Disclaimer: I have never owned FFX or any of the characters except in my head which I've heard is a sign of insanity.

A/N: Yes, I do like Aurikku fics. I like to read them and to write them. It does not mean that I encourage, support, or condone pedophilia in any shape, way, or form. Besides, this particular fic does not contain any form of citrusy material. In fact, I try to avoid that, in general. You may read this fic without fear of burning your eyes on graphic descriptions of anything.

Italic- means that this thing won't let me put a question mark and an exclamation point together and that it is meant as an exclamation/question.

Rikku saw him— saw him fading away before her very eyes, fading into a horde of pyreflies. She saw him fading and first she was confused. Yuna was performing a sending but he wasn't— Then she realized and knew she did not want to let him go.

"You didn't tell me! Why didn't you tell me? Fro teth'd oui vilgeh' damm sa?1"

Auron shook his grizzled head, his voice low and gruff as usual, but hoarse as well.

"Rikku, how could I? Did you really expect this to last? You're young, beautiful, talented, and so amazing not to mention so many other things... Rikku, you'll forget an old man like me. Don't fret about it."

Auron smiled grimly at her, wishing he could help heal her heart and keep it whole… but that job was for someone else. Someone younger, stronger, closer to her age, and still ALIVE for starters… Besides, she didn't understand, the Farplane had been tugging at him for so long, and with his promises fulfilled, there was nothing left but it for him. He wanted to rest and he wanted her to enjoy the Eternal Calm they had all earned. This world wasn't his anymore. It hadn't been his for ten years now…

Rikku shook her head furiously and ran to his disappearing figure.

"No! Don't you dare go! I won't let you! Don't I mean anything to you?"

Rikku saw how she had wounded him; how the blood spilled from the invisible gashes she had cut. But she didn't care. Maybe it was selfish for her to ask him to stay. But he had been selfish not to tell her, to let her believe that he would be there for her, to let her believe that when they finally achieved their goal at the end of their journey, he would be waiting at the end of it to take her into his arms like he had done so many times before.

He shook her roughly.

"Rikku, how could you say that? You know I love you. You know that you're the first in so long to touch me where I thought nobody would ever touch me again. You taught me my heart wasn't made of stone and you helped me remember what it felt to be alive. And you added a great deal of pleasure to the scenery," he said laughingly, taking in her skimpy yet somehow still innocent outfit, for one last time. He tilted her chin up to look deep into her swirling green eyes.

And he whispered softly, "E's cunno2, Rikku. E's cunno."

Rikku wiped her tear-stained face against his now only slightly substantial form.

"Why didn't you tell me? All those nights when you held me and kept me safe and kept me warm… why?"

"I loved you too much to hurt you Rikku, but now I see that I might have been wrong."

He looked at the young girl's shaking frame and felt the way her not-so-young form clung to him and he was suddenly aware of the fact that he was almost gone. He shook his head again and held her close, wiping away the tears one last time and dropping the lightest lingering kiss on her lips, as if only pyrefly wings had brushed them, "Tuh'd pa syt3. Rikku, E muja oui4."

"Kuutpoa so bnehlacc5," he whispered, only half of him left.

Rikku tore out of his grip angrily.

"Don't call me that! Don't say that to me! I hate you! I hate the way you make me feel and I hate you for leaving! I hate the fact that you think I'll forget you and how you think I'm so fickle—"

"Rikku, don't say anything you might regret—"

"I'm not going to regret this! I hate you! I wish I'd never met you! And, and, and—" Rikku stumbled, trying to find her words.

"AND I HOPE I DO FORGET YOU, AURON! IN FACT, I'M SURE I'LL FORGET YOU. I HATE YOU AURON! I ALWAYS HATED YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! E RYDA OUI!6"

Auron stared at her with saddened eyes as he completely disappeared, leaving a lively young girl sobbing with her heart dashed to pieces.

A/N: And this is where I originally ended the fic. However, I did come up with a very short addition. Read if you wish.
Rikku woke with a start, shivering. A cold sweat had broken out on her body. She clutched her knees to her and cried a little, her breath coming in shallow gasps. A soft moan escaped her as she curled up beneath the blanket again to try and forget what she had dreamed.

This was her recurring dream. It was all the things she had longed to say and all the things she was glad she hadn't when she saw Auron slip away.

"You didn't tell me and I hated you but Auron…" Rikku sniffled and laid her head back onto the pillow. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think and dream of happier times and brighter days from a long time ago.

The next morning she strode into the kitchen of the airship and poured herself some coffee. Usually she didn't need anything but herself to keep her perky, even in the morning, but with her swollen red eyes she needed a little extra to help get her through her day today.

"Hey."

Rikku sighed. Gippal strode over to her with his graceful gait and smiling his cocky smile. Seeing her eyes, he frowned.

"Hey, bnehlacc, you okay?"

Rikku shook her head and mustered up a smile.

"Of course."

"You can talk to me."

Gippal looked at her in an appraising way and then suddenly gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Then he was gone. Rikku sat down and laid her head on the counter, feeling like she wanted to cry again.

1. Why didn't you f-----' tell me?

2. I'm sorry

3.Don't be mad.

4. I love you

5. Goodbye my princess.

6. I hate you

I hope you liked it. If you didn't, well, press the little review button and tell me why. The same goes for you people who liked it. Thanks.

—Hajan Rana