Yuna awoke feeling sublimely warm and relaxed in a way she'd never experienced before. Yawning and arching her back luxuriously, she turned her face to relocate the source of warmth, only to have the memories of earlier that morning fly back in a delightful rush. She froze and opened her eyes, coming face to face with the sleeping form of Tidus. Her lover. Tidus, her lover. The thought made her feel indescribably happy and at peace. One of his arms was wrapped around her shoulders, and the other lay draped across her middle. She snuggled closer to him, allowing herself to revel in the sensations introduced to her not so very long ago.
"Good morning."
His voice was soft and sleepy. Yuna glanced up and saw Tidus smiling down at her through half-closed crystalline blue eyes, his teeth flashing slightly. She smiled back, and pulled herself upwards to kiss him. His lips were welcoming, and returned the favour tenderly.
"Good morning yourself," she replied, slumping back down against his chest. "Or good afternoon."
"How was it?" he asked, his hand coming up to stroke her hair. She nearly purred at his touch. Of course she did not have to ask what he was referring to.
"It hurt a little at the beginning, but that wasn't your fault," she admitted drowsily, enjoying the feel of his fingers working through the silken strands of hair. "It was my first time, after all. And afterwards it was nice."
"Just nice?" he asked with a mock pout, feigning injury. She giggled.
"Oh, fine. It was completely and overwhelmingly wonderful. Happy?"
"Immensely."
And then they were silent, each simply basking in the other's presence. It amazed Yuna, the way he could make her heart pound just by smiling at her. He could make her stomach do flips with a simple look. The thought of his hands on her again made everything else disappear. He was all that really mattered. Them. The two of them together.
"Tidus?"
"Hmm?"
"Was it . . . did you like it?"
"So much that I'm starting to wonder if that was really your first time," he replied with a light chuckle. Yuna couldn't help but grin with embarrassment. She rolled onto her stomach next to him, propping herself up on her elbows and gazing down at him. He stared back with a lethargic smile.
"I didn't think it could happen so fast," Yuna commented after a moment of quiet. "I mean, you and me. I thought it took a long time for these things to come together."
"What do you mean?" he asked, hooking his arm around her waist again.
"Well . . . I never believed I could feel this way for someone after knowing him for only two weeks," she said thoughtfully. The afternoon sunlight glowed on the outside of the tent, so that the world beyond seemed to be filled with golden radiance. It made the inside of the tent seem dream-like and hazy, coupled with the fragrant lilac blossoms still adding their beauty to the scene. The air was fragrant and purple.
Her words made the smile disappear from Tidus' lips. His expression became curious.
"What feeling would that be?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly. Yuna blushed and looked away for a moment.
"I . . . I don't know. I feel like I can do anything as long as you're with me. I suppose you could call it love. But it is so much more powerful than I ever imagined it could be," she said in a hushed voice.
He stared at her, and the depth of her words settled between them, hanging heavily in the stillness of the atmosphere.
Suddenly she was struck with fear. What if he didn't feel the same way? What if . . . what if he only wanted her in bed, with nothing else attached? Had she imagined all those emotions in his eyes when he looked at her? Had she simply been fooling herself thinking his touches held more than just lust?
The thought hit her hard. A lump rose in her throat, and she quickly rolled away from him. Pain too great to comprehend cut through her, leaving her with an ugly feeling on the inside. Had any of it mattered to him aside from the experience itself? Had she just frightened him away with her silly sentiments?
"I'm sorry," whispered hoarsely, trembling at the absence of his warmth. "I should not have said that."
A warm hand descended on her bare shoulder, and with surprising force it pulled her back down. She lay motionless on her back as Tidus rolled nearly directly on top of her. His hands pinned her arms down at her sides, and his mouth came down on hers with a fierce hunger that devoured them both. She felt his tongue part her lips almost desperately, and she lost herself to him. When at last he drew back after a few heated moments, leaving her gasping underneath, his eyes locked onto hers spell-bindingly.
"Don't ever apologize for saying that," he breathed, his nose nearly touching hers. "Never ever be sorry."
He kissed her again, but less aggressive and more loving. He released his hold on her arms so that she could reach up to embrace him around the neck, relief flooding through her.
So he was not disgusted or appalled by her confession. He at least made that very clear. She closed her eyes and held onto him tightly, refusing to let him pull away. She loved the feel of his heartbeat against her breast, the heat of his blood warming that tantalizing body of his . . . she loved the golden halo of hair that occasionally fell into his incomparable cobalt eyes. The smile that could break her heart or make it swell with emotion.
Still . . . she could not deny that she wished he would say it back. She would give anything to hear those same words coming from his lips. But the fact that he remained silent caused her a strange sort of pain. He held her tenderly and placed gentle kisses on her neck and shoulder with affection that only a truly attentive lover could give, but he said nothing.
Yuna decided to stop being childish and be grateful for simply having him. He had sacrificed everything to help her when she had been nothing but a stranger to him. He had comforted her in times of loneliness and fear, and encouraged her in times of doubt. From the beginning he made it clear that he was her friend and guardian. He never left her side. And at last she had him in a way she'd always wanted someone. That was good enough for her.
Maybe he somehow knew her inner thoughts. He lifted his head away from her to stare down at her with a strange expression on his face. His lips parted hesitantly, as if he was debating the option of speaking, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly.
But before he could say anything, a silhouette appeared behind the tent flap and a light finger tapped the material gently by way of knocking. The enchantment was broken. Tidus turned his head to glance at the intruder's shape, and Yuna caught a glimpse over his broad shoulder. She recognized Rikku's lissom form.
"Hey, lovebirds! There are people out here who want to see you. Try not to keep 'em waiting!" the Al Bhed girl called in her girlish voice.
Tidus sighed heavily as their hostess retreated, and turned to look back down at Yuna, who was still lying underneath him. He gave her a crooked grin, the humour creeping back into his eyes.
"Lovebirds?" he asked quizzically. "Has our friend Rikku been spying on us?"
"Perhaps the tent walls are thinner than we thought," Yuna replied, smiling as well.
He chuckled and slid off of her, standing up from the cot and stretching. Yuna remained still, watching his naked figure with unabashed fascination and regretting the fact that she no longer had it on top of her. At dawn, everything had happened so fast and it had been slightly dark. She had not been able to actually see what his body looked like, although her hands had roamed him quite thoroughly. Now, in the afternoon light shining through the tent's fabric, she could see everything in perfect detail.
"Beautiful . . ." she murmured out loud. He gave her a quick look over his shoulder and beamed, his cheeks slightly tinged with red.
The night before, their Al Bhed friends had provided them with a change of clothes while their other garments were being mercifully cleaned. Yuna rose and pulled out a strange golden gauze shift that ended down at her ankles, revealing her arms and a great deal of her back. Rikku had called it a desert gown, and told her that women often wore them to keep cool in the Rammvena. The material was light and breezy, but also slightly translucent. There was, alas, no help for it. Besides, most of the women who wore them did not bother to wear anything underneath. Modesty was not a virtue prized among the Al Bhed, and Yuna decided she could afford to give it up for a day as well.
Before slipping it on over her head, she caught Tidus staring warmly at her. Fighting the immediate instinct to shield herself, Yuna struck a provocative pose, a playful smile on her lips. He winced and groaned with mock protest, sliding his loose trousers up over each leg.
"Oh, don't do that now," he begged dramatically. "Not when I'm in the middle of getting my pants on!"
She laughed, letting the gown drop over her, enjoying the feel of the ethereal material flowing around her body. As her hair was overdue for another wash, she decided to tie it back with one of the elastics Rikku had left with her. Although her locks were only shoulder length, she was able to fashion a hasty but practical horsetail, ignoring the few strands that stubbornly fell around her face.
"There will be time for that later," she said with a coy wink, striding past him to pull on her slippers. "But for now we have company."
"Who do you think it could be?" Tidus asked, his voice more serious as he pulled on a canvas cloth vest over his bare back.
"I just hope it's not that assassin again," Yuna replied, waiting for him to lace the vest up.
"Rikku didn't sound too concerned. It can't be one of our enemies . . ." he mused aloud, stepping into his boots. Yuna stood still, listening to the activities of the Al Bhed encampment outside the tent. She could hear children laughing and screaming playfully, and a handful of women were chatting rapidly in their native language. Two men sounded as though they were in the midst of an argument, and all around dogs barked and tussled in their own games.
It all reminded her of the pagan village, the peace and simplicity of it all. How lucky those children were, to live in such a happy place as this. Yuna would have given anything to be raised in a village full of life and vigour rather than the cold confinements of temple life.
"You ready?" Tidus asked, coming up behind her. He touched her arm lightly to get her attention. Turning to look back at him, she smiled and nodded.
"Right. Let's go."
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Yuna stood dumbfounded in the entrance of the council tent. Tidus, standing behind her, was equally paralysed. They made two motionless silhouettes against the late noon sunlight pouring in.
"Well?" Cid demanded gruffly, raising a bushy eyebrow. "These friends of yours?"
Mistress Lulu and Sir Auron were both sitting cross-legged by the hearth, each holding mugs of tea in hand. Lulu smiled and inclined her head once in a formal bow. Auron smirked at their bewildered expressions and raised his mug in salutation.
"Mistress Lulu . . . Auron . . ." Yuna gasped, her hand flying to her throat. "You're here!"
"Really?" Lulu replied primly, taking a sip of tea. Amusement danced in her ruby red eyes. "I was under the impression I was somewhere else."
"But . . . the village . . . the Yevonites . . ." Tidus stammered in uncharacteristic confusion, staring pointedly at the high priestess.
The woman's expression softened, her cool demeanour faltering slightly.
"Yes," she said softly. "I along with a select few managed to escape. I ran like a coward while my men fought and died for me."
"It wasn't your fault," Auron whispered to her, resting his roughened hand over her delicate white one in a gesture that insinuated more than simple friendship.
"Captain Jardo . . .?" Yuna questioned tentatively, moving further into the tent and kneeling down across from them. Tidus walked in and took a seat next to her, his eyes darting between Lulu and Auron.
At the mention of her old companion's name, Lulu's marble smooth brow furrowed ever so slightly, drawn with evident pain.
"Dead," she said in a tight voice. "He fell while fending off a Yevonite tracking party. He alone took on twelve men to keep them from finding me."
Yuna lowered her head for a moment in recognition of the old soldier's courage. Next to her, Tidus did the same thing. Even Rikku and Cid, sitting off to the side, remained quiet out of respect for a man they never met.
"Why are you here?" Tidus asked after the mourning silence passed. Lulu, having regained composure, set her tea mug down and exchanged a quick look with Auron.
"We want to go with you."
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The letter shook in Seymour's hand. The Guado gripped the paper tightly, so tightly that his long carefully manicured nails dug into the material, creating tiny rip marks. His steely grey eyes scanned the hasty note lividly, clenching his jaw to the point of numbness.
"That . . . bungling . . . worthless . . ." he hissed incoherently, unable to finish his own incensed rant. Beside him, his lieutenant was nervous once more, shaking for fear of his superior's wrath that would no doubt he vented on himself. The soldiers had been idling at the Moonflow for two days now, following the Lady Yuna and her companion's trail from a distance, taking their time in catching up. After all, as Lord Seymour himself stated, why breathe down their necks when they are heading to the very place the temple wanted them to go? They may as well go at their own pace and enjoy the scenery along the way.
The message had been scribbled quickly, but it was still painfully clear:
Have yet to take down the target. Sustained severe injuries that will need compensation. Still tracking the target. Will notify you when business is complete.
"I paid that pock-marked bastard to do a simple job, and yet he is unable to do the very thing that makes him so infamous?" Seymour continued to seethe, tearing the letter up viciously.
The stammering lieutenant watched the white pieces drift to the ground. Both men were standing on the bank of the great slow river, the beauty of the location lost upon them in the seriousness of the situation. It was dusk, and the pyreflies were drifting lazily along the slow surface of the Moonflow under the moonlight.
"M-my lord," the lieutenant said gingerly, "this letter could have b-been written long ago. P-perhaps Tremath has c-completed the job as we stand h-here now."
He bit back a yelp of pain as the Guado cuffed him upside the head.
"Shut your trap," he snapped, glaring at the young man. "Rouse the men at once. We've dawdled here for too long. We march double pace to Bevelle. No stopping unless it is unavoidable. When the Lady Yuna reaches the temple, I want to give her a special welcoming party."
With that, he wheeled around and strode away in a huff, his long purple robe swirling out behind him dramatically. The lieutenant, rubbing the back of his head carefully, merely sighed and headed in the opposite direction towards the soldier's quarters to carry out the Guado's demands.
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Wakka sat moodily by himself on the edge of camp, stabbing the soft earth with a stick. Aside from Tidus, Wakka had never bothered to make friends with his fellow Yevonite Warriors. They too had made it clear from the start that they had no desire to associate with 'a giant dope' like him, as they had so candidly called the Besaid native.
"It's times like these I wish I woulda stayed in blitzball. A' least I made more money there than I do here," Wakka muttered to himself, trying vainly to shut out the raucous noise coming from behind him. The men had stumbled across a house full of curvy sisters, each of whom were all too willing to give them some sport for the right price. They had particularly loud laughs that Wakka could hear above the hoots and hollers of the soldiers.
Wakka was a devoutly religious man, who placed faith above all else. But now, ever since his friend Tidus' disappearance with the Lady Yuna, he had begun to question the temple's honesty. He was certain the priests were hiding something from Spira, but he simply could not figure out what it could possibly be. If it was big enough to draw Tidus into a life on the lam, than it would most definitely be enough to sway Wakka's opinion.
"Tidus, you were always the brainy one," the redheaded soldier sighed out loud. "Why you hafta go and do somethin' crazy like this? You shoulda told me, brudda. You and I both know I woulda believed you no matter what."
"Hey, red!" a mocking voice called out from behind. "Come on over here and pay these ladies a visit! Yevon knows you could use some action from a girl for a change!"
Gritting his teeth, Wakka ignored the jibe and following laughter.
"Laugh all you want, sinner," he fumed to himself. "We'll see who's so great when Yevon punishes you for sleeping around with infected whores, ya?"
Still, the self-righteousness of his hidden comment didn't take away the sting of the remark. In spite of his size, Wakka was a sensitive individual, and this certainly was not the first time he had been insulted by his comrades.
His injured pride was suddenly forgotten when he heard a familiar shout:
"Yevonites, move out! We make haste for Bevelle, double-march! Anyone who falls behind is left behind, so keep your useless hides in gear."
The lieutenant's barking command boomed out above the festivities, and the soldiers grudgingly rose to their feet. Abandoning their disappointed lady-friends, they unenthusiastically plodded out of the clearing towards their tents to break camp.
Wakka stood up and followed at a slight distance, none too eager to keep abreast. Why was it so urgent to get to Bevelle? They were supposed to be tracking Yuna and Tidus, weren't they?
A sudden thought hit Wakka, so sharply that it made his steps falter. What if . . . what if they were going to set a trap for his friend? What if Tidus got hurt without having a chance to explain his actions in court?
Swallowing, Wakka moved like a zombie towards his tent, his mind racing. He had to find a way to warn Tidus. He had to do something! The more he thought about it, the more sure he was.
The temples really were plotting something.
And unlike the rest of Spira, Wakka was going to be their fool no longer.