Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my mind.

Note: Takes place in the Calm Lands.

Ah, the wonders of buckets full of fluff. Like citrussy fluff. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Step #5

Because Step #4 was such a giant failure, it's time you turn it up a notch and take out the big guns.

He's just a guy, and like any other guy, he can't ignore certain things.

Times of being too shy have passed. If he's so bent on ignoring you, you just have to make that very hard to do. Work your magic.

Seduce him.

I watch her approvingly, finding the way she manages to sidestep the vicious attack the machina throws at her rather impressive. Even more impressive is how she kills it by taking out a tiny wire – invisible to me - which makes the machina slump and explode in mere seconds.

Really impressive.

Rikku grins in triumph and brushes a strand of hair out of her face, before moving on to the next machina.

I have to interrupt my observation of her when one of the fiends charges at me from behind. I kill it with one bored swing of my sword.

Really, these fiends are nothing. Why even bother?

As soon as the creature explodes in pyreflies I look back at Rikku.

To catch her looking at me.

She blushes and looks away, hastily joining Yuna and the others in their fight against the remaining dozen or so fiends.

I keep looking at her.

It's been like this since I told her to leave my room two weeks ago. She keeps staring at me when she thinks I don't see her.

I keep staring at her, and I make sure she really doesn't see me.

I want to talk to her. And I know she wants to talk to me.

But I just can't seem to bring myself to it.

Never thought that I, of all people, would have trouble with nerves.

And Rikku, she keeps turning red for some reason whenever she sees me. It's like she has a permanent blush staining her cheeks.

I miss talking to her.

I miss hearing her laugh.

I miss her sleeping against me.

Actually, I just miss her in general.

And, as she takes out another machina with one of those wonderful grins, I can't help but decide I no longer want to miss her.

I grab my katana and take up a more active part of the battle. It's not that I'm really needed, but anything to get closer to Rikku.

By Shiva, I've turned into a sap.

When Rikku notices me coming closer I can see her face once more burn up in embarrassment. She stumbles clumsily, seemingly forgetting that she's surrounded by fiends, and she doesn't see the machina she was supposed to be disabling charging for her.

What is she doing?

I barely manage to grumble angrily as I jump in front of her.

She squeaks in surprise when she sees the machina.

She squeaks again when I slice it in two, which, really, disarms it just as much as taking out the tiny little wire would have.

But what do I know, right?

I turn around to look at Rikku.

She stares at me in shock.

"I…uh… I... Tha-… thank you.", she stutters nervously.

I nod. It's for the first time in two weeks that she's nearby enough for me to see her beautiful eyes up close, and I seem to have lost the ability to form words.

We stare at each other.

For a split second I think she's about to kiss me. For a split second I'm about to kiss her.

"Bye!"

But then the spell is broken, and she runs off.

That night, when we've set up camp (because the Calm Lands, for some reason, don't have a single inn in the entire godforsaken place), I sit in my tent, staring at the flame of my candle and thinking about Rikku.

As usual.

I have decided that the restrictions on my being in love with her aren't nearly as important as my actual being in love with her. And should thus rightly be ignored.

In other words, screw the rules.

Now I just have to find a way to tell her that I am in love with her. The words 'I love you' don't really sit well with me. They seem so… out of character.

I look up when I notice the tent flap open, revealing none other than Rikku.

My heart pounds in my chest at the mere sight on her. She's dressed in nothing but a too large yellow T-shirt that barely covers her hips, revealing long shapely legs that end in bare feet. Because her T-shirt is too big for her it reveals her shoulder in an awfully enticing way. Her hair is down, cascading down her back freely.

But her smile, daring and determined, her eyes shining brightly in the candlelight.

She steps into my tent and closes the flap behind her. Slowly she walks towards me, sitting down beside me on her shins, her eyes glued to mine all the while.

"I've decided not to be nervous about this anymore.", she announces calmly, her voice a soft whisper.

"Rikku...", I begin, but she stops me by putting her forefinger on my lips. A chill runs down my spine. I have no clue what I wanted to say.

She leans a little closer.

"I'm seducing you.", she whispers.

Ah. I see.

I don't really have a problem with that.

When I don't try to say anything else she lets the finger on my lips slide across my jaw, over my neck, to my chest, her eyes following her hand with a rather hypnotised expression on her face.

Her hand presses firmly against my chest, and she pushes lightly to make me lie down. I obey, my mind not really registering what I'm doing. Only her touch seems important.

Without looking away from my gaze she climbs over me so that her legs are on either side of me, and she's leaning over me on all fours. Her fingers slide into my hair, stroking my scalp slowly while at the same time holding my head down.

I reach up my hands and run them up and down her thighs smoothly. The feeling of her skin is amazing, all I can think about is to feel more.

She leans down slowly, so close our lips are but a movement away. I feel her breath mingle with my own. It's too much.

At the exact same moment we both close the distance, lips crashing together in a kiss that had to wait far too long. Tongues meet and prod experimentally, exploring hungrily, desperately. She tastes sweet, better than I remember, the feel of her is mind-boggling. My heart pounds in my chest.

Her body lands heavily on mine, every perfect curve of her pressing against me, and my hands on her hips slide to her butt, pulling her as tight as possible.

We lay together for a time that could easily pass as hours instead minutes, though unfortunately we are in need of air and I break the kiss reluctantly.

Panting heavily and hearts racing, we stare into each other's eyes.

Those beautiful green eyes.

She buries her face in my neck, and I feel her take in a deep breath, which makes me smile lightly.

I draw little invisible circles on her hip with my thumb, waiting until her breathing has calmed until I break the silence.

"Rikku.", I whisper, and she looks up dazedly.

"Yeah?"

I kiss her for a few moments, not able to resist, before pulling back with a smile.

"You don't need to seduce me."

She frowns.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not necessary.", I stroke some loose strands of hairs from her face, "You already have me."

Her eyes grow wide.

"I… have you?"

I kiss her in response.

When I pull back, her face breaks into a grin, so wide I'm amazed it doesn't literally break her face.

"I knew I could do it in five."

User's note: Victory! This is a day of reckoning! He totally fell for you. Ha! This is… awesome. Let the days of endless happiness begin. Oh, you're so happy. Can't even form the words that describe the utter sense of bliss and other such lovely feelings.

Now, please excuse the luckiest girl in the world.

Got to go and attend a certain someone.

He's still trying to 'torture' you in explaining what you meant. Ha.

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading the fic as much as I liked writing it.

And thanks to all the special someones who found it in their hearts to tell me how they felt about my story. So, to i like vader lots,miamiasma, darknessofmyheart, FFXNathalie, KathleenDee, Alice001, The-Lady-Isis, DarkKyubi, JingYee, Kori no Tsubasa, XChocolateChipX, Ceres 82.1, RoseAshes, sorachicken, DeLyse, serenbach, telcontarian, AbsintheJade21, M. Hatter235, Master Of Sorrow, katreena, Not Jack Frost and Le Soleil Avant Le Crepuscule, I say: You're the greatest. I give you the gift of my endless gratitude. Do with it what you want.

Now, about the ending, the story was supposed to be about how Rikku makes Auron fall in love with her, and she did, so it's basically over. However, I see how this may be unsatisfactory… so I'll post a follow-up soon(ish), under the title 'Heartbeat'.