A.N: Rin and Auron are 35. This is a gay fanfiction.
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It was a normal day stuck on the airship, Rin let out a yawn as he eagerly waited for customers to stop by. To his surprise, he did attract someone and it was already the evening. It had been a long, quiet day.
One customer approached Rin, this person appeared to be wearing an eyepatch and they completely reeked of decay. Of course, the merchant didn't cover up his nose or anything - he would be called a horrible person if he did!
"Potion merchant?" they asked, "With better prices than O'aka XXIII, merchant extraordinaire?"
"Of course, I sell remedies for all kinds of bad things," he stated in particular.
"What sort of remedies?"
"I have remedies that cure petrification, poison, blindness, as well as remedies that bring you back to life again. There is some holy water as well for the bad skin problem that I keep smelling," shared Rin.
"The holy water. If it will help repair my form, I will take it. Some of the cures for blindness, too. I cannot lose my only eye," the customer mentioned.
"Mhm. The holy water cures most bad things."
Luckily, this customer soon left with a flask of holy water along with a few echo drops. Rin was just thankful that the awful smell of decay had now disappeared.
"Why does Cid allow all these weird people on the ship?" Rin asked himself. "Maybe I should go and see what he is up to currently."
Out of the blue, the nearby door automatically opened and out came two hooligans, followed by a mature man's voice. Rin perked up at this voice. It sounded deep, husky, and dry. It was also familiar to Rin. He knew who this was.
"You two carry on; I'll catch up soon enough," this voice told Tidus and Rikku.
Standing in the main lobby didn't phase Rin much, he only waited for customers to buy his goods. After watching Tidus and Rikku run down the hallway like a pair of idiots, however; Rin decided it was a good time to see Cid in the main room. But, what caught his attention was a certain legendary guardian.
"Ah, Sir Auron," he called out shortly after he walked through the slidey door. "Long time, no see! Where are you heading?"
Rin gave Auron a friendly smile.
"You don't look so pleased, Sir Auron. Do you think I could comfort you at all? Maybe you'd just like some company to help soothe those worries."
Hearing Rin's voice, Auron still leaned against the wall. He turned his head and glanced at the proud Al Bhed merchant just entering the room. He glanced at the shoulder length blonde hair, the chest open jacket, and the collar around Rin's neck. The sight caused Auron to snicker.
"The man that bothered about me that day - ten years ago - and you still bother about me today," mentioned Auron. "You still look the same."
"Hm?"
Turning and walking towards Rin, the dark-haired guardian pulled up a chair and sat down, beginning to pat a shoulder as he peered at Rin with his one eye.
"I could do with a small break - perhaps even a massage alongside a comforting chat," he added. "Especially from you, Rin. With all these youngsters around me all the time, I never get to spend time with anyone my own age."
"Ah, you'd like a shoulder massage? I suppose I could help with that," replied Rin with a chuckle.
Moving behind Auron, the blonde-haired male placed both his bare hands onto Auron's shoulders as he began to knead his hands into those stiff shoulder blades. He let out a satisfying "ah". His fingers rubbed into the crimson fabric of Auron's jacket.
"What's it like being a guardian all over again, Sir Auron?" Rin questioned, beaming from ear-to-ear. "I saw you ten years ago with High Summoner Braska and Sir Jecht, if I remember correctly. I also remember treating your wounds after that fatal blow Yunalesca gave you."
"I was much more handsome back then, now I'm just an old man," mentioned Auron with a weak laugh. "Thank you for always being here for me, Rin. You're very dear to me."
Having his shoulders kneaded, Auron closed his eyes and instinctually leaned backward into the chair.
"Thank you for your kind words, Sir Auron."
