Disclaimer: The characters used in this fic are the sole property of Square-Enix, Tetsuya Nomura, and anyone else with copyright on the Final Fantasy series. I own nothing, save it be my own plot ideas and original characters.

Just This Once

A/N: My first shot at an Auron/Lulu fic, and it's dedicated to AuronLu, who has a wonderful writing style that I truly admire.

The lakeside waters of the small lake within the Macalania Woods lap up against the shore, sending shivers through her body as the cold liquid makes contact with her bare feet. But she finds it soothing, somehow. A peaceful little release from the daily tasks of being a Guardian. She loves Yuna, and wishes to protect her, but there are times in which she likes a little time for herself. A little time to unwind and forget about all the pain, suffering, and death that surrounds her in the world she finds herself in.

She smiles a rare smile, leaning back on her arms as she stares up at the shimmering sky above. The stars are beautiful tonight, that much is certain. She takes a finger, drawing imaginary lines that connect the stars to one another. She glances out at the waters of the lake, hypnotized by the beautiful shimmering lights that are reflected upon the lake's smooth, cool surface. She leans forward, her feet tucked beneath her, daring to stare at her own reflection.

A spot of dirt on the side of her face immediately catches the mage's attention. Slowly, she wets her fingers, trying not to disrupt the perfection that is the mirror atop the lake, and brings them to the small bit of nature that has decided to join the Pilgrimage. She wipes it away, drying her face with her sleeve. How long had that been there? A few minutes? Hours? Days, even? She sighs, putting the thought out of her mind. For she fears, above all else, disapproval from a Guardian of little words.

But the dreams she dreams will never rise to the surface. The mage quietly laments, unwilling to acknowledge that they shall never become real. That she shall never feel the soothing sting of his lips against her own. She sighs, quietly folding her arms inside her sleeves as she returns to gazing at the water's glassy surface. The mage sits at the water's edge in silence, only shifting to find a more comfortable position from time to time.

An unmeasured amount of time passes her by, and her eyes begin to close. Her senses are heightened as she feels herself fall, but she is unable to open her eyes, believing that, perhaps, her falling is all just a dream. A strong arm catches her, gently propping her up against something warm. Taking a chance, she opens her eyes, shocked to see that he is sitting there with her, his dark eye staring at her from within the darkness.

"Yuna was worried about you," he says, unknowingly dashing the fantasies that had begun to spin within the mage's mind.

She smiles, trying to hide her disappointment. "I see." She turns away, her fingers nervously pulling at the fur lining of her sleeves. "I'll be along soon. I just needed some time to think."

"You're just like the rest of them," his rough voice says in a whisper.

The mage turns, staring at him with the eye that remains free from the strands of her black hair. She greatly dislikes his remark, regardless of not knowing the meaning behind it. "And what, dare I ask, does that mean?"

He laughs, his eye meeting hers as he leans closer. "You're a terrible liar."

She laughs softly to herself. So he was merely teasing, was he? His moods are harder to distinguish than the wings on the red and blue butterflies of the woods, she decides. The man beside her is a complete mystery, regardless of the suspicions that surfaced within her sharp mind during their meeting with Maester Seymour in Guadosalam. But, being the woman she was, she made it her business to know as much about her comrades as possible. For the sake of protecting Yuna. Although, she found it strange that she trusted the swordsman, knowing little to nothing about him.

The mage gasps suddenly, surprised to feel his hand seeking out her own. She happily complies, hiding her emotions behind her cool, serious facade. But she fails to filter out all of the risks that her feelings might bring about. She merely manages to contemplate the possibilities of being caught by their comrades, fearing ridicule or worse, namely from Wakka. To her pleasant surprise, his warm breath on the side of her face dispels all fears, and she gives in, allowing him to share with her a mind-numbing kiss. At this point, the benefits far outweigh the consequences of being discovered, that much is sure. Yet, deep beneath the surface of her mind, there is still that little part of her that wants it all to stop. But all doubts and negativity is utterly forgotten as she feels their mouths molding together.

Just this once, she thinks. Just this once.

Despite this being my very first Auron/Lulu fic, I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I had to put a lot of thought into this, which worked out very well considering I was trying to navigate my way back to the Thunder Plains on the game. Sometimes, distractions give way to brilliant ideas.