Chapter 9
It was all just a bad dream. It had to have been.
Auron awoke sound and whole. His head was not gone, which came as a very great relief. He could not see Lulu anywhere, rotted or otherwise. And he could not see Jecht leering at him.
In fact, he did not see much of anything. Nothing except for endless rolling sand dunes.
He groaned as he brushed himself off, and stood up. He was sore, which he was silently thankful for. It told him that the dream was simply that, a dream. But he knew exactly where he was. Or at least, Auron suspected he did. Judging by the sand, and there a huge amount of it to be sure, he was in the Sanubian desert, on Bikanel. Hopefully.
At least, Auron prayed he was. With Jecht...with Sin, anything was possible. The Fayth only knew if Jecht had deposited them in some other gods-forsaken world.
If there were others with him, somewhere.
When he'd came to, he was laying in the shadow of some huge boulders. Auron leaned against one of them now, and stripped off his gloves, and his coat. There was sand inside of them, and it was chaffing.
The emptying of his gloves served a dual purpose, however. Auron was worried about the others. Worried about Lulu. And the action of ridding the sand from his gloves and coat gave him something to do, to distract him for the moment.
At least Lulu would be better off than the others, he reasoned out. She could conjure water spells to keep from dying of thirst. She could defend herself adequately from most fiends.
But he was still worried about her. What if she had not survived Sin's attack? What if one of the more fiercesome fiends of Bikanel attacked her? What if, what if...?
Nothing to be done but to go look for her, Auron decided.
There was only one thing worse than doing something and failing, and that was doing nothing at all.
And so Auron set off across the endless sand dunes.
It did not occur to him to worry about water, or food. Honestly...he was already dead. He really didn't need such things.
Lulu did need those things, however.
And he would do his best to provide.
He covered quite a lot of ground, those first couple of hours. Randomly, a few fiends leapt out, but he disposed of them quickly, and with an ease that would have made Tidus feel ever so inadequate.
When the sun was high, Auron stopped in the shade of a large ruin, and rested for the span of a few minutes. But eventually, his rest must come to an end, and he pressed on. He scouted the area. He even climbed to the top of the ruin, and looked around as far as he could. But he saw nothing.
Sweating in the heat of the sun, he climbed down once more, and began to walk once more.
As he marched, his mind wandered. He thought about kissing Lulu. He thought about how nice she had tasted, about how fragrant her skin was. When he found her, Auron immediately decided, he would strip her down, and give her a scrubbing in some good, cold water. As heavy as her dress surely was, Lulu could not have been dealing with such a dry heat very well. Tropical Besaid was one thing. Bikanel was quite another.
And after that, Auron thought to himself...After that, he'd rub her skin, and comb out her hair, and pamper her just like he wanted to.
And Wakka be damned.
Auron was so immersed in these thoughts, that he almost missed some fleeting tracks in the sand.
There were small indentions, like the paw-marks of a dog, and they led east, over the next sand dune. Auron decided that it was as good a lead to follow as any. Besides...anything alive out here would gravitate directly to the nearest oasis, or shady spot, at the very least.
With some difficulty, he climbed the sand dune, and what he saw over the next ridge made his dead heart leap with hope.
There was a large, shallow pit made in the sand, in the shadowy overhang of a particularly large ruin. Leading away from it, was a long trail, looking as if it were made by the long sweep of a tree branch.
Or a dress train, heavy with embroidery.
Auron investigated the area, and found the tracks relatively new, and this heartened him. He picked up his pace, and followed the tracks. And at the same excruciating half-jog, he kept pushing himself, until the night fell, and until he reached an area of the desert that began to be spotted here and there with trees. Tall grasses protruded from the sand in clumps, signifying water nearby.
And as he stopped to bend and catch his breath, he heard the familar hum of an ice spell readying. His head snapped up.
"Ha!" A feminine voice called, and the sound echoed from faraway. Auron turned his head this way and that, searching for the source. Had it not been for a small flare of light from the Blizzaga spell, he would not have been able to find it.
Just over that ridge, he thought, and turned to the next dune.
And it sounded as if she needed help.
As he ran, he tossed down his coat into the sand, and pulled his Murasame from it's scabbard, put it at the ready.
As he topped the hill, he saw that it was indeed Lulu who was shouting, and casting spells. Her prey was a tiny Cactaur. He was suddenly glad he'd found her in time.
The little bastards had once laid Jecht on his ass with a 10,000 Needles spell.
Lulu spotted him, and her face seemed to light up in relief. The Cactaur turned to seek it's new quarry, and Lulu used that moment to drive a ice spear through it's shriveled little heart.
"Nice." Auron said, as the Cactaur burst into a cloud of pyreflies. He stood his sword in the sand, and leaned against it. He felt suddenly self-concious, and hid that feeling by edging his sunglasses up his nose.
Lulu sagged a little, and Auron could see that she was tired.
"I see you wear those damnable sunglasses even at night." She said, to cover up her fatigue.
"They came in handy when the sun was up."
"There's no one to hide from in the night."
Slowly, she came towards him. She seemed so very tired, Auron noted at once. Lulu walked as if she were about to fall over at any moment, and he edged closer to her just in case.
"You shouldn't burn up your energy playing tag with the desert fiends."
"I couldn't resist." She breathed as she neared him. "Cactaurs are ever so much fun."
As she came closer, Auron slipped his arm around her waist, and it seemed not a moment too soon. Lulu leaned against him.
"There's an oasis nearby." She said. What she wanted to say was, that she was bloody tired, and parched at that. But she felt bad about complaining.
"Don't worry." Auron simply told her. There was no need for her to complain. He could divine the meaning behind those words as surely as if she'd just said them.
With Lulu sagging against him, and using his Murasame as a walking staff, he guided her into the oasis. Lulu could have cried with relief when she saw the huge, clear pool of water there, and Auron did not miss this. He eased her to the ground, and after a moment of hesitation, laid a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
"Drink. I'll be back in a second."
"Where are you going?" She asked. She was already on her knees by the waterside, and were it not for speaking with Auron, would have already slammed her face into the water.
"Forgot my coat." Auron smirked. She was obviously dying to get into the water, but was too much of a lady to simply dive in.
He chose that moment to make his exit.
When he returned with his coat in hand, he found Lulu's clothing, and pins laying on the bank of the pool, and heard her delighted laughter from somewhere in the darkness.
"You don't know how deep it is." He called out a warning.
"Shut up, Auron."
Auron had to grin at this.
He busied himself, for a time, with starting a small fire. The desert could become very cold at night, and he had not intention of letting Lulu catch another chill.
And when that was done, he was left with nothing to do. After a moment's consideration, he opted to strip off his clothes, and bathe in the pool. He had no intentions, save for a bath.
The water was crisp, and surprisingly cold. Of course, even warm water would have been a delight after slogging around in the sun and sand all day. He dipped beneath the surface, and rubbed his hair vigorously. He rubbed at his skin, and sighed when he came up for air. It was such a good feeling to be clean.
The feeling of a fingertip tracing down his spine made him shiver suddenly, and he turned to face Lulu with not a little bit of surprise.
In the dim light of the moon, he saw her langorously standing in the water, holding out something in her hand.
"What?" He asked, afraid to say much else. He was afraid that if he allowed himself to speak much more, he would try to say something suave, and romantic, and end up blundering utterly.
"I know it smells like roses, but do you want to use it?" She asked.
Auron stared at her blankly. His mind raced with all sorts of bawdy thoughts.
"Well?"
He snapped out of his stupidity, and blinked.
"I'm sorry. I can't see what you're offering." He said, inwardly cursing himself for an idiot.
"Oh. I've got a bar of soap. Do you want to use it?"
"Roses, you say?"
"Don't worry. The smell won't turn you into a girl." Lulu's voice was good-naturedly teasing.
"Where the hell were you carrying soap at?" He asked, suddenly confused.
"Stuffed down the front of my dress." Lulu answered, sarcastically.
Auron stared at her.
"Do you want to use it or not?" She pressed.
"Was it really down the front of your dress?"
Lulu sighed in exasperation, and laughed, and splashed him. Auron shielded himself from the little wave of water, and looked to Lulu's grinning face.
"Turn around." She ordered. When Auron obeyed, she began to soap up his back. The feeling of her hands sliding over his bare skin brought goosebumps to his skin, and he was at once glad for the cover of water and night. In neither could she see his growing arousal.
When she had his back and shoulders soaped up, she splashed water on him to rinse him clean. And then she ordered him to turn around. Auron had half a mind to refuse. But then again...he really didn't want to.
He turned and faced her, and she came just a shade closer. Her hands snaked out, and she rubbed the soap against his chest. Her fingertips ran over his collarbone, his shoulders once more, and combed down through the fine covering of hair on his chest. She soaped up his belly, and then his arms, twining her fingers through his as she did so.
And then her cheeks flamed red and she backed away slightly.
"You should probably rinse off now."
"What's wrong?" Auron asked. For the life of him, he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"I'm not your bathing maiden.." The colour rose in her face, and she began to swim away from him.
He caught her hand, and pulled her back to him, catching her up in his arms. She fit nicely in the confines of them, and Auron looked down at her with a small smile of satisfaction playing on his lips. Lulu did not protest, or fight him.
She did gasp, however, when her legs brushed against something very warm, and very hard beneath the water.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Lulu was too embarassed, and Auron was lost in the joy of simply holding her.
And then Auron pulled them both into more shallow water, where he could sit crossed legged on the bottom of the pool, and hold her in his lap. The water still hid Lulu's nudity from him, and he did not know whether to be glad, or irritated by it.
They just sat there, and in time, Lulu's arms came up to wrap around his torso. He held her, and she sat listening to the slow beat of his heart.
"I had a dream about you." Auron said at last.
Lulu didn't answer. She wished she could say the same, but she never remembered her dreams, and when she did, it was usually about Chappu.
Finally, she spoke.
"Was it a good dream?" She asked.
"It was." 'At first...'Auron thought.
There was more silence.
At length, the water grew chill, and they retreated from the pool. Lulu dried out her hair, and pulled her chemise back on. That done, she lay on her side, staring into the fire. Auron opted for just his pants, and shirt, and he sat cross-legged beside her.
Again, neither of them spoke for the longest time. But it was a comfortable silence.
Auron had been studying Lulu. He watched as she rolled over to lay on her back, and he watched as her eyes drooped closed.
She is so tired, he thought.
He strove not to make a sound as he got up, and stretched himself out beside her. He put the trees of the oasis at his back, and faced the fire, faced Lulu. Auron propped himself up on an elbow, and stared down at Lulu as she slept. For the longest time, he simply watched her sleep. He watched every intake of breath, and the fall of her chest as she breathed out. He watched her eyelids flutter, and her lips part.
A finger came up to caress over her bottom lip. Her breath was warm on his fingernail, and he reached up to brush the hair off of her face.
She looked just as lovely as she did in his dream, with her hair pulled away from her face. Auron could not resist tracing his fingertips over the smooth skin of her cheek.
Lulu's eyelids fluttered, and she woke. Her eyes blinked sleepily, and looked up at him. She did not seem surprised to seem him leaning over her and watching her sleep.
Yevon help him, he couldn't stop himself. Auron leaned down, and kissed her. His mouth moved over hers gently, tenderly. For a second, he might have been able to fool himself into thinking that she was indeed, his wife. But she wasn't. Not yet, Auron thought.
His tongue parted those petal-soft lips beneath his, and he sought to explore every confine of her mouth. She tasted like cinammon, like cloves. She tasted bitter, like a fine wine, and Auron was drunk with her.
His hand cupped at her cheek, brushed the soft skin of her earlobe, and her hair. And she just lay there meekly, accepting his kiss and his touch.
In time, his lips moved away from hers, and trailed a garland of kisses along her jawline. He buried his face in her hair, and inhaled the fresh scent of summer roses. Took her earlobe between his lips and gently sucked on it.
Her fingers came up to stroke through his hair, to twine in the ponytail at the base of his neck.
Tenderly, his hands went to the hem of her chemise, and he pulled it upwards off of her body, and over her head until she lay bare before him. His breath caught ragged in his throat, so great was his growing desire. For a second, he only lay there beside her, and marveled at the perfection of Lulu's body. Then, as if he were about to lay his hands on the most delicate of porcelains, he reached out, and traced a fingertip from her collarbone to right between her breasts. The skin was like pure silk, just as he imagined it would be. Lulu shivered beneath his touch. He watched in fascination as her nipples grew hard in the cold air, and spurred on by his fingertips stroking the roundness of her breasts. Auron trailed his fingers up to those rosy peaks, and his touch played over them.
Again, Lulu shuddered.
Slowly, his hands moved down her belly. He delighted in the softness of it, the smoothness of her skin. He delighted in the flare of her tiny hips, and the velvety texture of the skin of her thighs.
'How does she stay so soft and delicate?' Auron wondered. Didn't her training, didn't her pilgrimages toughen her body?
His fingers slid up her inner thighs, the feel of that skin there feeling like a lamb's ear, like cornsilk. And he brushed over the dark curls that hid the flower of Lulu's womanhood. He felt the dewy wetness, the heat on his fingertips. He brushed his thumb over the little nub that brought her such pleasure, and the cry that came from Lulu's lips was sweet music to him.
Auron raised his head to kiss her once more, and he found Lulu's hands tugging at his shirt, pulling it off of him. He found her hands working at his belt, and undoing the laces to his pants. He shivered as the cool air hit his skin. And then the warmth of Lulu's flesh was like to burn him.
When he was at last naked beside her, he pressed himself to her. He reveled in the feeling of her soft skin against his own body. Her thighs brushed over his hardness, and it came to rest on her belly. Auron thought that he had never felt anything quite so nice in all of his life.
They lay there like that for Yevon only knew how long. They simply kissed each other, and basked in the moment of being so intimate with another human being. Every touch was the sweetest pleasure. Every kiss only served to heighten the desire between them.
And at long last, Auron parted her thighs, and fitted himself within her. He watched her face as he entered her. The blissful look of pleasure that crossed her features made him shudder, and he gathered her close to him. She was so very hot, so very wet around him; he felt as if she was burning into his soul.
Her arms came around him, and Auron buried his face in Lulu's neck once more.
Lulu could barely catch her breath. How long had it been? Chappu had been the last, and that had been several years ago.
She felt as if an animal was consuming her, devouring her soul as Auron moved in and out of her. He filled her full to overflowing, and she was helpless. She could do nothing more than hold him, and let him take her.
Eventually, the pace picked up, and became frenzied. Auron lifted her arms above her head, and twined his hands with hers. He brought his lips down to her breast, and paid his worship to first one nipple, and then the other. He kissed from her chest to her neck, and then took her lips once more. The heat grew, and grew, until finally Auron cried out, and released himself to her.
For Lulu's part, little stars seemed to form and burst before her eyes. A slice of pure heaven seemed to sweep through her body, and her own hoarse cries joined Auron's own.
They lay joined together there, for hours it seemed. Eventually, Auron lifted himself off of Lulu, and picked her up to carry her back to the pool. In the cold water, they rinsed each other clean once more. They held other tightly, little kisses and caresses exchanged. Neither could name the growing feelings within them. Either that, or neither of them had the courage to.
Once more at the fireside, Lulu lay curled in Auron's arms. He pulled his huge coat over the two of them, and there, beneath the stars, and the tree branches, and the huge silver moon, the two lovers finally fell asleep.