Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Bedtimes ❯ A Musing ( Chapter 3 )

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Chapter Three: A Musing

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"Don't let go," Rikku pleaded softly, still shaking in Auron's arms. Like a cat she rubbed against his neck and shoulders, her breath burning his skin as she clung to him.

Baffled, Auron froze. His mind was a labyrinthine web of desire and self-denial - should he play the role of a parent or as a lover? Should he push her off or embrace her? He settled with a platonic pat of the back. "It's just lightning," he said gruffly, "Nothing to be frightened of."

"I feel better now." Rikku's voice was muffled but he could still make out her words, "You smell nice. Feel good, too. Mmm," she fairly purred.

Auron's back straightened and he shot back to attention. He pulled her off him as if she were a leach and held her up in the air and away from him. "What?"

The girl looked as surprised as he was. Her already enormous eyes were huge and the swirls were hypnotic in the flashes of lightening. When she gathered her wits she pushed out her lower lip and folded her arms across her petite chest. "Come on, I was just hugging you. Don't look so shocked. There's nothing wrong with some physical contact every now and again. You're such a stuck-up prude."

Auron's forehead creased as his anger returned. "And you should make up your damn mind! Are you a child or a woman, for Yevon's sake?"

"Whoa…" Rikku stared at him for a moment before wiggling out of his grasp. She tumbled onto the bed and stood up, hands on her hips and nose high in the air. "I am sixteen years old," she announced as if that solved everything, "And you should treat me as such."

He sighed, feeling older and greyer than ever before. What was he doing, blaming a teenager for his actions? She wasn't capable of making decisions like he was. He should have left the room the minute she stepped into it. "Exactly. You're sixteen years old and you don't know what you want."

"I know what I want," she sniffed, "I know exactly what I want."

"What is it, then?"

"Er," her resolve left her and she played with the edge of her shirt instead of answering. "Well, it doesn't matter." Looking up she poked a finger into his chest and jabbed him as she continued to talk. "And I don't what got you into such a tizzy; all I wanted to do was get some sleep! You've got nothing to worry about, trust me. You're my traveling companion, and that's all. Me sleeping in here is just like me sleeping in Lulu's room or Yuna's room or even Tidus' room. Now, are you going to stand there and grumble or are you going to be mature and go to bed?"

She was accusing him of being immature? Slack jawed; Auron couldn't find the words to express his jumbled feelings and settled instead for actions. He practically fell back into his bed, boots still on, and shook his head, disgusted with himself. She had made a point - the relationship between them was that of mutual dependence in regards to safety. By denying to share a sleeping space with her, he acknowledged that there was something else other than a professional bond between them. She had beaten him, and with logic, no less! He had been the one to get emotional, not her. "Damn."

Rikku, for her part, looked as happy as a moogle. Pleased to have had Auron bend to her demands, she patted him on the head as if he were a dog. "See? And you didn't burst into flames or anything. Sometimes you just need to suck it up and give in." Rikku pulled the covers up again and closed her eyes. "At first I thought that you'd refuse on account of my race but I guess that I was wrong. I'm glad that you don't dislike me for being an Al Bhed."

"No," Auron agreed, "For a completely differently reason."

It took a second for Rikku to digest the insult but when it hit home she made up for lost time by bonking him on the noggin with her pillow. She was all fire now, sitting up on her knees with her feathery weapon in hand, her eyes bright as sacred emeralds and hair whirling around her face. "You jerk!" She smacked him again, pillow landing satisfyingly in his face. "You big, inconsiderate jerk!

Rikku didn't let the loss of her weapon slow her down however and with a curse in Al Bhed she tackled Auron. It was completely in vain; Rikku was like a fly trying to do battle with a horse. Auron caught her small fists and held them back with ease and, instead of looking injured by the attack, his lips actually quirked a smile. He sat up, spilling her from atop his chest to his lap.

The shirt she wore was long, probably borrowed from the inn keeper as it looked as if it had once belonged to a man. Despite its length on her small frame it had managed to ride up, showing a considerable amount of skin. The lightening bolts outside gave Auron enough light to wonder if her skin felt as soft as it looked. His mood changed; now he was a cat hunting prey. He held his victim helpless and watched her, intrigued with every moment and sound that came from her.

Rikku huffed, still furious. Any positive feelings she may have harbored for the warrior were certainly dampened after the upset in events. Still trying to beat him she glared at Auron and shook her arms, unable to free her hands. To add insult to injury, feathers continued to land on her face and she blew them away with a muttered curse. "Jerk." She said again, too spent to go to war again. "You won."

She was absolutely adorable, and although he was loath to admit it, he found her utterly irresistible. She was a little spitfire, that was sure, but he began to ponder that perhaps her energy and cheer were a positive quality and did not necessarily deserve his scorn. And now, covered in feathers and delightfully rumbled, Rikku looked even more delectable than usual. "I won," he said as he looked down at her, "It follows that I get a prize, then."

"A prize?" Curiosity piqued, Rikku peered up at him, eyes wide again. "What could you possibly want from me -"

He kissed her.

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Again, thank you guys for the comments! Keep `em coming! ^^

Archangel >> How can you be against Aurikku? *gasps* Anywho, I'm glad you like mine!

Pickle >> *bounces around* I'm an Auronholic! Whoohoo!

Blurry >> Thanks! I'll try to write more soon!