A/N: Hi! I know I'm taking a week to update every chapter, but it's been kinda complicated, with school and everything. But I'm doing my best to not keep you waiting too long.

So, thank you for waiting and I truly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Thanks again and let's get to more important stuff like… the fic.

Chapter 3

Crimson Squad

The Crimson Squad. So that was the group that Paine and Gippal loved so much but talked about so little. And now that they were all reunited again, it seemed like Gippal could not shut up for one single moment, wanting to relive all the memories over and over again, talking non-stop.

"And so I thought our group should have a name, don't ya think?" he looked around the table, but only Rikku nodded in agreement.

It was lunch time and we were all in a fancy restaurant in the middle of the city. We usually had lunch at school, but today Gippal had insisted in going out. He had said that Baralai should have a welcoming party or something like that but I think that he just wanted Rikku to be with us so he could show-off. That's why he had not taken no for an answer when I said that probably the four of them would like to be alone so I should not go.

And so there we were. Even Nooj was there, in spite of his girlfriend, who had made a scene when he had told her he wasn't going to have lunch with her. He seemed pleased to be with his friends once again and so did Baralai. But Paine… She was just sitting there, arms crossed over her chest, lips firmly tightened, eyes staring blankly ahead. She still hadn't recovered from the shock of seeing Baralai once again and that made me wonder. What had happened between them to make her so stiff about the whole 'seeing an old friend again' thing? I had no idea, but I told myself not to forget to talk to her later.

Gippal was the most happy, no doubts on that. He kept telling stories about the wonderful times they had spent together in Luca's high school. Rikku drank every word he said, curiosity and excitement stamped on her face.

"The choice was difficult, but I had finally found the perfect name for us. I decided that we should call ourselves Crimson Squad."

"But why, Gippal?" Rikku asked, lifting her head to him.

"Can't you guess?" he asked. But he wasn't looking at Rikku. He was looking at Paine and had this strange smirk on his lips.

"Don't even think of it." Paine said, stepping out of her dream state and directing a deadly look at Gippal.

He just chuckled and proceeded. "Well, Paine's eyes were the most beautiful and deadly thing around, so we decided to use them to name our group…"

He said it as a joke, like he was teasing her, but she was not enjoying it. "If you don't stop right now, you'll find out that my eyes aren't the only deadly thing in me."

"C'mon, Paine." Nooj said, resting his hand on her shoulder "He's just kidding. Besides, we all know that our group's name was due to your awesome eyes. You should take it as a compliment, not an offence."

"Yeah, Paine, take a break." Gippal continued, turning once again to Rikku, his only interested audience. "So, like I was saying―"

"Stop it, Gippal." Baralai said, leaning forward and looking at his friend. "If Paine is not comfortable with this conversation, we should not be having it."

Gippal pouted "You're such a boring guy, Baralai. You haven't changed a bit, ya know that? Always defending her… I was just playin'…"

Nooj smiled, as if that was a scene he was accustomed to see everyday and I thought that that group had in fact many hidden stories in their memories, stories they were not willing to share with everyone…

"Oh, I was enjoying that story so much…" Rikku also moped and we all laughed at that. Well, all except Paine. She was acting really weird. I stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on, but she caught me looking and shook her head as if advising me not to say anything, at least not there. So I stopped what I was about to ask and turned my attention to the group once again.

Nooj was now explaining to Baralai how it had been when he had first arrived at Besaid and how wonderful and quiet the city was. I smiled, for I had thought precisely the same the first time I had come here, long before I even think about moving in with Rikku and her family.

Baralai saw me smiling and smiled back at me, which made me blush slightly for I had been caught off guard. But he didn't seem to notice my blushed face and kept smiling and looking at me, while Nooj was explaining to him how simple life was here in Besaid.

When we finished our lunch, it was time to head back to school, and since Nooj had his car, we divided ourselves in two groups: boys and girls. Nooj, Gippal and Baralai took off first and Rikku, Paine and I followed them through the crowded streets of the city. It would have been the perfect time for me to talk to Paine, but Rikku wouldn't shut up in the back seat so I delayed it for some better occasion.

We arrived at campus and Rikku began to say goodbye, for she had to go to school too, but Gippal interrupted her and they started picking on each other once again. It seemed like all the complicity they had had at lunch was over now. None of us paid much attention to their fight, not even when Rikku darted off chasing Gippal around our cars. Only Baralai seemed slightly interested in their little show of affection.

"Are they always like this?" he asked me, leaning in closer so they could not hear his question.

I turned my head to look at him and smiled. "Well, sometimes they're worse. But it's okay, you'll get used to it."

He smiled in return and I could not help but to feel good. He was so polite and so nice to everyone, even to me and Rikku, who he had never known before that day. Yet, he acted towards us so naturally that I really felt that I had found another friend, even thought I didn't know him too well yet.

"So, are you enjoying yourself?"

I was surprised by his question, but pleased at the same time. Wasn't I just saying how gentle and polite he was?

"Yes, I am. It was really nice meeting you and having lunch with the group. It's usually just me, Paine and Gippal."

"What about Nooj and Rikku?"

"Well, Rikku is still finishing high school and Nooj is most of the times with his girlfriend, LeBlanc. She's not very sociable, so… you know."

He nodded in response, looking to where Paine and Nooj were talking, near his car. I followed his gaze and stared at Paine for a few moments. She seemed to be having a very serious conversation with Nooj and it looked like he was trying to convince her of something, talking in his cool and tranquil way. Baralai's sigh brought my attention back to his person. He looked disappointed, almost sad, and I could not blame him. If an old friend of mine had acted towards me the way Paine had acted towards him, I wouldn't feel much better.

"What about ya, Baralai?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Are you enjoyin' being in Besaid?"

He turned to me again and let out a smile. "I love it. It is just so different from the city where I lived…"

"Which is?" I inquired, before I could stop the words from coming out of my mouth. Curiosity had gained the best out of me, and I quickly tried to correct my mistake. "I mean… I didn't want to…"

"It is alright, Yuna." he assured me, lifting his hand and resting it lightly on my arm. "I come from Bevelle."

"So do I!" I exclaimed, glad to know he was from a place I knew quite well. After all I had been born in that city and had lived in it until I was sixteen years old.

"So we must meet some other time to talk about our beloved city, don't you think?" he asked, tilting his head and giving me a bright smile. I responded with a nod and a grin.

"Whatcha guys talkin' 'bout?" Rikku asked, running towards us, possibly escaping Gippal.

I turned my eyes to her and met Paine's in the way. She looked like she would kill someone who was in her range and her eyes were more crimson than ever. Now I perfectly understood what Gippal meant when he had said that Paine's eyes were 'the most beautiful and deadly thing around'.

"Hey, Cid's Girl! Aren't you late for school or somethin'?" Gippal yelled from the other side of the car, holding his watch in front of his face.

Rikku screamed in response and said goodbye to everyone, grabbing her bag and rushing towards the exit of our school. She was going to be late, but that was becoming a habit lately. Every time she was with Gippal she completely forgot about the hours. Baralai chuckled beside me and Paine and Gippal approached us.

"Where's Nooj?" Gippal asked Paine, still amused by the previous events. Picking on Rikku was definitely on his list of favourite things to do.

"Went off to meet LeBlanc." She answered dryly, not even caring in looking at him. "We're late for class too, Yuna."

I nodded, not understanding her rage. I knew LeBlanc could always upset her, but she never showed that much anger towards any of us. I put my bag over my shoulder and followed her through the parking lot, trying to catch her pace. "What's wrong with ya, Paine?"

"Nothin'. Just my business."

"Well, if you want to talk about it―"

"I don't." she snapped, cutting me off.

In class we didn't talk much either. It was rather difficult to talk when the teacher was always looking at us in a suspicious way. I just hated that woman and that class too, as a matter of fact. Let's just face it, Religion of Yevon was not my favourite subject in the world, in spite of the fact that I was pretty good at it. After spending ten years in a very religious boarding school you get good at that kind of stuff, even though you don't believe in most of them.

Anyways, after spending two hours listening to how Yevon had saved us all (don't forget to notice the sarcasm, please), we were released and finally able to go home. Well, at least most of us. I still had to go somewhere else.

"Paine." I called, catching her down the stairs "Listen, I'm not going home yet, but I was wondering if you wanted a ride or something... So maybe we could talk."

She answered me more softly than before. "Listen, Yuna, thanks for worrying 'bout me, but I'm fine. And I really appreciate your offer, but Wakka's picking me up today. We're gonna buy Lulu some clothes for the baby."

I nodded. "Okay, but promise me you're not upset with me."

She gave me a strange look and then said "Why would I be?" And she darted off, towards the main gate of the campus.

I stared until I had lost sight of her and then moved silently to my car, turning the ignition on and driving to Shuyin's place, like I had promised Lenne I would do last night.

When I got there, I knocked on the door, for there was no bell to be seen. A few seconds later, Shuyin opened up, giving me a puzzled look. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"I'm sorry." I said, looking him up and down. His hair was even more messed than the usual and he was only wearing his boxers, which made me believe he had been sleeping before I arrived. Lenne had told me he worked at night sometimes. "If it isn't a good time, I can―"

"Don't be silly, Yuna." He cut me off, backing away so I could get in his apartment. "I'm just surprised. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Well… I sort of promised Lenne I would come to check on you." His eyes narrowed and I continued "Yesterday she was really worried, but you know how she is. She never wants to show―"

"Her true feelings." He completed for me. I nodded. "Hey, sit down, I'll be right back."

I did as he told me and sat on the couch, grabbing one of the pillows on my lap and looking around. Last night I hadn't had the chance to take a good look at my surroundings: it was dark, I was tired and the mood wasn't the best. But now I could see that, in spite of being really old and small, the apartment was cosy and even though Shuyin was not the perfect decorator (I believe he really didn't care about that) he had a few paintings on the walls. When I approached to take a better look at one of them, I noticed it was not a painting but an old photograph. And so were the other so-called paintings. They were all photos of Shuyin's life: his family together, his mother, his friends, the whole group, Lenne, his brother…

"Don't take pity on me, Yuna." I heard from behind. "I'm fine just the way I am; those photos mean nothing, they belong to the past and I don't even know why Lenne decided to hang them on the walls."

I turned and gave him a small grin, joking "Well, that explains a lot. I was beginning to think you had become soft and mushy all of a sudden and it was scaring the hell out of me."

He smirked back at me and I knew I had gained a few points in his consideration. I still remember how he used to criticize me and Lenne for always taking pity and helping the ones in need. He used to ask us if we knew what the word 'no' stood for. We never took him too seriously though because we both knew he loved us just the way we were. Still, I now admit he was right all along. Sometimes you must stand for yourself alone instead of always being there for the others.

He sat on the couch and I sat beside him, looking at his old jeans and his faded black t-shirt. He told me not to take pity on him and I knew what he meant, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for this friend of mine whose life was so messed up right now.

"What?" he asked, catching my gaze.

"How long have you been living like this?" I asked in return, trying to hide my sorrow so he could not see it in my eyes.

"Long enough. Why?"

"No good reason. Just curiosity."

"I hope Lenne hasn't been trying to make up your mind so you'll help me and all that kind of shit. I really don't need it." He said dryly. Apparently I was quite easy to read.

"No, she hasn't been doing anything like that." I answered quickly, trying to explain myself. "In fact I only spoke to her yesterday and she just asked me to check on you because she felt really sorry about last night. I think she was afraid that if she came herself you two might argue again." I looked at my own hands, playing with my rings, and continued "Anyways, she didn't need to say anything; I would come no matter what."

"Why?" There was no hidden meaning in his question, no repressed feelings, no willing to make me feel guilty. Just curiosity to know my answer.

I hesitated before answering. I needed time to organize my chaotic thoughts. Then, after a few moments of silence, I said "Well, Shuyin, this last year hasn't been easy for none of us and we grew distant. But last night, when I saw your smile, I felt much lighter inside and I realized that I didn't want to lose whatever we had before this all happened. So, I wanna fight for our friendship and not let it die again. I don't know what you want, but hopefully you'll want the same as me."

I gazed into his beautiful deep blue eyes, waiting for his answer. For a long time we just stayed there, looking in each other's eyes. Finally, he spoke "That's all very beautiful, Yuna. But we both know things will never be the same again. How can we still be close friends after all that happened?"

"How can we not?" I snapped back "After all, we're on the same boat. And right now I think you might need someone to talk to. I'm a good listener and I never ask many questions."

He smirked "Unlike your cousin."

I smiled back "Yeah, unlike my cousin. So can we at least try? Lenne told me you talked about me often so I think you wanna try this as much as I do. Please?"

"You know, you had me when you said we were on the same boat. The rest was totally unnecessary…" he teased me, messing with my hair.

"But still you let me say it!" I exclaimed, throwing him the pillow.

"Yeah, I always loved your little speeches."

"You meanie." I said, imitating Rikku. Then I leaned closer to him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek "I'm so glad you forgave me…"

"There was nothing to forgive, Yuna." he threw his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "You've always been the best friend a guy could have, even when you were not there."

I felt tears in my eyes, but before I could allow myself to cry, there was a knock on the door and an angry voice yelled from the other side "Shuyin, are you in there! I want to talk to you, son!"

A/N: So, did you like it? Let me know if you did and I promise I'll try to update sooner next time… ;-) Cia soon.