The fury of Mt. Gagazet roared around Summoner Yuna and her Guardians. Harsh wind snapped through the rocky trails, sending wind swirling through every inch of the air. If there was one thing Rikku regretted at the moment, it was not bringing a set of warmer attire with her. Thankfully, there were plenty of fiends roaming the mountainside which meant plenty of action to warm her up.

Night began to fall as the party continued to climb the perilous mountain. Wakka got overconfident against a group of bomb cores, no doubt trying to kill more fiends than Tidus in their stupid little game they had going, so they had to stop momentarily to have Yuna heal him. She teased his brashness, Lulu scolded him. Tidus laughed and reminded him that he and Kimahri had taken down six Al Bhed machina while the party had slept last night, so there was no way he could catch up to his kill count. And Auron…

Auron stood there. The ever-watchful, ever silent Guardian. Oh wait, legendary Guardian, yes that was right. Rikku couldn't help but admire him, and she knew he was a greater asset to Yuna's pilgrimage than any of them. But that still didn't excuse his rudeness, the harsh, curt way he disapproved of her fears and worries. He didn't have to say things the way he did.

The next day was very much like yesterday. More walking, more cold snow finding its way into her boots and down her neck, and more fiends. As they trudged up a particularly narrow pathway bridging two ridges, Rikku felt a slight shake in the ground. It was quick, over within a mere second, so she assumed it was nothing. But thirteen steps later, she heard a sharp crack coming from below and she froze in place.

"Wait, stop!" shouted Auron. "Nobody move!"

Rikku felt her stomach drop as she glanced down towards her feet. A branching fissure ran through the surface below, just begging to break.

"What's the hold up, ya?"

"Yeah, Auron, what's up?" said Tidus. "Need us to take a break, old man?" He and the rest of the party were well ahead, leaving Rikku a few paces behind. Directly in the path of the quickly shattering ground.

"No, you fool," Auron said angrily. "The bridge, it's falling apart! Look at the ground!"

Slowly they realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Rikku!" yelled Yuna. "Sir Auron, what do we do? She's in danger!"

"One at a time. Keep going, but move slowly. Kimahri, you first, you're the heaviest."

Kimahri snarled, but obliged, slowly creeping away from Rikku's position. She stood as still as possible, though the weight of reality was causing her legs to quiver ever so slightly. She whimpered softly at the crack of another piece of rock under her feet. Then, everything shattered.

"Rikku, no!" cried Yuna.

Rikku fell, but her agile reflexes allowed her to pierce the broken edge of the bridge with her Godhand, allowing her to hang freely. She cried out as rock descended into a whiteout far below, no telling how far exactly. Things looked bad, but she was nearly safe. That was when the broken bridge suddenly broke even further.

She dropped a few inches after her Godhand slipped free among the shattered rock, but felt her body still as something grabbed hold of her arm. Rikku looked up and saw Auron, his face in a tight grimace as he struggled to keep a grasp on her arm. She felt herself slipping, and she knew there was no way he could save her. Auron had come to the same conclusion; she could see it in his eye. His face shook, causing his glasses to slide off the bridge of his nose and tumble down into the snowy air below.

Rikku's final thought was that she had never seen the legendary Guardian Sir Auron so afraid before.

Rikku awoke lying down on her back, staring up at an ice cavern illuminated by a soft, orange glow. She could feel bruises on her arms, legs, and shoulders, but miraculously, nothing felt broken as far as she could tell. She craned her neck up and winced at the stiffness of her muscles, looking down her body. Auron's red coat was covering her.

"Easy," Auron's voice came from close by. "Take it slow."

Rikku looked over towards him. He sat with his back against the ice, slouched and cradling one arm against his chest. His glasses and cowl were missing, so she could see his face clearly, though it was dark inside the cavern and the only light came from a small crackling fire in the center. He stared at her, and for some reason, he was breathing more heavily than usual.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Rikku sat up slowly, exhaling through the dull pain from her bruises. Auron's coat slid down to her waist. She gave herself a one over, checking for any major injuries, but was pleased to find none. "Alright, I guess." She looked around the cavern. "Where are we?"

"I don't recognize this part of Gagazet, but we're still somewhere on the mountain, rest assured. This cavern will provide us with shelter until morning comes."

Rikku massaged the back of her neck. "So, we both fell…" She trailed off, trying to recall the details, but the last thing she could remember was seeing Auron holding onto her as she hung from the broken bridge. She didn't remember falling at all.

"Yes," he replied. It was a very matter-of-factly said.

"Well?" she said.

Auron appeared baffled. "Well, what?"

Rikku rolled her eyes. He could be so thick-headed at times. "Well, how are we alive? I couldn't see anything below me when I was hanging except for snow. And I'm guessing it was a huge drop."

"It was," said Auron. "We fell for quite some time. Luckily for us, there was enough snow to break our fall at the end of it." He tried to shift closer to the fire, but grimaced and exhaled as silently as he could, clearly trying to hide some pain. It was then that Rikku saw the reason that he had been cradling his arm. At first, she thought nothing of it, as it was his habit to have that arm tucked away inside his coat. But looking closer, Rikku saw the curves in his forearm that should not have been there, and the raw skin that was hanging from the underside.

"Oh! You're hurt," she said, moving his coat off her and crawling closer. Auron leaned away from her advance, attempting to hide the severity of his wound.

"It's nothing, I'll be fine."

"Bullshit," Rikku said. "You need some help." She surveyed the cavern for anything she could use to bandage his arm, though that wouldn't help with the fact that it was clearly broken. She reached over and grabbed his coat. "Here, we'll use this to cover up that wound."

Auron took her wrist to stop her before she could begin tearing the fabric, giving her a look. "You're not ripping apart my coat."

Rikku looked at his grip on her wrist, then up at him. "Oh come on, grumpy. We can get you another one."

"It's not the sentimentality I'm worried about," he said. "That's our major source of warmth besides the fire, and I fear how cold it will get in the early hours of the morning."

"But.."

"No. We need it. No more discussion." A silence filled the cave. "That's your problem. You don't consider the effects of your actions."

Rikku sat back and crossed her arms. "You don't have to say it like that…" She glared at him for a few seconds, wondering why he even bothered to fall with her if all he was going to do was inform her of her 'problems'. Still, Auron's arm needed to be taken care of.

"Oh!" Rikku exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. "Here, let me see your arm."

Auron sighed, closing his good eye and shaking his head. "There's nothing you can do for me. I'll survive, I've been through much worse."

"No, you big meanie. I can heal you."

Auron paused, then gave a short chuckle. "Good joke."

Rikku slapped him playfully on the leg. "I'm serious. Yunie taught me Cure a while ago, and while I'm nowhere near as good as her, I think I can mend your arm." She motioned him forward. Auron hesitated at first, but complied and scooted forward, holding out his arm. Rikku took a deep breath and put all of her focus into working the healing spell.

An hour later, they both sat close by the fire. Auron's arm was as good as new, and Rikku had his coat draped over her shoulders to keep her warm. They didn't speak for some time, but Rikku finally worked up the courage to ask what had been bugging her since she awoke.

"Auron, why did you fall?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

They stared at each other until Rikku burst into a fit of giggles. Auron even cracked a smile. "Come on," she said, "there's got to be a reason."

Auron shrugged. "I knew there was no chance of pulling you up, so in order to save you, I had to fall with you. Lucky for you, I was able to hit the ground first."

Rikku pictured them falling together down through the air, Auron wrapping his arms around her and taking the blunt of the impact for her. He must have carried her into this cavern, despite his injured arm…covered her with his coat, despite the cold he must have felt…she blushed suddenly, feeling a few butterflies in her stomach. He had saved her life. She had to repay him somehow.

Rikku gave him a long look, studying his grizzled face. Something took control of her, it felt like anyways, as she crawled closer to him. Her mind told her to stop what she was doing, but her body pressed onwards until she was face to face with the warrior monk.

"Thank you, Auron," she whispered, before she leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. His thick stubble tickled her soft lips, and his good eye followed her as she backed away slightly. She met his gaze, and suddenly felt very foolish. They were probably the two members of the party that enjoyed each other's company the least, why would she thank him with a kiss?

With her eyes closed, she felt a strong, cold hand press against her right cheek. She opened her eyes, only to see Auron's face closing in. Their lips met in a rushed kiss. Rikku's stomach flipped, and she didn't know how to react, but she felt herself return his kiss equally. They kissed for what seemed like ages. Auron's kiss was much like him, strong, demanding, but calculated and precise. His lips moved along hers with a soft passion, and she grasped his shoulders and leaned into the kiss.

And then, just like that, it was over. Auron broke it off and put some distance between them, his breathing irregular.

"I'm sorry," he said, his composure shattered. His eye scanned the ground, not looking at her directly.

Rikku sat stunned, but that was soon over. Auron's moves on her had ignited something inside of her, a long desire to be intimate with someone who could protect her, someone she admired and harbored a sleeping affection for. She closed the distance that separated them and took his face in both hands and crushed her lips to his.

The soft passion they had shared before erupted into a searing kiss. Rikku captured Auron's bottom lip and ran her tongue along it, sucking as her hands cradled his head. Auron was slow to react, but quickly caught up and took control of the kiss. His arms wound around her chest, bringing her closer as he angled his mouth and pressed his tongue against the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth at his request and felt his slick tongue slide past her lips, deepening the kiss.

Rikku moaned and swung one leg over Auron's waist, half-straddling the older man. Her hands wove into his graying hair and she ran them from his temples down to his cheeks, drawing his mouth deeper against hers. His tongue explored every inch of her mouth, and she curled her tongue around his, closing her lips around the wet muscle and sucking. His stubble rasped against her chin as she reset their kiss, this time, sliding her tongue deep into the old man's mouth.

Time seemed to slow around them as they explored and caressed each other's mouths. Rikku felt her desires overflowing and she couldn't stop herself from thrusting against Auron's body. The monk grunted against her lips, giving Rikku another opportunity to slide her tongue against his. Finally, she broke the kiss and immediately took off her shirt, leaving her upper body nude save for her bra.

"Rikku, it's cold."

She silenced him with a finger pressed to his lips. She began to speak in Al Bhed, forgetting Auron knew some of her language. He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. "If you say so." The warrior leaned close and wrapped his arms around her once more, unclasping her bra. She took hold of his large hands and guided him down towards her skirt and together they peeled off the remainder of her clothing. Auron fumbled to the side of them and retrieved his fallen coat, draping the red clothing around her shoulders. The thief smiled down at him seductively and captured his lips in another deep kiss.

"Your turn," she whispered against his mouth, urging him to remove his armored vest. Once it was gone, Auron leaned forward and began to rain kisses along her jaw. His lips roamed down her neck, to her collarbone, until he finally reached her breasts. He rubbed his face across them both, his stubble proving to be an effective weapon as Rikku shuddered atop him. She grasped the back of his head, her fingers woven deep in his dark steel hair, pressing him closer against her bosom. She cried out when he took a taut nipple into his mouth. His warm, wet tongue laved at one breast, his skilled hand massaging the other, pinching and rubbing her nipple.

Rikku continued to grind against him, and she felt his sleeping manhood begin to rise underneath his pants. Auron let his free hand roam down, close to her bottom, his fingers creeping ever closer towards her opening. Rikku pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses against his temple and the dark scar across his closed eye, but when she felt his finger swipe against her lower lips, she moaned and grabbed his arms, shoving them away.

The Al Bhed scooted down his legs and attacked his belt with trembling hands, but the material proved to be too much for her to handle in her current state. Auron gave a gruff chuckle and reached down to help her. Rikku caressed his growing bulge, causing the older man to moan softly. Not wanting to remove his pants entirely due to the cold, Auron shifted the clothing down only enough to allow his cock to spring free.

Rikku gasped at his impressive girth. His thick shaft stood tall, and she felt her hand drawn to it, her fingers closing around him as she gave him a squeeze. Auron threw his head back and groaned. Rikku began to slide her hand up and down his cock, producing a small bead of precum at the slit of his mushroom shaped head. Auron's earlier groan was nothing compared to the one that escaped his lips as Rikku took his cockhead into her mouth.

The blonde swept her tongue along his head, swallowing his precum. She swirled her tongue over his pulsing head, letting it slip from her lips as she continued to pump his shaft. The expression of pleasure written on Auron's grizzled face made her wet, bringing a smile to her lips. She took him into her mouth again, this time dropping her hand and sliding her lips down his shaft, taking him deep.

Auron grunted and leaned back onto his elbows as Rikku pleasured him with her mouth. She began to experiment after a while, gathering saliva at the tip of his cock and letting it run freely down his shaft. She took turns sliding his cock deeply into her mouth, then letting his glistening manhood stand while she ran her tongue from the base to the tip. Playfully, she tried to see how long of a saliva trail she could make between her lips and his cock before it broke, dripping down onto his hot erection. Her actions were driving Auron wild as he groaned and grunted throughout. Rikku grew bolder and slid his pants down a bit further, revealing his balls, which she wasted no time in sucking and licking.

Finally, Auron had enough. After her lips slid up and released his cock, he grabbed her face and pulled her up for a deep kiss. Rikku could tell that the older man was getting worked up. His tongue pushed against hers with more force this time, his lips nipping at hers. He turned them around and placed her on her back, spreading her legs apart with his thighs. His cock was wet from her oral actions, primed to take her. Teasingly, he rubbed his manhood across her opening, pressing the head against her wet lips but never entering.

"You've done this before, yes?" he asked, his voice strained and rough.

Rikku nodded, licking her lips. The next instant, Auron had buried himself inside of her completely, his tight sack resting against her ass. Rikku cried out, clutching at his coat beneath her. Auron slid his cock out, leaving the head inside, then thrust forward again, letting out a heavy groan. Rikku took one of his hands and brought it up to her breast. He responded, massaging it with a firm grasp until she tugged his hand up to her lips. She drew one finger into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his thick digit. Auron thrust his cock inside of her desperately, trying to find the deepest penetration possible.

Rikku saw this, and struggled to sit up, reaching up to take hold of his face. She pulled him back down with her and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing against his lower back with her heels. She felt his thick cock slide further into her vagina, moaning as his lips captured hers. His skilled tongue, his skilled cock, both was driving Rikku insane. Gathering as much strength as she could, she rolled them over, pushing Auron onto his back. The old man hissed as his bare skin touched the cold surface, and Rikku had lost the protection of his coat during the transition, but she didn't care.

She slid up and let his cock slip free from her pussy. Reaching back, she grasped his shaft, wet from her pussy, and slid his head against her lips before sheathing him inside of her once more. Straddling Auron now, Rikku began to ride him furiously. The older man's balls slapped loudly against her ass with each thrust. She placed her hands on his scarred chest, feeling the gray hairs between her fingers, and moaned loudly as his cock repeatedly hit her spot, driving her to new heights of pleasure.

Auron brought her down to take her lips in a kiss, her breasts pushed flush against his chest. Their tongues battled for dominance now, a raw dance in which one moment she placed one hand on the back of his head and the other cupped his chin. She forced his mouth open and pushed her tongue as deeply into his mouth as possible. Her hips drove down, her pussy gripping his cock tighter than ever, and she moaned into his mouth as she orgasmed. Rikku felt her juices crash like waves out of her, drenching Auron's cock and running down onto his balls and thighs.

The stoic warrior began thrusting up into her, their lips devouring each other's as she rode Auron to his own climax. Shuddering, he grunted against her open mouth one final time and released his load, shooting thick jets of hot seed deep into her pussy. She milked him for all he had. Now spent, Auron remained buried inside of her as they shared another kiss, neither one of them wanting that moment to end.

Rikku laid herself down onto him, her legs still straddling him, and reached over to grab Auron's coat. She did her best to drape it over them both and cuddled against him, smiling up at him. He smiled back, holding her in his arms. They shared the silence in the cavern together, both physically exhausted from their lovemaking. The fire had grown smaller since they began, the flames now dancing only inches from the burning wood.

"Hey," Rikku said. "I never asked. How did you get a fire going?"

Auron laughed. "Is that really what's on your mind after what just happened?"

Rikku pouted and slapped him playfully. "I'm just curious, that's all."

"Alright, I'll humor you. The wood was easy enough to find, but I suppose you want to know how I actually started the fire?"

Rikku nodded.

"It was a Fire spell. A weak one, mind you, but it was enough to bring some flames to life."

"What?" Rikku exclaimed. "I didn't know you knew any black magic."

"Lulu taught me, back before you joined us. Just like Yuna taught you healing."

"Did she teach you any other magic?"

Auron paused, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"Auron?"

"Not magic, no."

Rikku looked up at him, wondering if she should say anything more, but dismissed the thought and snaked an arm across his chest. She held him tightly, almost thankful that the bridge had broken. And then, she wondered to herself…what would happen after this?