Author's Note: Just in time for Christmas! I'm so happy I got this chapter done for a Christmas release! I hope everyone that reads my story has a very enjoyable holiday. As always, I love to hear from my readers and I am very appreciative of the reviews I recieved for the last chapter. If any of you feel the impulse to leave me a few kind words when you're done reading, a review would be welcomed. In fact, reviews would be treated as Christmas presents for this hard working author. :)

Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. It's my Christmas present to all of you!

Chapter XIII

Lips Like Sugar Cane

(Baralai)

Five hours, twelve minutes and twenty-three seconds.

That was when they closed her up and took her off the anesthesia. I couldn't even begin to describe the warm feeling that was spreading through my chest as I watched the nurses unhook her from all the machines and tape a large piece of gauze loosely over the incision. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief as I glanced over my shoulder at Yuna and Rikku, a small smile stretching across my face at the sight of their sleeping forms slumped in the chairs on the other side of the room. They had fallen asleep a couple hours ago but, even though I was exhausted myself, I retained my silent vigil at the window. I had no intentions of taking my eyes off of Paine even for a minute.

I had watched the entire procedure, hardly taking my eyes away from what was happening below me. The only time I allowed myself to look away is when I pulled a chair forward so I could sit down. Once they had started reconstructing her vertebrae though I was back to standing up, staring intently at the television monitor. I had no idea what they were doing but I was still fascinated by it. I had never seen anything like that before. I had thought seeing all that blood would make my stomach do somersaults but I hadn't been affected by it in the least.

I had also tried to decipher the doctor's medical jargon but I couldn't understand a thing. I was grateful for Jaelynn's intermittent check-ups; every time she came back I had another word or phrase that needed to be translated. Once I had gleaned enough information from her I discovered that they were going to be screwing small pieces of titanium over the cracks in her vertebrae, hopefully reinforcing them enough so they wouldn't be susceptible to any damage in the future. For her sake, I hoped it was going to work.

My mind was wrenched from my revere when someone tentatively rested their hand on my shoulder. I looked back met Yuna's sleepy bi-colored gaze. I tried to talk but my throat was dry from disuse. I swallowed a few times and cleared my throat before turning my attention back to her.

"Jaelynn just left," she said, stifling a yawn behind her hand. "She told me that Paine is being moved to a private room so she can start recovering. She said that she'll have a couple extra beds moved into Paine's room so we can stay with her."

I nodded, relieved that they were letting us stay. I had already made up my mind about staying with her so I was glad that I wasn't going to have to fight with the nurses. "Good," I replied, stretching my arms over my head and wincing as a couple of my ribs popped. "I could use a little sleep right about now."

"Jaelynn also gave me directions to Paine's room. Let's go now." Yuna wasted no time in waking her cousin up and relaying the same information to her. The whole time she was explaining what was going on the blonde Al Bhed was staring up at her with heavy eyes but was quick to follow us when we left the observation room.

This time around I kept pace with both girls as we made our way through the maze of white washed hallways. The prospect of having a bed to sleep in was the only thing propelling me forward. I knew Paine wasn't going to be awake for a while but I wanted to see her and be close to her. Looking at her from the other side of a thick pane of glass for over five hours and not being able to touch her was maddening.

We rode an elevator up to the top floor and came out in front of a nurse's station. The two women sitting behind the counter looked up at us as we walked past but paid us no mind. Yuna continued on down the hall and went into the last door on the left. It would be an extreme understatement to say I was relieved when I saw her. A thick blanket had taken the place of the thin sheet that had been covering her during surgery. And, just like Jaelynn had said, two beds were against the adjacent wall. It was a good thing that the room was so spacious or we wouldn't have been able to stay with her.

I staggered over to her bedside and kneeled down beside her then laid my head down on the mattress so our noses were practically touching. Her slow, rhythmic breathing almost put me to sleep right there but I forced myself to stay awake just a little bit longer. I kind of wished I could stay right where I was until she woke up but I didn't think I would be able to stay awake for much longer. I could feel my eyelids starting to slide shut of their own accord. So, before I fell asleep, I stood up and weaved my fingers into her soft hair then planted a kiss on the top of her head. Then I meandered over to one of the beds and collapsed into it, not even bothering to take off my shoes or even crawl under the blankets. Yuna and Rikku's whispers lulled me into a peaceful slumber, the feel of Paine's lips continuing to run circles in my mind.

(Paine)

Coming out of anesthesia was one of the weirdest things I had ever experienced. It seemed like I was flitting in and out of consciousness for what felt like days. Whenever I tried to make my eyes stay open it was like some unseen force was working against me. I couldn't stay awake for longer than a minute or two and during one of my waking periods I hardly had the strength to even open my eyes. By the fifth time around I was starting to get just a little agitated. I made sure to look at the small clock on my heart rate monitor and saw 9:43 a.m. staring back at me. I slipped back into unconscious a few seconds later.

The sixth time I woke up I stayed awake, much to my relief. I blinked my eyes in disbelief when I saw that it was almost noon. I huffed in indignation and pushed the call button on the rail of my bed. I was ravenous and hoped that I hadn't missed lunch. A few seconds later a nurse ran in and gasped in surprise when she saw me staring back at her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked like my life depended on it.

"Hungry," I replied, finally noticing how parched my throat was. I could see an IV bag hanging above me but ice water was sounding really good right about now. I spied a plastic cup with a lid and straw sitting on a tray out of my reach and my mouth immediately started watering.

"Lunch is going to be served in half an hour. You woke up just in time," she said, following my line of sight and bringing the cup close enough so I could take a drink. If I had been able to I would have given her a hug.

"When did my friends say they were going to be back?" I asked once I got enough to drink.

The nurse's eyes darted to the right which made me frown. "Well the two girls left not long ago. They said they were going to shower and change their clothes. There's a young man that's still sleeping over there," she said as she set the cup back on the tray.

My heart jumped into my throat at the nurse's words. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, he had been the one constantly at my side for the past week. I was relieved that he was here; at least I wouldn't be alone now. "Can you wake him up, please?"

The nurse was reluctant, but gave in after I asked her enough. Baralai was at my side less than thirty seconds later, sliding over in front of me and making the nurse gasp in fright. She scowled at the back of his head before leaving the room. Baralai kneeled on the floor beside my bed and laced his fingers gently through mine. I could tell by the way he kept blinking that he was still trying to wake up.

"Can you feel your legs?" He asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

My jaw went lax as the realization that I hadn't even tried to move them since I woke up hit me full in the face, leaving me dumbstruck. That was a very good question. So I tried wiggling my toes and gasped when they responded. I locked gazes with Baralai, my eyes bulging in their sockets, and he smiled at me, knowing the good news without me having to tell him. Remember how I thought his intuitive instincts were a bad thing? Just forget I ever said that.

When Yuna and Rikku returned Baralai found chairs for all three of them and they parked themselves at my bedside. Rikku then proceeded to drill me with question after question about the events leading up to my accident and the week I spent in the Ronso village. I filled them in on whatever I could remember, keeping away from the fact that during my time with the Ronsos they had thought I was dead. I wasn't ready to hear any of that yet, especially anything else about what Baralai had gone through.

When my lunch arrived I was mortified when the nurse told me that I was going to have to be spoon fed for the next few days. Of course it made sense but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. So when Baralai volunteered to feed me I felt like burying my head underneath my pillow. I started to protest but he silenced me with a rather effective glare before taking the tray from the nurse. The nurse, whose name was Cora, stood at the foot of my bed, analyzing Baralai's actions with a critical eye.

But once I caught the aroma of the food in the tray I suddenly didn't care who was feeding me.

"Okay, what do you want first?" He asked, looking at my choices. "You've got chicken noodle soup, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and chocolate pudding."

"Soup first, please," I replied, gingerly moving my head so he could reach my mouth easier.

His first couple attempts at transporting the soup to my mouth didn't end so well. He ended up getting more on my bed sheets than he got in my mouth. We laughed it off though and he put a napkin on the bed just in case he spilled more. Once his hand stopped shaking I actually got more than a few drops of broth at a time.

Not long after I finished eating the doctor that had performed my surgery – I think his name was Allbrook – came in to see how I was doing. After examining my sutures he dove into an extremely list of the things I could and couldn't do once I was released. I was going to have to wear a back brace for at least six months and any movements like twisting and bending over was out of the question. I wouldn't be able to drive for a while either. It's not like I would be able to anyways. My motorcycle was history. I could feel myself sinking farther and farther into the mattress as the list of restrictions got longer and longer. The next six months of my life were going to be a living hell.

The only thing that frightened me was being released and returning home. Either Yuna or Rikku was going to have to move in with me so I didn't end up killing myself. My eyes briefly settled on Baralai and the hope that he would want to stay with me passed through my mind.

The doctor went to leave then, telling me to get as much rest as possible and informing me that he would decide whether or not I would be able to go home at the end of the week. I groaned inwardly, feeling myself sink into the mattress even further. Living on hospital food for the next week was going to be torture and not being able to move very much was going to be even worse.

I had no idea how I was going to survive the next week. I wonder if Baralai likes board games… I thought with ire.

That week passed exactly how I thought it would. Even though Baralai managed to get his hands on a checker board, a deck of cards and a few assorted board games, the first couple days were still murder. Falling asleep by myself was almost impossible. I hardly ever slept on my stomach so I had fake being in pain so the nurses would give me medication to help me sleep. Even then I never felt rested enough. Whenever Baralai left to get himself something to eat I watched TV to keep myself occupied. Since he was spending so much time with me it felt weird to be alone. I had no idea how I was going to live by myself anymore. He'll just have to move in with you, my traitorous mind whispered to me.

I gasped and was grateful that Baralai was out on one of his sparse food quests. If he had been present he would have wanted to know what I was thinking. I tried to obliterate that thought from my mind but it wouldn't be silenced. The kiss we had shared before I went into surgery sprang up behind my eyes and made my cheeks get hot. Once again I thanked Shiva that Baralai wasn't here. I had been having very strange thoughts about him every since we had met and since I had kissed him they'd been popping up more and more frequently. I was getting to the point where I didn't want to push those thoughts away anymore; I was falling for him and my cautious side didn't like that one bit.

The next morning I was finally able to turn over onto my back and I was ecstatic. Once the nurses started moving me, though, it felt like one of them had stabbed me with a searing hot knife. I couldn't stop the cry of pain that burst out of my mouth. I fisted the bed sheets and bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from screaming anymore. I tasted copper on my tongue and grimaced. Baralai was immediately at my side, whispering calm reassurances in my ear. Once the pain had diminished to a dull throbbing I signaled for the nurses to give it another try. I tensed the muscles in my back and held my breath, biting back the barrage of screams that were trying to fight their way up my throat. It felt like hours had passed by the time I was finally on my back. I began to shake like the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped but it was really from the ripples of pain that were rolling off my back. I was mildly tempted to ask for some medication but decided not to; the pain had already begun to subside.

The next morning Dr. Allbrook came in and told me he wanted me to try and stand by myself. I shot Baralai a nervous sideways glance but he only smiled and squeezed my hand. I flexed my feet experimentally for what was possibly the millionth time then let Baralai help me sit up. I winced but endured the sharp flare that scorched a blazing path up and down my spine. I swung my legs off the bed without too much difficulty but as soon as I tried to stand my legs buckled. Baralai was standing on my left so he was able to catch me before I hit the floor.

"Alright, maybe we shouldn't try this yet," he said, already beginning to help me back to the bed.

"No, I need to do this," I replied, resisting sitting down. He met my eyes with a disapproving gaze and took a breath to say something but I quickly cut him off. "Don't argue with me. I'm doing this whether or not you want me to."

He sighed in defeat, his shoulders deflating only a fraction. Just when I thought he was going to continue to fight me he surprised me by relenting and helping me to regain my balance. Once I was steady he was reluctant to let go of me but relinquished his hold on my arm after I glared at him long enough. After he let go of me though I almost reached out and grabbed him. It really felt weird not to have full confidence in my legs. This must be what it feels like when a baby is learning to walk, I thought as I gingerly slid my right foot forward. I could feel Baralai's eyes on me, watching my every step with a hawk's gaze.

The doctor saw how hesitant I was being and came to stand in front of me, preventing me from going forward. "Don't try to do too much too fast. I never said I wanted to see you walk today, but if you think you can do it just remember to take it slow."

Have I mentioned how much I love Dr. Allbrook's voice? Well I wish I had a recording of it. Hs voice is just so soothing. If he would have chosen to be a salesman instead of a doctor he would probably be ten times as wealthy as he is right now. I really hated being here and the fact that I wasn't going to be able to leave for a few days yet was even worse, but having him as my doctor made all this bullshit mildly tolerable.

So, in the end, I decided to throw caution to the wind and be just a little bit daring. I had never been one of those girls that played it safe anyways.

I continued to slide my foot forward hesitantly, taking the doctor's advice seriously when I felt the muscles in my back spasm painfully. I took a deep breath and slowed down. I didn't feel like hurting myself even worse and spending even more time here than absolutely necessary. I was already going stir crazy and I had only been here for hour days. I was determined to be back home when the week was up but not so determined to risk injuring my back any further.

When I tried transferring my weight onto my left foot so I could take another step, my knees suddenly began to shake uncontrollably. The fingers of my right hand twitched as I began to reach out for Baralai but I stopped. Instead I took another deep breath and forced myself to take the next step. By the time I was ready to take my third step I was so exhausted I was almost out of breath. Every time I moved the muscles in my back would spasm, sending quick bursts of pain shooting up my spine. I ground my teeth together and squeezed my eyes shut as I finally reached for Baralai, my hand immediately finding his shoulder.

"Alright, I'm done," I said, pushing those words out from behind my teeth.

Both nurses, along with Baralai's help, guided me back to the bed. Once I was lying down I promptly asked for pain medication then tried in vain to block out the fact that my spine felt like a live wire while I waited for the nurse to come back. Baralai let me squeeze his hand the entire time.

Over the next three days a physical therapist visited me twice a day and made me do a bunch of different exercises to help strengthen my back. She also helped me practice walking at least once a day. Baralai managed to persuade me into doing my exercises when the therapist wasn't there, reminding me that I would be able to go home if I improved enough. His words kept me motivated. Dr. Allbrook continually praised my improvement, raising my hopes of being able to go home by the end of the week. It made me feel that all the work I had done was worth it.

On the sixth night, the night before my hopeful discharge, Baralai posed some questions to me that I hadn't been prepared for. I could tell he wanted to say something by the way he was looking at me, but every time it seemed like he was going to speak he looked down at his hands. After the fourth time he averted his eyes away from me I was starting to get aggravated.

"Baralai." He looked up at the sound of my voice, hesitantly meeting my eyes. "Whatever you want to say just say it. Your fidgeting is pissing me off."

He laughed at my bluntness then looked away again, his cheeks darkening. "I'm sorry. It's just that I have two questions I want to ask but I have no idea which one I should ask first."

I couldn't help him with that one. "Stop overanalyzing it. You should know me by now; if I don't like the question I won't answer it."

He laughed again and I suddenly realized how much I loved the sound of it. His smile was gorgeous; the contrast between his teeth and hair made it seem like his mouth was glowing, but I digress. "You're right," he replied, looking away from me again and chewing on his bottom lip as he gathered his thoughts. "Well, this is just a suggestion but I've been wondering if I could stay with you while you recover. After you get out of the hospital, that is."

For a second I thought I imagined what he said. Ever since the doctor told me that someone was going to have to live with me I had been hoping that Baralai would volunteer. Of course, I would never admit that to him or anyone else. I was just starting to realize that I did indeed feel something for him, but I didn't want to jump the gun and open my mouth before it was time. I just need to figure out when exactly that time is, I thought absent mindedly.

He must have taken my silence as a no because he launched into an explanation that almost sounded rehearsed. "I've already talked to Yuna and Rikku about it. Both of them said that I would be the best choice, even the nurses agree with them. They said there might be times when you'll need to be lifted or even carried and I know I'm strong enough to do that easily." He paused and rose from his chair, leaning over me with his face mere inches from mine. "To be honest, it's really not up to you anymore. I've already made the decision for you. I'm living with you whether you want me to or not."

I couldn't help the smile that crawled across my face. I was pleasantly surprised by his boldness. The fact that he was so insistent upon staying with me was impressing. I decided not to argue with him about it. "What's your next question then?" I asked, figuring this one would also require little action on my part. Boy, was I wrong.

"Before you went into surgery," he began, pausing for dramatic effect to swallow and lick his lips nervously. I knew right there that I wasn't going to like the rest of his question. In fact, I already knew what this certain question was going to be. Is it a bad thing that I was wishing, almost praying, for an interruption? "why did you kiss me?"

I was half a second away from blaming that minor slip in judgment on the drugs. That answer was perched on the end of my tongue, ready to jump out, but I knew that he deserved a better reason that that so I clamped my mouth shut. I racked my brain for any kind of believable excuse that I could come up with. Should I just tell him the truth? I wondered to myself silently. Do I even know the truth?

"Because I wanted to," I answered, pulling the only answer out of my head that made sense.

Once those words came out of my mouth I knew I had said the right thing just by watching Baralai's reaction. Our faces were close enough that I could discern even the smallest change in his expression, but even if he had been standing across the room I would have been able to see his face clear as day. It was like I had just granted a personal wish of his by the way his eyes lit up. I allowed myself to get lost in his eyes, totally forgetting that I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from back surgery. I never thought I would ever find someone with eyes more beautiful than my father's. And the fact that I was admitting that to myself was miraculous. All the things I was feeling about Baralai was evidence that I was finally getting over my ex.

So before I had the chance to talk myself out of it, I once again hooked my fingertips in the collar of his shirt and slowly pulled his face closer to mine. His breathing suddenly became shallow and ragged when our noses were a hairsbreadth away from touching. I watched as his eyelids slid shut, hiding his eyes from me. I breathed in slowly before closing the gap between us and brushing my lips against his with a feather's touch. He opened his eyes just a fraction, enough to see me, then smiled before pressing his lips fully against mine. As soon as our lips touched he sucked air sharply through his nose and captured my top lip in his mouth. I fought off the impulse to bury my fingers in his hair, but when I felt his warm hands on my face my self-control completely disappeared. My fingers immediately buried themselves in his hair and I was distracted momentarily at how soft it was. He grabbed my full attention once more when his tongue grazed across my teeth. I couldn't help the moan that escaped as I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth and gently kneaded it with my teeth.

I praised the fact that my mind wasn't loaded down with a bunch of drugs this time around. The kiss I gave him before was primarily for his benefit only because I had been so loopy that I barely knew that I had been kissing him. I vaguely remembered getting a kind of thrill out of it then but now was an entirely different story. Now I could feel exactly how soft his lips were. I could feel exactly how gentle he was being as his hands traveled across my face, through my hair and down my neck. The only thing I cared about at that moment was his lips, pliant, against mine and his hands on my face. Nothing else mattered.

That's when the interruption I had been praying for earlier arrived in the form of someone clearing their throat.

My face and throat immediately turned all the ungodly shades of red that I could think of as Baralai jumped away from me. My heart was thrumming like a hummingbird in my chest but as soon as I saw who was standing at the foot of my bed an overwhelming sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

It was Rikku and she was holding the hot pink camera that she carried with her everywhere she went. The evil grin that was plastered on her face told me everything I needed to know. There was going to be blackmail in my future, I just knew it.

"I suppose no amount of bribing would make you delete those pictures, right?" I asked, my heart sinking into my stomach. I already knew the answer to that but it never hurt to hope otherwise.

She shook her head and chuckled to herself. "Not a chance. These are too good to even consider deleting. I love you and all but I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Then she proceeded to happily skip out of the room, presumably to go find Yuna.

I scowled at the empty doorway and knew right then that I would have to take matters into my own hands. Even if it killed me I was going to get my hands on that camera and then I was going after her.

I heard Baralai chuckle and whipped my head around to glare at him. "She got us," he remarked, sitting down in his chair as he continued to laugh.

I huffed, not finding our situation funny in the least. Don't worry, Rikku, you'll get yours eventually, I thought, ideas of what I was going to do to her already running my head.