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Title:"Tumultuous"
Summary: A storm. Smut. Angst. Blitzballs. Hot tubs. Some other stuff. Author's Notes: Uh... not real happy with this. Can't tell what's wrong with it. "Tumultuous"
Zanarkand was a pleasant city, Auron reflected, almost idyllic, but not during the summer storm season. He braced himself as another huge wave crashed, tossing the small houseboat like a toy. "The storm's getting worse!" Tidus shouted, struggling to be heard over the roar of wind and thunder. Auron barely made out the words, and nodded his reply, not bothering to speak. The next wave struck, and he lurched a step forward, fighting for balance as the houseboat dipped nearly twenty degrees with an ominous shudder. At this rate, the storm surge would swamp the boat and crush it against the Zanarkand docks. "The moorings!" Recognizing the problem at the same time he had, Tidus was already making his way unsteadily to the panel that controlled the little boat's functions. With the moorings loosed, the boat would be free to ride the waves instead of being dragged under the rising surf. They might still wind up broken over the docks, but with any luck the storm would carry them out to sea. Tidus punched a control, did it again, then slammed the panel with his fist. "It's stuck!" Auron leaned close to the young man's ear. "We'll have to cut the line!" Tidus nodded, and Auron led the way to the deck. As soon as the door was unlatched, the wind tore it from Auron's grasp. They both flinched as a torrent of wind and water buffeted them. The storm had seemed fierce from within the relative safety of the cabin, but now it howled around them in raw fury. Already drenched to the bone, Auron blinked seawater out of his eyes and unsheathed his katana. Speech was impossible. Auron pointed to himself, and then at the aft quarter of the ship, where the mooring line lay. Tidus nodded his understanding. The few yards to the mooring seemed like miles. The deck bucked and shuddered under Auron's feet, and waves were already breaking over the top railing, the water pulling at his legs with eager savagery. Simply breathing was difficult, every lungful of air filled with spray. Auron choked and sputtered and made his way aft, katana held at the ready. He reached the mooring and would have cursed if he'd had the breath to do it with. He'd forgotten that the line attached to the ship was a good two feet below the railing's level. Auron shrugged his left arm free of his coat and grabbed the railing, then leaned over and struck at the line with his right. The angle was awkward and unwieldy, and his first blow glanced off the line. Auron shook spray from his eyes and struck again, more carefully. The line sang, a deep note that Auron felt in his hands, the sound lost to the storm. He struck again, and again, and finally the line snapped free. Before Auron could appreciate his success, the next wave struck. A wall of water rose up and inundated him, yanking him free of the railing. Auron struggled and flailed, his warrior's instincts to hold onto his sword doing him no good at all when he should have used every limb for swimming. The wave receded, dragging him with it into the seething black tumult. Auron fought to remain conscious as long as possible, his lungs burning with the need for air. He swam for the surface, then realized he had no idea which direction that was. The currents tumbled him like a rag doll, disorienting him, and all around lay darkness. When his breath ran out, Auron finally surrendered to it. "Auron!" From the safety of the hatchway, Tidus had watched the wave pick up the older man and wash him overboard. Without thinking, Tidus sprinted for the railing and dove over, into the storm-tossed sea. It was too dark to see, and the currents were murder, but Tidus dove and searched anyway, hoping to catch some glimpse of red. He dove until even his blitzer's lungs burned, and kept on searching. There was no sign of Auron at all. The waves had swallowed him up with a terrible finality. Tidus felt himself beginning to panic. What if it was too late? What if Auron had drowned? Tidus shook his head violently and kept looking. He could do this. He wasn't the star player of the Zanarkand Abes for nothing. As if fate had rewarded his resolve, Tidus spied a glint of something out of the corner of his eye. Auron's sword. He kicked like a fish and shot toward the glint. Yes, Auron's sword, with Auron attached to it, limp and sinking slowly. Tidus got his arm around the older man, stopping his plunge into the depths. Auron seemed unresponsive and very close to drowning, if he wasn't there already. He needed air, and quickly. Tidus turned Auron around, fighting the currents and the man's own limp body. Taking Auron's head in his hands, Tidus called on the blitzer's trick he'd inherited from his father, pulling water into his lungs and converting it to air. This air he then transferred to Auron by fastening his lips to the older man's and exhaling carefully. Bubbles rose around them, tickling their cheeks before dancing upward for the surface. A second breath, and the figure in Tidus' arms moved feebly, and lips flexed under his own. Relief flooded Tidus with new strength. He pulled away and was glad to see Auron watching him, his eye unfocused and barely tracking. Tidus kicked for the surface, towing the semi-conscious man with him. It would be a struggle to get them both back onto the boat. Naked and dry, Auron weighed a ton. With waterlogged clothes and still clutching his damned sword, he weighed two. As they broke the surface and Tidus heard the ragged gasping next to his ear, he didn't care. He whipped his hair back from his face and laughed at the thunder. Auron woke to sunlight and the cry of gulls. His chest and lungs ached, and he felt as if he'd taken a beating from some large and ill-tempered fiend, but seemed otherwise intact. He lay dressed in loose trousers and nothing else, blankets pulled up to his shoulders and soft against his skin. He was warm and dry and in familiar surroundings: one of the narrow fold-away bunks in the houseboat's main living area. The only problem was that Auron couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. On the whole it seemed a minor mystery, one best solved later. Auron closed his eye and let his tired body pull him down into sleep. Auron roused a second time, feeling marginally more energetic. He groaned and managed to sit up, though the effort decided him against standing unless it was an absolute necessity. "Hey, you're awake." Tidus stuck his head outside the tiny galley and grinned. He crossed the living space to Auron's bunk, carrying with him a cup of something warm and fragrant, which he offered to Auron. "Here, drink this." Auron took the proffered cup and drank, tasting potion-laced tea. He swallowed gratefully, the warm liquid soothing to his abused throat. Thus fortified, he felt capable of asking questions. The slant of sunlight told him it was late afternoon, but he had no idea what day it was. "How long was I out?" "Most of the day. The storm blew itself out around dawn. We drifted pretty far out to sea, but we'll be back in Zanarkand before nightfall." The storm. Auron began to remember now: black water and a strong arm around him, the blessed solidity of the deck against his cheek and the smell of damp wood. Another memory started to surface -- lips pressed to his own, breathing sweet air into his lungs. Auron raised his hand to his lips without thinking, absorbed in the recollection. "Um." Tidus was watching him, a faint blush spreading across his cheekbones. Auron dropped his hand. "I guess I'll let you rest some more. Unless you're hungry? There's soup." Tidus had learned to be a fairly competent cook, but Auron didn't have the strength to tackle anything more complicated than the tea. "Perhaps later." "Okay. Take it easy, then." For an instant Tidus looked as if he were about to pat his shoulder, then seemed to think better of it. Auron lay back and closed his eye. "Tidus." It needed to be said. "Huh?" "Thank you. For rescuing me." "Oh. Uh... you're welcome." The hand appeared on his shoulder, a brief touch. "Sleep well, Auron." He did. In the days that followed, Auron and Zanarkand both worked to recover from the ordeal of the storm. The docks were a shambles. Machina swarmed over the ruined slips, looking oddly insectile to Auron's Spiran-bred eyes as they extruded fast-set and other building materials like paper-wasps rebuilding a hive. Auron and Tidus found an alternate mooring for the houseboat and retreated to the Zanarkand apartment that had once been the Jecht family home. Technically it was still Tidus' home, but the houseboat had always been the boy's preferred territory. He had more or less taken it over as his private residence once Auron had deemed him mature enough to fend for himself. Auron recovered almost as quickly as the docks, though he was startled to realize how much strength his near-drowning had sapped from him. He tired as easily as the old man he resembled. He'd been affected in other ways as well. The endless minutes underwater replayed themselves in his memory, so vivid that Auron could actually feel the chill water and the sense of crushing suffocation. The memories even followed him into sleep, intruding on his dreams. In order to regain his lost stamina, Auron spent hours on the deck of the houseboat, hacking at straw fiends with his katana. Tidus practiced his blitz shots nearby in the bay, the ball sometimes arcing over the deck or impacting the hull. As he trained, Auron found himself preoccupied with one memory in particular: the feel of Tidus' lips on his, breathing life into his desperate body. Auron wasn't at all certain that he could die, given his nature. Still, if it were possible, Tidus had surely saved him. The moment he'd drawn breath from Tidus had been unlike anything Auron had ever experienced. Electric, vibrant, as if he'd pulled life itself into his lungs. The boy's lips had been soft and cool at first, but they'd warmed quickly against his own. Auron pulled himself from the recollection, ignoring his visceral response to the memory. The shock of Tidus' lips had merely been the exhilaration of survival, nothing more. His current feelings consisted of relief and gratitude. That was all. He certainly didn't want a repeat performance. Absolutely not. Auron was doing it again. Tidus watched as Auron paused in his training routine, naked to the waist as a concession to the summer heat. Like everyone did, the older man had his own repertoire of trademark gestures. He tended to scratch the base of his throat when he was uncomfortable, and Tidus had long resigned himself to the man's annoying habit of holding conversations with his back turned. But ever since the storm, Auron had developed a new habit. He would stop whatever he was doing and stare off into space, as if lost in thought. And then his fingers would come up, and brush across his lips. It was driving Tidus crazy. At the time, Tidus had been thinking only of keeping Auron alive. But every time Auron stopped and touched his lips, Tidus found himself imagining that transfer of air during the storm as... a kiss. It was useless, and stupid besides. Auron would never, under any circumstances, kiss him. Not even a peck on the cheek. Tidus knew from experience. A couple of years ago, when his feelings for Auron had been in the process of changing from filial affection to something more complicated, he'd tried to get closer to the man, with dismal results. Auron seemed to hate physical contact. He would comfort Tidus with a hand on his shoulder when he was upset, but that was all. Once in a while Tidus had pounced on Auron and managed to steal a hug, but he'd given up once he saw how uncomfortable he made the other man. Since then Tidus had figured out a lot about his sexuality, with the help of one or two young men willing to be swayed by the charms of a star blitzball player. It had been an enjoyable education all around. And Auron had remained as unattainable as ever. And there he was, doing it again. Tidus pushed off from the wall and stomped down the stairs into the main cabin. If Auron caught him drooling, he'd never take so much as the collar off, ever again. Tidus tried and failed to push the image of Auron touching his lips from his thoughts. It was such an unconsciously sensual gesture, just a light grazing of flesh to flesh. Tidus brought his hand to his mouth. Yes, that was how it must have felt to Auron. Tidus dropped his hand and kicked at the staircase in frustration. It made him want so much. It wasn't fair. "You're doing it again." Auron pulled himself back to awareness. The picture window presented a view of Zanarkand's skyline. He'd been miles away. "What?" "Your lips," Tidus accused. "You keep touching them." Was he? He was. Auron dropped his hand to his side, ducking his head into his collar to conceal his sudden discomfort. "What were you thinking about?" "It's none of your business." Auron walked away before the flush spreading up from his neck became visible. Tidus kicked the blitzball against the mast of the houseboat over and over, each blow more angry than the last. All his confrontation had done was to make Auron self-conscious. Now whenever the other man caught himself raising his hand toward his mouth, he lowered it again with a vaguely guilty air. Tidus cursed under his breath. All right, it had been driving him crazy, but at least it had been something. He could watch Auron touch his lips and imagine that the older man was thinking about him. About kissing him, since it was his own fantasy, and could be whatever he liked. Now he didn't even have that. Darkness. Cold. Lips touching his, a tingling shock he felt all the way to the soles of his feet. Auron woke with a start, his body still tingling from the dream, every nerve sensitized. Denial was quickly becoming an unrealistic option. His heart was racing, his body nearly trembling as it waited for the return of that pleasurable shock. Gratitude, this was not. Auron lay very still, hands resolutely at his sides, until the feeling went away and he slept once more. The blitzball shot into the air, its blue and white surface almost lost against the bright midday sky. Tidus leapt after it like a dolphin, spun, flipped, and situated himself for the kick. At the top of his arc he saw Auron watching him, katana in hand, completely distracted from his exercise. There was something in his gaze and posture that Tidus' overactive imagination labeled as frank admiration. Tidus missed the ball entirely. He forgot there even was a ball, and the existence of gravity to boot. He landed in the water with a huge and ungainly splash, and the blitzball came down right on his head. "Ow!" Tidus spluttered and rubbed at the sore spot, glaring at the blitzball which floated a few feet away as if mocking him. A snort from above drew his eyes upward and made his humiliation complete. Auron stood at the houseboat's railing, and the eye regarding him over the dark glasses held a sparkling humor. Tidus groaned to himself, the previous moment forgotten in the rush of embarrassment. "What are you staring at?" he snapped. The humor vanished, along with every other hint of emotion. "That shot needs work." "You think?" Pretty lame for a come-back, but Auron had already turned away, so it hardly mattered. Tidus dove into the blue depths of the bay, trying to outrun his embarrassment. There was some force, somewhere in the universe, whose sole purpose was to see to it that you made a fool of yourself in front of the people you most wanted to impress. Tidus could hear it laughing at him. Cold. Darkness. Shock. Auron jerked awake, and rolled out of bed with a curse. His subconscious seemed more than willing to replay that memory at every opportunity. Giving up on sleep, Auron headed to the bathing room, intending to soak the tension from his bones. The tub, steep-sided, translucent, and made from a slightly resilient material, was a far cry from the wooden or tiled affairs found on Spira. Auron tapped the correct volume and temperature into the control panel, then pressed a button. A bright light, lesser cousin to the energies used at Zanarkand Stadium's sphere pool, filled the tub and left in its wake clear, steaming water. Of all the wonders of the machina city, hot water on demand had to be among the best. More prosaic taps supplied the wash water, and Auron washed quickly, then sank into the steaming tub with a sigh. He spread his arms along the rim and made a determined effort to relax, closing his eye. Cold. Darkness. Shock. Damn. Auron held his breath and ducked under the water. Heat closed over his face and his pulse beat in his ears. The memory reverberated in the back of his mind like a distant echo. After a minute or two his lungs began to protest the lack of oxygen, and that brought the echo back louder. Dark-cold-shock. Tidus' hands on his face. Tidus' lips on his. Auron sat up, blowing out his breath. Air. Tidus. Auron stared at the ceiling, futilely struggling to escape the inescapable. He succeeded in tearing his thoughts away from that moment in the storm, only to be presented with another sensory image. Sunlight off golden hair, as the boy hung suspended in air for one magnificent instant. He'd missed the shot spectacularly, but for that single instant he'd snatched Auron's breath away with his sheer beauty. Auron gave up on bathing as he'd given up on sleep, and climbed from the tub. He toweled himself dry and padded back to his bedroom in search of fresh clothing. The soft, loose sleeping trousers he selected caressed his legs in a manner too sensual for comfort, right now. Auron stubbornly yanked them on anyway. This had gone on long enough. He needed to acknowledge the fact that he had developed an attraction to Tidus. Ignoring it wasn't making it go away. Auron pulled at the tangled sheets on his bed, tugging them into a semblance of order. He was attracted. Very well. The real question was what to do about it. Remaining silent seemed the most inviting course, but it wasn't possible. Tidus had already noticed his odd behavior. Soon the boy would figure it out on his own, and that could cause serious trouble. No, somehow Auron needed to make his feelings known without precipitating a disaster. Tidus had been independent of Auron's guardianship for a year now, ever since he'd joined the Zanarkand Abes as a professional player. But Auron knew Tidus still viewed him as a father-figure. That made the boy's reaction problematical. Disgust he could handle, even hatred, but if Tidus distanced himself completely, Auron would have a very difficult time carrying out his promise to Jecht. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of a way to soften the blow. Auron sighed. He would just have to deal with it when it happened. Perhaps he could find a way to make it easier for Tidus. For himself there would be nothing, of course. But that was a given. Auron found his fingers at his mouth, pressing lightly. He left them where they were. It was all that he had. Tidus staggered from his bedroom, knuckling sleep from his eyes. Morning sunlight filled the apartment, but failed to reach one particular corner. Auron. The older man slouched against the wall, his face hidden by the dark glasses and collar. "Good morning." No answer. Tidus shook his head. "Give me a break," he muttered. He had a game coming up. Auron in one of his moods was the last thing he needed. "You hungry?" No answer. Tidus crossed to the kitchen area, made tea for himself, started other preparations. He went back toward the window, spoke to the gloom. "I thought I'd go over to the houseboat today, work on that shot some more." No answer. "But before that, I thought I'd go up on the roof and practice my swan dive. Care to join me?" "Hn." A flash of mahogany iris appeared above silver-rimmed glasses. "So, you can talk. Well... grunt, anyway." The last of the morning's yawns overtook him and Tidus let it out, adding a stretch that made his spine pop. Auron watched him -- and flinched. Tidus froze. He was suddenly aware of his appearance, the fact that he was dressed in nothing but a pair of striped undershorts. He hadn't meant to be deliberately provocative, but Auron had obviously taken it that way. Oh, damn. Auron knew. That explained the attitude. A ball of panic started zipping around in Tidus' insides. "Eh... maybe I'm not hungry after all. I really need to get going, gotta practice, gotta get ready for the game..." His voice picked up momentum while his body accelerated. He dashed to the kitchen to turn off the heating element, then ducked into his bedroom and dressed with record speed. He was almost a yellow streak in the air as he made for the front door. "Tidus, wait." He kept moving. "... be back late, don't wait up..." A crimson-clad arm, solid as a tree branch, brought Tidus up short. Dark lenses stared at him, reflecting back his own scared expression and nothing else. He'd forgotten how big Auron was. The guy could be damned imposing when he wanted to be. Tidus swallowed, and wondered whether he'd live through the next five minutes. "We need to talk." "Do we?" Tidus squeaked. "Yes." Auron's voice brooked no argument, but he didn't sound like a man about to commit murder. Tidus took heart from that, and also the fact that Auron's sword seemed nowhere in evidence. Tidus backed away slowly. Auron let him, another encouraging sign. Tidus retreated to the living room, Auron following, until they faced off like two gun-slingers from an old movie. Tidus waited. If Auron thought they needed to talk, he'd have to be the one to start. Auron shifted his weight and scratched at his collar. Uncomfortable. He's uncomfortable? Tidus thought. "Well?" he prompted irritably, and then bit his own tongue. "I'm not sure where to begin," Auron said. He seemed to gather his thoughts. "It is possible to have... certain feelings... and never act on them." "Uh... right." Leave Auron to take the direct approach -- and throw it out the window. Auron continued. "These feelings, while not by their nature wrong, aren't always appropriate to the... situation." "...Yeah," Tidus said. This was worse than the 'birds and the bees' talk he'd gotten when he was ten. 'Certain feelings' -- like his feelings for Auron? And talk about 'appropriate situations'... Tidus felt his heart sink. Don't even think about it, Auron was telling him. You've got no chance. Tidus had lost dreams before, but he'd never had one killed right before his eyes. His throat tightened. "Yeah," he whispered, looking down at the floor. "Yeah, okay." What good would it do to argue? He was tired of fighting. At least he didn't have to hide anymore. He grimaced as Auron drew closer. Wasn't the old fool done yet? "Tidus." That deep voice, oddly gentle, forced Tidus to look up as surely as if Auron had lifted his chin. Auron gazed at him over the top of his glasses for a moment, then very deliberately took them off, and pulled off his collar too, letting Tidus see his face. Rich, warm brown regarded him somberly, Auron's expression opening up, revealing a sincerity and a warmth that rocked Tidus to his core. He'd never seen Auron look like that. He hadn't known Auron could look like that. It was like looking into the man's soul. "Please know that I would rather cut off my own right arm than hurt you," Auron said softly. "I'm sorry." Auron was sorry. Didn't want to hurt him. Tidus couldn't doubt that. Auron wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to make him believe it if it weren't the truth. That alone was an admission that Auron cared about him. Cared deeply. That was something, right? That Auron cared for him? But it wasn't enough. Tidus felt his eyes prickle with tears, and something hungry and rebellious took possession of his body and mind. Just once. Just once, he needed it to be real. Then he could let the dream die. Tidus pounced. He'd had to climb Auron like a tree to hug him, but he'd grown tall enough that all he needed to do was yank Auron down the last few inches for their lips to touch. He put everything he had into the kiss, his heart and soul and every ounce of technique he'd ever learned. He could feel Auron's strength even in his lips, parting under the pressure of his jaw, surprise leaving the man vulnerable to attack. Tidus took every advantage, delving deeper, exploring Auron's mouth, learning his taste, the heavy silk of his tongue, committing it all to memory. And then Auron wrenched his mouth away, peeled Tidus off him like a barnacle and held him at arms' length. "What are you doing?" "Sorry. I'm sorry. I know you said not to, but I wanted to, just once..." Tidus hesitated. Auron was staring at him, and he didn't look as furious as he should have been. That was his 'I have no clue' look. Tidus hadn't seen that one in years. Usually directed at something computerized. "What?" "You... wanted to... kiss me?" Auron spoke very slowly, as if the concept were foreign. "Yeah." "You were afraid." It wasn't a question. An accusation, maybe. "I was. I thought you were going to kill me." "I thought you were afraid of the way I... looked at you." "Yeah, like you were going to kill me!" Okay, now he was confused. What was going on? "No, I meant... like this," Auron said. And raised his hand to Tidus' face, thumb tracing along his lower lip. "Oh." Tidus held very still. Auron's thumb brushed back and forth absently. It felt amazing. The fact that it was happening at all was even more amazing. Then Tidus recalled the conversation. "Why would I be afraid?" "Unwelcome advances from someone close to you can be... unsettling." Someone close, someone like a father to him. Okay, he got that. "It's not unwelcome. And... and I'm not a little kid anymore, okay? I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry." Auron actually looked a little relieved at that, and Tidus reminded himself never to tell Auron about his first wet dreams, or who had featured in them. Auron's thumb moved again, and Tidus shivered. "And I thought you touching your own lips was driving me crazy..." Auron drew closer. "You like it." "Oh, yeah." "I haven't been able to stop thinking about the storm." Their faces were inches apart. "It wasn't a kiss," Tidus protested. "Honest. I was trying to save your life." "I know." Auron had both his hands on Tidus' face now, the glasses he still held feeling cold against Tidus' ear. They were about as close to each other as they could get without actually touching. Auron's voice rumbled in his ear, a gentle command. "Do it again." Tidus was only too happy to obey. No yanking needed this time -- Auron bent at the slightest urging of his fingers, until their mouths connected. Not snatched now, but given... to be able to give... Tidus felt the same thrill he got when scoring at blitz. For a second he thought he could actually hear the cheering crowd, but realized it was only the roar of blood in his ears. He kept it light at first, a tender brush of lips against lips. Auron let him control the kiss, and Tidus kept up the tease, licking and nibbling and doing his best to drive Auron insane. He knew he'd got it right when Auron's fingers tightened in his hair and the older man made a faint sound of want. Tidus couldn't resist that. He closed his mouth over Auron's, letting the kiss deepen, giving them what they both wanted. Tidus kissed Auron until the older man was struggling to draw breath through his nose, then Tidus fed him air. Auron groaned deep in his throat, dropping his hands to Tidus' waist, pulling him hard against his body. Tidus groaned back. He had Auron, stoic, stick-in-the-mud Auron, groaning and breathless from wanting him. If there was anything hotter than that, Tidus had never imagined it. Then Auron shifted his weight, his hips moving, and suddenly Tidus could feel, low down on his belly, just how much Auron wanted him. It looked like he needed to work on his imagination skills. As much as he didn't want to, Tidus broke the kiss and pushed the other man away a little. Auron yielded only reluctantly, looking a bit lost and very sexy with his kiss-reddened lips and flushed features. Beard stubble and blush had a lot to recommend it as a look. Tidus really hated to stop just when things were getting good, but he had no choice. It was either that or come in his pants. Auron slowly came out of the haze of pleasure he'd been drifting in. Tidus had stopped rather abruptly. Auron replaced his glasses on his face and peered at the boy, trying to discern what was wrong. "What's the matter? You're not...?" "I'm fine," Tidus reassured him. "I just wanted to slow down a little. Besides, we should really be underwater, right?" "I am not doing this in the bay." But the idea did have a certain appeal... Auron's eye fell on the door to the bathing room. The tub, built for four adults, would hold them comfortably with room to spare. Tidus followed his gaze and grinned. "You catch on quick for an old man." "Hmph." Walking any distance at all in his current state entailed a certain amount of pain, but Auron had endured more for the promise of less. Tidus began to skin out of his clothes the instant the door had closed, but Auron interrupted his hands. "Let me." "Okay." Tidus smiled at him and held his hands out to his sides, gesturing for Auron to take over. The boy's clothes were almost too easy to remove; it took almost no time at all. One belt, a snap, and two buckles, and Tidus was down to his undershorts. Auron eased those off his hips, taking care not to snag his erection in the front. Tidus kicked off his heavy shoes, and then he was naked. It was an inspiring view. The boy was golden everywhere, and undeniably masculine, his body just beginning to fill out his teenage frame with adult musculature. His pubic hair was more red than gold, with less sun to bleach it blond. Tidus' erection fit his body perfectly, smooth and straight, shading into rose tones at the tip. "My turn," Tidus announced. He reached for the wide belt at Auron's waist and removed it, then gave Auron's trousers' belt, newly revealed, a frustrated glare. He seemed positively stymied when he moved to push Auron's coat off and realized it was still inarguably attached to the bracer on his right wrist. "You wear too many clothes!" Auron chuckled. "Perhaps I should take care of it." "Right." Tidus leaned over the small control panel to fill the tub. When Auron made no move to undress, he looked over his shoulder. "Hey, hurry up!" Auron hurried. Two seconds for the bracer. Another to pull it and his glove off. The coat took an extra second because he bothered to hang it up. He peeled out of his shirt, then sat to pull off his boots and socks. He stood up, unbuckled his trousers' belt, unbuttoned his trousers, and slid belt, trousers, and boxers off his hips as one. He kicked the pile of fabric into the corner and stepped up to Tidus. As an afterthought he reached up and pulled the tie from his hair, shaking his head so the length fell free. The whole process had taken less than twenty seconds. "Fast enough?" "Yeah." Tidus showed every evidence of having enjoyed the fast-forward strip act. "But you forgot something." He reached up to lift Auron's glasses from his face. Auron stayed him with a hand on his wrist. Their eyes locked. "Whatever," Tidus said, acquiescing easily. "I just like to see your face." His forefinger grazed Auron's cheek, just below the edge of his scar. Auron swallowed. There was more acceptance of that flaw in Tidus' expression than he himself had ever possessed. He pulled the boy to him and just held on for a moment. Tidus kissed his neck, and behind his ear, and before Auron realized it, they had found each others' mouths once more. It felt even better with Tidus' skin, smooth and hot, pressed to his. Auron let his hands roam, ghosting over Tidus' shoulders, trailing his fingers down the inverted ridge of the boy's spine. Tidus moaned softly when he cupped the boy's buttocks with his palms, and Auron allowed himself to knead the firm swimmer's muscles. This brought more moans, and the thrusting of hips, and then Tidus was clinging to him, and the space between their bodies was suddenly hot and slick. Auron fought for his self-control, kissing Tidus desperately, struggling not to follow after him. So easily. The boy found his pleasure so easily. Just being in proximity to that left Auron completely electrified. As Tidus came down from the heights Auron supported his weight in his arms, relinquishing the kiss so Tidus could breathe. "Oh man," Tidus panted, tucking his head in against Auron's chest. "Didn't mean to... so quick. Sorry about that." "It's fine. You're seventeen -- you'll be ready again in five minutes." Tidus snickered. "Yeah." Getting his feet under him, he reached down and cupped Auron's own rather desperate anatomy. Auron gasped. "I, on the other hand, prefer stamina to speed.... Oh. Nnn..." Tidus had gripped him in his hand and was stroking gently. "Tidus. Let. Go." His knees were trembling. Tidus bit his ear, devilishness in his eyes. "Make me." It took a few seconds to summon the willpower to resist that delicious friction, but Auron managed it. He grabbed the wrist touching him, crouched to put his shoulder in the boy's midsection, and lifted. "Whoa! Hey!" The tub received its first occupant rear-first, with a large splash. Auron climbed in more sedately, listening to the indignant mutterings with an interested ear. "You have a way with words. Very creative." Tidus spluttered some more and shot him a glare. "You'll pay for that, old man!" Auron made a show of leaning back and getting comfortable. "Will I, now?" Tidus stilled. The heat in his eyes changed character. "Oh, yeah. You will." Auron was suddenly overcome with the sense that he was being stalked, and felt a moment of concern. And then he was being dragged underwater and having the life kissed out of him. Or into him, as Tidus parted his lips and gave him air. Oh, yes. The same shock he'd felt in the dark of the ocean, only now Auron was already aroused, fully sensitized. Every inch of his skin was preternaturally aware of the warm water surrounding him, and every time any part of Tidus brushed against him more jolts and bolts of sensation shot through him. Incredible. The helplessness of being underwater -- being dependent on Tidus for his next breath -- only added to the thrill. Tidus nipped at him, reminding Auron that this was his supposed 'punishment'. He submitted joyfully, clutching at his attacker, and thought he might drown in the pleasure. His feet were twitching with it, his legs filled with erotic tension. He was very glad Tidus had left off stroking his member, or else things would have ended far too soon. He wanted this to go on forever, or as close to it as his sanity would allow. Auron caressed Tidus, trying to reciprocate in some small measure. He seemed to appreciate it. The lithe body slipped and slid under his hands, arching now and again in approval when his touch brought pleasure. A nudge against his thigh prompted him to reach down. Yes, there was Tidus' renewed erection, proving Auron's estimate of teenage virility. He gave it a careful squeeze. Tidus responded by twining their legs together, and suddenly they were touching from knee to chest. Auron's erection lay snugged against Tidus', trapped between the press of their bodies. Auron shuddered and moaned -- loudly -- into the boy's mouth when Tidus next gave him air. There were limits to self-control. Auron writhed, his body beginning to contort as passion won out over restraint. His hands cupped Tidus' buttocks, pulling him close while his hips ground in tight circles. His lungs were beginning to burn, his body's need for oxygen outpacing the breaths Tidus gave. Auron didn't care. He thrust, Tidus matching him with a counterpoint rhythm, the boy's hands stroking over his body like animate lightning. Close. He was so close. Damn close. He Fingers probed between his cheeks, stroking over the opening there. A second hand, reaching behind his balls, pressed firmly up into that sensitive space. Auron breached the surface of the water with a roar. The sound became nearly agonized as orgasm crashed over him, ten years and more of stifled passion surging outward in waves all the more powerful for having taken him by surprise. And to his most profound gratification, Tidus was right there with him, coming too, tenor cries joining his deeper baritone. Somehow that was even better than the purely physical pleasure swamping him. Auron sagged back against the side of the tub, pulling Tidus with him, soothing the boy through the last of his aftershocks while he caught his own breath. Ten years. Ten years. "Hey, you're shivering," Tidus murmured. "You okay?" Auron couldn't answer. Tidus shifted and Auron held him close, so the boy couldn't catch a glimpse of his face. He was all right, or would be in a moment. He was not a solitary man by nature, though circumstances had forced him to be. He was experiencing the cessation of a decade-long pain. The relief itself was painful. Auron took slow, deep breaths. Shortly, the tremors eased. He let Tidus sit up. Blue eyes searched his face. "Better?" "Yes." Auron didn't explain further, and Tidus didn't ask. A thought occurred to him. "You aren't new to this." "Nope. Told you I knew what I was doing." "And you acquired this knowledge how, exactly?" "Oh... you know," Tidus said airily, waving his hand. "The usual way." He grinned. "Hn." Auron ran his fingers over the ridge of Tidus' collarbone, just because he could. "I wonder how I could have missed that." "Does it matter?" Auron thought about that. "No," he finally decided. He felt his head dip back, his eye closing involuntarily. His sleepless night was catching up with a vengeance. He disentangled himself from Tidus reluctantly. "It's time to move. I don't want to fall asleep in here." Auron got out of the tub, legs feeling like softened wax. "I guess I wore you out, huh?" Auron still had the energy to land a towel right in Tidus' face. Tidus made use of the towel that Auron had smacked him with, then reached for his undershorts. "Um..." He felt strangely reluctant to dress. Like that meant everything would go back to normal, and the last few hours would be erased. Tidus didn't want that. He hoped Auron didn't either, but he really didn't know for sure. Auron seemed happy enough, but the man didn't always think things through before he acted. This might be one of those times. Tidus was already enough of a veteran of 'the morning after' to know he wasn't looking forward to Auron's version. Auron looked at him, and at the clothing on the floor, and seemed to guess what the problem was. "Leave it." "Okay." But Tidus still felt uncertain. "Pitiful," Auron muttered. He grabbed Tidus' wrist and yanked him out of the bathroom and down the hallway. "Whoa!" They were in Auron's bedroom now. Auron pushed him down on the bed, following closely after. He wrapped himself around Tidus and closed his eye, apparently intending to use him as a body-pillow. Tidus squirmed. "Hey, what if I don't want a nap?" The eye opened. "Get up and leave. I won't stop you." Auron's face was stern, but his fingers were combing through Tidus' hair. Tidus realized maybe they were talking about more than just sleeping. He kicked and shoved until he wasn't being squashed anymore, but still had Auron draped around him. "Maybe later." He groped for a corner of the sheet and pulled it up over them both. A soft breath ghosted through his hair, like a sigh of relief. Tidus smiled.
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