Its rather odd that my document cut out in the middle of the chapter. My apologies – there was more too it, har har.
Thanks kindly for your reading.
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"M-more," she breathed, practically panting in pain now.
I praised Yevon when my fingers wrapped themselves on a small vial. Pulling it out, I lifted it to my chest, and she used her good arm and hand to paw at it, with ever decreasing strength. I opened it with my hands, clasped around her, and brought it to her lips. The light of the gem cast shadows and light through the glass vial as I tipped the liquid to her lips. The smell was revolting, as the taste had to be, but she sucked eagerly on the medicine. I felt her go limp against me, her breaths slowing.
"Rikku-" I whispered, setting the empty vial aside. She didn't respond, her chest rising and falling evenly against my side, the damp of her shirt warmed by our combined body heat. I reached to her, touching her brow. Still no response. I sighed, frustrated. I took small comfort knowing that maybe she knew our location – if she did, we were a lot better off that I'd originally feared. But it seemed I would have to wait on that information. The Al Bhed girl now rested heavily, but without pain. She would be alright now.
Using the gem, I lifted it into my free hand and used it to take proper inventory of our surroundings. The small enclave was only ten feet wide or so, and about the same length deep. There seemed to be some kind of locker next to them, the same place I'd seen the canisters of water. I twisted myself slightly, with no sound of discontent from the girl, and opened the remaining cargo hold. I felt a small smirk tug my lips in victory. Dusty, but usable – a brightly colored cotton throw was wadded up in the leftmost part of the chamber, along with a well worn and hole-filled tunic. Miscellaneous machina tools hung on a decaying rack, labeled in words I couldn't understand.
Carefully, I pulled the textiles out of the ancient and sand filled cabinet. I balled up the tunic and rested it behind my head, and pulled the blanket over Rikku. I grimaced with distaste as the scent of oil permeated me from the tunic, but the smell went away a few moments later. I leaned back against the metal corner of the makeshift shelter, the girl's nose pressing into my neck as our center of gravity changed.
I might have fallen asleep had I not heard a low grumble outside. Eye snapping open, I thought fast, and took the exposed gem, plunging it into darkness. Stupid! Nice calling card for fiends, old man! I hissed at myself. Rikku did not stir, the potion keeping her deeply asleep. I brought her to the floor, resting her soft bob of blond hair on the tunic, and glanced to the entrance of our hiding place. I grabbed one of the machina tools – it looked to be sharp, at least, and crept slowly out of the shelter.
In the darkness, I could see the large, ominous shape of a fiend, its form outlined in the moonlight. Cursing to myself, I crouched low, fumbling with my pouch. I pulled out a few worthless trinkets I'd acquired here or there, and slowly made my way closer to the fiend.
Now only a few feet from the water, I waited… waited until its back was to me as it sniffed the ground. I stood quickly and threw the metal objects as far as I could, into the waves. They made splashing noises, the thunder-enhanced charm fizzling as it hit the water. The fiend growled, and tore after the noise, away from me. I watched it for some time, shivering as the cold night air lapped at my bare chest. After a half hour or so, the fiend's outline faded into the night, going the opposite direction. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Thoroughly cold, I made haste back to Rikku. With no moonlight, I was effectively blind, and pawed at the darkness. My hand found the girl's bare ankle – she had removed her tall, probably still soggy boots. She made a soft noise to my right, and I crawled towards her.
"Rikku?" I asked quietly.
"Mm," she moaned, voice heavy and thick, her teeth chattering slightly. I wanted to ask her what she knew of our location as I lay myself beside her and faced her, on my side, but she turned towards me and reached out one dainty hand, a finger coming to my cheek and lips. I froze. Her sleepy hand slid from my face down to my bare shoulder. There was the sound of sand shifting, and I was assaulted by sweet warmth as she pulled herself to me. She wiggled close, her brow pressing itself to my collar bone.
"C-cold, Aur…" she murmured, slurring into a deep breath. I swallowed, and held still, hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. After a few moments, my sore and stiff muscles demanded relaxation. I eased onto my back, the sleeping girl curling herself to the hollow of my side. I pulled the blanket onto us both and took a moment to revel in the alien warmth that had befallen me. It had been a long, long time since I'd been in a situation where soft skin rested against me as a comfortable weight. The last time I could even remember close contact was completely platonic even – it had been a hard day in Gagazet – trying, emotionally draining and just plain exhausting. I had sat and mused against a cold stone wall, trying to come up with a way to save Braska, and woken up sometime later to my face pressing to the soft of his robes, and Jecht snoring against my unused shoulder.
I shook my head quickly, jaw accidentally knocking Rikku's brow. She didn't say anything though, and just resumed deep, even breathing.
Now is not the time to be comfortable, I reminded myself bitterly. You have no idea what has befallen your summoner or your charge. I ground my teeth, feeling anger and the sting of embarrassment and disappointment flood my veins.
"…arun'…"
My arm tightened around the girl, an unconscious action to the soft word.
"Yes?" I asked softly, voice monotone even to my own ears.
"…jst'… listn…"
I frowned. "Listen to what?"
She didn't respond, save for her hand sliding up to rest on my chest. I glanced down at the small fingers that protruded from the blanket now, and swallowed some strange unwanted emotion down my throat.
I paused, and I did listen – and at first I didn't hear anything that I expected, like, a fiend coming to kill us or the soft voice of my summoner finding us. But I kept listening and I heard –
The rhythmic crashing of the waves on the beach, the soft breathing of the girl, and the soft flapping of the canvas tarp above us. My mind stilled and I felt my muscles relax. I vaguely registered my chin falling to rest on her brow, but that was the last thing I felt. The sound of the waves lulled me to rest. I wonder how she knew that they would?
