AN: Hey hey all! It's Summoner Angel here! It's been a while since my last post, but I'm baaaaaack! cackles Anyway, this is another Final Fantasy 10 fic, and regardless of the fact that Tidus and Yuna are paired up in the game, it always bothered me. They just seem too hot and cold; night and day. Rikku and Tidus, the blonde hyperactive kids, always seemed like a better pair to me. Perhaps Yuna and Tidus being together was a huge misunderstanding or completely circumstantial. Plus, I feel like there's not enough Tikku fanfiction out there! ENJOY!!!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy 10 or any of these characters. I merely love them like they are real….sad, I know….

Soft Sunlight

Chapter 1: Gentle Waves

Two years since Sin was defeated, two years since all of Summoner Yuna's guardians disbanded and went off on their own paths, two years since the aeons were all finally sent and their dream ended. Two years was a long time for change to spread across Spira and spread it had. Nearly everything about the way the world of Spira was organized had changed, or so it seemed to Tidus. Poor Tidus, stuck in the Farplane for two years with no idea what was going on in the living world, was struggling to catch up with things. Most people say "Change is good! Change is healthy!", but Tidus certainly begged to differ. The Spira he had known was gone and however hard that was to accept, he would get used to it. Spira wasn't the only thing that had changed so drastically that it took Tidus' breath away. But it was what hadn't changed that really stopped him in his tracks in the last few days.

A certain blonde Al Bhed hadn't changed a single bit from his memories of her. Her spunky attitude, shimmering hair, bright eyes, high-pitched (occasionally annoying) voice, her cute laugh. Nothing about Rikku had changed and it scared Tidus more than anything. Sure, Yuna was more adventurous and outgoing, but he had fallen for the Yuna that needed him, who leaned on him when things got rough. The fact that Yuna had changed and Rikku had not presented a very troubling problem for Tidus. He sighed audibly where he sat watching the waves hit the sand of Besaid. The way the waves slapped lazily against the shore summoned his memories back to the first time he and Rikku had addressed their mutual attraction. Ill-fated, mischievous mutual attraction.

FLASHBACK

"Eeeeek! Tidus! Cut it out!" Rikku screeched this from high over Tidus' head as he waded into the water of the Moonflow. Yuna's party had just met up with Rikku and were waiting for the shoopuff to arrive. She struggled half-heartedly and laughed, he was grinning from ear to ear, and the rest of the party sat on the shore, watching. Yuna and Lulu were smiling; the guys were impatient and frowning. "I'm gonna drop you!" Tidus cried, wobbling like he was going to fall forward and drop the young Al Bhed girl. "Quit it! You're gonna get me all wet!" Rikku squirmed in his grasp, laughing still. Tidus chuckled and dropped the small blonde into his arms. She instinctively looped her arms around his neck. At this point, Tidus was waist deep in the water and they were pretty far out in the water. They both laughed for a few more seconds, but were suddenly interrupted by the proximity of their bodies.

Tidus' intense azure eyes caught Rikku's swirly green ones and the smiles on their faces faded. Tidus hadn't noticed when she had rescued him from that temple or even when she had practically stripped for him earlier that day, but Rikku was really pretty. Her tan skin was flawless and her golden blonde hair caught the sun's last red rays and shimmering magically. The pyreflies suddenly burst out of the moon lilies around them, adding to the unreality of that moment. "You're…beautiful…" Tidus breathed, leaning his face a little closer to hers. Rikku slid her hands from behind Tidus' head to his cheeks, caressing his face gently. Tidus slowly let her down from his arms and she stepped close to him. Their eyes were searching each other's face, looking for some sort of permission. Their lips were centimeters away when they heard Yuna whistle from the bank of the river.

Both blondes jerked away from the other, startled and embarrassed, and, for some reason, panting heavily. "C-coming!" Tidus broke out of their shocked silence first, calling back to the barely visible Yuna. He glanced sideways at Rikku who was shakily fixing her hair. He nodded and began wading back to the shore. Rikku squeaked and rushed to catch up. "Do ya think they saw anything?" She whispered, trudging along next to the blonde blitzer, keeping up the best she could. Tidus shrugged. "I dunno, but I sure hope they didn't." Even though he was staring ahead, Tidus could see the hurt look on Rikku's face. He stopped walking, catching her arm and turning her to face him. "Rikku, I think we'll need to talk about this in private, ya know?" Blushing, embarrassed by the implication of what he had just said, Rikku gulped and nodded. Then Tidus smiled, nodded, and let go of her arm, sliding his wet fingers across her skin tantalizingly.

END FLASHBACK

The sound of the already obnoxious cry of "YRP!" startled the blonde blitzer out of his thoughts. He was sitting on the beach of Besaid Island, just outside the massive Celsius were it sat parked in the shallows. Flicking his blue eyes up at the airship, Tidus counted down until the three ladies of YRP came thundering down the ramp and barreling towards him. His heart was racing from that memory of him and Rikku in the Moonflow. After that close encounter, their companions had no idea about the tension betwixt the two most gregarious members of the summoner's party. Their playful flirtation was written off as children playing with each other. They were the youngest members of the party.

Tidus stood up and dusted the sand off his shorts, eyes trained on the ramp jutting out of the Celsius. A breeze picked up around him and he shielded his eyes against the sun glaring off the water. After a moment of staring at the airship, Tidus decided the girls weren't going to come running out of it and began to turn away. Then the last voice he thought he'd hear calling his name (again) echoed across the water to him. "Tidus! Wait up!" Rikku's figure leapt out of the airship, splashing into the water and running towards him. Her laughter cut into him like a knife and he felt a wave of mixed regret and excitement. The fact that Yuna and Paine were following close behind the blonde Al Bhed made little difference in Tidus' mind. He was excited to see her running towards him, laughing as she splashed water all over herself.

When Rikku reached the sand, she bent down, grabbing her knees and panting. "Whoo! That was a work-out!" She cried this, looking up at him and winking. Tidus laughed and shook his head, crossing his arms. He mock chided her in his best Auron-voice. "You shouldn't run around everywhere like that. You need to save your energy for when you really need it. To survive." Rikku burst out laughing, pointing at Tidus and turning to the others who had just gotten to the shore as well. "What Rikku? What's so funny?" Paine asked, a smile playing on her lips. Yuna was smiling too, but moved quickly to steal a kiss from Tidus. Shocked, he almost forgot to wrap his arms around her and kiss her back. When they parted, the mood of the moment had shifted dramatically. Yuna, a light blush on her cheeks, stepped back and wiggled her fingers at him. "Hi there." She said in greeting, her two-tone eyes filled with a lustful glow. Tidus smiled and scratched the back of his head nervously. "H-hey!" He choked out, sounding more nervous than he wanted to. Yuna giggled at his anxiety.

Meanwhile, Paine was interrogating the suddenly flustered Rikku with what she thought was a playful intensity. "Come on Rikku! You're losing respect points here!" Paine crossed her arms and looked at Rikku, studying the way she suddenly seemed eager to be away from the loving couple. "Ha ha! Whatever Paine!" Rikku said in her bright voice, but there was something in her eyes like pain. Right before the blonde turned away, Paine could've sworn she saw a frown on the tan face of her bubbly friend. Confused for a moment, Paine hesitated in pursuing Rikku on the subject. That gave Rikku all the time she needed to step a few feet away and then turn back to her friends, smiling mischievously like her usual self. 'Come on guys! Let's hurry to the village to see little Vidina!" "Okay, Rikku! Lead the way! We're right behind you!" Yuna said this with a laugh, grabbing Tidus' hand and lacing her fingers through his. Rikku eyed their joined hands for a second before whirling back around and running towards the jungle, scarf and hair trailing behind her.

Rikku hurried away half out of her excitement to see Wakka, Lulu, and their son again and half out of need to be away from Yuna and Tidus and their mushy-mushy love. She had a really hard time watching them get all lovey-dovey because of her past with Tidus. As she stepped into the cool shade of the jungle, Rikku dropped her happy act and fast pace, glancing behind her to make sure her companions were far enough behind her. Nodding when she didn't see them barreling after her, the young Al Bhed side stepped the regular foot path and made her way towards the optional waterway shortcut to the village. She stopped at the edge of the small cliff overlooking the water, gazing down into the clear depths for just a second before diving into the cool water, barely making a splash.

Cutting gracefully through the water, Rikku closed her eyes and recalled the strange almost-relationship she and Tidus had shared during Yunie's pilgrimage two years ago. If things had been different, Rikku mused as she sank deeper into the water, if they had met under different circumstances, perhaps they'd be together. Rikku felt a welling up of emotion within her and opened her eyes to gaze up at the sun. Its light was filtered through the water, dancing and shimmering like the blue eyes she had nearly fallen in love with two years ago. The warmth of the sunlight couldn't reach her deep beneath the water, just like her feelings could never reach Tidus. Rikku couldn't tell if the tears in her eyes had fallen, seeing as she was underwater and all. Regardless, Rikku began to slowly swim through the canal, dodging enemies flawlessly. She wasn't in the mood to fight. She was in the mood to banish all her thoughts of Tidus and what once was; what could have been.

AN: Soooooooooooo???? Thoughts, suggestions, critiques??? I know this chappy is sorta short, but I want to wait and see how everyone reacts. Please R&R!!! Oh and if you're a fan of Ripple/Tuna fics, gomen nasai! I wanted to try this out sooooo..NO FLAMES!!!! Love ya!

sa