Note: I am so very sorry for the delay. Graduation, then several days of parties. Then writer's block and now, with my new laptop, I'm on a roll again. So hopefully I'll be back on track. And the story will get a little...shall we say, hotter. ;)

Chapter 8- Caught

Dawn had barely broken over the horizon when I was awaken by someone pushing and pulling on my shoulders. I moaned and groaned, waving away the hands and turning over. Whoever was waking me up this early was gong to get it...only after I have woken up fully of course.

"Yuna."

I know that voice. It's so sweet and soft, ringing gently in my ear. "Paine?" I groaned out, turning back over to look at her. My eyes went in and out of focus ass I adjusted to the light outside. Around me I could see four other beds littered around the floor, all of them empty and made.

"Yuna, it's time to go," Paine started to say, dragging the covers off of me. I protested much louder this time, grabbing the sheets again. "Yuna! The Celsius is coming soon. We've gotta get packing!"

"Oh...but...one more minute...please..." I pleaded, trying to get one extra moment in my nice, warm bed. I closed my eyes, trying very, very hard to ignore this amazing women standing above me.

"Yuna, now, if you get out of bed," she started, her voice getting very playful and extremely sexy as I laid there, "I'll certainly reward you later."

As her voice trailed off and suddenly I had opened my eyes, fully alert and very aware of what exactly I could receive for a reward. If it was anything like last night, I would have gotten up much, much sooner than this. I pushed the covers and blankets away from me, seeing them fly away in this large arch over my bed caught Paine' eye but she continued to watch me, a seductive smile creasing her lips. I sat up in bed, my pajamas showing, and I smiled up at her.

"What kind of reward might I get now?" I asked, the same voice she had used on me was emanating from my mouth as if it was nature. I would have been surprised at my nature and demeanor if it had not been for the emotions running through me like hot water, scolding me everywhere it went, yet leaving a wonderful feeling once it had gone. I didn't care at all right now about how I might appear; all I cared about was getting my reward. "I am up now so you could give it to me as we speak..."

A small chuckle, then a shake of the head. "Uh oh," she said, touching me lips with a single finger, "my little girl has to wait just a minute longer. We'll get on the ship first before I kiss you."

With a wink, she turned to go, leaving me wide-eyed and wide-mouthed.

"Wait!" I called after her, standing up and running to meet her. She stopped just a few feet from the flap of the tent. "I, um...I want to ask you something."

Suddenly, the playful nature of my voice and spirit had left me, and now I felt nervous, timid. This was something serious; this was about us.

"About...ah..." I started, trying to find the right words but all I could say was the "uhs" and "ahs" one would make in exactly my position. Please take pity on me. "About...um...ah...last night...um....was....um..."

Thankfully, she stopped me from embarrassing myself even further. "It's as real as you want it to be."

Her voice, so plain and yet so true, rang through me like beautiful music, calming my nerves and soothing me all over. It was all real as I wanted it to be, and, trust me, I wanted it o be realer than real. ...Does that make any sense at all? Sigh, the things that love will do to you.

"Oh, well," I started, my voice becoming more normal with each word that came out of my mouth, "I want it to be real. As real as one can make it." Oh crap, I had to go and say something like that, showing the stupidity of my brain! Stupid, stupid Yuna!

Far from laughing at me, far from scolding me for my lack of intelligence, Paine smiled. With that, she left the tent. And I was still standing there like a complete idiot.

So maybe what had happened last night wasn't all a dream. Well, that was a relief, I though as I started to find my clothes scattered around the floor. All of last night as I laid there on my cot, trying to find sleep, I had tried to realize what exactly had happened between Paine and I. I mean...we kissed, that's for sure. And, yes, I suppose we did make out just a little bit, but does it really mean something? I mean, I truly want all of that to have meant something. I don't just want to kiss her, having felt like I've done what I've always wanted to do, and just leave her. Nor do I want her to do that to me. I'm just worried that she doesn't think of this the same way as I think of it. I want this to be something real, something true, something that will stick around for a long time to come. I don't want it just to be a one-night stand sort-of thing.

I guess I'll just have to talk to her, I thought to myself as I pulled on old outfit, and began to braid my hair a little more. The little lock of long hair I kept in the back of my head always got in the way and was starting to become a major pain, having to be braided almost everyday, falling out every time I take a shower, and almost being destroyed by every fiend I ever encounter. Although most of the times I come into contact with a fiend I hope and pray that'll hit my long portion of hair. But don't tell anyone I think that.

Oh well, time to get going. I looked myself over, smoothing out the wrinkles as best as I could, grabbing my old stuff from the bed, and walked out of the tent. Paine and Rikku were waiting for me with Brother and Buddy, talking with Wakka about what had actually happened yesterday. The ting about the cave still worried me, sure it did, but I was more concerned about other things, mostly about the beautiful woman standing next to Wakka and Rikku, her mouth closed and her ears tuned to the talk of others.

I looked at her frame, the sun playing its little rays across her, dazzling me until I felt dizzy. Her face looked even more beautiful than ever before, the early morning's light casting different shadows at each different hill and value upon her face, making her eyes glow an almost scary red, yet still I was fascinated, glued into place as I watched her listen to the others complain about something so stupid, something so useless than I wished I could just take her away and make her ears be used for something much more useful...

They caught me looking at her though, just as I was about to think about her lips. Wakka called over to me to join them in their conversation before the airship arrives. Slowly, I walked over to them, taking a spot next to Wakka and facing Paine. I'm not sure if I actually planned all of this but now I could see her in a better detail than ever, and this was surely my time to take all of her beauty in. Or so I had hoped. The villagers had just started to wake up because of the noise from the incoming Celsius and the morning rays of sunshine, they flocked over to me once again, bombarding me with questions I had already answered.

Oh how simple people can be sometimes! I kept my calm though, answering all of theirs questions with a polite air about me, and I almost thought I saw Paine smile out of the corner of my eye.

After a few minutes of talk Buddy had announced the Celsius's arrival and that boarding of the ship would happen at this very moment. I was so relieved at being able to finally board the airship that I was the first to get on, to the dismay of the villagers who were still throwing me question after question.

Finally, having found the safety of the airship, I made my way to the cabin, hoping that Paine would find me there.

Always she is on my mind. Never before has someone plagued my thoughts and stirred up feelings inside me that I never thought I was capable of. It was all so amazing really, and I never wanted it to stop. I never wanted these feelings to go away. Although I doubt that they will ever go away, I told myself, climbing up the stairs to get to my mind, they grew stronger every time you see her. Soon I might burst from all of these crazy emotions and thoughts I have within me!

I crashed onto my bed, jumping up into the air and landing safely upon the comforter I had spread out across my bed. Oh, how soft it felt! It felt so good to be make in my bed, closing my eyes and letting myself drift away. I was still so tired and everything was going on around me way to fast. Things were almost out of control yet I know, somehow, that it was far from being at that point. Never, eve, had anything ever made me feel like this before.

"You aren't going back to bed on me, are you?"

I turned on my back, my eyes open, to look straight at Paine, towering over my bed like a giant.

"Oh, no!" I said, trying not to smile. "I was just resting my eyes! They need some resting."

She didn't look convinced.

"Anyway," I started, suddenly finding a great interest in my fingernails, "I still want to get my reward for getting up..."

I continued to stare at my fingers, trying to pick some of the dirt out, when my head was suddenly lifted upwards. Paine's hands had grabbed my face, pulling me forward until my lips were mere inches away from her own. I sucked in a large mouthful of air, surprised at the sudden movements that she was making. My stomach, in knots, didn't help my airways either.

"Oh," she breathed out, her words tickling my chin and mouth, "you'll get your reward."

And with that, she kissed me full on the lips, tongue already seeking entrance. I opened up, moaning at the sudden contact, and meet her tongue with a passion I had never experienced before. Dancing and twirling they went, going in and out of each other's mouth, and never did we stop for air. Air is trivial in such a game as this, not needed while the contact that we're making is vital.

She pushed me onto the bed, forcing me down into the mattress. Laying on top of me, the contact of her whole body sent shivers up and down my back, arousing me like never before. I felt so warm inside yet this fire that came up from inside of my stomach was rising harder and faster, making me cry out with wanting. Her whole body pressed into me, her right leg pushing in between my legs, making rubbing against areas never usually touched. Oh the pleasure that ran through me then was so unbelievable!

Her kisses continued, each one growing more passionate and deeper than the last. Her hands started to move from my face, moving downward, touching my chest. My hands too were moving down, clutching onto her back and pushing her against me. We were so close yet...not close enough.

Before I knew it, her lips had left mine. I whimpered at the sudden lose of that sweet and beautiful contact, but was pleasured once I felt her lips again. This time she started to kiss my neck, licking, biting, and sucking all along my throat, moving ever downward onto my collarbone, pushing back the pink material that was in her way.

I couldn't control myself any longer and I gave myself into the feelings I felt, the emotions that were running rapid through me. I pushed my hips up, trying to get her leg move into me, touching me harder. My hands were finding their way underneath her clothes, ripping and pulling until I found her skin. I moved up and down her back, pushing on the skin so hard that I thought it might be red. She groaned to, kissing me harder and faster.

Oh things were going so well. Her hands finally reaching my breasts, were she kneaded them, rolling them inside of her hands.

"Paine..." I moaned out, finally finding my voice. Oh what a reward this was! I'll wake up everyday for this!

But before things went any further, before clothes were shed and things got heated, I heard footsteps behind me. Then, feeling my heart stop within my chest, I heard a gasp. And this gasp wasn't from Paine.

My hands stopped, her hands and lips stopped, both of us frozen in time as we laid there, in a very interesting position.

I looked around Paine, scared of who it was behind her.

Rikku stood there, mouth wide open, hands at her side.

Shit.