A/N: Wow, it's been a little under 3 years, and I'm going to be 17 soon, which means I was 14 when I wrote this...wow, that is purely pathetic because of how lazy I was/still am. I have written nada in 3 years, so excuse my rusty-ness. I really hope you guys enjoy, and I'm SO sorry for taking SO long! Much love.
Yuna looked up from her cooking as the ring of the doorbell echoed through her small 2-story house. She hurriedly wiped her hands clean, before rushing to the door. She knew it was Tidus. They had talked after coming to an agreement about Kate. They had set a time for the evening on Friday so Tidus could get to know Kate better. They knew it was going to be awkward between the two of them, but at the same time they had decided to be adults about the whole thing.
She opened the door to see Tidus, looking as handsome as always, holding a jack russell terrier in his right arm, and holding a bag in his left hand.
"Tidus, you're here a little early." She said, still not sure what to make of the dog he was holding.
"Yeah, I wanted to get in every minute I could have with Kate," He told her, "Oh, and this is Rocky, my jack russell. I hope you don't mind me bringing him over, I noticed Kate brought a few stuffed dog animals with her last I saw her." He added as soon as he saw her looking at the dog.
"As long as he doesn't rip up my furniture, or do any of the other bad things dogs tend to do, it'll be fine. Kate loves dogs." She said. She had always wanted to get Kate a dog, but never really had time to do that, so she wanted to wait until Kate got a little older so she could care for the dog, too.
"Oh, don't worry, he's house-trained. He got out of the bad chewing habits when he was a pup." He informed her, flashing his smile that made her blush, as always. She ducked her head slightly like she did when she was a teenager. Tidus had an amused smile on his face, knowing very well that it always got her.
"What's that?" She asked, ending the awkward silence, nodding towards the bag dangling in his hand.
"Oh, it's a present for Kate. Rikku told me she's obsessed with that Justin Bieber kid, so I got her him... in doll-size, of course." He said.
"She is obsessed with him. I actually always thought it was a girl to be honest, but I'm always scolded by my girl students that he's a man" She said, letting a laugh at how fun teaching a class of 8 year-old kids could be.
"Well I'm glad she'll like it, then. It was awkward when I bought the doll, because everyone basically knows who I am, and they think I don't have a kid, so you can imagine the looks I got" He said. He laughed when he recalled how the cahier raised her eyebrows at the sight and looked at him as if he were some kind of weirdo.
"Honestly, I would've done the same thing." She told him, as she laughed along with him.
Their laughing stopped as their heads turned to the top of the stairs, where they heard little footsteps now coming down them. Tidus smiled when he saw an overly-excited Kate rushing towards him with open arms.
"Daddy, I thought you were coming later!" She said, now clutching her father's neck tightly.
Tidus laughed loudly, "Well, I couldn't wait to see you anymore, and besides, I wanted you to meet someone." He said. Before Kate could ask who, she heard little whining noises below her. She looked down and saw Rocky trying to climb his way up Tidus's leg.
"You brought a doggy!" She exclaimed as Tidus set her on the ground. Rocky immediately licked her now giggling face.
"His name is Rocky. He's a jack russel terrier and I've had him for about 3 years now. I know how much you love dogs, so I thought I'd bring him here for a little visit." He told her.
"He's so cute! Thank you for bringing him, daddy!" She said as she got up and ran across into the living room with him.
"Now you've done it. You know she's going to be begging me for a dog when you leave, right?" Yuna said to him as she watched Kate and Rocky with an amused smile.
"She can come see him whenever she wants, though." He said
"I suppose. Well, I have to go finish dinner. You can go play with her while I finish up." She said as she made her way into the kitchen.
Tidus couldn't help admiring the back of Yuna as she walked out of his sight. He quickly shook those bad thoughts out of his head and focused his attention on bonding with his daughter that is why he came here.
As he made his way into the living room, he saw the Kate had already discovered his present and was full of excitement. She had already gotten the doll out of the box, and was now playing with it.
"You like it?" He asked, sitting down on the couch beside her.
She looked up at him and her little arms went around his arm, "I love it so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She expressed her happiness even more when she got the doll and put it up to his face, "Justin Bieber thanks you, too"
"Well, you're both very welcome." He said as he placed a kiss on Kate's cheek.
'I'm glad you're back." She mumbled into his shoulder.
"Me too, kiddo." He said back to her. Tidus never thought he'd know what it would feel like to be a dad, but now that he did, he was extremely grateful for this girl that Yuna and he had created. Though he didn't know her for 5 years, he was sure as hell determined to be there for her for as long as he could now. That's all that really matters.
"Kate, Tidus, dinner is ready!" They broke apart when they heard Yuna's voice shout from the kitchen.
"Race ya" Kate whispered to Tidus. He smirked, knowing that this was definitely his daughter as he looked into those mischievous blue eyes.
"You're on." He told her as he let her bolt out in-front of him. He laughed when she did a victory dance on arriving to the kitchen first, with her fists pumping into the air, much like he would do. Yuna also laughed when she saw Kate's funny celebration.
After dinner, the trio gathered on the couch. Tidus told them stories about his life in the past 5 years, while Yuna and Kate told him about theirs.
Kate eventually fell asleep in Tidus's arms. Once that happened, Yuna got up to show him Kate's bedroom.
"She looks so beautiful," Tidus said after he tucked Kate in, "Just like her mother." He added, while shifting his gaze to Yuna. Yuna blushed as Tidus made his way out of the room. Yuna closed the door quietly, and leaned on it while looking at Tidus.
"She's an amazing kid, you know. You've done such a great job with her." He told her, while gazing into those bi-colored eyes that he had come to love so much.
Yuna gave him a small smile, "Thank you." She said, before hesitantly making her way to the door at the end of the hall, "Follow me." She called back quietly over her shoulder.
Tidus did as she told and curiously went in her direction. When he got there, he saw she had opened a door, to what he assumed was her closet, and was rummaging through it.
"What are you doing?" He asked as he closed the door behind him so they didn't have to whisper.
"I have something you may want." She called out. She finally came out with a cardboard box in her hands. She set the box on the bed, and looked at him.
"Everything from our relationship; mostly pictures, but there are also gifts you gave me. I want you to have it." She told him, pushing the box towards him.
"Yuna," He said slowing, eyeing the box, "This is yours to keep, and just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean I don't want you to keep them." He said.
"You don't understand. I look at these pictures every day, and I'm reminded every day of how I screwed up. I'm reminded of what I could've had! "She shouted, but she made she it wasn't loud enough to wake up Kate. She had to get this over with.
"You didn't screw up, you did what you thought was best for me! I understand why you did it. I understand that you would've felt guilty if you told me because I would've dropped that scholarship in a heartbeat. Sure Yuna, I'm angry that I didn't know, but please don't make yourself miserable over the past, because that's what it is, the past!" He desperately told her, trying to get the point across. When he still saw the doubt in her eyes, he made his way over to her and gently placed his hands on her arms.
"Yuna, I care so much about you and our daughter. I love you two regardless of what happened. I need you to understand that. I need you to understand that I'll fight for you two no matter what we think was right or wrong. I'm here now, am I not?" He whispered to her, as his lips drew near to hers.
"Yes," Yuna whispered back, while taking his face in her hands, "Yes, you are." She quickly closed the gap between their lips.
Tidus, a bit taken back by Yuna's forwardness, responded to the kiss eagerly. Yuna moaned when his kisses trailed down her neck and his hands slipped underneath her shirt.
She pulled his head back so his lips could reconnect with hers "Bed." she mumbled against them.