Chapter Four
The Trappings of Love

I'll be your crying shoulder
I'll be love's suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
And I'll be the greatest fan of your life
--Edwin McCain, "I'll Be"

The kiss shook them both to their very cores. They pulled away, their eyes searching the other's face for answers, for questions, for anything. "I'm trying to be strong," Rikku finally whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"To hell with strong," Auron whispered back, wiping her tears away with his thumb. He brushed his thumb over her lips and she closed her eyes to the sensation. Then he stopped and pulled away.

Rikku opened her eyes and looked at him, puzzled. "Do you – want me to go?" she asked breathily.

"Do you want to go?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I don't want to be without you, not even for a minute. We don't – have a lot of time left."

"I know," he said. "So you will stay with me?"

She smiled and took his hand. "Until the end," she said sadly.

Without even thinking, she pulled him back to her for another kiss. This one was even more passionate than the last. With raw emotion, she tugged at his black undershirt, and finally pulled it over his head. She caressed the flesh of his back, his chest, his biceps. Anywhere she could get her hands on. She had to know what he felt like, what every part of him felt like. So she could remember . . .

He pulled away for a second. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Yes," she told him. "I've never been surer of anything."

He smiled at her tenderly and kissed her again. This time, while his tongue explored her mouth, his hands explored her lithe form. She was responsive – and so soft. He couldn't believe how incredibly soft she was. It was then that he realized that she was undoing the button of his pants. He groaned softly.

"Auron," she breathed into his neck. "Bmayca," she implored him. Please.

By this time, they were both free of their clothing and they just stared at one another. Rikku ran her fingertips lightly down the line of the scar that ran along the right side of his torso, and then she began to kiss his neck.

Slowly, carefully, he lay her down on the bed, among the flower petals, and lowered himself onto her. She shuddered and bit her lip from crying out in pain as he entered her. "Shh," he said, touching her face and moving within her slowly. "I'm sorry," he whispered in Al Bhed. "It will be better soon, I promise. I'm sorry."

His gentle words to her in her native language soothed her and made the pain go away. After awhile, all she felt was pleasure. Pleasure unlike she had ever known. It radiated all the way down to her toes and back up her spine again, until it was all she could do to keep from screaming out loud.

He knew what she was feeling. He hadn't known that it could ever feel like this. It was brand new, and as old as time all at once. He knew when she reached her peak, because her eyes flew open and her nails scored his back. They cried out at the same time and then he collapsed on top of her, caressing her face, her hair, inhaling her scent, kissing her neck. "Rikku," he whispered to her, right before they both drifted off to sleep.

xoxoxox

Rikku woke up sometime later, a bit disoriented. She looked to her side, and saw Auron sleeping beside her, and she smiled to herself. She remembered what had transpired just hours ago and felt the heat radiate through her body.

Then she remembered something else. The rest of the group! I had better get back to my own room. Don't want anyone discovering us like this. She giggled to herself.

She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Auron's cheek. He stirred, his eye opened. "Rikku?" he whispered.

"I need to go back to my own room. Before anyone gets suspicious," she explained.

"Wait," he told her, pulling her to him.

They made love again before she left. She snuck back into her room and shut the door behind her before she allowed herself to cry. Last night had been beautiful . . . Pure magic. But soon the spell would break, and the man she loved would be gone forever.

There has to be something that I can do. There has to be some way that Yunie can live, and that Auron can stay. There just has to be!

A few minutes later, there was a knock at Rikku's door. "Yes?" she said tentatively.

"Rikku, it's Lulu. May I come in?"

Rikku sighed and opened the door to her friend. "Good morning, Lulu!" she said brightly.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay? That Sir Auron wasn't too hard on you last night?" Lulu asked, all concern.

Rikku had to cough to keep from laughing. Oh, if she only knew . . . "No, it was fine. It was silly really. He thought, that, uh, maybe something was wrong with Yuna? And he wanted me to see if I could find out what it was," she said quickly.

"I see," Lulu said. She had a look of contemplation on her face. She smiled softly at Rikku. "Dressed already, I see?"

Rikku looked down at her clothes and shrugged. "Yeah. I'm a pretty early riser."

"Isn't that what you wore yesterday?" Lulu pressed.

"Umm, maybe? I really don't know any more. We've been traveling for so long, I just kinda grab whatever is easiest any more . . ."

"You're acting very strange, Rikku. Are you hiding something?" Lulu asked.

"What would I be hiding?" Rikku asked, a little too quickly.

"You tell me," Lulu said.

"There's nothing to tell. Really, Lulu. I just – I talked to Aur – Sir Auron until really late last night. I'm a little tired this morning is all," Rikku said with what she hoped was a nonchalant attitude.

"We noticed that you still hadn't come out when we all went to bed," Lulu mused.

Rikku's eyes widened. Cred! "Well, he was really worried about Yunie. I guess he figured since I'm her cousin, I would be able to get more out of her." She shrugged.

"Mm-hmm." Lulu just nodded. "Well, as long as everything is all right. I was just concerned about you, that's all."

"I appreciate it, Lu. I really do. Thanks." Rikku shut the door then and quickly ran to change into another outfit. Whew. That was too close for comfort!

Another knock. "What now?" Rikku muttered out loud. She opened the door to see Yuna standing there, an expectant smile on her pretty face.

"May I come in?"

"Of course," Rikku said, allowing the summoner inside. She shut the door behind her.

"You were in Auron's room all night?" Yuna demanded. "What happened?"

Rikku smirked and looked in the other direction. "Nothing," she said in a singsong voice.

"I don't believe you! Something happened! Look at your face!" Yuna demanded.

"Yunie, shh! Keep it down! I already got the third degree from Lulu. Yes, something happened. But not all of it was good. But that is all I'm going to tell you right now," Rikku said. "I'm sorry that I can't tell you more, but I have a feeling that everyone will find out sooner or later."

"Is something wrong with Auron?" Yuna asked, suddenly in concern- mode.

Rikku forced a smile. "No, nothing's wrong with him! He's Auron. Mr. Stoic and Brave. Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay, Rikku. I believe you," Yuna said. "Are you ready to come have breakfast?"

Rikku nodded. "Yeppers! I'm right behind you! I'm so hungry I could eat a shoopuf!" she exclaimed as she and Yuna left her room.

Yuna paused and nodded toward the end of the hallway, where Auron stood. "I'll see you at breakfast," she whispered to her cousin.

Rikku nodded, and turned to Auron. "Sleep well?" she asked him.

He looked up, and he smiled when he saw her. "Better than I have in years," he confessed. "And you? How are you today?" He was concerned that he may have hurt her.

"I'm great," she assured him, placing a hand on his arm. "Happy, even."

"I wish I could give you a lifetime of happiness, Rikku," he told her solemnly.

Silly Auron," she said, looking up and down the hallway to assure herself that they were alone, and then standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You will."