Disclaimer: Final Fantasy X belongs to ninja-monkey pirates from the ninth dimension.

He stared.

He was fully aware of how rude it was, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why he didn't stop, but stare he did. The object of his rapt attention was currently submerged to the chest in the icy waters of Lake Macalania, but the frost and biting chill didn't seem to affect the figure in the slightest.

Her hair floating out in a dark curtain behind her, she ducked into the icy water, the glassy surface broken by a single ripple as her head went under silently.

For a few moments, all he could hear was the gentle tinkling of the frozen woods, the sound hanging thickly in the air until it almost choked him with its oppressiveness. A minute passed, then another, and another, and he almost gave himself away by running into the water and pulling her out, but at the very last second her head broke the surface as she gasped. Those gasps were the only thing he heard, there in his little hiding place among the frozen plants that littered the banks of the lake, and he closed his eyes as the sweet sound of air rushing to and from her lungs filled his ears.

She was incredible.

To that day, he still had no idea how such a delicate frame could hold such terrifying power, and it was one of the things he found completely intoxicating about her. Of course, he had assumed she was cold and unfriendly the first time he had met her, though Kimahri had kindly pointed out that he wasn't the first person to make that mistake before.

No, he had gotten to know the black mage thoughout their journey together, and what he found out had really surprised him. She possesed a wicked sense of humour under that cool exterior, and her comments on everything they had seen left him laughing at first, slowly to be replaced with an odd warmth he found not entirely uncomfortable.

It was strange.

He felt the same warmth when he was with Yuna, only it seemed more…natural with the raven-haired woman.

That was another thing he had begun to notice.

Lulu was a woman, not like Yuna or Rikku. The blonde Al-Bhed had become like a sister to him, and weirdly enough so did the summoner as well. It wasn't that Yuna was immature or anything, far from it, but it was simply that she lacked…whatever it is that Lulu had.

He couldn't really put his finger on it, but he knew just by looking at the black mage. Whatever it was, it showed in everything she did. That grace, that eternally elegent way she carried herself. The aura of mystery he found all but irresistable around her, which left him writhing in curiousity with every tiny glimpse of the person behind the mask she allowed him to see. The air of power that emanated from every pore of that beautiful face, and the way the elements bowed to her will with a wave of her hand like that.

Maybe she had no idea what it was she did to him, or maybe she knew full well, but either way he found her completely fascinating. Everything just felt different with Yuna. She was beautiful too, no doubt about that, and probably even more powerful, but he could never stop that tiny impulse inside him that always wanted to protect her.

To be honest, he was getting a little weary of always feeling as though Yuna was made of glass. No matter how powerful she became, or how many aeons occupied her mind, he just couldn't stop seeing her as the girl who almost fainted on the steps of the temple in Besaid.

When he was with Lulu, that feeling of anxiety, of concern that something terrible would happen and he would fail to protect her would simply vanish.

He knew it was awful of him, but he actually enjoyed the feeling of not having to worry about someone like that. It was kind of liberating, to not have to constantly worry about someone like that.

Snapping out of his musings, he looked up to see what she was doing now.

His eyes grew wide. Her back was turned to him, and from what he could see her fine black hair was let loose and plastered to her skin from the water. Lulu stood on the bank of the lake.

Nude.

He gawked at the sight of the exposed flesh she unwittingly bared to him, the pale moonlight making her skin appear to glow like marble. Alone, in the murkiness of the place, he found her strangely vulnerable, as if the simple act of removing her clothes had left her completely powerless. He knew better than that, though. He could almost feel the gentle throb of magic under her skin, the energy coiling in her veins.

She stood alone, while her hair clung to her as if it tried to protect what little of her modesty remained.

Every breath she made would rise slowly before her in small puffs of white, which rose in the frigid air a few inches before spiraling out of existence. Her gown lay spread on the ground, the soft black material now completely soaked, and her moogle lay next to it, the creature adding a drop of colour to the silvers and blues of the enchanted forest. She was shivering, and for a moment he considered what to do.

He could quietly slip back to the others, and leave her to whatever she wanted to do, but something caught his attention. It was freezing, and she was nude. The black mage didn't use any fire magic.

She just stood there, her hands at her sides, staring at the ground silently.

Time ticked by.

She made no move to warm herself up, and he was beginning to get worried now. Finally, after an eternity of a moment passed, he decided to give himself away. Standing up, he walked over to her. Just as he neared the black mage, he stepped on a frozen twig, shattering it into a million tiny pieces that made her instantly turn around and raise an arm, the Flare almost leaving her lips before she realised she wasn't being attacked.

He raised a hand to shield his eyes. He wanted to look away, to hide the fact that he wanted nothing more than to take that shivering body in his arms, to breathe some life back into those slender limbs.

He wanted to do all that, but then he realised something else.

There was no screaming. No shock or embarrassment. She simply studied him, searching his face morosely. Then, blue eyes locked on gold, and she reached forward. Before he knew what was happening, he found her arms wrapped around him tight, drawing herself to him as she began sobbing in his shoulder. Through his shock, one thought suddenly cut through his mind.

She was cold.

That horrible lack of warmth seeped through his clothes, stinging him. He had no idea what was happening, nor did he really care at that moment, but all he could think about was how terribly cold she was. Putting his arms around her as well, he tried to let as much of her skin touch his, hoping it would warm her up.

He hissed quietly at the feel of her against him at first, the bolts of electricity running from his arms and up his spine in a way that made him breathless. He didn't care that she was getting his clothes wet as well, but all the while she continued to silently heave into his shoulder. After a few moments, she seemed to calm down.

Stepping back, she looked at him again, those golden eyes now looking a little red and puffy.

In an instant, he knew.

Cupping her face in his hands, her eyelids fluttered shut as he leant forward, and placed a single kiss on her lips. There was nothing sexual about it, no signal that he wanted more from her, and for a second she almost laughed at the chastity of it all. It was simply a kiss, and the way his slightly chapped lips felt against hers was simply too wonderful to describe. A small gust of wind blew through the clearing, causing her to gasp as the cold air hit her exposed back. He paused, then took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, and for a moment she could only moan as his tongue probed her mouth hungrily. The two smooth muscles battled each other for a while, and when she was nearly dizzy with happiness and lack of air he broke away.

"I love you."

Okay, THIS is the first ever totally-straight-no-mention-of-slash-WHATSOEVER fic I've ever done…Yay! Tell me what you think, kay? Just hit that wee purple button over there..