Chapter 7: A Night by the Sea II

So sorry it took me months to start writing again. It's been rather hectic with school work and all. And to add insult to injury this chapter is really short too. But I hope I haven't lost my faithful readers! I'll keep on writing no matter how long it takes me though.

"So I said, 'These aren't hypello potions, they're chocobo feather's, ya!" Jassu doubled over laughing, having finished his anecdote. Lulu smiled politely and peered over his head to scan the mass of club goers on the dance floor. She couldn't see Yuna anywhere. Lulu knew she'd been drinking way too much, despite Yuna's best efforts to mask her inebriation. I knew I shouldn't have let her out of my sight.

She knew that Yuna was capable of taking care of herself and was responsible for her own choices, but she still was the high summoner and an incredibly important political figure in Spira now. If anything were to happen to her… She cut off that line of thinking. They were in a club, not the omega ruins. It just bothered her that she couldn't sense Yuna's presence at all. Normally she was keenly aware of the situations of all her closest friends through her magic, but now her senses were completely overloaded with the blaring music, flashing lights and people who crowded around her.

In fact it was all she could do just to stay composed with everyone's elevated emotions ratcheting through her mind, like a radio receiver being bombarded by far too many signals.

"Hey Lulu, you alright?" She suddenly became aware that Jassu had been telling her another inane story, but was now frowning at her, concern etched on his strong tanned face. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she responded,

"I'm fine, I just need to find Yuna. I'm concerned about her." She stepped to the side to try to move toward the dance floor but he stepped with her, blocking her path.

"Hey, she'll be fine ya. She's a big girl." Lulu instantly became suspicious,

"I know that." She cast him a withering glare, which caused him to take a step back. "I don't care what sort of scheme you've devised with Botta so he could get her alone. She's too important to Spira and to me to risk her safety in this crowd for the sake of a childish game." Jassu's eyes shot open as wide as they possibly could, unable to hide his surprise at Lulu having seen through him so easily.

"Hey, look! It's not how it seems, ya. Botta really likes Yuna," he paused and looked down at his feet, becoming more sober, "He's always liked her, ya. But with her being a summoner and all, he never did anything 'bout it. I just wanted to give him a chance."

Lulu softened a bit. She couldn't blame him for trying to help his friend get closer to the girl he liked, but at the same time, that girl was Yuna and she'd gone through enough guy problems to last a lifetime.

"It's only been six months since the pilgrimage and I shouldn't have to tell you why she needs some time to recover from what happened." As she said this, she was slowly advancing on Jassu who was becoming increasingly nervous.

"Now step aside or face the consequences." He stood his ground for a moment, until Lulu grew impatient, placed a hand on his chest to push him aside and added a little blizzard spell that caused him to jump back into a group of dancing girls.

Without a second glance she proceeded across the dance floor, casting a scan spell to search for Yuna in the crowd. In moments she had located her position toward the center of the mass of dancing club goers.

"Shiva help me," she muttered as she began making her way to the girl amidst the swaying and spinning bodies that continually gave way for her as she was emanating an icy air about her. Suddenly, however, one of the bodies did not give way.

A man with unruly brow hair and dressed in a blue-green jacket cut in front of her path, causing her to nearly incinerate him on the spot. She restrained herself however and merely decreased the temperature in the air further to coarse him out of the way.

Instead of moving he spoke, his breath visible in the air.

"If I'd known the club management meant blizzara literally I don't think I would have come so willingly." Lulu was taken aback by his comment, surprised that he could so easily recognize her as the source of the ice magic.

"Who are you?" She asked, in no mood for games.

"So forward," he responded in mock surprise, an amused smile on his face. "If I'm not mistaken, you're Lady Lulu, legendary guardian of high summoner Yuna. Gotta say, I didn't expect to run into you in a place like this."

Lulu was further thrown off balance by his implicit refusal to reveal himself.

"Should I know you?"

"Not in the least. In fact, if you did, I'd be suspicious of your reputability." She frowned at him for a moment, then responded.

"If that's the case then it's probably best that I don't get to know you any further." Instead of showing chagrin at her refusal to inquire further into his curious statement, his blue eyes flashed keenly and his amused grin broke into a smile. At that moment she was struck by his apparent ease and nonchalance, not to mention his undeniable handsomeness.

"Then it's a deal."

"A deal?"

"If you give me one dance then you don't have to get to know me." Lulu was still trying to figure this guy out. Who did he think he was to talk to her so boldly?

"I'll make you another deal. You can move," she stepped closer to him dropping the temperature to around twenty degrees, "or I can make you."

"You wouldn't want to make a scene now would you," he said, nodding his head to the side. Lulu glanced around and noticed that everyone within a ten foot radius had cleared away and were staring at the two contenders.

She quickly relinquished her control of the temperature and stepped back from the strange man.

"So what do you say?" he asked light-heartedly as if nothing had happened.

"One dance," she replied grudgingly. She couldn't believe she was doing this but she knew it wasn't worth the trouble to prove a point.

"I knew you couldn't resist me for long," he said, holding out his hand to her.

"This must be the worst pick up line I've ever been subjected to." She put her hand in his and they began walking toward the center of the dance floor.

"On the contrary, it seems to have worked just fine." She didn't have a chance to replie as the next song began to play. It was a popular up-beat song that had recently come out along with a plethora of other, eternal calm inspired works.

Lulu was caught off guard when her mystery partner pulled her into the opening moves of a Besadian dance that she knew all to well. She hesitated a moment and saw in his blue eyes and that ever present half-smile a tacit challenge. She paused a second to consider, he thinks he can out-do me in a dance that I've known since I was little?

She executed a deft twirl to the left and stepped in toward him to return the challenge. He smiled fully this time and then twisted around behind her and spun her after him so that they were face to face.

Finally the music picked up into its first chorus and they both commenced with the intricate foot work and quick movements of the dance to the beat of the music. Besadian dances typically involved various sequences of steps, twirls and twists and very little sense of personal space, the dance that this strange man had chosen was no exception. It was characterized by short moments in which the partners would slow down and move in toward each other followed by a quick succession of moves.

Lulu was amazed at how well her partner adapted to the rhythm of the music and flow of the demanding movements of the dance. Most of all, her surprise was in the way his hands caught her waist so smoothly and grasped her hands at various points.

He wasn't the slightest bit hesitant and his hold was gentle yet firm. She momentarily thought about how those hands couldn't possibly be that confident without some sort of experience. It only crossed her mind for a second but she was instantly embarrassed to have even thought it.

Her breathing became faster as the dance began to take its toll and she could feel herself becoming flushed. She began to focus more on the movements. She twisted behind him taking a step behind his back and sliding her hand across his chest, feeling the muscles working beneath the vest. In the next moment they were spinning, there faces only inches apart.

They separated again, spinning out and in, gliding across the floor. Before she realized it the song had ended and Lulu found herself clasped in his arms in the closing step of the dance. She felt his chest rise and fall against her back and the heat emanating from his body.

For a moment she closed her eyes and leaned into him, having forgotten the comfort of someone else's body against her own. For a moment she remembered the last time she had danced this dance, it had been with… She didn't even want to think it because of the pain she knew it would bring back.

With that thought she pulled away and opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that there was still no one standing within a ten foot radius of them and secondly that they were applauding and cheering.

She berated herself for being so imprudent and drawing so much attention to herself. This was the last thing she needed after the Sky Wyrm Avenger fiasco. She turned around to the man whose arms she had mistakenly gotten lost in.

"You've had your dance, now I have to go." He only replied with that maddening, imperturbable smile and stepped aside, gesturing for her to go. She stepped by, completely unaware of Yuna's location now, but desperate to get away from him.

"By the way," she heard from behind her. She turned around to look at him. "If you want to get to know me more, you can find me at dock 5." Lulu could hardly contain her disbelief at his incorrigible statement. Turning around she headed back into the crowd, ignoring the excitement that surrounded her.

She left the dance floor and found an empty table in a secluded corner and sat down. She needed a moment to think. It probably wasn't fair of her to act so coldly toward him after their dance, but those things he had made her feel had been too real.

It hadn't occurred to her at first but his light-hearted nature had reminded her of him, and how could she forgive herself for confusing her feelings between the two? She sat there a bit longer and then decided it was about time to begin her search for Yuna anew.

Before she even got up, however she saw a slightly clumsy Yuna being supported around the waste by Botta, approaching her, followed by Jassu who still seemed to be shivering a bit. Yuna's face lit up when she saw Lulu.

"Lulu! I saw you dance with that man, you were so wonderful!" She sat down in the chair next to her very slowly, clearly trying to hide the effects of her tipsiness. Lulu shook her head,

"I'm afraid everyone in the club saw that."

"That was really good Lulu! Haven't seen you dance like that since…" Botta paused a moment, "Since… uh… before you left Besaid for the pilgrimage, ya." He gave her a big smile, hoping she hadn't noticed his near reference to Chappu. She appreciated that he was trying but it still hurt. Ignoring it she said,

"Judging by Yuna's difficulty with sitting in a chair and Jassu's apparent on-coming sickness, I suggest we get going." It appeared she was right, Yuna was indeed beginning to sway dangerously between Lulu and Botta and Jassu was shivering more than ever.

"I'm feelin' fine, ya!" Jassu exclaimed throwing his arms into the air, only to wrap them around his body to keep himself warm.

"Right," Lulu gave him a look that could pierce steel.

"On second thought I am feelin' pretty tired. Maybe we aughta' hit the hay." Lulu smiled in response then looked around noticing that they were missing some people.

"Has anyone seen Wakka and Rikku?" Jassu and Botta both shrugged, Yuna gave an exaggerated puzzled expression then jumped up nearly knocking over the table.

"Oh, look at the dance floor." Everyone looked over to see Rikku in the middle of the club dancing with the waiter from earlier. A rather large audience had gathered around the two partly because of Rikku's fame but also because she was dancing quite provocatively in such a scant outfit.

"I didn't know the Al Bhed had a dancing style! I should really get in touch with my heritage." Lulu stood up next to Yuna,

"I don't think the Al Bhed taught her how to do that." This was getting ridiculous. Strange men were coming on to her, Yuna was drowning her sorrows, Rikku was making a spectacle of herself, the defense of the Besaid Aurochs was planning a conspiracy to get Botta and Yuna together, and where in Spira was Wakka?

"We need to leave now. Jassu, would you please retrieve Rikku, use any force necessary."

"Ma'am!" Jassu gave her a mock salute and jaunted off toward the dance floor, all to eager to avoid another blizzard attack.

"Botta, I need you to take Yuna outside to wait for the rest of us until I find Wakka. Looks like she needs some fresh air." She hated to entrust Yuna to him like this, but she had no choice and she knew he really would take good care of her."

"I resent that Lulu. I'm perfectly capable of walking on me own." She turned to go and nearly ran right into a pillar. She stopped for a moment and stared at it incredulously. She then turned around to Lulu and pointed at it,

"I swear the wasn't there before. I think someone's trying to make me look foolish."

"I don't think you need any help with that right now." Yuna stared at her for a moment trying to figure out what she meant by that when Botta took her hand.

"Uh… we'll be outside then, ya." He pulled her away and Lulu began to cast another scan spell, this time to find Wakka. She could feel the lines of magic rippled across the room, rebounding off the club goers and walls. Every note of the music intensified, snippets of conversations slid through her mind and vague images moved past her eyes. She was searching for Wakka's warm presence, the sound of his voice, the gentle waves of his thoughts.

It was always so soothing to feel his aura, even if she never told him that and she was really looking forward to finding him again. After a few seconds she began to wonder why she wasn't sensing him. She intensified her search, mentally pulling on the cords of magic that now enveloped the room, tightening them to increase their clarity. More images poured into her head as the magic vibrated more powerfully, still nothing came back.

Frustrated she gave one last nudge sending out an intense wave the caromed throughout the room sending echoes from every mind they touched. She felt nothing and realized he must no longer be here. Retracting the spell, she opened her eyes.

Suddenly she realized that many people had stopped dancing and the music was no longer playing. Everyone was looking around in confusion, some holding their heads and others crouched over as if they were going to be sick.

Guess I over did it. Lulu decided it was definitely time to leave now, having scan shocked everyone by accident. She rushed to the exit and found Yuna, Botta, and a defeated Rikku hanging over Jassu's shoulder across the street.

"You told him to do this didn't you Lulu!" Rikku shouted in frustration. "This isn't fair!"

"I think you've had enough fun for one night," Lulu replied coolly. Rikku gave a frustrated sigh.

"You can put me down now, Jassu."

"You promise not to try and run away again?" She rolled her eyes.

"I promise." Slowly Jassu set her on the ground where she stood pouting.

"Where's Wakka? I saw him earlier talking to a beautiful woman," Yuna said as she stared dreamily across the sea. Lulu furrowed her brow,

"You're surprisingly observant when you're drunk."

"I already told you Lulu. I'm not drunk." She spun around only to fall into Botta's arms. "Oh, thanks," she giggled. Lulu decided she'd talk to Yuna about this later, for now there was something else on her mind.

"A beautiful woman hmm?" Lulu felt her heart rate increase a tiny bit. If he had met a woman and they were now both gone…

"Well, Wakka can take care of himself. If he's left the club then we can't be expected to wait for him." She noticed Botta and Jassu exchange looks.

"No need to get upset, I'm sure the cap'n has a good reason," Botta said.

"Yea, I can think of good reason, ya." Jassu said, nudging Botta in the side. Lulu turned to face the other direction to hide the blush she knew was spreading across her cheeks. Why should I care what that fool does?

"Well, we'd better head back then. Wakka can do what he wants." She began to march down the avenue, followed by a her motley entourage.

Well thanks for reading, hope your enjoying the story. And I hope you're not too angry with me for getting Lulu and Wakka's relationship off to rocky start so soon, haha. Please review and thanks again for staying with me.