Chapter Seven- Living with the Enemy

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plotline. It's MINE, all MINE! Mwahahahaha.

Sorry about the long, delayed chappie. I know, it really has been a while, but I want to thank those people who stuck with me and kept reading. This is a pretty short chapter, and for that, I'm sorry. I wanted it to be a Tidus/ Yuna bonding thing, so… yeah. FORGIVE ME! I know I keep promising this, but the next chapter will be more eventful. The

means a change in POV(point of view). hee.

Liz

The fluffy, gray clouds began to gather over the sea. The water began to boil and tremble as if it knew something bad was going to happen. Yuna knew she should probably go inside, but, sitting on the beach, watching the weather, she knew that the clouds and ocean matched her mood. A plump, single drop of rain fell from the sky and landed on Yuna's already wet cheek. On top of everything that had been going on, with Jecht and Utada marrying, Tidus moving in with her, Seymour being his normal, abusive self, Auron just had to go and suspend them for a week. It was all too much for Yuna to take right now. She didn't need another big problem to take care of.

The drops of rain fell in a steadier pattern, and Yuna's mood worsened. Nobody could seem to help her. Compared to some people's lives, Yuna knew she had gotten a pretty good deal. She didn't have to support herself, since she still lived with her mom, and they had a pretty good relationship. She didn't have a baby to take care of, like so many other girls at her school. She was okay looking and happy with how she saw herself in the mirror. She knew she had a life better than most. Still, she thought. Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? She recalled the events that occurred earlier that morning with regret: Auron's stony face, telling them their punishment, Seymour sneering when Auron's back was turned, whispering that awful thing to her, bringing tears to her eyes.

"You good-for-nothing bitch, you got me in all this trouble. If you ever lay one of your slutty hands on my again, I swear, I'll come after and beat you 'til you're within an inch of going to hell, where you belong. Believe me, you'll wish you were there long before I'm through with you."

Those petrifying words sent a shiver down Yuna's spine, partly because of all the hatred in his voice and burning in his eyes, but mostly because she knew he could do it, and that he would do. Then, just as the horror of Seymour's inhumanity began to set in, the three of them were released from Auron's side. No sooner were they out of range than Tidus tripped Seymour, sending him flailing onto the ground.

"If you ever talk to my girl like that again, Seymour, I'm going to hunt you down, find you, and murder you in cold blood, then, throw your stinking carcass into the ocean so no one finds you and has to hear from you ever again."

There had been more, much more, but Yuna hadn't listened to it. When she had been Seymour''s girlfriend for those many years, he had never referred to her in those two words she had always wanted to hear. My girl—Tidus had called her his girl. Ever since she had been a little girl, that was her father's nickname for her. Yuna had always been Braska's girl. Tidus, even though they technically weren't going out, had called her his girl. It was probably all part of the act they were putting on, but he had called her his girl. For those few minutes in the school hall, she had been his girl. Inside, it made her glow. It made her feel indescribably happy. She once told Lulu about how Seymour never called her this, and Lulu had said it was anti-feminist, and that men should not call women their property. Yuna knew this, but she still thought it was the most utterly romantic, wondrous thing to say. It erased all the scars Seymour had inflicted with his hurtful mental and emotional abuse, and Yuna was in a tailspin.

Tidus had called her his. She was his girl. The rain was coming fast and furiously now, with no promise of letting up anytime soon, and Yuna was getting soaked. Yuna was his girl now, and she didn't care about her hair, getting wet, or catching a cold. Trying unsuccessfully to shake the thought from her mind, it filled her head.

"I think I like him."

Laughter bubbled up inside her. What a stupid notion. Jecht and Utada were getting married. She simply couldn't like Tidus.

"But I really think I like him."

Shaking her head, Yuna frowned. This was Tidus: Tidus, who had been her worst enemy. Tidus, who had mocked and teased her. Tidus, who was her lab partner and her mom's best friend's son. This was Tidus: Tidus, who had saved her from Seymour more than once. Tidus, who played laser tag with her, slept with her when she had nightmares, and made club sandwiches with her. This was Tidus, and he had called her his girl.

It was too late now, Yuna knew. She couldn't stop what she felt. Jumping up, she ran in the rain toward the beach house. Swinging the door open, she plodded her way into the kitchen, not even stopping to get a towel. There, in the kitchen, she stopped and stared. There was Tidus, drinking straight from the carton of milk. She just looked at him for a few moments.

"What?" he asked ruefully.

Yuna giggled. This was Tidus, the boy she now liked.

Scratching his head a little apprehensively, Tidus looked at Yuna, sopping wet, giggling at him. Her mascara had run down below her eyes. "You look like a drowned raccoon," he told her.

Giggling, Yuna replied, "Am I a cute drowned raccoon?"

Screwing the lid back on the carton of milk, he gave in. "Maybe," Tidus replied, grinning.

Yuna seemed to think that this was the funniest thing in the world and began laughing even harder than she had been before, and Tidus shook his head, and went to get her a towel.

After she had dried off and Tidus had wiped up the floor, Tidus glanced Yuna's way. She was a pretty cute, even if she did look like a drowned raccoon. Her jeweled eyes shone with intelligence, and she had a sincerity about her, unlike most of the girls at Besaid High. If he was forced to spend a week suspended from school with anyone, it would probably be her.

"We have a lot of time to kill. We can meet up with Rikku, Lulu, Squall, and Wakka later, if you want, but they don't get out of school 'til 3:30. It's not even one yet. Wanna do something?"

Yuna, whose laughter had subsided, answered, "I picked laser tag last time we went somewhere. You choose."

Tidus thought about it, and then told her, "Why don't you go get ready while I think about it? I know it takes girls forever to get ready to go somewhere."

Yuna hopped off to blow-dry her sopping hair while Tidus thought. Usually, he made split second decisions, but since it was raining out, their options were limited. Usually, when he had free time he'd go out and practice blitzball, even in the rain. Sometimes, he'd go to the movies, but right now, he knew there were no shows he really wanted to see. Stretching his memory far back, he used to think of what he and his mom would do together on rainy days. She didn't like him to practice blitzball in the rain. It was always a continuing argument between Jecht and Tidus's mother about playing in the rain. Often, the young mother and son would go to the library, and maybe to an occasional indoor playground. Tidus remembered, however, the best times they had together being at a small pottery shop where you picked a piece of pottery and painted it yourself. It was so long ago, but he still vividly remembered long afternoons spent painting piggy banks, plates, cups, and bowls with his mom while the sound of rain pelted the tin roof. Sometimes, she would let him watch the native Besaidian women work the pottery wheel, making pieces of crockery from wet lumps of clay. Maybe, if he remembered where it was…

Calling to Yuna, Tidus yelled, "Yuna? When you're getting dressed, wear old clothes, okay?"

An hour and a half later, after driving for what seemed like forever through pelting rain and getting lost twice, the two teens were happily painting away. The sound of the rain mingled with the classical music playing softly, and Tidus glanced at the muffin Yuna was painting. It was a muffin with sprinkles on top, and the top of the muffin came off and opened like a pot. She wasn't even a third of the way done, while he had almost completed his blitzball shaped jar.

"Jeez, Yuna," he remarked. "You're a slow painter."

Yuna, who had been in deep concentration, glanced up at him and smiled. Her hair fell in her face, and she had a bit of purple paint on her nose. "I'm a true artist," she retorted in mock anger. "Don't rush me."

Tidus would have rolled his eyes, but he caught himself staring at her lips again when she smiled. They were so perfectly formed, so nicely pigmented. He noted the lush, bubble gum pink color that was so kissable and the shapes her lips made as she talked. He bet himself they were soft and ill-used, if what Seymour said had been true, about them not making out. He wondered what they really would feel like… Better yet, what would they taste like? He tried the shake the thought out of his head as he mentally chastised himself. Dude, he reprimanded mentally, she's gonna be my sister.

To bring himself out of his lip fantasy, he said to Yuna, "I guess I'm pretty good at picking out first dates, eh?" Then he chuckled at himself, and Yuna's bi colored eyes twinkled at him.

Playfully, she asked him, "Do first kisses come in the first date package?"

Oh, just wonderful, Tidus thought. She can read minds.

Oh Yevon, Yuna thought. What am I doing? Why am I flirting? He's going to be my brother. We're going to be related. He's going to live in the same house as me, probably, being the lady's man he is, bringing girls home every night. Then what will I feel like? Crushed, I'll feel completely crushed. Wait… that's probably what this is! A crush, just a rebound crush! Rikku always talks about them. I'll just have to ride it out…

Tidus interrupted her brain's furious yelling at her by teasing, "We'll have to see about this whole kiss thing. From what Seymour said, you aren't very experienced."

Yuna gaped at him. "That is so untrue! Don't believe anything Seymour says."

Tidus laughed at her frustration, then added, "Yeah, but you admitted it! You said, 'Ewwww! I would never let you put your wormy tongue in my mouth!'' Tidus mimicked her in a high voice and put a look of disgust on his face.

Yuna had to laugh at this, but responded quickly. "Still Tidus, even if I'm not all that experienced, it's not something I can't learn."

Thoughtfully, Tidus painted one of the spikes on his blitzball. "You never know what could happen," he said slowly.

The two finished painting, talking about this and that, but his words kept ringing in Yuna's ears. You never know what could happen…

Flipping through the pages of her newest Seventeen magazine, Rikku lay on her back, half hanging off her bed, twirling a piece of her long, blonde hair with her fingers. Just as she was beginning one of the magazine's quizzes, "Are You Two Made for Each Other?", her cell phone started playing her newest ringtone, Candy Shop by 50 Cent. Although she didn't much like the song, it was her dream to be in a remake of that music video. Rolling over on her stomach, Rikku reached for her phone, which she had tossed on her dresser. "Rikku here, at your service!" she answered cheerily.

"Rikku?" Yuna's voiced whispered through the phone.

"Yunie, what happened to you? Are you expelled?" Rikku urgently asked, immediately paying full attention to her best friend.

"No, we're all just suspended. Listen, though, Rikku, this is important…" Yuna was sitting in her closet with the lights out, whispering on her cell phone.

"Okay, but could you speak a little louder, 'cause I can't hear you all that well."

Yuna raised her voice a tiny bit, but continued whispering. "Look, Rikku, I'm having guy trouble and.."

"GUY TROUBLE?" Rikku shrieked, cutting her cousin off in mid-sentence. "Is Seymour, that bastard, stalking you or something, 'cause if he is, I swear, I'm gonna pull out every one of his fingernails, then make him eat them!"

Yuna couldn't help but laugh at her normally sweet friend's threats, but then added, "No, Rikku, it's not Seymour. It's about Tidus."

"What! Is Tidus beating you up now?"

"NO Rikku, let me finish. I think… I think I like him."

Rikku stared at her phone in disbelief. She held it away from her face, examined it, then returned to the conversation. "Um, Yunie, I don't think I heard you right. Could you repeat that for me please?"

Yuna gulped, but restated her confession. "I think I like Tidus."

Rikku smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm, and moaned. "Yunie, you know I'm always gonna be there for you, in everything, and I have been waiting for you to confide your guy problems to me, but I never thought it would be this complicated. This guy is gonna be your brother, and you like him? Are you sure?"

"Well, pretty sure," Yuna said uncertainly.

"Okay then," Rikku said brightly. "I wish I could come over and give you some tips, but I don't think that would work that well, with Tidus being around and all, so you'll just have to listen carefully. How long are you suspended for?"

"We're going to come back next Monday," Yuna said.

"Alright! You have a whole week to get him to realize that he's already in love with you."

"He…is?" Yuna asked blankly.

"Of course he is, silly! Well, if he's not, he's crazy. So, just remember everything I've already told you, the Y Essentials, how to flirt, and stuff like that, rent a romantic movie, and make a move."

"Is that all?" Yuna asked. "It's been so long since I had to do all this to get a boyfriend, you know."

"That's all there is to it," Rikku chirped. "Just remember, always use protection!"

"RIKKU!" Yuna shouted, forgetting to whisper. "That was totally unnecessary."

"Hee-hee, I couldn't resist."

Okay, so, next chapter out soon, hopefully. Leave me a review, ask me a question, I'll love you forever. Oh, and OOC stands for out of character.

Liz