Thank you so much for the reviews everyone! Here is the first chapter! Oh, and I don't own FFX-2 or any of its characters.
Chapter 1
Baralai walked down the halls, past the priest, maids, and guards to his room. It was a long tiring day of constant problems and tons of paperwork. He wanted nothing more than to have a nice quiet dinner with Paine and then go to sleep. He suddenly found himself walking faster as he thought of Paine. She has been living in Bevelle for the past three months, working in the Via Infinito or in the library for anymore secrets that could threaten Spira.
Tonight was the night, he decided with determination. He had already informed everyone that no one was to bother him tonight. With no interruptions, he will finally be able to spend time with her and maybe even get the chance to finally ask her the big question. There has been a small, hard lump in his pocket waiting three weeks for that moment.
When he finally reached the door of his room, the mentally checked the things he needed to do. He had already asked that his and Paine's dinner should be brought to his room and a table with some candles had already been set up. He made sure all his work was done and that Paine had nothing to do tonight. Now all he needed to do was go get Paine. Her room was right next to his so it wasn't a long trip. But when his fist was about to knock on her door, he suddenly decided to retreat to his room and practice what he wanted to say to her. He was shocked to find a pair of angry ruby eyes glaring at him when he opened his door.
"Paine?" he looked at the silver haired woman questioningly as she stood up from his bed.
"This was the only place where they won't go looking for me," she explained as he closed the door.
"Have the servants been pampering you again?" Ever since the servants of the temple found out that she was the praetor's girlfriend, they have been treating her like a princess. It constantly got on her nerves because being pampered was something that she was unaccustomed to and she quickly found that she didn't like it.
"That's only the half of it," Paine muttered before she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "The maids have been talking about me in their little gossip groups because I see them taking quick glances at me while they whisper and some of the sewing girls suddenly took an interest towards me and tried to get my measurements so they could make me a dress."
Baralai blinked at her story. Could all of Bevelle already know what he was trying to do or was this a coincidence? He opened his mouth to try to cheer her up, but someone knocked on the door.
"Lord Baralai, I have your dinner," a timid voice announced as he and Paine glanced at each other.
He cleared his throat before shouting, "Come in."
A maid opened the door and pulled in a long cart with her. She approached the small table and placed the meal on both sides and then took out a bucket full of ice to place the Champaign in. When she turned around to leave, she finally noticed Paine and held in a giggle.
"Good evening Lady Paine. We've been wondering where you have been hiding," she said before pulling the cart out of the room, chuckling giddily the whole way. This left proof that everyone, except hopefully Paine, knew that Baralai was going to try to ask her to marry him. Paine soon gave him a questioning glance that made him quickly face the table so he could light the candles and open the Champaign bottle.
"I was hoping to surprise you, but since it's ready and you're already here…Would you like to have a nice, quiet dinner with me?" he asked while pouring the bubbly golden liquid into the glasses. He was rewarded with a small laugh and a soft kiss in the cheek before she sat down.
"Is this why the servants are acting strange or are you hiding something from me and they found out again?"
Her question caused him to freeze as he was about to sit down. He then thought about how to answer her only to pathetically attempt to change the subject, "So, was there anything else that happened today?"
She rolled her eyes at him and let him get away with it this time, "Leblanc and her goons visited. Her warm greeting consisted of a 'How many respect points do I have now, love?'. She wasn't happy when I told her that nothing changed."
"Why didn't you tell her that she could have had as much as Ormi? I bet that would have made her happy," Baralai added as they began eating.
"Because she would only get upset again when I tell her that it was her loud annoying mouth that took away most of her points. She already doesn't like the fact that Logos is lower than her only because he has a dirty mind."
"Did she tell you why she was here? You didn't mention Nooj being there so I am assuming that she is looking for him again?" Baralai looked up when she suddenly dropped her fork.
"Uh, Baralai? The story I am about to tell you may shock you…" she began.
Flashback
"Have you seen my Noojie-Woojie, love?" Leblanc inquired with a worried gaze. Paine had just come out of the library and her arms were loaded with some large books about Spira's history.
"Nooj? I haven't seen him. How long has he been missing?"
If Nooj was gone from her sight for more than ten minutes, Leblanc panicked. Paine was only going to help her if he has been missing for days.
"He disappeared five days ago after I told him I was pregnant." The books fell from Paine's arms and unto the floor, the loose paper stuffed in them flew everywhere. That answer was so unexpected that it even made Paine was speechless.
"He left when the boss wanted …ugh, chocolate covered sardines and ice cream with pickles," Logos explained as Ormi crossed him arms and nodded.
"Said that he didn't want to stick around when she starts getting mood swings," Ormi added.
End Flashback
"Nooj is going to be a father!?" Baralai exclaimed as she slowly nodded.
"It worries me though, Nooj wouldn't just run away not even from Leblanc."
"He probably wants some time alone to think. He is a deathseeker and the fact that he is going to be a father is going to change everything," he said as his shock subsided.
"That could be true although I believe that he isn't a deathseeker anymore. I think he gave up when he married Leblanc," she paused to let out a fake sigh before continuing, "If only you could give up your bad habit."
"What bad habit?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"Oh it's nothing serious. You only have a habit of keeping secrets from me, like the one you're keeping from me now."
Baralai had to smile at her ability to change the subject back to what it was before. He took a deep breath as he decided that this is a good time to ask, but first he wanted to make it a little romantic.
"Okay, if you want to know, then come here," he ordered. Paine calmly stood up and crossed her arms as she made her way over to Baralai's side of the table. When she was standing in front of him, he pulled her into his lap and began planting small kisses starting from her lips to her jaw line. She knew this was his way of stalling, but she couldn't really say she didn't like it and allowed him to continue until he reached the base of her neck. She then leaned forward to whisper tauntingly in his ear.
"I'm waiting." This made him stop, but he didn't move away from where he was. If he couldn't see her ruby eyes then maybe he would be able ask her with out getting lost in her gaze.
"Paine, I was wondering if…" he began as he dug in his pocket for the tiny box. His fingers brushed against the velvet surface when someone knocked on the door making him scowl against Paine's neck.
"I thought I ordered that no one is to bother me tonight!" he growled at the door, startling Paine since she never seen him this angry before.
"Yeah, that's what the guards told me, but I knew you wouldn't mind a visit from an old friend," a familiar masculine voice called from behind the door. Paine glanced at Baralai before she stood up and walked towards the door. Baralai followed her while suppressing the urge to beat the intruder senseless. Suddenly they heard a feminine, high pitched 'hiya!' before the door was kicked down, allowing Gippal and Rikku to enter Baralai's room.
"Paine!" the young Al Bhed girl screamed as she squeezed the air out of her friend.
"It's nice to see you too, Rikku. Now let go of me." Baralai grabbed Gippal by the collar of his shirt and dragged him away from Paine and Rikku while Paine was busy prying Rikku off of her.
"Gippal, don't do that again," he scolded once he was sure he was out of Paine's hearing range, "What if Paine and I were doing something …you know…private…"
"Yeah right, I know you man. You wouldn't do anything like that until you're married," Gippal chuckled while he watched Rikku run up to the small, candle lit table.
"Ooh! Bubbles," she said as she held up Paine's Champaign glass. Gippal looked at Baralai, then at the table, then at Paine, and finally back at Baralai before it finally clicked.
"Wait a minute…romantic candle light, fancy dinner, Champaign…," he checked off in a quiet voice before raising the volume for all of Bevelle to hear, "Hey Baralai, are you trying to-"
He was cut off by Baralai's glare. Gippal chuckled and walked over to Rikku and placed his arm around her waist. He whispered in her ear to tell her what they had just interrupted.
"What brings you here?" Baralai inquired before Rikku had the chance to start giggling.
"Were here to pick you up, just as it says on your invitation," Gippal replied.
"What invitation?" Paine asked, causing the two Al Bheds to stare at her in disbelief.
"You mean you guys didn't get an invitation to our wedding?" Rikku then hit Gippal in the shoulder, "I thought I gave you the invitations to give out to everybody."
"I was too busy with that machina project your dad put me on so I had Buddy deliver them," he explained. Rikku suddenly gasped in horror.
"But Buddy was on vacation! Which means…"
"Brother got to them," Paine finished for her.
"So that's why he was laughing manically when he drove us over here," Gippal said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Rikku quickly bolted out of the room muttering about how she was going to hurt Brother, leaving everyone behind to stare the doorway. Suddenly there was a scream followed by a crash, but before anyone in the room could run out to see what happened, Rikku popped her head back in while breathing heavily.
"Well!? Let's go! We got to hurry and get the others before they make plans and miss the wedding next week!" she rapidly shouted as she grabbed Paine and dragged her with her. Gippal chuckled and pulled Baralai by his arm as he ran after the girls.
They made it to the Celsius near the Highbridge in less than ten minutes. But before they could board the airship, Baralai had to explain to the guards that he and Paine were going on a small vacation and that they were not being kidnapped. Rikku continued to drag Paine and Baralai with her until they reached the bridge. Buddy was sitting in his usual place looking very relaxed while Brother glanced at the newcomers and snickered evilly. Rikku quickly stormed over to Brother and smacked him upside the head.
"Fryd tet oui tu fedr dra ehjedydeuhc!? (What did you do with the invitations!?)" she cried shrilly as her brother shielded his head from anymore attacks.
"Fryd ehjedydeuhc? (What invitations?)" he asked in a way too innocent voice.
"Dra uhac oui cduma vnus Buddy! (The ones you stole from Buddy!)" she accused as she pointed at Buddy. Buddy sat up as he remembered something.
"Fyed, druca fana ehjedydeuhc oui fana pinhehk? (Wait, those were invitations you were burning?)" Buddy's question to Brother made Rikku clench her teeth. She thought she was going to explode when he jumped out of his pilot seat with a smug grin.
"Ev hu uha crufc ib du dra fattehk, drah vydran femm lyhlam ed. (If no one shows up to the wedding, then father will cancel it.)" he laughed and dodged out of the way as Rikku tried to tackle him.
"Oui eteud! (You idiot!)" Everyone sighed as they watched her chase Brother around the bridge. It wasn't long until Rikku was strangling him.
Gippal shook his head as he gently pried Rikku off of Brother and massaged her shoulders while muttering, "Ra naymmo haatc y kenmvneaht… (He really needs a girlfriend…)"
"Caneuicmo. (Seriously)," Paine agreed as Brother stuck his tongue out at Gippal and ran back to his station. Baralai leaned beside a wall, clearly amused by the scene before him.
"E's kmyt oui dyikrd sa Al Bhed un amca E fuimt ryja hu etay fryd'c kuehk uh. (I'm glad you taught me Al Bhed or else I would have no idea what's going on)," he smiled at Paine. He finally cooled off from Gippal's interruption and decided to wait a little longer before he would try to ask Paine again. First he needed to focus on his best friend's wedding. Once Rikku calmed down and started relaxing against Gippal, she began muttering apologies for her unusual behavior.
"So if the wedding is in a week, then why are you picking us up now?" Paine wondered.
"Well, as you can see, Rikku is stressed out so I thought it would be a good idea if we all got together to relax and have some fun before we start preparing for the wedding," Gippal explained as Rikku yawned.
"We'll pick up Yunie and Tidus tomorrow, so let's go get some sleep," she suggested while making her way to the lift.
"Sounds like a good idea," Baralai decided as he put his arm around Paine and followed her to the cabin. They heard Gippal give orders to Buddy to direct the Celsius to Besaid as the lift started. Rikku hid her furious look with a tired smile when she heard Brother shouting that he was the leader and not Gippal. Paine, Baralai, and Rikku soon fell asleep in their beds knowing that tomorrow was going to be a long day.
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Sorceress Myst: Ah, another chapter completed! Thanks goes out to the word 'bubbles' for inspiring another scene in the story. I apologize for the long wait on the chapters, I have been busy updating my novels on and going to band camp. I will start working on the next chapter of 'No Privacy' once I finish another chapter on one of my novels. Come read my novels if you have free time, you can find the link in my author profile. Well, C ya next chapter!
