Chapter Eleven
Amends

I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
They don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
--Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"

Rikku just stared in amazement for what seemed like an eternity to Auron. Tears glimmered in her spring-like eyes and she took a slow and shaky breath. Then, she did something he had not expected.

She collapsed before him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, not looking up, feeling too ashamed of herself. "I'm so sorry, Auron."

"Rikku." His voice was gruff, firm, much like it had been when she had first met him. His tone caused her to look up. "Stand up," he commanded, still in that harsh tone.

Rikku did as she was told, and sniffled a bit. Maybe he was pissed at her now? "Did I do something wrong?" she asked tentatively.

"Hell yes, you did something wrong!" he practically roared. Then he calmed down and looked the young girl deep in her eyes. "You lower yourself to no one, Rikku, and especially not to me."

She shook her head. "No, Auron. I must lower myself to you. I've done so many things wrong. I've wasted too much time." She was openly crying now. "Tomorrow, we fight Sin – tomorrow, you will leave! That means that we only have just tonight."

Auron smiled at her softly. "Then don't you think we should make the most of it, and not stand around chatting about the 'should-haves' and 'could-haves'? We have tonight, Rikku. It is ours, and ours alone. Now, it's up to you. What do you want to do?"

Rikku couldn't stand it any longer. She gripped the front of his black shirt and pulled him closer to her. Without even pausing to think, she pressed her lips to his and felt the ground beneath them literally tremble.

The second her lips touched his, Auron felt a jolt run through his being. His senses began to sing – everything looked clearer, everything felt more real, everything smelled better, and everything tasted – well, all he could taste at that moment was Rikku, and it was more than he could have hoped for.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back with more passion than he had ever known. He was amazed at how alive he felt – even though he knew the true revivification wouldn't occur until after the final battle. But just knowing that now, there would be a revivification made a huge difference. "Rikku," he whispered into her hair, which smelled so wonderful. "Rikku, do you still love me?"

Rikku pulled back to look him in the eye. "Auron, I never stopped. Not for one second. I was just scared and stupid. Afraid of losing you, I guess. But I said 'hu syddan fryd' in the beginning, and I'm not going to break that promise now."

"Do you have any fears now?" he asked.

"I fear wasting what precious little time we have left."

"Well, then, we won't waste any more of it," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. He pulled the girl over to the bed and gently laid her down.

Their lovemaking that night ranged from languid and effortless and bittersweet to fiery and hungry and passionate. Rikku knew that this night would be the last night she would spend in Auron's arms, and she hoped for something – anything – to stop the coming of the dawn.

But the dawn came, and along with it, the ominous promise of the battle with Sin. It was the promise of everything that Rikku had tried to prevent. She only hoped that the plan that Tidus had come up with would be enough to save Yuna. She had to know that there was still hope for at least one life to be spared.

When Auron woke that morning, he found Rikku sitting in the chair in the corner, sobbing silently. He immediately wanted to run and tell her that everything would be okay, that he would never leave her. But Braska had warned him. The deal would be null if he uttered a word to anyone – especially Rikku.

Instead, he just walked to her silently, and took her in his arms. "Shh, Rikku," he said softly, rocking her in his arms. "Don't cry for me."

Rikku sniffled. "Fine, I won't. I'll cry for me."

They received a signal from the airship shortly thereafter. "I don't want to leave," Rikku told Auron softly as they shared another embrace in the lobby of the Inn. "We could stay here forever, and hide. No one would have to know."

"Rikku, we both have obligations we must fulfill," Auron told her stoically. "But do not fear. Remember, you told me once that even the darkest night is followed by morning."

She nodded. "I'll be brave," she told him. He walked out of the Macalania Travel Agency one last time, and Rikku stood back and watched him for a moment. "I'll be brave for you," she whispered to herself.