Speculum

Chapter 7

Seymour sat in the room alone in the Travel Agency. After traveling through the day, Auron demanded that they stop and rest for the night at an Al Bhed shop, to which Wakka reluctantly agreed. Not because he wanted to, but because Auron didn’t give him a chance.

Seymour didn’t know what to do. He wanted to talk to Auron, to see him, thinking that it was precisely that which made Auron turn in for the night. But it had been ten years. Ten years since either of them had even seen each other.

Seymour knew. Seymour knew everything that he’d been through. He died and remained unsent and he’s been in Zanarkand the past ten years. Ten years. The half-guado kept repeating it over and over, trying to find the words to say. What could he say? What could he do?

Up until nightfall, Seymour spent that time debating with himself on what to do. Luckily, he was alone, as Sion wanted to stay with Tidus for the obvious reason. It wasn’t until after everyone was fast asleep did Seymour emerge from his room.

Softly, he padded his way down the hall to Auron’s room. Without knocking, he entered quietly and peeked in. Auron was sleeping, shirtless, in the bed, the sheets wrapped tightly around his waist as the moonlight poured in from the open window, shining down on his body. Without waking him, Seymour stepped into the room and crawled in the other side of the bed next to him. The sheets were cool from the light breeze that whipped in and out of the room without being seen and hardly being heard. The creatures of the night echoed in the distance. Auron stirred, but did not wake as Seymour’s hand caressed his cheek. The younger man simply watched Auron as he slept, caressing his cheek, tears brimming his pale, icy eyes. He laid there for quite some time before Auron’s eye opened to a view he hadn’t seen in too many years.

“Hey,” Auron smiled calmly, whispering.

Seymour smiled and tears fell down onto the pillow beneath him, “Hey.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Auron asked, reaching a hand up to grab onto Seymour’s.

“I wanted to let you sleep.” Seymour sighed as Auron’s hand traveled across the bed to pull him close into an embrace.

“Seymour,” Auron sighed, kissing the top of his head, “I am so sorry I never came to you.”

“Hush, Auron, please… I’m just glad you’re here with me now.” The blue-haired man’s voice whispered as he kissed Auron’s neck. “I have to tell you… Sion knows. Sion knows everything. I couldn’t bear to feed him lies.”

Auron kept his face pressed against Seymour’s, sighing.

“I’m sorry, Auron. I should have told you that there was no final aeon, if I did, maybe Braska would still be alive and-”

“Seymour, no… don’t start that. It’s done. I don’t know why we were asked to live without each other for so long, but the wait is over. I’m not leaving you again. Ever. This is a promise I will keep to you.” Auron tilted Seymour’s head up and kissed him on the mouth.

Seymour let out a soft whimper, wrapping his arms around Auron tightly and kissed him back; they held onto each other, giving tender kisses and soft caresses. Auron eventually reached down to Seymour’s waist and began to undress him, hesitating to look at Seymour and confirm. Seymour simply smiled and ran his long fingers down Auron’s cheek, neck and chest until he felt the waistband of his pants against his fingertips. Smiling, Auron leaned down and kissed Seymour deeply, pulling away only to finish undressing his lover. Seymour smiled, aching for his touch and his body. He undressed Auron gently, but quickly.

They kissed more, becoming more involved with their movements and their sense rather than sight or sound. Slowly, Auron and Seymour became one again, for the first time in a decade, they felt each other as close as they could. Auron breathed in Seymour’s sweet scent, feeling alive again as he made love to the man he belonged to. The guado caressed the rugged guardian’s rough cheeks, nuzzling his face and burying his nose in Auron’s spice-scented hair. Auron opened his eye and gazed at Seymour longingly as he continued to make love until they both erupted with euphoria and it ended.

The dark-haired man remained within Seymour for a time, kissing his face and neck. Seymour pulled Auron’s head up and gazed at him, bringing a clawed hand up, he caressed Auron’s face, gently running his thumb over the scar. Auron’s eye closed and his head tilted down a bit, while Seymour lifted his head and placed featherlike kisses down the scar.

“I love you, Auron.” Seymour whispered, “I’ll never stop loving you.”

“Seymour, you know I love you, not death or decay will ever stop that.”

“You’re still beautiful…” Seymour looked longingly at Auron’s face.

The older guardian smiled and let his lips fall to Seymour’s in a soft embrace.

TheyThey lay there for hours, whispering softly to each other and laying in each other’s arms. They didn’t sleep, but woke before sunrise and walked outside to watch the bright light pour over the horizon like a deluge of whites, blues and violets.

Sitting in the dew-covered grass, they occasionally kissed and nuzzled under the warm light of a new dawn.