You're The Only Place – Chapter 10

I Love You

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I stood on the deck of the Celsius with my arms around Paine's waist. We watched the stars fly by, and the wind rush past us. She shivered in her red mini dress.

"Here, take my coat Paine." I told her as I took off my dark blue, long sleeved coat. I put it on her shoulders, and then hugged her close again. I felt the wind rush by my bare arms, but I didn't really care. Paine was standing in front of me, which easily made me Spira's happiest man.

"You're going to freeze." Paine said.

I shrugged. "I don't care. You're here to warm me up."

Paine turned around and put her head on my chest. "There's that gentleman again." She laughed quietly.

I sighed, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm gonna treat you tonight, trust me."

"With what?"

"I dunno… dinner on the beach, private concert for Besaid…"

"EVERYONE would love that you know." Paine giggled. "I like the dinner on the beach idea though."

"I bet. So, that sounds like a plan. Dinner on the beach and a private concert just for the island."

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Once we landed in Besaid, I carried Paine to the beach so she didn't get her feet wet. She laughed when I scooped her up and demanded that I put her back down.

"I don't want you to get your nice shoes wet." I kept on telling her.

"Baralai!" she would laugh, and punch my arm, "Put me down!"

And every time she would punch me, I would grimace. "That hurts you know." I would tell her. That just made her laugh even more.

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Tidus and Auron met us at the beach.

"Well I'll be! Paine brought home her boyfriend!" Tidus joked, an arm around his wife's waist.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Paine retorted, blushing. "He's… my fiancé."

I liked the sound of that. I squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. When I looked up at Auron and Tidus, they were just staring at me, open-mouthed.

"Whoa! All right! Baralai finally found a woman!" Tidus cried, punching the air.

"And it's Paine to boot…" Auron muttered, scratching his head. All of us started to laugh.

"Well, come on, dinner is waiting!" Tidus called, and lead us back to the village.

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As we walked, we encountered a group of Lupus.

Tidus groaned, "I'm going to LOSE IT! I swear, on the way down to the beach, Auron and I wiped out half of the fiend population on Besaid!"

The girls laughed. "Aw, poor Tidus!" Rikku joked.

"Yeah! Poor me! Assistance please?" Tidus yelled back to the three as he avoided an attack.

"Y!"

"R!"

"P!"

"Ready?" Yuna asked.

"Let's do it!" The Gullwings cried. They pulled out their weapons and rushed the group of five Lupus. They stayed in their normal dresspheres, much to my disappointment. But all of a sudden Paine spherechanged. I swear my eyes went to the size of dinner plates.

"It's Lady Luck." I whispered. Paine… holy Spira. She looked like a freaking GODDESS. With the purple material running down the center of her body, then fanning out in a dress at the bottom. Black leather covered… her… um… torso, although barely… Bad Baralai! REALLY BAD BARALAI! The purple cloth left her thighs and hips exposed, flattering her curves. I couldn't help it, I NEEDED to say something.

"Holy Spira Paine, quit torturing me!" I cried, still absorbing Paine's outfit.

"Oooh! Looks like someone is checking out Dr. P!" Rikku taunted as she stole some gil from one of the fiends.

"Huh. Should I torture him more?" Panie joked.

I gasped. "NO! This is mean as it gets!"

"Oh no, it gets worse." Paine assured me. "Yuna! I'm going to Black Mage!"

Yuna giggled, "Make sure your eyes stay in their sockets Baralai. Go ahead Paine! I want to see his expression!"

"Hey!" I cried, "This isn't fair-" my statement was cut off when I saw Paine is the Black Mage dressphere. There was more clothing with the one, but where there WAST'T clothing, (like across her abdomen) completely sent me into the deep end.

"Okay, okay, okay… NOT FUNNY! You're being mean to me Paine!"

She just laughed as she used Fira to kill off the remaining fiends. Her Black Mage melded back into her Warrior outfit. "Isn't life fun, Baralai?" she teased me.

"You are so mean." I told her as we entered the village.

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Since I agreed to have dinner with Paine on the beach, I gave my private concert while everyone else ate. Since Besaid is practically cut of from the rest of Spira, they didn't know that I was River, yet. So, before I came into the village, I put on my mask.

"WHOA!" Auron cried, taking a half of a step back when he saw me put it on. "YOU'RE River?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, "Yeah... eh heh heh. I'm giving Besaid a private concert…"

"You're going to drive all of the ladies here nuts, you know that right? This entire ISLAND is crazy for you!" Tidus cried.

I chuckled, "Then I'm going to have to tell them the truth, aren't I?" I walked into the village.

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Tidus wasn't kidding. All of the girls jumped up when they saw me enter the village. I stopped in the circle where Yuna first summoned Valefor. I turned to my newly assembled audience.

"Okay, I'm visiting my friends and fiancé… yes, fiancé. You heard me right, sorry ladies. So, while I'm here, I decided to give you guys a private concert, just for Besaid. Now, I'll sing two. I already have one that I want to sing, so I'll take a majority vote. Which one do you guys want to hear?"

"Truly Madly Deeply!"

I scratched the back of my head, "You're serious? Damn… that's one of my songs that just kind of… flunked… but if you guys want to hear it…"

I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy.
I'll be your hope
I'll be your love
Be everything that you need.
I love you more with every breath
Truly madly deeply do...
I will be strong I will be faithful
Cause I'm counting on a new beginning.
A reason for living.
A deeper meaning… yeah

I want to stand with you on a mountain.
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever.
Until the sky falls down on me...

And when the stars are shining brightly
In the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish
Send it to heaven
Then make you want to cry…
The tears of joy
For all the pleasure and the certainty.
That we're surrounded
By the comfort and protection of...
The highest power.
In lonely hours.
The tears devour you…

I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea.
I want to lay like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me...

Oh can you see it baby
You don't have to close your eyes
'Cause it's standing right before you.
All that you need will surely come...

I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy
I'll be your hope
I'll be your love
Be everything that you need
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly madly deeply do... (I love you)

I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me...

I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to live like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me...

As the music faded out, I looked up at Paine. A tear escaped her eye, and I straightened up. I was beginning to wonder if I had done something… but I obviously hadn't. She dashed over to me and flung her arms around my neck.

"That was beautiful… I loved it." She whispered in my ear.

I hugged her back and whispered in her ear, "I'm glad that you liked it." When we pulled apart, I looked at my audience. "Okay, if you didn't put two and two together, Paine is my fiancé. But I know all of you are thinking, 'But Baralai is the only person that Paine would even CONSIDER marrying!' Well, yes, I know that. But, you don't know who the person is behind this mask, do you?"

A teenage girl stepped forward, "Praetor Baralai? Is that really you?"

I turned to face her. "That's ex-praetor Baralai. Its just Baralai now." When the girl looked surprised, I took of my mask. The crowd gasped. The teenage girl looked like she was going to faint.

"But why did you resign?" she asked.

"Because the priests wouldn't allow me to marry Paine."

The girl's eyes widened, "You serious?" When I nodded, she grinned, "That's so romantic! I wish someone would do that for me…"

Paine and I looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

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"All right, I said two songs. So, I have one picked out, and yes, I did write this one. I wanted to do this one without my mask… well… just because. I wanted to do another mushy song, but I decided against it. I want to do something upbeat. Hope you guys like!"

(Can you get it too, can you get it too
Can you get it too, can you get it too
Can you get it too, baby
Can you get it too, can you get it too)

Sometimes I don't know where do I go
And who do I turn to
Cause you, you've found something new
At somebody who makes you feel so awful

So tell me this time
Cause you know I'm losing my mind
Is the feeling mutual
Cause I, I just gotta know, I gotta know
Tell me (could U love)
I get my heart in this thing (would U love)
If I give my best thing (could U love)
Here's the question (could U love)
Could you love me
Could you love me (could U love)
I leave myself wide open (would U love)
And it's sad I'm hoping (could U love)
These words unspoken
Could you love me

I glanced over at Paine and gave her a wink, which she returned with a smile.

I, I can't hesitate
Cause now it's too late
Just look what you've done to me

So tell me this time
Don't you know I'm losing my mind
Is the feeling mutual
Cause I, baby, I just gotta know, I gotta know
Tell me (could U love)
I get my heart in this thing (would U love)
If I gave my best thing (could U love)
Here's the question (could U love)
Could you love me
Could you love me (could U love)
I leave myself wide open (would U love)
And it's sad I'm hoping (could U love)
These words unspoken
Could you love me

Do you understand
I give you all I can
What more can I do
Oh no no

I gotta let you know
I gotta let my feelings show
But would you love, baby could you love me
The way I love you

Could U love
I get my heart in this thing (would U love)
If I gave my best thing (could U love)
Well here's the question (could U love)
Baby tell me could you love me
Could you love me
I leave myself wide open (would U love)
And it's sad I'm hoping (could U love)
These words unspoken
Could you love me

Could you love
Would you love (would you love me)
Would you love me
Could you love
Oh baby
Could you love me

The song ended and the crowd burst into applause. I caught Paine standing and clapping with them, smiling from ear to ear.

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"Come on Paine, dinner is waiting!" I said, pulling her towards the beach.

"Us running off is going to look suspicious…"

I snorted, "I really could care less at this point, let's go!"

She laughed, and ran down with me to the beach.

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"Baralai, oh come on, let me see!" Paine laughed as I covered her eyes and guided her down the dock.

"Nope, not until I'm ready." I chuckled. Once we reached the blanket that I had set up on the dock with candles and a basket of food, I uncovered her eyes. Paine gasped.

"Baralai… oh, this is so sweet…"

I squeezed her shoulders. "I'm glad you like it."

We ate dinner with nothing to drastic happening. (That is if you call almost losing the food in the water not drastic… anyway…)

I fingered a box that was in my pants pocket. I had gotten a ring before we left Luca. Now, I was just waiting for the perfect moment. Then, I thought of one.

"Come with me." I whispered in Paine's ear, and then stood up.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

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I helped her up onto one of the ruins that littered the beach. I stood behind her, and wrapped my arms around my waist. She sighed, which convinced me that she loved it when I did this. (Note to self: Do this often.) We watched the stars in the dark night sky, and the light breeze played with our hair.

"It's beautiful…" Paine murmured.

I smiled, and then leaned down to whisper my thought in her ear. "That is true. But, tonight doesn't even compare to your beauty."

Paine giggled, and slapped my shoulder. "Stop that."

I chuckled, "If you wish." We stayed in silence for a while, and then I broke it.

"Paine… you know how much I love you, right?"

She began ticking reasons off on her fingers. "Always willing to listen. Never pushed me to far. Swept me off my feet. You quit your job so you could marry me. You wrote and dedicated songs for me. Yeah, I think I've gotten it."

I chuckled again. "I love you… I really do. More than anything else in Spira."

"I love you too, Baralai." Paine whispered as she turned around and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her head into the crook of my neck. I sighed; I LOVE it when she does that. It's like her head was made to fit there. I took out the box and took out the ring without her noticing. I put the box back in my pocket, and found her left ring finger. I slowly slid the ring onto it.

She gasped when she felt me put it on. Her left hand moved from its position around my waist so she could see it. Her eyes watered when she saw the simple ring. "It's beautiful Baralai… thank you."

"I love you Paine… so much." I told her, and kissed her softly. Naturally, it didn't stay that way. After we broke apart, I swept her off her feet, and dashed back to the village.

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A/N: Ooh! Naughty Baralai and Paine! Well, what's going to happen next chapter? (I think that's obvious, but oh well. IT WILL NOT BE A LEMON. I don't write those.)

-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-

Kudos to for always x for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, that's old news.

Songs:
Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
Could You Love – Nick Lachey (I'm NOT obsessed with him! This is what I imagined Baralai's voice to sound like, so yeah.)