Chapter Fourteen: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Amanda's Ramble:
Amanda: Heh. I'm baaaaaaack!
Auron: *hand in the cookie jar* Crap!
Amanda: *twaps Auron with his tokkuri* Out of my cookies!
Auron: Just answer the reviews, already, you crazy woman!
Amanda: *sigh* You're no fun. Okay, here we go!
Jess: Heh. I'm glad you like the twist. Also, you want me to have a chapter up everday. *falls over from even thinking about it* Jeez, I gotta support myself so I can write the story! ^-^ But I promise to try and get more chapters up sooner. I know I've been slack. *hangs head in shame*
Evrae Altana: Please don't die! I'm trying as hard as I can to get more of this story up and out….Auron! *snaps her fingers at Auron* Give poor Evrae mouth-to-mouth! *Auron looks horrified* Well, I tried.
Amanda: Okay. Time for the chappie.
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Ophelia unlocked the front door with the key she kept under the mat and stepped into the shadowed alcove of the house, disengaging the alarm as the others followed her in, gasping in amazement. She glanced up from the alarm system's keypad and gave them a quick smile.
"You really live here, ya?" Wakka's voice was hushed, and Ophelia couldn't fight the grin that spread across her face.
"Yeah. It's nothing special, but it's home." She motioned for them to follow and made her way to the living room. "Have a seat, chill out. I'm gonna, uh, go change clothes." She left and bounded up the carpeted stairs, leaving the others to their own devices. As she threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top, she realized that that may not have been the best of ideas, and she quickly ran back down the stairs, worried about what she might find. When she reached the living room, Tidus and Wakka were examining the television with puzzlement, and the others were all seated on the various pieces of overstuffed furniture, looking around them with great interest.
"Back!" They all turned and looked at her, and it was obvious that they were giving her apparel a critical going over. She glanced down, and, not seeing anything wrong with it, gave a shrug. "What's up?"
"What's this thing?" Tidus tapped the screen of the tv with a finger and frowned when it gave no response. Ophelia shook her head and picked up the remote from the coffee table, switching the tv on. When light, sound and pictures blared from the black cube, the others jumped back, some looking absolutely horrified.
"Are-are those people trapped in there?" Lulu's face was paler than usual, and she had hugged her moogle doll tight to her chest. Ophelia worried that the poor thing would suffocate, so she switched the tv off again.
"Settle down, you guys. It's just a tv. No, those people aren't caught in there, I promise." She put the remote back on the coffee table and sat next to Rikku on the couch, laughing to herself. What in hell had she gotten herself into?
"Alright," she said firmly. "Time to lay some ground rules." The others gave her a confused look and she waved it off. "There are certain things you can and cannot do in this world, and we don't have Sin to blame if you claim ignorance to it. Number one. Swords and such will be left here when we leave the house. We are so lucky that no one noticed them, though," she said dryly, giving Auron a significant glance, "I don't see how."
"And just how are we supposed to do our jobs as guardians without our stuff, ya?" Wakka looked positively offended, and Ophelia gave an irritated sigh.
"You just can't carry them around, okay? My world, my rules." She sniffed haughtily and continued. "Anyhoo, number two, you can't walk around dressed like that. It's just not normal. We can take care of that tomorrow. You've never been shopping like we're going to go shopping."
The men groaned, as did Rikku, but at least Yuna and Lulu looked interested. She gave a soft laugh and got to the heart of the situation. "And, number three, Kimahri, well, you have to stay here. Eight-foot tall cat-men are not common, if you know what I mean. Now," she said, stalling Kimahri's indignant response, "I know you're worried about Yuna and me, but you have to understand that I'm trying to make sure we survive this world together. It would kill me if someone came and took you away because you're a Ronso. You have to trust me with this. You know your world, and I know mine."
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Later that night, Ophelia realized how hard it was to cook for eight people. She cursed as a pot on the stove boiled over and cut the appliance off, finally throwing in the towel. With a large sigh, she reached into the bread box and pulled out the cash she has stowed inside, which for her, was a few weeks ago, and picked up the phone. It looked like her companions from Spira were about to have their first go at pizza, because she'd be damned if she was going to finish the disaster she'd started.
Finally placing her order (one of everything, and bring some cinnasticks, dammit!), she flopped down in a kitchen chair, all of her energy spent. She glanced up at movement in the doorway, and fought a grin at Auron's expression.
"What do you want, old man?" she asked in a mock irritated tone. He blinked and shook his head a moment before settling his gaze on her.
"I hope you're not planning to feed this to us," he said dryly. She stuck out her tongue, earning a smile, and shook her head.
"Nah. I gave up. I ordered some pizza." At Auron's confused look she sighed. "I'll explain how one of these days. Anyway, the food'll be here in about half an hour, so you may as well take your old gimpy ass back in the living room."
"One of these days, you may actually offend me," Auron said good naturedly, and Ophelia was more than a little surprised when he bent and kissed her softly. She sighed and leaned into him, wondering what in hell had gotten into this usually stoic and detached man.
Auron pulled back and straightened, and Ophelia was slightly disappointed that he'd ended the kiss so soon. "The others asked me to come and inquire about sleeping arrangements."
Ophelia thought for a long moment before shrugging. "Tell them any room but mine is open. I don't care where they sleep, as long as it's not my room."
Auron sketched a small bow. "As you wish. I must know, however," he said, a smile pulling at his mouth, "if that rule applies to me as well."
Ophelia felt her jaw drop and her cheeks burn, and for a moment, she could say nothing Finding her voice, she realized she didn't know what to say to that, and just shook her head. She caught Auron's knowing smile as he turned and left the room, and she gritted her teeth in frustration. Damn that man, making her want and feel things she shouldn't. This was all his fault, she just knew it was, though she still had to figure out how to pin it on him.
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Later that night, after the pizza had been completely obliterated and the dishes cleaned, Ophelia sat on the couch long after the others had retired to their chosen rooms, staring at the blank screen. What a day. If life kept throwing her curve balls like this she knew that one day she was going to get smacked in the head by them.
She jumped when something brushed the back of her neck and turned, nearly putting Auron's other eye out. They looked at each other a long moment before she started to laugh, realizing for the first time the pure senselessness of the situation she was in, and at her pleasure at being so. He gave her a confused look before shaking his head and bending down, lifting her into his arms.
Wiping her eyes, Ophelia gave him a puzzled look before speaking. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you to bed." His breath was warm against her ear, and she could feel his heart beating beneath her fingers. She found it hard to believe that this body was not living, that he would be gone when all of this was over. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to save him. She was the mage of judgment, right? Wasn't she supposed to gain the power over life and death? If she had any mission in life, she was determined that it would be to save Auron, not for herself, but for his sake. He deserved a shot at living the life taken from him, because he was so young still.
She yawned when he lowered her to her feet in her room and padded to the bed, the thick down comforter and pillows satisfyingly luxuriant after weeks of sleeping in lumpy inn and travel agency beds, and the cold hard ground. She murmured something unintelligible as she felt Auron slide in next to her and snuggled against his solid form, feeling his arms snake around her, pulling her even close. If every night could be like this, she would give up everything. She felt him press a kiss to her cheek, his own deliciously scratchy, and she sighed, finally letting herself drift into slumber, already missing him, already anticipating morning when she could see him again.
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End of Chapter Fourteen.
Amanda: Sorry, but it may be a while before the next one. (I'll try really hard, though)