"Rikku! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Slowly, but with a shameful look on her face, the girl removed her hands to uncover a long scratch that ran from her creamy mid-thigh to her ankle. Auron looked closely to find that it was actually an unsightly gash. Blood began to trickle down like a small stream hiding between rocks, and the older man pushed his sunglasses way up to conceal his eyes that were becoming misty.
"Rikku, I'm so sorry. This is my fault."
"Don't say that. I just lost control of the chocobo, that's all. I was only trying to hold onto my bag, instead of focusing on that stupid race."
"The chocobos aren't trained well enough. We should sue."
"That's not going to make me feel any better."
"But this will. Untie your scarf."
Rikku did as she was told, reaching behind her neck to loosen it. Watching, Auron simply couldn't believe he had done this to her. After the defeat of Yu Yevon those years ago, he never wanted to see her wounded again, not even in an important battle. As she was busy unraveling her scarf, she didn't notice him kiss her thigh softly.
"Now, I'm going to wrap this around your wound for now. I haven't carried any potions of any kind with me in a long time. I hope you'll be alright."
With that, he lowered himself over that gorgeous body of hers just for a moment, and scooped her up into his arms the way he sorely missed. He loved the feel of her soft, bare skin and how easily he could hold her skinny little frame. She was like a work of porcelain art, and because of his playing stupid games with her, she got hurt. And for that he was furious with himself.
"Do you have to carry me? This is embarrassing," she whined, still holding onto her bag.
"Be quiet," he said harshly, walking in silence with her until he reached a hover, and slapped a wad of credit tickets into the attendant's hand.
It was already close to the beginning of another sunset, but now he was too angry to value that it was a sunset alone with Rikku, something he always wanted.
"You don't have to get so mad," she said, pouting a little after the hover lifted off the ground. Uncomfortably, she fidgeted with a mass of fringed blond ends coming out of her sloppy blue headband. "It was just an accident, you know."
"Rikku," he began, not looking at her out of a fear of seeing her tears, "I think this is a sign that it's time we stopped playing games for now. I don't want you to think I don't enjoy being around you; it's been nice, but lately I've decided maybe it's time we slowed things down."
"What do you mean?" she asked, blinking back the tears that weren't going to help. Sir Auron was different from all the other guys, and something told her this was going to lead to disaster, and that these words only made up the prelude to the message that she anticipated would break her heart.
"I know that enough time has passed since Valentine's Day for the both of us to think about... us, together, and what our friendship has turned into. And I hope that day and that evening meant the same to you as it did to me. But it's not that easy. I don't think I can be with you all the time. You notice how easily angered I get when I see you hurt, and it appears as if us being together often will frustrate both you and me. Do you understand what I'm saying, Rikku?"
"Yes," she lied, turning her neck and wiping tears away with the back of her hand. What did this all mean? Men were so complicated. She felt like they were breaking up, although nothing really happened. The night he had become her dream, the one she always wanted, the night he had kissed her.... How dare he bring it up like it was nothing! That memory was perhaps the best of them all. She was falling in love with him. How, she wondered, was this any different from being rejected?
-------------------
"Huf, frah fyc dra mycd desa E ryt so getc rusa vun tehhan, rir? Now, when was the last time I had my kids home for dinner, huh?" Cid asked, placing a bowl of greens on the table.
Rikku sighed, resting her elbows on the table and eyeing her father as if he were an annoying stranger. The two of them never got along that well, but come to think of it, neither did she and Brother. And Brother was none too fond of his father as well, so as far as Rikku was concerned, they were all just in an awkward situation.
Cid seated himself at the head of the table, looking comical with a spot on his bald white head from the light hanging above. His green eyes were much darker, and his face constantly kept the same grim look. The old leader of the Al Bhed was known to be a little haughty and aggressive in whatever he did, earning him deep respect from the rest of the Al Bhed. Rikku and her brother, though, found him not much more than a short, stocky, temperamental man in combat boots, the same yellow-and-gold body suit, blue gloves, and goggles around his neck.
"Ajanouha'c ryjehk y pnayg vnus bmyhhehk dra fattehk uv Yuna Everyone's having a break from planning the wedding of Yuna," Brother said, reclining in his chair and sounding a lot less strained speaking his natural language, but his voice was still eccentric, high pitched and, from time to time, a bit squawky. His bird-like nose and spiked hair didn't help it much. He set his shoes on the table and reached for a few grapes on his plate, dangling them over his mouth before swallowing them whole and nearly choking.
Rikku rolled her eyes and set her mind over some of the Al Bhed art on the walls, angular and not colorful except for different shades of the same orange, yellow, and green.
"Oui dfu cruimt maynh yht bnyldela cusa syhhanc You two should learn and practice some manners," Cid snapped before clearing his throat. "Pid E's kmyt Yuna ec vehymmo kaddehk synneat, ajah ev ed ec du dryd clnyfho puo. Fryd fyc rec hysa But I'm glad Yuna's finally getting married, even if it is to that scrawny boy. What was his name?"
"Tidus," Rikku said monotonously, sighing. All her life, besides going on excursions for big projects, Rikku had lived on Bikanel Island surrounded by sand dunes. The base the Al Bhed called Home was destroyed after an attack two years ago, but this rebuilt one, the new Home, was no different. And in spite of the fact that her father was the leader, they were still eating dinner in a dining room that was almost the same as the galley for the Al Bhed workers. No carpet, metal like everything else, they were eating on cheap trays, drinking out of canteens... it got so old. Tonight she tried to pretend she'd enjoy some time at home, but instead she was instantaneously reminded of why she left: to have fun for once, and enjoy different living conditions.
"Lyh E pa aqlicat Can I be excused?" she asked, toying with her fork.
"Oui ryjah'd ajah duilrat ouin vecr yht vnied You haven't even touched your fish and fruit," her father said, digging in heartily. "Pid frydajan. E syta ouin vyjuneda taccand But whatever. I made your favorite dessert."
Rikku wrinkled her nose. There were only so many ways to prepare desert cactus. And with the opening of Praetor Baralai's restaurant in Bevelle, she'd completely forgotten about that famous Al Bhed jelly dessert.
"E drehg E'mm bycc I think I'll pass-" she paused and sighed impatiently as her father's walkie-talkie sounded.
"Lreav! Fa haat oui eh cipmajam drnaa! Chief! We need you in sublevel three" one of the electricians called to Cid.
"Oad yhudran cusadrehk E ryja du ku veq. Yet another something I have to go fix," he muttered, smiling and looking satisfied with himself in some way. "Aqlica sa. Excuse me."
Rikku and Brother exchanged dumbfounded and exasperated looks as they heard their father's heavy boots clunking as he made his way out the door.
"Fryd y fungyrumel! What a workaholic!" Rikku said, gaping.
"Yna oui ryjehk vih oad Are you having fun yet?" Brother whined with his head on the table.
"Huba. E's hud cyoehk zicd oad dryd fa cruimth'd ryja lusa pylg rusa, pid drec ec kuehk du pa y muhk hekrd Nope. I'm not saying just yet that we shouldn't have come back home, but this is going to be a long night......."