Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ If There's no Tomorrow ❯ If There's no Tomorrow ( Chapter 1 )

"If There's no Tomorrow," written by Fire Rules

Bright blue eyes scanned the vast horizon… Tidus wondered if the Calm Lands were always so green and full of vitality.

"Vitality," he whispered softly to himself. "Aren't these the Calm Lands?" He chuckled softly at his meaningless revelation.

Lazily sticking his sword in the ground, he stared up into the sky. He earnestly hoped that the Peaceful Shield he brought with him would keep the fiends away, if only for a little while… there were more important things to worry about.

The stars were beautiful, he concluded, seeing reds and blues and greens in the vast celestial sphere that could never have been seen in his Zanarkand. In school, he had only read about nebulas, seeing pictures of their beauty and mysteriousness. But in the crystal clear sky of Spira, with no artificial light blocking the vast universal expanse, he could see everything. A striking pair of nebulae swirled mystifyingly together in the heavens… one blue, one green. Needless to say, it reminded him of someone very special… thoughts about her filled his mind, making him sigh happily.

Happy thoughts were quickly replaced by sad ones. Tidus realized, a little too late, that he had absolutely no right to be with her as he so desperately wanted. He treasured the moment he kissed her in Macalania... the precious memory would stay with him forever, and he considered himself so lucky to share such intimacy with her. But in his eyes, it was obvious that someone like him didn't deserve her.

He knew he didn't deserve her because she represented all that was pure and innocent and moral in his eyes. On the other end of the spectrum, he represented everything that was immoral and immature. It was a sad and well known fact that he was quite the womanizer in Zanarkand.

"Love `em and leave `em Tidus," he sighed bitterly under his breath. It's what his teammates had nicknamed him.

Words couldn't describe, however, how absolutely disgusted he was about the way he used to be. Spira had turned his life upside-down, changing him in ways he never thought possible. He vowed that he would soon tell Yuna what he was previously like; the arrogant, wild, foolish person he had been before his story began.

As his thoughts raced frantically, his mind inwardly struggling for forgiveness of his past grievances, other things occurred to him. A bitter, rueful smiled ordained his features as he realized how much Auron must have had to deal with when they were both still in Zanarkand.

The hardest part for him, however, was the realization that he could do nothing about his past. That was the reason he desperately wanted to look forward, to the future. It was clear to him now that he wanted his future to be in Spira… with her.

Spira was full of firsts for him; his first opportunity to truly gaze at the stars… his first opportunity too see, feel and taste pure, untainted water.

His first time falling for someone.

Tidus never thought any woman could make that happen. He was so incredibly wrong.

Yuna…

It was Yuna that had changed everything. There could be no other person, he decided, that could make him feel such things. It was her that made him want to wake up in the morning. It was her that brought a smile to everyone's face everyday, even though she knew all along what was going to happen to her. It was her that taught him how to reach into the very depths of his heart and find the mature person that he wanted to be.

He knew that he was falling for her, and he was terrified… terrified of dying in battle, leaving her to fate's whim. He was scared to death of letting her selflessly sacrifice herself needlessly for the sins of this world.

Tidus was scared as hell, in fact, because they were getting so close… so close to getting the Final Aeon, her death sentence. He didn't even have a plan yet... he had no clue what he could possibly do to help her.

Although at a loss for solutions, he was unwilling to stand and watch her die... he wouldn't let that happen, he couldn't. He would die a thousand miserable deaths for her rather than watch her perish. She was simply too important to him to let that happen.

During their journey, he had discovered that there were so many more important things in life than blitzball, fast cars and hot women. Smiling slightly, he mentally took back the last part. There was one hot woman that had turned his life around… and it was that one hot woman who startled the crap out of him at that moment.

"Hello," she said gently, nervously, touching him on the shoulder. Tidus jumped frantically, turning around to face the intruder.

"Yuna! Hey, you scared me." He pointed at the shield on the ground next to him as he continued to speak. "Dunno how well this'll keep the fiends away, you know?" Yuna nodded knowingly and set her eyes firmly on the ground.

"Maybe… maybe one day no one will have to worry about fiends anymore… wouldn't that be nice?" she asked quietly, looking back up at Tidus. He smiled warmly in reply.

"Yeah… real nice," he replied, sighing gently. He looked at her intently, taking in the sight before him. When she turned to look back at him and smiled nervously, he realized he was staring.

"I'm sorry! Uhh, you wanna sit or something?" Tidus reached into his pack and pulled out a large quilt. His companion watched attentively as he spread it across the tall grass, noting what a thoughtful gentlemen he was capable of being. Once Tidus completed his task, he hastily sat down and patted the ground next to him. Yuna got the message and hesitantly sat next to him.

"Umm, you want anything?" Tidus asked quickly as he fumbled through the belongings in his pack clumsily. "Let's see here… I got water, chocolate, umm, saltine crackers and err, cat nip?" Tidus winked at her playfully and whispered in her ear. "I bought it for Kimahri… it's absolutely hilarious catching him sneak some in the middle of the night!"

Yuna laughed heartily, lightly smacking Tidus' shoulder. "Great!" she said gleefully in between her belly laughs. "My Ronso guardian high on cat nip, what a picture!"

As her laughter relented, she remembered his previous offer. Yuna was loathe to admit that the chocolate sounded quite tempting, but declined thankfully.

"Maybe later."

"Sorry I didn't really bring anything else. It was kind of a spur of the moment type thing," Tidus said apologetically, still trying to subdue all of his laughter. Yuna shook her head.

"Don't worry about it at all, please," she said nicely in reply.

He smiled and looked at her thoughtfully, noticing her lack of summoner garb. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought her to be an everyday girl at the moment, albeit a beautiful one. She wore a simple sky blue short sleeved shirt, modest gray knee length skirt, and sandals… and he believed he had never seen her more beautiful.

Her hair shone vibrantly in the moon's pale radiance, every blonde highlight standing out beautifully. Her skin resonated brilliantly... she wore no makeup, but he knew she needed none. She had something that all the women in Zanarkand couldn't hold a candle to… natural beauty. He looked away for a while, trying not to admire her smooth, shapely legs to an excess. Awkward silence claimed the moment, and Yuna decided to break the tension with a few empty words.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner… I know I was supposed to be here at midnight, but I had a hard time finding you," she said softly, scooting a little bit closer to him as she finished the sentence. "I had to be really quiet too... Wakka's snoring wasn't as loud as normal." Tidus chuckled slightly.

"At least you don't have to sleep in the same tent as that guy!" Their soft laughter filled the air for a moment and was quickly replaced by silence. Tidus looked at her apprehensively.

"I just wanted to talk to you alone for a while, you know?" Yuna looked at him nervously as he inched closer to her.

Tidus scanned his mind frantically, trying to find the words he so desperately wanted to tell her. All his brain wanted to process at the moment, however, was idle banter. "So, how are you feeling?" he asked stupidly, looking at her with apprehension. "I mean we're, umm, getting really close…"

Yuna looked away from him for a moment, but eventually averted her gaze to meet his. "Nervous…" She smiled ever so slightly. "A little scared…" Tidus gave her a look that told her he knew better. "Okay… very scared."

Tidus gazed at her longingly, dumbfounded as to what to tell her at such a difficult time in her life… it turned out that he didn't have to say anything. She closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she buried her head in his chest.

"I'm so scared," she said, letting hot tears fall onto Tidus, spilling all her fears onto him. Yuna's pillar of comfort gently returned the embrace, the surprise on his face not noticed by his love. Tidus put his head gently on her shoulder as he tenderly held her close to him, taking in the scent of her unruly hair.

After a few moments, Yuna let go long enough to look into his eyes. "It's not that I'm afraid of dying. As a summoner, I accept death... I do not fear it." Tidus entwined his hands around her slender fingers as he put his forehead to hers. His unmistakable warmth gave her the courage to go on. "But… you were never in the job description." Smiling gently, he pulled her closer.

Yuna looked into his eyes once more as she continued speaking. "It just… wasn't supposed to happen this way. My outlook about everything has changed. I… I wish I could give up." Tidus looked harshly at her, but his gaze softened quickly.

"That doesn't sound like the Yuna I know," he said, gently wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I should never have encouraged you to leave your pilgrimage like that. It was selfish of me." Yuna shook her head drastically for emphasis.

"No, it wasn't selfish at all! I… I feel the same way right now. I want to leave, run off with you… never come back." She grinned ever so slightly as she continued.

"I want to take you up on your offer, run away to your Zanarkand! I want to watch that sunrise you were talking about, to see the stadium..."

"All lit up at night," Tidus whispered quietly, finishing her sentence.

Yuna nodded vigorously with a smile; however solemnity once again took over. "But I know my duty… I will see this through until the end, like I've said before. I just don't want to leave you after everything is said and done."

Yuna stood up and stretched, wiping some stray tears from her cheeks. Regardless of the emotional situation they were in, Tidus couldn't hide his keen interest in her shapely figure any longer. He felt as if his eyes could have burned a hole in her backside. Though he knew that it was not the time to think of her in such ways, his cursed maleness was taking control of his thoughts.

"Damned be the testosterone," he muttered quietly under his breath.

"What was that?" Yuna asked sweetly, turning around to face him as she urged him to stand up with her. He had discovered yet another captivating fact about the woman he loved. She had incredible set of ears.

"Oh, it's nothing," Tidus replied coolly, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Just thinking out loud..."

Yuna nodded in understanding and stepped up to him yet again. "It's just… something that didn't seem important before means everything to me now." She put herself in his arms once more, allowing herself the pleasure of resting her head on his toned chest.

"That's why I'm scared."

Tidus looked apprehensively at the top of her head for a while before responding. "What didn't seem important before?" he questioned her softly.

He looked into her mismatched eyes, and for the first time that evening, he saw a genuine, radiant, and quite beautiful smile on her face.

"Love."

Yuna shifted her weight in Tidus' arms and embarrassedly snuggled her face between his arm and torso. She tried desperately to hide her flushed, red hot cheeks, somewhat ashamed of her emotional outburst.

After a moment, she gathered the willpower to continue. "Love didn't seem important before… now it's all that matters. You're all that matters," she whispered quietly, squeezing him tighter.

Tidus was speechless, unable to reply and utterly astounded at Yuna's amazing courage. He realized that he should have been jumping for joy, frolicking in the grass like a little schoolboy upon hearing her confession of love for him. However, the berating thoughts stemming from the back of his mind made him believe that he was in no way deserving of this woman's love.

"Yuna…"

"You… you don't have to say anything," she interrupted softly, slightly raising her head to nuzzle his neck with her nose. "If you don't feel the same way, I understand." Tidus shook his head frantically, knowing that she was getting the wrong idea with his silence.

"No… no Yuna, that's not it at all! I… I just… it's so hard to explain."

Tidus broke his embrace with her and turned away, still feeling her intoxicating touch on his skin, her warm breath tickling the crevice of his neck, her chest pressed against his. He wanted to slap himself for getting worked up that way at such a time as this.

He had determined long ago that she was a very special person, promising himself that she was not a woman to be taken advantage of. If they continued like this, he knew nothing good would come out of it. He hated himself for his lack of self control.

"No, I can't do this to her… I refuse to cause her pain, like I have with everyone else."

Tidus looked back at her, a hint of shame on his face. "Yuna… I want you to know how sorry I am for what I did back to you in Macalania. I shouldn't have played with your emotions. It… was wrong of me impose myself on you like that."

She shook her head fiercely, a startling glimmer of anger evident in her eyes. "Don't ever say you're sorry about that!"

She returned to Tidus, grabbing him fiercely, ferociously stealing a warm embrace from him. Wrapping her arms tightly, almost painfully around his waist, she forcibly put her lips to his. Tidus' eyes betrayed a look of pure shock, but he closed them tightly as the aggressive kiss won him over. So much was in that kiss… love, passion, sadness… anger. There was actually more than a hint of anger evident in the kiss, and he knew exactly why.

He had made her think that reaching out to her at Macalania was a mistake… that he never really wanted anything to do with her. He realized that she actually believed that he had teased her with love that would always be one-sided. Although it couldn't be any further from the truth, the damage had already been done. The realization that he quickly needed to explain himself dawned on him.

Stopping the kiss reluctantly, he opened his eyes to see painful tears rolling mercilessly down her cheeks. He had caused this… he had to fix it.

"Yuna…" Lifting her chin gently with his right hand and brushing away stray tears with his left, he held on to her tightly as he tried to select his words. "Let me explain… please?" She nodded at him grudgingly, looking to her side as she feigned indifference.

"Sit with me, please?" Tidus asked her nicely as he let go of her. Yuna complied, and they sat together on the soft quilt. She quickly clung to him again after seating herself, deciding that she didn't care whether or not Tidus didn't want to return her love.

He looked at the mournful young woman attached to his shoulder tightly, scanning his brain furiously for any comment capable of fixing or undoing what he had said to her. After failing to find anything suitable, he sighed and decided to try something alien and new to him… honesty.

"To hell with it," he muttered quietly. He looked at her, his face mere inches from hers and smiled genuinely.

He looked deep into her eyes, feeling an unknown emotion bubble up inside of him.

"God, I love this girl."

"I love you too." His whisper was so soft, almost inaudible… but she had heard it. He loved her! He really loved her, and for a brief moment she felt as if she could soar. Then she heard the "But…"

"But… but what?" she asked almost as quietly, gazing intensely into the ocean that was his eyes.

He looked solemnly at the ground trying to sort out what he wanted to say… there so much to tell, so many sins to confess.

"But…" he started deliberately, rubbing his temples to gather his thoughts. "There's no way I deserve someone like you." The comment struck Yuna like a bag of bricks… why on earth would he think that?

"Wh… why don't you deserve me?" she asked nervously, concern written all over her face. "I think you deserve me!"

"I need to clarify some things," he said sadly, "about the kind of person I really am… the selfish, arrogant, egotistical idiot who's been known to cuss like a sailor and drink way too much on occasion," he stated shakily, ashamedly avoiding eye contact with her.

Yuna situated herself to look at him, whether he wanted her to or not. "I don't see that kind of a person," she responded quietly, trying to establish some sort of visual link with him.

A tear slowly ran down his face. "Then I've been fooling you into thinking I'm a different person."

"I don't believe that," she said flatly.

"You should."

Yuna put her hands in her lap in frustration. "It's my choice to make my own judgment of your character, to decide whether or not I want to be with you. You don't have the right to make that kind of a decision for me!" she replied, harsher than intended.

Tidus quickly stood up and turned his back to her. Yuna followed suit, trying to keep the anger welling up inside of her in check as she stared at his back. Her guardian sighed heavily in frustration… frustration and anger at himself more than anyone.

"Yuna," he said in between sobs that he could no longer hide. "Do you have any idea how many women I've slept with?"

The blunt question almost brought Yuna to her knees, although she somehow managed to keep her composure. It struck something deep inside of her, and she found herself afraid of responding to his question.

"No," she replied weakly, trying to control the shakiness in her voice.

"Neither do I," he responded frankly, not for one moment daring to look into her eyes.

Yuna made no effort to hide her surprise. "Wha… what do you mean?" she asked nervously, her weak voice faltering at the question.

"I don't know how many women I've slept with… because I lost count a long time ago!" he heatedly replied, his voice cracking with emotion.

Yuna gasped, a little louder than she had intended, at his confession. She looked away, stifling the sadness his disclosure had brought her.

He reluctantly turned around to face her, if only to verify that she had not gotten sick to her stomach and left him on the spot after his confession. She was still there, looking away from him. Tidus' face contorted in sorrow, his entire body shaking from muffled cries. He was only causing her more pain.

He walked unsteadily up to her to get a good look into her expressionless eyes, trying to get an idea, any clue of what she may have been thinking at the moment. When he saw her eyes, the expression on her face, it was as if the floodgates of his emotions violently collapsed upon themselves. The river, no longer held back by the floodgates, roared through his troubled mind, leaving immense destruction in its wake.

He couldn't stand the pain in her eyes, the pain that would have never surfaced had he not arrived. He fell to the ground a battered man, butchered and served up on a cutting board by the pain so clearly visible in his loved one's eyes. The grievous expression on Yuna's face topped off the layers of guilt and self loathing… he curled into a little ball as he continued, his body quaking from heart wrenching sobs, years upon years of his sins mercilessly taunting him.

"I could have my pick every damn night, Yuna!" he continued, tears running freely down his cheeks. "I was Tidus, son of Jecht, star player of the Zanarkand fucking Abes! I could have different women every night, sometimes two or more at the same time!"

He was weeping uncontrollably at this point and Yuna felt her heart ache as she saw him in a terrified heap of tear-jerking emotions. The young summoner felt compelled to comfort him, so she went timidly up to him and sat, careful not to interrupt him; she knew how badly he needed to finish pouring out his soul.

"I was a manipulative son of a bitch!" he wailed mournfully. "I only did what was good for me, and I always knew exactly how to get what I wanted. And Auron! All that time, he… he never left my side, and the way I treated him… oh God Yuna!"

As he continued to cry without letup, Yuna pushed the facts of Tidus' confessions out of her mind. She only cared about protecting the broken man in front of her that she so desperately wanted to help. She knew that later down the road, when a full realization of what he had confessed to her reared its ugly head, it would be heartbreaking for both of them. She was more concerned, however, with the man that needed forgiveness for many sins. He needed forgiveness from her, and he was going to get forgiveness from her. So, she did the only thing she could think of… she took him in her arms and held him tight.

He hungrily returned her embrace, selfishly devouring the tenderness and mercy she was showing him. He buried his face in the crevice of her neck, and Yuna winced as she felt hot tears roll down her neck and under her shirt. Her heart was aching for him, someone who was haunted by a past he was desperately trying to get away from.

They sat that way for several minutes, Yuna holding him close to her as he cried away the pain. She ran her soothing fingers through Tidus' rowdy hair, her calm hands pleading with him to forgive himself and love her without hesitation. After Tidus' weeping had subsided somewhat, she lifted his chin with her hand to get him to look at her.

"I still love you," she said breathlessly, not trying to hide the emotions stirring within her. Tidus mustered a weak smile and sat up to look straight into her eyes.

"Th… thank you," he replied, quietly nuzzling her neck affectionately.

"You're so very welcome," she replied soothingly, rocking him back and forth lovingly. She brought his head to hers and gave him a lingering kiss on the forehead. "Please understand that I see the man you are now. Everything before you came to Spira… that's a thousand years in the past."

She smiled when she felt him stop crying and thanked whatever powers that may be for sending his old demons away from him. Tidus smiled weakly at her, his eyes red and puffy and his cheeks still glistening from countless tears. "I still don't think I deserve someone as wonderful as you."

Yuna looked solemnly at him, sniffling as she tried to hide the feelings stirring within her. "I don't care what you think about that," she replied bluntly. "Because you're getting me anyway, regardless of how undeserving you feel."

She stuck her tongue out at him for emphasis, and it made Tidus laugh out loud, regardless of his previous suffering. He had never seen this side of Yuna before, and he realized that he rather liked it. He also realized that she had a heart even bigger than her beauty, if such a thing were possible. How a person was capable of being so completely forgiving eluded him. "Only Yuna," he thought with wonder. For the first time ever, he realized, he had fallen in love, with the only person he could ever love. And God, it was a wonderful feeling.

He looked seriously at her and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Let me say it properly this time… I love you too."

Yuna grinned at him sweetly. She found that her emotions were now catching up with her, and stray tears rolled down her face. Thinking back to Tidus' confession, she looked intently into his eyes. "You know, I do want to know more about your past in Zanarkand," she started quietly, noting Tidus' nervousness about what she had just said.

She kissed him gently, selfishly reveling in the feel of his lips against hers. She leaned deeper into the kiss, moaning ever so softly as he pulled her closer to him. Breaking away from him momentarily, Yuna attempted to speak, regardless of the fact that she was completely flustered.

"But I don't want to hear it tonight," she whispered quietly into his ear. "Kiss me more, please…"

Tidus obeyed her command and kissed her fervently, longingly and lovingly. Yuna melted completely into him, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck as their lips hungrily played together.

Tidus wrapped her arms tightly around her waist as he continued passionately kissing the beautiful woman in front of him. She was intoxicating him with her kisses, the smell of her supple skin, the soft hair that dangled teasingly in front of her face… and he had to admit that he loved it immensely.

"Yuna…" he mumbled incoherently as he continued showering her lips with fervent kisses. He gasped in surprise when he found himself being lowered to a horizontal position by Yuna, but for the life of him he couldn't bring himself to stop.

They continued kissing as they lay together side by side, their bodies tightly attached to one another. As the minutes passed, their kisses became increasingly seductive and uncontrollable. Tidus' eyes widened in shock when Yuna started to crawl on top of him; something clicked in his mind.

"Stop… please," he whispered quietly, breaking the kiss that had become alarmingly close to erotic levels. "I… can't do this right now, Yuna…" he trailed off nervously, trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"Did… did I do something wrong," Yuna asked selflessly, looking at her lover with worry. Tidus shook his in disagreement.

"Absolutely not," he purred softly, fondly remembering how much he was enjoying their make out session. "You did something, everything way too… right," he added, trying to move to the side in a futile attempt to hide his, err, excitement.

Yuna nodded slightly in understanding, making her way to lie down beside him again. She looked over at him and smiled. "I… I've never done anything like that before… I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Nah," Tidus said abruptly, dismissing her apology. "I'm the one that's sorry… I can't really control myself around a girl as hot and sweet and cute as you," he proclaimed flirtatiously.

"Well," she replied, "you did stop me… isn't that saying something?" She looked at him for a minute and gave him a stern look. "Am I the only one you can't control yourself around?" Tidus laughed at her sudden jealousy, but he certainly couldn't blame her after his earlier confession.

His eyes softened as she gazed questioningly into them. "A month ago, I would have said hell no and moved on the next girl, to be real honest with you. But now I… I couldn't imagine myself touching another girl."

He hung his head once again in guilt. "I hope you believe me."

Yuna didn't even hesitate. "I believe you… please believe that I believe you." She only wished that he could have known how much she admired him for having the courage to admit his previous wrongs. She kissed him lightly and they situated themselves into a comfortable little spoon position together.

"You know," Tidus said weakly, "Your wonderfulness is making you incredibly hard to resist."

Yuna squeezed him tighter, pressing her body closer to his. She leaned into him more and whispered into his ear. "And you're quite hard to resist as well, you know."

Tidus turned around to take in the sight of her, to stare into her eyes. She looked confused about something, as if she was fighting a battle with herself.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

Yuna gave a little frown and furrowed her brows, making Tidus smile as he watched her think about whatever was on her mind. Her face finally relaxed, as if she had come to a realization about something. She looked into his eyes intensely, trying to dig into the depths of her partner's soul.

"What if… wow, this is really hard to say," she started slowly, uncertainly, making Tidus wonder what the heck she had running through her mind. "What if… I… don't want to resist you?" she asked nervously, trying to keep her eye contact with Tidus.

Tidus' eyes widened at her confession, somewhat at a loss for words. "Are… are you serious, Yuna?" he asked timidly, not sure what to make of her question.

Tidus looked gravely at her. "I wanna date you the right way, you know? When we beat Sin, I can wine and dine you and respect you, and… and love you without hesitation." He stumbled clumsily over his words, hoping that Yuna would understand. "And I want you to keep your honor, and I… I don't wanna take you until I can call you rightfully mine. I want to do things right, for one time in my life."

Yuna looked away in confusion again, fighting another battle within her. She was desperately trying to sort right from wrong, good from bad, bad from… really bad. She realized exactly how meaningful and sweet his words were. She hadn't fully realized the respect he held for her, and she wasn't quite sure what to do anymore. Then a realization hit her like a one thousand pound anvil... she blurted her revelation out before thinking about it.

"I'm a summoner…"

Tidus blinked and looked thoughtfully at her, trying to comprehend what she wanted to convey by her words. Yuna continued trying to explain herself.

"I… am a summoner," she said sternly, trying to keep eye contact with him. "I'm going to die for the good of Spira." Tidus shook his head fiercely.

"No, Yuna… don't say that, you can't say that! I won't let you." Yuna smiled at his sincerity.

"What if there's no other way? No summoner has ever survived calling the Final Aeon… I have to do this, even if it gives Spira just a few years of happiness." Her companion looked beside himself.

"You… you can't die, I'll think up of something, anything!" he proclaimed loudly.

Yuna looked at him fondly. "If there's anyone in Spira who can think of something, I know it's you. I do believe you'll try your hardest… but the odds are against us." She reached out a delicate hand to lovingly stroke his cheek and then put her head to his shoulder.

Whispering into his ear, she told him what she wanted. "We're going to reach Zanarkand soon. If there's no tomorrow, I… I want you to have me tonight."

Tidus sat up, picking Yuna up to face him in the process. He somehow realized... no, he knew at that moment that the possibility they wouldn't be together very long was a real one. He nodded in approval.

"Okay…"

He lowered her onto the blanket, clumsily kicking off his shoes as he kissed her gently on the way down. Slipping off her sandals between their kisses, Yuna instinctively spread her legs to make a spot for him on top of her.

As their expressions of love became increasingly intense, Yuna's hands developed minds of their own. She caressed his back feverishly as Tidus pressed himself tightly against her. Without realizing it, her hands worked their way under his shirt and stroked his bare back tenderly.

Tidus grunted in approval and sat up for a minute to take off his shirt. Yuna blushed in spite of herself, looking on in approval at his well toned torso. She brought him close to her once again, squeezing him tightly as they continued to kiss.

Although she told herself she was ready for anything he could possibly throw at her, she couldn't help but yelp softly in surprise when Tidus skillfully put his tongue inside her mouth. Although strange, she grew to like it quickly. Returning the favor, she slipped her small tongue past his lips. Pleased that her actions elicited a small moan from her lover, she broke the kiss to give him a satisfied smirk.

"You're a fast learner," he whispered softly, indulging in his closeness to Yuna.

"I know," she replied curtly, giggling from happiness and ecstasy. She found herself wanting more, and she gazed seductively at him.

Not wanting to disappoint, Tidus lowered his lips to her neck, and left a trail of burning kisses down to her collarbone and still down further, nudging the top of her shirt to the side with his chin. He kissed illicitly close to her right breast, and was happy to hear soft moans freely escaping her lips.

Tidus pulled at the fabric of her shirt, and she immediately complied with his wishes. She lifted herself slightly so as to allow him to remove the garment. He immediately laid her down once again and went to work, leaving hot kisses all over her shoulders and stomach. He reached his hands behind her back to unfasten the bra constricting her breasts, and she once again helped him by elevating herself slightly.

Once the final garment covering her upper body had been removed, Yuna suddenly felt very cold and very exposed. Tidus immediately sensed this and pressed his chest up against hers to keep her warm and to ease her nervousness by covering her body with his.

"You okay? Need to stop, slow down, whatever?" he asked Yuna with concern.

She shook her head in reply. "No, I… I'm fine, just a little self-conscious." She hugged him tightly and brought her lips back to his, trying to open her mind to all the feelings that were flooding her body. As they deepened their kiss and their passion escalated, Yuna once again felt comfortable being with him. She pushed him up slightly, so she could let him see her exposed torso… she wanted him to see.

Needless to say, Tidus was thankful for the view. He looked longingly at her toned figure and beautiful breasts. Not trying to resist the urge, Tidus brought his head down to her right breast and lightly kissed a little to the left of her nipple. She put her hands on his head and pushed his face deeper into her chest as she moaned erotically.

Tidus continued showering hot kisses on her breast and took the other one in his hand, gently massaging her. Yuna grinned appreciatively at his actions; she was very unfamiliar with the sensations he was bestowing on her, yet immeasurably pleasured by them. The young woman squirmed involuntarily from his foreplay, all the while running her hands anxiously through his soft hair. He abruptly stopped playing with her chest, much to Yuna's chagrin.

"Hey!" she cooed softly in his ear in mock disappointment, missing her lover's actions. Tidus smiled intensely and rested his head on her chest.

"Sorry Yuna… can't rush heaven, you know?" he replied playfully, exhaling sharply and satisfyingly on her chest.

"Did you say that to all your girls?" Yuna asked wryly, feigning a humorous smile. Tidus' grin faded and he lifted his head once again to look at her.

"Nope… you're a jillion times sexier than any of them." Yuna looked at him and smiled a little. "Combined…" he continued, beaming at her from ear to ear.

"Flirt."

"Hottie."

Yuna blushed crimson at his words. She knew for a fact that it was the first time in the history of her life that any person had ever called her a… hottie? She found with fascination that she rather liked his endearments, and she was also genuinely pleased at how comfortable she was becoming amidst their intimate contact.

"I mean it," Tidus continued quietly, attempting to stare into her eyes rather than her breasts. "They… they were all so fake. You're… so much more natural, and clean, and pure."

His eyes twinkled with warmth at the woman beneath him. "You're really beautiful."

Yuna's flushed cheeks, already ruby red from his previous compliments, had just turned one shade more red. "You already have me, meanie… you just want me all worked up," she replied humorously. Tidus `hmm'ed and smiled vibrantly at her.

"Maybe… either that or I think you're more beautiful than I ever thought a girl… woman could be."

Yuna laughed as she felt her ego climb to dangerously high levels. "All right, just make love to me already!" she proclaimed happily as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Tidus chuckled at his lover… she didn't have to ask him twice.

He lowered his lips to hers once again, kissing his lady intensely. Wrapping his hands intently around the small of her back, he lightly tugged on Yuna's skirt, wordlessly requesting permission from her. She broke her kiss with him and nodded serenely, so Tidus leaned back and carefully pulled the skirt down the full length of her smooth legs. He breathed in heavily as his task was completed.

"Gorgeous," he whispered softly, returning his eyes grudgingly to meet hers once again. Yuna's gaze never left his as she lowered her hands to the button of his shorts. Tidus inwardly smiled at how her hands were shaking, the nervousness within her apparent. Much to his surprise, he found that he was also shaking with nervousness. He had realized that his first experience with someone he truly loved was so different than his… previous encounters. It made him nervous and clammy and anxious to truly please her, as if it was his first time. He liked the feeling a lot.

His thoughts went back to Yuna, and he gently touched her quaking hands as a gentle reassurance. "Relax," he whispered softly, helping her undo his button.

"Thanks," Yuna replied nervously as she cautiously peeled the shorts away from his body.

In their mostly naked state, they once again embraced each other tightly, sharing exhilarating kisses with one another. Tidus pressed himself closely to her, not attempting to hide the excitement building underneath his only remaining garment.

Yuna felt his stiffness against her and whimpered softly in pleasure as he moved himself back and forth gently. Hearing her gratifying moans urged him to continue his actions, and he kissed her neck momentarily before once again returning to her breasts. She soon found herself instinctively returning the motions with him, trying to fall in time with his fluid movements as she ran her fingernails across the length of his back.

Tidus smiled slightly as he continued to ravish her breast, enjoying the fact that Yuna was starting to feel a little more comfortable about the situation. He shivered in delight as Yuna's fingers danced elegantly across his back, her fingernails teasingly tickling his skin. Bringing his lips back to hers, he quickly put his tongue in her mouth and moaned softly in appreciation of Yuna's pleasurable cries.

They stayed as such for a while, feverishly rubbing against each other and sharing deep kisses for several minutes. As Yuna's bliss reached new heights, she decided to be a little adventurous. She gently tugged at the waistband of Tidus' boxers; he grunted in approval, elevating himself temporarily as she removed his last remaining piece of clothing. He smiled impishly at her.

"I knew you couldn't wait to get me out of my pants, beautiful," he proclaimed mischievously, winking at her teasingly. Yuna snickered gleefully and put her lips to his neck, taking great pleasure in the comfortable atmosphere surrounding their lovemaking.

"Mmm," she purred enticingly, "I guess you've figured me out." Tidus smirked and eyed her white panties hungrily.

"Do you mind?" he asked timidly, looking deep into her glistening eyes. Yuna looked at him thoughtfully, her face burning crimson.

"No."

As Tidus removed the last article of clothing that separated the two from lascivious nudity, Yuna shivered involuntarily at the situation. Her confidant understood immediately how uncomfortable she was probably feeling, so he scooped her into his arms protectively.

"Wanna take a little break?"

"Just a little one," she replied tensely, trying to get used to the very new sensation of being so intimately close to someone. She looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, I… I'm just a little nervous."

Tidus shrugged her comment off. "Don't apologize… you have nothing to be sorry for," he replied considerately, nuzzling her cheek ever so slightly. He looked at her intensely, and Yuna stared at him questioning.

"I'm just a little sad," he said reluctantly, "I… I wish this was my first time too." Yuna shook her head quickly in response.

"Don't be sorry… it's in the past, remember? I… love the `you' you've become." She blushed as naughty thoughts crept mercilessly into her mind, and the last of her mind's inhibitions finally conceded to the feeling of the moment.

"I'm ready for you… please."

Tidus nodded slightly and laid her back down on the yielding quilt, wrapping them both snugly with the large blanket. He smiled at a silly little revelation. "I'm glad I brought this."

"Me too," she replied softly, laughing a little.

Serenity enveloped both of them, their naked bodies kept warm by the fabric surrounding them and by each other. Tidus wrapped his arms tightly around Yuna's slender waist, pressing his erection close to her. She gasped loudly at the new and very enjoyable sensation, noting how much better it felt without clothes in the way.

Tidus' right hand crept sneakily from her waist down to her silky legs, hungrily taking in her beauty through his hands. He marveled at the softness of her skin; the fact that she was a summoner weary from a long journey did not affect the suppleness, he concluded, and he reveled in feeling such divine beauty on his rough fingertips.

His hand snaked their way in between her legs carefully, and he gently started massaging her. She let out a simultaneous gasp and moan deep from the back of her throat, astonished at how incredibly wonderful his manipulation felt. Yuna found herself moving her hips back and forth in heavenly bliss, trying to get the most out of his actions.

Her guardian smiled inwardly at the pleasure emanating from her; he decided to take things a step further by putting a single finger slightly inside of her. Another guttural moan escaped Yuna, and Tidus found himself getting dreadfully turned on at seeing her in such profound ecstasy.

His finger continued its gentle manipulation inside of her, and he marveled at how tight she was. He could only put the very tip of his finger inside of her… unfortunately, he knew exactly what would have to happen before they could complete each other, and the thought made him involuntarily wince. He momentarily pushed the notion out of his mind and once again concentrated on pleasuring her.

Yuna realized that her mind had become a complete mess of jumbled up emotions. She no longer cared about being self-conscious or nervous; she was simply too wrapped up in the incredible pleasure that was overwhelming her. Her lustful cries surrounded both of them as she lost herself to Tidus and his skilled hand. The young woman concluded that she desired more.

"Mmm… want more," Yuna moaned loudly, eyes closed and small beads of sweat lining her forehead. Tidus stopped his manipulations and looked intently at her.

Yuna opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him. Giggling a little, she poked her head under the quilt to get a look at the man making her feel so good. She eyed him hungrily, making note of his extremely toned and tanned body.

"You're sexy," she proclaimed quietly, completely flustered. Tidus laughed with her for a moment, and their eyes met. His smile faded, his intense blue eyes staring at her.

"Are… you ready?" Yuna looked at him apprehensively, once again feeling nervousness trying to overwhelm her. She pushed her hesitation firmly out of mind and gave him a weak smile.

"Yes… yes I'm ready." Tidus nodded at her affirmation and climbed carefully on top of her. Yuna spread her legs as wide as she felt comfortable for him, nervously awaiting him.

Tidus breathed heavily at what he had to do, staring almost guiltily at his lover. She smiled weakly at him, trying not to look too nervous.

"Yuna… this… is going to hurt."

Her eyes didn't hide the fear creeping up inside of her, but she put a gentle hand to Tidus' face as reassurance to both herself and him.

"I know," she said quietly. "Make it… quick, please?"

Tidus nodded seriously at her, and readied himself for what he had to do; he thrust himself inside of her and cringed at his lover's ear piercing scream. He felt like he wanted to crawl under a rock and die at seeing the pain so brutally apparent on her face. Tears rolled down her cheek, and he lifted a shaky hand to wipe them clean.

"God Yuna, I'm sorry…" he croaked quietly, trying to slow the racing of his heart. Yuna looked up and gave him a weak smile.

"It's okay," she replied, the pain noticeable in her voice. "Give me just a minute."

He nodded and put his head on her chest. He sat perfectly still inside of her, trying to let Yuna acclimate herself to the intrusion.

"Oh Yevon… it… it feels so big," she whimpered softly, a unique mixture of pleasure and pain bombarding her ruthlessly.

They sat that way for a few minutes as Yuna's pain began to subside. Yuna took Tidus' head in her hands and looked at him peacefully.

"I love you."

"I love you too," he replied calmly, kissing her softly on the lips. Yuna longingly returned the kiss, finding her pleasure increasing as the pain subsided.

The movements began gradually, Yuna moving her hips ever so slightly as she tried to take in the feeling of him deep inside of her. Slowly, Tidus started moving in and out of her, making sure not to be too rough so as to hurt her more.

As their pace quickened, they became lost in each other… the pain long gone, Yuna found herself adjusting to the act they were partaking in, eating up the pleasure that was overwhelming her. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and moved her hips sensually with his motions.

"Feels… so good," she moaned in between ragged breaths of undying ecstasy. She nuzzled her head deep in the crevice of Tidus' neck, trying to soak up the closeness with him to the fullest extent.

They found after many minutes of carnal bliss that they couldn't take in enough of each other. Their motions spiraled into a frenzied kind of lovemaking; they simply couldn't get too close… Tidus couldn't get too deep.

Yuna's world and her surroundings were a complete blur; almost dizzied by Tidus pounding into her repeatedly, she found herself at the edge of pleasure's barrier. She dug her fingernails into Tidus' back as she writhed and moaned loudly and uncontrollably beneath him. Her ecstasy flooded over onto itself as an intense orgasm bombarded her petite body relentlessly.

Tidus, lost in his own world of pleasure, felt her coming deep within herself. He desperately pounded into her, climaxing inside Yuna as waves of immeasurable pleasure wracked his body. He collapsed roughly on top of her, their sweaty bodies clinging desperately to one another.

"Ohh," Yuna murmured weakly, still trying to get a grasp on her sense after her unbelievable orgasm. Tidus laughed hoarsely.

"You can say that again."

Yuna wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, wanting to still feel her closeness to him. She cried softly into his chest.

"I… I couldn't have imagined how good… I love y-… thank you." Tidus gazed into her eyes contently.

"No… thank you," he proclaimed sleepily, feeling the aftereffects of their exertion. He got off of Yuna and took her into his arms, trying to make her comfortable. Together, they fell asleep under the moonlight, holding on to each other with dreams of a life together that could never be.

__________________________________________________________

"Yuna… it's almost dawn," Tidus whispered softly, still holding her in a sweet embrace.

"Mmnn," she groaned sleepily. "Not yet, just… not yet… five minutes."

Tidus nodded and closed his eyes sleepily, trying to make the most of his limited time with her. He wanted to hold her indefinitely, make her stay here, close to him. To hell with Sin, it didn't matter anymore.

He needed her.

Yuna's eyes fluttered open, scanning her environment and trying to remember the little details of their night together. Clothes were tossed haphazardly around their makeshift campground, and Yuna blushed when a full realization of what they had shared together came to her.

"I love you," she blurted out to him, recalling the spectrum of emotions that enveloped them earlier.

Tidus smiled. "Love you too."

Yuna yawned and tiredly rubbed her neck, trying to get a creak out of it. "What time is it?" she asked softly.

"Almost five o'clock…" Yuna blinked in surprise at how long they had been asleep; she knew if they didn't leave soon, certain questions would be raised from the rest of the group. To be honest, however, she found herself not really caring if they were discovered or not. Her mind unhappily thought back at what was to happen today.

"We… we're going to Zanarkand today."

"Yeah…"

She hugged him tightly, spilling a few tears on his bare chest. "Whatever happens, stay with me, please?"

Tidus blinked in surprise. "I wouldn't have it any other way… remember, always? I meant that, y'know."

She nodded solemnly. "Yes, I know."

Tidus yawned and stretched under the blanket. "I guess… we should be going back. I don't want the gang to go all lynch-mob on me or anything."

Yuna laughed. "I wouldn't dream of allowing such a thing!"

"Then you better rush me to safety, darling!" he replied in between chuckles.

"Okay," she replied grudgingly, slowly relinquishing her embrace. They dressed in silence… not the awkward type, mind you. It was a silence of subdued reflection, a time for thinking. After gathering all their belongings, they walked to the campsite hand in hand. Tidus turned to Yuna and gave him a little wink, which made her blush a little.

They stopped just shy of the girl's tent, and Tidus took her hand. He laughed a little. "So… umm, can you still look at me in the morning?" he asked playfully, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Yuna giggled softly. "Absolutely... I'll… never forget this." Tidus took her in a warm embrace, trying to hold back his tears.

"Me neither."

She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the lips and walked slowly into the tent. Tidus smiled and headed the opposite way to the guy's tent. Sounds of Wakka's snoring filled the air, and he found himself missing the warm embrace of his love immediately.

Did you know that you just gave me a new lease on life? Did you know what your forgiveness and understanding mean to me? Do you have any idea how much I love you? I hope the answer is yes, all of the above. I… feel like we're not going to be together much longer. Call it intuition or what have you… but I feel it, somehow know it.

I'll never forget, never let go, never relinquish what I've gained… your love, I'll selfishly hold on to it. This night… I'll relive it for an eternity. If we can't be together in this life, I'll hunt your love down in the next. I need you more than you could know.

Thank you, Yuna, for everything.

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Author's Note: Well, there you have it guys… my pride and joy, my latest fanfiction, over a year in the making. I do hope you realize that I didn't intend this fiction to be just a lemon… I hope you see that it's a lot more than a lemon, and I tried to put everything I had in this behemoth of a one shot. I really, really hope everyone likes it. Now onward, to other projects!

Fire Rules