Finally, after over a year of being just bleh, I am starting to write again. I hope you enjoy it. :D

I was a terrible liar, my fingers slipping up to shift through my dark brown hair as I watched Yuna moving about. Hard to believe that just days ago we had all been through a terrible crash, or perhaps it was hard to believe they had. I seemed to be the only one with injuries, my usually lightly tanned skin having paled from the lack of sunlight and my arm still hooked in the makeshift sling. It was true what Yuna said, I shouldn't have been up. I looked to be fine but on the inside I was wracked with torment both mental and physical. However, it was all made better by the little hyperactive Al Bhed by my side. At least, mentally it was all better, physically I would have rather been completely alone and laying in that bed once more.

"We're far from repairing the Celsius," Shinra butted in, his voice not quite what I expected to hear. He seemed to be mostly thinking to himself, making some notes on a small electronic device. " He stumbled his way forward through us, as though somehow he was lost in some sort of daydream. Perhaps he was, surrounded by all this technology and such seemed to be his sort of thing. However, hearing that the repairs were going slowly wasn't something any of us wanted to hear.

Rikku left my side with a small kiss to my cheek, chasing after Shinra to likely assist on the tedious repairs. This left me alone with Yuna, and I could easily leave to my sleeping quarters once more however I was seriously considering telling her of my dreams. At least I hoped they were dreams, I wasn't sure what they meant. She was busying herself with something and didn't notice my confusion until she glanced up from her work. She gave me a soft smile which quickly faded as she eyed my quizzical look.

"What's wrong Arisu? Something seems to be bothering you." She patted the ground beside her and I gladly took the seat, standing like this was making my legs go numb. "Go on, spit it out."

"I've been having some very...puzzling dreams." She still was unsure, so she decided it was about time for her to try her hand at being vague. "It's just very dark, and it scares me sometimes." I looked to her and she set a hand on my shoulder ever so gently.

"It'll be alright, it's just the stress of things. I bet once we're up in the air again and you hugging on Rikku you'll feel better and they'll go away." She let her hand slip away and her gaze go back to whatever she was fiddling with in her hands. I supposed she was right. The dreams were just stress manifesting itself.

I smiled slightly and pushed myself up, I had to see what I could do to assist on repairs after over a week of being bed ridden I wanted a little activity. At least I had decided that being active would at least build up those unused muscles and I could get back to my old self for once. I decided to stop by my room and retrieve my blade, but what I saw there I didn't want to see in the least. Gippal... he was looking over my blade like he owned it.

"You better put that down before I use it to cut off all your fingers." I kept my voice low and steady, if I showed any real anger I knew he'd use it against me. However, it was -my- blade not his and if anyone had the right to touch it besides me it was Rikku. "I swear it Gippal..."

"Hey Gippal, Shinra needs you out at the ship, says you know something he doesn't." Rikku's voice, oh thank Spira.

"Oh of course, and I'm sure Cid's girl could calm you down Ari." I ground my teeth together at his use of my name, glaring at him and following him with my gaze out the door.

"What was he doing to piss you off so badly Ari?" That, right there, using my name like that was what pissed me off at him. She used it and I couldn't help but smile, goes to show how biased I could be. "Oh, he said Ari!" She giggled to herself and started her little bouncing as she paced the room and I sat beside my sword. That seemed to catch her attention seeing how she sat beside me, running her fingers along it just as I did. However, she was using more force and as I was about to warn her... "Owie!" She squealed and lifted her finger to her lips.

"Tsk, tsk, Rikku, be more careful." I sighed at her and pulled her hand away from her mouth, kissing it ever so lightly. I chuckled a little as she blushed at the small kiss to her tiny wound. I just placed a little pressure on it, getting a little pained squeak from the rogue which was quickly quelled by my lips once against pressing to her hand. "One day the injury might be a bit more serious." My reprimand wasn't going to get far and I knew that, the tone I had was far from the harshness it needed to be.

"I'm sorry Ari." As I thought that voice was accompanyed by a very cute puppy dog face, it just demanded the kiss I gave to her lips. I couldn't help myself, that cute and quirky demeanor was wearing my resolve to be so secretive with our being lovers. Was that what we were anyway? Were we lovers, or was this just some impulse we were both having to calm? Either way, it was happening now.

I fell to the bed with her, taking care of my arm even with the difficulty of it. I placed my weight on my shoulder, letting my good hand trail over her sides ever so gently. A soft kiss to her neck and she shivered, a little squeak of surprise from her lips as I continued a little further down, finding where her neck met her body. I nibbled there, my hand at her side flexing and just barely scratched over her tanned skin. The little Al Bhed was beneath my touch, and it pulled a shiver from me at the idea.

"A-Ari you're... hurt..." Her words were cut off here and there by a kiss of mine, or a gentle caress to her side. My hand came to rest at her hip, the small rise and feeling the cloth of the thong she took no attempt to hide.

"I'm fine, I can't help myself." I let the honesty into my words, purring a little against her neck to force another shiver through her body. Her breathing was already hastening so intoxicatingly. She smelled like the Celsius and as always that sweet scent of wildflowers, how it clung to her I couldn't quite decipher.

For now I just enjoyed it, just tasted and scented it as though it were some kind of drug. Her emerald eyes came to a close slowly, not fighting against how injured I was anymore. Today, the rest of the day, was mine to do what I pleased with her. And oh how I was looking forward to what sounds I might pull from her lips.

I will be dedicating the next chapter to their rather sweet first encounter, enjoy when I post it.