A/N: Hey there, this is my first FFX fic so go easy on me, lol. It's Auron/Tidus, so if you don't like it you can leave. There is M rated stuff in this chapter and there will be more later, and I am going to write more chapters, so no worries. I tried to proofread as best I could, but I might change some minor things later if I catch anything. Oh, sorry about the slightly cliche title. And don't get put off by the angsty stuff, I promise you it gets better! But please, enjoy!

Incomplete

Chapter 1 - No Happy Ending

Auron wasn't entirely sure when it happened. There was no exact moment or date he could pinpoint. But he did remember the moment he realized it had happened.

It was getting late into the evening – for him anyway – as Tidus and himself sat watching television. The teenager was sitting upside down throwing the blitzball in his hands into the air and catching it during the commercials.

"I don't know how you're not dizzy yet." The older man commented somewhat lazily. Usually he'd tell Tidus to sit up but he was feeling more tired than usual that night.

"I'm just that good, Auron." the blonde bragged, directly before he missed catching the ball and it smashed into his nose.

"Ow!" He tried to sit up from his position quickly. That in effect, made him dizzy and he started falling to the floor at an odd angle.

Faster than he thought possible, he was in Auron's arms. Tidus looked up at him in surprise, one hand still pressed against his face to stop the blood.

"Are you alright?" Auron asked sternly.

"Uhm, yeah .. apart from my nose, I guess." Tidus' voice was slightly muffled from under his hand.

"You should be more careful." The older man sighed, but his breath, oddly, seemed to catch at the end. He held Tidus tighter, his gaze seemingly unable to move away from the teenager's eyes. A familiar, yet almost foreign emotion swept over him and everything clicked in that moment. He knew what it was.

Tidus stared up at his guardian, feeling his own heartbeat starting to go out of control. "You can put me down now."

"Right." Auron outwardly appeared unruffled as he carefully twisted them both the right way up and let go of the blonde. "Are you sure that's not broken?"

"Nah, I guess it's just bleeding. I'll go clean myself up." Tidus responded nonchalantly as he left the room.

Auron clenched his hand into a fist. He still wasn't sure when or even why it had happened … but he was in love with the boy he was watching over.

–

It had been nine years since Auron came to Zanarkand. He was determined to fulfill the promises he made to his two best friends. It was the least he could do since he had failed them in life. He wouldn't fail them in death.

He had tried to raise Tidus properly .. or how ever proper you can raise a teenager. He wasn't even the parenting type. He had never been; he never would be. He had only attempted to fill the spot that Jecht had left void. He had adapted to the routine of a home life.

Auron had even become fond of Tidus in his own way. After losing the two most important people to him, he had felt rather emotionally detached. He had made no new friends; not even remote acquaintances in Zanarkand. The only person he let see behind the literal wall he had put up was Tidus. He hadn't planned on that either, but the over enthusiastic boy had slowly but surely worked his way into Auron's cold heart.

Things had changed somewhat. Auron thought he had been able to shut that part of himself away forever, a long long time ago, when he was much younger. Occasionally he had a few errant thoughts slip through; he was still a man after all. But he managed to contain them and never act on them. The emotion had only ever brought him misery. It had no place in his existence.

The incident with Tidus, even though it seemed simple, was the event that shocked him out of his denial. There hadn't really been an extreme need for him to rush over to catch the teenager, but his first instinct was to prevent Tidus from being hurt any further. There was the potential he could have landed just the wrong way and ruined his blitzball career, not to mention having a normal life.

Or so he had reasoned to assure himself that his reactions were totally normal. His reactions afterward, not so much. There weren't excuses he could make for not wanting to let the blonde go; for feeling a heat rush through him that he had all but forgotten. His fantasy of denial could have continued uninterrupted ... if only his mind and heart hadn't caught up with each other at the same time.

After Tidus had left the room to fix his bloody nose, Auron quickly slipped out the door. He hoped the cool air would calm him down. The warm close house was just too much for him at the moment. He walked through the city, ignoring the still reveling townspeople chatting about the latest blitzball game or their newest date or whatever mindless things they were all up to in their fast-paced lives.

Zanarkand and Spira might as well be two different worlds as far as he was concerned. He passed quieter houses where families lived, people that had things to do the next day. Then he walked until he reached the water and there was nothing else. He stared down at the lights reflecting back at him, flickering from the city as the water floated by in gentle waves. He could run from his thoughts no longer. And yet he knew he couldn't go back yet. He took a seat, folding his legs under himself and frowning.

–

Tidus wasn't too surprised when he returned to the living room and found Auron gone. It wasn't too unusual for his guardian to just disappear randomly once in awhile. And whatever had just happened definitely had a weird vibe attached to it. He shut off the television that was still blathering away and taking a seat on the sofa, he picked up the forgotten blitzball, mindlessly staring at it and rolling it back and forth in his hands as he thought.

It had felt nice to be that close to the older man. He wasn't sure he could remember the last time Auron had embraced him. His guardian wasn't exactly big on love and feelings. He had to have been just a child the last time Auron had held him – or he would have gotten a (metaphorical) nosebleed for a different reason. Which was part of the reason he had reminded the older man to let him go.

He knew he had a crush on Auron. That was what he wanted to call it, anyway. It felt much more powerful than that, but the feeling honestly overwhelmed him. It downright scared him. The potential of being alone again did because in the end, everyone left. They always left.

'Maybe .. maybe Auron wouldn't leave. He hasn't yet.' A small thought formed, but he argued back right away. Maybe Auron would leave if he knew. If he knew what a creep Tidus really was or what the blonde's true feelings about his guardian were like. But it wasn't as if he hadn't tried to forget about Auron.

Tidus had dated plenty of people. He liked to flirt with the girls, to see their eyes light up when he paid attention to them. He thought they were pretty … but he also thought that some of the guys on his team weren't too bad looking either. It took him awhile to come to terms with that, but okay so hey, he was bisexual. It wasn't a crime or anything, right? The small circle of friends he had knew, and some of them felt the same so it wasn't as if he felt he didn't belong or anything. He was with some girls, with some guys. It was alright. It wasn't love though. And that's where the scary part came in.

It happened probably around when he turned fifteen; a phase were he avoided touching or even being around Auron, which at the time had confused the older man intensely. Tidus was extremely embarrassed constantly. He was a perfect picture of someone with a crush. Sweaty palms, stammering all his words, his face turning red, his heart thudding loudly in his chest; it was obvious what he was feeling. Eventually he had managed to settle himself down and he was pretty sure Auron didn't even think about it now. But the feeling that caused it didn't go away. Not even now when it was close to his seventeenth birthday.

Sighing to himself, Tidus threw the blitzball lazily across the room. It knocked over a picture frame and he didn't care enough to pick it up. He stretched out on the sofa, letting his arm drop over his eyes to block out the light. He knew boys his age were supposed to be sex crazy. He had fooled around with a few people, just to see what it was like. But he was completely positive that his friends weren't thinking about being with their father figures when they were screwing another person, or when they were doing something solo. No, he was guilty of that too. He didn't want the cute redhead midfielder from the opposing team's hands on him; no – he wanted Auron's hands holding too tightly onto his hips, and Auron's lips brushing against his. Tidus shuddered. He was a sick, sick person. Luckily he began to drift off before any other thoughts tried to arouse him. That was the last thing he needed, Auron coming home to that. He rolled over on his side, buried his face into the couch cushion and welcomed sleep.

–

Auron slipped back into the house as quietly as he had left it. The sun would actually be rising shortly; he had stayed out all night. He was exhausted, physically and mentally. He began heading through the living room towards his own room when he spotted Tidus still asleep on the couch. Frowning, he got a light blanket and gently put it over the boy, who stirred slightly in his sleep.

"Mmn .. Auron .." the soft words slurred from Tidus' mouth.

The older man turned back wondering if Tidus had woken up, but he was still fast asleep. He had just been murmuring through his dreams. He wondered what exactly he was doing in Tidus' dream anyway, a bit more curious then he should have been. Shaking his head, Auron finally left the room and went to his own. That did not help the issue that had caused him to be out all night. He was no closer to a conclusion about things than he had been when he left. There was still just the truth that the emotions he had kept under lock and key were now free and he had no way to bottle them up again.

–

When Tidus woke up and found the blanket over him, he knew Auron was home. Either that or a very considerate robber had thought he might be cold. Laughing to himself, he rubbed his eyes and yawned. Today he had blitzball practice. He only fairly recently joined the Zanarkand Abes, but he was getting along pretty well with his new teammates. He made it clear from the start he didn't care about Jecht and didn't want to talk about him. And with that topic off-limits, he was fine with everyone.

Something was kind of off today .. there was no sound of Auron from the kitchen. Tidus didn't care if the older man made breakfast or not anymore, he was capable enough of getting his own meals, but usually he woke up and Auron was already out there. Sort of worried, he crept to Auron's door and opened it very quietly, peeking in. The older man was sleeping soundly in bed and Tidus began to wonder how late he had gotten in. He shut the door again. Auron hadn't slept in like ever the whole time Tidus had known him, so the blonde figured he deserved it. He only crept into his own room quickly to get some more clothes before going to the stadium. He could shower there and eat with his teammates before practice. No need to bother Auron.

Tidus still wondered what was going to be the outcome of the strange incident the day before, but knowing Auron, he'd probably just grunt an unintelligible answer and expect that to be the end of it. Not thinking too hard on it, he headed out the door.

–

The light from outside stung Auron's eye at first when he opened it. He blinked and let it adjust to the light as he sat up, and he realized the sun was coming in his window at an odd angle .. it was already the afternoon. He had somehow managed to sleep all day. Feeling slightly disgusted with himself, he got out of bed rather quickly. He couldn't deny that it had been nice to get away from his problems for a few hours … although his half-remembered dreams made him feel slightly uneasy. They were a strange combination of his past and his present. He put his sunglasses on and the familiar feel of them against his face made him slightly more comfortable. He still wasn't sure what he'd feel when he saw Tidus again – awake that is. He continued dressing slowly, still knowing he couldn't ignore this problem forever.

–

Tidus waved goodbye to his teammates as they went down another street and continued on with Maura who happened to live closer to him than the rest of them. He had tried not to let it show during practice, but the 'Auron thing' had been weighing on his mind even more than usual. He kept over analyzing the night before in his mind. About why the older man didn't let go of him right away, or that he swore he heard Auron's breath go uneven after he spoke. He kept remembering his guardian's strong arms around him, and a hope had sparked in him that he couldn't extinguish or shove to the side. A stupid childish hope that even though it was all kinds of wrong, that Auron might like him back.

"Hey .. Maura?"

"Mm?" she questioned, brushing the short bangs of her dark hair out of her eyes. She had been curious about what had been on Tidus' mind all day, and she was a bit excited that maybe he was about to finally tell her. She usually was his confidante about things.

"Say you liked this – person that you've known for a super long time. But you never said anything cause you think they'd think it was gross because you're like almost family to them, right?"

"I'm following .."

"And something really small happens .. and you start to wonder if they might like you back? I mean would you go for it .. or .. Ugh. It's stupid, right?"

Maura laughed slightly. Perhaps her overactive imagination hadn't been too off the mark after all. "Hmmm, although I'd like to play this 'what if' game with you, Tidus, you better just come out with the whole story. I've been dying to know what's been on your mind for more than just today, and I think I already know. And you know I won't tell anyone else, sooo .."

"Maura, you can't know .. I mean you can't .. was it obvious?"

"Not really. I'm just weird. And your best friend." Maura pulled him aside. They were almost to his house and she wanted to talk before they got to it. "This all has to do with a certain handsome guy who likes red coats, eh?"

"Eh heh, red coats?" Tidus' face, unfortunately, turned red. "Damnit."

"Yeah. I thought so." She patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.

"Wait, you think he's handsome -"

"My observations can wait. Tell me what happened yesterday before I hit you with something."

"Okay, fine!" Tidus laughed before relating the short story of his stupidity the night before and his small hopes that maybe he wasn't imagining Auron's reactions to him.

"I'm not sure .." Maura pondered. "It sounds promising, but I think you should take it slow. I mean you're right, this isn't exactly a normal relationship .. but you know I'd support you either way. And besides, totally see where you're coming from."

"Mau, that's a tiny bit creepy."

"Jealoussss?"

"Shut up."

They both laughed and resumed the short walk the rest of the way to Tidus' place. Maura had helped him. The thing he was most scared of wasn't even Auron rejecting his romantic advances … he was more afraid his guardian would leave. He needed Auron .. he just hoped Auron needed him too.

–

"I'm home!" Tidus called as he came in the door. He heard a soft grunt of "hi" along with familiar noises of pots and pans from the kitchen. Things seemed normal as usual, like nothing had happened. At this point though, Tidus didn't really want to pretend that nothing happened anymore.

Of course, with Maura, he had just said he 'liked' Auron … but it wasn't that simple. He had trouble even thinking it at times so he couldn't use the word when he admitted his feelings for Auron to his friend. He was in love with his guardian. His chest ached but at the same time he felt butterflies in his stomach. It was a very contradictory feeling. Really, he'd like nothing more than to go into the kitchen and wrap his arms around the older man's waist and not let go .. but he knew the whim was ridiculous and Auron would probably give him a very strange look if he just popped in and started hugging him. Though the thought of how confused Auron would be kind of gave him a laugh. Of course at the same time, he also sometimes wanted to hide and pretend he never fell for Auron. Feeling far too many emotions at once, he tossed himself down on the sofa again.

–

They ate dinner together in silence. Not that dinner with Auron was usually full of conversation, but this particular one seemed more strained. Usually Tidus rambled on about something and Auron threw in a nod or a grunt in response once in awhile.

The guardian mumbled uncomfortably. It was just weird to not have Tidus talking away. And to be honest, he kind of enjoyed listening to the blonde's voice. "How was practice today?"

Tidus seemed to jump at the sound of Auron's question suddenly by his side. He registered it and smiled though. "Great! We were there most of the day cause no one wanted to stop." His mind went a little blank after that because his thoughts drifted back to the after-practice talk with Maura instead. He felt his face heat up again. 'No no no no!'

The older man's eye narrowed. "You look red. You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"Nope, just fine, Auron. Maybe it's just a little hot in here or something?" He suggested quickly, focusing back on the dinner in front of him.

"Hn. This house always seems to get too hot." Auron agreed. Now that Tidus had mentioned it, he was feeling a bit overheated. He sat back a little, undid a few buttons, and shrugged out of the top of his red coat, letting it fall down to his waist. No matter the weather, he usually didn't remove his iconic coat at all. In public anyway. At home he felt a tiny bit less reserved. He didn't feel like he had to hide behind the high collar of it. He only glanced at Tidus before he turned back to his meal as well. He was actually trying to avoid looking at the blonde for longer than he had to. He noticed Tidus' face seemed even more red though. He opened his mouth to suggest that Tidus remove some of his clothing as well before quickly deciding that was a bad idea. He groaned inwardly at himself.

At that moment, Tidus was glad Auron didn't seem to feel the need to look at him because he was losing control again. Even though they lived together, Tidus himself rarely saw Auron without his coat on. His eyes drifted, taking in the lean muscled arms of his guardian, and the strong chest under the tight black leather. His gaze drifted up to Auron's face, seemingly without his permission, and he stared too longingly at his guardian's lips. He wondered what it was like to kiss Auron, even just once .. he wondered if Auron had kissed anyone ever.

He bit his lip hard. That thought forced him to finally turn his eyes downward, which was a good thing to him, lest the older man catch him oogling in a creepy way. He picked at his food, silence again heavy in the house. Of course Auron had to have kissed someone at some point. Most likely more than that. Auron was a good looking guy .. and he was far older than Tidus. The thought of his guardian with anyone else made him feel a sharp stab of pain in his chest. He was jealous of people that may or may not even exist! Frustrated with himself and his inconsistent emotions, he sighed and picked up his dish. Auron stared at him as he left the table.

"Erm, maybe you're right Auron. I'm not feeling too good. I'm gonna go lie down." Tidus left his dish in the sink and started back to his room. "And don't bring me in a potion. I hate them."

Auron chuckled to himself. He was just about to suggest that when the blonde beat him to the punch. Tidus only took potions if he was feeling extremely sick. Auron was fairly used to the taste of them but he had taken many over the years. He had to agree with Tidus though, they did taste pretty awful. His earlier thoughts drifted back to him and the small smile he had disappeared. He needed to somehow ignore his obscene notions of romance .. he didn't want to ruin the relationship he already had with Tidus. The teenager was the was the only person who mattered to him anymore. Everyone else was gone.

–

Auron stared out at the sea. He had come to the edge of town again. Even he wasn't sure why. It's not like the ocean air made his thoughts any clearer. The past few weeks had been awkward. The older man still was unable to stop or contain his feelings and Tidus wasn't helping. Auron had begun to notice all the times the teenager had started to tell him something, but then either dropped it or changed the subject; that Tidus seemed to alternately stare at him or avoid his gaze, or the way the boy seemed to be unable to relax in his presence. The combination of these things were too much to be a coincidence. The older man sighed, reluctantly admitting to himself the truth. Tidus had fallen for him. For all Auron knew, it could just be the blonde mixing up admiration with love. Yet love or no love, he knew it didn't make the emotion right. He should distance himself from Tidus but he honestly didn't think that was possible.

Footsteps sounded behind him. "Here you are, old man. I was wondering what happened."

"Hn." Auron replied, acknowledging Tidus' arrival.

Tidus stood by his guardian and looked out at the water as well. He rocked back and forth on his heels, stealing short glances at Auron. "Whatcha doing down here?"

"Thinking." The older man frowned.

"You do that a lot." Tidus laughed softly, sounding nervous. He was nervous. He had come to find Auron because he couldn't take it anymore. He finally gathered up enough courage to tell the older man and he was afraid to wait much longer. Eventually his resolve would give out. "Er, instead of thinking, how about some talking for a change?"

Auron swore he felt frozen in that instant. He wasn't sure what to say … he was going to have to hurt Tidus. And he knew he was going to regret it. There was no nice way to reject someone. He gave a slight nod.

"Auron .." Tidus began, taking a deep breath. He steeled himself so he could look straight into Auron's face and admit all this. As usual, his guardian's expression was unreadable. "I've been over and over this a million times in my head for ages. I know I'm young and I know other people might think this is … is wrong, but they don't matter." He paused, letting out the breath and taking in more air. He had to say this. "You're what matters Auron. Well, what I'm trying to say with this mess is that .. that I -"

"Tidus," Auron interrupted. "Don't. Save those words for someone else."

The blonde seemed to literally crumble before him and Auron realized that Tidus had placed an extraordinary amount of faith in him. Faith that he wasn't going to refuse. The teenager had seen through his facade of apathy, and it was only reasonable doubt that held him back and made him nervous. His eyes became slightly desperate, searching for a lifeline, for some sign that the older man was lying. Auron attempted to keep his face impassive.

"No .." Tidus murmured in disbelief. Impulsively, he threw his arms around Auron's neck, and pushed the ridiculous collar out of the way to connect their lips. The older man was too surprised to push Tidus away at first. Actually, he felt pleased the teenager had kissed him.

Completely contrary to his own words, Auron placed a hand around Tidus' waist and resting it in the small of the blonde's back, he pulled Tidus against him. He took control of the kiss, running his tongue along Tidus' lip until the blonde opened his mouth.

Tidus made a small sound of pleasure as his mind gave up on making sense of this and his body melted against Auron's. The actual feeling of being so close to Auron was definitely more amazing than any of his daydreams or fantasies. His guardian felt so warm, almost hot against him, the taste of his mouth was indescribable, but delicious to Tidus because he knew only Auron tasted this way. He even liked the scratchy feeling of the older man's scruff against his face.

Unfortunately, it was over quickly. Auron regained his senses and pulled back, thoroughly disgusted with his lack of self-control. Gently, but firmly, he pushed Tidus away.

"A-Auron .." The teenager stammered, taking a step back.

"Regardless of what just happened," The older man crossed his arms and again assumed his mask of indifference. "Pursing these emotions any further is simply out of the question."

Tidus knew that tone. The 'the-matter-is-closed-so-don't-say-anything-else' tone. He'd heard it enough as child when he'd ask for things he wanted. Auron had switched gears so fast, it left him far behind, unable to catch up. He was still mentally in the older man's arms. The finality in Auron's voice, however, brought him back to reality. "You can't mean that."

"I do." Auron turned away and began to leave but Tidus caught up to him and put his hand on his guardian's shoulder. He shrugged it away, knowing it would hurt the teenager, but he felt he had no say in this entire ridiculous thing. He was forced to push Tidus away now.

The blonde retracted his hand from the older man's shoulder as if it had been burnt. That was how it felt though. Even though Auron didn't do things like that, he had never refused Tidus' touches or embraces before. He stopped following and simply watched his guardian walk away, disappearing into the distance. Feeling numb, Tidus took a few shaky steps backwards until he hit the wall of the building behind him. He slid down to a sitting position and wrapped his arms tightly around his legs. Putting his head down, he fell uncomfortably more into his numb state, forgetting everything and anything. He just let everything go. He remained still and let the rest of the world move without him.

–

"You turned her down?" asked Kinoc in surprise. "You could have gotten that promotion, Auron."

"It had nothing to do with Yevon." he grumbled in reply.

"So what?" Kinoc's expression changed. "Please don't tell me this has something to do with -"

"It hasn't." Auron glared, turned his back and left.

'Yes. Yes it has everything to do with him.

Everything …'

–

Sitting up quickly, Auron surveyed his surroundings. He had somehow managed to fall asleep at the table. The unpleasant memory he'd just dreamt of was clear in his mind as if it had just occurred. Rubbing his forehead, he tried instead to remember why he was sleeping at the table in the first place. Oh, right. Tidus .. he looked at the time. It was just before sunrise. The blonde hadn't returned. If someone came in the door, Auron would have woken up. The older man wasn't surprised at all by this, but he was still concerned. He managed to find the girl from Tidus' blitzball team and asked her to make sure he was fine, but that was literally hours ago.

The door banged open, rather violently in fact, and Maura entered with Tidus leaning heavily on her. It was a good thing she was on the blitz team too because she needed to support him as they entered the house. She glared at Auron as they retreated towards the teenager's room without a word. He wasn't shocked by that either.

It tore him up to see Tidus that way; and he knew he was the one who had caused it. It had to be this way though. Tidus couldn't waste his time on someone like himself. And he – well he didn't want to love anyone. For any reason. He trudged off to his own room, knowing the days and weeks ahead would be unpleasant.

–

Tidus honestly couldn't cry anymore. He tried to ignore the memory of his father's taunts popping up in the back of his mind, like he didn't have enough to deal with. Maura was fast asleep, her hand still grasping his. She had been up all night with him, trying to convince him to leave that dock. He weakly smiled at her. He had a good friend.

His throat ached and his face burnt; his chest still felt tight, even now. The only thing that eased it slightly was that so far, he knew Auron hadn't left. And he knew the older man cared enough to send Maura after him. He wondered if it would hurt less if Auron hadn't kissed him. He wrapped his arms around himself again. He looked down then, when he felt Maura move beside him. She yawned and sat up, blinking her eyes.

"Ugh, my arm is asleep." she said sleepily, shaking it to wake it up.

"Mau, thanks so much for doing this for me." Tidus said, softly.

"That's what friends are for." she hugged him tightly. "Did you sleep at all?"

He shook his head 'no' and smiled apologetically. "I couldn't."

"It's alright … but what do you plan on doing?" Do you still want to stay with him? I mean, I think I could talk my mom into letting you stay at our place."

"No, it's okay. I'm gonna stay here." Tidus sighed deeply, staring at seemingly nothing in particular. "I know it sounds stupid, but I don't want to give up. And besides that, I don't want to leave Auron."

"You have more strength than I do." she patted him on the shoulder. "But I admire that."

"Heh, you know I'm not a quitter." he crossed his arms and smiled at her.

"There, that's the Tidus I know." His teammate ruffled his already messy hair. Hopping off the bed, she stretched again. "So you better be at blitzball practice tomorrow!"

"I definitely will be."

Checking the time, Maura frowned. "I don't want to leave but .. I'm pretty sure my mom's probably freaking out."

"I'm sorry if I got you in trouble."

"Nah." She assured him as she put on her shoes. "I'll explain and it'll be fine. But hey, call me if you need me for anything." Maura hugged him again and gave him a cheerful wave. She made sure to give Auron another death glare on her way out. He just stared back at her.

–

Time did pass, although sometimes it felt like it was merely crawling. There was a short period of time in which they didn't talk, but it ended with Tidus acting like nothing was wrong. He seemed back to his cheerful self and Auron relaxed a little about the situation. Maybe they could put the whole sordid mess behind them.

The weeks began to slip by faster now. Tidus moved up on his team, becoming their star player. The Abes were scheduled to participate in a tournament soon against other city teams. More people seemed to be asking for his autograph, and he was even featured on television. Yet they only seemed to compare him to Jecht, so he avoided watching those. The excitement of becoming semi-famous was enough to take his mind off Auron but not enough for him to forget. His feelings hadn't changed a bit. And he still didn't want to surrender.

–

"What do you want for your birthday?" Auron murmured to him out of nowhere one afternoon.

"W-what?" Tidus stared. He had been not even paying attention.

"Your birthday, it is soon, right?"

"Yeah ..."

"Well?"

Tidus looked away. "You don't want to hear it."

"Just tell me." Auron frowned. It wasn't usually hard to get information like this out of the blonde. "What do you want?"

"You." The teenager's eyes seemed piercing as they turned to him again. They were intense, and it was obvious there was no joke behind his answer.

"Tidus, we discussed this." Auron stated calmly. He was anything but calm on the inside. It was just one word but the impact of it and the look on the blonde's face had thrown him. He hadn't expected at all the force of his own body's response to the suggestion.

"That's all I want."

"I can't give that to you."

"Auron, please ..." Tidus begged.

The older man dug his nails into his own hand unconsciously. His mind went directly where had forbidden it to go. He wanted to be making Tidus say those words for a completely different reason.

"Don't do this to me."

"Just once, at least." Tidus said the words before he could think about them. He wanted to be more than that to his guardian, much more. Maybe he could at least make Auron see that if they were together.

"No."

"I don't know why you're doing this. Is it me? Is there something wrong with me?"

"You know I don't think that."

"Then why?"

"Nothing will come of it!" Auron didn't yell but his voice was louder than usual.

The pair stared at each other momentarily before they both left in opposite directions. Tidus left the house, slamming the door behind him. Auron disappeared into the sanctuary of his room. It wasn't Tidus that was flawed; it was he who was flawed. He was the one perverting the pure relationship they had with his lust. Now he had somehow corrupted Tidus to the point that the sixteen year old was giving up the chance at any normal relationship to pursue his disfigured, apathetic father figure. It hurt him all the more that he couldn't stop aching to return the blonde's feelings. Something needed to change before this attraction had ripped them both to pieces. Something drastic.

–

Tidus wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. He still loved Auron, he didn't want to stop trying – especially when he knew the older man wanted him too. But every refusal and denial had felt like hundreds of knives were stabbing his very core.

Currently, he was standing outside of Maura's, debating on if he should bother going home. It was finally his birthday and he had spent most of it with Maura's family. He shuffled around in a small circle, his stomach twisting in knots. Auron and himself had hardly spoken in the time leading up to this day. He was sure going home now would just remind him of the one thing he wanted that he couldn't have.

"I think you should go." His teammate finally spoke up. "I know that sounds weird coming from me .. but I just have this feeling. Go, Tidus."

"Really?"

She stood up and brushed dust off her clothes. "Yeah. And if not, you're always welcome back here."

"True … well, okay, I'll go." he hugged Maura. "Thanks for everything, Mau."

"Friends~" she reminded him in a sing-songy voice and returned the hug. "Now get!"

He smiled at her, feeling strangely nostalgic as they exchanged goodbyes. It quickly left his thoughts, though, as he turned towards home.

–

Tidus was surprised when he approached the house and he could see the lights were off in the living room. Maybe Auron wasn't even here … He decided to double check. The door handle turned easily when he tugged on it. It was unlocked so that meant his guardian had to be home. He stepped inside and jumped as a voice addressed him out of the darkness.

"Shut the door. And lock it."

Tidus knew immediately that it was Auron's voice but it sent strange chills through him. He obeyed and kicked off his boots before he made his way down the hall toward the living room. A small patch of light from outside was illuminating part of the room, and he could see the older man now.

Tidus felt like his breath was caught in his throat. Auron was sitting back in his usual soft chair, but his coat was gone, along with the ridiculous collar he used to stay hidden from everyone. He wore only a black sleeveless top and black pants. His sunglasses were also gone. All his walls were down, the walls he sometimes used to keep even Tidus out. The teenager swore he felt his heart stop and restart. Obviously, this was something important.

"You're seventeen now, Tidus." Auron's voice was quiet, but there was an emotion behind it that the teenager couldn't place. "What did you want for your birthday?"

Tidus moved closer to the older man, swallowing hard. "You, Auron."

"Just once?" He questioned, imitating the blonde's previous plea.

Crossing his arms, Tidus tried to subtly pinch himself. It hurt. This wasn't a dream. "Yes .. at least." At the moment, he wasn't really sure he cared what had changed Auron's mind. If this was his gift, then he was going to receive it gladly. He drew closer and braced himself on the arms of the chair. His heart was pounding so loudly, but he felt he had to do this. Leaning forward, Tidus pressed his lips to Auron's. It was gentle but the older man kissed back, his hand reaching up to touch the side of the teenager's face. They broke apart for a moment, and Tidus leaned his head into Auron's touch. If anything, he at least always wanted to remember this.

"Once." Auron repeated firmly. With that he kissed the blonde once more and then dropped his hands to Tidus' waist. He slowly pulled Tidus down to sit in front of him, mostly on his lap. He kissed the teenager's neck and they both sunk back a little more into the chair. Tidus let Auron do what he wanted; he was just pleased that the older man was initiating all of it.

Auron's lips were like fire against his skin, his teeth only just barely scraping along the curve of his neck as he kissed and licked there. Tidus knew he would have a bruise later, and he wanted it. He wanted something of Auron when this over. He instinctively dropped one of his arms to the side and brought the other up to twist into his guardian's hair. It was so soft .. he threaded it through his fingers as quiet noises escaped unnoticed through his lips. Auron's hands brushed along his clothing, stopping shortly in places to undo buttons and zippers. He tried to help get out of them, knowing they were complicated, but the older man seemed to know what he was doing. It didn't take too long until Tidus was just down to his jacket and the pair of shorts he wore under everything.

Again, his guardian's rough hands slipped down his body, tracing along curves. He liked the feel of Auron's hands; they were tough from him constantly practicing with his katana, he supposed. Most of his coherent thought left then as it really registered to Tidus that he was watching Auron exploring his body. He took his time and found the most sensitive spots and teased the teenager. Tidus whimpered slightly as the older man's fingers now drifted across his navel and brushed softly along his stomach. Searing heat seemed to sweep through him at those feather-light touches. When Auron began to push down the waist of his shorts, he impatiently helped, wanting them off. He felt and heard his guardian's soft laugh of amusement. The older man shifted them both slightly, gently pushing Tidus' legs apart and moving them to rest on top of his own.

Auron ran his hands along the tops of the teenager's legs, on the inside of them, and finally stopped his teasing. Tidus inhaled sharply as the older man finally took his length in hand and stroked it once. Still unbearably slow he repeated the motion and stopped to massage the head. The blonde groaned slightly, half wondering why Auron was tormenting him like this. The slow, careful strokes continued as if he was waiting for something.

"Mn, Auron .. faster .." Tidus finally managed to gasp out, pressing back against his guardian.

The older man did as he was asked, quickly picking up the pace. He had coaxed the teenager to say what he wanted. Tidus could hear Auron's uneven breath now; feel the warmth of it on his skin. He moaned as a few realizations hit even his hazy mind. It didn't matter that Auron denied him and kept denying his own feelings, he knew that the older man wasn't just doing this to please Tidus. As if the teenager wouldn't notice that his guardian wanted to hear his moans, wanted to tease him, wanted to touch him; it actually turned him on more though – the fact that he could feel Auron's erection pressing against his back. It occurred to him then that the position they were in was vastly unfair but he was too far gone to do anything about it.

Tidus felt himself tremble and he reached up and gripped the older man's hair again, maybe a bit too tightly but he couldn't tell at the moment. "A-Auron, I'm .. I .."

The only sound he heard in a response was a murmur of satisfaction but that was enough to push him over. His legs literally shook as he came; the older man didn't slow his hand until he finished. Tidus gasped for air, turning his head and leaving soft kisses on Auron's face. He sighed as the short high wore off. Then he watched in slight fascination as his guardian licked some of the mess off his hand and proceeded to clean up the rest with a cloth that was on the table nearby.

"How do I taste then?" Tidus asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Interesting." Auron replied, smirking slightly.

"Mm." The blond responded turning slightly to rest his arms around Auron's neck and leave more soft kisses on the older man's face. "That wasn't very fair to you .."

"It's your birthday."

"Exactly. And I should get what I want then."

"Tidus-" The older man began.

The blonde turned, positioning himself so he was straddling Auron instead. He had expected to be stopped .. maybe his guardian was finally going to give in to some of his feelings instead of denying himself any pleasure.

"Auron." Tidus replied in the same tone with a teasing smile. He really was still nervous, afraid he would be pushed away any moment, but he figured at this point anything might be worth a try.

The older man looked at him with a sarcastic expression but didn't prevent Tidus from removing his top as well. Smooth tan fingers began to touch, began to feel and memorize every inch and line of his chest. There were permanent scars etched into his skin from literally another world, another time and place. A place that Tidus had never heard of. The teenager knew the topic of Auron's scars was off-limits; he'd known that since he was a child, but still he looked up at the older man with worried eyes. They had to have hurt, these wounds he had were serious. Auron couldn't help it when he saw that. He cupped Tidus' face in his hands and kissed him.

The sweet kiss was easily heightened, both of them fighting for control of it. Tidus was determined not to get distracted though. His hands still ran across Auron's chest, sliding downwards. The older man pulled away from the kiss slightly intending on protesting, but Tidus kissed him again and thrust forward a little to brush against Auron's pants. He heard his guardian unwillingly moan against his mouth. The teenager's hands swiftly reached the older man's pants and undid them. Honestly, Auron was literally aching for Tidus to touch him, but he hadn't planned on letting it happen. His whole idea revolved around the fact that maybe if he gave the blonde what he wanted once, then he'd give up on everything finally. But as usual, he was allowing Tidus to push the boundaries.

The teenager licked his lips, pushing down the restricting fabric just enough to get at what he wanted. He brushed his fingertips lightly along the velvety feeling skin, feeling pleased when the older man twitched under his hand. He smirked to himself, grasping it and pumping once. He watched Auron's face. His guardian was unable to hide behind anything; Tidus could his see his expression change to a mixture of lust and frustration. The blonde moved his hand faster, and Auron could do nothing but tightly grip the arms of the chair.

Tidus bit his lip, his eyes still flickering between the older man's expression and what he was doing. He tried to imitate the things Auron had done to him that felt so good. His guardian was beginning to fall to pieces, deep moans he couldn't contain were escaping from his throat. It wasn't too long before he was hard again himself, actually. An idea popped into his mind he always had thought about trying and he stopped his hand motions to move, straddling Auron again and bringing their hips together. The teenager wrapped his hand around both of their erections and stroked again. The older man's hands moved up to rest on his shoulders, his fingertips easily sinking into Tidus' skin. The blonde whimpered and rocked against Auron's body, still stroking both of them.

"Tidus .." Auron murmured, his breath heavy and his voice trembling.

The teenager's half-lidded blue eyes looked up at him, his blonde hair sticking to his forehead from the sweat he had worked up. The older man swallowed back another moan just at the sight before him, and reached down to push Tidus' hand away. He took over, unable to stand much more of the blonde's pace. Anything Tidus had to say was completely lost when Auron's hand began to move. He rocked harder against the older man and they both moaned. Still Auron took the opportunity to tease the teenager one final time. He slowed slightly, barely able to get out his command.

"Ask me."

"Please, Auron," Tidus begged immediately, knowing exactly what his guardian meant. Auron's hand picked up again and the teenager came for a second time that night, far more intensely than his first. His name again escaped the older man's lips and he shuddered even as Auron came as well.

Tidus collapsed forward against Auron, not caring about the sticky mess. He clung tightly to the older man, knowing that this might very well be the last time he saw Auron with all his guards down. Their breathing filled up the silence. Tidus already felt Auron's dark eye watching him. The teenager knew his guardian was going to try to tell him something to push him away now. The older man wasn't really one for timing. If he was going to say something, he was going to say it.

"Stories like this," Auron began, not really wanting to say anything at all. "don't have happy endings."

Trying not to let the feeling of a knife being shoved in his side show at all in his eyes, the teenager looked up at his guardian with a confident expression. "Then let's make sure the story doesn't end."

Tidus again covered the older man's lips with his own.

A/N: Hopefully that wasn't too bad and hopefully neither was the M stuff, I was trying to push myself with using some different words and the like .. err, heheh. Reviews are coolsauce! Also if you're looking for info about my Kuro fic "Your Sweet Six Six Six" it's currently on hold thanks to writer's block, but I will update eventually. ^^; Sorry! Thanks for reading. c8