Chapter 12
"Everything's ready!!" Yuna announced cheerfully as she and Tidus clambered onto the Celsius. "The Moonflow's going to look beautiful tonight."
"I guess it'll be fun, if you can get past those clowns for musicians," Tidus remarked, laughing. Yuna nudged him in the ribs.
"They're our friends," she implied. "And I want to invite everybody who might be interested in joining us."
"I know, I know," her boyfriend said, leading an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek.
"Now that you two have that settled," Auron began, clearing his throat, "shall we move on now?"
Yuna giggled.
"What?" he said, turning to her.
"You sound just the same, Sir Auron. Just like two years ago. You still can't stand wasting any time." Yuna folded her hands at her legs and smiled nicely. She patted his shoulder before taking Tidus by the hand and leading him up onto the deck again.
Auron pushed his sunglasses up onto the bridge of his nose and hung his arm out of the front of his coat, then made his way into the cabin, where he found Rikku sitting up on that same bar stool, looking pensive with her chin in her hand. A smoky look seemed to cloud those glimmering eyes that usually looked rather sharp and piercing. Her skinny little legs swung back and forth as her fingertip swirled around the edge of her glass.
"Did you want to speak to me earlier?" he asked her.
Rikku became startled and nearly knocked over her glass of some popular Al Bhed drink. Finding him sitting beside her, she brushed her hanging braids out of her face and tried to meet his gaze, though unable to see his eyes through the glasses. Instead she caught the reflection of her own eyes, so frightened and yet shining with a little hope. Did she really look just as odd to him? Only when she caught a glimpse of herself did she begin to imagine that the two of them may as well have been from different planets. "I, uh... I only wanted to thank you, for saving me back there," she stammered, looking down on at the wooden floor. "You didn't have to, since we're not Yunie's guardians anymore, and--" "It was nothing. Not even worth mentioning now," Auron interrupted her. "I know, but... I thought I might do something for you anyway, because it's your first day back and all... Anyway, since it's Valentine's Day and we're all celebrating together... I thought that maybe... you'd like to hang out with me. You know, since Tidus and Yuna are going to be together all night, and we're trying to get Paine to dance with Baralai... So you won't be alone..." Rikku's voice trailed off and she became more than ready to add, "Just forget it." Auron threw his head back and laughed mirthfully. Rikku's face contorted with annoyance and she set her hands on her hips. "What? Did I say something very funny?" "No, it's just... it kind of sounds almost like you're asking me on a date." Rikku felt the heat rising in her face. "Well, I was just trying to be kind and polite, you know! It's called a 'nice gesture'. Maybe you've never heard of that." Auron sighed and faced her squarely in the eye. "Alright then, thank you very much, Rikku. I'll accept." Rikku had almost turned around, but made a double-take with a surprised face. "R-really?!" "Only if the offer still stands. I have no plans. Nothing better to do for the rest of the night. I don't even know where I'll be staying for as long as I'm in Spira." "...Okay. I, um... I'm glad." "Rikku!!" The door to the cabin slid open and Yuna came running in, looking as if in healthy spirits as usual. Her face radiated with a state of pure contentment, and she smoothened out the denim half-skirt tied around her waist. She waved at Auron politely, and tapped Rikku's shoulder. "Yunie!!" Rikku greeted her cheerfully. "What's up?" "If you're not busy doing anything, the Celsius is over Mount Gagazet right now and I thought we girls might spend a little time in the hot spring!" Rikku smiled gleefully and turned to Auron. "Sorry, but I'm going!" "Enjoy yourselves," Auron saw them off with a smile, and downed another glass of brandy as soon as the doors to the lift slid shut. He didn't want to admit it was jealousy that seized him just then, but the thought of Rikku and Yuna leaving off and having fun made him feel awkward. Constrained by something. The two of them had plenty of youth left, enough life left to live and then some to spare, while he... well, it was only evident to him that he didn't belong. So why would Rikku ask him out on, well, practically a date? Because, like she said, she's just trying to be polite. Come tomorrow morning, she and the others will be off sphere-hunting, and I'll be... where will I be?
"I feel great!" Paine exhaled calmly, her voice echoing throughout the beautiful emerald-colored boulders shrouded in the misty steam coming from the hot spring. Leaning back, she drifted on her back and let her thin body glide through the hot water. "Thanks for letting us do this, Yuna, it was an awesome idea!" "Yeah, thanks, Yunie!!" Rikku said cheerfully, sinking to her knees and enjoying the feel of the hot water caress her body and soften the roughness of her yellow bikini that had been dry and itching her somewhat. Her cousin scooped up some water into her pretty hands and sprinkled it into her hair. "I wanted to treat the girls to something, too." Yuna sighed contentedly and treaded water, slowly and gracefully walking back toward her cousin. Without Rikku seeing, she winked at Paine, who came up slowly behind the blonde Al Bhed. The taller woman pounced onto her with delight and doused her into the water. Yuna splashed her cousin vigorously each time she attempted to come back up. "Hey! What gives?!" Rikku shouted, her sopping wet hair flattened against her head, throwing her beaded braids back behind her. "We just want to ask you a few questions," Yuna said innocently, folding her hands behind her back. "Interrogation time," Paine said with a sadistic smile, taking Rikku's arms and pinning her against one of the boulders that surrounded the spring. "We're gonna make you talk." "Hey...! No fair! What's this all about?" "Just relax, I'm just playing. I was only going to tease you about spending so much time with Sir Auron today." "Huh?!" "It's okay, Rikku," Yuna said, holding Paine's shoulder lest she should push the joke a little far. "You can tell us anything. But if you don't want to, that's okay." "I don't even understand," whined Rikku, trying to push against Paine's grip. "What about Auron?" "We just thought maybe you'd missed him while he's been gone. I mean... you sure looked like you've been enjoying yourself in his company, that's all," Yuna said. Her one green eye and one blue eye twinkled with an air of mischievous frivolity. "Yeah, and so much that you'd forgotten about having your 'quality time' with me," Paine said, smiling. Her crimson eyes were just as friendly, but she seemed to be getting a bigger kick out of the joke. "Uh... heh heh..." Caught. Now that she didn't know what to say, she let her eyes hang between her stomach and Paine's. The water was so beautiful and clear, swirling around them like that... "Uh-huh," Paine said satisfactorily, letting go of Rikku. "It's obvious now." "Rikku? We want you to know... we're all for the idea if you have a crush on Sir Auron and you want him to join you for the Valentine's Day festivities." "You-you are?!" Rikku burst, switching her gaze between Paine's face and Yuna's. "We think it's a wonderful idea!" "Just don't go overboard to the point where we have to see him back to the Farplane," Paine said with a humorous grin. Rikku exhaled and felt like she lost weight in doing so. The blonde had shed a good percentage of her apprehensive feelings she'd been carrying all day. Now she was free to do whatever she liked, and she could enjoy a nice evening with Auron like the two of them had never seen before... but why did she still feel like there was something restricting that she shouldn't forget? "Thanks, you guys," Rikku said with unease. "I feel better now. I should have told you earlier, but I really don't know how to explain it, even now." "What do you mean?" Yuna listened attentively. "It's like... I dunno. Maybe I have missed him, just like you said. I always thought these were normal dreams, since we'd seen a lot during your pilgrimage. Kind of like those dreams the Crusaders keep having after Operation Mi'ihen. Anyway... I just kept seeing him, and I thought maybe that he's come back, I could find the answers to these puzzling dreams. That's really all there is." Yuna and Paine exchanged troublesome smiles. "Hey... why are you two grinning like that?" "You'll see," Paine told her, patting her head as if Rikku was still a little child. "What does that mean?" Paine stepped out onto one of the green boulders, grabbed a towel, and began patting herself with it. "Not telling!" "GRRRRR!!!" Yuna discreetly put a hand on Rikku's shoulder, leaned over, and half- whispered into her ear: "What Paine's thinking is, this is your chapter of the story now. I searched and searched for answers and Tidus is back... you've been having dreams and Auron is back..." "Uh, Yunie? I'm not sure that really means anything..." "You don't see it now, but you will. I promise you." "Gee, I don't know what to say, except... thanks, Yunie."
"Everything's ready!!" Yuna announced cheerfully as she and Tidus clambered onto the Celsius. "The Moonflow's going to look beautiful tonight."
"I guess it'll be fun, if you can get past those clowns for musicians," Tidus remarked, laughing. Yuna nudged him in the ribs.
"They're our friends," she implied. "And I want to invite everybody who might be interested in joining us."
"I know, I know," her boyfriend said, leading an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek.
"Now that you two have that settled," Auron began, clearing his throat, "shall we move on now?"
Yuna giggled.
"What?" he said, turning to her.
"You sound just the same, Sir Auron. Just like two years ago. You still can't stand wasting any time." Yuna folded her hands at her legs and smiled nicely. She patted his shoulder before taking Tidus by the hand and leading him up onto the deck again.
Auron pushed his sunglasses up onto the bridge of his nose and hung his arm out of the front of his coat, then made his way into the cabin, where he found Rikku sitting up on that same bar stool, looking pensive with her chin in her hand. A smoky look seemed to cloud those glimmering eyes that usually looked rather sharp and piercing. Her skinny little legs swung back and forth as her fingertip swirled around the edge of her glass.
"Did you want to speak to me earlier?" he asked her.
Rikku became startled and nearly knocked over her glass of some popular Al Bhed drink. Finding him sitting beside her, she brushed her hanging braids out of her face and tried to meet his gaze, though unable to see his eyes through the glasses. Instead she caught the reflection of her own eyes, so frightened and yet shining with a little hope. Did she really look just as odd to him? Only when she caught a glimpse of herself did she begin to imagine that the two of them may as well have been from different planets. "I, uh... I only wanted to thank you, for saving me back there," she stammered, looking down on at the wooden floor. "You didn't have to, since we're not Yunie's guardians anymore, and--" "It was nothing. Not even worth mentioning now," Auron interrupted her. "I know, but... I thought I might do something for you anyway, because it's your first day back and all... Anyway, since it's Valentine's Day and we're all celebrating together... I thought that maybe... you'd like to hang out with me. You know, since Tidus and Yuna are going to be together all night, and we're trying to get Paine to dance with Baralai... So you won't be alone..." Rikku's voice trailed off and she became more than ready to add, "Just forget it." Auron threw his head back and laughed mirthfully. Rikku's face contorted with annoyance and she set her hands on her hips. "What? Did I say something very funny?" "No, it's just... it kind of sounds almost like you're asking me on a date." Rikku felt the heat rising in her face. "Well, I was just trying to be kind and polite, you know! It's called a 'nice gesture'. Maybe you've never heard of that." Auron sighed and faced her squarely in the eye. "Alright then, thank you very much, Rikku. I'll accept." Rikku had almost turned around, but made a double-take with a surprised face. "R-really?!" "Only if the offer still stands. I have no plans. Nothing better to do for the rest of the night. I don't even know where I'll be staying for as long as I'm in Spira." "...Okay. I, um... I'm glad." "Rikku!!" The door to the cabin slid open and Yuna came running in, looking as if in healthy spirits as usual. Her face radiated with a state of pure contentment, and she smoothened out the denim half-skirt tied around her waist. She waved at Auron politely, and tapped Rikku's shoulder. "Yunie!!" Rikku greeted her cheerfully. "What's up?" "If you're not busy doing anything, the Celsius is over Mount Gagazet right now and I thought we girls might spend a little time in the hot spring!" Rikku smiled gleefully and turned to Auron. "Sorry, but I'm going!" "Enjoy yourselves," Auron saw them off with a smile, and downed another glass of brandy as soon as the doors to the lift slid shut. He didn't want to admit it was jealousy that seized him just then, but the thought of Rikku and Yuna leaving off and having fun made him feel awkward. Constrained by something. The two of them had plenty of youth left, enough life left to live and then some to spare, while he... well, it was only evident to him that he didn't belong. So why would Rikku ask him out on, well, practically a date? Because, like she said, she's just trying to be polite. Come tomorrow morning, she and the others will be off sphere-hunting, and I'll be... where will I be?
"I feel great!" Paine exhaled calmly, her voice echoing throughout the beautiful emerald-colored boulders shrouded in the misty steam coming from the hot spring. Leaning back, she drifted on her back and let her thin body glide through the hot water. "Thanks for letting us do this, Yuna, it was an awesome idea!" "Yeah, thanks, Yunie!!" Rikku said cheerfully, sinking to her knees and enjoying the feel of the hot water caress her body and soften the roughness of her yellow bikini that had been dry and itching her somewhat. Her cousin scooped up some water into her pretty hands and sprinkled it into her hair. "I wanted to treat the girls to something, too." Yuna sighed contentedly and treaded water, slowly and gracefully walking back toward her cousin. Without Rikku seeing, she winked at Paine, who came up slowly behind the blonde Al Bhed. The taller woman pounced onto her with delight and doused her into the water. Yuna splashed her cousin vigorously each time she attempted to come back up. "Hey! What gives?!" Rikku shouted, her sopping wet hair flattened against her head, throwing her beaded braids back behind her. "We just want to ask you a few questions," Yuna said innocently, folding her hands behind her back. "Interrogation time," Paine said with a sadistic smile, taking Rikku's arms and pinning her against one of the boulders that surrounded the spring. "We're gonna make you talk." "Hey...! No fair! What's this all about?" "Just relax, I'm just playing. I was only going to tease you about spending so much time with Sir Auron today." "Huh?!" "It's okay, Rikku," Yuna said, holding Paine's shoulder lest she should push the joke a little far. "You can tell us anything. But if you don't want to, that's okay." "I don't even understand," whined Rikku, trying to push against Paine's grip. "What about Auron?" "We just thought maybe you'd missed him while he's been gone. I mean... you sure looked like you've been enjoying yourself in his company, that's all," Yuna said. Her one green eye and one blue eye twinkled with an air of mischievous frivolity. "Yeah, and so much that you'd forgotten about having your 'quality time' with me," Paine said, smiling. Her crimson eyes were just as friendly, but she seemed to be getting a bigger kick out of the joke. "Uh... heh heh..." Caught. Now that she didn't know what to say, she let her eyes hang between her stomach and Paine's. The water was so beautiful and clear, swirling around them like that... "Uh-huh," Paine said satisfactorily, letting go of Rikku. "It's obvious now." "Rikku? We want you to know... we're all for the idea if you have a crush on Sir Auron and you want him to join you for the Valentine's Day festivities." "You-you are?!" Rikku burst, switching her gaze between Paine's face and Yuna's. "We think it's a wonderful idea!" "Just don't go overboard to the point where we have to see him back to the Farplane," Paine said with a humorous grin. Rikku exhaled and felt like she lost weight in doing so. The blonde had shed a good percentage of her apprehensive feelings she'd been carrying all day. Now she was free to do whatever she liked, and she could enjoy a nice evening with Auron like the two of them had never seen before... but why did she still feel like there was something restricting that she shouldn't forget? "Thanks, you guys," Rikku said with unease. "I feel better now. I should have told you earlier, but I really don't know how to explain it, even now." "What do you mean?" Yuna listened attentively. "It's like... I dunno. Maybe I have missed him, just like you said. I always thought these were normal dreams, since we'd seen a lot during your pilgrimage. Kind of like those dreams the Crusaders keep having after Operation Mi'ihen. Anyway... I just kept seeing him, and I thought maybe that he's come back, I could find the answers to these puzzling dreams. That's really all there is." Yuna and Paine exchanged troublesome smiles. "Hey... why are you two grinning like that?" "You'll see," Paine told her, patting her head as if Rikku was still a little child. "What does that mean?" Paine stepped out onto one of the green boulders, grabbed a towel, and began patting herself with it. "Not telling!" "GRRRRR!!!" Yuna discreetly put a hand on Rikku's shoulder, leaned over, and half- whispered into her ear: "What Paine's thinking is, this is your chapter of the story now. I searched and searched for answers and Tidus is back... you've been having dreams and Auron is back..." "Uh, Yunie? I'm not sure that really means anything..." "You don't see it now, but you will. I promise you." "Gee, I don't know what to say, except... thanks, Yunie."