Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X

In this one shot, you can expect lots of romance, a friendship aspect, and just to get you all going - a nice bit of angst to brighten the day. Enjoy!

006. Trust

When Lulu had called her naïve she'd pouted and said that 'it has gotta be a tie between me and Yunie at least!' To which Lulu had pointed out that her response only reaffirmed her statement. Yuna was a fully fledged summoner on her way to Zanarkand at a fast pace. Too fast. But Rikku had denied it viciously, recruiting Auron to her cause when he passed by. He ended up agreeing with Lulu anyway, despite all her puppy dog eyes and pouting. That should've been her first warning.

She trusted Auron blindly despite herself, throwing herself into his arms (figuratively of course) just a week after they'd met. Everyone noticed the closeness of Rikku to Auron, and they could all see how unresponsive he was to her. How much like a blank slate he was. Yuna had tried to talk to her about it once, but she'd just waved her off, saying that 'of course Auron likes me, why shouldn't he?' with a broad smile, winking eye, and a willingness to forget everything, even after Tidus' multiple, overt warnings and Lulu's metaphors that Rikku refused to read too deeply into. Even Wakka and Kimarhi worried - they sent her those looks sometimes that she allowed to just bounce off her. Besides, weren't they on a mission? Rikku just had to think of a way to save Yuna. That was her main focus, right? That was all she could afford to focus on now.

And when they'd been to Zanarkand and seen the monstrous state that Yunalesca had declined into and had finally found a way to save Yuna, Rikku relaxed. More than she probably should have, but that's neither here nor there. She wasn't out in the active party much, and neither was Wakka or Kimarhi, so they were allowed to stay behind on the Celsius and help out.

Sorting the different supplies they'd accumulated into piles one day, Wakka had come over to her, and stood in silence for a while, before plopping down next to her and helping her with her tedious work.

She already knew what this would be about, before he even opened his mouth.

"Rikku, you okay?" He asked with that thick, lilting accent that seemed to over-emote each word.

She turned to him with dark swirled eyes that held a bright facade and smiled, nodding her head as her sunny hair bounced behind her head. Why shouldn't she be?

He looked at her wearily, eyeing her with overly emotional warm, dark eyes. He spoke hesitantly, unsure if he should broach the topic, "I just wanted to check, since ya know, Auron's-"

"Wakka, I'm fine." She assured him, cutting him off before he announced what she'd been denying herself. She'd been asked this by Yuna only the night before, and honestly, Rikku wasn't even sure how she felt herself yet. Of course, she was angry - she'd trusted him with everything and he'd never told her a thing, and she was bitter too, but apart from that she just felt numb. Like she couldn't even muster up any emotions to feel at all. Perhaps she was denying it was happening at all, it was going too fast. Just a few months ago nothing was wrong in the world at all - Home was still safe.

"I just wanted to check. I know how good friends you two are."

Rikku's hands froze momentarily. Were they friends? Were they anything? Probably not, not after that. "We're not really friends Wakka, it's like one of those weird uncle-niece relationships, you know?" She tilted her head sideways, not taking her eyes off the stock of shimmering turquoise potions. Yes, seeing him as an uncle seemed like something that they'd all be able to understand. "But, thanks for asking." She gave him a toothy smile before gathering up the different piles she'd put into bags and leaving, not realising that he'd been standing next to the door the whole time.

Wakka's concern had raised something for Rikku - was she really that naïve? When Lulu had called her naïve, she didn't realise that she really was, and that Lulu's admonishing observation could turn out to be this prophetic. She'd told him everything - from her grief about the loss of her mother and younger brother to various stories from her childhood. She was probably just an annoyance to him. Just a blip on the last part of his pseudo-life. Well, whatever would happen, would happen regardless of him or any other person in the world.

She'd decided that it would be best to distance herself from him, and she was somewhat saddened to see that he didn't even try to fight for their friendship and whatever it was she'd thought they'd had past that. Perhaps the whole of their friendship was made up. Anyway, she fared well compared to the general mood of everyone else - they all knew that they didn't stand much chance against Sin, and their lives were all at stake. Except for Yuna and Tidus of course, but when weren't they optimistic?

All too soon it was over. He was sent in a shimmering of red and gold and purple pyreflies that shone too brightly in the sky, and he was long gone along with Sin, the aeons, Tidus, and life as she had known it. She still felt numb, but even that had slowly changed - it evolved into anger in the past few days, and was beginning to morph into something unsettling; something too new and different and changed for her to possibly like. She'd do anything to get him back. She'd treated him so coldly in the last days they'd had together when she really should've embraced him (figuratively, of course). She wanted him back, his presence back, his friendship - anything! She'd seen the looks that he'd given her on the last few days when she persuaded herself that they weren't there - he missed her, or he did as far as she could tell. And she'd been so cold. And now he was gone, forever. For the rest of her entire life and all the time after.

As Yunie delivered her speech to all those who had gathered in Luca, Rikku only half listened, to her shame. She was too busy thinking about what she'd lost in him - a friend, a guardian, a companion, maybe even more - that she only snapped out of her reverie as Yuna delivered her last line.

"...or the dreams that have faded. Never forget them."

She knew that Yuna was thinking about Tidus, but to her, it could describe only one man.

She really had been naïve, hadn't she? To fall so sharply in love with a man who would never love her back. And now he was gone forever, and she was left alone in a world that just wasn't fair. She vowed then, on that day in Luca Stadium, to never trust another like she'd trusted him, no matter what.

I always felt like Rikku seemed a bit fake in X-2, so this is my explanation for her insincerity! Even though these one-shots aren't really in any order as such... Perhaps this might chronologically be the second? Before the last in this series.

Regardless, I hope that you enjoyed this one, and that you stick around for the next. It would be über nice of you to review or favourite or follow it whatever floats your boat, but it's cool if you've not got time or can't be bothered; I get it! :) thanks!