Manly Request Week: Lessons (FFX, for Cendri)

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

Title: Lessons
Fandom: FFX
Characters/Pairings included: Auron, Wakka
Rating: PG
Warnings: n/a
Summary: Wakka’s a little jealous, but Auron has nothing to teach him.

For venefica_aura. Written for Manly Request Week.

---

“I just don’t see the point, ya?”

Auron shifts, looking slightly away. In the distance there is the sound of laughter: a bright giggle and a more subtle chuckling purr.

“It’s a magic lesson, Wakka. That’s the point.”

Wakka huffs. “We’ve already seen her – Rikku’s not that good at magic, ya? But with better training, she could be a – a really fast fighter, like Tidus.” He doesn’t really understand why Lulu has become so obsessed with teaching the young Al Bhed girl to cast.

“Lulu has chosen to teach her magic,” Auron says curtly.

“But why her?”

Auron shrugs briefly, still distant. “A back-up mage,” he says.

“But Yuna’s our backup mage,” Wakka protests. “She’s a much better caster than Rikku. And Yunie can’t fight! Rikku should be training on something else, ya?”

Auron simply shrugs again.

Wakka’s head hangs slightly. “It’s always her,” he says softly, defeated. Every spare chance they get – every meal, every break – Lulu pulls Rikku away to work on her abysmal casting abilities. “It’s like – it don’t matter anymore, ya? We should be a team, right?”

Auron’s face looks slightly pained. “Wakka, why don’t you go -”

But Wakka really, really wants to spill his guts, and Auron’s just gonna have to listen, ya? He can’t talk to anyone else, except maybe Kihmari, and the Ronso wouldn’t say anything back. “Lulu was always my buddy, ya? Even if it didn’t look like it. And now, she’s always off avoiding me.”

“You want Lulu to teach you magic?”

Wakka shrugs sulkily. “She didn’t even try, y’know? My skills are at least partly magic. Rikku’s are … she’s got nothin’, ya?”

Auron rubs his forehead as if he’s in pain. “Wakka, why don’t you -”

“It’s not that I really want to know black magic,” Wakka continues blindly, “but I’d like it if the rest of us from Besaid actually mattered, y’know?”

“Wakka.” Auron’s voice is an order. “Are you going to talk to her, or are you going to stand here and whine to me all day about it?”

“Oh.” He rubs the back of his neck with his hand, embarrassed and thinking. “What should I say?”

Auron actually looks distinctly uncomfortable for a full moment before he collects himself. “What you just said to me.”

“I can’t say that!” Wakka shakes his head firmly. “She’ll kill me!”

“Then think of another way.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” Auron says with a growl. “Tell her you’d like to spend more time with her.”

“Do you realize how – what that sounds like?” Wakka barks, half furious and half embarrassed. “That’d be – improper, ya, and it’s not what I mean.”

“Find a way to say what you do mean,” Auron says, looking distinctly like he’s biting his tongue.

“Don’t know how.”

“If you could tell me,” Auron replies sarcastically, “you’ll find a way.”

“Tell me how,” Wakka whines. “You’re the legendary guardian, ya? Don’t you know what to do?”

Auron bursts out laughing, his chuckle dark and full. “I deal with fiends, not people,” he says with finality, hefting his sword on his shoulder.

Wakka watches him leave, wondering what was so funny and whether he’d learned anything at all.

"I could learn magic too," he grumbles.