Chapter 2
Biding Time

Step, step right over the line
And onto borrowed time
When it's life, not waiting to die
Waiting to divide, to divide
-- A Fine Frenzy, "Borrowed Time"

Rikku went to sleep that night with a smile on her face. She couldn't help it. She didn't know what tomorrow was going to bring, but she knew that whatever it brought, Auron would be by her side. And for now? That was more than enough.

Sometime late that night, she heard a rustling noise and shot up quickly, on the defensive. She heard a soft thud in the not-too-far distance, and stood up to walk toward the sound. She found Auron, keeping watch. He smiled gently when he saw her. "Did I wake you?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Depends. Was that you rustling around out here? I thought it was a fiend!"

Auron laughed quietly. "I must've nodded off while keeping watch, because I fell off my branch," he explained somewhat sheepishly. "Just glad no one saw."

Rikku giggled at the mental image of stoic Sir Auron falling on his ass. "Why don't you get some sleep, hmm? I'm awake now, I can keep watch for a bit. Until Kimahri wakes up, at least."

"Ah, no rest for the weary, you know how it goes. You need the sleep more than I do," Auron told her, touching the tip of her nose. "Go to sleep, little Rikku. And don't worry, I'm protecting you."

Rikku felt so privileged that he was letting her see this softer, more talkative side of himself. It made her fall even more in love with him – if that was possible. "Are you sure? 'Cause, I can keep watch too, you know."

"I'm sure. Sleep. Now." The gruff tone was back in his voice, but this time, it made Rikku giggle and feel all snuggly and protected inside.

"As you wish, Sir Auron," she teased, and headed back to her sleeping bag.

As Auron watched her, he felt this innate sense of guilt creep up on him. She was so young, so vivacious, so beautiful. If he let this get out of hand, let it go to far, then it was just going to ruin her after he left. He snorted to himself and took a swig from his flask. I'm not important enough to ruin anybody, he thought sullenly.

E muja oui, Auron. Vunajan. Hu syddan fryd . . . She had said those words to him, with no prompting from him at all. She hadn't even known he could understand her. They had just spilled out of her heart and poured unknowingly onto him. It doesn't even matter what happens now. We're both going to be ruined when this is all over, he concluded in his mind.

Dreamily, he leaned back against the tree trunk, not knowing what his next step would be. Should he ignore her? Make her hate him, just so that his passing wouldn't cut so deep? Or should he make each minute he had with her even more special than the last? He just didn't know.

The words haunted him in his dreams. I love you, Auron. Forever. No matter what. He woke up from the dream with a start. He knew what he had to do. He had to love that girl enough for twenty lifetimes. But before things went any further, he had to tell her the truth. She had to know the truth, or else she would hate him for eternity, and he couldn't bear that thought.

The next morning, Rikku, Yuna, and Lulu were all bathing at the small spring where Auron and Rikku had rendezvoused the previous evening. Rikku was exceptionally quiet, lost in thought, as she memorized everything about that place. She knew she would want to remember it forever.

"So, Rikku, where did you disappear to last night?" Yuna asked her cousin, softly teasing.

Rikku's face heated. "Oh, I, uh, well, I went for a walk, heh heh heh," she stammered nervously.

Yuna looked at her pretty cousin, concerned. Rikku was acting so strange. Not at all like herself. "Rikku . . ."

"What?" Rikku snapped. "Am I not allowed any privacy on this journey?"

"Of course you are," Yuna said quietly, taken aback by Rikku's harsh tone. "I was just – we were worried, that's all." She glanced at Lulu for reassurance.

Lulu nodded, but her mind was deep in thought. No one had seen Auron last night, either. Surely they're not . . . No that's ridiculous! But she wasn't so sure.

Rikku felt bad immediately. She hadn't meant to snap at Yuna. Her emotions were just running so high right now. She'd never been in love with anyone before – and she'd definitely never even liked someone of Auron's caliber. She was afraid of what everyone would think of her if they knew about her feelings for him -- especially since she wasn't exactly sure what he felt for her. For all she knew, he was just indulging her silly little crush, nothing more. Maybe it was just a nice ego-boost for him.

The girls were out of the spring by now, and were dressed and walking back to the camp. "I'm sorry, Yunie. I'm being a brat. She laughed airily. "The stress of this journey and everything else – it makes you kinda tense."

Wakka heard this and laughed in his jovial manner. "Hey, that's when you know it's time to get laid, ya?" he joked, popping out of the bushes. He winked at Lulu, who folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"Sorry if I don't find that particularly amusing," she said dryly.

Yuna and Rikku, however, were giggling like schoolgirls at Wakka. Yuna squeezed Rikku's hand. "Come talk to me later," she whispered to her Al Bhed relative.

Rikku squeezed back. "I will." They got back to the camp, and Rikku noticed immediately that Auron was missing. "Hey, uh, aren't we kinda missing someone?"

Tidus jumped up as soon as Yuna returned. Rikku smiled to herself at the cuteness of those two. "Yeah, Auron went to buy some healing potions from O'aka. He said we might need them for the next part of the journey."

They waited on the older guardian for what seemed like an eternity. When he finally returned, Rikku perked up and waited for him to acknowledge her. He never did. He doled out the potions between everyone, and then, in his business-as-usual tone, he said, "We go. Now. The fiends in these woods are dangerous, so everyone keep a close watch. We don't need to get ambushed. Follow me." He looked at each of them, but Rikku felt like he was looking right through her.

Had last night been a dream? An incredibly realistic dream? She felt like bursting into tears at that very moment. I was stupid to think that last night meant anything. Like I said, emotions are high right now. He doesn't care. Everyone filed out of the campsite, Rikku bringing up the rear, staring at her feet dejectedly. Auron watched to make sure everyone was a safe distance ahead before he turned to her. Without saying a word, he squeezed her hand gently.

Rikku looked up at him, and he smiled softly. "Have some faith, Rikku," he said so quietly that Rikku wasn't sure if he'd even said it at all. He nodded at the others ahead, and dropped her hand. "All in good time." He turned and hurried ahead of the others.

Rikku smiled to herself as she trotted to catch up with her companions. Everything was going to be fine. Just fine.