A/N: So I started a new story. I'm going to try to keep it PG-13. There are four parts to this story. One for each Crimson Squad member. And they all have some dark thing that they do that some don't want people to know about and others do. I got the idea when I was watching Lifetime's Intimate portrait. Ok, so enough babbling. I hope you enjoy this.

Stripped: An Intimate Portrait of the Crimson Squad

Part 1: Paine

She positioned herself in the sand with both hands propped behind her body. She had on leg bent in an arch; the other lay straight in front of her. Her head was tilted up toward the ceiling; she could feel the cool air nip at her bare skin as her hair brushed against her back. She smiled as the bright lights bathed her face.

Even though her eyes were closed she could feel Ergos, her stunning blonde cast mate, kneel next to her. Lifting her left hand she placed in on his smooth cheek as he rest his warm palm against her stomach. Opening her eyes she tilted her head slightly towards him and gave him one of her stunning smiles.

Flashes went off from every direction of the room. The couple shifted through various positions over the span of two hours. Having make-up redone and being twisted in every which way. Paine was beginning to grow restless. And it didn't help that there was a draft in the room that was starting to sting her bare flesh. She wanted to get up and stretch but she knew she couldn't less she ruin the position and compromise the pictures.

She had never really liked the photo shoots. She hadn't gotten into this business for that. She really didn't give a flying chocobo what the cover of the box looked like. She had gotten into the industry for the carnal release. This job provided her with something all the slaughtering of fiends in the world couldn't give her. So much had happened in the last couple years and she had let her pain consume her. If raw, meaningless sex were the only way to ease the agony that eroded her insides, then she would do it every day for the rest of her life if she had to.

As she shifted through more positions she began to think of him for the millionth time that day. The way the light reflected from his deep chocolate eyes. Or how he was always adjusting his blue headband so that his soft white hair wouldn't fall into his eyes. Or the softness of his cinnamon skin. Thoughts of him always invaded the privacy of her mind no matter how hard she tried to fight them. He was part of the reason she felt the need to violate herself.

Baralai had never been one for more than polite conversation. And she admired that fact because she wasn't much of a conversationalist herself. But there were those rare times back in their training days that they would sit outside and stare up at the moon and share their hopes and dreams, their pasts and futures. But not anymore. Not since the Den of Woe. They had come close to that intimate friendship that they had once had and may something more after they had defeated Vegnagun but that all was torn apart at the reunion party. But too many secrets had come out there. Words had been yelled that couldn't be taken back. Hearts had been broken and friendships destroyed.

Paine fought to keep the burning hot tears from sliding down her cheeks as she reminisced about a love that never was. Pushing Baralai far from her mind she regained her composure. It was almost time to start filming and she couldn't have red puffy eyes. She had to be a picture of beauty. That was where her real therapy began. In the filming. She could fight away all her demons that way.

Some people kept diaries, and some people wrote books or poetry about their tragedies but not Paine. She chose another way of venting. So what if thousands of Spirians could buy in on sphere-vid or go see it at a late night theater in a couple months. She didn't really care. As long as the pain subsided for just a little while. People thought that just because she was a former Gullwing and Honored Warrior of Spira she should be held to some impossible standard. Yet still it didn't keep their eyes from being glued to the screen whenever the say her vids. Paine refused to conform. She'd be who she wanted to be. She'd do what she wanted to do. And nobody could stop her.