Against the Odds.
Chapter 11.
The tour group was back in the atrium when Tidus and Yuna reunited with them. They'd not let go of each other's hands since the kiss. Tidus' hand was moist with nerves, the heat and adrenaline, but Yuna didn't seem fazed at all by it. His face held a small content smile, and he wouldn't be able to wipe it off, even if he wanted to. The priests voice echoed through the hall, bidding a grand farewell to everyone. He felt Yuna's thumb rub small circles on the back of his hand, a small gesture he would treasure forever.
He could swear that his racing heart was heard by everyone. His ears were thumping loudly, and his breath kept getting caught in his throat. But everyone was paying him no mind, no one was making eye contact with him, no one acknowledged his presence, except the priest who thanked them for visiting and to see them soon.
"Well, that was an interesting temple visit." Yuna finally said, breaking Tidus out of his trance-like state.
"You said it."
"Thank you for coming with me."
"Thank you." Tidus smiled in return.
When they exited the building, the heat gradually grew warmer with each step up to the main grounds. Though it was hot, there was a cool wind about which, without that, Tidus would be a dripping mess. He still couldn't believe that he'd kissed Yuna. Or that she'd let him kiss her. He was sure she'd pull away and yell and tell him to leave her alone. But she hadn't. She'd stayed. She kissed him back, welcomed his embrace and was there still, their fingers intertwined and locked, holding each other like magnets.
He wanted to kiss her again.
The urge was there. Heck, that wasn't going anywhere, but he needed to pace himself. He wanted to make sure she was okay with it, and that she wanted to kiss him again just as badly.
"Are you okay?" Mentally, he's stomped on his own foot for asking such a stupid question.
"Um…" That wasn't the response he'd hoped for but wouldn't interrupt her train of thought. "Yeah."
"Yeah?" Please, he thought, tell me more.
"Mhm," Yuna nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. It was a subtly move, but Tidus noticed her cover her cheek slightly from the rose colour that was creeping up her neck.
"Do you wanna talk?" Tidus pressed.
"Do you have plans for dinner?" Yuna faced him, "We can… talk while we eat."
"Your hut or mine?" Tidus replied.
"Mine." Yuna smiled, "If you like? I have enough food for a pasta salad?"
Tidus' stomach, as if on cue, grumbled, giving a response before he could answer. Yuna laughed and started walking toward the stairs leading back to the waterside village. At least Yuna wasn't upset or avoiding him. She seemed happy, if not more chipper than normal. That had to be his doing, right? She hadn't pushed him away; she'd welcomed him. She consented to the kiss, allowed his arms to wrap around her waist and returned his hug. He was as happy as a fish in the ocean.
As they walked back toward Yuna's hut, a thought entered Tidus' mind. If they'd agreed to go back to his hut, what would have happened? From what Tidus could remember, the sphere of Yuna was still sat on his Besaid hooded sweater on the half-wall that separated the lounge and sleep rooms from the kitchenette. Would she have seen it? Would she have been curious and asked to watch it, oblivious that it was something related to her? He doesn't know why he was panicked but made a conscious decision to put it away the moment he got back to his hut.
She'd lead him to the ramp by the shop where they'd first met for breakfast and climbed, heading to the upper levels. Yuna's hut was tucked back, surrounded by the tropical trees and shrubs of the island. From this point, had he followed the path and crossed the bridge, he would be at his hidden hut in no time. They weren't that far apart, how had he not realised?
Outside the hut, he watched as Yuna set aside the soft material door, leaving a small gap for a breeze. He watched as she removed her brown sandals and placed them by the door. Her bare feet made a papp sound as she crossed the floors to the kitchen area. He took this opportunity to take in her little world. The layout wasn't like his; there was a staircase that led to an upper deck, and the rooms downstairs were spacious, complete with a wide bay window with light cream curtains. The couch was wide enough that, if Yuna sat straight, her legs would not bend. The kitchen was in a separate room, and the stairwell was at the door. He presumed that the bedroom was upstairs, however he wouldn't go up unless permission was granted.
"This hut is huge!" Tidus exclaimed, placing his shoes next to Yuna's.
"Isn't it?" He heard Yuna from the other room, "Maybe a little too big for just me."
"You should see mine." He pressed, testing the waters, "It's only one level and everything is in one room."
Yuna, who had walked back into the lounge area with two cool drinks, gave a small smile. "I'd prefer that." She handed him a drink, the glass cold on his fingertips, "Something quaint."
"Well, you'll see it when I cook for you. Next one is on me."
"Ok then." They clinked their glasses together to seal the deal. She then turned on her heels back to the kitchen, with Tidus following behind, keeping a small gap between them.
Together, with Yuna's cooking and Tidus' fetching of the bowls and spoons, they produced a delicate shrimp pasta salad. The green leaves with the red, orange, and white vegetables contrasted against the whole wheat seasoned pasta looked delicious, and Yuna, who had handed Tidus his bowl and cutlery, made a small, contented sniff at the different flavours in front of her. Yuna gestured toward the stairs, silently asking Tidus to follow her. With a small nod from him, she led the way up the stairs towards her room.
The sleeping space was not what he expected. The bed was in the far corner, a tidy collection of pillows and blankets were on the bed, unlike his where they were scattered, Yuna's blankets were laid out and folded in intricate ways, with the pillows layered for decoration. There was a large chest for clothes, and a hidden room for any hanging garments. With the sun getting close to setting, the room was bright and warm, giving a cosy feel to it. There was a big open archway leading to the deck, accompanied by thin netted curtains, and the view from what he could see was going to be spectacular.
"Woah…" Tidus was stunned, he could see what felt like the whole sea village. The docks where they first met, the pastry hut, the fisherman boats, everything. He had to swallow the food in his mouth before he choked. "Check it out."
There was a small seating area that Yuna had wandered to. There was only enough room for the two seats, and barely enough space to really stretch his legs out, but it was cosy, and Tidus didn't mind being cosy with Yuna.
Minutes passed. The two sat in contentment while they enjoyed their food, neither one talking. A comfortable ambience came over them; the gulls above were squawking, the insects in the trees nearby were chirruping and the small crash of waves against the docks below was just loud enough to be heard. The island was busy, and the aura was enough for Tidus to consider buying a place here.
"I can't get enough of this place." Yuna said, sitting back in the deck chair, her bowl placed steadily in her lap.
Tidus nodded in agreement, looking down at his now empty bowl. He wanted to bring up the subject of them, and how Yuna felt with their actions from the morning.
"I bet you're wanting to ask me about the kiss."
The air of caution in Yuna's voice was what brought Tidus to look at her. She wasn't looking at him, instead, her eyes were closed, and Tidus wasn't sure if it was from enjoying the peace or scared to look at him.
"Yeah," Tidus hesitated. She should lead the conversation, he decided. He knew he liked it. Heck, he wanted to kiss her again. But he could wait. "You said you liked it?"
"Mhm." Yuna slowly opened her eyes to look at him. "I did, but"
But. That dreaded word hovered in the air.
He could sense Yuna was nervous. Could see her piece together a sentence that would make sense to her.
"It's not something I would normally do." She completed and finally made eye contact with him. She was opening up to him. "I mean I'm… not very good at it."
"Good at what?" Tidus asked, confusion etched across his face. He scooted his chair round to face her. He wanted to reach a hand out to her but decided against it.
"Kissing." Again, her eyes darted south, looking at her bowl. "I'm… not a very good kisser."
"Why would you think that?" He had to ask. He just had to know where that came from.
"Well," Yuna started. She cleared the throat and shuffled in her chair, "When someone tells you a few times, you won't forget."
Seymour. It had to be Seymour that told her that. He was very particular about things, but to tell someone they're not good at kissing? That's insane. How could he shatter her confidence like that? Their kiss was simple, but Tidus enjoyed it. He thought she was a good kisser. How dare Seymour do that to her.
"Whoever that was, he sounds like a jerkwad." Tidus responded. Placing his empty bowl on the ground beside his chair. He stretched his arms up, his back arched and clicking in small places. His injured shoulder twinged, which made him uncomfortable. With a small grunt, he tried to roll his shoulder to ease the pain, closing his eyes to concentrate.
Though he couldn't see her, he could sense Yuna's concern, and heard her bowl get placed lightly on the wooden deck.
"Is your shoulder playing up?"
Before he could answer, Tidus felt Yuna's hands on his shoulder, swiftly placed under his tee, one just above the pain, one just below. Her hands were warm, but her fingertips were cool against his skin. The feeling of her skin on his made him tingle. She took a step back.
"Can you take your top off?"
Shock passed through Tidus. Had she really asked that? He couldn't help but pull away slightly, unsure how to take that question. He raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking "What?"
"It'll be easier for me. I may be able to ease the tension for you. At least for a while."
"You're not going to stick me with pins, are you?" Tidus quipped, "My coach tried that once. It didn't work".
"Just take your top off please."
Willingly, he gently took his tee off, mindful to watch his shoulder. He hadn't felt a pain like it for a while. He thought it was getting better with the island heat and regular exercise, but this was coming back slowly with a vengeance.
Yuna once again placed her hands on his skin as he leaned his elbows on his legs, in the exact place as they were before. "Is this roughly where the pain is?"
"Yeah," Tidus grunted in pain, his muscle spasming at her touch.
"This might be a bit cold. But it'll help."
She was right. A cool sensation suddenly passed through his shoulder, hitting the exact spot of where the muscles were contracting. He noticed out of the corner of his eye a small white light were emanating from Yuna's hands, a twinkling gleam of life and healing causing small sparks to scatter on his skin.
Tidus' body reacted positively, a slow breath released from him, one he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and he leaned back, accepting the cool feeling that was soothing his pain. His head lulled back; eyes closed in obvious content. His eyebrows were furrowed, but he was relieved to be out of pain.
"How does that feel?" He heard Yuna ask, as the cool healing spell started to draw away. Tidus could only moan in response, his eyes still closed, head still back.
"Good." Yuna said. She removed her hands from his shoulder then, causing him to open his eyes. They were close; Yuna stood over him, close enough that she only needed to lean down, and they would kiss again. Her hands were intertwined in front of her, and Tidus couldn't resist and grabbed them, gently thanking her for the help. He noticed her eyes were darting between his eyes and his lips, much like how he looked at her before he kissed her in the temple. He gently tugged on her hand and brought her closer, his intention clear. He left enough space that she would have to make the last move. She would have to lean forward to close the gap. And she did. Willingly.
Her lips were soft, and she wasn't as nervous as before. She seemed to relax into him. Before Tidus could think, he'd placed his arm around her and guided her to sit on his lap, breaking the kiss for a moment to make sure she didn't trip. No sooner was she sat on his leg, comfortable and facing him, they were kissing again; her hands placed at either side of his face, his arms folded her into him; one hand lightly gripping her thigh, the other supporting her back. Before things got heated, she pulled away slightly. Tidus looked at her, taking her features in. Her mismatched eyes were closed, but with a small sigh, she opened her eyes to look at him with a small furrow on her brow.
"Can we…" Yuna seemed hesitant, "Can we take it slow?"
"We can take it as slow as you need." Tidus' reply was instant. Whatever she needed to be comfortable, he would comply. No questions asked.
"Thank you." She placed her forehead against his, hands still on the sides of his face.
With the sun setting, the couple were lost in their own little bubble. Yuna, after allowing Tidus to put his tee back on, had tucked herself in the crook of his shoulder, still sat on his lap, legs dangling between his. His arms were loose around her waist, her warmth emitting into him.
"My shoulder feels different." Tidus lowly spoke. There was hardly any pain. There was still a twinge, but it was a lot better than normal. The coolness from the healing spell was still dancing on his skins surface. His cheek was against her forehead, and he felt her chuckle slightly.
"Good different?" Yuna mirrored his level, adjusting herself to look at him.
"Mmm…" Tidus pouted slightly, moving his head to kiss her forehead "Good. Weird."
"Weird how?"
"I just…" He struggled to think of how to explain it. "I've learnt to live with it, you know? There's always been a dull ache, but it's never stopped me from doing things like training or lifting heavy boxes. But now it feels how it felt before."
"Any pain?" Yuna asked.
"A little." Tidus was almost stunned. He had learned to live with the pain. It had been with him for so long that he'd forgotten what it felt like to be pain free. "But much better than before."
"If it hurts again, can you let me know?"
Tidus simply nodded in response, lulling Yuna back into the nook she'd been in before. A small silence fell between them. His curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but ask. "So, you're a mage?"
He felt Yuna's breath change; she held her breath and released a small noise to answer him. "A white mage, yes."
"You never said?"
"It's something my father encouraged me to learn when I was growing up. We went to temples to get skills for healing, so that I could help people overcome injuries." Yuna let out a small breath, almost a sigh of relief, but Tidus felt she was holding something back, "And if anything were to happen to me, I can take care of myself."
"Smart move." Tidus agreed, allowing his arms to hold her closer to him. "Makes you all that more special."
"You're not put off by it?"
"Why would I be?" Tidus leaned away to get a better look at her face.
"Well," Yuna started, "Someone once told me it was a useless power, and that I should've learned to fight. Or at least defend myself against danger."
"Is that the same someone who told you you're a bad kisser?" Tidus made eye contact with her, his thumb brushing small circles on her thigh.
Yuna looked down, as if embarrassed that she'd given that information out. A small nod gave way, but she kept looking down.
"Don't ever feel ashamed of who you are, Yuna."
He saw the sadness in her features, her body language had shifted as they gave her feelings away. He couldn't help but wrap his arms around her, wanting to protect her, make her feel safe and out of harms way. He wanted to take away all her negative thoughts about herself that had been planted in her mind by Seymour.
He kissed her. Slowly, gently, lovingly. He felt her melt away, her feelings of reserve and anguish dissipated into the air.