Yes yes I don't own anything!!

Well, I'd guess I'm going to update probably everyday, I broke my foot about... 3 days ago.. I've got a 6-week cast and I'm in a lot of pain and cant walk... (oho vicadin).


Slept So Long

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"Hey Yunie, seconds thoughts please?" Rikku begged as she walked onto the small hill behind Yuna, "Luca's going to be party central! You got your wish, I want mine!"

Yuna smiled, Rikku was always a free spirit.  Zanarkand was so peaceful now, except for the insane amount of monkeys running around lose. It served them right, how dare Cid open this place up as a tourist attraction.

The hands that were wrapped around her waist loosened gently.  "You did get you wish, I would like to go too," a playful and happy voice answered.

"Would this be considered 'taking care' of you?" Yuna asked slyly.

"Ok, now you have no choice!" Tidus stood up behind Yuna and picked her up under her arms and threw her over his shoulder. 

"ALRIGHT!" Rikku giggled as she signaled Brother to open up the airship dock and let them in.

Tidus ran through the Zanarkand Ruins and up to the Celsius and ran aboard and Rikku closed the doors, and the Celsius took off.  His yellows boots reflected off of the pink lighting and he ran onto the bridge.

"Woo-hoo!! Its party time!" Rikku shouted with excitement as she happily skipped around the cabin.

Tidus realized his grip that he had holding up Yuna.  She slid down his back and stood up.  He sat back into Shinra's chair and relaxed.

"Yunie, lets wear our songstress outfits!" Rikku exclaimed as she stopped skipping around for a moment.

Yuna had plopped herself in Tidus' lap and leaned her head against his chest.  Not wanting to have to move, Yuna shook her head in agreement.  Tidus felt so warm, so comfortable, so right.

"Does this 'songstress' outfit cover you more than what your wearing now?" Tidus questioned Yuna with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"In some areas..." Yuna said giving him a small smile.

Yuna stood up, and grabbed his hands and pulled him along with her.  Yuna walked giggly into the hallway, which was a dark gray, with two neon pink lights lining the walkway.  They approached the cabin, which had a wood style bar on the right, tables on the left and a staircase up ahead.

Tidus looked around at the new settings. 'So this was their new airship? Eh, not bad!' he thought as he continued to allowed Yuna to drag him through the cabin, and towards the stairs. Whoa, wait, was she taking him to her room?

"And this is where we sleep!" Yuna announced giggly.

Tidus turned to her and his mind was so set on her.  Yuna was different, in so many ways. It almost hurt to ask how long he had been gone. He sat down on the bed and she sat down next to him staring deeply into his eyes.

"Yuna," he began but, the words were just so hard to ask, "How long have I been gone?"

Yuna's head sunk low. Two years. Two years, 3 months, and 6 days. God, it was painful to think about that. All that time, searching for him, and now finally, solace.

"Two years," she replied after a god awful long pause.

Tidus noticed the hurt behind her eyes, even though she tried to hide it.

"You seem so different.  You've changed so much, its almost scary," he told her.

Yuna's eyes got large.  "Bad?" she asked cautiously.

"No, no," he said making slicing motion with his hands.  "Err, um.. How do I put this, more playful? You just seem so much more open with your feelings, and maybe starting to show your real self," he said trying not to hurt her feelings.

"After you left..." Yuna began to say but the tears welled up. 'No,' she thought in her mind, 'you will not cry! He's back so you can stop now.' This was going to be hard, pouring her heart out, would he think different about her if he had knew about what she had done?

"After I gave a speech at Luca, there was a massive party, and Rikku convinced me to go.  She dressed me up, and everything, she just wanted me to be happy," Yuna went on.

"Dressed Al Bhed style?" Tidus asked trying to lighten the mood.

Yuna nodded and blushed slightly, she remembered that outfit, she was practically naked.  "I went, and I was smiling to with everyone, I couldn't help it. I was the saddest person alive and at the same time, I was the girl who saved the world, bursting with joy.  I went to the bar to sit, and had a couple of drinks and then I just remember dancing the night away with Rikku," Yuna said, but the next part of the story would be the hardest.

"The next day I woke up very late and I realized everything that had happened, and Rikku was about to go to the party that was in Bevelle, so I went with her as well.  Only this time I remembered when we were there and you saved me from Seymour and it caused so much pain.  I just...just drank my problems away.  I woke up the next day in Besaid with Lulu watching over me," Yuna said putting her head down in shame, "And then the news, it was Rikku and me, we were dancing- no grinding with people. And I kept doing it, I was addicted to drinking everything away.  It was horrible, all of Spira knew of my problem."

Tidus looked down at Yuna who had placed her head between her knees and began to sob lightly.  He had caused her soo much pain.  So much hurt that she had to drink her problems away.  He almost felt his heart rip in two pieces.

He held her gently. Yuna looked up into his ocean blue eyes.

"Just kiss me," she whispered lightly.

Tidus let a small grin escape as his hand gently brushed her cheek.

His lips met hers, and her lips met his.  A kiss 2 years long overdue.  Their second kiss.  Tidus's arm wrapped around her waist, and Yuna was motionless, her body went limp.  Her lips removed from his for a second and then met up again.

Tidus pulled away and laid down on the dark purple sheets on the bed. Yuna placed her head snuggled under his arm and wrapped one arm around his stomach.  

Everything had paid off.  Yuna laid there in pure bliss.  The feeling of true love running wildly through her vanes.  She laid there, waiting, hoping, he would say those three words, long overdue.

Tidus looked into her eyes, and rubbed his index finger along her nose.  She giggled and closed her eyes.

"I've always wanted to do that, its just such a cute nose," his voice said calmly.

Tidus could read her like a book.  She wanted him to tell her, tell her exactly how he left about her.  Tidus regretted that day so much, he should of told her right there and then. But now would have to do.

"Hey you dressed yet?" Rikku's voice was heard as she was running up into the cabin.  Yuna rolled off of Tidus and sat up on the bed, acting innocent.  Rikku ran up the wooden stairs up to where the beds where.  She was dressed in her orange boots, short purple skirt, and she had well, decided to wear a purple bikini top instead of the 'shirt' that is designed with.  Her orange gloves reached her mid up arms and were purple on the ends.

"Wo ho ho, was I interrupting something?" Rikku giggled.

Yuna blushed nervously and she shook her head negative.  She got off the bed and walked over to her closet and grabbed her outfit. She walked into the closet and appeared minutes later.  Tidus's eyes bulged out of his head.

"Since when have you been dressing like this?!" Tidus asked as he ran his hair through his hair.

"Hehe, so you like?" Rikku giggled.

Yuna stomped a brown boot on the ground.  "Rikku, what's the real reason you want to go to that party?" Yuna teased her as she began to walk to the elevator.

"What are you talking about?" Rikku asked giggly as she tried to walk away from Yuna.

"A certain person will be there, what's his name again?" Yuna teased as she walked closer and closer to Rikku taunting her.

"Rikku has a boyfriend?" Tidus laughed as he walked down the stairs.

"G-G-GIPPAL?!?!?!?!?" Yuna shouted at Rikku, as she began laughing.

"NO!" Rikku shouted back at Yuna and she pushed the elevator door closed.

After it came back up Yuna and Tidus entered the elevator and the doors closed. He looked at her and she looked down to the ground.  "You've changed so much," Tidus told her, she picked her head up and smiled.  The elevator doors opened, and the engine room door was open to the outside.  "Change is good," Tidus added as they ran off the dock into Luca.

It was just before dusk, and Luca was mad.  The music could be heard from a mile away.  Luca was covered in little white lights and people were smiling from ear to ear.  People were dancing on the ports, and on the docks. Yuna and company were headed to the main dome, were Barali, Gippal, and Nooj were. Tidus, Yuna, Rikku, Brother, Buddy, and Paine made their way through the crowds until it happen.  

"Lady Yuna! SIR TIDUS!?" a crowd of people came to gather around the two. Rikku gave them a grin and walked off, along with the rest of the crew. Tidus and Yuna began to shake hands and hug people that were coming up to them and congratulating them. 


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Rikku walked along with the crowd.  Rikku walked up to the glass bar and took a seat in a clear green barstool.  Everyone had the intoxicating smell of liquor on them.  Rikku pointed to the person sitting next to her, Rikku's drink of choice, a funky looking red and orange cosmopolitan.  Within seconds the bartender handed her the drink, and took a sip and allowed the cool ice to graze her lips and it turned them a reddish color.

"Cid's little girl drinking? Tisk tisk," a familiar voice said.

The familiar figure stood there, his blonde hair was cut short and spiked back. His eye was covered by a black patch, and he had on his Machina Faction uniform on over his bronzed skin.

"Go to hell Gippal," Rikku said taking another sip of her drink.  

"Rikku still mad? Hey that date-" Gippal began but a hand swung across his face, but he ducked and it barely missed him.

"Gippal, just, I don't know why I'm even here.  A part of me wanted to see you," Rikku said slowly, not truly meaning what she was saying, "But I see you're still the same."

"It was one date Rikku, and fantastic one. If you consider it one, but you made it that way," Gippal added slowly.

They both remembered that one date, it was about 1 year ago.  There was a huge party at Luca, to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the Eternal Calm.  It was a very much Romeo and Juliet fling. They had met dancing to Simple and Clean, ended up kissing on the dance floor, Cid coming after Gippal, and they had to run out of the party and on to the S.S. Kiki.

"And then you never bothered to think about me again!" Rikku added as she poked him in the chest.

Gippal rolled his eyes and got the bartenders attention and winked at her.

"You'll never change," Rikku said as she ordered another drink.

After running onto the S.S. Kiki, they danced under the moonlight until their feet couldn't hold them anymore. Words were unnecessary and they spoke through the glow of their eyes.  Rikku sat down on the controls of the boat and Gippal sat down on the captain's chair and put the typical sailor hat on.  Gippal flashed his cocky smile and Rikku's green eyes met his.  Rikku sat on his lap, and his hands rested on her hips, and they kissed, and then kissed again... and it didn't stop for the next 8 hours.

"You joined the Gullwings, and besides that, you're Cids daughter," Gippal said trying to defend himself.

"And you went to the Machina Faction," Rikku replied.

"Hey, you knew that and you could of joined too," Gippal added scratching his head.

"Yunie needed me, and she was more important to me than a silly one night stand," Rikku said as she got up from her seat. 

The lights dimmed as the sunset and more and more of the lights began to turn on sending a stream of colors through the area. Gippal too got up and stood above her, looking into those amazing green eyes of hers.  "You truly feel that way?" he asked her.  It hit Rikku, that night did mean something to him. 

"Rikku, I've never met anyone that makes me feel as happy as you do, that 'one-night stand' was the best night of my life.  If I could relive it I would," Gippal said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Rikku heard it, Simple and Clean began to play.  Gippal's cocky grin once again returned to his face, "We'll NEVER learn will we?" he asked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Lulu!" Yuna shouted as she and Tidus ran through the crowd of fans.

Lulu stood there next to Wakka, they were over looking the balcony.  Little Vidina was nowhere to be found, obviously left at home.

"You look great Lulu, how are you feeling?" Tidus asked.

"As good as anyone who had a baby a month ago," Lulu joked, and Wakka appeared from behind her.

"It's amazing, the people who love you Yuna, and what they'll do for you," Lulu added as Yuna and Tidus told them about the mass of people that they were running from.

The masses of people were heading towards Yuna and Tidus.  "You guys should head towards the dance floor, they'll never find you there, ya," Wakka shouted over the crowd.

Tidus and Yuna ran down a set of stairs and onto to the Blitzball dome were a massive glass floor was and people were just freely dancing. 

"Feel like dancing?" Yuna asked him.

"Its a good excuse for touching you, dirty dancing," Tidus replied slyly as his hands gripped Yuna's hips.

Yuna's hands reached up and wrapped around his neck. As they dipped together, the sweat dripped off his neck and onto her hands.  They soon bumped into Rikku and Gippal.  Yuna couldn't help but admire the way their bodies were moving together.  Gippal's hands ran all over Rikku's sweating body, and she danced giving him a taste of what he wanted, but yet leaving him begging for more.

Gippal gave Tidus a lift of the head, and Tidus returned it with a handshake. "Ah, the famous Sir Tidus, nice to meet ya!" Gippal replied as he shook Tidus's hand.

"They are pretty cute," Tidus teased, "But to date Rikku? That's insane!"

"Tidus! I heard that," Rikku said as she punched him.

Tidus wiped his arm off where she hit him, "Ewwwie," she shouted as he wiped his sweating hand all over Rikku's face.

"Meet you on the airship," Yuna shouted over the music to Rikku.

Rikku who was back to dancing with Gippal, looked at him and shook her head at Yuna, "See ya tomorrow!"

After hours of dancing, and partying Tidus's arms were wrapped around Yuna's waist and he felt her place her head on his chest and slowly stop moving.  "Sleepy?" he asked.  She nodded in his chest and he grabbed her hand and they began to walk out of Luca Stadium and towards the Celsius. On the Luca ports Yuna passed out slowly, and Tidus carried Yuna in his arms to the ship.  It was well passed 3, he couldn't blame her.  In the cabin he placed her in the bed and covered her slowly trying not to wake her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I love you," he whispered as he pulled the covers up on her.

"I love you too," Yuna said as she pulled the covers off the other side of the bed.

Tidus took the hint and whipped his gloves and kicked his shoes off and crawled in the bed next to her.  Yuna move to his side and cuddled up to his side.  Tidus wrapped his arm around her pulling her close.  The sweat still on their bodies, they soon passed out into the dream world......
 

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Next time on Slept So Long... Yuna is approached by Barali and Nooj about what to do next.... Gippal and Rikku face a tough choice... and After Tidus talks to Paine, he wonders why Yuna didn't tell him about Shuyin....