Lah de dah...


It had been quite a while since Rikku had left the camp, several hours atleast.. She was comfortably seated on a log, in a small clearing surrounded by the glittering trees and vegetation.. The blonde pilferer as sorting through the back she had stolen from the monk earlier, with clandestine ease. A couple thousand gil, a chocobo feather, a few random items and potions here and there. She could probably sell them all to O'aka for more than they were really worth.

"E lyh bnupypmo kad y vaf druicyht gil." ( I can probably get a few thousand gil. ) She secured the belongings in the pouch, with the exception of the one chocobo feather in her palm.. She kept the drawstring of the monk's pouch suspended about her wrist as she braided the feather into her hair. Just as she had finished, a gloved palm snatched her wrist lightly from behind. She expected it to be the monk, but glancing up, it was none other than Auron.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"It was his fault for bothering me in the first place!"

"You should give it back, Rikku."

"I can keep it if I want, Auron. It's not that much anyways, and our group can use the gil."

"For what? Our journey is almost at an end. It's not even enough to bribe the fiends ahead. Now, hand it over Rikku."

"Your being so unfair." She pouted, but his russet gaze didn't soften despite her actions.

It was then he grabbed the bag which was suspended from her wrist, and slipped it away.. He didn't do so roughly, because it was only his harmless intent to return it. He could sympathize with the mentally dim monk. Then she came to grasp it in protest, he tugged it with ease out of her hands.

All the other guardians had a level of respect for him, they revered him to a certain degree.. However, Rikku seemed to respect him the least out of the group. And though she pouted and protested, he gently tugged the chocobo feather out of the weaving braids of her hair and slipped it back into the bag. He turned about, stuffing the bag and the contents within it into a hidden pocket of his coat.

Rikku, upset, huffed.. Muttering beneath her breath in Al Bhed. Although he spoke a little of the language, and he couldn't very well hear the words she said, the tone of her voice spoke enough. He arched his brows as he turned to face her again.. Glaring from where he stood down at the girl.

"You have something to say?" It wasn't an angered tone, just that monotonous inquiring voice he used.. Void of emotion, lacking in opinion. You could only tell it was a question by the slight lift in his tone at the end.

It was just one of those moments where she wanted to smack him. The guardian always seemed to push the wrong buttons, to make her feel lesser, to be so uncompassionate and cold.. He was lucky her views somewhat changed when they encountered Yunalesca.. She had always thought he was bent on Yuna's death, but it turned out he wanted to change the tradition.. And his bitterness, she let that slide.

Though now he really pissed her off.

She remembered the first time they met.. He stared her down, he held this air of superiority above her.. And now, she wasn't about to let his experience, his attitude scare her. Rikku was determined to not let him intimidate her.

She looked up, those spiraling emerald eyes locking into his with an anger she didn't think she could muster against the scarlet clad man.. And though it seemed to have a passion in her eyes, it was a very shallow and childish form of contempt. Though for that brief moment, she let her mouth run with her thoughts. She didn't mean it, it was only a temporary fit of juvenile anger.. Though, for a split moment, she wanted nothing more than to just get back at him.

"Don't.. Don't try to run my life just because you don't have one..!"

Auron seemed a mix of emotions, both hurt and repulsed by what she said. Could it have been that the pyreflies' portrayal of the pernicious blow Yunalesca dealt was being used against him that evoked this reaction? Or the fact that such a young girl could elicit such painful emotions what angered him most?

He grunted, low and powerful before he started off on his way.

It was when he had left that Rikku really began to regret her words, and wish she hadn't spoken them at all. And she wasn't one to hold a grudge either. It was a good amount of time before she decided to go and find him, to atleast apologize. Rising to her feet she turned about to head on her way, skipping over the log; only to run into Tidus.

"Oh, hey Rikku!" He vaunted that trademark grin, and Rikku mimicked his smile. The two were much alike in plenty of ways. "What happened to you?" He noticed the stained cloth, some mudcaked skin from her roll on the ground.

"Hey! Oh.. Um.. An accident? Heh heh heh.. Well.. Um.. I- I thought you were with Yunie?"

"Yeah, well, it was about time she get back to camp. Didn't want to have everybody worried."

"Good idea." Wink, wink, nudge, nudge; Rikku chuckled. Tidus followed up, amused by the girl's actions.

"Going back to camp, Rikku? It is getting late."

"Really? What time is it now? I can't tell in this stupid forest."

"Lulu said sunset is a couple of hours." Always depending on Lulu's intuition, and magical know-how to guide the group. Of course, schedules didn't really matter, except for the one fact that every moment wasted was another that Sin wrecked havoc on Spira.

"Alright. You coming?"

"Hm.. Yeah. I guess I should."

With that, they headed off back in the direction of the camp. Talking, chatting, exchanging ideas, opinions, gossip and laughter all the way. It crossed Rikku's mind once or twice, how great Tidus' personality was, that he was in great shape.. Being a blitzer and all. Though, as soon as such thoughts crossed her mind, they were dismissed. She wasn't really the least bit interested in him. It wasn't just the fact that him and Yuna were an item, though they didn't make it official.

It may have been.. Sometimes he seemed more like a cousin than Yuna did, being so alike and all. And she genuinely enjoyed his company -- as a friend. And so they shared that friendly conversation as they headed back towards camp.

More chapters soon. Along the way, I hope to snuff
some other Rikku couplings in this story. Dun mean
I dun't support them though! Jus' nudging her towards
Auron.