Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The morning sun shone through the leaves of Macalania Woods, causing the crystals on the floor and the trees themselves to glow beautifully in the light as Yuna and her guardians entered the area. A slight mist was visible, floating through the glittering grass, the bushes, and over the cool ground. The place seemed cold in general, but now even more so, as it was still lightly frozen from the night that had just gone by not too long ago.

Yuna and Tidus walked ahead, talking and laughing happily. Kimahri marched behind the summoner quietly, followed by Lulu and Wakka, who were sort of arguing about irrelevant things. For a change, Auron didn't come in last; it was someone else: Rikku.

The blonde Al Bhed had her arms wrapped tightly around her upper body, shivering. When the group had decamped this morning, she had refused a cloak from the dark-haired swordsman offered to help her get warmer. Her only problem was her not being used to this kind of cold climate—since she had been born in the desert, she loved the sun and seemed nowhere near eager to travel through cold areas. However, she would endure everything for her cousin Yuna to be able to complete her pilgrimage.

There was no way she would let any of them down, so bearing with the cold it was. That she wasn't presented with an easy task was obvious. Whenever she fell behind, Auron would cast her a questioning glance until she caught up again. That way, he was somewhat taking care of her—and she appreciated it.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the temperature increased and the cold mist disappeared. Not completely, but enough to bring Rikku back ahead of the group.

After fighting off a few enemies, they decided to take a small break under a large tree.

Rikku took the time to think about another thing that had been bothering her recently. After the group had just visited her home on Bikanel Island again, she had met an old childhood friend in the desert, which had reminded her of the small crush she'd used to have on him. Though, unfortunately, she had noticed how it was apparently not gone yet—it had only lit up once more as a result of encountering him again, she assumed. It was the first time the young Al Bhed had felt this way about anyone, and it confused her greatly. At that time, she had been unable to express her feelings for him in any way, due to her shyness and insecurity. All that had led to an awkward goodbye between the two, Rikku merely stating she would return after the pilgrimage—but never confessing to him or even making any moves in that direction.

There had been one moment when they'd both stood in front of each other after their goodbyes, gazing into each other's eyes... However, when he had leaned his face closer, Rikku's mind had panicked, which had caused her to merely turn on her heels and walk away instead. Only later, when thinking back, she had noticed that she had most likely skipped a kiss—unwillingly, of course. However, at that moment, she had just been too confused and inexperienced, and that upset her. Even now, still...

How was she supposed to do any of these kinds of things when meeting him again? How was she supposed to know how to be affectionate, or... how to kiss?

The first idea that popped into her mind sounded incredibly silly. Getting someone to teach her.

Who?

And how?

It wasn’t like she was at home and could ask a longtime friend for such a favor. She had heard from her brother that he had practiced with one of his friends. But this was different. She wasn’t back where she came from. She was with her cousin Yuna and her guardians on a journey of unknown length. It wouldn’t be easy to find a “teacher.”

The longer she thought about it, the more it dawned upon her that there wouldn’t be any other way to learn it. Surely someone would understand her situation. It had to be a guy, though. Rikku wasn’t one to follow Yevon’s teachings by all means, but kissing her cousin or Lulu just seemed weird to her.

When she took a look around her group, she noticed Kimahri first. No offense to him, she thought, but kissing a human or a Ronso was probably a different thing... So, scratch that. Who else was there? Wakka. The way he was sitting close to Lulu, bickering in a loving way—it would have felt bad to interrupt wherever their relationship was going. Then, the last one in sight—Tidus. Okay, there was not much speaking against him—he sure was a good guy, but not really the teacher type. Also, he was like a brother to Rikku and it would feel weird to even ask him. He would probably laugh and think of it as a joke... and the young Al Bhed really didn’t want to embarrass herself over this topic any more than she needed to.

By now, she had run out of options, as there was nobody else here—

“Ah!” she suddenly jumped up, as if bitten by a Basilisk. Some of the group gave her a strange look, but settled back down to their activities when they noticed who the cause of the sudden ruckus was.

“Where is Auron? Huh?” The blonde girl moved her hands up to her face, mimicking a person using binoculars, jumping around hectically in the process.

“‘Think I saw ‘im going there,” Wakka mentioned, pointing towards the pathway to the left of their camp. He and Lulu then resumed their talk, but the young woman was already storming off anyway.

The elder swordsman sure wasn’t the perfect choice for this job, but to Rikku, he seemed down-to-earth and serious enough to at least consider it.

It was nothing special, really. Just a simple, tiny favor to make the Al Bhed’s life easier for the future. When she spied him a few minutes’ walk away from the camp, she still hesitated for a second.

Stepping closer to the man leaning against a sparkling crystal tree, she felt his gaze suddenly fixed on her.

“Are we leaving already?” he asked quietly in his husky, masculine voice. So he thought Rikku was there to fetch him?

She quietly shook her head, walking up to him. “Uhmm... I have a favor to ask of you?” She was now standing in front of him, giving the crimson-coated swordsman a puppy dog stare. Just play it cool, she thought.

He made a grumbling noise, looking down at her, indicating her to speak.

When she looked up, she could see his one good, amber-colored eye through his sunglasses. Since they were standing in a shadow, the sunlight didn’t reflect on them, enabling her to view some of his face instead. Only some, since he was still wearing his cowl-thingie around his neck as well as his lower face.

“Uhm, you see...” she started. “There is this guy I like. Back at my place on Bikanel Island. I... I really like him, but when we said goodbye, he wanted to kiss me...” Her gaze had turned from beside them to the ground, her feet shuffling. “But I ran away... because I didn’t know how to react. Or... how to kiss. And now, I don’t know how to meet him again after Yunie’s pilgrimage...”

She stopped kicking the small crystals on the floor, which she had never realized she’d started doing. Instead, her eyes wandered up her fellow guardian for a split second, only to find one of his eyebrows raised.

“...So?” he asked after a moment of silence. His gaze was still fixed on hers, expecting her to go on. That’s when she realized that she had forgotten to add her actual question.

“Ahhm, well... I wanted to ask you... if you could perhaps teach me a bit...” she mumbled shyly. There was no real reason to be shy; she only was afraid of rejection to some degree. This was her last hope, after all.

When he leaned down a little, using his hand to undo the cowl around his neck, Rikku took a small step backward. As he freed his lower face from the cloth, he spoke softly. "Teach you what?"

His words told the young Al Bhed that he didn’t know what she was pointing at—but his actions showed her that he had very well understood what she meant. The way he had uncovered his face and thereby lips also kind of informed the blonde teen of the answer already. Then why was he asking her to say it out loud anyway?

Hesitating at first, the blonde looked down again, trying to find something to look at while her hand fumbled with her claw. “You know, that thing we just talked about.”

“I can’t remember you specifying anything,” Auron simply stated and listened to Rikku’s response: a sigh.

Her body was now moving back and forth; she was swinging between the tip of her toes and her heel, her gaze now fixating on a floating little sphere in the distance—so she didn’t have to look him in the eyes while saying it.

“Kissing.” She made a pouty face.

The whole situation just then had Auron chuckling lightly. “Alright.”

“Huh?!” Deep down, she hadn’t expected this. What she had expected was some kind of questions as to why she would want a teacher for that if it was natural to happen sooner or later, why him, or...

“Why me, though?” There it was.

She looked up to his actually somewhat smiling form—probably from amusement.

“Uhm, I don’t know~” she decided not to show just how overjoyed she was about his answer—which she was for some reason. “Of everyone in this group, you just seemed the most suitable. I know that sounds stupid, but—”

Rikku got interrupted by another chuckle. It seemed that not much of an explanation was needed for him. That, or he didn’t want to tease her any further. “It’s fine. So, when?”

Now she had to think for a moment. When? No idea when. As soon as they could, so she would be a kissing ace in no time to surprise her crush at home?

“How’s now sound?” she giggled before she realized what that would mean. Auron and her, lips to lips...?

Just as she saw the swordsman's mouth open to answer, they heard a whistle from Tidus, signaling them to gather and continue their journey.

Another pout followed from the Al Bhed's side. She watched Auron for a reaction, but when he didn't make a move to leave, her hopes lit up again.

"Okay. But fast... Show me how you imagine it."

He surprised her by saying that and slightly leaning down. The blonde girl gave herself a mental kick and stepped closer to him again. Then, ever so slowly, she rose onto her tiptoes and leaned closer to his face. For a second, she felt his warm breath on her skin before her soft lips pressed against his. Her thoughts were running wild now—was that okay? What would she have to do now? It got interrupted when she felt Auron pressing back. She took it as a hint that the kiss was done and leaned back down.

"Uhm... okay?" She blinked and nodded as if to say, "Was that it?"

The swordsman, meanwhile, collected his cloak and zipped it up again. "Now you know how kids do it." Sunglasses blocked his eye again, making Rikku unable to read emotions from it or the hidden mouth.

"Huhh? Kids? Then how do 'grown-ups' do it?" The tone of her voice almost sounded like whining. This wasn't everything? But now that she thought back, she did remember some couples' kissing looking rather like eating each other's faces... A weird thought. But she was curious now. "Tell meee! Or better... show meee!" The young Al Bhed clung to the red-cloaked swordsman's arm, jumping up and down.

A second whistle was heard through the woods. This time louder and longer. They were waiting.

That was the cue for Auron. "Maybe another time," he mumbled, walking on ahead to leave a now very curious Rikku behind.

Chapter Text

Their next goal was much more to Rikku’s liking: wide, sunny plains—the complete opposite of the freezing hell they had just escaped after spending several days there. Following all the trouble with Seymour, these beautiful plains seemed more than a worthy prize.

The Al-Bhed girl was the first to run to the cliff to have a look at the sheer size of this whole place. “Woooah!” she exclaimed, her gaze wandering over the expansive grassy field. Aside from a few small hills here and there, it appeared all flat. One weird thing, however, were the spiky rocks coming out of the ground, along with other strange stone formations. When she looked further, she could see cliffs leading down the western and northern parts. Apparently, this whole place was situated on some kind of mountain. On the eastern side, the mountain continued—but upwards this time.

After meeting a person who explained this place a little—stating that it had been the battleground of Lord Braska and Sin ten years ago—everything started to make sense. Especially those spiky rocks scattered around the plains...

They continued their journey until about noon. The sun was high up in the sky by now, so they decided to take a little rest before it got too hot to be out in the bare sun without much opportunity for shade. For a resting place, they chose one of these large ground spikes, as it provided some cool through its shadow.

A Chocobo carrier wagon crossed their path and delivered some food for the summoner, mentioning how much she respected Yuna for taking this hard journey upon herself. The brunette girl merely smiled and thanked the woman, settling down on the floor then.

“I’m glad that some people are still supporting us,” she mumbled, placing down the food for everyone.

After eating a little, Rikku couldn’t help but notice that someone was missing. A certain crimson-cloaked swordsman...

With half of her food still in her mouth, she supported herself on one arm to get up, grabbing a rice ball in the process. “Mhh,” she started, “I’mma gwet Auron sommfing,” and with that, she ran off, ignoring the playful scolding about not talking with her mouth full.

It took her some minutes to find the old man. Well, “old” was probably a bit harsh... but everyone older than her was “old,” Rikku decided. So it didn’t necessarily have to mean the “old geezer”-kind of old. She didn’t know his age anyway and never planned to judge anyone for theirs. Auron took care of the group—that was what mattered. For Tidus, he played some kind of father role, apparently... different from Rikku’s experience, at least. Right now, she couldn’t quite place it. “Father” was just not the right thing to say. Maybe teacher? Idol? Idol as in the legendary guardian who had already defeated Sin once before... She really hoped she could be part of it this time; to bring peace to Spira, and to save Yunie... The young Al-Bhed really wanted nothing but that.

The swordsman was sitting near the western cliff, back to a rock—his gaze far away. Rikku decided to wake him nonchalantly by lightly knocking her rice ball-hand against the side of his head. He turned, giving her a playful death glare, then a questioning look.

“Your food!” the blonde cheered and plopped down next to him in the soft grass.

She heard a mumble that was probably something along the lines of "You didn't have to" and "thanks" as he took her offering, so she settled down with her hands placed on the ground on either side of her body.

Said ground was warm from the bright sunlight shining down on it. However, it was not an uncomfortable warmth, as there was still a slight breeze blowing over the wide plains, making the grass and flowers dance. Rikku had to fight to keep her hair in place to avoid it spilling all over her face. After a while, she realized that her hair was fine when she was facing Auron’s direction.

He, in the meantime, was just finishing his rice ball and obviously not saying a word, so Rikku chose to find something to talk about instead.

“I’m glad we’re out of the cold. That’s just not my place to be, y’know?” She watched as his facial expression didn’t change. “I guess we all feel the same in that matter!” Rikku stretched her arms, flinging them around a bit before slightly turning towards the older man once more, sitting a little closer this time. She really wanted to get him to say something.

“Y’know... thanks for last time. The, uhm... teaching.” Auron’s face now also turned towards hers, the cloak around his face slipping down slightly to reveal a single grain of rice beside his lips.

The blonde’s eyes widened a little, and her hand immediately reached out. Leaning closer to him, she planned to wipe it away in an innocent manner. However, her now half-lidded eyes and slightly open mouth told Auron something different. Therefore, he spoke up. “You’re ready for step two already?”

For a few seconds, Rikku was confused. That, however, didn’t stop her current action of now stretching out a finger to gently poke the grain of rice, causing it to fall down. Her finger lingered on his skin just for a while longer as she took a look at the older man’s lips... The lips that she had kissed not so long ago. Well, it had been more of a peck apparently, but... “Step two?” She snapped out of it when she noticed that she had been poking his lower lip for a while.

His eye gave her a look of confusion before he answered. “Of kissing.”

All of a sudden, she jerked backward. “Aah, you’re right!” Rikku squealed, but before she could say anything else, the swordsman spoke up again.

“I don’t think this is the right atmosphere, though.” His head turned towards the cliff again, eyes following a lone seagull flying past them before he was blinded by the hot noon sun.

“Huh? Atmosphere?” The young Al Bhed looked puzzled. She had never really been with anyone before; therefore, she had no idea about... anything, to be exact.

“Yes. Come find me again at sunset,” the older man said, getting up slowly and turning to leave.

"Eh??" she exclaimed, watching his back slowly get smaller and smaller as he marched away.

"Humphh," Rikku grumbled. "What a meanie-head. He better tell me all about it later."

The day flew by quickly, aside from the Marlboro attack on their lunch camp. Luckily, the Marlboro hadn't gotten as far as using its stomach acid attack, so they avoided having to take a long bath and clean up the mess afterward. Valefor had been the one to save the day, raising her wings in triumph before flying off into the sky, leaving a hole in one of the poofy clouds. Rikku enjoyed staring at the cloud a little longer than the others.

Everyone let out a loud sigh before packing up their things to continue walking north for a while, searching for an inn. Later that evening, they did reach one—a few more minutes to the east, as a Chocobo rider had informed them.

Rikku had been watching the sun's position steadily. When they'd reached the inn, it had already seemed to set from their position. After everyone had settled down inside, she snuck out again and found Auron doing the same, just not as discreetly. He had his sword slung over his back, ready to take down anything that might attempt to attack him—most likely with a single slash.

He had proven to be the strongest guardian here, but a lot of that was also experience. The young Al Bhed followed him, talking about the landscape and her home until they arrived at the western cliff again. To her surprise, the sun was still above the horizon here. Then again, the wide plains weren't in the way here, and they could view—what it felt like—the whole of Spira from this vantage point.

The sight was breathtaking, the setting sun contributing to the scene by setting the sky on fire with its colors of yellow, orange, red, and hints of purple.

The blonde gasped, leaning over the cliff. Auron grabbed her wrist just to make sure she was okay and not too overwhelmed by the moment.

"Auron! It's beautiful!" she squealed, turning to dance around her fellow guardian.

He nodded, "Told you," and moved to sit down.

"Ohh," Rikku suddenly remembered the reason they had come here.

"Soo..." she started. "How do 'grown-ups' kiss, then?" The young Al Bhed stopped in her tracks, standing in front of the sitting swordsman now.

When he reached up with his ungloved hand, she curiously took it.

"You want to leave a good impression on that guy, don't you?" He slowly led her closer by the hand, gently motioning for her to sit on his lap. "This isn't a bad start if you want to initiate a kiss. Get closer to him."

Rikku nodded, kneeling on the older man's lap. "Is this comfortable for you... erm, him?" She wondered if her knees were too pointy.

"You can change your position any time," Auron said, watching as she placed her legs beside his body, still remaining on his lap.

"That's better," she murmured more to herself than to her 'teacher'. "And then? How do I... initiate anything?" She felt herself blushing a little, now on eye level with the guardian... the legendary guardian. Suddenly, she felt a bit shy and looked down. The ground they were sitting on had been HIS battleground ten years ago, and he had been the only one to survive it. She wondered what his feelings were about returning here... but now was not the time.

"Are you okay?" the dark-haired man asked, worried for a second. Just before, she had seemed so cheerful; now she appeared to be a little uncomfortable.

"Huh? Y-yes, I'm alright." She looked up again, her Al Bhed green eyes meeting the older man's amber one. His sunglasses had slipped down a bit, revealing more of his face.

He looked back at her with a reassuring gaze, as if to tell her there was nothing to worry about. Auron then slowly raised his ungloved hand to the blonde girl's cheek, placing it there. When her lips parted slightly, he softly started stroking it.

Rikku didn't notice her eyes closing from enjoying the feeling of his slightly rough, but warm hand on her skin. She savored each finger's slow movement, how they slightly brushed some of her hair away, then came to a stop when his thumb brushed her lips.

When nothing more happened, she opened her eyes, looking slightly confused.

"As for the beginning, I think touching the face or neck is alright. But be aware that he wouldn't let you do that if he didn't like you as well. The face is a private place to touch—people won't let just anyone do it."

Rikku was more surprised by the number of words coming out of the guardian's mouth at once. She noticed that she was staring a bit, but nodded nevertheless.

"That's true! I wouldn't let just anyone do that to my face!" Then she realized what she had said and looked to the side again. "...Besides you and him, that is..."

Her eyes wandered to the sunset again, watching the red, yellow, and purple of the sky mixing into beautiful colors. Auron had been right—this did add to the feeling. The sun was now starting to disappear behind the horizon, and a few cool winds already wisped by.

She turned around again, her task already half-forgotten. "So it's—"

"—your turn now," the swordsman finished for her. He let his hand drop from her face and unbuttoned the collar of his cloak to free his lower face.

Rikku gulped. All of a sudden, she didn't know if she was ready for this. It was just simple kissing, after all... but still, something completely new to her. Yet, she was willing to discover...

"But... how does it work? I mean, after the touch—" she started, but got interrupted by him once again:
"I will explain it when the time comes."

Hearing that, she nodded and decided to just give it a try. Slowly, she raised her hand to the older man's left cheek. It felt a little colder than her hand and certainly a bit rough. Not in a negative aspect—it was a grown man's face, after all, with slight beard stubble as well.

After gently caressing his face for a few seconds, she noticed, to her surprise, that Auron's eyelid lowered and eventually closed—like hers had. A little pressure also told her that he was leaning into her touch. So he was... enjoying it as well?

Rikku felt her heart skip a beat. Somehow, this made her happy to see him like that... and want the planned thing to happen. She couldn't remember ever having seen his face as relaxed as this. No frown, no furrowed eyebrows... just relaxing. Enjoying.

Now that it felt right, the blonde Al Bhed began slowly leaning in, her hand still caressing his face. She stopped when her face was barely an inch from his, expecting some instruction. When none came, she decided to mimic Auron's slightly parted lips and leaned in to close the distance between them.

For a second, she felt a bit of helplessness creep up—as to what to do next. As promised, though, Auron helped her out by leading the way. He slowly withdrew his lips from hers, which made her confused for a moment, only to press them back against her a moment later. Her humble beginnings at mimicking this must have looked silly to outsiders, as she was still tensing her lips like in pecks.

Auron stopped for a moment when he noticed this, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Relax your lips. Real kissing is nothing like brats do it," he whispered, his warm breath touching her slightly cool face and lips. She took in the scent of the older man's cologne, enjoying the fresh smell. The young girl couldn't quite place it, but this did feel more intimate than what he called "brats kissing" or simply "pecking."

"I'll try," she whispered back before pressing her lips against his once again. She felt the stubble of his slight mustache scratching her upper lip—not in a painful way. It only meant that she now was closer to him, and the way their lips moved over each other's now felt strangely... right. Unlike her mistake just now, they were now in a somewhat fluent motion with each other. If she had to describe it, she would call it a dance of their lips; they completed each other perfectly, finding a matching rhythm between slow and fast.

Just as she had expected, it was an intimate thing to do with someone. She could actually taste Auron. The legendary guardian... something she had never imagined before. Somehow, Rikku couldn't find anything to compare it to. It was slightly spicy in a way, and... just him. Just Auron, and that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside—unbelievably comfortable.

Now also seemed the time to do something with her hands. She noticed the hand of Auron's arm that wasn't around her holding her chin steadily, caressing her soft skin. A bit unsure, she snaked an arm around the older man's neck and surprisingly found that she could pull him closer this way. Since getting closer than lip-locking wasn't possible, she settled for playing with his ponytail, taking the other hand to gently massage the back of his neck.

When she received a small groan as a response, she worried she had made a mistake for a second and therefore stopped her actions.

A simple, slightly huffed "Go on" from his side was enough to encourage her to start again. The dark-haired swordsman now took both of his hands to cup the young girl's cheeks, not leaving her lips unattended for a second.

After a few minutes, when Auron was about to pull away, he decided to leave a tease for the young blonde. Seductively, he moved his tongue out to brush it over Rikku's soft lower lip, immediately sending pleasant chills down her spine.

"Wha—" she was flabbergasted, both her hands dropping from his neck in surprise.

"So much for this lesson." He skillfully picked her up, leaving her in a standing position in one swift movement. After gently setting her down, the swordsman noticed how he had—probably for the first time—managed to make the young Al Bhed speechless.

She just stood there, blushing, looking at him in a puzzled and questioning way.

He just nodded and made his turn to leave. "Hope that helped," he mumbled, his cool attitude back, nothing left from the heat of just now.

The corners of Rikku's lips already dropped at the thought of him not having liked it.

Her eyes, however, lit up again when the crimson-coated guardian turned around, a smile on his lips, asking,
"Want to join the others at the bonfire as well?"

Face full of glee, she jumped into the air, loudly screaming, "Wheeee!" as she ran after him.

That night wasn't one of much sleep for Rikku. For some reason, she always had to think of a certain red-cloaked guardian—the one with the grumpy-looking face and attitude. The one that teased her every now and then. The one that was mean for no apparent reason sometimes. The one with the lips that felt amazing on hers... The one with the overwhelming scent in her nose and taste on her lips...

Suddenly, she wasn't all that sure about her crush back home anymore. But then again, if kissing always felt that amazing, why would she doubt? Or, in other words, if kissing someone she didn't have a crush on already felt like this, how great would kissing someone she really liked feel? She really did like Auron too—just not in that way.

Therefore—she concluded—everything was going to be fine after Yunie's Pilgrimage.

But now, she would have to go back to concentrating on that for a while.

Chapter Text

It took the group a few days to traverse the Calm Lands. They made a brief stop at Remiem Temple to enhance their Aeons, and at the Monster Arena to acquire new weapons for capturing fiends from all over Spira.

They left the vast plains in the late afternoon, encountering an unexpected boss at the bridge leading to their next destination—the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. It took them a while to defeat the rock-hard enemy, fortunately without sustaining too many injuries.

After healing everyone, they decided it was too late in the day to enter the cave, so they set up their tents under the bridge. The area seemed safe enough to spend the night, so the male guardians went to gather firewood while Lulu prepared to cut some food. Yuna offered her help, but the mage declined when she saw the tired look on the summoner's face.

"You're going to need all your strength tomorrow for when you meet the Fayth," she smiled, letting Yuna know she could relax.

Meanwhile, Rikku had tried to join the firewood group but was caught by Wakka after a few minutes, who told her to return to help at the camp. She sighed, but helped set up the remaining tents anyway.

After a hearty meal, everyone started slowly dispersing into their tents.

All the while, the Auron matter still bothered Rikku. She had to talk to someone else about it... probably her cousin. The blonde found her sitting on a stone near the camp, relaxing. A quick glance around showed that nobody else was within hearing range.

The young Al Bhed waved to her, walking closer when she didn’t respond the first time.
"Yunie? Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" The summoner looked up to find her younger cousin next to her. "Of course. What is it?"

Now, how should she put it? She couldn’t tell her that it was about Auron. Maybe she should mention the crush at her hometown? But first, she had to know the main thing—about kissing... and how it was supposed to feel. Because she herself could not tell much from kissing a single person only.

There was a long pause as the blonde tried to figure out how to ask.

"Yunie..." Rikku found herself blushing as she noticed her face heating up. "Have you... ever kissed someone?"

For the summoner, the question came as a surprise. She hadn’t expected her cousin to ask something like that, so she felt unsure about what to answer. She knew the blush on her face would eventually betray her, so she chose to speak the truth.

"Y-yes."

Rikku blinked, looking at the summoner’s nervous but smiling face.
"What was it like? And with who?... I mean, if I may ask that," she stuttered, not wanting to seem too demanding about Yuna’s privacy.

"With someone I really, really like... and it was beautiful."

The young Al Bhed noticed her bi-colored eyes drifting off into space, staring far away in thought. A small blush graced her rosy cheeks, and her eyes glowed in remembrance.

"I can't really describe it... It just was the most wonderful feeling. I felt so warm and safe in his arms. I wanted nothing more than to be by his side, to be held by him, to feel his warmth..."

Moving into a sitting position as well, Rikku closed her eyes and tried to remember her last kiss. The way Yuna described it sounded pretty similar to what she had felt. She hadn’t really paid much attention to anything aside from their lips' movements—because she still had to learn—so she'd have to focus more next time.

Next time? What was it going to be like, anyway?
And what was that thing Auron did with his tongue that had somehow made her knees weak? Now, she had the opportunity to find out.

"How did you kiss?"
When Yuna gave her a confused look, she quickly added,
"There is this guy I like, you know... and I would like to kiss him. So I need to know everything. If that's okay?"
Puppy dog stare always came in handy, especially with her cousin.

"Uhm... how do I explain..." The summoner pondered for a while.

Before she could describe any unnecessary basics that the blonde already knew, Rikku interrupted.
"I basically know how, but..."
She hesitated for a moment. Was that really appropriate to ask someone?
But then again, she was known to be blunt enough to do such a thing.

"Anything about tongue usage?" Rikku asked off the hook, curiously, bowing closer to Yuna—who started blushing furiously at the mention of that.

"Oooh~!" Rikku cheered, leaning back again to avoid making her cousin feel pressured.

It seemed to help a bit—after regaining her composure with a cough, Yuna started talking, still looking in another direction.
"Not sure what to say... I guess you have to try it yourself?"

"Awwh, don’t give me that!" the young Al Bhed nagged. "Pleease? Just tell me. Really, anything would be helpful..."

A sigh from the summoner’s direction."Promise me you won’t laugh."

Rikku could see her cousin’s red ears when she looked at the back of her head—a sign that she was still blushing, or probably even more so now.

"I won’t."

She had to get this over with.

"Okay, well... we just kind of brushed our tongues together. Not the whole tongue—just a bit. You'll understand when you try it." Rikku cleared her throat, so Yuna continued. "It was like... playing. Or dancing. Does that make any sense?"

When she turned back, she found Rikku deep in thought. Her cousin's eyes seemed to shimmer strangely—maybe it was the firelight... or maybe the moon.

"Y-yeah!" Rikku snapped out of it when she noticed Yuna looking at her. "That already helps—thanks!"

The summoner shrugged lightly. "Do I know the lucky guy, if I may ask?"

Shoot. She should’ve seen that coming. Before she could stop herself, Rikku blurted out, "Maybe."

Well, that was silly. Yuna didn’t know the guy from her hometown. But the one she did know, was...

"Well, I’ll be heading to bed then, if that’s all. I need to prepare for meeting the Fayth tomorrow." Yuna gave her cousin a meaningful look, waiting for some cue to leave.

To Rikku’s relief, she didn’t push further. "Sure. See you tomorrow, then!" she chirped, waving it off.

"Good night." Yuna smiled, stood up slowly, and made her way toward the tents.

"Night, Yunie!" Rikku called after her, watching as the summoner disappeared into the shadows. Yuna was the last one to retire for the night.

Rikku herself didn't feel sleepy yet. She decided to stay by the fire a while longer, pondering over what her cousin had told her. It hadn't been very helpful—mostly just "You have to try it yourself." What she liked. What he liked. Somehow, the feeling of needing more guidance lingered. The lack of clarity made her nervous, thinking about her next lesson with Auron, if there was to be one. She felt like a student showing up to class without having done her homework.

A chill breeze caught her off guard, tousling her hair and making her shiver. "Brr..." she muttered, hugging her arms and staring into the fading fire.

Suddenly, two logs dropped into the pit, sending sparks upward.

She looked up—and smiled. "Hey," she said, scooting over on the blanket to make room for her fellow guardian.

He didn’t move right away. His face was unreadable, cowl drawn tight against the cold, as if hiding more than just the weather.

She frowned a little. "You going to bed too?"

He didn’t answer.

Rikku pouted at the thought of having to turn in when she needed time to think. If she stayed up too late, she might inadvertently wake Yuna. Then again, tossing and turning in bed while thinking too much would have the same result.

Just as she started pushing herself to her feet, something dropped beside her. She blinked in surprise. Auron had taken the seat after all—his presence silent but grounding.

And to her delight, that "something" radiated warmth. Unable to resist, she leaned against him.

"Mh?" came a low hum of acknowledgment as she gently pressed her cheek against his left arm. Compared to his broad, muscular frame, she felt small—and safe.

But her left side still felt cold from the night air. She gave a tiny shiver, snuggling closer.

Auron shifted. Without a word, he reached around her slim frame. With one smooth motion, he parted the front of his cloak, hooked his right arm beneath her knees and his left behind her back, and lifted her effortlessly into his lap.

A tiny gasp escaped her, more surprised than startled. Then—warmth. Glorious, encompassing warmth. He wrapped the cloak securely around them both, sealing in the heat.

Rikku sighed, utterly content, and leaned back against his chest.

"It’s so nice..." the young woman sighed after a while. "By the way, why are you still up?"

He didn't hesitate a moment to answer her. "Why are you still up?", came his husky voice from behind.

Okay, he had a point, she usually was one of the first in bed, due to having exhausted herself during the day.

She thought for a few seconds. Truthfully, she just didn't want to go to bed just yet... "Not tired enough," she mumbled under her breath. Oops, mistake...

"Doesn't sound like it," he said, low and amused.

She huffed. "Does too..." She shifted slightly in his lap, not wanting to go anywhere. The sky was clear, the stars dazzling. No reason to crawl into a cold tent right now. None at all.

"I’m not a kid anymore," she added defensively.

"I know," came the quiet reply. She felt the weight of his chin resting gently on her shoulder, his arms holding her—not tightly, but enough.

"And... I just don't wanna go yet..." she admitted softly.

It was too nice like this.

There was no way she was giving up the warmth of his arms for a lonely sleeping bag.

"Wasn’t going to make you."

"Huh?" She turned slightly to glance at the face on her shoulder, frowning—then realized he probably couldn’t even see her from that angle.

“Whaddamean?” she mumbled into his cloak, her voice muffled by the thick fabric that had slipped down a little. Rikku preferred seeing the face of the person she was talking to, so she gently lifted her head from his shoulder and turned around on his lap, careful not to let the cloak fall. She didn’t realize he was already holding it in place. After releasing her briefly, Auron shifted his arms to rest on her hips and draped the cloak around her shoulders instead.

Now nearly eye-level with him—though still a bit smaller—Rikku could finally see his face again. The cowl no longer shadowed his features, and the cloak was now wrapped snugly around them both.

“That you can stay,” he said simply, pulling her gently against his chest as a small gust of wind slipped between them.

Her eyes widened at first, but she relaxed as the meaning of his words sank in. Nestled in his warm arms, surrounded by his scent and the familiar smell of leather, she felt… safe. She nuzzled closer to his neck, inhaling the faint trace of aftershave that lingered on his skin. An odd urge rose in her—she wanted to touch him.

Slowly, her left hand slid up his back and rested lightly at his hip. Her right followed, traveling further to his shoulder, brushing over the strong muscles of his bare arm.

Geez… no wonder he’s so good with that big sword, she thought, feeling her face warm up a little more.

When his hands returned the touch, gliding along her back with quiet intent, her right hand drifted to his chest, fingers resting on the edge of his armor. For a fleeting moment, she wished the armor wasn’t there.

Bad, Rikku... She scolded herself silently and stilled her hands, leaning back slightly to look at him again.

Touching him hadn’t been enough. She wanted to see his face again—really see it—and to be the reason he looked peaceful for once. Her hands moved up to his neck, then gently to his cheeks, brushing over his rough skin with quiet care. His expression softened—just like last time. Pure contentment. It caught her off guard again.

When was the last time someone touched him like this? she wondered. But… if it had really been that long, how was he still such a good kisser?

She chose not to bring it up. No bad memories. She just wanted to make him happy.

When her finger lightly traced the scar along the right side of his face, she paused. It must be a burden to only see with one eye… but to her, the scar made him special. Unique. A reminder of everything he’d done—the battles he’d fought, the lives he’d protected with Lord Braska and Sir Jecht.

As if to show him that, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the scar.

When she did, she felt him take a sharp breath in surprise. Slowly leaning back, she offered him a smile in response while her hands rested on his neck. His gaze was unreadable—slightly puzzled, of course, at her sudden act of personal touch, but she just couldn't help herself. The young Al Bhed felt more responsible for his happiness the more time she spent with the older swordsman. And it didn't bother her at all...

She watched his facial expression return to normal as her right hand rose again. Her smaller fingers gracefully caressed the skin of his face, at times brushing his lips, which now parted slightly in response. The blonde found herself staring at them intensely, longing to feel them on her own once again.

Instead of leaning in, though, her insecurity kicked in again. What if he didn't want to? She hadn't even asked him if he wanted to continue their lesson now. He also hadn't shown any signs of pulling her closer or trying to kiss her. Was she making him feel uncomfortable? Judging from the calm look on his face, she either wasn't—or he was faking it. What were the chances of him doing so? Not very high, if she was honest with herself. He was not the kind of man to fool around like that.

Still, Rikku was nervous about the presumably next step. What if she messed up and he didn't like her kissing? Suddenly, she wondered why she even cared so much. This was only Auron they were talking about. He wouldn't judge her—because he knew it was all a new experience for her. Until now, he had been surprisingly cooperative, something she wasn't used to from the sometimes "big meanie." Maybe she had really managed to get his mind off the bad things that had made him act this way? Who knew... because all that mattered now was the look on his face, eyes half-closed, slightly leaning forward with parted lips...

The young Al Bhed noticed a slight tingly feeling in her stomach at the sight of him. She felt unsure of what to say, or if she should say anything at all. This was a completely new side of him which she noticed was showing now—and for the first time, she had to wonder why she was doing this. Sitting in front of him now, she realized one thing.

She did not want to kiss just for the act of learning. She wanted to kiss Auron because it simply was him.

That thought scared her a little. So she kept it to herself.

"You alright?" he asked after a while, making her realize that she must have been daydreaming for too long.

He was watching her now, eye open, concern evident in his voice.

She shook her head slightly, smiling. “I’m fine. Was just thinking.” Then she leaned in a little closer.

“What about?” he asked, voice rough, low.

She paused, lips hovering near his.

That was one thing she could not answer him... so she offered him a small kiss instead.

When she pulled back and looked up, his raised brow told her the answer hadn’t satisfied him—but he wasn’t pulling away either.

Okay, then she would have to try harder, she thought, pressing her lips against his once again. After repeating the same action three more times, exactly how Auron had taught her last time, she felt him respond by pressing back.

“Only if you’re sure,” he murmured against her mouth. The heat of his breath made her shiver, and she nodded, meeting his gaze with resolve.

What she noticed then was his hand moving its way up her arm, over her neck, to cup her cheek.

His slightly rough lips now moved with hers—confident, practiced, patient. She did her best to match his rhythm, surprised at how natural it felt this time. He was kissing her faster than before, almost like he couldn’t get enough. That thought made her cheeks flush. It felt… good. Wanted.

For now, she was drowning in his scent and his wonderful taste. She inhaled through her nose subtly, recalling the end of their last "training"... and Rikku breathed in sharply, remembering the older man's tongue on her lips. It had left a warm, tingly feeling, one she was all too curious about now. Apparently, that was also a kind of kissing; the one Yunie had described.

With cautious curiosity, she parted her lips and let her tongue flick lightly over his bottom lip.

She blinked. The taste of him deepened, warmer, richer. It made something inside her ache, and she instinctively leaned closer.

Auron stilled for a moment, caught off guard—but when her tongue brushed against him again, he took the hint.

He tilted his head slightly, lips parting.

Rikku felt a little helpless at first as to what to do next, but when Auron tilted his head sideways to get closer to her, she got an idea. The young Al Bhed felt the soft scratch of his beard again before something warm and slippery touched her lower lip...

Following Yunie’s advice, she moved her own tongue out to gently brush against the swordsman’s. Both of their hearts skipped a beat at the first touch—it felt as if pleasant electricity was flowing through them. It was an indescribable sensation for Rikku. New, but not in a bad way... Auron’s tongue caressing hers felt incredibly intimate. She could smell and taste him all around her now.

Meanwhile, the older guardian used his arms to pull her flush against him, wrapping them tightly around her, his mouth still on hers.

A battle of tongues emerged then—one that Rikku soon lost herself in, yielding to the older man's dominance. Even though it was her first time experiencing this, she kept up surprisingly well.

Besides the huge tingling sensation in her stomach and lower down, she also felt something else—contentment. Being held by these familiar, strong arms that would keep her safe at any cost made her feel... cherished. Rikku wanted to return that feeling. So she shifted, wrapping both legs around the warrior’s back.

Their kisses grew increasingly hungry, exploring each other’s mouths and, from time to time, even necks. She learned from him that it felt pretty good as well... Rikku really enjoyed the little huffing sounds Auron gave while kissing, as well as the small moans when she explored the sensitive skin of his neck with her lips and tongue.

One other thing she didn’t miss was the strange sensation growing between her legs—something she was pretty sure she’d never felt before. It felt weird at first... until, as they shifted positions slightly, she moved forward and hit something in Auron’s lap. The resulting sensation made her breathe out a soft moan. Whatever it was, it made her lower body tingle, so she moved her hips to repeat the motion, her lips never leaving the swordsman’s.

It didn’t take long for Auron to realize what Rikku was doing—specifically to a part of him that was growing increasingly harder with every brush of her hips...

The second time they came into contact made both of them moan in unison. When the swordsman opened his eye, he saw her pulling her hips back again.

This was the point where Auron had to put a stop to it.

Gently, he placed his hands on the small woman’s hips to hold her in place. At the same time, he pulled away, regretting it instantly when he saw her flushed face leaning in again. A thin string of saliva still connected their lips like a silken spider thread.

Rikku made a small sound of protest, trying to move again, but the swordsman's grip kept her in place—strong, yet gentle. “I think that’s enough for now,” he mumbled, against his will. His body screamed for him to continue, but his mind knew better. This was going beyond their “contract,” and he didn’t want her to wake up the next morning full of regret. She didn’t want him—she wanted the guy back at her home.

Lifting her off his lap, he sat her beside him again. “We should go to sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day in the Cavern,” he said, voice flat as usual. His heart ached at the sad expression on the young Al Bhed’s face, but he had to stay cool.

She whimpered but nodded. “Okie.” Rikku moved to get up, only to find his hand offered in front of her face.

She gladly accepted it, taking it as a sign that he wasn’t angry with her. The soft smile on his face answered the last of her questions. It made her feel warm—no, more than warm. She felt like hugging the whole world. A great, glowing feeling spread through her at the memory of what they’d just shared. Part of her still couldn’t believe she’d just done that kind of stuff with Auron. It seemed so unreal.

The next thing he said, however, made the corners of her lips and her eyebrows drop in disbelief.

“I think that’s all there is to teach about kissing. You now know everything important there is to know.”

Disappointment washed over her. They were done? For good? Did that mean no more kissing?

She made a quiet noise of protest before she remembered—that had been the plan all along. It wasn’t supposed to go further than this. So then... why did she feel so sick inside at the thought of never getting to do it again?

Her gaze shifted to the older guardian, who was already pulling his cloak back on, covering the very lips that had been on hers just minutes ago. When he turned his head to look at her, she forced a small smile. “Alright. Thank you,” she said, voice tight, doing her best not to let the smile crack. Inside, everything felt cramped up, and Rikku could swear she felt tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. She looked away quickly, glad he didn’t seem to notice either that or the slight tremble in her voice.

“I can tell your crush will like it,” Auron said flatly, suppressing the regret now welling in his chest. This was going to be hard for both of them. They’d gotten used to sharing affection.

But still... that comment—“I can tell he will like it”—gave Rikku a small spark of pride. It hinted that Auron himself had liked it. Her inner voice was screaming at her to ask why they shouldn’t just keep going... But she had no excuse now. She knew everything about kissing, didn’t she?

“Good luck with him,” the swordsman said finally, and turned to walk toward his tent.

All the warmth that had surrounded Rikku seemed to vanish with him. That was when she realized something. Muttering to herself in Al Bhed, she said, "Hud cina yhosuna... [Not sure anymore...]"

Since her eyes were fixed on the ground and Auron’s back was turned, she didn’t see the small smile that formed on his lips, or hear the soft chuckle he let out.

“Sleep well,” he mumbled into his cowl, turning halfway to glance at her. She was still staring at the ground, looking heartbreakingly sad. If he weren’t who he was, he might have worn a similar expression.

“Nightie,” she replied with a small wave. The corners of her lips refused to cooperate in a real smile—she didn’t want to give him the “wrong” idea, that she was heartbroken... even if she kind of was. They just twitched weirdly, so she was grateful for the darkness hiding it.

Auron couldn’t bear to see her like that. He himself felt the way she was looking right now. So, he decided to add one last thing.

“If you ever need help with something again... let me know.”

Her face lit up instantly at his words. It was an indirect invitation, but one that made her heart leap. Those words echoed in her mind long after Auron had disappeared into the shadows.

Jumping into the air with a squeal, Rikku felt renewed energy spark through her.

Yes... she would be more than willing to make use of that offer in the future...