A/N: First of all, a little note and
improvement here. I have edited all the chapters and am finally
stating Tidus' name. ::gasp:: ;
A few people have made me
realize that the story is much easier to read when his actual name is
used, and my job is easier as well since I can just say it.
The
reason why the original chapters prior to chapter 14 didn't use
Tidus' name was to keep with FFX's consistency. There was just
something about how the characters never spoke his name that made me
feel a bit hesitant about using it as well. I never heard what the
other characters sounded like when they spoke his name, so I felt a
bit odd with using it in the story. However that's all changing
now.
I've just been so tempted to just say Tidus' name, so I
finally get to do it. Enjoy the story in its improved form. =)
After completing FFX-2 and being overwhelmed with joy while
watching the ending, I was tempted to write this since I haven't seen
many FFX-2 fics out there yet. This takes place shortly after the
game and its events, so spoilers for FFX and FFX-2 are evident and
unmarked.
The story is heavily focused on Tidus and Yuna's
relationship, but references to Shuyin (Shuin) make appearances
throughout.
This is my first FINAL FANTASY X / X-2 story, and
I plan to make this longer than the work I've done in the past.
Although I haven't posted my other stories here yet, I will do so
if/when I dig them out of the dark recesses of my hard drive.
;;
Any comments/suggestions are welcomed whole-heartedly.
=)
Disclaimer: FINAL FANTASY X / X-2 and all characters
mentioned in this story belong to Square Enix.
=========================
In
Times When I Couldn't Hold You
By Ryee
=========================
Chapter 1
Standing
there as they remained in that warm embrace, she wanted nothing more
than to stay like that forever. The breeze blew against her bare arms
and legs while the cool water splashed gently around their feet. She
could hear their clothing rustling gently in the breeze. Soft wisps
of his hair tickled the side of her face and neck making her smile
with fondness.
As
Yuna reluctantly broke their contact to steal a glance at his face
once again, her smile faded when her green and blue eyes saw his
features. A more prominent jaw, wisps of hair longer than what she
had remembered, but nonetheless eyes filled with a longing and
sadness. He smiled at her sadly and reached behind her to draw her
form close to his once again.
"I've
missed you."
Yuna
stirred slightly in her sleep, her face frowning while she let out
soft breaths. While traces of sleep faded away and the foggy images
of the dream dissipated, she slowly let her eyes drift open. Taking
in her surroundings, she remembered that she had spent the night in
Besaid Village after a night of celebration. She smiled gently at the
thought and cuddled the blankets.
The
flap to the shelter fluttered gently from the breeze and a cool wind
snuck in and hit her exposed leg. Yuna burrowed deeper into the
blankets and shut her eyes with happiness at the previous night's
festivities.
Rikku
and Paine were exceptionally joyous and even enthusiastic that night,
while Wakka and Lulu spoke to her about her journey while showing
little Vidina to the other visitors that hadn't yet met him. Yuna
laughed a little at the thought of Paine showing a side of herself
Yuna had not seen before. Paine was smiling and even dancing to the
music that had erupted, and although not as passionate as the way
Rikku had acted that night, Paine seemed quite happy
nonetheless.
Yuna
took a deep breath. And of course the shocking revelation that Tidus
had returned caused a brilliant smile to appear on her face. Last
night had been a time for celebration, a time when all of Spira was
saved, but more importantly - a time when Yuna's deepest wish had
come true.
She
still remembered seeing him from the Celsius high from the sky. Even
from the airship's bridge, she couldn't mistake his characteristic
figure. The bright colors of his clothing, to the deep azure of his
clear eyes - Yuna could see it all even despite the altitude. She had
sprinted to the opening of the airship and almost hurt herself
jumping down onto the shore to see him. Her heart had pounded so
furiously out of happiness and pure joy to finally run into his arms
again.
Two
years ago when she had run towards him as he was disappearing was a
scene that she knew all too well. Since that day, she kept playing
back that moment in the deepest depths of her mind, all with a heavy
heart.
Yuna
wiped a few stray tears that had leaked from the corners of her eyes.
She laughed softly. None of that mattered now. The fayth had granted
the single most valuable gift to her. He was back.
Pushing
the blankets away and moving towards the edge of the bed, she
wondered why it was so quiet in the village. More importantly, where
did Tidus go? Surely everyone should have been awake by now. Yuna
walked over to the doorway and slipped out into the square. Her eyes
focused at the hints of sunrise peeking from the top of the temple.
It was barely morning, and she realized that he wasn't
anywhere.
She
froze. What if it was all a dream? Yuna shook her head. No. It
couldn't be. He was here. Real and alive just like she had asked for.
Calming herself and heading in the direction of the beach, she set
out to find him.
As
Yuna neared the shore, she could see a lone figure sitting on the
sand. Making out his distinctive wispy hair billowing gently in the
early morning breeze, she suddenly felt very mischievous. Silently,
without making a sound, she crept up behind him ready to make her
attack.
"I
know you're there," he suddenly said. He didn't turn to face her
but she could hear the smile in his voice.
Yuna
hit him playfully and frowned in defeat. "Oh, you spoiled it,"
she said while seating herself next to him. Her mouth opened slightly
in admiration at the beauty of the water. It had been so long since
Yuna had watched the sea in the early morning, and today it dazzled
like crystals - a brilliant ocean of orange-red twinkling at
her.
As she
continued to gape at the early morning's beauty, she felt a sudden
warmth come around her. She turned her head to the side and smiled.
He had moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Yuna
sighed happily and let her back lean against his chest.
"So
why were you out here?" she slowly asked after some time. He was
silent, but laced their fingers together.
After
a few more moments of silence he finally spoke. "I was just
thinking about some things."
Yuna
looked down at their intertwined hands. She frowned a little. "What
things?" she softly asked, a bit hesitant if he was willing to
speak about it.
She
felt him shift slightly. "You know...I never thought I was going
to see you again..." he trailed off. Yuna said nothing but he
continued after a few moments. "All these years away from you. I
thought I had lost you for good," Tidus continued.
Yuna
looked into the sparkling water. "I know. I felt the same,"
she paused and took a deep breath. She felt his hold tighten around
her. "After we fought Vegnagun, I heard a whistle. It was then
that the fayth appeared and asked if I wanted to see you..." she
trailed off. Composing herself once more she continued. "I told
him I did."
She
turned around to face him. His eyes were cast downward but slowly
rose to meet hers. Yuna raised her hand toward his face. The action
in itself was only to assure her that he was indeed real and wasn't
going to fade again. She saw him smile.
"Don't
worry, I'm not going anywhere," Tidus spoke softly. He pulled
her into another embrace.
Yuna
closed her eyes, wanting to savor the peaceful moment with him. She
felt his hands resting at the small of her back. Her eyes suddenly
snapped open. Her dream the night before returned to her, albeit a
bit hazy.
Although
Yuna couldn't remember the dream in its entirety, she felt herself
pulling away from him slightly to look into his face. Clear blue eyes
stared back at her.
"I've
missed you," the voice echoed.
"What
is it?" he asked her softly. Raising his gloved hand to stroke
the hair away from her eyes, she looked down.
"No,
it's nothing," Yuna replied. She cleared her mind of the strange
feeling. She stood up and smiled down at him. Grabbing his hands she
struggled to lift him up with her.
He
laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm up." Yuna smiled
cheerfully.
"Let's
go back to the village. I'm sure Rikku and the others are up by now,"
Yuna told him. They began to walk up the beach hand in hand. Yuna
swung their arms playfully.
"You
know, I'm pretty sure Wakka wouldn't be up by now. Knowing him, he's
probably still as lazy as I remember. He's really gotten bigger these
last two years!" Tidus added.
Yuna
laughed and kicked up some sand. "He definitely has! I'm
surprised at how much his belly has grown!" she giggled. Looking
up into the sky, the traces of red and orange had cleared to a deep
blue. Birds flew overhead. "I'm happy for him and
Lulu."
"Yeah,
Vidina looks just like him. It's kinda funny to see a little Wakka,"
he chuckled.
As
they neared the village, Yuna could see Rikku running up to them. She
stopped in front of the two and smiled suspiciously.
"And
where have you two been?" she nudged Tidus in time with her
words. Standing with her hands behind her back, Rikku winked at
Yuna.
"Um,
we were just down at the shore," Yuna told her cousin slowly.
She had always stuttered when she knew Rikku had caught her doing
something.
"Ohhh,
the shore," Rikku said teasingly. She came near Yuna and
whispered into her ear. "And what were you two doing down there,
hmm?" she asked.
Yuna
leaned away from Rikku. "N-nothing! We were just talking!"
she told her cousin. Yuna heard a chuckle from him.
"Rikku,
you haven't changed at all," Tidus told her
jokingly.
But
before Rikku had the opportunity to retort, Yuna heard Wakka's voice
from his hut.
"Hey
you kids! Watcha doin' up so early?" he shouted from their
shelter. The trio watched as the older man jogged up to
them.
"Mornin'
Wakka. How's it going?" Rikku asked cheerfully. "You still
okay from that party last night?"
Wakka
scratched his head. "Ehh, y'know. I got responsibilities now
that I'm a father, ya?" he replied. "Gotta get up early for
Lu and Vidina," he continued.
Yuna
smiled. Wakka had sure changed. Everything he spoke about had
something to do with his family. She admired the man actually. His
whole life had been one full of changing lifestyles. From a blitzer
to a guardian to a father. She was grateful for his help during the
pilgrimage, and finally seeing him content with his life made her
happy.
Wakka
turned to Yuna. "So what are the two of you up to?" he
asked, his eyes looking between them.
Rikku
interrupted. "They were down at the beach early this morning,"
she said teasingly again.
Yuna
couldn't help but smile. Although she knew the younger girl was happy
that the two of them were finally together again, she knew Rikku
would still keep her teasing side - especially when it came to Yuna
and her relationships.
"How
about you, Rikku? How's Gippal doing?" Yuna said. She couldn't
help it. Yuna knew there was some history between the blonde and the
leader of the Machine Faction.
Rikku
laughed nervously. "Ehehe. Yunie, I already told you! Nothing
happened between Gippal and me!" she said
defensively.
"Gippal?
You mean the leader of the Machine Faction? Rikku, you never told
us!" Wakka said, crossing his arms in the process.
All
eyes were cast on Rikku as she fidgeted nervously. "Ehh, you
know. Why don't I go wake Paine up! I'm sure she wants to go with us
today to visit Gipp- I mean Baralai and the others!" Rikku
stuttered. Before anyone could say anything more, Rikku sprinted in
the direction of Paine's hut.
"Aha!
I knew it! Something did happen between those two," Yuna laughed
in fondness. As she watched her cousin's retreating form, she felt a
gentle tug at her hand and looked over at Tidus.
"You've
met a lot of people while I was gone. Even Rikku seems like she's
finally interested in someone," he told Yuna with amusement.
Yuna nodded and smiled. As the two walked toward their hut, he spoke
again. "Paine, Nooj, Baralai, Gippal, Shinra, Lenne." Tidus
trailed off and smiled. "I sure missed a lot, huh?" he
chuckled and turned to look at her.
Yuna
didn't see his gaze. Yes, Lenne. Thoughts of the former summoner
brought the unavoidable name of him with it. Shuyin. A name that Yuna
found herself avoiding. She hadn't spoken about Shuyin to him yet.
Nobody else in the village had mentioned Shuyin to him either. It was
strange. The man who tried to destroy Spira had never been spoken of
yet. Yuna frowned at another memory.
When
she had awoken during her visit to the Farplane, her heart had
skipped a beat as Shuyin emerged from the fog. His voice was so soft
then, speaking to her with a sense of longing. But Yuna knew it
wasn't him. No, it could never have been him. When Shuyin hugged her
afterward, all her fears and sadness seemed to have vanished during
that moment. But regardless of how real the feeling seemed, Yuna knew
it was Lenne's conscious that was inside her. Lenne's feelings and
the dressphere had made Yuna feel that way toward
Shuyin.
"Yuna,
is something wrong?" she heard Tidus voice suddenly speak
up.
She turned
to him, suddenly feeling guilty that she was thinking of another man
when she was with him. "No, don't worry about it," Yuna
said. She smiled to reassure him.
"Are
you sure? You know you can tell me anything," he whispered
softly. They sat together on the bed. "I'm here now. What's
wrong? You acted the same way at the shore this morning," he
told her while pulling them together into an embrace.
Yuna
remained still. 'I should tell him about Shuyin. I don't have
feelings for him, so there was nothing to fear.'
She
pulled away slowly. "You're right," Yuna began. He looked
at her. "There is more to the story than what I told you last
night," she finished. Yuna studied his facial
expression.
"Alright,
what else happened on your journey?" Tidus asked. His face was
completely neutral and was filled with curiosity.
She
took a deep breath, anticipating what his reaction would be.
End of Chapter 1
A/N: A bit shorter than what I intended,
but the next chapter will be longer. Until then.