Song of Thunder { bridge : e c h o }

i am wanting
and i am needing you here
inside the absence of fear.




The sun had risen hours ago, but through the mottled stormclouds of the Thunder Plains the only hint was the slightly lighter sky. It was still dark, still storming, as it had for years...as it probably always would.

Jecht watched as lightning struck somewhere outside the window, eyes narrowing at the brilliant flash of pure light and energy. Beside him, Auron still slept with one arm around Jecht's waist as if he were nothing more than a big pillow.

It made him smile.

He turned his gaze away from the window, drew his knees up a little and thought about the night before. Whatever it was that had possessed him to come to Auron in such a way had lessened, but the feelings it had invoked still remained.

He didn't regret it, but he was just a little worried about what would happen when Auron woke. The man had been anything but objecting, but he knew from experience that after lust takes over a person, there really isn't much left to reason with.

Had it been the right thing to do?

He sighed quietly, and lifted one hand to brush the stray wisps of hair that had fallen over the sleeping man's face. What kind of line had they crossed?

There was a soft knock on the door. Jecht tensed, glanced down at Auron and realized that he hadn't heard anything. He looked back to the door, and called as quietly as he could, "Who's there?"

"It's Braska."

Jecht was caught in a moment of indecision. Should he let the summoner in now, to leave no doubts about what had happened between himself and Auron? Or should he stall for a bit and at least get dressed?

Something Braska said earlier came to mind. He took a deep breath, and prayed Auron wouldn't hate him for this.

"Come in."

The door opened, light flooded in from the hallway and created a halo around Braska's body as he stepped inside. His hair was loose around his shoulders, and he wore a simple white robe; probably the same thing he'd worn to bed. Jecht watched his face closely for the expression that would surely come when he saw exactly what was waiting inside.

It never came. The only indication that he acknowledged them in the same bed was the slight deepening of his smile.

The older guardian nearly sighed in relief.

"I trust you had a good night?" Braska said quietly, and there was no trace of negativity in his tone. For that, Jecht was a little surprised. He had been fairly sure that Braska wouldn't be upset, but he seemed a bit more than pleased.

He smiled a bit awkwardly, just a tiny bit embarrased as the full impact of what exactly was happening finally hit home in his brain. "I, uh, guess you could say that."

Braska's gaze traveled from Jecht's face to Auron's, where it was nestled against the older man's chest. "He looks...happy." A strange look crossed his face as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jecht frowned. "Hey, Braska, are you okay..?"

Are you sure you're okay with this? Are you okay with me lying in bed with the man that you care for so much?

"I was thinking about what you said last night. About Auron."

The older guardian nodded. "About the summoner and guardian thing, right?"

"Yes. I wonder if I haven't been wrong all this time. I just didn't want to hurt him."

"Well," Jecht said, keeping his voice low enough not to wake Auron, "I've always had this theory. Life is short, you know? You don't know when, or where it'll end. So I suppose you should never turn down something that'll make you happy, even if it is only for a little while. You don't know if it's gonna be your last little bit."

"What if it would hurt someone else?" Braska returned softly. "Maybe not right then, but later? Is that worth it?"

Jecht shook his head. "Better the joy you know than the one you'll always wonder about."

A wry look replaced the contemplative expression on Braska's face. "I suppose you're right." He smiled. "I'll talk to him. But what about you, Jecht?"

Jecht chuckled. "What about me?" Something moved beneath the summoner's eyes, and Jecht declined to comment. He just kept his eyes on Braska.

"I undestand."

"Good." Jecht gently removed Auron's arm, sliding out of the bed, wrapping his robe around himself tighter. "I'm going to go take a shower."

Braska nodded, and turned his attention back to Auron, who was just beginning to stir. He sensed Jecht move to the next room, and a few moments later heard the sound of water running; the guardian hadn't even shut the door.

Auron opened his eyes at last -- the warmth beside him was gone. The first thing he saw was Braska, and all traces of sleep faded as his eyes widened in shock. "B...Braska!"

The summoner smiled at him pleasantly, and moved closer to Auron. He lifted one hand to check the younger guardian's temperature. Luckily, during the night, the fever had gone. "How are you feeling, my friend?" He asked softly.

Auron's face had reddened with embarrasment: how was he going to explain this to his lord? He fought not to jerk from that cool touch, and instead stilled entirely, completely frozen beneath Braska's hand. "...Braska?"

The way Auron was reacting was not lost on Braska. His eyes narrowed with sadness, and he wondered just how far apart they'd become. It had been his idea to discontinue their...relationship, from the time he decided to take the pilgrimage, in the first place. It had only been in Auron's best interests; he was well-aware of the pain that might just cripple the other man's soul upon his death.

He understood that giving oneself completely to another was the greatest sacrifice you could possibly make, because you were no longer your own. Because to lose that person would be to lose yourself, and he'd seen the ones that hadn't recovered, those poor people who wasted away in the farplane, standing, staring at the image of dead love.

He knew Auron was strong -- he knew his strengths more than anyone else -- but he also knew the man's weaknesses. And he was fully aware that the young guardian might not survive it. So, he'd tried to close their bond, before it was too late to save either of them.

He'd left Auron in Beville for a time, to travel. He'd said he wanted to take some time off, but...

Even when he returned with an Al Bhed woman, he was trying to close that wound. Loving another might soothe the ache of being without the one he'd spent so much of his life with. And he had loved her, truly loved her, because he wouldn't have married her if he hadn't loved her. But his soul still ached for Auron, the one that understood and accepted him completely, no matter what.

He'd tried to hide himself from the betrayed rust-colored eyes that haunted him. Auron hadn't left him; even after what Braska had done, Auron had forgiven him and stayed by his side under the title of close friend. Neither of them spoke a word of their years together after that. Even Braska had been surprised when the young monk had refused the hand of the priest's daughter. She was a lovely girl, with eyes only for Auron.

Auron had never once tried to overstep his boundaries. Even when Braska's wife had died, leaving him alone with their young daughter, Auron offered himself as a shoulder to lean on. And, as he had always been, he was Braska's strength. And when Braska announced that he would begin his pilgrimage, Auron was the first to beg him to reconsider, as well as the first to offer to guard him safely through.

And now...here they were. They'd picked up another, another outcast with a piece of his soul missing. Another, just like them.

He'd thought he was doing the right thing, up until last night, until something Jecht said had broken the walls around his heart.

Braska realized that he'd been staring at Auron through his reverie, and his hand hadn't moved from its place against his skin. Auron was watching him with worried eyes, as if he was trying to figure out what was going on in Braska's mind. The summoner leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Auron. I've been such a fool."

Auron was still watching Braska, his expression almost unreadable. A trembling arm lifted and reached out, touching Braska's arm. "No, my lord. You've never been foolish."

The next thing he knew, Braska was gently pulling him upwards into a fierce hug, clutching the guardian tightly against himself. Auron closed his eyes and returned the embrace, awkwardly, thanking Yevon for the modesty the bed's covers provided him. He felt, with astonishing clarity, every sensation of Braska's hands stroking his back. It was a touch that he'd missed for years, a touch that felt like it had always been there.

Braska's breath was warm against his ear and neck, whispering through the fine hairs on his neck. "Why," Braska asked softly, "why don't you hate me for what I've done?" He felt Auron stiffen in his arms for a moment, before relaxing; the arms around him tightened as the young guardian hugged him with all his strength.

"I could never hate you, my lord, not even if you drove a knife through my heart. I couldn't hate you if it was the only thing I wanted. I couldn't hate you.

"Because I love you. And that won't ever change, no matter what happens."

Braska fought not to break down and sob into the young guardian's arms, listening to Auron's voice as his heart poured into every word, every inflection and pause. Everything that Braska had ever felt towards him expanded until he thought his own heart might burst with what he was feeling. The summoner lifted a hand, lightly stroking back the soft black hair from Auron's face, and saw what might have been fear in his eyes. Auron wasn't one to speak openly of his own emotions; Yevon only knew what it took for the guardian to say what he had. Suddenly, Braska felt unworthy of such purity, and he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

"I love you too, Auron," Braska whispered quietly, reassuringly, after a short pause, his pale face hovering inches about Auron's. And it was true. He did love Auron, as he had for a long time, and it was impossible to think that he could hold the words in for another moment.

He closed the distance between them, his lips meeting his guardian's in a gentle kiss. Auron was nothing short of receptive, kissing Braska back with heart-shattering tenderness, holding Braska like he could never let go. It seemed to go on forever, and it was Braska who finally broke the kiss, panting, breathless as he rested his cheek against Auron's.

"My lord..." Auron whispered quietly, "you know what I've done...Jecht...I..."

"Don't explain." Braska shook his head, tightening his arms around Auron. "I understand."

Auron took a deep breath. "He -he's lonely, too, Braska. I don't think that I really understood until last night. And now, I feel so cruel for all the things I'd said before."

"He was never angry at you, Auron. And if he was," Braska chuckled, patting his youngest guardian on the back, "I think he's forgiven you, don't you think?"

Auron's cheeks pinked in a mildly embarrassed blush at Braska's implication. But indeed, what the summoner spoke was true. "I totally misjudged him."

"Don't worry about it." Braska said, and kissed Auron again.



Jecht stepped from the bathroom, his footsteps silent on the carpet. The first thing he saw was Auron and Braska whispering quietly to each other, and then Braska pulled Auron close into a kiss. For a moment, Jecht was captivated by the sight of them. He'd seen Auron at some level of surrender the night before, but this was so much more: a total acquiesce to the person Jecht knew held Auron's heart completely.

As beautiful as it was, it was also heartbreaking so many ways that he couldn't even begin to understand. He felt the urge to turn back to the solitude the bathroom held; anything to be away from the scene unfolding before him. But he couldn't turn away.

They broke from their kiss, and Auron opened his eyes to see Jecht looking at them. Emotions chased themselves visibly behind Auron's eyes. Braska, too, turned his head, and gave Jecht a sweet smile of gratitude.

Jecht wasn't sure exactly what he should do, so he stayed completely still, waiting for a sign of some kind. Every nerve was screaming that he should go now, and leave them to what must be a long-overdue rediscovery. He was the intruder; he was the odd one out.

Braska and Auron were both watching him, he could feel their eyes on him like warm hands: that particular analogy made him flush inside. The best thing to do would be to go now, while there was still options available that wouldn't leave him in an awkward place.

The silence was deafening.

Auron touched Braska's arm, very gently, giving his summoner a look that made Braska smile. Braska nodded, a barely perceived gesture, and then stood, brushing his silvery-blue hair back from his face. Jecht still hadn't moved, so he began to move towards him, footsteps slow and steady towards his older guardian.

When Braska was about three feet from him, Jecht gathered the towel around his waist more securely and looked away. For some reason, it had become impossibly hard to meet the summoner's eyes.

"Figure I'll go on a little walk." Jecht muttered, mentally patting himself on the back for the fact that his voice hadn't cracked.

"Jecht." Braska said his name softly, but firmly.

"I'll only be a little while." Slowly, Jecht began to move away, towards the pile of clothing that had been drying the night before.

"Jecht." Braska touched him, his hand resting over the center of the tattoo that spanned Jecht's chest. The touch instantly stilled Jecht, but his questioning stare was full of apprehension and a mild sort of fear. Braska's eyes softened, holding Jecht's gaze with more power than any spell he could cast.

Never seen eyes like that...

"Please," Braska whispered, "don't leave. Don't run away." That restraining hand moved from Jecht's chest to his arm, and wrapped itself securely around his wrist. Braska began to tug Jecht back towards Auron, and the bed.

Dumbly, Jecht followed, unable to think of anything to say at all. His mind had gone completely blank, and his gaze swung around the room, looking for anything to reassure him.

He finally settled on Auron, who was watching him with a look of peaceful curiosity. He realized that Auron wasn't questioning Braska's actions, but rather seeing how Jecht was going to react. He smiled at Jecht, the same smile he'd given the night before.

For some reason, that smile was bringing heat to Jecht's face; it triggered a whole slew of memories, of the myriad other expressions he'd seen cross that face.

A movement close to him distracted Jecht from those thoughts; he looked down to see Braska watching him with that look of gentle amusement. One of Braska's arms slid around Jecht's waist, drawing Jecht flush against him. Braska held none of Auron's shy reservations; Jecht realized that almost immediately, even as Braska was leaning up to claim his lips in a gentle kiss.

Despite the strangeness of everything that was happening, Jecht allowed his eyes to slip shut and savor Braska's tongue caressing his own. Slender hands were stroking his back, finding a place to rest at the small of his back, just above the towel.

And then Jecht remembered where he was. He started, and Braska pulled away -- Jecht's eyes flew open, moving to where Auron still lay in bed.

He'd expected the younger man to be upset; after all, it was his lover (even if they hadn't shared such things in a while) he was kissing, but the expression on Auron's face was anything but. He almost looked as if he were enjoying the show. He wasn't sure if the fact he'd taken part in Auron's body would mean anything at all.

"Uh..." Jecht bit his lower lip in mild confusion, but Braska slipped away from in front of him, and gently shoved. Suddenly, Auron had a lap full of a startled-looking Jecht.

"Hello, there," the younger guardian blinked down at Jecht, amusement glittering in his rust-colored eyes.

"...hi."

Braska was laughing behind them, and Jecht turned his head to give the summoner a mock-glare. Indeed, the whole thing seemed humorous, if not a bit outlandish. After a moment, Braska sat at the edge of the bed beside them, and looked at his two guardians. Auron glanced at Braska, then his gaze shifted to Jecht. He smiled reassuringly, in a way that Jecht would never have thought the younger man capable of before.

Something swelled in his chest, and he swallowed hard, as if that would keep it from rising. A deep, warming sensation filled him, completing him. He felt a warm, gentle hand brush at the damp hair that had fallen over his forehead, and he looked up at Auron, who wore a thoughtful, contented expression.

The way Auron seemed so at peace now, Jecht supposed that this was the Auron that Braska had always known, the one that he'd shared his heart and body with. The usually tense and aloof man seemed so full of warmth and caring, now; such a drastic change in demeanor surprised Jecht. He understood what Braska had seen and loved so much in return, the thing that Braska was so willing to protect.

And it was Braska's hand running along the curve of his spine, now, though Auron's hand was still resting against his forehead, half tangled in damp, dark hair. Jecht shot Braska a questioning gaze. The summoner leaned down, his lips brushing against Jecht's ear.

"You should never turn down something that will make you happy," Braska echoed Jecht's words back to him, hot breath whispering along the shell of his ear, "even if it is for just a little while."

A heavy weight lifted itself from Jecht's heart. He felt it go, brushed away by his own philosophies, and welcomed the release. Two pairs of eyes were gazing at him; one pair the color of the sky on a cloudless day, the other the color of dried blood.

He smiled in return. "You're right."

Braska kissed him, as Auron cradled Jecht's head in his hands. Sweet and slow and deep, it was full of everything that was so /Braska/, and Jecht could feel faint tremors running along his body like ripples on a pond. He could swear he was melting into the summoner's mouth. After a moment, Braska pulled back, smiling down at Jecht. The stunned guardian stared up, breathing heavily, one arm slung across Auron's leg, fingers curled in the blankets.

Weakly, Jecht lifted his head. Auron moved beneath him, leaning up; Jecht moved to the side, afraid that he might be crushing Auron. He realized that the towel he was wearing had gaped open, leaving a long, wide line of his leg open to plain sight. Obviously, Braska had noticed it too -- the summoner's hand was stroking his skin as one might calm a nervous animal.

Jecht's hand moved to the towel, feeling his face warm. Auron kissed his cheek. "Embarrassed?" The younger guardian whispered.

"It's not that," Jecht grumbled, shuddering as he turned his head, almost knocking his nose against Auron's.

Auron laughed and looked at Braska, who directed his gaze towards Jecht's crotch. The summoner shook his head, a teasing grin coming to his lips. "No...he doesn't seem to be /that/ embarrassed, at least from my point of view."

Jecht pinked, much to the amusement of his companions. He started to say something, but was silenced almost immediately by the lips that descended upon his. Auron was leaning over him, now, his tongue deep within the moist heat of Jecht's mouth, and there was no resistance. Jecht felt the bed rise up to rest against his back, and his head was cradled by soft pillows that pushed against him as Auron pressed deeper within.

He kissed back, matching Auron's fierce intensity as if it were the last thing he'd ever feel. Any of the strange inhibitions that might have been holding him back at all were quickly fading -- he could cripple himself with the angst and misery of the past, or he could take the pleasure that was so freely offered to him. They dueled as if they were truly fighting, dominance passing between them though neither really seemed to mind.

Auron broke it off, suddenly; soft tongue and lips trailed in a wet line down the darkened scar that ran across Jecht's cheek, finally pausing to nibble at the tender flesh of Jecht's earlobe. The older guardian felt warm hands at his belly, sliding beneath the cotton of the towel. The faint caresses, coupled with the sensation of Auron against him turned to a slow burn, a rising ache that threatened to consume him whole.

Slowly, Auron made his way down Jecht's neck, marking his way with fevered kisses. Jecht shut his eyes and savored every sensation by pure touch: his body was alive, tingling as Auron's mouth closed around the hardened pebble of his nipple, shuddering as silky strands of jet-black hair slithered across his chest, contrasting with skin and tattoo.

The towel at his waist began to slide away, brushing over the sensitive skin of his almost painfully hard erection -- he moaned and his head tilted to one side, exposing a long line of tanned, scarred neck.

A line of disjointed nips began at the lower edge of his sternum -- lips and teeth grazed over yet another of his scars, catching hold of the puckered flesh in a not-so-gentle bite that created a bright flash of sensation within Jecht's mind. Then, as if in apology, Auron began to lap at the marked wound.

There was movement on the bed, below him: Jecht was dimly aware of the third body that now shared the mattress, and registered it as Braska. Auron's body swayed slighly and shifted again, and Jecht could feel the soft moan that reverberated across the sensitive skin of his belly as well as he could hear it. One of Auron's arms (at least he assumed that was Auron's arm) slid across his erection, and a brief, uncontrolled groan escaped his parted lips.

His control was slipping away like water through a sieve, dissolving as Auron's mouth made its way lower down his body. The younger guardian's hand was stroking at the sensitive hollow where pelvis met thigh, and Jecht nearly wanted to scream for release. Then the caressing hand and teasing kisses stilled, callused fingers squeezing into his flesh. He opened his eyes.

Auron was looking up at him, sloe eyed, his heavy breaths sending waves of fire over his already-burning length. The guardian's body was tilted to the side, and now, Jecht could see Braska caressing Auron's back and shoulders -- even still, the summoner was watching Jecht.

Jecht took a deep breath, and looked back at Auron's face.

And as he took him inside his mouth, Auron kept his dark, passion-filled eyes locked with Jecht's, unwavering. There was an almost hidden challenge in those rust-colored depths, but it was overshadowed, almost to the point of inexistence, by the promise of bliss to come. Wet heat surrounded him, made him nearly arch off the bed. It was too much: Jecht squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip harshly to stifle the scream that so desperately wanted to wrench itself from his throat. By their own accord, Jecht's hands buried themselves in the heavy, dark silk of Auron's hair, grasping handfuls as if they might bind him to blurring reality.

Because... Because it didn't seem real. It didn't seem possible to feel /this/ much. But it was.

Auron's soft, wet tongue slid along the underside of Jecht's length, caressing it intimately, drawing half-gasped pleas from Jecht. It was merciless and painfully wonderful, so much so that Jecht half-feared he'd lose consciousness.

He felt the bed shift again, and then there was the strange, liquidlike sound that Jecht realized was the lotion. For a moment, Jecht feared that it would be him to feel that cool sensation at his entrance...the wavery moan that vibrated against his pulsing length, however, assured him of its true purposes.

Out of sheer curiousity, perhaps, the scarred guardian slit his eyes open, enough to see the pale hand Braska braced against Auron's lower back, and the other that was in a place he'd been just the night before -- dimly, in the still functioning areas of Jecht's mind, he wondered if his younger lover was still sore.

Then, even those parts of his mind were caught up in the rush of sensation that stemmed from his groin, and there was nothing left but to /feel/. Auron braced both hands at Jecht's hips, in an attempt to lessen the frantic movements older man's body. Jecht's utter responsiveness was a wonder unto itself, but Auron still didn't feel the need to be choked -- it was difficult enough to take the whole of his lover's shaft completely, as it was. He ignored the dull, throbbing pain where Braska's gentle fingers were stretching him, doubling his focus on pleasuring Jecht.

Braska watched the scene before him as he added another finger inside, taking into careful consideration the night before must have worn on his beloved. Jecht's face was the picture of ecstasy, and the summoner had to smile, having himself received the pleasure of Auron's talented mouth many times. He realized that, by chance, the young warrior had seduced them both, as unconscious as it may have been.

It had been far too long. Braska's entire body ached with the promise of the sensations he'd never forgotten...he found that he was trembling.

Slowly, he raised himself up, removing his fingers from Auron's mostened entrance, smiling at the way the younger guardian's body reacted.

Jecht was writhing beneath Auron, the noises coming unbidden from his throat as he neared climax. Indulgingly, the young guardian began to suckle harder, as if he could wring ecstasy from his lover completely. Jecht felt Auron shudder almost violently, and that deep, clamping mouth pulled everything away from himself.

He let loose a final, keening cry as he came. Auron, shaking on hands and knees, took everything within, bracing himself as Braska pressed inside him.

Fighting the dormant lassitude that was working over his mind, Jecht pulled Auron closer to himself. Auron's arms collapsed almost gratefully, and he pressed his face into the curve of Jecht's neck, panting breath warming the older man's neck. Jecht lifted his gaze from the man's face, up his curving spine to Braska. The summoner was beauty, half-curling over Auron's body, his silvery-blue hair fanning across the younger man's back in shimmering curtains. He moved slowly, drawing out almost completely, then in again, each rocking movement bumping the top of Auron's head against Jecht's cheek. Pale, slender arms slid down Auron's back, one arm wrapping around the younger guardian's chest, the other finding and grasping Auron's hand.

A slow ache settled inside Jecht's heart at the sight of them, but he realized it wasn't loneliness, not anymore. It was a joyous ache that touched more than him -- it encompassed him and spread out to the two men he was with, binding them together inseparably.

It was more than just the sex: that was simple consummation. And by Braska's adoring expression and Auron's watery whispering of the beautiful summoner's name, sex was the very least of it.

Between them, at least, it was love. Jecht wasn't quite sure where he stood in those respects -- he still loved the woman he'd married in Zanarkand, but this was something he needed.

He wasn't alone.

Auron's free arm slid beneath Jecht's body, and the young guardian's heavy moans inside his ear began to take form.

"P-please...Jecht...Braska...Jecht, please..."

Jecht pressed an arm around Auron's trembling, sweat-soaked body, as another of Braska's thrusts pressed Auron's erection against Jecht's body.

Oh...

"Jecht..."

"Mm." Jecht slid his hand between their bodies, grasping Auron's dripping, velvet-hard length, feeling its weight against his hand as the force of Braska's thrusts rocked through Auron's body, driving the young guardian against him.

A sharp gasp came from Auron's parted lips as Jecht's hand closed, counter-stroking against Braska's movements "Yes..." Auron hissed into his ear, rocking between them with abandon.

Everything melted into itself: there was only the disjointed sounds of flesh meeting flesh coupled with the whimpered utterances of names. It didn't matter. The final destination was ecstasy, and the welcoming release it contained. Auron paused, lifting his head to cry out Braska's name, his whole body tensing and tightening as he came, splashing hot seed against Jecht's body. His body clamped down around Braska, who rocked into the young guardian one last time before filling the willing body beneath him with his own fluid.

Bonelessly, Auron collapsed atop Jecht completely, ignoring the sticky wetness between them as he twined his body around Jecht's. Braska, heavy-lidded, waited a few moments to study the two dark warriors lying so peacefully together. Then, he too took his place, spooning against Auron with one arm draped around Jecht's waist. He pressed gentle kisses to the back of Auron's neck, murmuring his thanks.

It was silent for a while, but it wasn't the uncomfortable silence that Jecht dreaded so. They just lay there, floating in the calm like a pile of puppies.

Lightning struck, not far away from the agency, and Jecht let loose a throaty chuckle.

"What're you laughing at?" Auron muttered, nuzzling against Jecht's broad chest.

Jecht shook his head, closing his eyes. "Nothing. Except maybe I like the storm a little more."

The meaning of his words made Braska smile, and Auron caught on, offering a small bark of laughter. "I propose next time it's you that gets hit."

"Only if you're gonna strip me and take care of me like this."

"Fool," Auron muttered under his breath, but his grip around Jecht tightened affectionately.

It was quiet again, and Braska struggled to one elbow, reaching for a blanket. He pulled it over the three of them. "I don't think we're going anywhere, today," he whispered.

Jecht lifted his head. "Really?" He half-expected to hear Auron make some sort of protest, but there was none, only the gentle sound of deep, even breathing. He'd fallen asleep.

The summoner dropped his gaze to the young guardian, before looking back up to Jecht, a faint smile coming to his lips. "Really. As selfish as it sounds of me, I want to make it last, too. If you understand what I mean."

Jecht nodded, and returned Braska's smile. He understood. Every day they got closer to Gagazet, and then...

And then...

Braska must have sensed the sorrow beginning to creep into Jecht's mind. He leaned over Auron, and kissed his older guardian, sliding a slender hand down the length of Jecht's arm. "This one is ours," he murmured, and laid back down, drawing Jecht's arm over Auron's body to rest against his side, enfolding the sleeping guardian in their embrace.

To Jecht, it didn't matter if it was love or not. He had something he cared for, and wanted to protect, and that was more than enough.

He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the storm outside.



Braska listened until he was sure Jecht had fallen asleep again, thinking of the images of the dream that came every time he closed his eyes: the dream of a world without Sin, the one that drove him forward, no matter what. Jecht and Auron could be happy, there. They'd take Yuna to Besaid, and grow old together.

It would be so easy...

Maybe they'd think of him, then. He prayed that they wouldn't cling to loss. Sorrow was always easier to share with someone who loved you. Jecht had come along to go home to Zanarkand, but he wouldn't leave Auron behind. Braska was sure of that.

He sighed quietly, and buried his nose into the warm silk of Auron's hair. He didn't want to think about anything, right now. The future was far away, even if it was only a tomorrow .

"I love you," he whispered to both of them, before closing his eyes and surrendering to sleep.

fin