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Description
Tidus and Rikku

Late in the middle of the bitter cold night all the inhabitants of the Gullwing slept soundly, only a few people stayed awake at this late time to keep watch over the ships controls. Only one pair of eyes that shouldn’t stayed open, emerald orbs sat painfully open gazing into nothingness leaving the whites of the eyes were no longer white, but a pale pink created from long hours of consistent tears. As every night salty tears assailed the eyes the pattern became a consistent ritual for the blonde as she thought of long lost love and a heart forever broken by the events that seemed to forever plagued her mind.

For the past two years she fought the painful memories of the happiest time of her life, when shed felt the cold and hard pain of true love and the secret of her affection, hidden with the constant promise that one day she would tell her love her true emotions. That constant drive kept her going, kept her fighting Sin for as long as she could stand, that drive made her save the life of the woman she now stood beside, due to a promise to her love, that promise made her stand by her one true loves, lover.

She despised herself for it, she knew she shouldn’t but she hated her cousin for stealing the man she loved while he was still here with her, but she stayed to her promise she gave him all those years ago.

She hated that woman, and so she hated herself for aiding her.

Flashback

Underneath the white translucent glow of the old trees in the Maclania woods sat two blondes side by side laughing joyously as the talked freely away from the other members of their group. The laughter of the moment died and both looked away in an odd silence that wasn’t awkward but both felt as though they needed to break it somehow.

A small cough broke past the soft pink lips of the male companion as he made a move to restart the conversation, towards a subject he had been planning on talking about since he called the Al Bhed over for a talk. With the niceties no longer needed he tried to choose the right words for his subject as the blonde girl just politely waited for him to begin, gazing unthreateningly at his facial features.

The male began to scratch the back of his neck as he began to talk, “ah, Rikku. After everything’s done and gone with, and Sins been defeated, do you think we’ll be able to settle down, live normal lives? You know, find a nice little town to get married and have a family?” it took the blonde only a small while before he glanced back up at his blonde companion beside him.

She was lightly blushing, barely even able to surpass the ball of excitement welling within her. She tried forcing herself to think that maybe he wasn’t talking about her; she knew the possibility was great but she couldn’t help but indulge in the feeling engrossing her. After all she knew the fate of a summoner, so after Sin she might be the only one left for him to choose, she knew it was a gloomy truth, but a truth nonetheless. She shifted her eyes away from his more so for affect than anything else. Slowly she nodded to the ground, “I like to think so… were working so hard to create peace on Spira, I think it only fair we get to enjoy ourselves when were free of Sin,”

He smiled a sweet boyish smirk that in their group of a summoner and her guardians, only he could manage. “I like to think so too…” she was engrossed in her bright blue oceanic eyes that gazed within her as she felt herself falling so hard for this man, “I mean, I’d like to return to my Zanerken someday, but I don’t think I can, and I don’t think I could bare to leave this world, when I’ve fallen in love,” her heart began to flutter as he spoke, he had to be talking about her, if he was talking about her he wouldn’t be telling Rikku but someone who gave a damn. His eyes were so intense she felt every sense of lust and love shed always felt for him return tenfold as she gazed at him so intently. “I couldn’t leave here now I’m in love, it’d kill me but that’s what I’m feeling, love I just know it,” his eyes didn’t leave hers once as she leaned in closer to him with his words, so engrossed she lost herself. He smiled as he spoke the words that made her heart swell, “because that’s just it, I’m in love… I love you… na” her heart began to swell like a balloon until he felt as painful as a spiked blitz ball inside her.

It took her a few moments to realize why it hurt so much, ‘he said he loved me ‘I love you’ I heard it myself’ but she felt her heart shatter but her face remained the same, she knew she heard the name right, it wasn’t her, it was Yuna, it was always Yuna, and it always would be. All that escaped her lips was a vague sound between a sob and a laugh, but she was still smiling like a love struck fool, only her eyes still pained and slowly burning from the pain of her unshed tears.

The blonde male gave a small laugh, feeling elated due to his final confession of love as he closed his eyes to relish the moment of peace he’d been devoid of for since he first laid his eyes on the brown haired summoner. “What should I do?” he basically begged the girl before her with such enthusiasm that she could lie, and sabotage his attempts though her broken heart screamed for her to. What kind of love would let her break the heart of the man she loved?

She swallowed her pride and the shattered pieced of her heart that burnt at her throat as she held back her tears to the extent it pained her to breathe. But she did so and uttered to words, which changed his life. As she looked back she knew she should have listened to her heart and told him she loved him, and to forget the summoner, but she didn’t, and like a fool said with fake joy which hurt her even more, “tell her how you feel, she’d be crazy to deny you,” he smiled even brighter after he received the answer he desired he bent forward and went to kiss Rikku on the nose as a small gesture of thanks. She looked up at the boy she loved so dear. His lips touching hers just briefly from the missed kiss that was directed to the tip on her nose. Rikku’s eyes widened as a single tear slipped from her burning eyes before he trotted off to Yuna without a single glance back.

And Yuna would’ve been crazy to deny him, they had their relationship right up until the fight against Yu-Yevon himself, and were her love died, and became just another dream but for her another waking nightmare, haunted by the memories of the love she lost.

The light of the early moments of the morning, only an hour or two away from dawn broke through the glass window. The only signs of the hour was the lightening of the shadows around her frame on her designated bed, and the sudden noticeable lights dancing off the tears that remained fresh on her pale skin. To banish the black clouds under her puffy sore eyes Rikku laid her now throbbing head on her small hard pillow as she tried to dismiss the headache from her tears and the pain of her sorrows from her body. As the minutes rolled past she gave up on her determination to sleep before they reached Besaid in the morning. As she ignored common sense and stopped fighting to drift of, she fell fast asleep into her dreams of her love, were she hoped he was safe in Zanerken, thinking of her occasionally.

A/N if your happy with this read no further. But if you want a happy ending, read on.

“Wakie Wakie sleepy head!” the brown haired girl said bouncing up and down beside Rikku’s bed. It was times like these Rikku hated her cousin, she didn’t loose any sleep over him anymore, and Rikku couldn’t sleep at all without wearing herself out with tears till the point of exhaustion. She slowly nodded and began to shift around her mattress until she could hear Yuna jump off of the small balcony were everyone’s beds lined up. She couldn’t hear anyone around so she lifted up a small decorative mirror and pulled out her makeup kit, she didn’t like wearing makeup but people asked questions if she walked around with dark rings around her eyes everyday. Yuna asked questions, and when Yuna asks she just found it easier to hide the shadows than to lie. She didn’t hate her cousin, only envied her.

She looked out the window to the ocean beneath the large airship as it whizzed by underneath them. She could see someone in blurred by the glare of the sun on the water as they surfaced the tip of the water. She smiled hollowly as she saw the bright blonde hair spiked and dancing on top of his head and his usual outfit she’d seen so many times she closed her eyes and shook her head. She always saw him, but it was to embarrassing when she embraced strangers nowadays. She sighed before looking out there once again. The ship had rapidly began to slow, she could see the cargo ramp lower as they got slower to the swimmer.

Her heart thumped louder than it ever had so much so that it ached to the point it bought tears to her eyes. In the water was still the blonde haired boy she always saw in her dreams making his way to the shore.

She screamed, so loud it hurt her own ears to hear it. She ignored the stairs and ran to the place Yuna had left from and leapt from the balcony to the lower floor not bothering to even give her feet time to adjust before she was flying down the corridor towards the elevator. It took her a few seconds to reach the cargo floor where the ramp was. She hadn’t felt so good since she had spent those few hours underneath the tree in the Maclania woods.

She rushed forward with nothing in mind but embracing her love, her only true love that she had though of every moment for the past two years since his death, and even before that when she first realised her affections for the blonde. But today she was going to do it, she would embrace him and tell him how she felt, she would let the years of pain be made right. She ran towards him, she could see his face as he turned to look her direction. She ran even faster the constant scram of her thoughts constantly repeating only one word ‘finally’. Paine’s strong swordswoman arm reached out and stopped her approach with such force her feet were almost knocked from underneath her. She lost her breath for a moment and forgot to get it back when she saw Yuna’s arms wrapped around him as they kissed each other on the shore.

If there was a worse pain than what Rikku felt now, she couldn’t bare to face it. She began to shake as her heart left a burning gape in her chest, worse than any she had felt throughout the years of hidden love and lost love.

Now she felt as though there was nothing left of her, no hope, no sence of peace, no nothing, he had made his choice, Yuna hers and Rikku was left to pick up the broke pieces of her being that neither would ever notice.

A horse whisper breathed into her ear as she noticed she had collapsed on to Paine in a fit of sobs, “now is not the time for heartache, be there for them now that they need you, tomorrow we shall leave them be, and when he is settled return to tell him of your affections, but if you love him do not burden this precious moment for him if you can avoid it,” Rikku’s tears subsided into nothing but the slowly drying salty stains on her cheeks.

She nodded but felt no good about it, she knew she should be happy he was alive and that he was for at least with life their was a chance, but it still pained her to see Yuna with her claws around him once again. But she fought them back and decided to do as Paine suggested and be a good friend. She put on the biggest smile she could muster, thinking not of Yuna but of only his return and waved happily at him, not darling to look at the girl in his arms. His smile wrapped around her as their eyes met for the moment and she knew she cold face this one day before she left to let her heart heal. But tonight she would be strong for him.

Her brother walked up beside her, drying his eyes as he walked and watched the pair walk towards the sand together. Rikku knew that her brother had affections for Yuna, but she did not fear for him mental wellbeing, for she knew it was more of lust than a genuine love that would shatter him as it had her.

As everyone reached Besaid Island everyone made for the village for a joyous feast in honour of their friends returned to them from the dead, and the once again saviour of the world Yuna, the famous summoners and her sidekicks. Rikku smiled all night, when she was forced into the light, but otherwise she kept to the back of the firelight keeping her face hidden and pretending to keep herself occupied by menial chores such as getting firewood or finding a ribbon that fell from her hair when she went out to collect firewood, which was in fact hidden in her back pocket. Most the time she didn’t need an excuse for no one noticed her, accept Paine, who was also the only one who asked were she was going or noticed her absence.

The sun was beginning to rise once again from the day and night festivities and families and friends began to retire to their homes for a few hours rest before the following mornings duties arose with the sun. She decided to return to the camp, help clean up than go sleep back in the Gull Wing. She helped Wakka back the last of the nights feed into the cooking tent once again and wipe up the tables.

“So, Rikku, when yah goin’ yah?” Wakka asked politely, out of affection not rudeness.

Rikku smiled at the man sheepishly, “In the morning the Gull Wing will be leaving, sorry we cant stay long, you know places to see, treasure to find!” she tried to forget her worries for the small time she spent helping Wakka, she felt she needn’t burden him with her petty troubles.

He nodded thoughtfully, “yah, I didn’t wanna stick around when Chappu and Lulu used to go out together id scram to. So I understand why you’d wanna run off with Yuna and Tidus around,” he said as though he was a wise elder with the knowledge of the world.

Rikku nodded mournfully, “WAIT! I never told you about Tidus!” she snapped back at the man, feeling disappointed in herself for admitting it before realising her mistake. The older man laughed as she pouted like a child.

“Yah can’t hide it from me, I’ve known since… Probably well before you’d admit it even to yah self,” he mocked ruffling up her long braids playfully.

They ended their pleasantries and said their goodbyes with well wishes and congratulations. Before Rikku walked herself back to the Gull Wing as the early morning rays began to seep over the horizon. Without a single glance back to the town she kept to herself and followed the familiar path back to the beach were she would find her airship.

Dragging her feet up the stairs to the open cabins was everyone’s beds were she walked to the middle one which she had called hers for the last three years. Kicking off her shoes she collapsed in the folds of her bed and fell straight to sleep exhausted from the tears and heartache and the mask of happiness she worn for so long. Now it was going to be just her and Paine, no more annoying cheery wakeup calls and no more thoughts of what if, now she had Tidus alive and time too find the words to tell him.

The annoying drone of Yuna’s voice filled her ears as she felt a hand on her shoulder, ‘will this nightmare ever end?’ she pleaded as she ignored her dreams and tried to return to sleep.

Why is she crying?

She always cries in her sleep, its normal for her.

It’s not normal for someone to wake up crying.

Common lets have breakfast she’ll be fine, she’d gotten weirder lately.

You can’t just leave her here while she cries to herself!

‘Oh god will these voices just stop! I don’t want dreamt pity!’ flicking her shoulder to get the imaginary person away she rolled over.

See? She’s fine!

“Leave me alone,” she begged the voices annoying her. Another low grumble on her part drowned out the rest of them. She felt herself fading back into her dreams and regretted she had, she could feel herself crying but couldn’t wake herself, and didn’t want to face the world so she refused to try to wake up. In her dreams she could make a reality that wasn’t as bad as the one she was in. She always failed at doing so but the prospect was a nice one.

She stood before Tidus in front of the tree she had forever dubbed ‘their tree’ she gazed at him. She could never find the words to speak first and he never responded, so she just cried. She began to weep as she always did when she saw him, because she was safe to so in her mind. “Why do you cry Rikku?” he asked without his mouth moving, but the voice was his.

She trembled a little of his voice, she hadn’t heard it for so long but she forced herself to speak, “because of you Tidus,” she admitted to the man in front of her being blatantly honest for him, and herself. The figure before her remained stoic. It made her shiver as moments passed without a single sound. She began to weep again as she regretted it, for knowing he would reject her in reality and her dreams was a sad truth.

She waited for his response, hoping there would be one when finally all he asked was, “why me?”

Her tears stopped as her dream began to fade. The Maclania woods began to dissolve around her as she slowly woke up from her slumber, looking into his cerulean eyes in the final dregs of her dream state she told him the truth she cold never tell him in reality “Because I love you,” she saw him smile as the last dregs of her dream faded. She felt relived she finally told him the truth even if it was only her imagination it was a start. Her eyes fluttered open as a smile played on her lips. The small gesture of happiness dropped as she looked at the back of Tidus’s head, with his head in his hands as he sat with his back facing her on the floor. She gasped softly, ‘it was just a dream just pretend your normal, yeah that’s it,’ “Tidus, are you ok? I didn’t get to welcome you back properly earlier so welcome!” she tried to imitate her old self and gave herself an imaginary pat on the back for her successful efforts.

When he didn’t turn around he got a tiny bit worried, “Tidy?” she asked. After a moment she pulled all her strength together and pulled on her old smile, and knelt before him, placing her hand on his shoulder as confidently as possible she shook him slightly, “Tidy?” she asked growing anxious.

“I never knew”

She swallowed the burst of fear that exploded from her stomach and heart that made her feel like dry reaching. “What didn’t you know Tidy? Is everything alright?” she began to panic but kept a calm exterior.

His warm blue eyes finally looked up at her and she barely noticed her lungs stopped working so she couldn’t breathe. “Do you remember your dreams?”

Rikku’s face paled, she forced a friendly smile and nodded briefly and gasped out “sometimes,” that was a lie, ever since she met Tidus almost three years ago she remember every dream she had ever had and almost every one were of him.

He nodded, “that’s good” smiling as his face reddened a little. He looked out the large window and watched the scenery pass by at remarkable speeds as they flew by. After many long minutes he found the words he was looking for. Rikku had began to freak out and prayed he was talking about himself being created originally as a dream. He looked at Rikku once again and leaned forward as to grab her attention “did you know…” Rikku held another breath as she waited for him to finish his sentence, “you talk in your sleep?”

He smiled at her but in her state of shock she couldn’t tell if that was a mocking smile or an encouraging smile. Her face had gone slack and all she could do was gape at herself for her foolishness. She didn’t say a word but felt her heart beating faster than her on haste. She began to slowly twitch before she stood with all he dignity she could muster before she stood and went to walk away. She didn’t know why she was doing it but she felt as though a Basilisk had her wrapped around in its coils and refused to budge. She still couldn’t breathe and knew even her blitz ball lungs couldn’t hold out much longer under this stress.

“Rikku?” Tidus called after her as she stalked off out of the small sleeping quarters.
He had decided on a corse of action so he ran the opposite way from Rikku, reached the small part of the balcony, which didn’t have a rail and jumped off the side, in front of Rikku’s path to freedom. She gave a small jump as she realised her predicament and gasped as she looked up to the taller male. She took two hesitant steps back only to be greeted by a wall holding her like a captive. “Do your dreams speak the truth Rikku?” he knew it was wrong of him to demand such things from her after the trouble he had clearly caused her but he needed to know how to fix what he had put her through, and he needed to know were he stood. Rikku averted her gaze in shame but held back no tears for none had come. “Do you remember what you said?” after a few moments she nodded feeling her stomach knot painfully. “Did you mean it?” Rikku’s lips began to tremble slightly as she stared anywhere but at Tidus. She nodded while looking at the tiled floor sorrowfully. He placed his fingers against her chin and gently lifted her face to his, “did you mean it?”

She had no were to look but in his eyes, in those deep blue eyes she knew to well, in a horse whisper she said, “y-yes,”

Without removing his hand he asked in a whisper to match, “that why did you run from me?”

‘Because you’ll never return my feelings, because you love Yuna, because I am to afraid to face you,’ all this she wanted to scream but she remained quiet and whispered the most appropriate answer she could find, “because I don’t want you to hate me,”

Without even dignifying her response with an answer he pressed himself against her, firmly playing his soft lips against hers and gracing her with a gentle kiss.

After a long time merely indulging in each others lips Rikku regretfully broke the kiss and found herself having to ask, “but, what about Yuna?” she leaned into his chest, placing her head against it to hear the fast pace of his heart beat and she couldn’t help but smile. She prayed her words wouldn’t make him leave her but she had to ask about her cousin’s standing with her love.

“She found it right to tell me last night she is engaged to Baralai, and they intend on wedding this fall. I went searching for you last night, but I couldn’t find you, Paine said you lost a ribbon from you hair and went looking for it. I didn’t get to see you til this morning.”

Rikku nodded, she knew about Baralai but decided to keep out of it she hoped that if Yuna chose Baralai than Tidus would forgive and forget about her, and if she chose Tidus. Rikku was still thinking of a plan, but was grateful she didn’t have to any longer. She was a genuine girl and hated scheming.

But all was well she stopped thinking and just smiled as Tidus embrace tightened for a few moments before he kissed her once again…

A/N ok well I just want to clarify, I don’t hate Yuna, and I just think Tidus should have gone for Rikku. I just make Yuna out to be a bad guy because I can so I do. And it makes their break up easier

:p (Lick) — Description
Tidus and Rikku

Late in the middle of the bitter cold night all the inhabitants of the Gullwing slept soundly, only a few people stayed awake at this late time to keep watch over the ships controls. Only one pair of eyes that shouldn’t stayed open, emerald orbs sat painfully open gazing into nothingness leaving the whites of the eyes were no longer white, but a pale pink created from long hours of consistent tears. As every night salty tears assailed the eyes the pattern became a consistent ritual for the blonde as she thought of long lost love and a heart forever broken by the events that seemed to forever plagued her mind.

For the past two years she fought the painful memories of the happiest time of her life, when shed felt the cold and hard pain of true love and the secret of her affection, hidden with the constant promise that one day she would tell her love her true emotions. That constant drive kept her going, kept her fighting Sin for as long as she could stand, that drive made her save the life of the woman she now stood beside, due to a promise to her love, that promise made her stand by her one true loves, lover.

She despised herself for it, she knew she shouldn’t but she hated her cousin for stealing the man she loved while he was still here with her, but she stayed to her promise she gave him all those years ago.

She hated that woman, and so she hated herself for aiding her.

Flashback

Underneath the white translucent glow of the old trees in the Maclania woods sat two blondes side by side laughing joyously as the talked freely away from the other members of their group. The laughter of the moment died and both looked away in an odd silence that wasn’t awkward but both felt as though they needed to break it somehow.

A small cough broke past the soft pink lips of the male companion as he made a move to restart the conversation, towards a subject he had been planning on talking about since he called the Al Bhed over for a talk. With the niceties no longer needed he tried to choose the right words for his subject as the blonde girl just politely waited for him to begin, gazing unthreateningly at his facial features.

The male began to scratch the back of his neck as he began to talk, “ah, Rikku. After everything’s done and gone with, and Sins been defeated, do you think we’ll be able to settle down, live normal lives? You know, find a nice little town to get married and have a family?” it took the blonde only a small while before he glanced back up at his blonde companion beside him.

She was lightly blushing, barely even able to surpass the ball of excitement welling within her. She tried forcing herself to think that maybe he wasn’t talking about her; she knew the possibility was great but she couldn’t help but indulge in the feeling engrossing her. After all she knew the fate of a summoner, so after Sin she might be the only one left for him to choose, she knew it was a gloomy truth, but a truth nonetheless. She shifted her eyes away from his more so for affect than anything else. Slowly she nodded to the ground, “I like to think so… were working so hard to create peace on Spira, I think it only fair we get to enjoy ourselves when were free of Sin,”

He smiled a sweet boyish smirk that in their group of a summoner and her guardians, only he could manage. “I like to think so too…” she was engrossed in her bright blue oceanic eyes that gazed within her as she felt herself falling so hard for this man, “I mean, I’d like to return to my Zanerken someday, but I don’t think I can, and I don’t think I could bare to leave this world, when I’ve fallen in love,” her heart began to flutter as he spoke, he had to be talking about her, if he was talking about her he wouldn’t be telling Rikku but someone who gave a damn. His eyes were so intense she felt every sense of lust and love shed always felt for him return tenfold as she gazed at him so intently. “I couldn’t leave here now I’m in love, it’d kill me but that’s what I’m feeling, love I just know it,” his eyes didn’t leave hers once as she leaned in closer to him with his words, so engrossed she lost herself. He smiled as he spoke the words that made her heart swell, “because that’s just it, I’m in love… I love you… na” her heart began to swell like a balloon until he felt as painful as a spiked blitz ball inside her.

It took her a few moments to realize why it hurt so much, ‘he said he loved me ‘I love you’ I heard it myself’ but she felt her heart shatter but her face remained the same, she knew she heard the name right, it wasn’t her, it was Yuna, it was always Yuna, and it always would be. All that escaped her lips was a vague sound between a sob and a laugh, but she was still smiling like a love struck fool, only her eyes still pained and slowly burning from the pain of her unshed tears.

The blonde male gave a small laugh, feeling elated due to his final confession of love as he closed his eyes to relish the moment of peace he’d been devoid of for since he first laid his eyes on the brown haired summoner. “What should I do?” he basically begged the girl before her with such enthusiasm that she could lie, and sabotage his attempts though her broken heart screamed for her to. What kind of love would let her break the heart of the man she loved?

She swallowed her pride and the shattered pieced of her heart that burnt at her throat as she held back her tears to the extent it pained her to breathe. But she did so and uttered to words, which changed his life. As she looked back she knew she should have listened to her heart and told him she loved him, and to forget the summoner, but she didn’t, and like a fool said with fake joy which hurt her even more, “tell her how you feel, she’d be crazy to deny you,” he smiled even brighter after he received the answer he desired he bent forward and went to kiss Rikku on the nose as a small gesture of thanks. She looked up at the boy she loved so dear. His lips touching hers just briefly from the missed kiss that was directed to the tip on her nose. Rikku’s eyes widened as a single tear slipped from her burning eyes before he trotted off to Yuna without a single glance back.

And Yuna would’ve been crazy to deny him, they had their relationship right up until the fight against Yu-Yevon himself, and were her love died, and became just another dream but for her another waking nightmare, haunted by the memories of the love she lost.

The light of the early moments of the morning, only an hour or two away from dawn broke through the glass window. The only signs of the hour was the lightening of the shadows around her frame on her designated bed, and the sudden noticeable lights dancing off the tears that remained fresh on her pale skin. To banish the black clouds under her puffy sore eyes Rikku laid her now throbbing head on her small hard pillow as she tried to dismiss the headache from her tears and the pain of her sorrows from her body. As the minutes rolled past she gave up on her determination to sleep before they reached Besaid in the morning. As she ignored common sense and stopped fighting to drift of, she fell fast asleep into her dreams of her love, were she hoped he was safe in Zanerken, thinking of her occasionally.

A/N if your happy with this read no further. But if you want a happy ending, read on.

“Wakie Wakie sleepy head!” the brown haired girl said bouncing up and down beside Rikku’s bed. It was times like these Rikku hated her cousin, she didn’t loose any sleep over him anymore, and Rikku couldn’t sleep at all without wearing herself out with tears till the point of exhaustion. She slowly nodded and began to shift around her mattress until she could hear Yuna jump off of the small balcony were everyone’s beds lined up. She couldn’t hear anyone around so she lifted up a small decorative mirror and pulled out her makeup kit, she didn’t like wearing makeup but people asked questions if she walked around with dark rings around her eyes everyday. Yuna asked questions, and when Yuna asks she just found it easier to hide the shadows than to lie. She didn’t hate her cousin, only envied her.

She looked out the window to the ocean beneath the large airship as it whizzed by underneath them. She could see someone in blurred by the glare of the sun on the water as they surfaced the tip of the water. She smiled hollowly as she saw the bright blonde hair spiked and dancing on top of his head and his usual outfit she’d seen so many times she closed her eyes and shook her head. She always saw him, but it was to embarrassing when she embraced strangers nowadays. She sighed before looking out there once again. The ship had rapidly began to slow, she could see the cargo ramp lower as they got slower to the swimmer.

Her heart thumped louder than it ever had so much so that it ached to the point it bought tears to her eyes. In the water was still the blonde haired boy she always saw in her dreams making his way to the shore.

She screamed, so loud it hurt her own ears to hear it. She ignored the stairs and ran to the place Yuna had left from and leapt from the balcony to the lower floor not bothering to even give her feet time to adjust before she was flying down the corridor towards the elevator. It took her a few seconds to reach the cargo floor where the ramp was. She hadn’t felt so good since she had spent those few hours underneath the tree in the Maclania woods.

She rushed forward with nothing in mind but embracing her love, her only true love that she had though of every moment for the past two years since his death, and even before that when she first realised her affections for the blonde. But today she was going to do it, she would embrace him and tell him how she felt, she would let the years of pain be made right. She ran towards him, she could see his face as he turned to look her direction. She ran even faster the constant scram of her thoughts constantly repeating only one word ‘finally’. Paine’s strong swordswoman arm reached out and stopped her approach with such force her feet were almost knocked from underneath her. She lost her breath for a moment and forgot to get it back when she saw Yuna’s arms wrapped around him as they kissed each other on the shore.

If there was a worse pain than what Rikku felt now, she couldn’t bare to face it. She began to shake as her heart left a burning gape in her chest, worse than any she had felt throughout the years of hidden love and lost love.

Now she felt as though there was nothing left of her, no hope, no sence of peace, no nothing, he had made his choice, Yuna hers and Rikku was left to pick up the broke pieces of her being that neither would ever notice.

A horse whisper breathed into her ear as she noticed she had collapsed on to Paine in a fit of sobs, “now is not the time for heartache, be there for them now that they need you, tomorrow we shall leave them be, and when he is settled return to tell him of your affections, but if you love him do not burden this precious moment for him if you can avoid it,” Rikku’s tears subsided into nothing but the slowly drying salty stains on her cheeks.

She nodded but felt no good about it, she knew she should be happy he was alive and that he was for at least with life their was a chance, but it still pained her to see Yuna with her claws around him once again. But she fought them back and decided to do as Paine suggested and be a good friend. She put on the biggest smile she could muster, thinking not of Yuna but of only his return and waved happily at him, not darling to look at the girl in his arms. His smile wrapped around her as their eyes met for the moment and she knew she cold face this one day before she left to let her heart heal. But tonight she would be strong for him.

Her brother walked up beside her, drying his eyes as he walked and watched the pair walk towards the sand together. Rikku knew that her brother had affections for Yuna, but she did not fear for him mental wellbeing, for she knew it was more of lust than a genuine love that would shatter him as it had her.

As everyone reached Besaid Island everyone made for the village for a joyous feast in honour of their friends returned to them from the dead, and the once again saviour of the world Yuna, the famous summoners and her sidekicks. Rikku smiled all night, when she was forced into the light, but otherwise she kept to the back of the firelight keeping her face hidden and pretending to keep herself occupied by menial chores such as getting firewood or finding a ribbon that fell from her hair when she went out to collect firewood, which was in fact hidden in her back pocket. Most the time she didn’t need an excuse for no one noticed her, accept Paine, who was also the only one who asked were she was going or noticed her absence.

The sun was beginning to rise once again from the day and night festivities and families and friends began to retire to their homes for a few hours rest before the following mornings duties arose with the sun. She decided to return to the camp, help clean up than go sleep back in the Gull Wing. She helped Wakka back the last of the nights feed into the cooking tent once again and wipe up the tables.

“So, Rikku, when yah goin’ yah?” Wakka asked politely, out of affection not rudeness.

Rikku smiled at the man sheepishly, “In the morning the Gull Wing will be leaving, sorry we cant stay long, you know places to see, treasure to find!” she tried to forget her worries for the small time she spent helping Wakka, she felt she needn’t burden him with her petty troubles.

He nodded thoughtfully, “yah, I didn’t wanna stick around when Chappu and Lulu used to go out together id scram to. So I understand why you’d wanna run off with Yuna and Tidus around,” he said as though he was a wise elder with the knowledge of the world.

Rikku nodded mournfully, “WAIT! I never told you about Tidus!” she snapped back at the man, feeling disappointed in herself for admitting it before realising her mistake. The older man laughed as she pouted like a child.

“Yah can’t hide it from me, I’ve known since… Probably well before you’d admit it even to yah self,” he mocked ruffling up her long braids playfully.

They ended their pleasantries and said their goodbyes with well wishes and congratulations. Before Rikku walked herself back to the Gull Wing as the early morning rays began to seep over the horizon. Without a single glance back to the town she kept to herself and followed the familiar path back to the beach were she would find her airship.

Dragging her feet up the stairs to the open cabins was everyone’s beds were she walked to the middle one which she had called hers for the last three years. Kicking off her shoes she collapsed in the folds of her bed and fell straight to sleep exhausted from the tears and heartache and the mask of happiness she worn for so long. Now it was going to be just her and Paine, no more annoying cheery wakeup calls and no more thoughts of what if, now she had Tidus alive and time too find the words to tell him.

The annoying drone of Yuna’s voice filled her ears as she felt a hand on her shoulder, ‘will this nightmare ever end?’ she pleaded as she ignored her dreams and tried to return to sleep.

Why is she crying?

She always cries in her sleep, its normal for her.

It’s not normal for someone to wake up crying.

Common lets have breakfast she’ll be fine, she’d gotten weirder lately.

You can’t just leave her here while she cries to herself!

‘Oh god will these voices just stop! I don’t want dreamt pity!’ flicking her shoulder to get the imaginary person away she rolled over.

See? She’s fine!

“Leave me alone,” she begged the voices annoying her. Another low grumble on her part drowned out the rest of them. She felt herself fading back into her dreams and regretted she had, she could feel herself crying but couldn’t wake herself, and didn’t want to face the world so she refused to try to wake up. In her dreams she could make a reality that wasn’t as bad as the one she was in. She always failed at doing so but the prospect was a nice one.

She stood before Tidus in front of the tree she had forever dubbed ‘their tree’ she gazed at him. She could never find the words to speak first and he never responded, so she just cried. She began to weep as she always did when she saw him, because she was safe to so in her mind. “Why do you cry Rikku?” he asked without his mouth moving, but the voice was his.

She trembled a little of his voice, she hadn’t heard it for so long but she forced herself to speak, “because of you Tidus,” she admitted to the man in front of her being blatantly honest for him, and herself. The figure before her remained stoic. It made her shiver as moments passed without a single sound. She began to weep again as she regretted it, for knowing he would reject her in reality and her dreams was a sad truth.

She waited for his response, hoping there would be one when finally all he asked was, “why me?”

Her tears stopped as her dream began to fade. The Maclania woods began to dissolve around her as she slowly woke up from her slumber, looking into his cerulean eyes in the final dregs of her dream state she told him the truth she cold never tell him in reality “Because I love you,” she saw him smile as the last dregs of her dream faded. She felt relived she finally told him the truth even if it was only her imagination it was a start. Her eyes fluttered open as a smile played on her lips. The small gesture of happiness dropped as she looked at the back of Tidus’s head, with his head in his hands as he sat with his back facing her on the floor. She gasped softly, ‘it was just a dream just pretend your normal, yeah that’s it,’ “Tidus, are you ok? I didn’t get to welcome you back properly earlier so welcome!” she tried to imitate her old self and gave herself an imaginary pat on the back for her successful efforts.

When he didn’t turn around he got a tiny bit worried, “Tidy?” she asked. After a moment she pulled all her strength together and pulled on her old smile, and knelt before him, placing her hand on his shoulder as confidently as possible she shook him slightly, “Tidy?” she asked growing anxious.

“I never knew”

She swallowed the burst of fear that exploded from her stomach and heart that made her feel like dry reaching. “What didn’t you know Tidy? Is everything alright?” she began to panic but kept a calm exterior.

His warm blue eyes finally looked up at her and she barely noticed her lungs stopped working so she couldn’t breathe. “Do you remember your dreams?”

Rikku’s face paled, she forced a friendly smile and nodded briefly and gasped out “sometimes,” that was a lie, ever since she met Tidus almost three years ago she remember every dream she had ever had and almost every one were of him.

He nodded, “that’s good” smiling as his face reddened a little. He looked out the large window and watched the scenery pass by at remarkable speeds as they flew by. After many long minutes he found the words he was looking for. Rikku had began to freak out and prayed he was talking about himself being created originally as a dream. He looked at Rikku once again and leaned forward as to grab her attention “did you know…” Rikku held another breath as she waited for him to finish his sentence, “you talk in your sleep?”

He smiled at her but in her state of shock she couldn’t tell if that was a mocking smile or an encouraging smile. Her face had gone slack and all she could do was gape at herself for her foolishness. She didn’t say a word but felt her heart beating faster than her on haste. She began to slowly twitch before she stood with all he dignity she could muster before she stood and went to walk away. She didn’t know why she was doing it but she felt as though a Basilisk had her wrapped around in its coils and refused to budge. She still couldn’t breathe and knew even her blitz ball lungs couldn’t hold out much longer under this stress.

“Rikku?” Tidus called after her as she stalked off out of the small sleeping quarters.
He had decided on a corse of action so he ran the opposite way from Rikku, reached the small part of the balcony, which didn’t have a rail and jumped off the side, in front of Rikku’s path to freedom. She gave a small jump as she realised her predicament and gasped as she looked up to the taller male. She took two hesitant steps back only to be greeted by a wall holding her like a captive. “Do your dreams speak the truth Rikku?” he knew it was wrong of him to demand such things from her after the trouble he had clearly caused her but he needed to know how to fix what he had put her through, and he needed to know were he stood. Rikku averted her gaze in shame but held back no tears for none had come. “Do you remember what you said?” after a few moments she nodded feeling her stomach knot painfully. “Did you mean it?” Rikku’s lips began to tremble slightly as she stared anywhere but at Tidus. She nodded while looking at the tiled floor sorrowfully. He placed his fingers against her chin and gently lifted her face to his, “did you mean it?”

She had no were to look but in his eyes, in those deep blue eyes she knew to well, in a horse whisper she said, “y-yes,”

Without removing his hand he asked in a whisper to match, “that why did you run from me?”

‘Because you’ll never return my feelings, because you love Yuna, because I am to afraid to face you,’ all this she wanted to scream but she remained quiet and whispered the most appropriate answer she could find, “because I don’t want you to hate me,”

Without even dignifying her response with an answer he pressed himself against her, firmly playing his soft lips against hers and gracing her with a gentle kiss.

After a long time merely indulging in each others lips Rikku regretfully broke the kiss and found herself having to ask, “but, what about Yuna?” she leaned into his chest, placing her head against it to hear the fast pace of his heart beat and she couldn’t help but smile. She prayed her words wouldn’t make him leave her but she had to ask about her cousin’s standing with her love.

“She found it right to tell me last night she is engaged to Baralai, and they intend on wedding this fall. I went searching for you last night, but I couldn’t find you, Paine said you lost a ribbon from you hair and went looking for it. I didn’t get to see you til this morning.”

Rikku nodded, she knew about Baralai but decided to keep out of it she hoped that if Yuna chose Baralai than Tidus would forgive and forget about her, and if she chose Tidus. Rikku was still thinking of a plan, but was grateful she didn’t have to any longer. She was a genuine girl and hated scheming.

But all was well she stopped thinking and just smiled as Tidus embrace tightened for a few moments before he kissed her once again…

A/N ok well I just want to clarify, I don’t hate Yuna, and I just think Tidus should have gone for Rikku. I just make Yuna out to be a bad guy because I can so I do. And it makes their break up easier