Disclaimer: I'm too poor to own Final Fantasy X, nor any of its characters.

A/N: Just a short little one shot that hit me like a ton of bricks while reading Gintama, or more specifically, when Gintoki said a certain thing that reminded me of something Auron would say. THIS IS NOT AN AURIKKU. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT AN AURIKKU. No illegal relationships will be represented in this work of fiction, since Auron himself wouldn't touch any naughty bits of Rikku's with a ten foot pole. Thank you and good night.


Auron sat against one of the crystalline tree trunks by their camp, located in a small clearing in Macalania forest. He was keeping watch tonight, only about an hour into his shift. Around one or two in the morning, he would be switching with Kimahri.

The man had to admit, though, he was getting suspicious of the blonde Al Bhed whose bedroll and self were inching closer and closer to him. By the time she was about a foot from his feet, Auron lifted a brow curiously as she looked up and grinned toothily at him.

"Can I help you?" He whispered roughly.

Rikku grinned even wider and sat up, pulling her bedroll around her as she whispered excitedly, "I have a question for you!"

Auron's other brow rose to meet his first, and Rikku took it as a sign to continue. "How'd you get that scar over your eye? Huh huh?"

The topic of choice immediately went down the drain, and Auron answered in a clipped tone, "Tasteless reason."

"Then why'dja do it?"

Well, that was a good question. Auron thought for a moment, before answering with a quote he had learned from a traveler shortly after leaving the temple, and had taken to heart. "A samurai doesn't need a good reason to act. If there's something that you want to protect, then pull out your sword."

Rikku blinked, not having expected the swordsman to answer her, and was quiet while she thought about the quote.

Before she had a chance to come to a conclusion on what they meant, Auron sent her back to bed. "Go to sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Fin