Animal Love

Love, it is a very strange phenomenon that not even the smartest scientist is able to figure out. Even those who have felt it are unable to explain it or describe it in a way people can understand. People such as I were very uninterested in such a 'phenomenon' know as love. Notice 'were'. That was until she came along and made my life different in many ways.

My name is Auron, I am 35 and I work at a Veterinarian clinic in the small town of Yankton South Dakota. I am one of the head Doctors at the clinic, the only clinic, right smack dab in the middle of town. The owner, Dr. Tellah was planning on retiring. And there was a small rumor that he would be handing the clinic over to me. I pretended not to know a single thing about it and worked as usual.

After a particularly slow day I busied myself with finishing up some paperwork I had stacked up on my desk, while my physicians assistant busied herself with informing me of her entire night with her newest boyfriend in elaborate detail, while lounging quite casually against my desk.

"He is such a nice guy! He made me dinner himself, even though we didn't get around to eating all of it." A series of giggles interrupted whatever it was she was going to say next.

"How interesting Yuffie, he sounds like quite the charmer. I am glad you had such a breathtaking night." I responded not even looking up from my paperwork, plainly showing how uninterested I truly was.

"You're just saying that cuz' you never had anything like that to relate to!" she countered back resting both of her hands on my desk and looking down at me grinning like the Cheshire cat. I chose this moment to look right back at her with a glare capable of lighting her hair on fire…she still didn't budge. I guess she is immune to it now.

"That's because I choose not to. I have more important things to do with my time. I have no use in getting all tangled in a mess that I can avoid."

"Bah! You are just an old fart who is to up tight to go out and have fun! It's not good for your health you know."

I rolled my eyes and went back to my paperwork, indicating the end of the conversation. "Don't you have something do be doing? Like work?" I muttered. She stood up and stuffed her hands in her coat and began to flap her arms up and down like she was trying to fly away.

"Nah, unlike you I got everythin' I needed done…done." She responded not even looking at me. Sometimes I wondered why I kept her around in the first place, sometimes it seemed she only help add the grey hairs to my head.

"Oh! I forgot I had this." She pulled a folded piece of paper out of the pocket of her lab coat. "The head man gave this to me to give to you." She held the tiny slip of paper out to me and I took it from her, I had to hold back from jumping up and ripping it from her fingers. Could this have been it? The moment when the clinic would be handed over to me? I quickly unfolded the paper and skimmed over the messy handwriting.

"What's it say? What's it say?" Yuffie asked practically dancing around my office. My shoulders sunk…it wasn't the clinic…

"I have an intern from the local college coming to work under me for a few months." I said my voice laced with disappointment. Most interns I taught in the past were either idiots or thought they knew everything. The little bastards seemed to forget Iwas the one with the PhD, not them. Yuffie, however, was more than happy with that. She clapped and let out an ear piercing squeal of excitement.

"An intern! Oh how cool! What's his name?" she asked not even waiting for me to respond as she leaned over my desk and tried to read the note upside down.

"He's a she and her name is Rikku Highwind." I explained as I set the note down on the desk and rubbed my temples. Most girl interns were the worst…just look at Yuffie.

"A girl! That's even better! I can't wait to meet her! When's she commin'?"

I picked the note back up from the top of the papers and read the bottom. "Monday." Yuffie pouted and crossed her arms. She looked just like a kid who didn't get the candy he wanted from the store that day.

"Monday! That's like…three days away! I don't think I can wait that long!"

"Oh, I can…it isn't long enough…" I mumbled into my hand that my head was now resting on and continued to scribble down the rest of my paperwork. There was about 30 seconds of lovely silence before Yuffie started talking again.

"Well Auron, I'll see ya later! I'm gonna go on my lunch break, if ya need me you know where to find me!" she waved as she finally strode out of my office leaving me alone in some much wanted piece. I tried to concentrate on the rest of the paperwork, but the thought of the intern plagued my mind for the rest of the day. Throwing my pen down I rubbed my face. This weekend wasn't going to go by slow enough. I looked up to the door as I hear a soft knock and I saw the secretary Rydia standing outside.

"Dr. Auron? Mrs. Gainsborough is here for her 3 o'clock appointment."

I nodded and stood up from my desk. "Alright then, tell her to take Red to the main room and I will meet her there." She nodded and quietly left my office, me following close behind.

After the last appointment left I left the clinic and drove home. Today was a long day and I was happy to finally have the weekend here to relax. I pulled my car into the driveway and got out and locked the door behind me. Pulling out my keys I unlocked the front door and walked inside. I yawned and stretched as I walked into my bedroom and tugged off my shirt and fell onto my bed. No sooner did my head hit the pillow, I was out fast asleep.

Sure enough, the next thing I know I was walking into my office that dreaded Monday morning. Brushing my peppered hair with my fingers I tossed the manila folder I was carrying on the desk and flopped in my chair. I threw my head back over the chair and lulled my head to the side and looked at the clock…6:30…which meant 30 minutes of piece until my day started. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. So relaxed…for about 15 seconds when Yuffie busted into my office.

"Good morning Auron! I hope you slept well! I did. Slept nice and good for the intern." She babbled on and on for the next 30 minutes all about pointless crap. The next thing I knew there was another knock on my door. I got up and walked past the babbling Yuffie, who didn't even seem to notice someone was at my door, and pushed open the door only to find myself blinded by a bright orange and yellow thing in my doorway.

"Hi, is this Dr. Auron's office? My name is Rikku Highwind I am supposed to be interning under him…" she looked slightly nervous as she fiddled with her fingers looking around my office.

"This is Dr. Auron's office, I am Dr. Auron, nice to meet you Rikku." She looked up and smiled, she had a cute smile…that was bad; I thought she had a cute smile.

"Pleased to meet you!" she looked around me and stared at Yuffie who was still talking to my shadow at my desk. "Who is your friend?" I looked over my shoulder at Yuffie, then back to Rikku.

"That is my physician's assistant, Yuffie." I said before I turned around to look at Yuffie. "Hey, stop babbling to yourself and get over here and introduce yourself to the new intern." She immediately stopped and hurried over to the door and grabbed both of Rikku's hands in her own.

"Hello! I am Yuffie Kisaragi! I have been waiting to meet you for so long! It is always exciting getting new interns huh Auron?" she asked me jabbing me with her elbow.

"Yeah, sure."

"It is nice to meet you too Yuffie. Should I call you Dr. Kisaragi?" Rikku asked tilting her head to the side.

Yuffie laughed. "Nah, it sounds too weird. Just call me Yuffie." Rikku giggled and nodded.

"Alright then. I think I can do that."

I pushed the door open further so the new intern could walk inside. She sat down at the chair next to my desk and I took that time to study her over. She had her hair down with a few random strands braided and bright orange and yellow feathers sticking out from the end. She wore a flaming yellow shirt and an orange skirt with sequins twisting and turning to form little designs all the way around. She had light yellow socks and some weird looking shoe that even now I cannot describe. It was amazing; she managed to color coordinate her entire outfit down to her shoes. Made me wonder if her underwear was coordinated the same. However odd it looked. It seemed to fit her…quite well I might add. I took my normal seat behind my desk and folded my hands on the desk.

"So what kind of things are you hoping to learn by interning here?"

She looked up at me and tapped her chin. "Well…I want to learn everything I can about Veterinary medicine. I am really looking forward to the surgeries." She nodded enthusiastically.

I nodded. "Well, I perform my surgeries around noon. So you are welcome to come by and watch." She nodded in response.

"So what is going on today?"

I picked up the manila folder and opened it up. "Well, we have a few annual treatments, some puppy shots, two neuters and one spay…one knee replacement and then some more annuals." I looked up from the paper at Rikku. "Sound good enough for your first day?"

She laughed and stood up. "Sounds more than great! Let's get started!" she grinned at me and waited for me to get up. I did so and walked out of my office Rikku following at my heels.

Ok…I was wrong. She was turning out to be very much different from Yuffie.

((Aurikku…OMGBBQ! HETERO! I love this pairing…and I randomly thought of it on my plane ride home from South Dakota oO….very odd indeed. But yeah, so here it is, review and tell me what cha think. Clari-sama))