Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Dreams Come True ❯ Dominance ( Chapter 5 )

"S-sir Jecht!" Yuna's slight gasp told me two things, both in undertones: that this intrusion had greatly embarrassed her...yet her lack of shame told me she wasn't about to start apologizing for the show of affection.

Jecht.

Dad.

Sin.

"What the hell...?"

That was pretty much the only thing I could manage to say, pitiful and meaningless as it might be.

My old man's movements were swift - he moved to us with a few wide strides, then had me by the arm and, for once, met my eyes with sincerity. Danger, too.

"It's done?"

Obvious what he meant. Sin; Yu Yevon; the aeons. Surprising though, how Big Bad Jecht's voice was suddenly so...so...

Desperate?

"Yeah." I met his eyes motionlessly, setting my jaw. Whether his eyes I searched or tried to stare down, I couldn't even be sure, but there were swords clashing *somewhere* between us. He looked like he was getting ready to say some remark like he usually did. I was expecting something along the lines of, 'You could have been smarter about it, boy' or 'faster with it next time, kid' or some mirthful insult along those lines.

And then I almost laughed, though I didn't let it show. It was the memory of something I'd just happened to watch on sphere in Zanarkand one day, some thing about dominance. And for once I completely understood it. For me, there were things to protect. Yuna - and my place here, newfound. And I'd be damned if Jecht - the typical intruder figure, of course - just waltzed in here and stole the show. I forgave him and all, but this was my world now. Not his. My place to protect. My...my woman as well. Damn, it sounded so strange to the tongue, but so wonderful at the same time.

But then he grinned, and the strangest thing happened...

The hand that had gripped my arm now clapped my shoulder, and the gaze that only held scrutiny, all these years, now held...

Something else.

Didn't have a word for it -- I'd never seen it on his face before. But he seemed to be struggling for words.

Jecht looked down at me, suddenly very sheepish. That wasn't something I'd seen in him before - I watched him, closely. Yuna wisely kept silent.

My old man rubbed the back of his neck, inhaling in preparation for speech.

Damn you, old man, just get it over with...

"I...guess the occasion calls for it. You...I...I mean.......bah. You know what I mean."

"I have no clue what you mean."

He sighed, impatient - it was a moment before I realized the impatience was only with himself. "I...guess I'm tryin' to say I'm just -- well that is...er...I mean......damn. I'm trying to say that you're...I mean...I'm proud of you, boy."

So he'd finally said it. What would have made me so happy when I was a kid.

Now, all I could do was stand there like a deer stunned by sphere-lights. *Damn you, Tidus - can't you at least say something?!*

"...Thanks."

Jecht finally seemed to notice the rather sizeable manor before him, using that to quickly run from the subject. "So when did this thing get built?"

"Last month, by the Besaid men. Everyone helped out..." Yuna at last spoke up, glancing at me and sending a secret grin. She then proceeded to link her arm through mine, leaning up and kissing my cheek. "And Tidus isn't a day back from wherever it is he went. He just kind of...appeared here this morning."

That's right, Yuna. You understand. The kiss - the pointed reminder to Jecht that I was here before he was. That I am yours and you are mine, and I have a place here indefinitely. I'll have to thank you later...

"Actually, I came back yesterday. Luca, remember?"

She nodded.

Jecht shook his head slightly, slowly, stifling a chuckle under his breath.

"...Sir Jecht?" Yuna asked, looking slightly perplexed as she wiped some water off her face - a temporary relief.

"Mmph. Nothing. So where's everybody else? Don't tell me you live here *alone,* Yuna."

"Oh, no, my guardians are here too. P-please, come in, they'll be overjoyed to see you..." She bowed quickly, then glanced at me. I sent an invisible look back, and then she smiled and led the way.

"Why're you back?"

Well, old man, *you're* certainly still blunt and to-the-point.

"Why're you?"

"I asked you a question, kid."

"I don't know."

"Neither do I."
"Where'd you come back?"

"Besaid, near the temple. Away from the village, thank heavens."

"Why's that? Would've thought you'd take every chance you could get to hold the spotlight."

Jecht looked slightly miffed, but seemed to brush the resentment off. "Well...I wasn't sure what would happen. Hell, I wonder who's next? If you already got here, and then me...who else?"

"No one else yet, so far as I know. So...Dad. Why'd you come *here,* anyway?"

"Here? ...I don't know. I saw this huge house looming over the forest and I thought to myself 'Jecht, you've gotta be dreamin' or something, but hey - as long as I'm in control of the dream, why not check out the one thing that's unfamiliar.' And I find you, blatantly making out with Braska's little girl; it's a wonder I don't -"

"Yeah, yeah." For once, I managed to look at him sincerely; yes, there was a little anger there too, but this had to be said or he'd never stop chiding me. "I love her."

"Do you, now?"

So, he didn't believe me.

"I don't think I should have to prove my love to her *to you.* Yuna...I'll go to the ends of the earth for that woman, you know? You've gotta know how it must be. Mom idolized you, you know that? Or d-"

"Don't talk to me about your mother." He said it quickly, fiercely, as if just the mention of her tore him to shreds. Yeah, right.

"Oh, so she's 'your mother' now? She's not Mommy, not Mom, not even Amia -"

"Damn you, I had to watch my wife *die.* I couldn't do a thing about it, couldn't...just don't talk to me about it."

"You act like she wasn't my mother. *I* had to watch her die. *You* were Sin."

"Never asked to be. Or wanted to be."

"Doesn't change the fact that you were."

"Doesn't change the fact that I caused my wife's death."

"...Hn."

It wasn't an admission of defeat on my part - simply a wish to drop the damn subject. It was starting to bother me quite a bit.

Mostly because I could understand where Jecht was coming from. And I didn't want to.

Didn't want to imagine myself in his shoes. No.

Couldn't bear putting myself in his shoes. Watching the person I loved most simply fade and ebb away, helpless to stop or prevent it.

*Isn't that what Yuna went through?*

No, can't think about it.

Just don't think about it.

Yuna had gone ahead of us and went inside, but came out a few seconds later; she ran up to Jecht with a wide grin on her face. "Sir Jecht, please, come inside -- everyone's dying to see you. Wakka thinks I'm hallucinating,"

He nodded briefly, then passed through the open door leading into the manor. Yuna didn't follow immediately - she wrung her hands, looking down at them, then after a long moment turning her gaze to me. "Are you okay?"

"No," I shook my head. Couldn't help but be honest. "But I guess I'll be alright."

"Anything you wanna talk about?" She came over to me, taking my hands in hers and intertwining our fingers. We both stared down at our hands, and I knew we both saw how feeble, how simple the link was. She could hold my hands in hers and soothe me; I could do the same to her as well, but it wouldn't save either of us.

And yet I knew we both saw how important that link was. How we'd not yet lost the novelty of being able to touch each other so; thus how even in this small weaving of hands we clung to one another automatically. I didn't suppose I'd ever lose the novelty of being able to touch her; I knew by now exactly how her skin would feel, how her body fit against my own so easily, but I kept wanting to simply feel her - skin, lips, hair, *her* - to reassure that little part of myself that hoped she hadn't changed since I last felt her.

She hadn't changed, and that soothed me.

I squeezed her hands tight for a moment, then leaned and kissed her forehead. "No, not right now, anyway. Just stay close, hm?"

Yuna's lips curved in a grin. "Always."

We went inside.

The hubbub surrounding Jecht's return was lively and demanding, asking more of me than I wanted to give. I retreated to a sofa nearer the corner of the living room, letting Yuna and the others marvel at Jecht's guesses at how and why he came back. Jecht, the center of attention. Well, then, let it be. I could deal just fine with pretending to be enthralled with the swords on the far wall and only answering questions when directly asked.

But there were plenty of other questions too.

What was it like being Sin?

Were you conscious?

Did we hurt you when we hurt Sin's body?

Did you know Yu Yevon personally, or was he an automaton?

Did you ever fight Yevon?

Were you Yevon's slave?

All the way down to 'So you're telling me you didn't brush your teeth for *ten years!?* EW!'

Rikku, of course.

And I was left alone with my thoughts.

Perhaps left alone too long - I must have fallen asleep, for I opened my eyes in a dark living room with Lulu standing over me, saying she'd show me where I could sleep.

So I got up and followed her upstairs. She directed me to a room across from the one I was earlier told was Yuna's - too sleepy to ask if she had any bedclothes, I flopped down on the luxuriously conforming featherbed and slept.