A/N - Uhm... this one I was writing at the same time as my other Nooj/Paine story -- for submission to a contest. It's just pillowtalk :)
Pillowtalk
"I remember when the Calm Lands weren't so calm," Paine sat up clasping a sheet to her bare chest. "I suppose it's a good thing it is now," she grinned back to her partner who was stretched out on the ground propping his head up with his good arm.
"Especially in such a vulnerable position," Nooj replied softly.
"The stars are just so bright out here. The sky seems so huge." Paine followed the brightly lit designs with her deep red eyes, appreciating even the slightest twinkle.
"I don't think I've ever heard you reflect on nature's beauty like that before," Nooj smirked slightly.
"I normally don't," she replied matter-of-factly. "I guess you don't realize what you have until you almost lose it."
"The stars?" Nooj asked probing.
"The stars, the green grass, friends…" she gazed back at him. "Even that stupid wild strand of hair."
"What this?" Nooj motioned towards his hair, mostly in long braids, with one extra strand that refused to be tamed.
"Yeah, what is that?" She picked up the strand feeling the fibers between her fingertips.
"I really haven't thought about it much," Nooj shrugged. He slid his fingers lightly up her pale arm.
She laid herself on top of his chest peering into his eyes, "how are you doing, Nooj."
"I guess I'm doing okay," he teased. "It's been a rough day."
"Oh really?" Paine cocked her head to the side pouting playfully. "That's too bad. Perhaps you need to find yourself a good woman."
Nooj chuckled lightly, "Not any good woman would want me."
Paine rolled her eyes. "What about LaBlanc?" Paine asked with half a smile.
"Ah… LaBlanc," Nooj replied.
"She seemed to have it pretty bad for you," Paine suggested.
"Not sure if it was me, or the power. We used each other to get what we wanted. I, or shall I say, Shuyin, wanted to know the location of the Vegnagun, and she had good sphere hunting resources. Our time together was…" Nooj paused, "well convenient."
"Convenient? Is that what you kids are calling it nowadays?"
Nooj picked up Paine's hand, "not exactly a relationship that would withstand a thousand years. Besides, she has her syndicate group. I'm involved with… well plenty of things." He intertwined his fingers with hers, kissing her hand softly.
"Gippal really did a good job with that, didn't he?" Paine lightly touched Nooj's hand changing the subject.
Noticing the subject change, but not really wanting to change the mood, Nooj raised an eyebrow, "yeah, he said it was a new synthetic material, bends a lot easier." He demonstrated. "Still awkward, it's been a while since I've lost them… and I still can't get used to the…" he fumbled for the word, "fake ones."
Paine watched him as he made several gestures with his machina arm. He lost his left arm and leg in a Sin attack about two years back.
"It's weird, it feels like they are real, yet I cannot feel." He coiled each metallic finger into a fist.
Paine touched each of the fingers, "I know how dangerous you are now, I can't imagine what you were like when all your limbs where what you were born with."
Nooj responded with a slight chuckle. "Yeah, part of my frustration is my inability to meet that physical ability again."
"Nooj, you have new responsibilities now, you are growing older, even if Sin had not attacked, you would still be different. I never knew you before, I'm kind of happy with the way you are now," Paine reassured him, snuggling next to him.
"I guess we all have events in life that define us. Paine, what were you like before…" Nooj's voice trailed off. "I guess before you met up with the odd and unruly squad of crimson squad candidates."
Paine stretched her arms above her head arching her back and let out a sign, "Life before being a recorder? Probably just as interesting as it was being a recorder, until I met you guys," she sat up, turned her body around, leaning against her hand propped upon Nooj's muscular stomach. "Baralai was so kind and Gippal was just funny. You were," she thought briefly, "different."
Nooj placed his hands behind his head and looked at Paine's red eyes, "I guess that was a nice way to put it."
"You made me feel a part of the group. I really cared for each and every one of you. I think that's the closest I've ever had to having a family," she reflected fondly.
"By the way, I forgive you for saving my life," Nooj stroked Paine's cheek gently.
Paine rolled her eyes, "Oh, thank you so very much," she replied caustically. "You would've done it wouldn't you?"
"What, kill myself? Not with bullets, but the fiend seemed like the best way to not go out like a coward."
"Soo…"
"Oh, so you want to know what was going through my fool head at the time?" Nooj suggested.
"Yes, I do," she sighed.
Nooj played with a strand of her hair, "I wasn't the man I was used to being. I was angry and depressed. I couldn't run like I used to, and even my walk was weak. I felt I had reached my peek in ability and it was nowhere near what I was used to. Nooj the undying was what they had called me, and yet, I had died inside. Crusader Nooj was dead. I had nothing more to hold on to."
Paine nodded her head in understanding.
"That was what Shuyin took advantage of, my anger and rage at myself, the fact that I was so absorbed in what I couldn't do. He resided inside me for two years. He took over when it was convenient for him, and the other times just convincing me of what decisions I needed to make." He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, placing his hand gently against the side of Paine's cheek. "Please forgive me."
"For?" She held his hand against her cheek.
"Shooting you, hurting you in any way…" water welled up in his eyes.
"I know that wasn't you."
"Yet, if I had been a better man…"
Paine reached out and placed her hand on his lips, "don't talk like that. You learned, you grew, you moved on. I'm here now because I deeply care about you. Yes, you had the spirit of a meglomaniac who wanted to destroy the world, and perhaps you could've controlled the circumstances that caused him to enter you… even so… if it weren't you, it would be someone else."
"Yeah, well, I've always been taught to take care of my responsibilities, to right wrongs, even if I was possessed by a man who lost his love and had a growing vengeance for a thousand years. Man, that's a long time."
Paine thought for a moment, "yes, it was sad that even in death they were separated. Not that I'm forgetting the whole he almost killed all my friends and destroyed the world thing. But Yuna had said that she had felt that his lover, Lenne never got to tell him how she truly felt. She never told him that she loved him."
"May have been a long time to wait, but at least now they know. Some never get the chance. I wonder how many Crusaders went off to fight Sin without telling their loved ones at home how they feel naively thinking they'd be back," he thought wistfully.
"Did you leave a lady back home?" Paine asked.
Nooj chuckled, "and what if I did?"
"I'm just curious," Paine shrugged.
"No, I didn't have a lady back home. I was too focused on fighting perfection. Don't get me wrong, I got attention, and the occasional time spent with one or two of them."
"Just one or two?"
Nooj grinned, "anyway, I was too arrogant for that. I felt sorry for the girls who were determined to make me fall in love with them."
"So, did you go back?"
Nooj watched her stroke his arm, "No. I didn't want their pity."
"You think you will ever go back?"
"There's nothing to go back to."
"You are definitely busy," Paine said.
"Yeah," he said absently. "But, you… what about you? What are you planning to do with your life now that you had a hand in saving the world?"
Paine shrugged, "I'm not sure. I joined up with the Gullwings to locate all the spheres and to try to make sense of everything. I am not sure if things make sense now, but I now know you can't always get things back to the way they were. In the process, I made a new family with the crew of the Celsius. The girls rely on me."
"So, you feel needed?"
"I guess that is one way to put it… it's my responsibility now. I need to take care of them."
"From what I have seen, they can take care of themselves."
Paine sighed, "perhaps…"
Nooj gently propped himself up into a sitting position and stretched his good arm towards the night sky. He rolled his head from side to side; Paine sat with her legs crossed looking down. "Hey, don't do that.""Do what?"
"You are internalizing your feelings. You start doing that, I may not hear from you for hours."
"What do you mean…?"
"Just because you were a recorder doesn't mean that you are the only one perceptive of human behavior," Nooj rubbed her back softly.
Paine smirked, "I guess that is what I do. I don't know. I really don't know what I am going to do." She shook her head.
Nooj bent his neck and lifted her chin slightly, "don't worry about it right now." He kissed her lips softly. "Let's enjoy our night."
"Do you want this to last?" Paine asked eyebrows raised.
Nooj's eyes softened, "you are an amazing woman. I've never met anybody like you before. You are smart, beautiful, someone who I would trust with my life in a heartbeat. You are quite skilled with the sword as well. I want to get to know you better, I want to know who you are."
"Is that a yes?"
"It's certainly an I think so," he smiled. He kissed her again, "there's definitely an attraction between us."
"Is that what you think?" she asked chewing her lip.
"Oh, I'm sorry, maybe if I was pretty like Baralai…"
"He's definitely very pretty," she kissed him firmly leaning into him. "But I'm sure he can't kiss like that."
"Maybe. He is a pretty good kisser," he suggested lightly.
"Oh really? I didn't know you guys were that close," she gave him a playful glint in her eye.
They kissed pressing into each other. Nooj wrapped his arm around her trying to get as close to her as he could. Paine coaxed Nooj back on the ground kissing him gently. Suddenly they were interrupted by a chirping sound that came from Shinra's invention, the portable commsphere.
Paine rolled her eyes and reached for the mini device. "Paine, come in, are you theeerreee?" Rikku's voice came over the transmitter loudly.
Paine winced laying down on Nooj's chest, "what is it Rikku?"
"Paine! Hey, me and Yunie are done right now and wanted to know if we can pick you up… Hey… who is that with you…"
"No, Rikku, you cannot pick me up right now," Paine turned the device to turn it off.
"Hey! You ARE with someone, … that's NOOJ isn't it!!! I always thought you would make such a cuuuute couple!"
"Hello, Rikku," Nooj responded.
"Night, Rikku…" Paine clicked off the device
Paine sighed. Nooj chuckled. "What are you laughing about?"
"Absolutely nothing," Nooj smirked. He caught Paine's playful punch and pulled her into his embrace.