"Lu! Don' be mad!"
"Wakka, you asinine fool, leave me alone!"
"But wait-!"
Lulu stormed away angrily, leaving Wakka to sit down heavily among the Zanarkand Ruins.
"Damn, Lu…" he muttered to himself miserably. "Why you gotta hurt me like dis…?"
"You okay, man?"
Wakka looked up from his hands and found Tidus looking down at him. "Yeah, brudda, I'm good… Lu's a li'l grumpy, but."
"She's worried about Yuna," said Rikku, sitting down beside him. "Don't worry- she'll be alright- I know she will!"
"I dunno… she's real upset," said Wakka, shaking his head. "An' she ain't as strong as she likes to appear."
"Harsh, man," said Tidus.
"I know… She's tryin' real hard but… after everything she's been through… I don't know how she'll take it this time."
"Oh yeah," said Rikku. "This is her third pilgrimage, right?"
"Ya, dats right…"
"Father Zuke…"
"An' Lady Ginnem- she died."
"That's gotta leave some scars," said Tidus.
"It did," said Wakka sadly.
"Yipes," Rikku whispered. "If someone like Lulu can't handle it… how can we hope to?"
"Don' think like dat, ya," said Wakka, "I'll try talkin' ta her…"
"You sure you wanna do that, man?"
"It could be dangerous," Rikku agreed. "She's pretty mad."
"I don't wanna see her hurtin'," said Wakka simply. "If she's okay… I'll take what's coming at me."
"Nice knowing ya, Wakka," said Tidus. "I think I'll leave you to it."
Rikku shook her head as Tidus left. "You love her, huh, Wakka?"
Wakka looked away. "Nah! No way! We're jus' friends- always have been, ya! Ever since we was li'l kids."
"Well… that was a long time ago," said Rikku. "You're both all biggish now… and you're in love."
Wakka bowed his head for a moment before looking Rikku in the eye earnestly, "I can't be," he said. "I jus' can't."
"Yea," said Rikku. "You can- you are- and… you gotta tell her."
"She's upset enough, Ree," said Wakka eventually. "I don't wanna distress her any more."
"But Waaaaaakka! She loves you too, I know it!"
"Naw, Ree… just leave it- I'm gonna go see if she's okay."
"You're gonna regret it, Wakka!" she called after him as he began to walk away. "Until the day you die- I swear you'll regret it!"
"Course I will," Wakka agreed. "But if I can save her just a li'l bit o' drama right now… I've gotta make a sacrifice, ya. She don' love me… not like I do, her… I don' wanna make her uncomfortable 'round me. 'S times like these… she's all I got left, Ree."
"Then take her, Wakka," Rikku whispered desperately as he made, once again, to leave. "Hold her fast and never let go."
-
"Lu?"
A tear-streaked face shot up, covered by bony white hands. "Oh… it's just you, Wakka."
"Yeah… look, Lu, I'm sorry."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Wakka," said Lulu, shaking her head shamefully and offering him a small apologetic smile. "Not this time, at least."
"Be nice, Lu!"
"I'm sorry too… It's just that all this is new to me. I've never come this far before and, to be honest, I'd rather hoped Yuna would give up before it came to this."
"Yuna'd never give up," said Wakka, shaking his head. "No matter what. She's almost as stubborn as you."
"And as foolish as you," Lulu retaliated.
"I prefer to look at it as 'passionate'," said Wakka, grinning.
"No matter which way you look at it," said Lulu pulling the conversation back to darker levels. "Here we are… willing to sacrifice our best friend… and for what? A few years of Calm!"
"It's not fair," Wakka agreed.
"Wakka… I don't want her to die," Lulu's hard eyes were set on his, her face slightly pink as she fought the tears away.
Wakka looped his arms around her and pulled her against him gently.
"Don't," she murmured against his chest. "I'm alright. Just give me a moment."
Wakka released her obediently, though reluctantly.
"I must seem so weak to you, Wakka… I do try not to be…"
"You're only human, Lu. No one blames you," said Wakka.
Lulu gave him a wry smile. "Ido."
"Well no one else," said Wakka. "We're all just as upset as you are- and you know that Yuna wouldn't want you mourning her before she's gone."
They were silent for a few moments and then Lulu began to laugh softly, "I never thought I'd see the day where I allowed myself to be comforted by you."
"There's a first time for everything I guess,' said Wakka, shrugging awkwardly.
"I suppose there is… Maybe… maybe Yuna's Final Summoning will be a first too- the first day of an Eternal Calm… Maybe we've finally atoned."
"I hope so, ya."
"I'm glad you're here, Wakka," said Lulu, turning her head away. "You may not have realised… but you're really quite special to me. Being near you makes me stronger."
Despite her earlier protests, Wakka wrapped his arms tight around her and kissed her neck softly. "That's so sweet, Lu."
"Hey, I said don't…"
"Why?"
"Because we're just friends," Lulu whispered, sounding a little shaken.
"I know that, you know that," said Wakka, "I'm just holding you is all."
"Well, yes… but…"
"But nothing," said Wakka determinedly.
For a moment it seemed as though Lulu were about to protest, but she let it go, feeling her eyes flutter shut against her will.
"Lu…?"
"Yes?"
"I don' wanna be just friends," said Wakka, earnestly, holding her at arms length now. "I wanna hold you and kiss you and spend the rest of my life with you."
"Oh…"
"No other comment, Lu?"
"What do you want me to say, Wakka? –That I'm madly and desperately in love with you? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not that type of person."
"I know."
"Still… I do love you," said Lulu, smiling just a little, "and, for the greater good, I'm sure I could learn to live with you and your romantic ideals some day- just not quite yet."
Wakka pulled her close against him and kissed her forehead softly, "Okay," he murmured gently. "That's okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah…" said Wakka. "Because I'll never let go…"