FIC: Twin Blades -- HP/FFX -- Chapter 9 -- Harry/Tidus -- R/M

[batsutousai]

Title: Twin Blades
Fandoms: Harry Potter & Final Fantasy X
Author: batsutousai
Beta: tsuki_no_suzu
Rating: M/R
Pairings: Harry/Tidus (with a side of practically everybody/Harry)
Warnings: OoC, AU, playboy!Harry, NON-SPARKLY-vampire!Harry
Summary: Harry was shunned by his own people because of a bitter vampire and continued living long after England was just a pile of rubble. He watches his world become Spira and finally sets out again to save the world.

Disclaim Her: This story uses characters and settings owned by J.K. Rowling, her publishers and Square Enix. No money is being made from the creation of this fanfic, and no copywrite infringement is intended.

-0-
Regret
-0-

After a bit of debate between the Al Bhed and Yuna's party, it was agreed that the technological people would drop the party off at a Calm Lands' Al Bhed rest stop with provisions and – when Harry showed everyone how to use them – a couple of communication radios that had a reasonable range. Harry was confident that they could use the radios to call the airship once they were done in Zanarkand, even though the airship planned to collect the colonists, then return to Bikanel Island.

The only real debate had been about where to set the party down. The guardians had all agreed that being as far away from Bevelle was the wisest course, but Yuna was determined to complete her entire pilgrimage, no matter the danger. Which meant she wanted let down in the Calm Lands if she couldn't have Macalania Woods. It had taken the party three days to agree on a spot, and another two days selling Cid on the idea – the Al Bhed leader was very much against letting his niece and daughter that close to the city that wanted them all dead. In the end, Cid promised to spend a full day in the area around the Calm Lands, in case they needed a quick lift out of trouble.

When they were finally set down in the early morning, the group of eight travellers were quite ready to get on their way again, and set out almost as soon as the airship had taken off.

"I love airships," Harry had commented, "but sometimes you just need to get out and stretch your legs."

"And murder some fiends," Tidus had gleefully added, swinging his sword at a Malboro and chopping off a vine.

"Don't get too cocky," Auron had replied, finishing off the Malboro, only for another one to take its place.

"I'm not getting cocky!" Tidus complained.

Harry rolled his eyes at the two, took out his guns, and set off two shots, immediately killing the plants. When everyone turned to stare at him in surprise, he shrugged and put his guns away. "That's the difference between man-made and magic-made bullets." He grinned rather cockily, much to Auron's irritation and Tidus' amusement, then said, "Shall we keep going?"

"Do they have more of a kick?" Rikku asked, as both she and Tidus had gotten lessons from the vampire with his guns while on the Thunder Plains. Yuna had watched the sessions but, when offered the guns, had shaken her head and suggested that she might try them another time. During the lessons, however, both Tidus and Rikku had been surprised at the recoil of the guns, which Harry never even showed he felt.

Harry shrugged. "Bit more, yeah."

"Like, knock Rikku on her behind again, kick?" Tidus asked.

Harry snickered. "Like, knock you on your bum, kick. These magazines have almost twice the power of the ones I was making."

"Could you make them yourself like that?" Yuna asked, falling back a bit to walk with the other two teens and Harry. "Like, by hand?"

Harry considered the question for a moment, then sighed. "I know the formula, but it's delicate work, and I'm not sure I have the patience for it. Nor do I currently have the facilities to make the magazine. But, assuming I had everything required to make the magazines, and managed to find the patience, then, yes, I could make them myself."

"You mean, you lack patience?" Rikku demanded, having apparently come to the conclusion that Harry had more patience than anyone in the group.

Harry cocked an eyebrow at her. "In case you haven't noticed, my dear, I have about as much patience as you lot," he said, waving a hand at the three teens.

"Sometimes, though, you're just so serious," Rikku explained. "Like Lulu is."

Harry chuckled. "Rikku, really, I'm just like another teenager." He grinned madly. "With the added bonuses of immortality and an endless sex drive."

"Harry!" Lulu called back warningly.

Harry waggled his eyebrows at the three teens, who all laughed, then had to duck a lick of fire. Really, he considered, it was probably a good thing he expected the attacks from Lulu and took them in a playful manner, because, otherwise, they would have issues.

-0-0-0-

The party made a pit-stop at a cavern Lulu knew of where a fayth had been secreted away. It wasn't a fayth Harry was familiar with, so he'd had no comment for their summoner about the aeon.

After receiving Yojimbo – and making a sizable hole in their pocketbook – the party continued on to the other side of the gorge at the foot of the mountains. There, they agreed to camp for the night. After letting Cid know they were fine, they set up a watch and set up for bed.

There were no problems during the night, and the party changed into warm clothing they'd gotten from the Al Bhed before starting up the mountain in good spirits, which dwindled when they reached the Ronso camp.

"Summoner Yuna and guardians, leave here at once!" a commanding voice called as they walked into the clear space. Ronso surrounded the party threateningly, and the guardians all pulled out their weapons. "Gagazet is Ronso land, sacred mountain of Yevon. The mountain will not bear footsteps of infidels!" The speaking Ronso was older and looked like he had power.

"Maester Kelk Ronso," Yuna said softly, stepping forward and making the prayer. "My guardians and I come in peace to continue our journey to Zanarkand, so we might defeat Sin."

"You almost kill a maester and claim peace?" Kelk demanded.

"Almost?" Harry hissed, but Lulu shot him a warning look before he could cause a scene.

"We only attacked Maester Seymour because he attempted to murder one of my guardians, and then attacked the rest of us when I refused his hand in marriage," the young summoner said, standing firm against the Ronso tribe. "One of my guardians is a Ronso, Kimahri, and I intend no harm to your people so long as they don't intend harm to us."

"The guardian who was almost killed is traitor to Yevon!" Kelk roared. "He uses forbidden machina!"

Yuna balked at that accusation and looked back at Harry, unsure how to refute a claim Harry himself would never deny.

Harry shrugged and came to stand next to the girl. "I use forbidden machina," he agreed blandly, rolling his eyes when the tribe roared out their fury at the perceived sin. "I also protect my summoner," he continued, voice somehow carrying over the noise. "Is it not in the Guardian's Code that a guardian should protect his or her summoner with any means necessary?"

"You carry swords," another Ronso pointed out. "What need have you for machina?"

Harry shrugged. "I like them." He waited until the shouting died down again before commenting, "I'm not the first guardian to use machina in the practise of guarding my summoner."

"Lies!" the Ronso from before roared.

But Kelk was frowning and motioned for silence. "And which guardian might that have been?"

Harry smiled. "Zaon Bevelle, guardian of Yunalesca Yevon."

There was silence for a long moment as those in the clearing allowed that statement to sink in. Then, as they realised what it meant, the Ronso screamed, "Blasphemy!"

"We can't take you anywhere," Lulu complained.

Harry chuckled and pulled a sphere out of his bag, which he then flicked on.

"You dare to think you can protect a summoner with a piece of metal?" Yu Yevon demanded of Zaon, while Yunalesca stood behind her lover, looking torn.

"Isn't that what your own foot soldiers do?" Zaon asked. "With their swords and their spears?"

"That's different!" Yu roared.

"Isn't it? My metal simply has a longer range." The boy held out his gun, showing the older summoner, while Yunalesca gripped his shoulder, half afraid he'd shoot her father. "I can kill more enemies coming at Yunalesca then one of your foot soldiers can."

"You would kill your own people?" Yu laughed. "Boy, don't joke with me!"

"I would kill anyone to protect your daughter, Lord Yevon. Even my own father."

Harry quickly switched the sphere off before the Ronso could see his own addition to the argument. While it might help for the Ronso to know that their beloved Yevon himself had a guardian – if one could have called Harry that – that used machina, Harry wasn't quite ready for another people to know what he was. "There is your proof," he said simply, putting the sphere back in his bag.

Kelk blinked at the man in the following silence. "Where did you get that?"

Harry shrugged. "One of my ancestors fought in the Machina Wars for Zanarkand," he said, using the old story. "My family kept many of his things, including a number of spheres. He was a friend of Lady Yunalesca's father. The guns – the machina – I carry once belonged to him. They are as much a part of who I am, as this mountain is for your people."

Kelk sighed and struck his staff against the rock beneath him, though it was not necessary as everyone was silent and waiting for his decision. "This guardian cites the truths of legends, calling on ancestors for his right to use the forbidden. As Maester of Yevon, I declare him in the right, as he does only his duty as stated in Guardian's Code." He eyed Harry for a moment, and the vampire met his stare calmly. "Sacred Gagazet welcomes you, guardian. And you, Lady Summoner. Your party may pass."

"You have our thanks, Maester Kelk," Yuna replied, complete with prayer.

Kelk nodded and he and the other Ronso moved from their way to let the party by. "Luck, Lady Yuna."

Just before they got out of the Ronso camp, two Ronso challenged Kimahri's right to continue through the mountain. The guardian disposed of the two Ronso warriors without trouble and the party finally continued up the mountain, followed by a rendition of the Hymn of the Fayth and a promise of a statue for Yuna with a horn.

-0-0-0-

Their travel to the peak took almost three days, with them sleeping together in a large group to keep from freezing during the cold nights. Lulu would gleefully cast a Thunder spell at Harry any time the vampire started coming on to someone in the party, keeping everyone entertained during the cold trip and keeping Harry from needing blood. Harry was actually grateful to the woman, much to Tidus' surprise, because the vampire had once had sex in the freezing cold, and hadn't looked forward to even just jerking off. Anyway, the blond guardian needed all the warmth his blood gave him.

Just before the peak, however, they ran into an old, slightly dead, enemy.

"Ah, the undying sinner and the son of Jecht," Seymour said, having caught Harry and Tidus behind the rest of the party.

Harry quickly shot off a streaking sliver form up the path, turning to face the half-Guado with a smile. "One might say the same of you," he commented. "I was quite surprised to hear that you'd only almost died. See, there's only been one person to have ever survived that particular spell, and you're looking at him. But, don't worry, I'm sure it works on unsent, just as well as it does on the living."

"I don't think I'll be giving you the chance to try it out," Seymour replied, then shot out with a special attack, which hit Harry hard.

The vampire hit back with his guns, which did a lot more damage than Seymour had done, and Tidus jumped in with a Thundara spell.

Then, the rest of the party was with them, adding their own spells and physical attacks to the fight. Although Harry had been pretty sure he and Tidus could have handled the unsent without the extra help, it was nice to have Yuna there to cast a healing spell on him and give both himself and Tidus a moment to step back.

All things considered, with Harry adding a couple of overpowered shots to the dead man, Seymour wasn't that hard to kill. When he fell down the side of the mountain, the party all traded healing spells and potions.

"What was that spell you used to call us?" Lulu asked Harry. "It looked like no animal I've ever seen before, and when it reached us, it spoke in your voice."

Harry laughed weakly. "It's called a Patronus. Old Earth magic. They were originally created to ward off a horrible creature that would suck all your happiness out of you, but my old professor found a way to use it to send messages."

"There were creatures that could take away your happiness?" Yuna whispered.

Harry nodded grimly. "Machina and Sin may have done some horrible things to this world, but the people of Old Earth created some horrors that I doubt Spira will ever top." He sighed. "They were called dementors, and my people – magical people – used them to guard their prisons. It was, perhaps, the worst punishment I have ever heard of, and I've heard of some pretty bad punishments."

Already feeling down at the thought of dementors, the party walked around the edge of the ridge to find a sight that had them all stopping to stare.

Harry closed his eyes at the walls of bodies that met him. "The dream," he whispered.

"This... These are the fayth Yu is summoning for the dream of Zanarkand?" Yuna asked.

Harry nodded, feeling sick. "All those people..." He stepped up to the nearest wall and picked out a few people he'd known. "Why, my friends? Why?"

"Harry?" Tidus asked, resting a hand on the vampire's shoulder. The vampire, as luck would have it, chose that exact same moment to touch the wall, and the two crumpled to the ground, leaving their friends terrified.

-0-0-0-

"Eh?" Tidus said, opening his eyes and seeing Zanarkand.

Next to him, Harry stared at the city, feeling homesick. "Oh," he whispered, "Zanarkand..."

"Where are we?" Tidus asked, looking around. Before Harry could form an actual answer, Tidus' eyes lit up and he ran forwards saying, "This is my house!"

Harry trailed behind the teen, trying to take in everything about his lost home.

Inside the house, a small figure awaited them. "Hey! We've met before, haven't we?" Tidus asked the boy.

"James," Harry murmured.

"Hello, Grandpa," the fayth replied.

"How...?" Tidus looked between the two family members, then realization dawned. "Are we inside the dream?"

"Yes," James agreed, looking back at Tidus.

Tidus frowned. "So, wait. If this is the dream, why does my house look just like it did back home?"

Harry let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around himself. "Tidus, what do you remember of the war between Zanarkand and Bevelle?"

Tidus blinked and considered the question, looking between the two other males. "I...don't..." He trailed off, the truth finally clicking in to place in his mind.

"You're a part of the dream," James offered simply.

"You knew!" Tidus snapped, turning to glare at Harry. "You knew!"

Harry looked away.

"You bastard!" Tidus shouted, running over to beat his fists against Harry's chest. He wanted to punish this man that he'd come to depend on, that he'd trusted. Harry, who had kept things from him. Harry, who he'd lo–

"Grandpa didn't want to!" James cried, running forward and grabbing one of Tidus' arms. "He didn't want to keep it from you! But..." James looked away as Tidus turned to the child. "But it would hurt you. And we – the fayth – wanted to tell you ourselves. I asked him to keep it from you."

Tidus looked between the two, not sure how he felt, really. "You lied for him?" he finally asked Harry.

The vampire grunted without comment, but James snapped, "He lied for you! To protect you!"

"I don't feel protected!"

"James," Harry said firmly as the boy opened his mouth to speak again. Harry looked up at Tidus, eyes empty of all emotion. "Yes, I kept the truth from you. I will not lie to you about that. I did it for a number of reasons, some selfish, others not so much."

Tidus swallowed. "I can't trust you anymore," he whispered.

Harry flinched, then inclined his head. "No, I don't suppose you can."

Tidus looked at James. "Why tell me now?"

"The fayth's dream is connected to Sin," the boy said quietly. "Once Sin is gone, the dream will end."

"I'll be gone," Tidus realised.

Harry spun and stalked out of the house.

"What's his problem?!" Tidus snapped. "It's not like he knows what it's like to die!"

James shrugged. "But he knows what it's like to lose the people he cares for."

Tidus blinked in shock and looked towards the door, where Harry had gone. "How can he care about a dream?" he whispered.

James sighed. "I cannot explain Grandpa, he is far too complicated to understand."

Suddenly, the door to the house burst open and Harry looked between the two younger males in the dream. "James! Cary said that when Tidus came in contact with Sin, he became something more than a dream, right? It's why I can feed from him."

Tidus felt his mouth fall open as the fayth nodded. "Yes. But we don't know what changed."

"I might not fade?" Tidus asked.

James shook his head. "You'll fade."

Harry waved his hands around, catching their attention again. "Tidus is sustained by the combined forces of Sin and the fayth, right?" James nodded. "What if there was a third force? A third factor?"

"What sort of third factor?" Tidus demanded.

"Please, Grandpa, I cannot follow your thoughts," James requested.

Harry groaned and tugged at his hair, messing up his braid. "A vampire," he said, and both Tidus and James' eyes widened, "is somewhere between life and death. Neither here nor there. Unsent, almost, I suppose. But a vampire is magic – the very blood is magic. Would it be possible, do you think, for Tidus to remain as a vampire?"

James blinked and considered the question. After a while, he shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "You know the most about vampires, and even then, you're not your average vampire. You might be able to keep him from fading when we sleep. I don't know."

"But it's worth trying, right?" Tidus asked.

James frowned at Harry, realising something. "Grandpa, you swore you'd never turn anyone. Not even if it would save their life."

Harry closed his eyes. "Yes," he agreed tightly.

Tidus realised, rather painfully, that Harry was giving up a lot of his promises to himself to help save Spira. He'd agreed to become a summoner if that one fayth wouldn't accept Yuna, and now he was suggesting breaking another promise to himself to maybe keep Tidus alive. "Harry..." Tidus tried, but he couldn't bring himself to tell the vampire that he didn't need to turn Tidus. That Tidus was okay with fading. Because Tidus didn't want to die.

Harry smiled at him, eyes filled with the knowledge of Tidus' plight. "It might not work," he warned.

"You don't–" Tidus managed, but it felt like he was pulling teeth.

"But I will," the vampire whispered. "Because I'm selfish, and you're selfish. And because, despite my own personal hatred of this curse, it'll give you a chance. And even if you hate me, once you've lived this half-life, at least I'll know you were able to. And, in the long run, that's all that matters."

Then Harry faded away, and Tidus jerked forward, trying to grab the vampire before he was gone.

"I'm sorry," James whispered, head lowered.

Tidus looked down at the small, lost little boy. The boy who had died for the chance to see his grandfather again. And Tidus smiled. "Thanks."

James looked up at him, and Tidus was struck by how much the boy looked like his grandfather with those same haunted green eyes. "Don't hurt him!"

Tidus blinked and nodded. "I'll try," he promised.

James nodded, and the boathouse faded away.

-0-0-0-

When Tidus woke, he felt a fur-clad body behind him, and saw the faces of the party above him. "Hi?" he said, then turned to look at the vampire who was holding him and was avoiding his eyes.

"What happened?" Yuna demanded.

Tidus blinked at her. "We sort of dreamed."

"Why?" Rikku asked.

"The fayth wanted to talk to me," Harry said, drawing away from Tidus to stand. "Tidus just had the unfortunate luck to touch my shoulder as they called me into their world."

Tidus let Rikku help him stand, trying and failing again to meet Harry's eyes.

"We should continue," Harry said almost cheerfully. "Zanarkand is on the other side of these caves!"

"I'd almost thought you didn't know these mountains," Lulu commented. They'd let Harry pick the path once or twice and he'd invariably gone the wrong way.

Harry huffed. "I haven't been in these mountains for one thousand years, lovely Lulu. The paths I remember have been eroded away."

"Except this cave?" Yuna asked as they started out again.

"If this cave has changed, I'll shoot my foot."

"Please don't."

Harry grinned at the summoner.

Tidus fell back with Auron and, when the rest of the party was far enough ahead, said, "You knew."

Auron glanced over at the teen. "About your Zanarkand?"

Tidus nodded. "And how did you get there? Did you lay up here for ten years?"

Auron looked back at the front of the party, where Harry was talking animatedly with Yuna and Rikku. "Sin brought me. Jecht wanted me to watch out for you."

Tidus sighed angrily. "Sin couldn't take your real body into the dream." He paused. "Could he?"

Auron shook his head. "I am unsent."

Tidus blinked, then closed his eyes. "How many more secrets are you people keeping from me? First my old man's Sin, then Yuna's gotta die to defeat Sin. Harry's a vampire and you're dead. And now I'm a dream?"

"I have no more secrets," Auron replied quietly. "And I cannot speak for the others, but I do believe that's the last one you will find out."

Tidus snorted. "Sure. And maybe Harry will talk to me again."

Auron watched the teen for a long second, then looked up at where Harry was instructing them through the trials. The vampire glanced back at the two men standing so apart from the rest of the party, pain flickering briefly in his eyes. "I believe he would like to. Perhaps he doesn't have the words. Perhaps he thinks you need time. Or, perhaps, he is simply afraid of what you might say."

Tidus glanced up at where Harry was leading Wakka and Rikku into the water for the first trial. Harry glanced back just before jumping into the water and their eyes met for a second. "I think it's a bit of all three," Tidus replied.

-0-0-0-

After fighting the Sanctuary Keeper, they walked around the mountain, to where Zanarkand spread out beneath them in ruins.

"Oh, Merlin..." Harry whispered, staring down at his home.

"I'm sorry," Yuna whispered, taking his left hand in hers and looking up at him with eyes brimming with tears.

Harry glanced over as another hand grabbed his right, and Tidus looked at him silently before turning back to the ruined city. Harry squeezed the boy's hand before looking back down himself and taking a deep breath. "We should keep going," he said.

"You're sure?" Yuna asked, looking at Harry, then Tidus.

"There's a spot at the bottom of this path we can camp at," Auron offered.

Harry nodded. "We could all use the rest. And there we can figure out where the temples of Alexander and Odin are. I mean, I remember where, but I don't know the ruins like I knew the city."

"It'll be an adventure, eh?" Rikku said in as cheerful a voice as possible.

"Just, this time, no crumbling floors, okay?" Yuna pleaded.

Harry chuckled humourlessly. "There aren't any sinkholes quite that impressive in Zanarkand, I'm afraid."

"No trailing vines, either," Tidus commented mutely, looking out over the city with no green.

"Mmm... No, 'fraid not."

"Come on," Auron ordered, then started down the path.

Lulu and Wakka fell in behind the dead guardian. Rikku, gently took Yuna's arm and led her down behind them, Kimahri following.

"I'm sorry," Tidus murmured, still looking out over the city.

"For what?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"The way I reacted. I–"

"You had every right to react that way," Harry said, turning to look at the teen. "Look. When I was a little younger than you, my mentor told me I was destined to save the world, shortly after my guardian died. And, well, I sort of reacted just like that. Except, the way magic was back then, well... My magic sort of destroyed his office. So... I don't–"

"Shut up," Tidus said firmly, then pulled Harry forward and kissed him, trying to put his entire apology and how much he cared for this vampire who had taught him so much in such a short time into it.

Harry closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the teen, kissing back.

When they pulled apart, they took a moment for Tidus to catch his breath, then started down the path after the party, holding hands.

"So, what does becoming a vampire entail?" Tidus asked.

Harry glanced at him. "I basically drink you dry, then feed you some blood. Sometimes there's sex involved."

"Sometimes?" Tidus repeated.

Harry shrugged. "The fucker who turned me wasn't interested in the pleasure, only the pain it would cause. Other vampires usually like to add sex in to make it better for the person being turned."

Tidus forced Harry to stop and looked up at him. "You were turned against your will?"

Harry shrugged. "I told you I was destined to save the world?" Tidus nodded, frowning. "I did it. I killed the bastard who killed my parents. And I was famous. I was all set to marry the sister of my best friend after I helped to clean up the leftover mess. But, not everyone was happy with the outcome."

"Vampires?"

"Vampires, werewolves..." Harry shrugged again. "My people considered them half-humans, and they were shunned. One of those vampires decided to see how my people liked it if their saviour was a half-human too. So he and a bunch of his friends jumped me, held me down, and turned me." Harry sighed and looked away. "I was thrown out of England in shame for what I'd allowed to happen. Some of my friends said they'd come with me, but I told them no. Ran away." Harry shook his head. "Thirty years later, before I'd ever gotten the balls to go back, World War Three started, and England was one of the first places hit. I never saw my friends again."

"Harry, I'm..." Tidus breathed, unable to find the words.

Harry smiled bitterly. "It was almost better that way," he said. "I didn't have to watch them die of old age, which is sometimes worse. And couldn't turn them. I couldn't make them live like this." He met Tidus' eyes desperately. "I don't want to make you live like this. But I don't..." He closed his eyes.

Tidus hugged the vampire, beginning to understand the pain that had kept Harry from offering to turn people, even if it meant saving their life. "I don't want to fade away," Tidus whispered. "And..." Tidus swallowed and looked up into pained green eyes. "Eternity doesn't sound so bad. Not if it means spending it with you."

Harry choked and pulled Tidus against him, half mad with desperation, half mad with something he thought might resemble love. "Damnit. You stupid, bloody..."

Tidus smiled at him. "Too corny?"

Harry laughed then, and shook his head. "Teenager!"

Tidus chuckled and took Harry's hand again, lightly tugging him to continue down the path. "We should join back up with the others."

Harry shook his head, but let the boy lead him down.

Just before they reached the party, Harry said, "Think on it, before you decide. I won't... I can't force this on you."

Tidus sighed. "You're not forcing me, Harry."

"It's..." Harry grunted and gestured wildly with his free hand, as the other was trapped in Tidus' grip. "When your only other choice is to cease to exist, it feels like it."

Tidus rolled his eyes. "If anyone's forcing me, it's the fayth, and from what I can see, they're outside your control. So you're not forcing me, you stupid vampire. You're giving me a choice. If you weren't here, I wouldn't have that choice. See?" Tidus glanced up at him.

Harry rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, fine."

"Are you two okay?" Yuna asked, running over to them. "You took so long, but Sir Auron said to give you time."

"We had some things to talk about," Harry said softly. "Something the fayth on the mountain said. It... upset me. Tidus..."

Tidus shrugged and grinned. "I told him he was being stupid."

Harry snorted. "Something like that."

Yuna looked between them, sadness in her eyes. "Okay," she said, turning to walk back to the rest of the party.

"Yuna?" Harry asked. When the girl looked back at him, he disentangled his hand from Tidus and rested both hands on her shoulders. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Yuna smiled painfully. "I wasn't joking..." She shook her head.

"Yuna really liked you," Tidus translated. He and the girl had spoken about it one night while they stayed with the Al Bhed. "Like I do."

Understanding dawned and Harry closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Yuna just nodded. "I never had a chance, anyway. Not after Lulu and Kimahri warned you off. I... sort of knew that."

Harry nodded and swallowed. "It's not that I don't care for you, but you just..." He shook his head angrily. "Dammit!" Then he pulled the girl into and hug, tightening his arms around her and wishing he hadn't hurt her, wishing he could take it all away.

"It's okay," Yuna said, gently pulling away and still smiling. "I'm happy, though. Because you are. Right?" She looked over at Tidus, including him in her question. The other teen nodded, and she looked back at Harry, who wore such a broken look on his face she laughed and lightly smacked his cheek. "Stop that."

"I do love you," Harry said, and both teen's breaths caught. "But..." Harry shook his head and grimaced. "Five thousand years and I still can't find the right words!"

Yuna laughed weakly while Tidus chuckled. "It's okay," the girl said.

Harry shook his head. "You became family," he said, waving his hands around a bit. "Everyone became family. And that's important, because I like having a family. And you... Yuna, sweetheart, you became like a daughter to me. Or a niece. Like Yunalesca was. And after finding out she was dead..." He sighed. "You're important, okay. And I love you, but not... not romantically."

Yuna nodded, tears in her eyes. "Okay."

Rikku poked her head over Yuna's shoulder and demanded, "Yeah? If Yunie's your daughter, what am I?"

"The thorn in my side," Harry deadpanned, and all four of them laughed, the moment broken.

"Hey, I wonder what Bevelle would say if you tried adopting Yuna," Tidus said, waggling his eyebrows in the same way Harry always did.

"That's really creepy," Harry replied.

"The eyebrows, or Bevelle's reaction?" Rikku asked.

"Yes," Harry said, cocking an eyebrow at the girl. Rikku snickered.

Yuna took Harry's hand as they all started back towards where the rest of the party was watching them, concerned, but content to let them handle it themselves. "I think," the girl decided quietly, "that I'm okay. With that." She glanced up at Harry and the vampire smiled sadly. "I'm okay with being family."

Harry nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Yuna poked him in the side. "Stop that."

"Hm?"

"Apologising!" Yuna poked him again. "You always apologise!"

"Bad habit from my childhood," Harry admitted. "Drove my best friends bonkers."

"Yu?" Tidus asked.

Harry shrugged. "Yu. Ron and Hermione, my friends from school. Debbie and Lee, friends from Old Earth..."

"So, really, it's just something that's always driven everyone crazy," Rikku suggested.

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

-0-0-0-0-0-

~Bats ^.^x

Chapters:
1 - Washed Up ||| 2 - Forgotten Fayth ||| 3 - The Broken Town
4 - The Abyss ||| 5 - Depth ||| 6 - Ghosts
7 - Maybes Are Nevers ||| 8 - Extremes ||| 9 - Regret
10 - Fred ||| 11 - Vampyre ||| 12 - Blood

..