Chapter Eight: Reunited

Seymel awoke to a shifting next to her. Her eyes snapped open to reveal Luzzu sitting next to her with another cup of the broth. She'd been quite bothered to notice he'd been watching her – she had a horrible feeling for some time.

"Drink up," he said stifling a yawn and handed her the cup as she managed to sit up.

"Thanks," she coldly replied and drank it down as quickly as she could manage in the hope of getting rid of him as fast as possible. She was rewarded by choking unbecomingly until Luzzu gave her a slap on her back.

"Thanks again, Luzzu. What time is it?" her cold attitude evaporated – it wasn't nice to be mean when he just helped her again.

Luzzu glanced at the clock he was obscuring.

"About five thirty," he languidly replied and she drank down the last of the soup. After the first batch and a rest she did feel a bit stronger. Maybe that slap she thought about earlier wouldn't be so feeble, but looking at Luzzu's unemotional behaviour today perhaps it wouldn't be needed.

"I'm sure Baralai will arrive today," Luzzu said with a slightly bitter edge.

'Oh,' Seymel's brain pieced it together, 'Baralai was the source of this impassiveness.'

She handed him the cup and put on a bright smile.

"I hope so – he better have a good excuse if he doesn't," she chirped and Luzzu gave an indifferent shrug and left with a wave.

Seymel settled back to sleep, but the hot soup in her stomach kept her awake – warm and sleepy, but nonetheless alert. She played at closing one eye, then the other to make it appear to her as if items moved.

"Next to the clock, if front of the clock. Next to the clock, in front of the clock," she muttered as she alternated eyes. This worked in tiring her eyelids out and she began to slip into a calm rest until she heard banging noises and muffled voices.

"Where is she?" she heard and her heart leapt. Was that who she thought it was?!

"Baralai, right?" she heard Luzzu say dryly. She would bet a million Gil his eyes were narrowed critically at Baralai.

"Yes, thank you for helping her, now where is she?" Baralai's voice grew more persistent. She could easily bet two million Gil that Baralai would have his arms ready to hit someone. He never hit anybody, but it always appeared like he might – his arms would tense and his hands would ball tightly.

"This way," Luzzu said dully and she heard footsteps approach her room. Seymel became excited – she was going to be reunited with 'Lai!

The door opened and Baralai rushed to her bed. Seymel saw Luzzu turned the light on and silently leave them alone.

"Seymel! Thank Yevon you're alright! I got the Chocobo with the letter and left right away!" he rushed thorough his tale and hugged her tightly.

Seymel felt overcome by his relief and cried into his shoulder. Baralai took her shoulders and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked with deep concern on his face and delicately wiped the tears with a thumb.

"I'm just so glad you're here!" Seymel gulped and pulled him into a tight hug. She wanted to be as close to him as she could.

"I was so scared when I read you'd been stabbed – stabbed!" Baralai began with disbelief, "I left another priest in charge while I'm gone. Who did this to you?!" he began to thunder and Seymel put a finger to his lips.

"I haven't got the energy to have a big discussion about anything," she said softly and Baralai melted, "I just want you to hold me while I sleep and I'll talk later when I feel better. Please, 'Lai?" she said this very calmly for someone Baralai distinctly remembered yelling her head off in Bevelle and getting thrown out for it. He nodded and Seymel fell back on her pillow and her eyes shut automatically. Baralai changed out of his impractical clothing, turned the light off and climbed in beside her, leant over to her face and brushed his lips over hers before tenderly wrapping his arms around her and holding her as she slept.

When Seymel woke up she heard voices and realised that Baralai was gone. She rolled over closed her eyes, just wishing she didn't have to deal with anything right now.

Just... rest... Sometimes Baralai's direct dealing with any problem to hand bothered her, she'd rather let it rest a while before looking at it. That was one trifling division between the two, but when it came to real disasters like this one had turned out to be, then Seymel really noticed how different they were. She didn't like to dwell on that too often, it made her feel uneasy about their relationship. She never liked to consider that at all, but sometimes her mind had other plans.

Seymel resisted her train of thoughts and focused on the similar conversation she had had with Baralai what seemed like an age ago.

When was that, over a month ago? Seymel felt the bandaged wound and noticed it hardly hurt at all, considering that she'd been brutally stabbed by a psycho apparently out to murder her. Anyway, her and Baralai had squared it once and for all – they were in it together, the end, no questions, nothing. Until the deciding day...the day when they come to a crossroads and one of them is going to have to sacrifice their path for the other, or...

'Or...?'

Or the end of all they have.

The door opened and Seymel jumped at the intrusion, wrapping the covers around her protectively. Baralai strolled in with a cup of the broth Seymel was beginning to detest – she was convinced it was made of some endangered animal.

'Like a pink Ochu?' the recesses of her mind suggested and she shook her head exasperatedly, before putting on a cheery smile.

"For me?" she said brightly and Baralai nodded and handed it over. Seymel couldn't help sneak a glance into the cup to see if there were any signs of a pink Ochu, but paranoia of such a silly thing was wasted – 'Pink Ochu was a band, for goodness sakes!' she scolded and began to drink with an irritable expression.

"Where's Luzzu?" she asked to distract herself from her stupid suspicion. Baralai's face clouded over with a frown.

"...I decided that I should take over looking after you, Luzzu's done more than enough for you – he needs to return to his job," Baralai explained unconvincingly.

Seymel gave a small giggle.

"You didn't like the way he looked at me, right?" she raised an eyebrow and Baralai rolled his eyes.

"Okay, perhaps I didn't like the devoted time he was spending with you – is that so wrong?" he sighed and Seymel shook her head gently.

"Of course not! Its sweet I get a boyfriend with such a concern for me. It's a shame it's over some guy and not my potentially mortal wound," she joked and Baralai tipped his head to the side with a pained look.

"You know perfectly well how I felt about the whole thing," he sat on the bed and looked intently in her eyes, "Are you ready to talk about this whole mess?"

Seymel's shoulders fell and she heaved in a breath.

"I suppose so," was all she could say as the events of not so long ago were resurfacing. She shivered and Baralai watched as a fleeting look fear crossed Seymel's face before it was smoothed over by barred teeth of a forced smile.

"You don't want to talk. I can see you don't. Look, you don't have to tell me right now, but I – I have to know what happened to you, so I hunt the bastard down and make him wish he was never born!" he let it get to him, the attack and now his anger was getting harder to conceal. Whoever did this...he'd make sure they'd never see the light of day again...