Okay, here is chapter 20! We can all thank Ayumi Hamasaki's new song "fated" for this chapter, because it wasn't until 1 o'clock am on some random day, after listening to that song on repeat for an hour or so that I was finally able to finish this chapter. Also, just because it's fun, I actually wrote the beginning of this chapter, then the beginning of chapter 21, and then finally the ending to chapter 20, so yeah, it was a little out of order...

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 20: Final Drops

"So the next time your child throws a fit, you simply be assertive and tell the child that what they are doing is wrong."

"But what tone of voice should I use?"

"Well…an assertive tone. Show the child that you mean business."

"And then what?"

"Hey, I was watching that!"

Yuna shot him an annoyed look, and put the remote down by her, "You've been watching that show for three hours now!"

"Yeah, your point?"

"Well, it's unlike you to sit here and watch some child-care show."

"Is it?" Tidus asked, looked at her, and it was his turn to look annoyed. Yuna realized that he looked thoughtful, almost upset about something.

"Isn't there a game on?" Yuna offered.

"No."

"So you want to go—"

"No."

"Okay then," Yuna said, looking away from him.

"I don't want to talk," Tidus said, "It makes me feel guilty."

"There's no reason to feel guilty," Yuna said, a sly smile making its way across her lips.

"Stop that," Tidus said, shooting her a glare, "I know you want to know what's going on in three days."

"I know exactly what's going on in three days," Yuna said, smiling widely, "Rikku and I are going to see that new movie, and go shopping."

"You know what Gippal told Rikku?" Tidus asked, "He told Rikku that he won tickets to the Bevelle vs. Luca game."

"Well, at least I know where you're really going," Yuna said, wondering what his deal was.

"Yeah, but you don't know why. Doesn't that upset you?"

"You're the one who told me I shouldn't worry!" Yuna cried.

"I know, but I've been doing some thinking, and… Well, you're my first real girlfriend, and should I mess this whole relationship up over this?"

"Tidus, it's alright. I've decided that I don't want to know," Yuna said.

"No, don't be stupid Yuna. It's just that if I tell you, you can't tell Rikku. Gippal would kill me. And, you can't try to stop me. I'm going, and that's all there is to it."

"Tidus, it's alright. As long as it has nothing to do with me, or cheating on me, or anything like that, then you're right, it's none of my business."

"Yuna, be a normal girlfriend, okay? A normal girlfriend makes their boyfriend's business their business."

"Fine, Tidus, what are Gippal and you doing at that party?"

"Yuna, you know I can't tell you!"

"Tidus, you can't tell me that you're going to tell me and then not tell me!"

"I didn't tell you that I was going to tell you!"

"You led me to believe that you were going to tell me!"

"I couldn't have led you to believe that I was going to tell you, because I can't tell you," Tidus said, smiling and shaking his head.

"Well, I'm a normal girlfriend and your business is now my business," Yuna said, smiling.

"I can't tell you!" Tidus said, "You'll try to hold me back."

"Why would I try to hold you back."

"Because it's dangerous."

Yuna's smile faded, but Tidus was still smiling brightly.

"It's dangerous?" she said, slowly.

"Not too dangerous, but it could be. It depends on how many lackeys Bickson has."

"Bickson? Who's Bickson?"

"My blitz rival."

"In Luca…" Yuna mused softly, "What are you doing, fighting him?"

"How'd you know?"

"Tidus! You're going to a party to fight with him!"

"Kind of."

"What if you get hurt?"

"See, told you you'd try to stop me!" Tidus said, "And we know Rikku would try to stop Gippal."

"Tidus, you're being ridiculous," Yuna said, rolling her eyes.

"No Yuna, I'm being a man," Tidus said, "Now, try not to miss me too much in three days, I'll only be gone for a night…And we sleep alone anyway so…"

"So I won't miss you too much," Yuna said, pecking him on the cheek, "I have to go to the library. I'll see you later!"

"That's it? You're not going to try to stop me?" Tidus asked, looking shocked.

"I think it's foolish, and I want you to be careful," Yuna said, "But I can't worry about it right now. I have to go. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Yuna!" Tidus cried after her, "It's going to be an old-fashioned fist fight!"

"Yes, which is immature and stupid," Yuna just said, starting toward the door, "Especially if you're going all the way to Luca just to punch some guy. What'd he do to you anyway?"

"Yuna, three words: blitz rivals."

Yuna opened her mouth to correct him, but she shut it. "Yes, but—"

"That's all there is to it," Tidus said, and he turned the sphere on again, back to the parenting show, "See you later, Yuna."

"I don't understand you," Yuna said, her voice very soft, "Why did you bring this up, only to make me even angrier at you then I was?"

"I don't know," Tidus said, "I told you the truth. Isn't that good enough?"

"What if I don't like the truth?" Yuna asked, sitting back down next to him—not too closely, of course.

"It's just a stupid fight," Tidus said, "It's something we have to do.

"No, it's something that you've somehow convinced yourself that you have to do," Yuna said, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe," Tidus said softly, agreeing with her, "But we're going to do it."

"Alright," Yuna said, sighing softly in defeat, "I have to go to the library." She was hesitant, but she asked the next question anyway. "Do you want to come along?"

She wasn't at all surprised when he gave her an emotionless "no".

"Alright, see you later," Yuna said, her voice low.

"Yeah," Tidus said, his tone still lacking any emotion.

Yuna sighed, and walked outside, and back to her own yard, where she was starting to feel that she should stay in.

-

"Tidus has been acting kind of strange," Yuna mused softly.

"Yeah, Gippal too. What's up?" Rikku asked, her eyes soft.

"It has to do with…you know, two days from now," Yuna said, softly, for she wasn't sure if Rikku was in the know about the trip.

"Oh, Gippal and Tidus' Luca trip?"

"You know about it?" Yuna cried, her eyes brightening.

"Yeah, Gip won blitzball tickets."

"Oh," Yuna said, softly. So her cousin really didn't know.

"I think Gippal's just upset to have to be away from me for the night."

Yuna rolled her eyes. Of course her cousin would think that.

"Well, Tidus has been acting very weird," Yuna said, "One minute, we're all happy and lovey-dovey, and the next, we're mad at each other. I don't really get it."

"Tidus is a moody guy," Rikku said, nodding surely.

"I guess that' s true," Yuna said, sighing loudly, "I don't want to keep getting mad at him over the simplest things though. I hate to say it, but I think we got along better when I hated him."

Rikku laughed. "Don't be silly, Yunie!"

"It's just that we're so different," Yuna said, "We tried to make it work, we really did. And I really like him, and I think he really likes me, but we're just…"

"You two haven't even been together for two weeks, have you?" Rikku asked, "It's just a little bump, that's all."

"I guess maybe," Yuna said.

"Gippal's going to be here in five minutes," Rikku said, standing up. The two were sitting in Rikku's kitchen, where they had been for only the last thirty minutes.

"Right, I should get going anyway," Yuna said, "Maybe I'll go talk to Tidus."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Rikku said, smiling pleasantly at her cousin, "I'll see you for our girls' night out!"

Yuna smiled and said, "Alright."

"We'll go shopping and have a great time," Rikku said, and Yuna wondered if she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Yuna.

"Right," Yuna said, nodding, "I can't wait." That was the truth. She couldn't wait until that Lucan party was over. She told herself that Tidus would be back to his normal self, as soon as that party was over.

Rikku smiled at her, and said good bye, and Yuna left, wondering if she really was going to talk to Tidus.

-

"I feel lame," Tidus said, sighing loudly, "All I do is sit around all day."

"Well, it doesn't have to be that way," Yuna said, throwing him a warm smile, "We can—"

"What, read?" Tidus asked, rolling his eyes.

"I wasn't going to say that," Yuna said, glaring at him.

"Go to the library?" Tidus tried again.

"It's not that lame to go to the library!"

"Walk dogs?" Tidus simply continued.

"You said you liked to do that!"

"Organize bake sales?"

"Tidus, I came to talk to you and try to make up, but you're being impossible!" Yuna finally cried, "Let's go swimming or something."

Tidus' eyes looked out the window, and he sighed, saying, "It's raining, remember?"

Yuna sighed as well. The summer had been completely dry, with only a few days of rain here and there. But at that moment, the rain was pouring down on the dry ground.

"Well, rain will make you feel lame," Yuna said, as she took a seat next to Tidus, "Let's just talk, okay?"

"Talk? About what? I'm going to that party no matter what."

"Not about the party," Yuna said, shooting him a glare, "About other stuff. Like…us."

"Us?" Tidus said, "What about us?"
"Like, why do we just argue all of the time these days?" Yuna asked, her voice soft.

"I don't know," Tidus said, "You tell me."

Yuna shot him another glare, and she said, "Is it because we're so different?"

"Different? We're not different!" Tidus laughed.

"We are too!" Yuna said, but she realized instantly that Tidus' laugh was very forced. Of course he knew they were too.

"So what do we do?" Tidus asked, "We have to just live with each other's differences."

A smile lit Yuna's face. For once he was making sense.

"Exactly," Yuna said, a sigh of relief leaving her mouth, "And that's why we—"

"Should have sex?" Tidus asked.

"No!" Yuna cried, pushing him, "That's why we should—"

"Get wasted and have sex?"

"Knock it off Tidus!" Yuna cried, her voice angry.

"Why do you get so angry?" Tidus cried, his voice now angry, "I'm just joking!"

"It's not something to joke about!" Yuna cried, "Because you know you make me feel pressured!"

Tidus' features instantly softened.

"Really? You don't think I'm joking?"

"Well, I know you're joking," Yuna said, her voice very soft, "But it still makes me feel like I should."

Tidus laughed. "You feel like you should?"

"Well, that's what you're used to, isn't it?" Yuna asked, shocked by his question.

"Well yeah, but I don't expect it," Tidus said, "Yuna, I wouldn't want to make you rush into something like that!"

"You don't?"

"No!"

"So if I said 'alright, let's do it?', what would you do?" Yuna asked.

"I'd ask you if you were sure," Tidus said, "And then when you'd say 'yes', I'd tell you that you were just horny and that if you still felt like that in a week, then I'd think about doing it."

"Really?" Yuna asked, "You wouldn't take me right then and there?"

"Of course not!" Tidus cried, "You're the kind of girl that would wait until the honeymoon, and I respect that. Yes, it frustrates the hell out of me, but I still have to respect that."

Yuna smiled and said, "Really?"

"Of course," Tidus said, his eyes seeming to smile at her as well.

"And you're really okay with that?"

Tidus nodded, and said, "Yeah, I really am."

Yuna couldn't help but feel relief go throughout her body. She smiled widely, and threw her arms around his stomach, pulling him into an embrace.

He seemed shocked, but he wrapped his arms gingerly around her as well, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"You have no idea how relieved that makes me feel," Yuna said.

Tidus laughed and said, "You know, I don't think I've ever talked about sex with a girl before…"

Yuna giggled and kissed him on the chin.

"And I've never talked about sex period," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, we're different alright," Tidus said, laughing.

Yuna smiled into his shoulder, never wanting to leave his arms.

Finally, Yuna tore herself away, saying, "I have to go. I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll probably be just getting up when you get home," Tidus said, smiling a cheeky smile.

Yuna pecked him on the lips and said, "Actually, I have to go run some errands."

Tidus pouted, and he said, "Will I see you again before I go to Luca?"

"I don't know," Yuna said, sighing, "Well, if you don't, just be careful, okay? Be very careful. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Tidus laughed and kissed her.

"You could just sleep here," Tidus said, smiling his characteristic cheeky smile, "We'll keep our clothes on of course."

"Sorry," Yuna answered, "But I don't want the temptation to be there."

"I won't be that tempted!" Tidus said, pouting again.

Yuna laughed, and leaned forward, whispering, "You may not be, but I would." Before Tidus could respond, she jumped up, and said, "I'll see you later!"

"That's called teasing!" Tidus called after her, "And it's not very nice!"

"I know," Yuna said, poking her head back into the room, for she had left it, "Good night, Tidus!"

"Do you have an umbrella?" Tidus called then, jumping up and rushing to the door where she stood.

"No," she said, "Do you?"

"Of course!" Tidus said, and he pulled one out of the nearby coat closet—that Yuna noticed was stuffed full of mostly blitzball trophies. "I'll walk you home, like a normal couple." Tidus grinned, and opened the door, and opened the umbrella.

Yuna laughed and followed him out into the rainy night.

"It's supposed to rain for the next couple of nights, isn't it?" Tidus asked, as the two started toward Yuna's house.

"I believe so," Yuna responded, taking his hand in hers.

Tidus walked Yuna right up to her front doorstep, and laughed, saying, "Only, if this was a normal relationship, your old man would be in there watching us from the window."

"Well, say he was," Yuna said, "What would you do?"

"This," Tidus said, and he looked up at one of the windows, as if Yuna's father was there, winked, and then kissed Yuna.

The kiss didn't last long though, for Yuna laughed, and pulled away. "My father would have a heart attack!" she cried.

"Good thing he's not here then," Tidus said, kissing Yuna once again. Tidus dropped the umbrella to the side then, for they were in the shade of Yuna's front porch, and he said, "Do you think it's romantic to kiss in the rain?"

Yuna laughed and said, "I've never thought about it before."

"Good, I don't think so," Tidus just said, but he kissed her again, pressing her into her closed front door.

Yuna laughed, and cried, "Then why are you kissing me?"

"Because I love you," Tidus said, his words causing Yuna's laughter to instantly fade. He kissed her again, and she welcomed it much more than she'd welcomed his previous kisses. A car drove down the normally vacant road and honked, but Tidus and Yuna barely noticed.

Finally, Tidus pulled away from her, and said, "I gotta go. Zanarkand's playing in ten minutes."

Yuna laughed and said, "Alright. If I don't see you soon…"

"I'll be careful," Tidus simply said, pecking her quickly on the lips, "Besides, I wouldn't want anything to happen to me. Especially since I would hate to not be able to kiss those lips."

"And if you come back with a single scratch," Yuna said, smiling slyly, "You won't be kissing these lips."

"There's other places I can kiss though," Tidus said, and he leaned in to kiss her again. Yuna pushed him away though, her smile still on her face.

"Good night," she simply said, "Come over as soon as you get back from the party."

"What if it's late?"

"I don't care," Yuna said, "And be careful!"

"Yes, yes," Tidus said, "Good night."

Yuna smiled, and turned to go into her house, for she knew that he would simply kiss her again. She waved at him from the door, and then shut it. She watched him from the window as he picked up the umbrella, closed it, and ran back toward his house. Yuna watched him, her smile wide on her lips.

-

"It's always nice to have a girl's night out," Rikku said, smiling at Yuna.

"It is, isn't it?" Yuna said, rolling her eyes, "We should try to have them more often."

"Yeah, I know," Rikku said, "I'm sorry I've been so wrapped up in Gippal lately."

Yuna smiled at her cousin and said, "I guess it's understandable. I've been kind of wrapped up in Tidus lately."

"Yuck, I hope you don't mean literally!" Rikku said, sticking her tongue out at Yuna.

Yuna gave her cousin a light shove, and said, "Of course I don't mean it—"

Rikku's ringtone interrupted Yuna.

"Luca Hospital?" Rikku said, looking at her caller I.D., "I hope Brother isn't in trouble again." She rolled her eyes and answered it. "Hello?"

Yuna watched as her cousin's face dropped, and the phone soon dropped out of her hand as well.

Tears welled up in Rikku's green eyes, and she cupped her mouth with her hand.

"What?" Yuna asked, and she bent down to pick up the phone, "Hello?"

"He's unconscious right now, but we expect he should regain consciousness. He has some head trauma but he's—"

"I'm sorry," Yuna said, her heart beginning to speed, "I'm Rikku's cousin, Yuna. Please tell me what's going on."

"Oh. We were told to call this number. A friend of your cousin's—Gippal—is here with us tonight. He was in a head-on collision just outside of Luca tonight, and he is currently unconscious with some serious head trauma. He should be alright, but it would be wonderful if you could get here as soon as possible. The last thing he said before losing consciousness was that he wanted to see Rikku."

Yuna's mouth slowly dropped. She glanced at her cousin. Wasn't Rikku overreacting?

Yuna's eyes slowly widened though, and she cried, "Wait, did Gippal have a passenger with him?"

"Oh…he might have," the nurse on the phone suddenly said, "All other people involved in the accident have passed away, I'm afraid."

It was Yuna's turn to drop the phone. Her vision became blurry as tears welled up in her eyes, and she fell to her knees.

Yuna felt as if the world was going in and out. Things were beginning to blur together, bit-by-bit. Rikku looked down at her cousin through her own tears.

"Rikku…" Yuna said, her voice barely audible, "Tidus is…"

"I know!" Rikku cried, and she fell to her knees as well, her shopping bags scattering around her. She wrapped her arms around her cousin, and said, "I'm so sorry Yunie!"

Yuna didn't answer. She simply shut her eyes for a good ten seconds, before saying, "We have to get to the hospital."

"Are you sure Yunie?" Rikku cried.

Yuna nodded. "Come on," she said, standing up, "Let's go."

"But Yunie…" Rikku said, her voice full of sadness.

"We have to go!" Yuna said, her voice suddenly loud, and very high-pitched, "We have to do what we can for Gippal!"

Rikku's face twisted painfully, and she nodded. With that, still sobbing, the girls made their way to Yuna's car, and were soon on their way to Luca, riding completely in silence, which was only broken occasionally by uneven sobs. Sobs that belonged mostly to Yuna.

It was worse than she could have ever imagined. Tidus was dead.