A/N: So, people, here I am again… with another chappie for you! Hope you'll like it…
This chapter is dedicated to Crisyah. Thank you for being my beta reader, for all the inspiration and for the good advice. Luv ya, cous!
Chapter 17
"Requiescat in pace!"
Dark clouds painted the sky in grey when I climbed into Tidus' ship the next day, to fly back to Besaid. He had wanted to come with me, justifying it was his brother we were talking about, but I knew he would do me no good and I also knew Shuyin wouldn't even talk to him, so I had told him it was better for him to stay and enjoy the rest of the weekend in Luca. He had insisted and only when I had promised him I'd call him as soon as I had talked to Shuyin, telling him what was happening in Besaid, did he accept staying behind. Still a bit reluctant, he had called Auron and had asked him to send the ship to come and pick me up. And so, here I was now, at the entrance of the ship. I looked over my shoulder and waved one last time at my friends; I'd said goodbye to them the night before, but still, Paine, Baralai and Tidus had accompanied me and Rikku. Talking about my cousin… I gazed sideways in her direction. "Are you sure you wanna go with me, Riks?"
She snapped her head up, suddenly irritated "Yeah, I'm sure! Stop asking me that!"
I held my hands up in a defence gesture as we made our way to our seats. "Sorry. It's just that… you were the one who organized this trip and you were enjoying it so much…" I trailed off. "I'm sorry, I won't ask again, okay?"
She kept her gaze down, but I saw her former annoyance fading away. She remained silent, nevertheless, her arms folded stubbornly across her chest. We took our places and fastened our seatbelts, preparing ourselves for the ride. Moments later we were flying high above the deep blue ocean, heading back home.
Less than two and an half hours later we were landing on Besaid's airport. We hadn't talked much during the flight ― Rikku didn't want to uncover the reason why she had wanted to come with me and I was too worried about Shuyin to think about anything else, right now. I would talk to Rikku later, when she wouldn't be so stressed up and so irritated.
We got out of the airship and the pilot, who happened to be a cute zanarkadian guy, took our bags and handed them to us with a smirk. I thanked him absent-mindedly and his grin widened. "No problem at all, Lady Yuna."
Lady? I blinked, surprised. No one had ever called me 'lady' before… Whatever! It's probably just some zanarkadian habit or so…
I smiled in response and thanked him one last time, before leaving to catch up with Rikku, who was already waiting by the car. I unlocked the vehicle and threw our bags into the back seat. Then I climbed behind the steering wheel and started the car, while Rikku sat on the front seat with me, sighing contently.
I glanced at her, asking carefully "Are you feeling better now that we're back in Besaid?"
She narrowed her eyes. "I thought you'd said you wouldn't ask me that anymore…"
"No, what I said was that I wouldn't ask you why you wanted to come with me. And I didn't ask you that, so…" I smirked at her and she was unable to resist and returned the smirk.
"Yeah, I'm feeling better now. It's just been a crazy weekend and I've been a little edgy later, that's all." She explained softly.
"Well, I thought that you'd be glad with the result of this weekend ― at least for you, it turned out pretty well, don't you think? After all, you and Gippal finally hooked up and―"
"Can we not talk about him right now?" She cut me off abruptly and suddenly I realized he was the reason why she had wanted to come with me.
Carefully, as not to scare her off or to make her explode on me, I said "Sure, if you don't want to talk about him… But did you guys argue or something? Everything seemed to be going on so well…"
She sighed again, leaning her head against the seat. "No, we didn't argue… That's the problem. We're always arguing, always, but it's always about things that aren't serious, ya know? Little things that don't matter at all… And now… well, I'm not even sure why he kissed me and it suddenly changes everything! I don't know how to act around him anymore and that scares me, 'cause I don't wanna lose what I had with him!"
"And so you thought it would be better if you just got away from him for awhile, right?" She nodded. "What did he say about this?"
"He didn't say anything 'cause I didn't tell him."
"You came back to Besaid without telling Gippal you were coming?" I was taken aback with my cousin's actions. What would Gippal think when he'd find it out? He'd be upset, no doubts on that, and everything would be harder for them when they saw each other again. "You should've told him, Rikku."
"I didn't know how." She whined "I've told you, I don't even know how to talk to him anymore! Should I treat him like a friend or as something more? And what are his feelings for me? I've seen Gippal with way too many girls to know for sure…"
She was insecure. It was the first time I saw my cousin insecure about anything ― she usually was the first one to jump into things, loving the rush and enjoying the moment, never thinking about tomorrow. Some would say she was reckless and imprudent, but I had gotten used to her way of living and I even admired her, wishing I had her courage to do a lot of things (like fleeing to Zanarkand with Tidus when I had the chance…). The only part I thought it was negative about Rikku's way of doing things was that she had never had anything that lasted for long ― except her friends and family; all her boyfriends, all her toys, they were all just for a few moments, a few months, and then she was ready for another completely different thing…
But now, for the first time, she was actually thinking twice before taking the first step and I realized that Gippal was more important to her than she wanted to admit. Rikku never got stuck with the same boy for long because she didn't want to commit, she never wanted a serious relationship, maybe because her heart was not in it. But with Gippal everything was different and I suddenly remembered the many stories our friends had told me about the two of them when they were still children and later in their early teenage years. The two of them went way back, and now she was scared of the change that was occurring in their relationship.
We arrived at our house and I parked the car, turning the engine off. I turned to my cousin and gave her a hug, trying to reassure her. "You're right to be afraid… And I understand when you say you don't know how to act around him. That's why I think you should really talk to him, as soon as possible, before he thinks you don't care about him…"
"I do care about him. That's what scares me the most…"
Her comment made me smile and then I let her go. "Go home now. Tell your father that I had to come home earlier and that I asked you to come with me so I didn't have to be on my own. If he asks anything else, tell him I'll give him all the answers when I get home…"
"You're not coming?"
"I have to go, Shuyin needs me and I don't want to waste any time. I'll be home soon, okay?"
She nodded and got out of the car, taking her bag with her. I started the car once again and headed to Shuyin's place, hoping to find him there.
-----XX-----
Only after I knocked twice on the door, did Shuyin answer it. I looked at him for a second, before he pulled me into a tight hug, and I must confess I didn't like what I saw ― his skin was rather pale, except for the dark circles under his eyes, usually so bright and now so sad and gloomy… He looked like he hadn't slept at all that night.
"I thought you wouldn't come." He said softly when he let go of me. We entered his apartment and sat on the couch.
"Why would you think that?" I asked, surprised. "You called me and here I am."
"But you were in Luca, and you were with your friends, and―"
"Shuyin," I interrupted him, cupping his face in my hands, so that our eyes were levelled. "You are my friend and you needed me, so I would always come, even if I was in Zanarkand…" I trailed off and let my hands drop on my lap, following them with my gaze. Mentioning Zanarkand hadn't been very smart of me for it reminded us of Tidus and right now I didn't think Shuyin would like to think or talk about his brother that much.
We both remained silent for a few moments.
"How is he?" Shuyin suddenly inquired, trying to sound casual.
A small smile found its way to my lips as I answered. "He's fine, I think. Everybody likes him, as usual, and he's enjoying his time here. It looks like he never left… I can tell he has missed this ― the friends, the landscape… But I think he still misses us." I added, the smile disappearing from my face.
"Us?" Shuyin asked, raising an eyebrow. His deep blue eyes were concealed behind blonde strands that fell in front of his face.
I nodded. "That's right ― us. Me…" I remembered the events that had occurred just the day before in the swimming pool and that were still so fresh on my mind, but decided that it was too soon to tell Shuyin about them, so I kept them to myself, completing in a soft voice "And you."
"I think you're wrong, Yuna." He leaned back on the couch, resting his head and closing his eyes.
I smiled again, a sad smile. "You know I'm not. But that's not why I'm here." I added suddenly, reaching out my hand to touch his arm. "What happened, Shuyin?"
He didn't answer for the longest moment. I wanted to urge him to tell me, but I refrained myself from doing it, knowing he would tell me ― he was just taking his time. Finally he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Lenne broke up with me…"
"Shu…" I squeezed his hand to try and comfort him. I knew how much he loved her and I really didn't understand why she kept doing this to him ― one day apart, the next together, then apart again… "When?" I asked softly.
"Tuesday."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" I was surprised. I had been with him last Sunday and everything had been fine and then, two days later, Lenne had broken up with him… again… And he hadn't told me anything about it for a whole week, keeping it all to himself.
"Because I know things haven't been easy for you since Tidus returned and I didn't want to bother you with another silly problem…"
"Shuyin, it's not a silly problem! You should have told me, so I could've been here for you… You shouldn't have gone through this all alone…" I whispered, feeling sorry for him.
"It was nothing I wasn't used to." He replied plainly, shrugging his shoulders. His words hurt me, but I knew I deserved them after those many months I hadn't had any contact with him, so I didn't say a word. Instead, I stood up and walked to the wall where the pictures of us were hanging ― those photos were of a time when we were all happy in a way or another… I felt Shuyin getting up and approaching me from behind. "But that wasn't why I called you."
I turned to face him. "No?" He shook his head. "Then why was it?"
His eyes were downcast when he told me in a whisper "My father's dying…"
"What?" I gasped, placing a hand over my mouth. That couldn't be! Jecht could not be dying! It's true that right after the accident, he had been fighting between life and death but then his condition had stabilized. I mean, he wasn't safe yet, but he looked so peaceful, and even the doctors said he was getting better, that the probabilities of him waking up were increasing… And now…
"That's right." Shuyin continued, looking down. "My father's dying. The doctor told me he started bleeding internally, and they can't do anything to stop it…"
"What about White Magic?" I asked, hope rising within me. "Have they tried White Magic on him?"
"They tried everything, Yuna." He shook his head and then gazed up at me. His eyes were bright with unshed tears and he blinked them back. "There's no hope for my father. No hope… The doctor told me just yesterday…"
Yesterday! That's why he had tried to call me so many times… And I had my cell phone turned off ― how stupid I had been for thinking that no one would need me! I felt my eyes watering and unlike the boy standing in front of me I didn't stop the tears from falling, instead I just threw my arms around my friend and sobbed on his shoulder, feeling his concealed pain like it was my own. He brought his hands up and put them around my shoulders, tightening me in his embrace, like I could make all the nightmares just go away. I wished I could…
After a few moments I had calmed down and had gone to the small kitchen to make some tea ― Shuyin didn't have any tea sachets, as I had supposed, so I had to work something up, adding the peel of a lemon and lots of sugar to a cup of hot water. Then I handed it to him.
"There, it's homemade tea." I joked, smiling. He grabbed the cup and took it to his lips. "Watch it, it's really hot."
"Thanks. Are you better now?" he asked, eyeing me closely.
"I should be the one asking you that, not the other way around."
"Yeah, but I'm the tough guy here, so I ask…"
I smiled and then answered, serious again "I'm probably better than you… Are you sure you're okay?"
"I have to be."
I bit my lower lip. "You know, Shu, it's okay if you're not okay… I know I'm not and I'm not even part of the family."
"I know what you mean, Yuna. But I can't allow myself to be broken down again. I've spent many years without Jecht for him to affect me now. He's gonna die," he shrugged his shoulders, "well, lots of people die everyday. I even think it's a blessing for him, he was no one in this world anymore, his glory died long before him…"
His words were bitter and I knew they were not completely true, but he was somewhat right. Jecht had had his glory days in the pat, but right now he was nothing more than a homeless drunk guy who did nothing but to mess his kids' lives. What would happen if he'd wake up? Would his boys forgive him and take him into one of their homes for him to live with them? I mean, they didn't even speak to each other, why on Spira would they speak to their father, a man who had never done anything for them? Maybe it would be better if Jecht just died once and for all, like Shuyin was saying…
"What about Lenne?" I asked him softly.
"What about her?" He mumbled, looking into his lemon tea.
"Did you tell her about your father?"
He shook his head. "No. I haven't seen her or spoken to her since Tuesday." He ran a hand through his blonde hair, before adding "I can't keep on suffering because of her anymore! Last time, I went after her, trying to get her back, trying to understand why we weren't together anymore and she kept pushing me away… And then she came back to me and everything was so perfect and now… I still don't understand why she left again…"
I didn't know what to say to him. Telling him things would be better was a good choice, but I didn't want to lie to my best friend. "If she left you again is because she doesn't…" She doesn't really love you. "…she doesn't deserve you."
"Maybe I'm the one who doesn't deserve her…"
"You really think that! Shuyin, despite everything you've done in the past, you're worth more than a thousand… a thousand…"
He smirked. "See, Yuna? Not even you can find someone who's worse than me."
"I can find many people who are worse than you, sweetie. When it comes to love, even I am worse than you…" I added almost inaudibly, looking at my feet.
"Why do you say that?" He asked, coming to stand beside me.
"For no reason…" I said feebly.
"Uh-huh. Don't make me ask again, Yuna…"
"No, really, it's nothing, Shuyin…" I still couldn't tell him about Tidus and what had happened. "I'll tell you when I'm ready, okay?" I ended up saying, gazing at him.
"Okay, but better make that fast…" He said, taking another sip of his tea. "You now what, this stuff is good…" He added, looking at the golden liquid inside the cup.
I laughed. I liked to see Shuyin acting like this, like this all situation wasn't crushing him… His father was dying, he didn't talk to his brother, his girlfriend had dumped him and still he was holding on pretty well. He really was an example of strength…
"I love you, Shu." I told him, kissing his cheek. "And I'm here for you, every time you need me, okay?"
He gave me a quick hug, smiling in response.
-----XX-----
"Home, at last!" I sighed, entering my room and placing the bags at the end of my bed. It seemed like ages since the last time I had seen my bedroom…
I'd arrived home about half an hour earlier, but Uncle Cid had wanted to talk to me about our trip to Luca and about Rikku and then Rikku had wanted to talk to me about Shuyin and what his problem was. When I had told her, she'd been as shocked as me ― no one was expecting this to really happen…
"I'm so sorry for him…" she had said "And for Tidus."
Tidus… He didn't know it yet and I'd promised him I'd call him as soon as I knew what was wrong with Shuyin. But right now I was too tired to have a conversation with Tidus to tell him his father was dying. Maybe later that night when I'd gathered the courage to do it…
I started to unpack my things and put them in their right places in my room. When everything was already put away, I sat at my desk to choose a CD to listen to ― I knew music would help me to relax ― but my eyes landed on my black notebook. My little old black notebook… I had it since I had arrived at Besaid ― it had been my first acquisition in this small city, actually ― and it had been like my diary since then; it was full of poetry, of quotes, of thoughts of my own… It was a very personal thing. And I hadn't written on it for a long period of time… Suddenly, I decided I didn't want to listen to music; I wanted to write ― I've always loved to write, it has always made me feel better, lighter, more at peace… It has always been a way out since I can remember; even when I was at the boarding school.
With a small smile, I snatched it from the spot where it was and opened it in its last written page. I looked at the date on the top ― it was from four months ago, before college had started. It was a poem I had written on the beach while I watched the sun setting down over the sea. I didn't read it though; I just turned the page, put on the date and started writing another entry.
There's so much I want to say to you,
But it seems that telling you isn't something I can do.
I want to scream at this situation that has me confined,
But I find myself smiling at it and saying everything's fine.
I'm fine. But am I really alright?
There are many things running through my mind
And I'm not sure if I can handle this alone,
I'm not certain if I can face it on my own…
I don't even know what I want anymore…
I want peace. Then why do I seek war?
I want love. Then why do I start to fight?
All I know is that I love you more than life…
So don't leave me now, when I need you so.
Don't tell me I'm wrong, don't ever let go,
Hold me tight to your chest and let me stay
Just hearing your heart beating next to me
So I can finally find some harmony
And forget these inner thoughts that kill me
Every time you go away…
I put the pen down and looked at what I had written. The poem hadn't been planned, I had just let the words pour from the pen like rain falling from the sky, but I liked the final result. It had begun by being something about Shuyin and his father's condition and their relationship, but then, somewhere along the way, it had turned into something else, something more personal to me ― my own insecurities and doubts concerning a certain blonde blitzer…
Looking at the poem once again, I grabbed my mobile phone and dialled Tidus number (he had given it to me the night before). He picked it up almost immediately. "Yuna?"
"Yeah, it's me. How are you?"
"Fine. How 'bout you? Have you talked to Shuyin yet?" He asked quickly. I could sense the urge in his voice.
"Yes, I did. I'm afraid I don't have good news, Tidus." I told him quietly. I waited for his response, but he didn't give me one, so I continued "Shuyin called me because… well, because Jecht's condition got worse, Tidus. The doctors say he may not survive…"
I couldn't tell him there was no hope for his father. I just couldn't bring myself to say to him that his father was going to die in a matter of weeks, days or even hours… I just couldn't.
"May not survive? But he was getting better…" He said, his voice faltering a little.
"He was, but something happened and now he's bleeding internally and he's getting worse… I don't know much more."
"But do you think he'll die?" His hesitant question reminded me of myself when I had discovered my father was extremely ill. I hadn't had much contact with my father for a long time, more precisely since I was six years-old, when he had put me in the boarding school, but still, when I had found, nine years later, that he was about to die, I felt like my world was tumbling down on me. I guess our parents, even when they're not the best parents ever, mean a lot to us, especially when we feel them slipping away without us being able to tell them everything we wanted to, even if it is 'I hate you'.
I took a deep breath before answering in all honesty. "I don't think he's gonna make it, Tidus. I'm sorry…"
"How long do you think he has?" He inquired, his tone suddenly gloomy, like he was drained of all hope. Apparently, he had already started to accept his father's death.
"I don't know how long… I haven't even been to the hospital yet. I'm just telling you what Shuyin told me and believe me, Tidus, I'm really sorry to be the one bringing you such bad news."
He was quiet for a moment, before replying in a whisper "I'm glad it's you and no one else…" His voice caught in his throat and I realized he was crying. He was crying and he was crying with me… For a moment I wished I was there with him so I could hold him to me and wipe his tears away, telling him everything would be alright in the end, even though I knew they wouldn't.
"I'm going back to Besaid, Yuna." He told me, doing his best to keep his voice steady.
"I believed you'd say that." I answered with a small smile.
-----XX-----
Next morning I got up rather early ― actually, I hadn't slept that much during the night ― and went straight to Shuyin's apartment, for we had decided, the day before, that we should go to the hospital to talk to the doctors and so I had told him I would go pick him up in the morning. He was already waiting for me on the street and he jumped into the car as soon as I pulled over.
"Good morning." he greeted, kissing me on the cheek.
I smiled in return, speeding down the empty street. I could sense that he was nervous underneath that mask of calmness that he was wearing. Our way to the hospital was quiet, for none of us was to willing to start a conversation ― the silence was comfortable and we were too focused on our own thoughts to chitchat. I could only imagine what Shuyin was thinking behind his unreadable expression. As for me, I was thinking of his brother ― I had dreamt about him that night, a strange and stupid dream I could not recall, and that was irritating me beyond all measure because I had woken up in the middle of the night covered in cold sweat because of that dream of Tidus… What had it been about? I had really no idea.
Suddenly my phone began to ring, startling both me and Shuyin. I reached for my purse, which was on the backseat, and brought it to the front, asking Shuyin if he could search the phone for me, since I was driving… He grabbed the purse and opened it, finding the cell phone and handing it to me. I glanced at the display ― it was Tidus.
Giving Shuyin a sideway glance, wondering if he had seen who it was, I answered the phone. "Yeah?"
"Yuna, it's Tidus."
"I know." I replied simply. Shuyin was looking out of the window, pretending he wasn't paying attention to what I was saying.
"Are you with Shuyin?" His question took me by surprise; I wasn't expecting it at all.
"Why?" I asked, still completely stunned.
He took a moment before responding "Because I needed to talk to him about our father, but I don't have his number. I was hoping you'd be with him or that you could give me his number so I could call him… But if you don't―"
"No, Tidus. I'm with him, actually." Shuyin turned quickly to look at me inquisitively. "Hold on a sec, I'm gonna pass the phone." I smiled sheepishly as I handed the device to Shuyin.
He took it reluctantly. "Tidus? It's Shuyin."
I grabbed the wheel with both hands, hoping with all my might that those two brothers would finally forgive each other and would also face together this situation they were going through. Well, talking on the phone was a beginning as good as any other…
"Yeah… No, I've already talked to the doctors… They tried everything, it's irreversible… I don't know… I don't know… Yes, I'm going there now… I don't see why not… Okay then… Okay, see ya." Shuyin closed the mobile phone and put it in my purse again. Then he turned to me "Tidus has arrived this morning and he's also going to the hospital. We'll meet there."
"Okay." I answered plainly. Then, carefully, I asked "Are you ready to face your brother again?"
Shuyin looked out of the window. "I don't see why not."
"C'mon, Shu. That's the kind of answer you give Tidus, not me."
A small smile found its way to his lips. "What do you want me to say, Yuna? I still haven't forgiven Tidus, like you want me to, but I must say that he is my little brother and that right now he may need me…"
I grinned, adding under my breath "As you may need him…"
"I heard that."
"Isn't it true?" We had reached our destination and I parked the car near the hospital entrance, turning off the engine. "And why do you say I want you to forgive Tidus, huh?"
"Because I still see the familiar glint of love in your eyes whenever we talk about him. And we always seek forgiveness for the ones we love, even when we aren't able to forgive them ourselves…"
Shuyin was deadly serious and I just couldn't find the right words to contradict him, so I just stood there, open-mouthed, looking at him in those big, deep blue eyes. It would be easy to deny what he had just said, but I knew that he would see right through my words and into my heart, and I also knew that my heart wasn't always feeling what my head was thinking ― even though I wanted to forgive Tidus, my conscience wouldn't let me, even though I wanted to forget Tidus, my heart would not allow it… And so I was stuck in this dilemma, not really knowing if I loved him still or not.
"See? I'm right and you know it, Yuna." Shuyin continued, opening his door and getting out of the car. He then went around the vehicle and opened my own door, holding out his hand for me to take it. I took it, still dumbfounded at his accurate comment. He just knew me all too well…
After locking the car, we entered the hospital and the first person I saw was Tidus, sitting next to an older man dressed with a long red coat. As soon as he spotted us he jumped from his chair and came quickly in our direction. Then without hesitating once, he threw his arms around Shuyin and gave him a bear hug. It was his way of saying he was sorry… Shuyin took a minute to respond, but then he put his arms around his little brother and hugged back. It was his way of saying that he accepted Tidus' apologies… Or at least, I hoped it was.
The man who was seated next to Tidus also got up, walking slowly towards us. When he reached us, Tidus and Shuyin had already let go of each other and Tidus was looking at me intently. For a moment I thought if he was debating whether to hug me too or not… But I never got to know what his decision would have been, for the man rested a hand on his shoulder, calling for his attention.
"Sorry, guys, this is Auron." Tidus said, pointing at the man. "Auron, this is Shuyin, my brother… And Yuna, my…" He trailed of, the sentence dying in the air.
So that was the famous Auron, Tidus' agent and friend, Dona's uncle, Jecht's best friend from long ago… He seemed to be around forty years old, maybe a little younger, his hair stained with grey, his dark eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. A scar marked the right side of his face, from his forehead to his chin. That man looked like he had been a soldier in his days…
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, boy." He said in a low voice, addressing Shuyin. As for me, he just looked me up and down, and then bowed his head slightly. "Lady Yuna."
I let out a half-smile. Here comes the 'lady' talk again… It must be a habit in Zanarkand to treat all women as a lady. I thought to myself.
"Shuyin, can we talk?" Tidus asked tentatively.
Shuyin looked at him and nodded, excusing himself and following his brother to another room. And so, I was left alone with Auron. We both returned to the waiting room and sat on two empty chairs. The silence was kind of awkward; after all, we were nothing but strangers to one another.
"So, you are the one who took Tidus in when he left Besaid, right?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
"Yes, it was me."
Good! He is the talkative type! I thought sarcastically, trying once again. "And how long have you known Jecht?"
At the mention of Jecht, Auron turned his head to face me, looking at me through his shades. "I've known Jecht for almost all of my life. And that's why it is so hard to see him lying there, motionless. Because I still remember when he was chasing the girls around, playing blitzball like a champion and partying all night with his friends…"
I had no idea why Auron had chosen me, of all people, to tell those things to ― we had just met and somehow he didn't seem the kind of guy who drabbled about his life with just everyone. I looked at him, trying to analyze what I was seeing… Strangely, this guy seemed really familiar to me, like I had seen him before somewhere. Later Rikku would tell that I had probably just seen him on TV, since he was Tidus' manager and all, but I knew that I was recognizing him not from the TV but from a more remote past…
"You know, Tidus and Shuyin remind me a lot of Jecht." Auron continued. "Not physically, but the way they talk, the way they act… You probably haven't known Jecht long enough to be able to identify these little details, but I am…"
"Yeah, I don't know Jecht all that well." I confirmed, softly. "Tidus and Shuyin never wanted me to get much contact with their father." Because he was always drunk… I don't think Tidus and Shuyin are like their father. I added in my mind. Not even one bit.
"You were Tidus' girlfriend, weren't you?" Auron asked suddenly.
I didn't know if I wanted to answer him, but he had asked politely, and it was no big, dark secret, so… "Yes, I dated Tidus for a while. But then he left for Zanarkand and… well, things didn't work out."
"I see." He took his hand to his chin for a moment. "He told me about you. He said you were the best thing that had ever happened to him."
I blinked, surprised. "I thought that playing for the Abes was the best thing that had ever happened to him…"
"Apparently not. Oh, here they come."
I looked in the direction Auron had indicated and saw Tidus and Shuyin walking side by side, the same expression on both of their faces.
"So?" I asked, getting up and going to meet them halfway.
Tidus looked sadly at me. "He's not gonna make it. He's getting worse every single minute."
"How long?" Auron asked from behind me.
"Days in the maximum…" Shuyin responded darkly.
-----XX-----
Jecht died a few days later. Both of his sons were with him that day and, according to what I've heard, he didn't suffer because he was still in a coma, so he didn't even realize he was dying. Shuyin and Tidus had decided to give him a proper funeral, even though he hadn't been the best father ever, and so they had already arranged everything, they were just expecting the inevitable to happen. And it had finally happened in a rainy morning…
The funeral was two days later. There weren't many people there ― Shuyin and Tidus had wanted it that way. Only the close friends were there to give them their support. It was just me, Rikku, Lulu and Wakka, who had left the baby with Paine, a few other friends of the family, Gippal, who had also come, Auron and… Lenne.
She had in some way discovered that Jecht had died and so she had come to show her sympathy for Shuyin and for Tidus. She had hugged Tidus and kissed him on the cheek and then she had also hugged Shuyin, holding his hand through the rest of the ceremony. I had noticed Shuyin squeezing her hand back, but this time he didn't smile or laugh or show his happiness in any way. After all he had been through that last week, he was just too tired emotionally to express his love for her. Or maybe he was just too hurt to do it. Either way, when the funeral ended, he let go of her hand and turned around, walking away without looking back. Maybe he was waiting for her to call him, but she didn't do it and so he didn't turn back.
"I think it's really over…" Tidus said behind me.
"Well, it was her fault. She let him slip through her fingers. Now, I think it's too late to go back." I said coldly. I felt cold… on the inside…
"It's never too late when you really love someone." He replied, running his hands up and down my arms in an attempt to make me warmer. It was just like he had read my mind.
"Sometimes it is… Love isn't everlasting."
"Yes, it is. Love never dies."
We both knew we were not talking about Lenne and Shuyin. But unlike what Lenne had done, I wouldn't comfort Tidus just to leave him again the next moment. No, I could not give him false hopes, especially because I had no idea what were his feelings for me…
I averted my gaze from Lenne and my eyes landed on Rikku and Gippal. They were talking a few steps away from me and Tidus and so we could not hear what they were saying, but I knew my cousin had gone to talk with the cocky Al Bhed after he had returned from Luca and she had come home that day with a huge grin on her lips, so I took it that the conversation had gone well…
"Some people break up, others hook up…" I whispered.
"Yeah." Tidus said simply, following my gaze. "Others yet remain with the person they chose to share their lives with."
I knew he was talking about Lulu and Wakka, who were walking towards their car, probably to go home, to their son. They were a happy family and I was happy for them.
By now, Tidus had slipped his hands around my waist and was pulling me against his chest, tightening the embrace like he didn't want to let me slip through his fingers.
"Relationships… They're always so complicated." I sighed. "Why bother to try and understand them?" Slowly, I unhooked Tidus fingers and stepped out of his embrace, turning to him with a sad look. "Sometimes, it's just better to forget them… I'm sorry."
And with that I turned on my heels and started walking fast, getting away from that place that gave me the chills and from that boy who could still make my heart melt…
"Requiescat in pace" means "Rest in peace" in Latin.
A/N: So, what did you guys think? Do you think I rushed things up in the end? Firstly I thought so, but I really wanted to post this asap, so… Anyways, now I don't think it's that bad, but I'd really like to know your opinions…
Duderman: Hey, here's the update you've been begging for, lol. I hope it was worth it. A lot happened in this chapter and Yuna has finally realized she still likes Tidus. Thank you so much for your review ― I don't know if my writing is getting better, but I'm developing it and it sure is good to know that you think so. Thanks again.
bbychrangel: Is this soon enough for you:-) I hate it when Tidus is sad too… actually, I don't like to see any of the characters suffering, because I'm already in love with all of them and I just want to see them happy! But I still got plans for everybody, so… I know, I'm evil, lol. Thanks for reviewing.
Seelenspiel: Yeah, I didn't think it would be that good to bring them together without any further analysis on their relationship. Everything will be revealed in due time, though, and then… who knows? Okay I do, but I'm not gonna tell you, ;-) Thank you and I hope you find this chapter just as good as the other…
Da KeR MysTeRr: Thank you. I hope you liked this chapter too. Now we already know what was happening with Shuyin, Gippal and Rikku seem to be going alright (I'll go back to them later, don't worry) and Yuna and Tidus… well, I don't really know if the tension will ever go away, at least not until they solve everything that's keeping them from being together. But well, that's life…
tidusXyuna637: Thank you so much. Yeah, Gippal and Rikku really needed to understand that they like each other, end of story. The only problem is that it's not the end of story for them, lol… As for Yuna and Tidus… Oh god, Yuna is so stubborn and she's made up her mind that she won't fall again (we'll see that, ah-ha), but I think she has finally realized she still likes him, don't you?
slamlam: Thank you. Here's the update. Hope you like it.
kiritawuv: This is what happened next. Yuna is still the same stubborn girl who's decided not to fall for Tidus again. But that kiss in the pool has certainly made her realize some things… I think she has already realized she still likes him, so let's see what happens next.
Well, guys, that's all for now. But I'll be back, so… until then.