Try this

A.N. :Sorry hopefuls, but I have simply revised it so that it flows better, and less spelling errors are apparent. Some details have been added.

Disclaimer: insert caustic remark here about how I, depressingly, do not own Auron.

"Tyhk ed!" Rikku was glaring down at the two pieces of useless, thinner than paper, soap molecules. She was disdainful.

She was just ready to step into that gratifying shower, when the last bit of soap decided to die…a stupid old death.

She muttered explicative's, swearing that she thought she had more of the stupid stuff, and clenched her tiny fist so hard that the soap oozed out between her fingers in little white bubbles. Now any hope what so ever that she had clung onto in the very furthest corner of her heart was dashed to the ground in a million billion little poopy pieces.

Rikku crouched on the ground, examining the oozing soap leaking about her fingers, and tried to think. She needed soap but where to get it?

Yuna was very possessive of her vanilla "massage bar" (neeener neeeener).

Lulu does Yevon knows what with her potion soap thing. (Rikku very specifically saw her boil malboro babies into a gloopy gloppy mess and scoop it into her soap bottle.) Going to her was out of the question, and even putting the blitzers soap near her body was also way out in the side field of the blitzing sphere. Rikku scrunched up her face and puckered her lips in a state of curious puzzlement, tapping her soapy fingers against her chin.

'Does Kimari lick himself or does he use soap?' Her facial expression altered to one of disgust.

"Eww!"

That means the only one left was...She jumped up suddenly.

"Auron?! No way no way no way!" She grabbed the sides of her head and shook it almost violently.

Yuna called, her voice muffled by the bathroom door and a yawn "Rikku? A-are you ok in there?"

"Uhhh! Yeah! I'm fiiiine!" 'except any chance of living through shame has most certainly been pounded into the ground until it was mashed cuactaur.' She thought vehemently.

She pondered again, ignoring the bit of smeared soap on her chin, 'Well then again Auron could be just as bad as the overactive blitzers. I mean…geez he trains like…like it's like a religion or something.' She considered it deeply; then resigned.

'How does anybody even go and ask Auron for his soap?!' Rikku sat dejectedly on the bathroom floor. Completely and utterly lost in what scheme she should even begin at. And even if she did scheme there would be absolutely no getting past tall, dark and painfully observant. Just as Rikku was about to lower her head and give up, an epiphany struck her like Shivas bitch snap.

Rikku leapt up punching her fist in the air! . . . and hit her knee on the sink.

"Ouchie!"

She clutched at it, but the pain was trivial compared to the brilliance of her plan.

To confound him all she had to do was do the exact opposite of what he expected!

Go head on with him and be so straight it would confuse and astound him! Woo! He was so used to twisty topsy turvy sneak Rikku he wouldn't even expect this! He would have no choice but to react immediately with compliance.

Rikku was very happy with her plan and fervently rubbed her poor little knee for a few minuets more, basking in her brilliance.

But something seemed to dawn on her... she would have to get the pymmc to go face to face with Auron.

Rikku was now worried. And nervous…and possibly thinking of going with out soap.

'No! Gird your loins Rikku! Auron's not a malboro or anything you can handle a man!'

And thoughts of Auron being a man resounded in her mind. 'Oh yeah... Auron's a man.'

Actually, a very muscular, very terrifying, (kinda very handsome oh shut-up brain shut-up!) katana wielding man.' She eeped and covered her head as she imagined it being cut off.

'Noo nononono nooo Stop it! Gird loins GIRD them!' Rikku stood up puffed out her chest and copied her mental picture of 'girding her loins.' A determined expression on her face she reached for the knob, twisted it, almost got it open, before suddenly she remembered: she was stark naked!

"EEP!"

She squeaked slapped her arms around her nakedness in vain attempt to appear decent for the invisible audience present.

'Quickly! Quickly Rikku or you'll lose your nerve!'

Lunging toward the fluffy, soft as a chocobo (but not smelly like one obviously) towel, folded neatly upon the toilet seat, she clutched it around herself in a toga like fashion and flung open the door. She raced out into the very plain hotel room, only decorated (more like littered) with their excess potions, and useless equipment, that they were organizing into 'sellable.' The nimble girl made tiny silent hops over staffs and gloves and bulky stamina springs, and shot over to the hall way door. But as she did, Rikku caught a look at her cousin passed out on her bed, made a little o of surprise, and quietly shut the door.

Racing to Aurons door, she paused jerkily in front of it. ..

Breathing heavily from nervousness and strenuous fast exertion she stood; hesitant at his door. Now, suddenly very frightened.

But not to be deterred of her goal of soap and cleanliness, the brave Al Behd girl tentatively reached out her slightly shaking hand and met with wood. 'C'mon Rikku wats he gunna do ta ya?' Her Fathers voice became apparent in her pepping herself up talk. But despite her

courageous words to herself she flinched every time her fist connected to the wood. Her knock was quick in succession and only four, but as soon as she withdrew her hand the fourth time, Auron wrenched the door open.

---------

Cracked lips wrapped around the ceramic sake jug, and red fluid rushed out of the spout and gushed down his throat, quenching a thirst that was not so much a thirst as something of a need. Auron removed the spout from his mouth and wiped his lips. He pinched the bridge of his nose; he was starting to feel properly drunk.

And that was excellent.

He glared over at his katana sitting innocently in the corner of the inn, it only fault that it was sitting . His thoughts drifted to Rikku and how she had tried numerous times to "surprise" him with a new ability attached to his sword, but she could never quite carry it off to do the "surprise."

He thought of other things she had tried to make off with.

His sunglasses.

His jug.

His grip tightened on it and he took another swig. He remembered her cries of "Meanie!"

And he wondered if his adoration for her was as thinly disguised as he thought.

He loved to watch her, loved to watch her legs spring forth, watch her smile blossom, her grass-green swirls turn emerald with pleasure, the gentle rise and fall of the small curve of her breasts; and as much as he wanted to, he could look at her with nothing more than appreciation of artwork. He was dead inside and that is the only thing that hurt him truly. It was selfish, disgusting and he hated himself for it. Although there was once, when he was sitting watch, she came and she talked to him.

She just talked. She jabbered on and on about her friends that she was so happy to see in the near future, and all of her family that she was just dying to show Auron, and he to them. He remembered he had asked her if he was a little pet that she was going to show and tell. He had forced as much disgruntlement as he could in that one sentence.

She grinned and said "You're much more than a pet Auron. And besides..." She giggled and gave him a wide brilliant smile that he could see clearly even in the firelight.

"I would never be able to get you on a leash."

She laughed.

And when they came upon the ruins of Home, he could feel her pain. He could feel his pain for her. It was as if it was a needle and wedged it self between the plates that covered his heart and despite what would be considered a small opening for relief it only constricted his heart. But she stood as a pillar does, straight and erect after she gathered herself up.

It was not right, but it was righteous. He reached a peak of wisdom that left him looking at him self from very high up, and left him to come to the realization that everyone was just very small even when they did things that were much to large.

He was only hurting her by being mean.

He was not going to have to live with pain of her dying. And the only remembrance that she would have of him is being cruel for that purpose.

Couldn't he be nicer?

No, he thought, no he could not; and unless she comes here, asking for him to be nicer to her, this very moment . . . it wasn't going to happen. "mgh..not allow..." He took another draught of his sake, and as he was doing so, knocks were rapidly hit upon his door. He left his jug on the floor and quickly padded towards the hallway door.

A faint question of who it might be faded as soon as it materialized.

He wrenched the door open and came face to face to a blonde Al Behd girl in nothing but a towel and a nervous look on her face. He stared at her blearily; hardly comprehending she was at his entranceway.

"ehhhheheheheh"

". . .What is it that you want Rikku?"

He had asked quietly, trying very hard to articulate his words. Not quite believing it was her. Auron, inside his head, was laughing at himself and trying to beat his sake jug into his head at the same time.

'Your promises, Auron, gets you in too much trouble.'

"Well Uhm see thrs this prblem I have and I was erm wndring if you could help me out wth it." She mumbled looking anywhere but himself.

Auron waited, not wanting to trust his articulation skills at this moment.

"W-w-Well I wanted-toknowificouldplzbrrwursp?"

"…What?" Auron only comprehended that her towel was rather dangerously close to shifting.

She puffed in breath and held it in her cheeks. Auron had the vague thought that that was rather strange, but cute.

He internally vowed he would never use that word again. It was also dangerous.

'Again with the vows.'

Auron quickly eradicated his drifting thoughts and focused them intently on what words her lips were forming. . .she licked her lip before she continued…

'Duly noted Auron . . .and also noted that you are using the third person…'

"I want to borrow your soap."

Ah. "Why don't you use Yunas?"

"I would rather get hit with holy! Actually I would get hit with Holy if I tried, so I would rather not attempt it at all."

Her arm movements were moving rather extremely, he noticed. 'But in the usual fashion.'

…

'She should be more worried about her towel.'

"Lulu?"

Rikkus hand went to her hip, the other hand ('thankfully' ) securing her towel on her petite body.

"Ya think I'm crazy?" 'Well maybe a little' was muttered under her breath "But I have self respect! And I am NOT putting boiled baby malboros on my body!"

Auron raised his un-scared brow in amusement. " Boiled bebe malberos… hmm. Looks like Lulu has n' aphrodisiac on'er hands."

He was immensely amused by Rikkus face of pure undulated horror. He chuckled warmly and motioned for her to step inside. She hopped in and scurried over to the bathroom door waiting for him.

Auron closed the door and locked it again, and moved towards her.

Rikku was then looking a little tense.

Auron frowned. Did she think he was going to try anything?

He stopped halfway towards her and gruffly said "The sups in thr, help yer self."

She squeaked out a yippee and pushed the door open shutting it half heartedly behind her. A sliver of the bathroom could be seen through the crack between the door and the doorway. Auron dared not near the door, but what was he to do? She already flung the towel on the sink and she had already turned on the water.

He thought of something to say and articulated it carefully. "Rikku, why are you bathing in here?"

The water stopped pouring.

He heard squidges and the towel withdrew.

She stepped out a moment later holding his soap bar in her hands, blonde hair was dripping wet and clung to the sides of her face like dead wet weeds.

"Uh…Uhhmm..I Uhh. Sorry? Eheheh?"

Auron shook his head, "Go ahead. Now there's no point to it."

Her shoulders drooped and she said "I guess I got a little carried away and I didn't think. . ."

"Damn right you didn't"

"I! I-. . .I'm sorry."

Auron sighed heavily and said "Look it's noting really. Just use the shower. Ac'ully 'ts better you used ths one, you might've wok'en Yuna wit the other."

The last part he added just so she wouldn't look so dejected. She glanced up at him and smiled. He felt something in his chest just a little twinge of something that felt like pain. But her eyes widened and she scurried off back into the bathroom before he could decipher the feeling.

Was it pain he felt, or regret.

"Rikku," He called out to her before she could reach the shower.

She poked her head back into the room.

He continued…

"I-" He sighed, not quite believing he was saying this but unable to help himself. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He stared into her eyes trying to convey the weight of the subject. And either it was the drink or his emotions talking (neither one in check at the moment) he stated afterwards "I can't."

There was silence and a period in time when their eyes just looked at each other in submission to the words that were said.

Truth was, there was a list on which there were people that he would protect, no matter what the cost. She had been added to the list as soon as she smiled. As soon as he had seen the life in her.

She nodded and went back into the bathroom.

----------

Rikku shut the door, the door making a soft click in response. Rikku resumed her spot in the shower, the chilling drops of her earlier start of a shower splashing onto her ankles. She turned the water on. Her thoughts not so hyperactively trying to piece together what Aurons words meant. The soap she was using was heavy, and had a thick scent to it that she couldn't quite place. Rikku enjoyed the scented soap for awhile, but then thoughts of who owned the soap seeped into her slightly soggy brain. I wonder if this is what Auron smells like? Mmm. ..

Rikku then panicked a little. Did she really just think that about Auron?! That would be bad! Very very bad Rikku!

But Rikku at this point was really too tired to care. So she defiantly told her self that 'Yeah I totally thought that, and I don't care. '

Her thoughts drifted back to what Auron said about not hurting her. 'Yeah right. He would so cleave me in half if I did something to piss him off.'

Then in an amazing step for Rikku, she actually considered the fact that maybe it wasn't what she first thought.

She squeezed the rounded soap in a thoughtful manner, like what she usually did with things between her hands and she was distracted.

But it popped out of her hands, hit the ceiling, and smacked Rikku in her poor head.

"Ahh!" Rikku clutched her head and stepped backwards on instinct.

------------------

A thunk, followed by the sound of a body hitting wet porcelain, and a moan reached Aurons ears.

Auron paused in his drinking to consider the possibility…

His eye voluntarily twitched, and he took a long draught from his jug.

-------------

"Owwwiee" Rikku whispered to herself, trying to blink away spots, and water droplets. How come every time she tried being serious, life just wouldn't let her be?

She poutedly decided she was clean enough at that point, and got out of the shower trying to be as quiet as she could be. But when she reached for the door she realized her obvious slam against the porcelain would be more disturbing than anything else.

She grimaced but girded her loins again.

Rikku entered his room hesitantly, peering around the corner of the door. Auron was staring at the jug in his hands. His cowl, coat, and glasses were set on the chair and table.

He seemed defeated, and just a little naked with out everything covering him up.

Rikku decided that he looked a little lost, and just a smidgen sad.

That was just going to have to change. She got another one of her brilliant plans.

"It is now my personal quest to make you happy Auron. At least smile more."

Startled like he had forgotten that she was there, but she knew, she just knew, that wasn't the case.

She stepped forward and said "Sorry." But she wasn't and didn't sound it. "Pulled you out of your reverie?"

"Hmm." It was a very deep hmm, Rikku noted a bit frighteningly.

"Thanks for letting me use your soap." 'Evil as it was' she mumbled tightening her towel securely so she could fix her hair.

"...Did you just call my soap...evil?"

Rikku began to pull back her hair and place it in the proper position so that it could dry properly.

"Yeah, I did." She continued when she saw his blank stare. 'Hmm, russet eyes...Lined with...red...'

"Didn't ya hear the thunk of me hitting the bottom of the bath?" She emphasized it with a punch in her hands.

Something passed over his face, like relief or some sort of thank Yevon expression.

She put her hands on her hips. "What else did ya think it was?"

Auron just raised his eyebrows in some sort of smug expression of 'Not telling you.'

Rikku narrowed her eyes at him, flung her wet hair over her shoulder and marched towards his place on the bed.

"What didja mean ya couldn't hurt me? I think I know as well as you do ya'd cleave me in half if I really did something to piss you off, ya know?"

Auron stayed silent, and Rikku was then very much aware of how much she was in his personal space and how scantily clad she was.

Auron was considering plucking at her towel. She was asking for it. Although that would be a very very bad idea. When she asked him… he gave her a considering look. Unfortunately his brain wasn't exactly connected to his mouth.

"I thought you were frightened of being taken advantage of."

And as soon as he said it he thought how ridiculous his worry was.

Rikku actually laughed.

Auron felt put out.

Rikku said through giggles "I don't think that you would ever do that. You're too much of a stiff."

Auron raised his eyebrow and allowed himself to smile a bit.

Rikku seemed pleased with this. And she thanked him again and left quickly.

Morning-----------

Rikku burst into the room grinning, her bright eyes closed because it would hurt to keep them open.

"Hey! Auron Gueeeess What?!"

She waited hands up in the air, still grinning but a moment went by and there was no gruff answer, only a hurried padded movement.

Rikku in confusion opened her eyes, and saw Aurons bronzed, wet gleaming (muscular) body. He was half-way between the clothes draped bed and the shower door and she just for a second caught sight of him. ALL of him.

In a stupor of complete incomprehension she stood there just staring at him. Auron stopped moving and just moved to cover his nether regions with his hands.

Rikkus face started heating up and she knew just knew that she was very, very, dark pink.

Auron wasn't naked.

Oh no.

He was nude. He was entirely comfortable in his own skin; it was only for her sake that he was covering himself.

"U-u-u-u-u-uhh. W-well I'll uh- just be uh going now if uh you don't uh mind."

Rikku couldn't help but keep staring like a stupid hypello, and she was totally and utterly being stunned and definitely not thinking about the huge amount of cash she scored by selling her worthless bombs.

Auron was just standing there, apparently unfazed by Rikkus intrusion upon his 'just getting out of the shower time.'

Wide eyed and backing up, she tripped over her own feet and smashed her head against the ground.

Dazed, Rikku had time to recover her self enough, to not even look at Auron, and crawl out of the room while he left for the sanctuary of the bathroom.

Rikku sat at the side of the entrance to the room of ultimate embarrassment and doom and dooom and dooooom... and just breathed for a moment.

She felt her poor head to make sure it wasn't cracked open or anything like that. Her pain reminded her…

"Hey! He didn't even make sure I was ok! That meanie…"

Rikku then remembered why she was sitting out here in the first place.

She moaned and decided the best way to deal with the situation was to wobble away and reveal her original news to someone else. She started to stand.

And definitely not look at Auron... at all.

Her eyes forcefully reminded her of Aurons muscley body.

Woah. She was down again.

Rikku clutched her head and went "Nononononononoo…bad head, baaad eyes."

Wakka chose to check on the rest of the group at this moment, and as he was walking down the hall saw Rikku crouching down and holding her head while babbling nonsense.

Wakka being the slow person he is asked:"Rikku? Are you ok?"

Rikku leapt up from her sitting position squeaked "NO!" and scurried off, flailing arms and legs down the hallway.

------

Auron repeated his ritual of dressing himself calmly and with out emotion, pressing potentially hazardous thoughts out of his mind for the meantime.

But as he buckled his belts on his girdle together, Rikkus reaction came speeding back.

Auron hmmed deeply, trying to piece together the possible consequences.

He couldn't think of anything truly terrible.

Except for the fact that Rikku now knew what he looked like with out his protective garb.

'It's not an incredibly horrible thing to happen, just an obvious invasion of my privacy. But that was completely accidental.'

He reached for his Katana and thought 'If anything she'll be more abashed.'

'Properly so.'

He thought for a brief moment that he was pleased with himself...perhaps smug.

Oh yes...that too.

------

Rikku was fretting away, fretting herself to hysteria.

What was he going to do?! Was he gunna punish her for being uhmmm…rude?

Seeing...things?!

Seeing...her eyes grew painfully large, as if unwillingly toothpicked open.

She remembered that the water was nearly dry, but his hair was damp, and his skin was glistening, and his muscles were moving and the hair lightly trailing from his abdominal down down down... BLOCKED.

"URAH!"

She started careening about again, shaking the images from her mind. Or at least trying to dislodge them... at the very least a little.

Yuna came upon the scene with surprise and a little fear. Yunas voice floated into the room, asking quickly in her soft way, and as per the usual magic, she was heard.

"Uhm... Rikku?"

Rikku froze.

"Are you ok?"

Rikku slowly turned around with a big cheesy grin on her face.

"Yeeeeeep! Hehehhehheheheheheeheheheheheheh"

Yuna put a hand to her chin and gave her a considering look. Rikku had her arms out at a stiff angle, her smile still plastered, and her eyes closed, praying…hoping that Yuna wouldn't ask-

"Can I ask you a question?"

OH NO!

Rikku answered, coiling her self up as best she could while still standing upright.

Her voice came out strangled.

"Yes!"

"Are you sure you don't mind selling all your grenades?"

What!? That was all?! Rikkus mouth dropped open, her hands and arms fell, her knees buckled with relief.

"You seem slightly bothered…well…" Yuna said, and giggling a bit while hiding her smile with her left hand " or at least you're acting a little strange." Rikku grinned in relief and slapped a hand to her chest while saying

"Me? Me acting strange about selling worthless stuff! Ha! Noooo. Nononononoo."

She waved her arms about her in a crisscross fashion, shaking her head.

Yuna laughed and turned to leave... but a melancholy look spread across her serene face.

Rikku was thinking poopy thoughts at herself. How could she be so worried about something as trivial… except Auron was so… Em Not...trivial?

'Never mind! Focus on Yunie! The important one!'

"What's goin' on Yunie?"

Yuna smiled slightly and bit her lip. She released her right hand from the door and stepped back inside. Rikku, now genuinely concerned and focused intently on what her cousin wanted to say, stepped forward with her hands clasped in front of her. Yunas eyes were on the rather odd color carpeting for a moment and then looked at Rikku, who had come closer with concern on her face.

"You know how I wanted to get off the ship for a while? Revist someplaces?"

"Yah! Good thing we did too cuz Godhand is awesome!"

Yuna smiled, returning Rikkus large grin. "Yes, but the problem is...is that you're the only one who has found the missing piece to one of the ancient weapons we've found."

"Ah." Rikku put her hands down to her sides, slightly deflated.

"I wanted to ask everyone something before anyone tried repacking. So come to the lobby area with me."

"Uh... Ohkay!"

-----------------------------------------

"Soooo... whatcha guys wanna do?"

Three were left. The three amigos, the last of the guardians, the great triad, the... really noncommital boring bunch.

'Greeaat' thought Rikku, 'just great.' Kimahri, Auron and herself.

And to make it even more uncomfortable Kimahri expressed his desire to go to theKaraoke bar.

'Maybe if Iwas drunk off dark flan fumes then suuuuure. Same goes for Auron! Our psychic powers must be in synch.'

But she definitely had not looked Auron in the eye the entire day. Nope. She even craftily avoided his little baiting trap.

Oh yes. She will remember that forever. In fact she can recall it perfectly right now. All of them, standing in the lobby. Tidus and Yuna standing really very close, Lulu sort of drifting near Wakka, Wakka leaning into Lulu… and then the three third wheels standing where ever. Yuna did her shpeel on how she thought that everyone should have an opportunity to gather their own special weapons, and re-visit places that they wanted to spend a little more time in.

Rikku playfully lamented that it was just because Yuna wanted some private time with Tidus. But Auron leaned out of his cowl a bit, shifting his weight towards Rikku and said, "Although you really wouldn't know what private moments are..."

Rikku clenched her fists determined not to look at him.

He scratched at his chin leaving one hand in his sleeve. "Or maybe you do, and you know just when to interrupt."

Rikku turned pink and tried to keep her face as emotionless as possible. "Yunie I think I'm gunna just stay at Luca, I have everything I need."

"I shall go with Rikku, in case she runs out of some essential item... such as soap for instance. Or wit."

"Hey! You meanie!" She had turned half way round to glare at him then snapped back to glare intently at Tidus and Yuna. Who were looking very confused.

'Oh yes... let the super uber duper fantastic fun begin. In case you didn't see that sarcasm drip all over... I'm soooooo looking forward to this.' Rikku thought while glaring at the stretch of the Mi'hen road in front of the group. Even the chocobo (as so adorably cute as he was!) did not improve her gloomy out-look on the cramped 'fun' that she was gunna have with the ex-warrior monk. 'Buubo byndo buuban. And meanie…'