A/N: Hey people, here I am again! And this time, with a long chapter… Anyways, today's been one of the best days ever and I'm so happy right now! Today I got to know to which college I'm going and, here in Portugal, that's a very important thing, so… Well, I'm gonna stop babbling and let you read the chapter. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 15
Luca wild nights
Stupid Dona! Stupid Rikku! Stupid me!, I closed the door to my room with a loud bang and threw myself onto my bed, shutting my eyes in order to forget the last events. Why had I gone to Tidus' room? Why had Dona seen it? Why had she provoked me and why had I answered her? Why had Rikku suggested that? And even worse, why had we accepted it? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
When I had told Dona that she would never get to know Tidus the way I knew him, it wasn't my intention to bring such confusion upon us. I just wanted to shut her up. She always thought she was so damn good and so hot that I wanted to… Yevon, I don't even know what I wanted to prove by telling her that. All I know is that I found myself in the middle of a huge problem when I saw Rikku coming in our direction with a bright smile on her small lips. I should've known my cousin would be looking for a chance to get even with Dona for the way she had treated her that morning, but I never thought she would get me into one of her schemes. Now I knew I was wrong.
Rikku had suggested that Dona and I would do a quiz about Tidus. It was a simple thing, in fact ― Rikku would give us a list of questions about him and we would answer them separately; after that, the same questions would be asked the boy himself and then Rikku would match the answers and the one of us who had the highest rate of right answers would be the winner, the one who knew Tidus better.
She had explained all this with a huge smile, making it sound so plain and simple, and yet I still thought it was a crazy and a very embarrassing idea. I knew Rikku had faith that I would win, after all, Tidus and I had a past together and a very intense relationship bounding us, and I also knew that she was expecting it, seeing it as an opportunity to humiliate Dona. But I didn't want to humiliate Dona, and I wasn't so sure I would win ― Dona and Tidus seemed close and she had been the one to be with him for the last two years, and if I had changed I was certain he had changed too. Besides, answering a quiz about a guy sounded really silly, like we were those young teenagers answering those quizzes in the magazines. And if Tidus knew ― and I was sure Rikku would tell him ― what would he think of us? It almost looked like we were fighting for him or something… No, I definitely didn't like the idea.
Unfortunately for me, Dona liked it. She was so shallow and futile, and so non-intelligent, that she actually thought it was a very good plan. And she accepted it without a second thought, accusing me, when I said that I didn't agree with it, of being a coward, too scared to compete against her.
"That's it, lady," Rikku had said, ready to jump on her and pull off that incredibly long hair of hers. "No one talks to my cousin like that!"
I grabbed my cousin's arm and pulled her back, trying to prevent something worse from happening, and faced Dona, looking her in the eye, even though she was taller than me. "Okay, Dona, I'll do it. If it means so much to you, I'll do it. But let me tell you this: I don't need to prove anything to anyone, not now, not ever. Got it?"
Dona smirked. "Crystal."
Rikku, who had calmed down in the meanwhile, spoke again "Okay, I think tomorrow's evening is a good time to do it, don't you?"
We both nodded before Dona walked away, swaying her hips all the way until she reached the elevator. When she was out of sight, I turned to Rikku "What was that all about?"
"Well, you two were talking about knowing Tidus and so, and I thought it was a good way to see who was right." She said plainly, shrugging.
"Well, guess what, Rikku? It's not!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air "I don't like when people eavesdrop on my conversation and then give their opinions about it."
"It's not my fault you were talking so loud that one could hear you from around the corner, okay?" Rikku said back "And I just wanted to help you out!"
"Admit it, Rikku, you just wanted to make Dona look bad…"
She lowered her eyes to conceal the guilt, before facing me again. "What if I wanted? She talks 'bout Tidus like he belongs to her, but we both know he doesn't. She needs to be taught a lesson!"
"And you had to choose me to do it, didn't you?" I shook my head at her and then turned on my heels, heading to my room, where I was currently lying on my bed, complaining about my life until I fell asleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but it was almost dark when I woke up with the sound of the door opening. I didn't bother in turning and seeing who had entered the room ― it was probably Rikku getting ready for dinner and I didn't want to talk to her right now, I was still a little disappointed that she had decided to get even through me.
"Yuna? Are you awake?" Paine's voice asked from behind me.
I sat up on the bed and looked at her in the dim light of the room. "Hey, Paine." I greeted.
"Hey yourself." She smiled, turning the lights on. It looked like she had just arrived, her coat still over her leather clothes. "What happened? Why are you here all by yourself?"
I sighed, thinking I really needed to talk to someone about everything that was happening to me lately. And I knew that Paine was a very good listener. So, I told her everything that had happened earlier that day, from my conversation with Tidus to my argument with Rikku.
"And now I don't know what to think." I concluded, looking at my hands "My feelings are so mixed up right now; it's like I'm not even sure of how I'm supposed to feel…"
Paine, who had taken her jacket off and had also taken a seat on the bed beside me, rested a hand on my shoulder. "You're confused; it's natural. But you need to think about what's best for you… and not for your cousin."
"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning a little.
Paine gave me a small smile. "I know you love to please Rikku and that a smile of hers can light up your world, but I don't think she deserves some sacrifices you make. And according to what you've said, Tidus is making a huge effort too. Do you really think this is all necessary?"
She was right, I knew it. Maybe Tidus and I were trying to make work something that couldn't possible work; maybe we weren't meant to be friends again, maybe I should just act like Shuyin and tell Tidus I didn't want to see him around me anymore; that my friends were mine and that he was just an intruder. Maybe, but… I didn't really think of him as an intruder; I had never seen him that way. For me, he had every right to be there, like he was meant to be in Besaid, to be friends with my friends, to live life the way I always dreamt he would live. I was the intruder in that picture, I was the Bevellian girl who had suddenly showed up and changed everyone's lives… A tear slid down my cheek and I wiped it away quickly, trying to hide it from Paine.
"You're right; maybe we're trying too hard…" I whispered, looking out the balcony doors. "But you're wrong on one thing, though ― we're not doing it for Rikku." Tidus' words echoed in my head: Let's make it work; but not for Rikku… for us. "We're doing it for us."
Paine didn't say anything for a few moments, but I could tell she was eyeing me closely, maybe trying to read what was going on my mind. I guess it wasn't too hard to tell…
"How 'bout you, girl?" I asked suddenly, turning to my friend and giving her a half-hearted smile "I bet your afternoon was better than mine. Had fun?"
Paine just shrugged, getting up and heading to her dresser.
"I guess you can call it fun." She said indifferently, starting to rummage through her things "I'd missed Aleph." She added, picking a black shirt from one of the drawers.
"Is Aleph an old friend of yours? From your high school days?" I was curious about that.
"Yeah, he's a good friend." Paine answered. It was weird though; her voice had no hint of emotion in it. "He's there when he's needed."
Her short and detached answers were confusing me, so I thought I should change the subject. Besides, there was one thing I wanted to ask her. "Paine, about that quiz Rikku suggested…"
"Yeah?" This time she turned around, facing me from across the room with piercing red eyes.
"Do you think I should have refused it? It's not like I want to do it…" I added, looking down at my hands.
"You did what you had to do." Paine said simple "Refusing it would be like refusing a challenge, and being the woman of honor I know you are you would never refuse a challenge."
I smiled in appreciation. Those words, coming from Paine, could only be a compliment and it was really rare seeing Paine giving out compliments. With a nod, I thanked her silently.
She smiled back and turned her attention to her dresser once again, taking out a pair of black jeans to match the shirt. I imagined she didn't want to go to dinner with the same leather clothes she had been wearing all day long, just like I didn't mind taking a bath and changing too. I was just thinking about that when my cell-phone rang. I extended my arm to my bedside table and picked it up.
"Yuna, it's Gippal. Where are you?"
I frowned at his question. "I'm in my room. Where'd I be?"
"I don't know ― that's why I asked." He said nonchalantly "Anyways, it's almost seven and we're going to the hotel restaurant now. Do you wanna join us for dinner?"
"Of course. Paine and I will be down there in ten minutes, okay?"
"Sure, we'll wait up for you."
We both hanged up at the same time and I looked at Paine, who was looking back at me. "It was Gippal. They're gonna have dinner here at the restaurant and they're counting us in. Wanna go?"
"Yeah, okay." Paine shrugged. She then looked at the jeans in her hand and said, as an after though "Ten minutes you said… We don't have time to get changed."
"And I don't have time to take a bath either…" I sighed, standing up and going to the bathroom to look myself in the mirror "I look positively horrible."
I grabbed my brush and passed it through my tangled hair, undoing the knots and trying to give it a presentable look. Then I redid my make-up a little, so it wouldn't look too clumsy. Finally, I got out of the bathroom to put my boots on.
"Are you ready?" Paine asked. She hadn't had time to change her leather clothes so she had just dressed the black shirt over her red corset and had tied it on the waist just like I had done to mine. I couldn't help but giggle a little when I gazed at her ― she looked like my evil twin, all dressed in black and red while I was in white and blue.
We got to the restaurant ten minutes later, like I had told Gippal. They were already seated at a round table and we just joined them, sitting down at the only two empty places. This time it wasn't like the last time we had all eaten together ― this time there were also Dona and Barthello, Rikku and I had argued, Paine and Baralai barely even spoke to each other and Tidus didn't stop glancing in my direction with those beautiful eyes of his. Only Nooj, LeBlanc and Gippal seemed unfazed by the tense atmosphere that surrounded us, and they were the ones that were doing all the talking, even though Dona threw in a remark or two ― pointless remarks, may I add.
"So, guys, where do you wanna go tonight?" Gippal asked all of a sudden, looking around the table. "Cid's girl?"
Rikku glanced at him and then at her meal again, poking it with her fork. "I don't know…"
"C'mon, kiddo, what are you sayin'?" Gippal frowned and elbowed her. "You were so excited about Luca wild nights, remember?"
"Yeah…" she continued to look down.
"Is everything alright, Rikku?" Baralai asked from her other side.
She nodded weakly.
I was starting to feel bad about her and shifted in my seat. Tidus turned his gaze towards me, a questioning look in his cerulean eyes. I averted mine in the other direction. But even though I could escape Tidus' questions, I could not ignore my cousin's behavior ― she looked so sad…
"Rikku, can you come with me to the restroom, please?" I asked my cousin, who lifted her head to look at me with surprise stamped in her big swirled eyes.
"Sure." She said, while we both stood up.
"Excuse me, everyone, we'll be right back, I promise." I apologized, following Rikku to the ladies' room. When we got there, I closed the door behind us and faced my cousin in the huge mirror. "Are you acting like this because of what I said to you this afternoon?"
Her eyes widened. I guess she didn't expect me to go straight to the subject, but hanging out with Paine was teaching me some things.
"I guess I'm just sad because you're mad at me, Yunie." she quickly began to explain "I didn't think it would mean this much to you, otherwise I wouldn't have said a word to Dona, I swear to you, I just wanted to help you and to show that little Miss-I'm-so-good that she isn't as important as she thinks she is, because I know Tidus doesn't like her and I know that―"
I hushed her by putting two fingers in front of her lips. "I forgive you for what you've done, Rikku." I told her calmly "even though I still don't agree with it, I forgive you. But all those things you're saying… How do you know Tidus doesn't like Dona? What if we're the wrong ones here, Rikku? What if Tidus and Dona are together? Do you really think we have the right to step in the middle of their relationship?"
She tilted her head to the side. "Tidus and Dona aren't together, Yunie. That's just not possible. He loves you, he belongs with you. Not with her."
I smiled sadly. "Rikku… Tidus loved me, he doesn't anymore. Just like I loved him, but now…"
"What? You don't have feelings for him anymore?" Rikku asked, putting her hands on her hips "Is that why you went to his room while he was there all alone?"
"Rikku…" I massaged my temples to keep my mind clear "I don't wanna argue with you again, cousin. Tidus and I are trying to establish a friendship between the two of us. We're taking a pace at a time. Even if Dona isn't his girlfriend, it's not like I'm rushing back into his arms again… Not after everything that I've been through because of him. And my feelings aren't very clear at the moment. So can we just drop the Tidus subject for a while and try to have some peace between us?" I pleaded.
My cousin nodded and then threw her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged back, relishing the warmth and affection I was receiving. I needed Rikku's support, she was the only one who could cheer me up if things got me down. And she needed me too, that was why she had been so sad before…
When we got back to the table everyone was almost finishing their meals, but we really didn't mind ― neither of us was too hungry. Rikku turned to Gippal and elbowed him to get his attention. He almost choked, but managed to look at her and when he saw her eyes sparkling he smiled broadly.
"I've been thinkin', and I changed my mind." She said, beaming at him "I think we should go out and enjoy Luca wild nights!"
-----XX-----
Gippal hadn't been joking when he had said that Luca was even busier at night than during the day. When we left the hotel, about an hour after dinner (after all, the girls needed time to get dressed up ― and so did the boys, event though they didn't admit it), we found ourselves in a crowded street, with people of all ages cruising around.
"Whoa, it looks almost like Zanarkand!" Dona said, looking everywhere. I remembered what Tidus had said about being her first time in Luca and I thought that right now she looked almost like a regular kid checking her surroundings, instead of that annoying girl she was most of the times. If she could be like that more often, maybe I would start to dislike her less.
"Yeah, well, it's fantastic, isn't it?" Gippal opened his arms and twirled in the middle of the street, forcing people to walk around to avoid being hit by him.
"So, where are we going, Gippal?" Paine asked him.
He stopped and looked at her. "I dunno. Got any ideas, Paine?"
She smirked and folded her arms across her chest as she walked past him. "I think I know just the place…"
Gippal smiled and turned to us. "You heard the lady. Let's go!"
We followed Paine trough Luca's packed streets, until we arrived to the beach. There was a paved avenue that was parallel to the sea, but instead of traffic, it was jammed with people dancing and laughing and having a good time. Apparently, the most popular clubs around, as well as the most trendy shops, were in that avenue.
"Callis!" Gippal exclaimed "I never thought you'd bring us to Callis Avenue. Don't you think it's a little too preppy for your likes?"
Paine just glared at him and continued her way. We followed, looking everywhere as if we were trying to take in the whole city with just one glance. Music could be heard from the clubs as we were moving further into the crowd and sometimes we met an occasional street seller trying to convince us to buy their products. There were also some outdoor cafés and we even came across an arcade. As far as I could see, that avenue had almost everything.
Paine laughed when I voiced out my thoughts. We were walking side by side, the rest of the gang behind us. "Yeah, it has pretty much everything one needs." she said "That's why it's the most popular avenue in all Luca, a must-see for tourists like you guys."
"Then, I'm glad you brought us here." I smiled.
We stopped briefly to discuss where we were going next and Gippal, Nooj and Baralai agreed that Ifrit's Flame was a good place to go, since it was their favourite club during their high school years. Paine just nodded her agreement, letting them take the lead for now.
We reached the club shortly after and I realized that the frontage had been carefully decorated to match the name the club had been given. Above the double doors, there was a huge ― and fake ― head of an Ifrit. Its big black horns were pointing out and from its open mouth came a blast of red and yellow flames of neon, lighting up every five seconds or so… I thought it was a really good way to call people's attentions to the club ― that head was impossible to miss. I looked up and then let my mind wonder ― had the aeons really been like that? Had they really existed? According to History and Religion books, the aeons had been powerful creatures that had existed many years in the past and that had helped the summoners in their mighty quests to bring peace back to Spira. Of course the books diverged on one point ― History said that the aeons were nothing but myth invented by priests and maesters to keep people believing in some superior power, whilst Religion said the aeons were real and that they still existed somewhere, but since there were no longer summoners to call them, they remained asleep in a world no human could ever enter. Despite all this, the fact was that the aeons had become very popular when it came to choose the name to a new club, and so now we had clubs like Valefor's flight, Shiva's, Fallen Aeons, back in Besaid, Ifrit's Flame, in Luca, amongst others spread all over Spira.
Inside, the club was decorated in a very modern way. The red and yellow lights made some strange effects on the black walls and the music was loud enough to bee heard over the conversations between the many people there. We crossed almost all of the club's length before we found ourselves a vacant table where we could seat down for a drink. The problem was that the tables were meant only for four or five people and we were ten…
"It's not that big of a problem…" Gippal said, shrugging "I think no one here intents on staying seated for too long, so we can exchange places once in a while. Whatcha think?" We all agreed and he continued, turning to my cousin "It's settled then. Wanna dance, Cid's girl?"
She blinked in surprise and I had to contain my giggle. Apparently, Gippal wasn't going to let that same thing that had happened the last time we had gone clubbing happen now. And so he was just asking Rikku if she wanted to go dance with him…
"Yeah, sure." She shrugged, trying to act nonchalantly, and he smirked, holding out his hand to her. She took it and they both headed to the huge dance floor.
"See Noojie-Woojie," I heard from behind me, "even Gippal is more of a gentleman than you are. Why don't you ask me to dance too?" LeBlanc whined, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I was going to invite you now, my dear…" Nooj tried to calm down his girlfriend, but she was pouting at him.
Paine, who was right in front of me, rolled her eyes and I couldn't suppress my laughter so I turned around so they wouldn't see my face. The moment I turned, though, all my laughter died in my throat. Before my eyes, Tidus was dancing with Dona, right there and then, not even caring in going to the dance floor like everyone else. Okay, they were just a little apart from us, but still… He had his hands on her waist and her arms encircled his neck and even though they were keeping a certain distance from each other, no one would tell they'd been fighting earlier that evening. She said something to him and he answered back, lifting his eyes for a brief moment… and finding mine staring at him earnestly. His eyes softened when they met mine and he smiled at me. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to return the smile and I just turned away.
Paine was already seated at the table and Barthello, to my surprise, sat beside her, his quiet mood always present ― I think I hadn't even heard him speak so far… Nooj and LeBlanc were nowhere to be seen, so I supposed they had gone dancing like Rikku and Gippal.
"Where's Baralai?" I asked, sitting next to Paine.
"He went off to get us some drinks." She said simply.
"Oh Yevon, you and the drinks!" I sighed, thinking of the last time I had seen those two drinking together. It was almost like they were competing or something ― they didn't drink two or three beers, cocktails whatever it was… No they drank seven or eight, maybe even more. I still don't understand how they never got drunk.
She smirked. "To tell you the truth, Baralai and me get along a lot better when we drink. It has always been like that…" she added, with an almost unnoticeable bitterness in her voice.
"Okay… Look, I can't stand being here looking at Mr. and Mrs. Perfect Couple, so I'm gonna dance a little, okay?"
"Sure. But don't you wanna have a drink first?" Paine asked, as Baralai arrived with a tray full of glasses with colourful liquors inside.
"Hey, Yuna, if I were you I'd have this one." He said, pointing at one of the glasses "It's not as strong as the others. I brought it for you, actually…"
"That's so sweet of you, Baralai."
"Actually it was Paine who told me too…" he added, a little bit embarrassed.
I gazed at Paine and she smirked. "I thought you wouldn't be able to stand Mrs. Perfect all night long, so…"
I smiled at her and took the drink, swallowing it down at once. In fact, if the alcohol could help me relax, it would be great. And I knew Paine would never allow me to get too drunk, so I could count on her to choose the drinks for me. I thanked her and set off to the dance floor, swaying my hips to the sound of the music.
Shortly after I'd arrived at the dance floor, I saw Gippal and Rikku dancing together. And if I thought Rikku was a good dancer all by herself, with Gippal she was even better. The fluidness of movements, the chemistry between them, the closeness of their bodies… Yup, they were really meant for each other, anyone could see that. Anyone except them, I added in my mind.
I kept dancing all by myself, until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned, not knowing who I would find, just to find none other than Tidus himself. I frowned deeply, not understanding what he was doing in front of me.
"Wanna dance?" he smiled hesitantly.
"Weren't you dancing with Dona?" I asked, sounding colder than I would've liked to.
"I'm not now." He said back.
"I can see that, but―"
"C'mon, Yuna, just a yes or a no, it's not that hard…" he sighed in exasperation "Let's start again. I wanna dance with you. Do you―"
"Okay." I said sharply, interrupting him. Why had I said that?
He smiled again and took a step forward, approaching me. Out of instinct, I took one step back.
He frowned. "If you get away from me, we won't be able to dance."
I took a deep breath and blinked a few times, before saying "You're right, I'm sorry… You're right."
It's just a stupid dance, Yuna. You said you'd give him a chance as a friend, didn't you? So bear with it.
He took another step forward, but this time I didn't move. I felt him place his hands around my waist hesitantly, like he was touching a crystal and he was afraid it would break if he held it too tightly. I remained frozen in place.
I felt his hot breath on my ear when he softly spoke. "You don't wanna do this, Yuna."
"What?" I asked in the same tone.
"Dancing with me… You don't want it."
Yes I do! I do want it so much it is almost painful… "No, I don't."
"Why?" He had leaned back so he could look at me in the eye.
"Because… because I can't dance with you like this, like…"
"Like what?"
Like friends and not lovers… "Like…"
"Tidus."
We both turned at the sound of that voice. It was Dona.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"Yes."
"No."
Tidus looked at me. "Yuna, I thought we were talking."
I shook my head. "Our conversation is over for now. And I think I should go sit down for a bit ― I'm starting to feel tired of dancing."
"Good." Dona said coolly ― I think she was learning how to control herself. "That way, Tidus and I can dance."
"He's all yours." I patted Tidus arm before turning on my heels and starting to get away from them.
I sill hadn't got out of the dance floor when I heard a girl saying to her friends "You have no idea who I just saw! Tidus, the famous blitzball player!"
All the girls in the group squealed excitedly and then headed to the dance floor, to see with their own eyes. I smirked inwardly. After all, Tidus wouldn't be all Dona's for long…
I got to the table and met Barthello all alone. I sat by his side and smiled at him "Don't you dance?"
He looked at me like that was a crazy idea. "My job is to protect Dona, not dance."
"Well, yeah, but Dona's having a good time and you're here all by yourself. It's not like she's in danger or anything, so why don't you go and have fun too?"
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm on duty. And I'm not supposed to have fun while on duty. Just make sure Dona doesn't get hurt."
"I think she has better chances of hurting others than the way around, but it's okay… So, besides protecting Dona, what else do you do, Barthello?" I asked, trying to go another way.
He shrugged. "I do a lot of things. I carry the bags for Dona, I drive her to where she needs to go, I help her on her studies…"
Oh god, that guy's life revolved around Dona! That was so weird!
I was relieved when finally Paine and Baralai came back. Apparently they had just gone to the bar to get more drinks. Yevon, I was surrounded by weird people! They placed the drinks on the table and Paine handed me one with a smirk. I accepted it just like I had done with the other and sipped it slowly, unlike the last one. Before sitting down Paine glanced at Barthello and arched her eyebrows, but she didn't say anything and ended up taking the seat in front of me. Baralai, on the other hand, didn't sit with us.
"I'll be right back." He smiled, heading in the restrooms direction.
Paine just nodded and sipped her own drink. After a couple of minutes of silence, a very handsome guy approached our table. His silky black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his grey eyes had a mischievous glint when he addressed Paine.
"Paine… I didn't think I'd find you here." He said, winking at her.
Paine looked the guy up and down with an undisturbed look on her ruby eyes. "I don't understand why it surprises you, Aleph. I told you I was in Luca with some friends."
So that guy was Aleph, Paine's friend. But somehow they didn't seem as close as I had imagined them. When she had told me he was a good friend of hers, I had thought he was like one of her best friends, like Gippal or Nooj, but now I realized he wasn't. Paine was being reserved as always, but she was also keeping a certain distance. I don't really know how to explain ― I guess it was just something I could feel…
"Yeah, you told me that…" he glanced at me and Barthello, but his eyes quickly returned to Paine. "So, can I sit down or what?"
"Or what." She retorted, taking another sip of her drink. How many drinks had she already taken? I had no idea, but she was still complete unfazed by it. "Can't you see I have company, Aleph?"
"I thought you would enjoy mine more, but fine. Do you wanna go to my place after this?" he asked, leaning in over the table to be face to face with her, his lips twisting in a playful smile.
"What part of 'I'm with some friends' didn't you understand?" Paine asked back, remaining as calm and collected as always. "I'm not going anywhere with you, Aleph, because I'm with them. This is supposed to be a group thing and I'm not the one who's gonna mess it up."
"Yeah, right, you always find time for your so-called friends, Paine. But what 'bout me? You never find time for me!"
Aleph was raising his voice and I noticed Paine was beginning to get irritated, which was definitely not a good thing. "Keep your voice down, Aleph." She told him crossing her arms.
"Not this time, Paine. I'm not your toy! If you think the only things I'm good at are sex and making Baralai jealous you're―"
He never had the chance to finish that sentence for the next thing he knew Paine's fist was colliding with his jaw and he was on the floor, wiping the tiny drops of blood that were trailing down his chin. I looked up at her, standing there, her fists clenched and her eyes bright with contained fury.
Aleph stood up, more surprised than angry at her. "What―?"
"Go away, Aleph. Just go."
"What's happening here?" Baralai's deep voice made us turn and gaze at him. His gaze travelled from Aleph to Paine and back and he looked tense and quite upset.
Maybe I was the only one to notice, because I was the one who was closest to Paine, that she opened her hands and closed them again, before speaking again. "Nothing's happening, Baralai." She said, averting his eyes "Aleph was just leaving."
Baralai looked doubtful but didn't say anything. As for Aleph, he just shook his head and said, before turning and leaving "I hope Baralai's more patient than I am, Paine, or you'll end up all alone…"
"What did he mean by that?" Baralai asked, coming closer to us and standing in front of Paine.
"It's none of your business. I'm out of here." She snapped back, walking past him and disappearing into the crowd.
Baralai's eyes met mine, but I had no idea of what to think about what I had just seen, so I was unable to give an answer to those questioning brown eyes of his. I was still shocked about the whole thing; I had never seen Paine acting like that, I had never understood so much and so little about my friends' life…
Baralai sat in the chair beside me and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. I could imagine the thoughts that were running through his mind that very minute. "Did he deserve it?" That was the only question he verbalized, almost whispering it.
"Yeah, he was pushing his luck. He was gonna say something that… Well, he had no right to say such a thing."
"What was he gonna say?"
I hesitated. "It was something very personal."
He nodded. "I never liked the guy."
"Because of Paine?" For a moment I regretted asking that. "Sorry, I don't mean to―"
"It's okay, Yuna." Baralai said with a smile "Yes, because of Paine, but not just because of her. Because of a lot of things…"
"Hey, guys!" Rikku screamed and waved as she and Gippal made their way back to the table, Tidus and Dona right behind.
"So, Rikku, are you having fun?" I asked, trying to smile at her.
"Tons of it!" she glanced sideways at Gippal, who was looking back at her, making her blush slightly.
As for Tidus, he was still being persecuted by his crazy fans, and I could tell Dona wasn't enjoying the situation. Only when she turned to yell something at Barthello did I remember his presence and that he had seen everything between Paine and Aleph. But strangely enough, the guy didn't seem the kind of guy who told everything to everyone, so…
"I'm glad you're having fun, Riks."
"What 'bout you, Yunie?"
"I think it's time for me to return to the hotel. I'm getting tired; we've been here for nearly four hours now…" I answered honestly.
"Can I go with you, Yuna?" Tidus asked all of a sudden. "I'm sick and tired of all these people after me…"
It would be rude of me to say 'no', so I nodded in response. Of course I must've been crazy to think and believe that Dona would leave Tidus all alone with me. Telling us that she was really tired too, she told us she was coming with us ― oh Yevon, that girl had a nerve; she never asked anything, she just said it would be the way she wanted it to be… and it usually was. And so, my return to the hotel was even 'better' than my night ― Tidus, Dona, Barthello and I, with nothing to say to each another, making a silent way back through the crowded and vivid Luca streets.
A/N: So, what did you guys think? I'd really like to know and you'd make me very, very happy if you just clicked the review button for once… It doesn't take that long…
Anyways, for the ones who did review last time:
Duderman: I'm sorry I didn't update when I said I would, but I hadn't finished the chapter yet and then I went out for the weekend and so… Anyways, thank you for waiting and I'm glad you like it. And I hope that by reading this chapter you'll get some ideas of why I can't kill Baralai… ;-)
Da KeR MysTeRr: This isn't as soon as I wished to, but… Well, I'm so happy you liked the last chapter, I hope you like this one too.
kirytawuv: Yeah, I'm not really fond of her either, and Yuna certainly isn't, but she's there and we have to deal with her… And don't worry, I will continue writing this story, at least as long as you keep reading it. ;-)
tidusXyuna637: Glad you liked last chapter, I really hope you like this one too. And thanks for reviewing…
Schwarz Stein: Yes, I agree with you, but if I made a happy story, with lots of love and happy things, no one would like to read it because no one would think it was real… Sad things happen everyday, and it's up to us to make the best out of every situation. Tidus and Yuna were a happy couple, but like every other couple they had some problems. Unfortunately, their relation didn't seem to work, so they broke up. It doesn't mean, though, that they don't have feelings for each other anymore. And it certainly doesn't mean that they're not going to try and work it out… Anyways, if you don't like it, you're not forced to read it. It's up to you. But thanks for reviewing anyway, I appreciate it.
Well, guys, I'm off now, I'm going to celebrate… I'll see you soon.