Tragedy Of An Angel

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He asked softly, letting his voice bring her back to reality.

She nodded, intricately woven braids bouncing here and there delicately. Tides splashed towards the land, floating itself around Rikku's bare feet finding comfort in the wet sand. Her lithe legs were close to her petite body, hands lazily holding onto her knees. She appeared so fragile.

Tidus, without speaking another word found a seat next to her. He stretched out his legs into the cold water. After a while the cold warmed up to him and he, like Rikku, found comfort.

He admitted it to himself, he was afraid to speak to her. Afraid that maybe even words could break her because she was so fragile at this moment and he didn't know why. And what really frightened him was he wanted to know, he yearned to know her pain.

Tidus took in the mid-summer sun glowing oranges and reds. The afternoon had tired it down, dawn would soon rise. The heat touched their faces, warmth that felt so familiar but when around each other, it grew intoxicating.

The silence was so clichéd. So clichéd it grew deafening.

Tidus pulled his eyes away from the setting sun and without much force, onto her. He opened his mouth only to close once more, licking his chapped rosy lips.

"What's wrong?" He almost but whispered, the words leaving his mouth without his notice. They just flew out and he hadn't even known what to say. It was like the hymn of the fayth, the one he could hum and would never perceive he was only when Yuna would point it out, then he'd laugh to himself.

"Nothing … Just thinking" She answered covering up her obvious despair with that good-hearted smile. "You know I'm happy for you and Yunie" She placed a bigger smile on her angelic face.

He nodded trying to find the right words. "Tomorrow's the wedding day"

"Yeah, it's gonna be a white wedding, everything Yuna wants" She said. Tidus noticed that hint of desolation traced her usually cheery voice.

And in him, he knew what was wrong. In him, he truly didn't want to. Because maybe deep inside, Tidus did have feelings for her and maybe she did too. And if so, she might want to be with him and he might want to be with her too.

She had been so ….distant… since the announcement.

----

" Ya, Quiet down everyone. Listen up, 'kay?" Wakka seemed extra cheery today; there was this light about him. Maybe Rikku was rubbing off on Daddy Wakka. Lulu shared the same smile, carrying their bouncing baby boy –Vidina.

The campfire was lit brilliantly, embers burning away –lighting up Besaid's night.

This day was on behalf of Tidus's return and also for the Gullwings.

Everyone close to them was there, standing about the campfire set on the Besaid Beach –Cid, Brother, Wakka, Lulu, baby Vidina, Paine, Rikku and even Kimahri and the people of Besaid Island.

Wakka gestured his hand, telling Yuna and Tidus to move to where he was – in front of the crowd.

After talk and noise settled down, the hush found itself in the small bunch.

Yuna was as giddy as can be.

"Everyone we have great news" She spoke loud and clear with her beautiful smile.

The crowd stared in anticipation. Her smile was contagious. Rikku stared at the two, now with intertwined fingers and something in her died even though she wanted to be happy for her cousin. Truly she did.

"We're getting married!" Yuna practically yelled. The hush had been covered with praises, yells, talks of glee, and clapping. Rikku joined in -clapping, still that fragility and misery trapped in the hues of her eyes. A shimmer forever spellbound in those emerald gems. Though envious and hurt, she clapped with a smile of a porcelain doll.

Tidus wrapped his strong arms around Yuna's small frame and kissed her lips several times, observing his fiancé happily and then the crowd. Out of all the faces he'd grown to know and care for, his iridescent blue eyes dropped onto Rikku holding a brief conversation with a lady and child beside her.

"Oh, I'm so happy for Lady Yuna and Sir Tidus." The middle-aged woman grinned, holding onto her small boy which smiled brightly.

Rikku nodded with false smiles, but she was happy for her cousin.

Rikku faced the two in embrace and met Tidus's clear stare. She nodded towards him, maybe even ashamed. Absently, he nodded back. Rikku could tell he knew something was wrong.

Tidus faced Yuna, trying not to make things obvious and when he shifted his head to glance at the beautiful girl again, she had disappeared

----

Tidus and Rikku had silent affairs, those trivial moments which meant the world to each of them -because their love could never be and they both knew it. So they'd breathe in long every time eyes were locked together, green and blue mixing together gloriously. Every word said would be a memory forever kept and every time skin would touch even in the slightest way would be the lingering reminders that love between them was imaginary.

Yuna wasn't the only one crying in the bathroom -head hung down like a corpse and eyes so red it reminded her of blood- when Tidus had ….left. She wasn't the only one to mourn –the only whose tears had dried up.

Tears now dwelled in her eyes. She wouldn't do this; she wouldn't let him see her cry, it would be a mistake on a list of too many.

But her first mistake with Tidus was falling in love with him.

He observed her, delicate and now crying. She turned her face away from Tidus, focusing on the sunset.

He touched her cheek, a touch so tender –afraid. She moved away, tearing away from his haunting touch. And if she would have looked at him there and then, she would have seen how much she had hurt him.

Despite, he moved her face –one beyond beauty in his eyes -towards his face. And with a frayed heart, he ignored the tear falling down her cheek gracefully. She tried her best to push the tears away, to fight them off.

He kissed her cheek, the teardrop falling on his rosy lips. She closed her eyes slowly; his touch was like drug –so addicting and so deathly.

He kissed the corner of her lips and he could feel her shiver. He paused for a second, savoring every moment they'd never have.

He opened his eyes. Hers were open as well and with hues transfusing he moved to kiss her rosy lips

"You don't mean it" She whispered, not even moving away but staying in the same place and Tidus stopped. She knew he'd stop.

He didn't say a word and as if time had halted they continued their staring contest. Tidus closed his eyes and kissed her on the forehead, taking a final breath of her into him.

He rose from beside her and with one last final look, walked back into the village.

----

Of course, Yuna was always beautiful. And now in her wedding dress, she appeared ethereal. How couldn't Tidus fall in love with her?

"You like?" Yuna twirled in her wedding dress. It was a simple gown with frills and such to adorn. She didn't need anything special, her natural beauty was enough to Tidus.

"You look gorgeous" Lulu complemented. "It's a family heirloom; I wore it, my mother, grandmother and even farther back and now you"

Yuna smiled like a child.

"You do look amazing" Rikku complemented.

"Oh, I'm so happy" She breathed, staring at her figure in the standing mirror beside the night stand in Wakka's and Lulu's hut. Wakka tended to Vidina, trying to teach him blitzball.

"You think he'll like it?" She asked.

"He'll like anything that you're in. Especially this" Paine said, her sweet words not matching her natural monotone voice.

----

"Wassup brudda? Looking like a million gil" Wakka complemented taking his eyes off of Vidina which bounced a blitzball around and now at Tidus.

He fixed his old-fashion suit. The tie lay on the bed which he refused to wear. He said 'Yuna doesn't like ties anyway' and it was true. He did look rather handsome. Wakka rose and took a white handkerchief from the bed, then neatly and intricately placed it in his pocket.

"Fine no tie, then you have to wear this, ya?"

"Fine" They were in the hut beside the girls'. The owner let them borrow their home.

Kimahri grunted in delight. "If Yuna happy, I happy" He said and Tidus smiled, agreeing.

"Better take care of my niece" Cid huskily added. Brother nodded.

The rest were dressed to impress, in tuxes as well ...save Kimahri.

---

"Oh my, Rikku you look like an angel" Yuna smiled in delight, scrutinizing her cousin in her simple, elegant and black bridesmaid gown. It went in a v-neck at the top and closed in at the girls' waist then came down sophisticatedly in a slanted way.

"Ah! Paine…is that you in that beautiful woman?" Yuna joked as Paine reluctantlyentered the room with a stupid, rather embarrassed smile on her face.

Lulu then entered, looking amazing and Yuna couldn't help but smile even brighter. Tears even began forming.

"I can't believe I'm getting married. It's everything I've ever wanted"

Rikku smiled. Feeling this way about Tidus made her feel even guiltier, her cousin loved him. And spiting Yuna for whatever reason just made Rikku feel horrible.

What could she do? She even thought on hating Yuna, she had everything. It was like Yevon gave her everything she wanted on a silver platter and what does Rikku get -the platter?

Not even, Rikku thought bitterly.

She tried so hard to be happy for Yuna. The summoner was head over heels in love with him, what could Rikku do? How do you fall out of love with someone? How does Rikku?

----

The wedding had started –villagers were dressed beautifully. Everything was as it should be –held at the beach. Chairs in rows, drapes hung in and out of palm trees, it was glorious –a simple white wedding, all Yuna could ever want.

Everyone left to where the wedding would be held, Yuna practically jumping out of her skin. Tidus stayed in the hut, asking to be left alone. He wanted to think –about what exactly? He didn't know but he did know who'd come to ask.

"Rikku! Yuna is getting married, brudda" Wakka hit her on the arm gently with his elbow, holding Vidina's hands as the baby sat on his shoulders.

Rikku smiled in delight, one by one people passed her ready to go to Yuna's wedding. Where was Tidus? she asked herself but she knew, so what's the need of asking.

----

"Knock, knock" She said softly walking into the room, hands behind her.

"Hi" He said rather innocently, sitting on the bed –elbows resting on knees.

"You're going to be late to your wedding" She said in difficulty, but she had to get over this for the sake of Yuna at least. And today she'd wear a smile like a porcelain doll, like she'd always do. Because today was Yuna's day not hers –she'd never have a day with Tidus, She couldn't.

"Yesterday…" Tidus began. He couldn't forget about the beach, the sunset….Rikku.

"Don't" Rikku said, warned.

"Don't you wonder?" Tidus rose, walking towards her.

"Wonder what?" She didn't move, as if she was immobilized.

"What it would be if there was ….a…. me and you"

"There's not" She bluntly responded, taking her eyes off of him. His stare burned into her and she could still feel it, like embers caressing her face. He moved his hand onto her waist, finding her fingers.

"Don't please" She said, but something in her wanted to say the opposite.

He took her hand and pulled it away from her and into his fingers, intertwining. And then he found her other hand and intertwined fingers as well. He stared at her, eyes closed. Swallowing, he brought himself closer to her face -beside her ear.

"You're beautiful you know that"

Rikku didn't speak. He could feel one of her braids touching his cheek.

He moved towards her lips, lingering at the spot –breathing in her taste like saccharine champagne.

"You don't mean it" She repeated like last time and like before, she didn't budge.

"Stop saying that, you don't mean it" He smiled jovially and she could help but smile as well. And Tidus moved in and kissed her lips, which as he has dreamt of before, was like a drug.

Rikku pulled away first, tears beginning to form. This was everything they'd never have.

----

"I do" Yuna said, grinning like no other.

"And do you, Tidus take Yuna's hand in marriage" The preacher, a native to the island spoke. He didn't speak and Yuna was beginning to grow anxious.

Tidus, at a loss of words, stared at the crowd and focused on Rikku. And just Rikku. "I do"