me… I shook my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts and only then did I notice that Rikku was still talking. I looked at her, focusing on her words.

"…and that Gakkash guy did a hell of a job, keeping the players from the Luca Goers away from the ball. But somehow he always managed to do it. He was really great!" Rikku started jumping in front of me "But our best player was definitely Tidus! He was awesome! He did the Jecht Shot twice and never failed. That's what made us win the game!"

"Gippal certainly didn't look at it that way." came Paine's voice from the hallway. I looked in that direction and saw her leaning against the doorframe, her arms loosely crossed over her chest. I smiled as she pulled herself off the wall and approached us, sitting on the arm of the couch where I was. "He was for the Goers, you see." She explained to me.

"Well, Gippal's an eteud." Rikku retorted, turning her face away and tilting up her nose.

"An eteud?" I asked, blinking. Even though my mother had been an Al Bhed, there were certain words, especially insults and slang, that I didn't know.

"An idiot." Paine translated. Then she turned to Rikku. "Well Rikku, since the Zanarkand Abes brought down the Al Bhed Psyches, it's only natural that Gippal wants to see them being brought down too, don't you think?"

"But we're talking 'bout Tidus' team here!" Rikku replied, starting to pout. "Couldn't Gippal just see how important it was for me to have him support the Abes?"

"Well, maybe if you hadn't told him you're dating this Rhael guy, he would've supported your team." Paine said, shrugging. She really didn't have patience for this kind of things, especially because Rikku and Gippal argued a lot but they always made up in the end, just like they had done two days after our trip to the club. It was just their way of acting, and their way of making up was even worse, because they picked at each other much more than before the argument. The funny part was that both enjoyed being picked at after a fight.

"I didn't say I was dating Rhael!" Rikku retorted, her blonde braids swirling in the air around her.

"Well, you didn't say you weren't dating him either. Gippal's not stupid, Rikku, he figured it out."

Rikku bit her bottom lip for a second and then continued. "That still doesn't make him right. What was the problem in supporting the Abes?"

"I think you're overacting, Riks." I told her, giving my opinion. "Each one supports the team he or she wants. It's called freedom of choice. I wouldn't have supported the Abes either." I added, more to myself than to them.

Rikku turned sharply to me and was about to say something but stopped in mid-way. Maybe she had heard me, after all.

The sound of the door opening again broke the sudden silence that had fallen over us and we all looked at a slightly drunk Brother stepping inside the living room. He glanced at us and his eyes fixed on Paine, looking her up and down. She rolled her eyes and turned to me again, completely ignoring him. Rikku did the same but before she could continue speaking, Brother took a few unsteady steps in our direction and said, in his Al Bhed accent, his voice hoarse from the alcohol "Paine… I… you… you are so…"

"Out of your league?" she replied coldly, not even bothering to look at him again. I had to stifle a little laugh. When would Brother learn not to hit on Paine? One day, when her patience would run out, he would end up being kicked in the ass.

He blinked a few times before trying again. "I… I don't… understand… I mean… I'm…"

"Drunk." Rikku stated, glaring daggers at him. She then continued what she was saying before, as Brother left the room, looking a little disappointed. "Well, I still think the Abes were the best team on that sphere pool. Even the Goers' coach admitted it. And Tidus was absolutely right about what he said on that interview. C'mon, Bickson was constantly―"

"Tidus gave an interview?" I asked out of the blue. I hadn't wanted to say that out loud; I hadn't wanted to open my mouth; I hadn't wanted for curiosity to gain the best of me; but most of all, I hadn't wanted for them to know my inner questions. Now they were both looking at me and it felt forever until Rikku answered me.

"Yeah, he did, at the end of the game." She glanced at Paine, as if asking her if she should continue. "He said that he was very happy with winning the championship and that now it was time for a break. He mentioned something about taking a few weeks off to visit his family, too."

She eyed me again, but I wasn't paying attention to her anymore; I was lost in my thoughts. So Tidus had publicly announced that he was coming to visit his "family". Did that involved his brother too or was it just because of his father? And what about me? Was I included in any of his plans? I shook my head fiercely. Of course I was not, what the hell was I thinking? Why was I even thinking about it? Whatever Tidus said, it meant nothing to me anymore!

"You okay?" Paine inquired, waking me from my thoughts.

I nodded and half-smiled at her. "Yeah, I was just thinking…"

"You knew 'bout this, didn't you?"

I couldn't deceive her; it was just like she could see right through me. She knew me too well, or maybe I was just too easily readable. Either way, I could not lie to her, so I just nodded again.

"When Jecht had the accident, Lenne called Zanarkand and filled Tidus in." I explained. "He told her he would try to come and see his father, but I thought he wouldn't actually do it. I'm surprised, nonetheless."

"Well, you should know that when Tidus says he's gonna do something he does it." Rikku said, her arms crossed over her chest.

I got up so quickly that Rikku had to step back, otherwise she would have been thrown back. "And you should know better than that, Rikku! Tidus is not the angel you like to think he is!" I spat out, glaring angrily at her, before storming out of the room.

Before reaching the top of the stairs, I heard Paine saying, her voice low. "Let her go, Rikku. Let her cool down first. You can talk in the morning."

-----XX-----

But we didn't talk about it next morning, nor in the few that followed… Actually, we hadn't talked much since our little argument. I was still mad at Rikku for her display of adoration towards Tidus. She just didn't understand me… I mean, she had always been there to support me and she had been the best of friends since Tidus had left, but she had never completely accepted my decision of forgetting Tidus and everything that he had once meant to me. She just loved him too much to understand how I could not love him anymore. I think she had always believed we were going to be together forever and she was holding onto that, hoping that things would work out between us sooner or later. How wrong she was! I had no intentions of sorting things out with Tidus; I just wanted him away from my sight, if possible. If not, well… I hadn't really thought about that yet, I was saving those worries for later.

On the other hand, I knew I had crossed the line with Rikku. What had happened between Tidus and I was not her fault and she still adored him like she had always done (It was amazing that from all the hot guys I knew when I arrived at Besaid, Tidus and Shuyin had been the only ones with whom Rikku hadn't flirted. I think she always saw them as big brothers or something, loving them in a very brotherly way, which was definitely a relief for me ― I couldn't quite see myself dating my cousin's ex-boyfriend). I couldn't blame her for that and I couldn't also blame her for sticking up for him, he was her best friend, after all. I think what most irritated me was the fact that she was going against me for him, like she was… choosing him… over me.

Anyways, I knew I had no right to explode on her like that. Even so, she was the one who came to talk, with her big green eyes filled with guilt and her face saddened.

"Yunie, can I talk to you?" she asked, opening my bedroom door slowly.

"Come in." I told her, knowing why she was there. "I wanted to talk to you too."

She sat on the edge of my bed and bent her head forward. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, Yunie." She said in an almost inaudible tone of voice.

"Sorry for what?" I sat next to her and prepared myself to apologize too, but she kept speaking.

"About when we argued about Tidus." she turned her head up and faced me. Then she added "Sorry, I should've not said what I said. It was not right from me, I should've kept quiet, but you know what I think about him and―"

I pressed my hand against her lips to make her shush and smiled lightly at her. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was not your fault. I was out of line there."

"But…" she trailed off.

"Hey, he's your friend. It's only natural for you to defend him. Besides, I shouldn't have yelled, I completely lost it. I'm sorry. It's just that… it's that time of the month, you know what I mean?" I winked at her, smiling gently.

Her face lightened up when she understood and we exchanged an accomplice smile as we shared one of those "only women allowed" moments.

"So, we're okay, right?" she asked, after a few silent seconds.

I nodded. "How could I not be okay with my favourite little cousin?"

"Hey! I'm your only little cousin!" she said, sounding offended.

"Yup, but if I had other little cousins, you'd still be my favourite one." I said back, my smile broadening, as I nudge her arm playfully.

She smiled back at me and hugged me tight against her. I hugged back, thinking how much I hated being angry with my cousin. Of course we had our little fights, but none of us could take them for long… Well, maybe it was mainly because it was nearly impossible to be angry at Rikku when she apologized in her sweet voice, her huge emerald eyes pleading with us. Well, whatever it was, we always made up shortly after our arguments. And after that we always made a trip to the mall, where we usually spent the whole day, shopping and cruising.

Her voice woke me from my thoughts. "Yunie?"

"What?" I asked, backing away a little and looking her in the eye.

"Let's go to the mall!"

-----XX-----

It was about the third time I'd woken up that night, fidgeting restlessly on my bed until I'd fall asleep once again, only to wake up several minutes later. I looked over to the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was already four o'clock in the morning! Meaning I would have to be up in about three hours or so… I should really try to find some sleep, preferably a dreamless one.

I closed my eyes again and tried to make my mind go blank. A shiver ran through my body and I frowned, pulling the covers up to steal some of their warmth. They were now covering the most of me and I would bet one couldn't even see my face, so buried it was beneath the flannel sheets. The winter was coming fast this year and even though Besaid had a very tropical weather, it couldn't escape the slight change that happened everywhere ― it didn't snow like in Bevelle or Zanarkand (the north cities), but there was a cold wind, coming from the sea, that often travelled the city streets.

So there I was, concealed beneath the covers, my eyes closed and my mind blank, when I heard a small noise. I slowly opened my eyes and poked my head out of the sheets, trying to adjust my vision to the darkness as I looked around the room. My eyes crossed over my closet, my computer desk, my open window… Wait a minute! Open window? But I'm sure I closed it!, I thought as I lifted my head up.

It was then that my eyes met two startling blue ones that almost shone in the dark that surrounded the room. I gasped loudly, my hand darting towards the lamp on the bedside table, so I could see who the hell was seated on my bed next to me, but one other hand took hold of mine and below those two bright orbs flashed a line of white teeth.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." said a very sweet and familiar voice.

I blinked twice, unable to believe to whom that voice belonged. It was just so impossible! It was just so… "Tidus?" I asked in disbelief, already knowing what the answer would be.

His hand was still holding mine and he was caressing it lightly with his thumb as his sparkling cerulean eyes looked tenderly at me. "I've missed you so much, Yuna…"

At his words my mouth fell open. I must've been dreaming, that was the only reasonable explanation I could find. Tidus was in Zanarkand and only in my dreams did he appear in front of me like that… Only in my dreams would he say such things to me… Only in my dreams would he look at me like that… Only in my dreams did he enter my room, laying down next to me and holding me through the night… I wanted tonight to be one of those dreams, so I could feel safe and warm; even though I knew that next morning the nostalgia would take over, tonight I didn't care.

I intertwined my fingers with his, pulling him to me, as my other hand made its way to the back of his neck. He willingly came to me, bending his head down until we were inches apart. We stood that way for a few seconds, just looking at each other, until I spoke in a whisper, my voice barely audible "Are you real?"

"Whaddya think?" he smirked, caressing my face with his fingers.

His breath was warm on my face, but it was not the first time I had such a realistic dream of him. So I closed my eyes, leaning against his hand, and said "I think you're just a dream…"

He didn't said anything for a while and I opened my eyes again, afraid that the dream had ended. But no, he was still there, looking straight into my eyes, so close, so close to me… I slowly closed the gap between us and kissed him tenderly, enjoying the sweet sensation that ran through my body the moment our lips met. The kiss felt so real, he felt so real… His lips were warm, his hands were soft, his golden hair was silky…

I caressed the back of his neck ― something I had always loved to do ― and he responded by deepening the kiss. I felt his tongue running over my lower lip as if asking permission to enter. I smiled as I slightly parted my lips and allowed him to explore my mouth. He was so gentle… I just wish I could keep dreaming forever.

Without breaking the kiss, I let myself fall back and we both gently fell onto the fluffy pillows. When we finally broke apart, my breathing was a little heavier and he smiled, finding a spot by my side and laying there. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close to him, kissing my forehead as I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes, to better enjoy the moment…

"Go to sleep, my love. I'm here… I'm finally home."

I opened my eyes abruptly, sitting up and looking franticly around. Sunlight poured through the window, soaking the whole bedroom in its golden radiance, but I didn't welcome its warmth. My eyes were searching for something more, something I knew it was impossible to be there… I glanced at my empty bed, with the sheets tousled, and felt the melancholia taking over me. It had only been a dream, nothing more than a dream… That's all he is to me: a dream, I thought, as I felt a tear rolling down my cheek.

Then a sudden breeze entered the room through the window, waking me from my reverie and making the curtains flew up for a while until they fell still once again. I narrowed my eyes, bewildered by this situation; I got up and slowly made my way to the window, pulling the curtains aside only to find my window wide open. I took a step back, astonished. I never, ever, let my window open over the night.

For a moment I thought it could have been Rikku, but my mind ditched the idea almost immediately: Rikku would never come in and out without waking me in the process.

I knew it hadn't been me and it couldn't have been Rikku, so… that left me with the most crazy idea in the world: that my dream hadn't been just a dream, that somehow it was real, that he had in fact been there with me the night before…

I shook my head, smiling at my own childish hopes. Then I looked out at the beautiful seascape that I could see through my window and that pacific blue colour made me wonder again. Was it a dream, or… reality?

A/N: Okay guys, I hope you liked it. What do you think it was: a dream or reality? Tell me what you think…

Next chapter, I can assure you, it's gonna be about Tidus returning and meeting Yuna after two years… I'm already working on that, but the problem is that I'm gonna start my final examinations in two days and I'm killing myself studying, so… I have no idea when the next chapter will come out. I'm sorry about that. I'll see ya when I'll see ya.