A Secret Found Out
Who: Tidus and Wakka
When: Um. Sometime between Christmas and New Years, I'm assuming.
Where: Wakka hutcabinthing
Warnings: Surprises! .-.
Wakka sat at his table looking at the picture in his hand. It was worn, held by hands a lot over the past years. The edges were frayed and yellowing. And he looked at it with eyes of regret, of sorrow even. Eyes that no one had quite seen on him before.
It was a mistake. All of it was ...
Memories were flooding back and he couldn't help it.
It should've never happened...
He hand trembled a bit, and he felt his eyes welling; he dared not to blink. This wasn't like him, and he hated it. "Damn it!" Wakka stood, somewhat angry with himself.
He let the picture fall to the table, face down, he just didn't want to think anymore. Besides, there were things that needed tending. He hurried out the back door of his cabin. "I'd better go check on the bicorns."
Don't want to think ...
Ironically, as Wakka was going out the back door of his cabin, Tidus was waltzing in through the front.
He never knocked - Wakka should know that by now. Tidus had always just walked in anywhere he wanted to go. This, of course, gave him very embarassing memories, but he never changed.
For some reason, Wakka wasn't there. That was weird. Why wasn't Wakka in his own hut? Oh well. Maybe he was hiding or something. Though Tidus couldn't really figure out why he'd do that...
So, making his way inside, the blonde glanced around. The decorations that were making the room shine just a few days ago seemed so dull now, and he noticed that a handfull of them were taken down. Weird, he thought.
He noticed that the chair by Wakka's table was moved, as if someone had been sititng on it only a few minues before. Pretending he was Wakka, Tidus puffed out his chest and sat down in the chair.
"Tidus, maybe you should pay attention more, ya," Tidus said, mimicing his friend's voice. Laughing at his own joke, he looked down at the table. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pens, paper, sticky notes, a picture-
"Oh look, a picture," he said to no one in particular. And then he picked it up and turned it around...
Wakka stood by the door outside a second after walking out. He stared off into the sky, suddenly feeling very alone. To tell the truth there wasn't actually anything he had to do. He never really had much to do, he spent most of his time wandering around or spending quality time with Tidus.
He sighed, leaning against the door. "You're really mess today, ya." He could barely think. It was always like this around the holidays. He went off on a Christmas high, and then fell back to Earth, got really drunk in his cabin, and the next day was really depressed.
It wasn't like Wakka to be depressed - it made his head hurt. Actually, it made all of him hurt. Suddenly he realized that the door he was leaning on was very uncomfortable and very wooden. Also, that it was very chilly outside in the middle of Winter, and he decided that he'd just have to face his own misery and head back inside his tiny little hut.
He turned the knob and walked in, stretching and yawning. He glanced over at the table and without thinking, smiled. "Oh hey Tidus."
...........
"TIDUS!" To his horror he saw his friend sitting in his chair, at his table, looking at... looking at...
"Put that down!"
Tidus was quiet for a moment. Scratch that, for a handful of moments. He stared down at the photograph. It looked old, and Tidus could tell instantly that it was Wakka that was in the picture. Wakka, and...
"Oh. Is this your nephew or something?" he asked, grinning at his friend. Why was he so upset? "And who's this chick?"
"None of your business." Wakka snapped at his friend, eyes full of anger. Over the years Wakka had told Tidus almost everything, but this was different. This was his deepest secret.
How could he tell him, anyway? How could he just come out and say that even though they'd been best friends for so long, he was living this sham of a double life.
"Don't just walk in like that and go through my things." He snatched the picture from Tidus's hands and glared at him.
Tidus... blinked.
"What?"
What was the big deal? Wasn't Wakka used to his behavior? Hadn't they been friends for a long time? Was there something that Wakka was keeping from him, or...?
"What's up, man? It's just a picture. Don't get all mad."
Wakka hadn't looked at him like that for a very long time. The only time Wakka ever snapped at him and looked at him with those angry brown eyes was when he'd done something really awful. But Tidus was usually aware of those times. Usually he knew just what he did and why Wakka would be mad and by the time Wakka was giving him this look he was already figuring out ways to get out of it.
But for some reason, this seemed different than those other times.
Wakka looked at his picture, the memory suddenly seemed very far away. He looked at a younger, happier version of him, standing next to a woman with long black hair, holding the most beautiful baby boy he'd ever seen. The weight on his heart was back, and he felt his eyes welling up again.
He sat down quickly in a chair and laid his head in his hands, fretfully aware that he must tell Tidus sooner or later, and obvious it was sooner.
"Sorry, man. I'm sorry I snapped at you, ya. It's just..." he looked up at Tidus, his eyes watering. In the entire time they'd known each other, Wakka had probably cried less than a total of five times; he just wasn't that sort of person.
"Well, let me say that that isn't my nephew, ya."
Tidus froze. Shit, shit, was Wakka crying? Wakka never cried. It was alwyas Tidus who cried, always Tidus who had moments like this. What was wrong? What was wrong?
"W-Wakka?" he said uncertainly, rising from his chair. "Wakka, man, what's wrong? Oh man, you never cry. This has gotta be bad."
He picked up the picture again and examined it. It seemed so normal to Tidus - he couldn't figure out what was the big deal. It was just Wakka, some girl, and a baby...
A baby...
"..........................................."
Girls, blitzball, quidditch, magic, Hogwarts, summer, back home, his dad, his dad, his mother, his mother's photobook, family pictures-
"... Is this your son?"
Wakka choked at Tidus's words. It had been a long time since he'd heard him called that out loud. Of course, he was his son - but hearing it out loud just sounded so strange, so different.
He sighed and pointed at the baby in the picture. With some force he spoke again, "That... that's Vidina, my son. And that," he pointed at the girl in the picture, and his voice changed. It was suddenly softer, "and that's Lulu."
It took him a few moments to be able to look the blonde straight in the eye again. "You probably don't remember her, ya. She was a couple years ahead of us... and she never exactly finished her 7th year anyway. Her parents made her come back home when they found out about ..." His face dropped again. "You know."
It was like spilling his life all over the floor and expecting Tidus to mop it up. Some how it felt better to finally say it, especially to someone he cared about anyway.
"I know I should've told you before but ..."
Tidus's jaw dropped. He had no idea what to say.
This was Wakka's big secret? He has a kid? A child? A living, breathing, miniature version of himself?
Oh man. This was... a shock. He didn't know if he should comfort Wakka, or scold him for not telling him, or ask him for more details, or...
"Oh man, oh man, oh man."
He looked at Wakka, as if his face would make things make sense. It didn't, so he looked down at the picture again.
"This is your kid?" he asked again, as if the question hadn't already been answered.
Wakka made a 'mmphf' sound as he attempted to gather his thoughts. "Yeah. Well, I haven't seen him since the summer after I left school so."
The thought struck him suddenly. He hadn't exactly thought about it before. His son was almost 11. It was crazy to think about and he quickly shoved the thought as far out of his head and it could go. That was the opposite of what he wanted to think about right now.
"He wont be looked like that anymore, would he, ya?" He forced a chuckle, but choked on it. It wasn't a laughing matter.
Tidus's mouth remained open in a dumbfounded expression. He couldn't find it in himself to be angry at Wakka for never telling him. Maybe a little disappointed, but definitely not angry. After all, he could only imagine the weight Wakka had to carry on his shoulders all of these years. Or at least, Tidus imagined that it must have been a few years...
"How old is he?" Tidus asked suddenly, very curious and still in slight awe. It was almost unbelieveable.
It took Wakka a second to answer, he had to think a little.
"He'll be 11 February 23rd." He could barely even accept that himself. After all, he'd missed the last 9 birthdays of his child, why should he think about this too much?
Maybe he should write to Lulu, tell her that he wanted to see her ... but no. She'd never like that idea.
"Maybe it would be best for all of us if you just stayed out of his life."
Her voice still rang in his ears sometimes.
There was nothing for Tidus to say, really. What was one supposed to say in this situation, honestly?
"Uhm... well..."
Tidus wasn't expecting this. Not even in the slightest. But Wakka was his best friend, there was no doubt about that. He'd stand by him no matter what, even if he was a father. Even if he had kept that secret from him for eleven years. Tidus could deal with that.
It was just the way he was.
He offered Wakka a bright smile. He hoped that smile said, 'I'm here for you,' but he didn't say it.
"Well, you know what, man? That's really neat."
This actually did make Wakka chuckle. And it felt good, like a sudden warmth when he had felt very cold. He even managed a small smile when he looked up at Tidus again.
"Thanks, man. I needed that, ya."
Wakka decided then and there his New Years Resolutions.
The first was to never, ever keep something important from Tidus again.
And the second was to write to Lulu...
Even if she denied him.
When: Um. Sometime between Christmas and New Years, I'm assuming.
Where: Wakka hutcabinthing
Warnings: Surprises! .-.
Wakka sat at his table looking at the picture in his hand. It was worn, held by hands a lot over the past years. The edges were frayed and yellowing. And he looked at it with eyes of regret, of sorrow even. Eyes that no one had quite seen on him before.
It was a mistake. All of it was ...
Memories were flooding back and he couldn't help it.
It should've never happened...
He hand trembled a bit, and he felt his eyes welling; he dared not to blink. This wasn't like him, and he hated it. "Damn it!" Wakka stood, somewhat angry with himself.
He let the picture fall to the table, face down, he just didn't want to think anymore. Besides, there were things that needed tending. He hurried out the back door of his cabin. "I'd better go check on the bicorns."
Don't want to think ...
Ironically, as Wakka was going out the back door of his cabin, Tidus was waltzing in through the front.
He never knocked - Wakka should know that by now. Tidus had always just walked in anywhere he wanted to go. This, of course, gave him very embarassing memories, but he never changed.
For some reason, Wakka wasn't there. That was weird. Why wasn't Wakka in his own hut? Oh well. Maybe he was hiding or something. Though Tidus couldn't really figure out why he'd do that...
So, making his way inside, the blonde glanced around. The decorations that were making the room shine just a few days ago seemed so dull now, and he noticed that a handfull of them were taken down. Weird, he thought.
He noticed that the chair by Wakka's table was moved, as if someone had been sititng on it only a few minues before. Pretending he was Wakka, Tidus puffed out his chest and sat down in the chair.
"Tidus, maybe you should pay attention more, ya," Tidus said, mimicing his friend's voice. Laughing at his own joke, he looked down at the table. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pens, paper, sticky notes, a picture-
"Oh look, a picture," he said to no one in particular. And then he picked it up and turned it around...
Wakka stood by the door outside a second after walking out. He stared off into the sky, suddenly feeling very alone. To tell the truth there wasn't actually anything he had to do. He never really had much to do, he spent most of his time wandering around or spending quality time with Tidus.
He sighed, leaning against the door. "You're really mess today, ya." He could barely think. It was always like this around the holidays. He went off on a Christmas high, and then fell back to Earth, got really drunk in his cabin, and the next day was really depressed.
It wasn't like Wakka to be depressed - it made his head hurt. Actually, it made all of him hurt. Suddenly he realized that the door he was leaning on was very uncomfortable and very wooden. Also, that it was very chilly outside in the middle of Winter, and he decided that he'd just have to face his own misery and head back inside his tiny little hut.
He turned the knob and walked in, stretching and yawning. He glanced over at the table and without thinking, smiled. "Oh hey Tidus."
...........
"TIDUS!" To his horror he saw his friend sitting in his chair, at his table, looking at... looking at...
"Put that down!"
Tidus was quiet for a moment. Scratch that, for a handful of moments. He stared down at the photograph. It looked old, and Tidus could tell instantly that it was Wakka that was in the picture. Wakka, and...
"Oh. Is this your nephew or something?" he asked, grinning at his friend. Why was he so upset? "And who's this chick?"
"None of your business." Wakka snapped at his friend, eyes full of anger. Over the years Wakka had told Tidus almost everything, but this was different. This was his deepest secret.
How could he tell him, anyway? How could he just come out and say that even though they'd been best friends for so long, he was living this sham of a double life.
"Don't just walk in like that and go through my things." He snatched the picture from Tidus's hands and glared at him.
Tidus... blinked.
"What?"
What was the big deal? Wasn't Wakka used to his behavior? Hadn't they been friends for a long time? Was there something that Wakka was keeping from him, or...?
"What's up, man? It's just a picture. Don't get all mad."
Wakka hadn't looked at him like that for a very long time. The only time Wakka ever snapped at him and looked at him with those angry brown eyes was when he'd done something really awful. But Tidus was usually aware of those times. Usually he knew just what he did and why Wakka would be mad and by the time Wakka was giving him this look he was already figuring out ways to get out of it.
But for some reason, this seemed different than those other times.
Wakka looked at his picture, the memory suddenly seemed very far away. He looked at a younger, happier version of him, standing next to a woman with long black hair, holding the most beautiful baby boy he'd ever seen. The weight on his heart was back, and he felt his eyes welling up again.
He sat down quickly in a chair and laid his head in his hands, fretfully aware that he must tell Tidus sooner or later, and obvious it was sooner.
"Sorry, man. I'm sorry I snapped at you, ya. It's just..." he looked up at Tidus, his eyes watering. In the entire time they'd known each other, Wakka had probably cried less than a total of five times; he just wasn't that sort of person.
"Well, let me say that that isn't my nephew, ya."
Tidus froze. Shit, shit, was Wakka crying? Wakka never cried. It was alwyas Tidus who cried, always Tidus who had moments like this. What was wrong? What was wrong?
"W-Wakka?" he said uncertainly, rising from his chair. "Wakka, man, what's wrong? Oh man, you never cry. This has gotta be bad."
He picked up the picture again and examined it. It seemed so normal to Tidus - he couldn't figure out what was the big deal. It was just Wakka, some girl, and a baby...
A baby...
"..........................................."
Girls, blitzball, quidditch, magic, Hogwarts, summer, back home, his dad, his dad, his mother, his mother's photobook, family pictures-
"... Is this your son?"
Wakka choked at Tidus's words. It had been a long time since he'd heard him called that out loud. Of course, he was his son - but hearing it out loud just sounded so strange, so different.
He sighed and pointed at the baby in the picture. With some force he spoke again, "That... that's Vidina, my son. And that," he pointed at the girl in the picture, and his voice changed. It was suddenly softer, "and that's Lulu."
It took him a few moments to be able to look the blonde straight in the eye again. "You probably don't remember her, ya. She was a couple years ahead of us... and she never exactly finished her 7th year anyway. Her parents made her come back home when they found out about ..." His face dropped again. "You know."
It was like spilling his life all over the floor and expecting Tidus to mop it up. Some how it felt better to finally say it, especially to someone he cared about anyway.
"I know I should've told you before but ..."
Tidus's jaw dropped. He had no idea what to say.
This was Wakka's big secret? He has a kid? A child? A living, breathing, miniature version of himself?
Oh man. This was... a shock. He didn't know if he should comfort Wakka, or scold him for not telling him, or ask him for more details, or...
"Oh man, oh man, oh man."
He looked at Wakka, as if his face would make things make sense. It didn't, so he looked down at the picture again.
"This is your kid?" he asked again, as if the question hadn't already been answered.
Wakka made a 'mmphf' sound as he attempted to gather his thoughts. "Yeah. Well, I haven't seen him since the summer after I left school so."
The thought struck him suddenly. He hadn't exactly thought about it before. His son was almost 11. It was crazy to think about and he quickly shoved the thought as far out of his head and it could go. That was the opposite of what he wanted to think about right now.
"He wont be looked like that anymore, would he, ya?" He forced a chuckle, but choked on it. It wasn't a laughing matter.
Tidus's mouth remained open in a dumbfounded expression. He couldn't find it in himself to be angry at Wakka for never telling him. Maybe a little disappointed, but definitely not angry. After all, he could only imagine the weight Wakka had to carry on his shoulders all of these years. Or at least, Tidus imagined that it must have been a few years...
"How old is he?" Tidus asked suddenly, very curious and still in slight awe. It was almost unbelieveable.
It took Wakka a second to answer, he had to think a little.
"He'll be 11 February 23rd." He could barely even accept that himself. After all, he'd missed the last 9 birthdays of his child, why should he think about this too much?
Maybe he should write to Lulu, tell her that he wanted to see her ... but no. She'd never like that idea.
"Maybe it would be best for all of us if you just stayed out of his life."
Her voice still rang in his ears sometimes.
There was nothing for Tidus to say, really. What was one supposed to say in this situation, honestly?
"Uhm... well..."
Tidus wasn't expecting this. Not even in the slightest. But Wakka was his best friend, there was no doubt about that. He'd stand by him no matter what, even if he was a father. Even if he had kept that secret from him for eleven years. Tidus could deal with that.
It was just the way he was.
He offered Wakka a bright smile. He hoped that smile said, 'I'm here for you,' but he didn't say it.
"Well, you know what, man? That's really neat."
This actually did make Wakka chuckle. And it felt good, like a sudden warmth when he had felt very cold. He even managed a small smile when he looked up at Tidus again.
"Thanks, man. I needed that, ya."
Wakka decided then and there his New Years Resolutions.
The first was to never, ever keep something important from Tidus again.
And the second was to write to Lulu...
Even if she denied him.