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Chapter 5 Need
Rikku was up. All night. Actually, it was kinda morning now. Dammit.
She groaned, grinding her hand into her face. She was sitting cross-legged atop a table in the outer room of the Inn. Just her luck, all the rooms had been taken by the time she was finished with Auron, so instead of disturbing Yunie or something, she just… stayed up. And thought very hard. She was sure her brain was bleeding or something.
Stretching, she flexed her legs, yawning all the while. Well, she was going to be useless tomorrow. Or today, depending how you looked at it. She decided to get up and check on Auron. It had been over 5 hours since he'd passed out. Poor guy. She approached the hallway yawing yet again, and ramming straight into a big blue furry thing.
"Rikku up early this morning," grumbled Kimahri as Rikku pried herself out of his stomach.
"Rikku never went to bed," She responded, giving a quirky smile. She moved past the Rhonso and proceeded to the farthest room on the right. She gently opened the door.
It was still dark inside. She moved silently to the side of Auron's bed. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the dim light, and she cursed silently when she hit her foot against the bedpost. Kneeling down, she gripped her foot and kept her mouth shut. She let out a loud squeak at the feel of something on her back. A hand?
Eyes seeing vague objects now, she lifted her head, now level with the body on the mattress. Indeed, Auron's arm was suspended, lying on her upper back. Was he awake?
She put a hand on the tip of the bed, trying to stand without causing the limb to fall. She was assured he was quite awake when it gripped her orange top, applying gentle pressure. She stood and turned, but his arm pulled her towards the bed.
Now she could see his face. His eye was open, watching her. His arm pulled her closer to the bed. She could feel the soft mattress beneath. Very bad. Sleep deprived mind not need warm alluring bed with nice, warm body in it only two feet away. But he didn't stop. He continued to pull until Rikku was leaning over him. She reached a hand over him, trying to maintain her balance. His other arm came up, pulling her stomach over, until she was half lying on the swordsman. Her hands were bound by his own, encircling her wrists. He pulled her once more, until she was lying atop him. He rotated to his side, and she slid to the mattress, facing him. Almost identical to the position of the previous night, she realized.
Her fogged mind was spinning, her heart ramming into her lungs. Her hands were bound, but pressed against his chest. There was no distraction now. His warm, smooth skin seemed to set hers on fire. Her fingers traced the contours of his chest, from collarbone, to oval pectoral, to the scar. A barrage of emotions flooded her brain. Almost without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed the scar gently. She felt his skin beneath her lips, and then tasted it. Auron tensed, his stomach hardening. He exhaled shakily, and let go of a wrist to touch her face. He forced her face upwards, breaking the intimate contact. She looked up at him and pouted.
"No, Rikku," He whispered, and smiled. "Not now."
She did not understand. She wanted this! "Why?" She said, voice wavering.
"Because…" He looked away. "Because there is so much you don't, you can't know. About me. I… I'm not…" He stopped, and chuckled sadly. "Just… not now. Not yet."
Rikku felt ready to cry. Not yet? As in… later? Well, later was better than nothing, but she wanted it now! She wanted to feel his lips-
"Shhh," Auron hushed, touching her hair. He leaned forward to gently kiss her forehead. "Rest."
Rest? How in the name of Yevon was she going to rest!? How could she possibly sleep when his heartbeat was gently thudding rhythmically against her ear, his hand slowly massaging her neck, the blankets wrapped around them, sealing them from the world, his breath warm against her face…
Auron smiled, watching Rikku fall asleep. He wondered if she would be so eager to touch him if she knew the truth. Hell, she might not even want to see him. His smile faded. He honestly had no clue what to do. She proved that she cared about him as a person. She worked past his cold mask to help him… no women had ever done that for Auron. He… he liked Rikku, far more than he should. That was obvious, at least in private. She had just reciprocated those feelings, and while he was flattered, and quite interested… he was wary. The last time this happened… she had not wanted him for himself… only for making love. He refused to be in that kind of relationship, and it had cost him everything…
Except the duty of the guardian. And Braska. Speaking of which, this was Braska's field of study, not his. It was Braska who was constantly trying to get Auron married off or drunk enough to want to be. Auron smiled. He missed his friend. Braska would know what to do.
But he wasn't here. Auron was alone.
Then what is this beautiful young lady doing in your arms? Braska's voice echoed in his mind. She isn't here for the bed. She's here to be with you.
Auron blinked. Now he was hearing things. Oh wonderful. That's the clue to close your eyes and sleep, he thought to himself. And he did.
************
Auron woke just before dawn. He was again pressed against a warm body for the second morning in a row. His face was nuzzled into the back of Rikku's neck, his arms around her stomach. It was cozy and soft, but he knew that they needed to move on. He could not allow this relationship to interfere with his duty as a guardian to Yuna, and to Tidus.
He gently lifted the comforter, rising from the bed. He crept across the room to the small bathroom, removed his remaining clothing, cleaned his teeth, showered, and put his pants and boots back on. He re-combed his hair, knowing it was futile to try and pull it all back, for the small spikes of Grey refused to stay down.
Reentering the room, Rikku was sitting up in the bed, rubbing her eyes. He smiled. She was so cute. He jumped at the sound of the door being pushed open, and instantly fell back into the bathroom, unconscious of his actions. It was only Tidus.
"Hey! G'morning, Rikku!" He chirped brightly. "Sleep well?"
She groaned. "For my three hours, you betcha," she mumbled, half falling out of bed. She stumbled over Auron's flask. Tidus's eyes grew wide. Auron held his breath. "It's not what you think!" She squeaked. Tidus stood there for a moment, surveying the room, his eyes finding the bloody shirt. Rikku played the moment. "Uh, see, he was hurt! So I healed him and uh, fell asleep." She grinned sheepishly. Well, she was sorta telling the truth… Tidus frowned, concerned.
"Is he alright?"
"I'm fine," Answered Auron, walking out of the bathroom. The swordsman knelt to pick up his torn shirt, examining the damage. "I was injured… and I did not want you to know. Rikku, she did a wonderful job of healing me." He looked up, eyes warm. Rikku blushed.
"That's cool," Tidus said, shrugging. "As long as you're ok. There's a Guado outside, that's what I came to tell you. He's asking for Yuna." Auron narrowed his eyes.
"Go to her, you also, Rikku. I'll be out in a moment." The two younger guardians shuffled out, towards their summoner. Auron's gaze lingered on the Al Bhed as she left.
*** eeeek. Romance-ness. Was that good? Or should I stay with the mushy- ness only?
-Spazkit
Chapter 5 Need
Rikku was up. All night. Actually, it was kinda morning now. Dammit.
She groaned, grinding her hand into her face. She was sitting cross-legged atop a table in the outer room of the Inn. Just her luck, all the rooms had been taken by the time she was finished with Auron, so instead of disturbing Yunie or something, she just… stayed up. And thought very hard. She was sure her brain was bleeding or something.
Stretching, she flexed her legs, yawning all the while. Well, she was going to be useless tomorrow. Or today, depending how you looked at it. She decided to get up and check on Auron. It had been over 5 hours since he'd passed out. Poor guy. She approached the hallway yawing yet again, and ramming straight into a big blue furry thing.
"Rikku up early this morning," grumbled Kimahri as Rikku pried herself out of his stomach.
"Rikku never went to bed," She responded, giving a quirky smile. She moved past the Rhonso and proceeded to the farthest room on the right. She gently opened the door.
It was still dark inside. She moved silently to the side of Auron's bed. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the dim light, and she cursed silently when she hit her foot against the bedpost. Kneeling down, she gripped her foot and kept her mouth shut. She let out a loud squeak at the feel of something on her back. A hand?
Eyes seeing vague objects now, she lifted her head, now level with the body on the mattress. Indeed, Auron's arm was suspended, lying on her upper back. Was he awake?
She put a hand on the tip of the bed, trying to stand without causing the limb to fall. She was assured he was quite awake when it gripped her orange top, applying gentle pressure. She stood and turned, but his arm pulled her towards the bed.
Now she could see his face. His eye was open, watching her. His arm pulled her closer to the bed. She could feel the soft mattress beneath. Very bad. Sleep deprived mind not need warm alluring bed with nice, warm body in it only two feet away. But he didn't stop. He continued to pull until Rikku was leaning over him. She reached a hand over him, trying to maintain her balance. His other arm came up, pulling her stomach over, until she was half lying on the swordsman. Her hands were bound by his own, encircling her wrists. He pulled her once more, until she was lying atop him. He rotated to his side, and she slid to the mattress, facing him. Almost identical to the position of the previous night, she realized.
Her fogged mind was spinning, her heart ramming into her lungs. Her hands were bound, but pressed against his chest. There was no distraction now. His warm, smooth skin seemed to set hers on fire. Her fingers traced the contours of his chest, from collarbone, to oval pectoral, to the scar. A barrage of emotions flooded her brain. Almost without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed the scar gently. She felt his skin beneath her lips, and then tasted it. Auron tensed, his stomach hardening. He exhaled shakily, and let go of a wrist to touch her face. He forced her face upwards, breaking the intimate contact. She looked up at him and pouted.
"No, Rikku," He whispered, and smiled. "Not now."
She did not understand. She wanted this! "Why?" She said, voice wavering.
"Because…" He looked away. "Because there is so much you don't, you can't know. About me. I… I'm not…" He stopped, and chuckled sadly. "Just… not now. Not yet."
Rikku felt ready to cry. Not yet? As in… later? Well, later was better than nothing, but she wanted it now! She wanted to feel his lips-
"Shhh," Auron hushed, touching her hair. He leaned forward to gently kiss her forehead. "Rest."
Rest? How in the name of Yevon was she going to rest!? How could she possibly sleep when his heartbeat was gently thudding rhythmically against her ear, his hand slowly massaging her neck, the blankets wrapped around them, sealing them from the world, his breath warm against her face…
Auron smiled, watching Rikku fall asleep. He wondered if she would be so eager to touch him if she knew the truth. Hell, she might not even want to see him. His smile faded. He honestly had no clue what to do. She proved that she cared about him as a person. She worked past his cold mask to help him… no women had ever done that for Auron. He… he liked Rikku, far more than he should. That was obvious, at least in private. She had just reciprocated those feelings, and while he was flattered, and quite interested… he was wary. The last time this happened… she had not wanted him for himself… only for making love. He refused to be in that kind of relationship, and it had cost him everything…
Except the duty of the guardian. And Braska. Speaking of which, this was Braska's field of study, not his. It was Braska who was constantly trying to get Auron married off or drunk enough to want to be. Auron smiled. He missed his friend. Braska would know what to do.
But he wasn't here. Auron was alone.
Then what is this beautiful young lady doing in your arms? Braska's voice echoed in his mind. She isn't here for the bed. She's here to be with you.
Auron blinked. Now he was hearing things. Oh wonderful. That's the clue to close your eyes and sleep, he thought to himself. And he did.
************
Auron woke just before dawn. He was again pressed against a warm body for the second morning in a row. His face was nuzzled into the back of Rikku's neck, his arms around her stomach. It was cozy and soft, but he knew that they needed to move on. He could not allow this relationship to interfere with his duty as a guardian to Yuna, and to Tidus.
He gently lifted the comforter, rising from the bed. He crept across the room to the small bathroom, removed his remaining clothing, cleaned his teeth, showered, and put his pants and boots back on. He re-combed his hair, knowing it was futile to try and pull it all back, for the small spikes of Grey refused to stay down.
Reentering the room, Rikku was sitting up in the bed, rubbing her eyes. He smiled. She was so cute. He jumped at the sound of the door being pushed open, and instantly fell back into the bathroom, unconscious of his actions. It was only Tidus.
"Hey! G'morning, Rikku!" He chirped brightly. "Sleep well?"
She groaned. "For my three hours, you betcha," she mumbled, half falling out of bed. She stumbled over Auron's flask. Tidus's eyes grew wide. Auron held his breath. "It's not what you think!" She squeaked. Tidus stood there for a moment, surveying the room, his eyes finding the bloody shirt. Rikku played the moment. "Uh, see, he was hurt! So I healed him and uh, fell asleep." She grinned sheepishly. Well, she was sorta telling the truth… Tidus frowned, concerned.
"Is he alright?"
"I'm fine," Answered Auron, walking out of the bathroom. The swordsman knelt to pick up his torn shirt, examining the damage. "I was injured… and I did not want you to know. Rikku, she did a wonderful job of healing me." He looked up, eyes warm. Rikku blushed.
"That's cool," Tidus said, shrugging. "As long as you're ok. There's a Guado outside, that's what I came to tell you. He's asking for Yuna." Auron narrowed his eyes.
"Go to her, you also, Rikku. I'll be out in a moment." The two younger guardians shuffled out, towards their summoner. Auron's gaze lingered on the Al Bhed as she left.
*** eeeek. Romance-ness. Was that good? Or should I stay with the mushy- ness only?
-Spazkit