Spira Love Stories

Chapter Three: Rocky Confessions

"It will all be so different now!" Rikku was telling Auron, sighing. "What if we all split up? What if Wakka and Lulu and Yunie go back to Besaid? Where will I go, back to Father? I should help rebuild Home, but not now! Now is my time with you guys! And where will you go, legendary Guardian Auron? And Tidus? He has no home here! And Kimahri? What will happen to our group?" Auron put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Calm down," he said comfortingly. "Rikku, right now we'll stay together of course. Wakka and Lulu will probably want to go home to Besaid, yes. I don't know about Yuna or Tidus, but I'm sure they'll stay together. Kimahri will probably go to the mountain, and I don't know where I'll go. I'll probably just wander around. But in any rate, don't worry about that right now. Right now spend your first Sin-free night with those that love you." Rikku smiled and hugged Auron, then sat back and smiled up at the solemn Kimahri standing behind her. For once, he smiled down at her, leaving Rikku speechless. Just then, Rikku noticed movement to the left. Looking to see what it was, she saw Lulu stalk off to hide behind the branches of a weeping willow. After a few moments, Wakka followed. Rikku grinned.

"Looks like love is on the mind tonight," she whispered, winking at Kimahri. He chuckled and looked back out over the water. "First Yuna and Tidus, now Lulu and Wakka... Come on, Kimahri, who are you sweet on?"

"Kimahri not love any woman," he replied in his deep, growling voice. "Kimahri love his mountain and his people. Kimahri want to go see them sometime soon. Does Rikku have a love for one man?" Rikku blushed.

"Hey!" Rikku said playfully, though she was still quite pink. Auron hid a grin behind the tall neck of his cloak. "That wasn't part of the question, you big meanie!" Kimahri chuckled again and shrugged.

Grinning impishly, Rikku grabbed Auron's sleeve. "What about you, mister grumpy guts? You've been around a while, you've seen plenty of beautiful women. Do you have someone you love?" Auron sighed.

"Actually," he replied unflinchingly, "I do." Rikku squealed.

"Really?" Rikku asked, jumping up on all fours to peer into his face. "Spill it, Auron! Who really pushes your buttons?" Auron laughed.

"Well, it's a secret," he teased, standing up. "Why should I tell you?" Rikku whimpered and jumped to her feet to follow him as he walked down a rocky side path.

"Hey!" She whined, dancing around Auron as he calmly walked into the shade of trees that covered the path strewn with boulders and small slabs of stone. "Auron, that's not fair! I asked a question, you can't just half-answer it!" Auron stopped to stare humourously at the young girl.

"Rikku," he said with a laugh, "it's not fair to ignore the question, either. Why didn't you answer Kimahri's?" Rikku stopped in her tracks, looking around. They were quite a walk away from the cliff now.

"You cheat!" Rikku scowled, putting her hands on her hips. "You tricked me into following you just so you could get the answer out of me, didn't you?" Auron smirked.

"Guilty as charged," he admitted. "Though I didn't lie. I do love someone; I just don't intend to tell you who." Rikku pouted, crossing her arms and stalking to the other side of the path. Thinking of a compromise, she spun back around, rushing to the older man and hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey!" She said excitedly. "I've got it! If I give you three guesses and five questions, will you do the same for me?" Auron wrinkled his brow in confusion. "What I mean is, if I let you ask me five questions about who it is, and then I let you take three guesses, will you let me do the same to you, to figure out who you love?" Auron shrugged.

"If you're that nosy..." Auron sighed. Smiling grimly, he nodded. "But you get to be interrogated first." Rikku shrugged. "And no lying." Rikku slumped a bit at this one, but nodded anyway.

Spinning around in circles down the path, she grinned back at Auron as he continued his stately walk, his grizzly appearance making him look slightly intimidating in the darkness. "Alright," she said, smiling. "Shoot!" Auron stopped and sat down on an exceptionally large, flat boulder and looked at Rikku.

"First question," he said, removing the left side of his cloak and letting it fall to hang from his waist, where the wrap around his body held it in place. Beneath his cloack was a thick black shirt with defensive properties. His left arm rested in his lap comfortably. "Do I know this man?"

"Yep," Rikku replied, dancing around some more.

"Second question," Auron continued, stretching his right arm to get the kinks out. "Is he the same age as you?"

"Nope," Rikku replied, jumping into the branches of a nearby tree and climbing up a couple of feet before peering down at Auron like a fox.

"Third question: how long have you known him?"

Rikku sighed, curling up on the limb. "It seems like years, but it's really only a few months."

"Fourth question: what would you do if you discovered he loves you back?"

Rikku laughed. "Not likely, Auron. But, in that case, I'd tell him and whatever happens, happens. It's the Al Bhed way."

"Fifth question: is he Al Bhed?"

"No! He's definitely not Al Bhed. But now you can guess."

Auron shook his head. "No, that's okay," he replied, shrugging. "I'll wait until you've finished asking me your questions." Rikku scowled, but agreed.

"First question," she said, jumping out of the tree to land in front of Auron's rock. "Why do you love her?"

Auron shrugged. "I wasn't expecting such a difficult question, but I'll try to answer it accurately. Well, she's beautiful," he began, nodding. "And smart, but not too much so. Fun, but she knows when to be serious. She's strong and fiery, and she makes me happy. She has common sense, which is important, and she knows how to get things done the right way. She can be a handful at times," he reflected, "but that just makes me fight for her affections more." Rikku nodded; that sounded good enough.

"Second question," she said, hopping up on the rock beside him and pulling her knees up to her chin, "How would you react if she didn't love you back?"

Auron shook his head. "I'd work harder for it," he replied simply. "I'd have to; without her, I would be empty." This statement touched Rikku, but she refused to show it; how could she tell Auron that she loved him when he spoke so endearingly of this other woman? More than likely, she thought sadly to herself, an older woman. Not a teenager like me. Auron watched her mental struggle in silence until she continued her questions.

"Third question," she said hastily, realizing he was waiting, "Is there one thing that is wrong with her?" Auron bowed his head, and his answer was hesitant.

"Well... yes. She's... not exactly in the age range that most people would call acceptable."

"What's age?" Rikku asked dismissively. "Maturity level is what really counts." Auron nodded. "Fourth question," Rikku leaned toward Auron, her eyes twinkling impishly, "If you could tell her how you feel right now, and you did, and she felt the same way about you, what would you do to celebrate?" It was the first time Rikku had ever seen Auron blush, and it was probably the most he had ever blushed as well.

"Well, I don't know," he beat around the bush, looking up at the trees nervously. "I suppose I'd feel compelled to do something, but I'm not sure-"

"Oh, come on!" Rikku said, poking Auron in the ribs. "You know exactly what you'd want to do!" Auron blushed, if possible, even deeper.

"Okay, so I do," he grumbled, rubbing his side where Rikku had poked him. "I'd want to take her in my arms and hold her and kiss her like I'd never have the chance again." Rikku was so taken aback with this honest answer that for a whole minute she forgot that she still had one more question left to ask. She forgot a lot of stuff, actually; including how to breathe. When she finally let out the lungful of air she was holding, Auron was looking embarrassedly at the rock under his supporting hand, trying not to look at Rikku.

"Okay, fifth question," Rikku said in a falsely cheery voice, "Does she love you?" Auron looked up at Rikku sharply.

Sighing, he looked back down at his legs. "Honestly, I don't know," he replied quietly. "I think so, but I'm not entirely sure that a relationship with her would be a good idea." Rikku frowned.

"Auron," she said in disbelieving tones, "you just spilled out your heart's content to me about this amazing woman that you're deeply in love with. But you don't want to take action on your feelings? What if she does love you? Are you just going to break her heart like that? How could you?" Rikku stood up, glaring down at the older man. "How could you?" Auron was alarmed to see tears in the young girl's eyes.

"Rikku-" Auron said, frowning. "I didn't mean-"

"Just stop!" Rikku said, leaping from the boulder onto the rocky path. "She's too young, right? Too unacceptable? Have you guessed who I'm in love with, Auron? It's you! I'm in love with you! So go tell your love that you love her, because she can't be younger than me!" And with that, Rikku ran off.

"Rikku!" Auron called, jumping to his feet and cursing as he ran after her. He caught up with her not too much later, and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. "Rikku! What are you doing? You're going to get lost, and then where will we be? Both of us without the one we love." Auron blushed again as he realized he had just confessed.

"Auron," Rikku whispered, not even turning around to look at him. "It's okay. You don't have to lie for me; I didn't expect you to love me back. I just had to tell you how I felt about you before we all walked off and split up. Before I never saw you again." Auron was torn apart to hear the tears in her voice. Tears that he knew would never fall, because Rikku would not allow them to. Tears that he had created.

"But I didn't lie," he replied weakly. Suddenly, he was angry. "Damn it, Rikku, why are you doing this to me? You've got me on an emotional bounce! First I'm happy to hear you say you love me, then I'm guilty because I should have told you what I meant exactly, then I'm sad because I hurt you! Can't you just accept my love and not make me feel like a terrible person for displaying it?" Rikku slumped down on the ground, dropping her face to her hands.

"I'm sorry," Auron said immediately, kneeling beside her. "Rikku, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, I was just upset, please don't cry! If you don't want to be with me I understand, just please don't cry! I'll be gone tomorrow and you'll never have to see me again. Just say the word." Auron waited expectantly, crouching beside Rikku on the ground.

"You lied," she said in a whisper. Auron frowned. "You lied when you answered the fourth question." Auron thought back and chuckled.

"Rikku, I'd love to hold and kiss you," he replied, "but you wouldn't stay still!" Rikku laughed, finally turning to look at him. Auron was rewarded with a beautiful smile, meant just for him. The thought made him glow with happiness. "And besides," he continued on a more serious note, "do you honestly want to be with me? I'm old, old enough to be your father, and I'm tired. Wouldn't you rather have a young, energetic boyfriend, one that will live longer? Possibly as long as or longer than yourself? Death pulls at me, Rikku, and I don't know how much longer my body can defy it." Rikku looked up at him with a small smile.

"Auron," she said in a tone that he had never heard from her before, "you're not going to die for at least another ten years, and you know that. Besides," Rikku stood up, brushing sand from the back of her shorts, as Auron followed suit, "if you were going to die soon don't you think we should make the best of what time you have left?" Auron gaped at her for a moment, then smiled.

"That's true," he agreed, taking the small girl into his arms. Rikku smiled in surprise, but didn't stop him as he held her close to him. "And how shall we go about making the best of my time?" Rikku grinned up at him and ran her small hands down his chest all the way to his waistwrap, sending a chill down his spine.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, cocking her head to the right and looking up at him through her lashes. "How about starting out by kissing like we'll never have the chance again?" Auron smiled as Rikku reached up and pulled his sunglasses from his face, gently placing them on a nearby branch, his heart thudding like a million little hammers in his chest. The situation only got worse when she placed her arms around his waist and smiled up at him happily. He knew she wouldn't hold him to his word if he didn't want to, but he did. He wanted to do this like crazy, but he was so nervous! Finally he took a deep breath and smiled back down at her.

"Rikku," he said quietly, "you're going to laugh at me, but I'm scared." Rikku sighed deeply and relaxed.

"So am I," she replied. "I'm scared of my own feelings. But I'm more happy than scared; are you?" Auron nodded, and suddenly he couldn't hold it any longer. He bent down and kissed Rikku, capturing her lips with his quickly, afraid that she'd change her mind before he got the chance. But she didn't change her mind, and she even kissed him back with as much love as he was giving her. Rikku's arms tightened around his waist; As if she'll never have the chance again, Auron thought humourously. When they broke apart, Rikku kept her eyes closed, cherishing the moment of complete peace. Auron kissed her brow and held her to him even more tightly.

"Auron," she said with a happy sigh, "I love you. So much, I do.Where will you go when the group breaks up?" Auron smiled.

"I don't know," he replied. Rikku tightened her grip and tensed sadly. "After all, I have to know where you're going first, right? All I know is that I'm following you. And I'll never leave you, Rikku, I promise." Rikku looked up at him in surprise, wonder filling her eyes. Auron smiled down at her before kissing her again, pouring all the passion from his promise and love into it, making it the best kiss he'd ever had. When they broke apart this time, they were both so weak in the knees that they had no choice but to sit down. Looking up into the sky, Rikku saw a lonely star in a gap between trees and pointed it out to Auron.

"Look!" She said excitedly. "I'm going to wish on it, okay? You wish, too, and afterwards we'll share our wishes." Auron agreed to the silly request, and made a wish.

"What did you wish for?" Auron asked Rikku.

"You first," she replied with a grin.

"I wished," Auron began, "that I'd live long enough to marry you, and make you mine, and watch you grow large with lots of little beautiful children, and grow older than I am now." Rikku smiled and graced Auron with another long kiss before revealing her own wish.

"I wished that your wish would come true." Auron laughed and held Rikku close, looking up at the sky.

On a very special night, seven people made Spira a happier place. They destroyed Sin for good, and they did it with their own love for Spira. On that same night, a very special place made seven people a much happier group. It did it by just being there to channel their love for each other. Yuna and Tidus, Lulu and Wakka, Auron and Rikku, and Kimahri, a lone Ronso that would become the leader of his people. They were never the same, just as Spira was never the same. They both changed for good, and better, and eventually best. Millions of people knew that night as the night Sin was destroyed, but seven people knew it as the night their love blossomed into a deep passion and understanding.