A/N: Goodness knows where the sarcastic, playful Baralai came from, but it was entertaining to write.


~ One ~

Paine wandered towards her nightstand, to grab her brush and run it through thick, silver locks, when her ruddy eyes noticed the slightly open drawer of her dressing table. Must have forgotten to close it, she thought; she had been too tired lately for her brain to consider little tasks like that. Now, however, she was wide awake and focused. Her hand pulled the drawer open and she went through what was inside.

She found a hardback book of some kind, and studied the title. Photo Album. She flipped it open and flicked through the pages. Most of them were empty, but she suddenly came across four spread across a double page, and froze in her tracks. They were taken a couple of years ago, when she was in the Crimson Squad. There were two of her, Nooj, Gippal and Baralai, another of just the boys, and the last two she had secretly taken, but completely forgotten about.

It had been taken in Macalania Woods, when the group had been sent on a mission to take care of some fiends in the area. Baralai had wandered off on his own to admire the scenery. Curious, Paine had gone after him with her recorder, and had marvelled at what she saw. It was at that moment she had felt inspired to photograph him, seeing the beautiful image of the ethereal butterflies and almost glassy forest around him, and the light shimmering over his tanned skin and intricate Yevonite clothing, making his white hair glow like the moon above.

She had never shown or mentioned it to him. It was her little secret snapshot. Oh, Rikku and Yuna would have field day if they found out.

Paine blinked, and the memory faded from her mind. It was as if she had been pulled into that very moment. And all she was left with was longing, the sudden need to see Baralai again.

The phone at her nightstand rang, making her jump. She warily stared at it for a split second, then took a look at the caller ID. Unknown number. That was reassuring, she grumpily thought. With a resigned shrug, she took the plunge and answered the call.

"Yes?"

"It's Baralai…"

A shiver crawled down her spine. Talk of the Devil. She had to remember herself before she let the phone drop out of her hand. Yet, instead of revealing her apprehension to him upon hearing his voice, she responded with a piece of sarcasm. "You do know how early it is-?"

There was a pause. He's checking the clock on his wall, she guessed; she knew him too well. Several seconds later, there was a soft, low chuckle from his side, which only made her chest further tighten. Something about his voice…

"Sorry about that, Paine, I just…"

Just felt like hearing my voice? she wondered. I was thinking the same thing. "Okay, enough teasing. What's up?"

"I heard you were back, and I just wanted to know how you're doing. And…if you're not busy, we could…meet up."

Paine closed her eyes, and let those soothing words wash over her. Then she opened them again and found she was smiling. "Sure. Name the time and the place, and I'll be there."


Luca had always been a suntrap, and the white-haired male could feel the blazing heat on his face and back. To make things worse, there was barely any breeze, even at the docks, where he observed boats coming and going. He was glad to have swapped his Yevonite garb for a short-sleeved tunic and loose trousers.

He looked up and squinted at the clear, cobalt sky, distracting his mind from the throngs of people walking back and forth past him. It was Blitzball season again already. But that was not at the forefront of Baralai's mind. He awaited the arrival of his silver-haired friend, a woman he had barely spoken to for the past three months. After Vegnagun's destruction, he knew his role in politics and her need to explore the world had driven them even further apart, so it felt good to speak with her over the phone, then meet with her in the city today. It was only the second time they had met outside official business.

And then, suddenly, as if conjured by his thoughts, she was in the distance, clad in black and sauntering towards him. She gave a quick wave of acknowledgement, which he answered with the same gesture.

When Paine was directly before him, the million greetings he had planned in his head melted into nothingness, but were replaced by a beaming grin. At that, she felt another shiver tango down her spine. The contrast of his coffee-coloured skin and white hair, shimmering in the hot sunshine, did nothing but further distract her mind. She also noted that, regardless of attire and their friendship, he still stood in that slightly official, stiff manner – a throwback to his Yevonite upbringing. You can take the man out of Bevelle…

"You haven't changed," he said. She would have retorted with a sassy comeback, if she hadn't known he was lightly teasing, attempting to make her more comfortable. She blinked, wondering about her thoughts – did she seem uncomfortable in his presence? Had he noticed? He was highly observant.

Baralai wasn't quite sure what to do first, so he blurted his suggestion. "How about seeing the Blitzball tournament?"

"Playing or watching?" Paine immediately asked, a sliver of mischief lighting up her eyes. It made him sigh. The thought of embarrassing himself in her presence, whilst playing Blitzball, no less…she would never let him live it down. He'd already proven how incapable he was at swimming during a Crimson Squad mission. Of course, having an Al Bhed push him into the water in the first place hadn't helped. Still, Baralai had vowed since that day to keep as far away from aquatic activities as possible.

"Watching," he said, a little firmer than intended, his cheeks a tad red.

Her brow raised. "Not good enough?"

He peered down at his attire, then back up at her, and chuckled. "Not dressed for it." He wasn't sure how to react to her glancing up and down his clothing; her nonchalant expression didn't tell him if she approved.

After eyeing him for a minute, she responded with, "If you say so…", then began sauntering along the dock, towards the Stadium. After a shrug, he followed.


The spectators were going wild in the stands, watching the players lining up. Much like the crowd, some players stood, others waved, and a few were telling jokes to one another. The atmosphere in the arena was playful and reminded Paine of just how far away from that sense of nostalgic calm she had been. She hadn't felt this way since…

Now's not the time. Her ruddy eyes returned their focus on the game.

Little did she know that her friend had similar difficulties. There were so many things he wanted to ask her – too many – but he just couldn't find the right way to start his inquisition. Nevertheless, he had to start somewhere.

"Paine…"

She shivered ever so slightly at his soft tenor. Her head turned and she stared straight into those chocolate brown orbs. Damn…

In a slightly warmer, friendlier voice, the white-haired male came straight out with the question plaguing his mind. "What have you been up to for these past couple of months?"

She remained silent, until she found the correct response. "Travelling…seeing the sights…"

Was it to get away from your friends – from me? he thought, but decided against voicing such a thing. Then, as she continued, her next words had his heart pounding.

"Thinking…"

"About-?" he prompted, dying to know the answer. A flash of worry and the raising of walls around her heart gave her away, but he chose to not point it out. Instead, he gave another warm smile, silently telling her that she didn't have to answer that right away.

Talking was a bad idea, he told himself, and returned his gaze to the game. Paine let out an inaudible sigh and also went back to watching the game, probably thinking the same thing.


Once the game was over, both casually strolled to the upper walkways, admiring the scenery – old and new. Rebuilding had been continuous, since the permanent defeat of Sin; more recently, a new floating platform had been constructed and opened, which offered a number of stalls. One stall in particular had a sweet stall that Paine was partial to – not that she would ever admit this, even to Yuna or Rikku. The silver-haired warrior subtly nudged Baralai towards it, under the pretence of investigating the area, but he knew all too well that she had a sweet tooth.

He recalled a particular night at their camp during their Crimson Squad days, where the group had gone through their rations to work out how long they could survive on their current mission. The recorder had shown her food, which included a little collection of sweets she had tucked away. Feeling guilty about keeping them to herself, she had offered her comrades equal shares. They sat in the glow of the campfire and enjoyed the night sky.

Then…everything had changed. Even without the threat of Sin, things had become dire for the quartet. The flight from the Den of Woe particularly stuck in his memory.

The light in Baralai's brown optics had noticeably dimmed. She attempted to distract him, by discussing the variety of food on the stalls, but her efforts were in vain. Then, out of the silence, came a single sentence that turned her blood to ice.

"The hymn that brought Sin to Luca…I listened to it," he said, almost at a whisper. "It made me think about the last time we were together."

Paine turned her head and gazed directly into his eyes. Although unwilling to discuss the subject, she was shaken by his admission. "I didn't know that."

As soon as he began talking, it seemed he couldn't stop. "I've…missed you." That's an understatement. "I'd forgotten how nice it was to just…hang around, like we used to."

We can't go back to that. Too much has changed between us. Instead of wording it, however, she settled on a nod of agreement. Then she looked up at him. "Wait right here."

He appeared confused, but allowed her to disappear around the corner. When she returned five minutes later, a bag, completely stuffed with confectionery, was in her hand. Out of it, she pulled an apple-flavoured lollipop (his favourite), and held it up to him. He opened his mouth, fighting a grin, and allowed her to unwrap and insert the sweet.

She gave him an affectionate elbow. "Come on; let's continue wandering around the city. There are plenty of other attractions to see."

"Okay," he finally replied, after removing the lollipop from his mouth.


The sun had dipped below the horizon, and a majority of people had left Luca, either to return to their boats and head home, or stay in inns within the city for the night. Whatever the case, it left the streets mostly devoid of life.

After wandering around the city to see practically every other attraction, Paine had suggested she and Baralai head to a quaint bar nearby and have a few drinks. She had noticed he had cheered up since exploring the rest of the city, his memories put to one side.

The pair had chosen an out of the way table to sit at, with low, violet and aqua lighting. They were currently on their third round of drinks, enjoying a little chat here and there about what they had seen earlier in Luca.

The white-haired male knew that Paine could be tighter than a clamshell when discussing herself, so he chose something relatively impersonal. "How are your friends?"

"Rikku's constantly over at Djose Temple, helping those maniac Al Bhed create an even stronger experiment." The eighteen year old shook her head in exasperation. "Like they need the encouragement. Yuna's over the moon, planning her wedding with Tidus. The invitations have been sent out already."

"So, they're keeping you up-to-date on everything?"

"That's an understatement."

They shared a laugh.

He then changed the subject. "How is your sphere hunting going?"

"Slowly. I go off, now and again…" she said carefully, forcing herself to be less lightweight when it came to alcohol…with only a little success. "I thought it was about time I returned to civilisation." She cocked her head to one side and studied his brown eyes. "How is being part of the coalition?"

The white-haired male shrugged. "It's always paperwork and listening to people's problems – most I can't solve. Nooj and Gippal make things easier for me, but…" He trailed off. "It's nice to get away for a while, like today. I'm sure you understand." He paused, unsure about having added that last part. Maybe drinking hadn't been such a good way to loosen her lips; it was working on him, too.

"Sure," she finally said. "I understand."

Silence fell between them, and they casually continued sipping at their drinks. She then took a last swig from her glass, placing the empty onto the table. He followed suit and grinned at her.

"Another?" he offered, and received a nod in reply. He rose from his seat, manoeuvring towards the bar to order more drinks, whilst she stared at his back. The alcohol swimming through her body intensified her focus, and she found herself unable to look away from his behind, a strange feeling flooding her chest and mind.

As soon as Baralai turned her way, she looked down and studied the table top. He made a quick return, passing her a glass and settling back opposite her. A smile crossed his lips, although Paine wasn't sure whether he had caught her line of sight or was genuinely amused by their ethanol-fuelled evening so far. Whatever it was, he didn't mention it, so she was left to simply wonder.


Drinking far into the night and chuckling about old times, the pair had gone far beyond their alcohol limits. The barmaid found them fairly amusing to observe, even if some of the other inhabitants of the bar were growing irritated by their laughter. A couple of young adults having some fun made a change from retired seamen with tall tales, the barmaid thought.

Baralai nudged the empty glass before him. "Okay, I think I've had enough tonight…"

"More than enough," Paine piped in.

"Speak for yourself." He picked himself up from the table and stood a little unsteadily, then looked back down at his silver-haired friend. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting down," she retorted. He let out a sigh, which only broadened her smirk into a gleaming smile. Beautiful, too, he thought to himself…then considered where his train of thought headed. I've drunk more than I thought.

"I should head home," she remarked, struggling to focus on each word leaving her mouth, and rose to stand alongside the tanned Praetor. It appeared she found walking difficult, so he took her arm and decided to assist, although his actions left her perplexed.

"I'm going to walk you," he said simply, at her questioning gaze.

"Sure," she replied.

The duo sauntered out of the tavern and took several deep breaths, taking in the fresh sea air. Four optics stared upwards at the sky. The stars were so bright tonight, beautiful and enigmatic, performing a delicate ballet between argent clouds. The moon sat comfortably on its seat within the firmament and spilt gentle light over the area.

He blinked, breaking the spell, and turned to the distracted warrior resting against him for support. He swallowed, enjoying her closeness a little too much, but it felt a little painful, too. This was probably as close as they would ever get.

Paine clearly had enough of her view, so they journeyed onward. Abruptly, however, she stopped, then pulled away from Baralai. She began patting down her attire, her expression utterly perplexed.

"What is it?" he enquired.

"I can't find them," she muttered.

"Them?"

"Keys. My…keys. To my room. I think I lost them."

The New Yevonite gave several sarcastic claps.

"That's not helping, 'Lai."

A thought suddenly occurred to him, penetrating his drunken state of mind. "Wait…you don't even live nearby. Where are you going to stay?" Did you even think this through?

"Um…" She honestly had no idea.

"You can have my room," he offered. A suspicious squint crossed her features, so he quickly elaborated. "No! Not like that! I'll find somewhere else to sleep."

The next question from Paine should have been "where?", but her mind wasn't clear right now. Instead, she said, "Well…if you're offering…okay."


Thankfully, it wasn't a long, arduous journey to the inn.

Almost as soon as the pair entered the Praetor's room, Paine's could no longer hold in the queasy sensation in her stomach, and clumsily darted straight towards the en suite bathroom. The sounds within made him a tad anxious, so he headed over to grab a tumbler, and filled it with water. Then he followed her.

Inside, he found her kneeling at the side of the lavatory, her head hanging over. Gippal had been right; she couldn't handle drink well.

"That's not more nog, is it?" the teen groaned, bringing her head up too quickly and leaving her somewhat dizzy. He crouched beside her, handing over the beverage.

"It's just water," he said, in a reassuring tone. Satisfied with his answer, she swallowed the liquid straight down, in two large gulps, and placed the glass on the floor. Her countenance grimaced at the muddy feeling gripping her mind. A hand stroking across the top of her head soothed it slightly.

"I'm never going to drink again."

"Whatever you say."

"No, I really mean it this time, Baralai."

He only chuckled lightly. Give Paine a few drinks and she loses her cynical shell.

Now growing sleepier, she slumped a tad to the right. The white-haired male wrapped an arm around her back to keep her upright. His forefinger passed along her jaw line, and, as she stared blankly into his eyes, he leant a little closer. Lips promptly met, then gently interlocked. Arms brought them closer together. Subconsciously, her mouth opened at the sensation, allowing him to deepen the kiss and increase its passion.

Three years, and he had finally managed to pluck up the courage to do this…even if it wasn't the perfect setting he imagined. Just to hold her in his arms, to make her feel secure, tightened his chest. Blood rushed upwards, dizzying his head.

This is a dream. I'll wake up in second.

He wanted more, but knew it wouldn't have been fair to either of them by going any further, and, after what felt like only a second, he unwillingly pulled away, gazing at the bewildered girl. Her mouth shaped his name, but it took a few tries for any sound to emerge.

"Baralai?"

"Yes?"

"Why-?" Paine collapsed against his front, finally drained of energy, unable to complete the query. His heart throbbed, wishing there had been time to respond.

"Because I love you." His whispered admittance had only the company of the surrounding dimness. Scooping up the teen and cradling her in his arms, he carried her to the double bed and gently laid her upon it. He removed any sharp objects that might dig into her body, then pulled off her boots and set them down onto the floor. Her body was covered with soft blankets.

The twenty year old passed another digit across her forehead, then whispered into her ear, "You probably won't remember this, come tomorrow…but I can always hope…" Planting a kiss on her cheek, he then left her to slumber and advanced towards the door. With one last turn of the head to watch the slumbering female, he added three comforting words.

"Sweet dreams, Paine."