The door opened, Auron didn't even look up from his book.

"You're supposed to knock." he said dryly.

Rikku's familiar giggle greeted him. "Why knock when I have a key?"

"Because it's not your room and you're not supposed to have a key." he replied with the same stoicism.

"Uh huh." Rikku said teasingly. "Who was it that reported his key 'lost' and made sure I found it even though he'd gotten a new one?"

Auron looked up from his book with an arched brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Rikku snorted and shrugged. "Whatever. Where are your roommates?"

"Out for the day."

"Oh really?" Rikku murmured playfully as she sat down on Auron's desk, leaning back to look at him on his bunk. "So what are you doing?"

"Reading."

"More fencing stuff?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "It's always swords with you." there was a pause and she giggled playfully. "Though I guess that isn't a bad thing."

Auron sighed and closed his book, giving her an exasperated expression. "Isn't there blitzball practice today?"

"Nope, Wakka bailed."

Auron sat up and stared at her in disbelief. "Wakka, the blitzball fanatic, canceled a practice?"

"Yep." she replied merrily. "Mistress Lulu is pregnant."

"Oh." Auron said, again resuming his calm demeanor and picking up his book once more. "I suppose that makes sense."

There was no more from Rikku and for a moment Auron thought that she was going to remain quiet until she landed on his stomach soliciting a distraught outcry from him as he was jerked upright. She laughed at him merrily as he scowled at her indignantly.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Auron, have you even bothered to look at what I'm wearing?"

"Of course I've." he did just that. "Oh."

She smiled at him eagerly. "Uh huh."

Rikku was wearing a school sweater, and from what Auron could see that was about it. She had her swim shorts on and he assumed—though one did that at their own peril in Rikku's case—a bikini top under the sweater but still, it wasn't much of anything. He felt his face heating slightly.

"Why didn't you get dressed after practice was canceled?" he asked stupidly.

She snorted and smiled at him coyly. "Because you're too much fun to play with to waste something like this."

He frowned at her. "What if my roommates come back?"

"Do you really care?" she asked with a conspirator's smirk that she used all too often.

Auron supposed he didn't, especially when Rikku slid off the sweater and affirmed his suspicions, she was indeed wearing a top, though only barely. He put his hands on her hips as he sat up and pulled her against him.

"This is better than some old book on swords isn't it?" she asked as she toyed with his belt.

He opened his mouth to answer, but the room was rocked suddenly by the sound of thunder and the subsequent flash of lightening that followed. Rikku yelped in terror, forgetting all her playfulness as she burrowed into Auron's chest furiously as she clapped her hands over her ears with her eyes scrunched tight.

They sat there like that for a moment, before she looked up at him nervously.

"Is it ov—" she didn't get the chance to finish as another burst of sound and light shook the room and she shrieked, diving once more into his chest for protection.

Auron stroked her hair soothingly. "It can't hurt you, not here."

He felt her swallow, her breathing rapid as she pressed against him. "You promise?"

Auron pressed his lips to her forehead tenderly. "I promise. I'll protect you."

Slowly, Rikku uncoiled from her fetal position, her legs once again straddling his waist as she leaned her head against his chest.

"I'll hold you to that."

Another flash lit the room and she flinched in his arms, gripping his shirt tightly.

"Shhh." Auron soothed as he pressed her back into the sheets. "It's alright."

Her top had already been hanging onto her chest only barely but now it had fallen down to her waist, leaving her exposed. Combined with the vulnerable and frightened expression she bore he did not know that now was the right time to do what she seemed to have planned.

"Hey." she pouted. "I wanted to be on top."

That absurd comment broke the hesitation he'd felt and Auron smiled at her triumphantly as he pressed his attack.

"Tough."

The next furious flash and boom sounded outside, but the cacophony was drowned out by Rikku's moans as Auron's bunk creaked and swayed to the lovers' motion.

AN: a few things, first, Auron is in his 'young' form so he's in his mid twenties or so and I've always assumed that Rikku is older than they grant her so for me she is 20, not 18.