Chapter X
Unexpected
I woke up with a smile on my face the next morning. Baralai's strong arms were still wrapped around me and the sun streaming in through the window was warming the cool room. I grinned stupidly as I burrowed my face into his chest, kissing his skin as lightly as I could. I stiffened when he groaned and stretched his arms over his head, yawning loudly.
He smiled when he saw that I was awake and I relaxed. "Good morning," he murmured, kissing me ever so softly on the lips.
"Did I wake you?"
He shook his head as he yawned again. "No, but I wouldn't mind getting woken up by you every morning."
I chuckled and stuffed my face into the hollow of his neck to hide the blush that was creeping up my cheeks. I felt those damn butterflies in the pit of my stomach start their fidgeting again.
"As much as I hate to say it," he began, weaving his fingers through my hair. "we really should get up."
I sighed as I kissed his neck, smiling when I felt goose bumps pop up all over his shoulder and throat. "I know." I turned my head and reached behind me, trying to find something to cover myself with. My hand found his silk dress robe as I was sitting up so I quickly threw it around my shoulders.
I looked back at Baralai after I had fastened the front closed and frowned at the smile on his face. "What?" I asked, getting up and walking over to my bed.
"Nothing," he replied, sitting up as well and leaning against the wall. "I just never thought you would look so gorgeous in my clothes."
I smiled at him as I pulled my Warrior outfit out of my bag. "Then I guess I'll have to wear your clothes more often," I said as I sashayed into the front room to get dressed. I could feel his eyes on me until I disappeared from view.
Baralai was still in the process of getting dressed when I walked back in. I handed him his dress robe back. "I might as well go get fitted for my dress. I'm hoping it won't take long."
I turned and started to leave but Baralai's hand latched onto my wrist and he pulled me back to him. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Only when his lips met mine did I realize what he meant.
"Oh, how stupid of me," I replied once I had the use of my mouth back.
"Well you're forgiven," he said, kissing me softly once more before letting me leave.
This new feeling of belonging was definitely foreign to me. I never thought I would ever experience the kind of things I felt with Baralai. I knew that I couldn't say that I was in love with him because that was dangerous ground upon which I would not dare tread, but I knew there was something there that might one day turn into love.
I could definitely say that I was happy, happier than I had been in years, but I knew that it wouldn't last for very much longer even though I wished and wished it would last forever. Kind of ironic, huh? I find what I've been looking for but my past comes back to bite me in the ass. Who would've figured.
The inside of Wakka and Lulu's hut was like controlled chaos. A bug-eyed old man, who I assumed must be the tailor, was trying to get Wakka to cooperate with him while Tidus and Gippal stood there laughing; I heard even more commotion coming from the back room. I rolled my eyes and groaned under my breath, knowing that I had to go back there. Gippal waved to me and I waved back before begrudgingly walking into the back room.
I could hear Rikku arguing with somebody in Al Bhed before I even reached the room. She was saying something about how her measurements couldn't possibly be that big and that they were wrong. Yuna, who had gotten much better at understanding Al Bhed, told her blonde cousin many times to calm down. The third voice was arguing right back at Rikku even though I'm pretty sure they couldn't understand a word of what she was saying.
When I entered the room Lulu was standing against the back wall with her arms crossed, glaring disapprovingly at the back of Rikku's head and Yuna was standing next to the black mage with her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. Rikku was standing on a small stepping stool, glaring daggers down at the old, withered woman below her. The seamstress was holding a measuring tape in one hand and a pin cushion in the other.
Yuna's face, upon seeing me, became tremendously relieved and she shot me a pleading glance; I swear I could almost hear her thoughts because I was thinking the same exact thing.
I ground my teeth as Rikku's voice came dangerously close to breaking the sound barrier. "Alright Rikku!" I exclaimed, making sure my voice went over both of theirs. Both the blonde Al Bhed and the old seamstress stopped mid-scream and turned to stare at me. I crossed my arms as I walked towards them. "Why don't you let the poor lady do her job? I'm pretty sure she's stressed out enough without you making it worse." I saw the seamstress shoot me an apologetic glance out of the corner of my eye.
"But Paine she – "
"Yes, I know. She got your measurements wrong. I'm sure she did that just to spite you, Rikku. Now why don't you get down from there and go get yourself a drink of water." I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down from the stool, quickly escorting her out the door. Once she was all the way in the hallway I swiftly shut the door behind her, sighing in relief.
"Oh, that girl is so lucky!" The old seamstress said. "One more word and I would have stuck her right in the eye!" She pulled a rather long pin out of the cushion and held it in front of her face.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure all of us have imagined that at least once. You're not the only one."
Upon further investigation of Rikku's measurements we discovered that a few of the numerals had been off by just a fraction. So, in the end, Rikku's tantrum was justified because the seamstress' calculations made her dress one size bigger than it should have been. Oh, the nerve of that old bag.
Once my measurements had been taken I quickly left with promises to be back in a week. When I got back to the Lodge I was glad that I wouldn't be here for a while.
"So how did it go?" Baralai asked as soon as I walked back in.
"You don't want to know," I replied as I zipped my bag shut and slung it over my shoulder. "We're leaving."
"What's the rush?" He asked as we left the Lodge and headed towards the village exit.
"I don't want to be in the blast radius when Rikku goes nuclear," I said, activating my communicator. "Shinra?"
"Shinra here."
"It's Paine. Can you and Brother come pick Baralai and I up from Besaid?"
"No problem. We're in Djose right now. We'll be there in half an hour."
"Thank you, Shinra."
All I heard was his low chuckle before the connection was cut.
The walk to the beach was an awkward one. I stayed silent not because I didn't want to talk to Baralai but because I couldn't think of anything to say. And I definitely wasn't stupid enough to bring up the subject of what we had done the previous night and all the different positions we had done it in. Just the thought of it made a deep red blush creep onto my face. I was pretty surprised that we hadn't woken up the entire village.
Hmm...he can't hear my thoughts, but I wonder... I concentrated as hard as I could and pushed my mental barriers out to surround Baralai, focusing on only his mind. I had to catch myself from audibly gasping when his thoughts flooded my mind like a torrent being unleashed. I quickly pulled back and his thoughts immediately vanished. I continued walking through sheer force of will. What I had just done had shocked me so bad that I was scared to try it again...but it also fascinated me at the same time. I wanted to read his mind again, but I didn't. I knew that I was probably breaking some unspoken rule by invading his mind like that.
I shook it off, pushing the issue to the back of my head, when we arrived at the beach. I would have more time later to think about my newfound ability. You should tell Baralai about it. Maybe he can help you, my mind suggested. I instantly shunned that thought. My abilities, even though they may be extremely powerful and helpful, are something I'm not proud of. I've been using them so often because I have to. I have to be ready to face them and to do that I need to be in total control of it.
"I have an idea, Paine," Baralai said as he sat down in the soft sand. He grabbed my arm and unceremoniously plopped me into his lap.
"And what would that be?"
"Once we get back to Bevelle we need to have a training session of our own." He flicked a few particles of sand off my legs as he spoke.
I smiled as I toyed with a few strands of his downy hair. "Are you so sure you want to get your ass handed to you by a woman?"
"What makes you so sure that you'll beat me?" He inquired, a playful smile appearing on his face.
"Well, we did beat you pretty bad in the Bevelle Underground if I remember correctly."
"And if I remember correctly I was significantly outnumbered," he pointed out.
Damn, he's got me there. "You're still not going to beat me. Sitting behind that desk is making you soft."
Baralai started laughing and I couldn't help but join in, the sound of his laughter made my heart flutter. He leaned in and captured my lips in a brief kiss before helping me stand up. I was baffled by how easy kissing him had become. Before I had jumped whenever he touched me and now I was kissing him just as easily as Yuna kisses Tidus. You like it too much to stop now. I rolled my eyes, but knew that it was true.
The Celsius arrived a few moments later and we trudged into the cabin, looking to Barkeep and Darling for something to eat. They had never been known to disappoint. Darling set two large, steaming bowls of beef stew down in front of us and a large plate full of rolls fresh from the oven. She smiled at both of us, taking our words of praise in stride before returning to Barkeep's side.
I didn't know that I had been so hungry until I realized that my bowl was empty and, to my surprise, I was still hungry for more. Instead of getting Darling's attention, I gobbled down a few more rolls to wait for Baralai to finish his food.
While we were making our way back to the bridge Brother screeched over the intercom that we were over Bevelle. We wasted no time in grabbing our bags and departing.
"I'm still your secretary, right?" I asked as we made our way to his home.
"Only if you still want to do it," he replied.
"No, I think Idalia would like to do it much more than me." Baralai's eyes grew wide before he realized that I was joking. "Relax, Baralai. I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that to you."
I groaned inwardly when I saw said annoying priestess standing beside Baralai's front door. I heard him vocalize his dislike of her once again being on his doorstep. I thought the whole situation was really quite comical. I was pretty sure that more than half of the young priestesses had at least a small crush on Baralai. I was never one for jealousy and I definitely wasn't concerned.
"Praetor Baralai, Sir!" Idalia said, bowing respectfully when we stopped in front of her.
"Yes, Idalia, what can I do for you?" He replied as he handed me the key for the front door.
"A certain, um...matter came to the council's attention while you were away and they need you at once," she said, fiddling with the long sleeves of her robe as she spoke.
Baralai handed his bag to me after I had pushed the door open. "Take this in for me, please," he said, handing me his bag. "I promise I'll be back soon."
I nodded and began to turn away when he grabbed my wrist. I wasn't surprised in the least that he wanted a kiss but I didn't think that he would want to do something like that in front of Idalia. Oh well... I placed my hand on his cheek as his lips met mine. The kiss was brief but it lasted long enough to make my heart start pounding. Once he broke away I only got a fleeting glance of Idalia's face but it was long enough that I could see she was extremely shocked by our exchange.
I watched them walk away with a satisfied smirk on my face, Idalia looking back in my direction every few seconds, before I went inside and closed the door. After placing both our bags on Baralai's large bed I grabbed my sweats and tank top and ventured off to take a much needed shower. The shower was warm and relaxing so I took my sweet time getting out. The only shampoo that was in there smelled exactly like Baralai's cologne but I didn't mind one bit. I would take my time buying my own. I didn't mind smelling like him at all.
When I got out I was surprised to find that Baralai was already back from his meeting with the council. He was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands so I guessed that the meeting hadn't gone so well.
"Baralai?" I took a few tentative steps into the room, not wanting to startle him.
"I need a few minutes, Paine," he mumbled, not moving. "Just...give me a few minutes."
I nodded and left the office, closing the door behind me. I stood out in the hallway with my arms crossed over my chest, puzzled by his drastic change in attitude. What happened at that meeting to make him act like this? What did they tell him? One corner of my mouth curled up when I realized how I could find out, but I shook my head. I was still reluctant to try it again.
I sighed and trudged back into Baralai's room, resisting temptation the whole way. Now that I had the resources to find out what was bothering him it was hard to resist holding myself back from using it. I threw myself onto the bed and propped my head in my hands, deciding to just play it safe and wait until he was ready to tell me.
A few minutes later I felt him get up and walk out of his office, stopping briefly in the doorway before coming all the way inside. He walked by the bed and changed out of his Praetor robe, quickly throwing on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He laid down on his back next to me and sighed heavily, dragging his hands down his face in frustration.
"Is it safe to assume that your meeting didn't go very well?" I asked, turning towards him.
He chuckled under his breath. "That would be an understatement," he mumbled. His jaw was tense as he spoke. I remained silent though. I knew he was going to tell me but I didn't want to make him feel pressured. The poor guy's hair was already white enough. He sighed heavily once again and inclined his head towards mine, staring deeply into my eyes. "The council isn't going to allow you to be my secretary after all."
I cocked one eyebrow. "Oh, really? Not very surprising, but why?"
"They think that someone in the priesthood should be the one to be my secretary. They made some rather demeaning comments about your stature as a Gullwing and they weren't too happy when I defended you."
"Huh," I mumbled, absently playing with a strand of his hair. "Who do they want to be your aide?" I already had a pretty good idea about who it was but I still had to ask.
Baralai rolled his eyes and groaned. "Idalia," he grunted, a small pout forming on his bottom lip.
I couldn't hold back my bark of laughter. "I knew I saw that one coming," I remarked, still laughing. I cleared my throat and put on a serious face. "If you want I can always come in when she's with you so I can scare her away." A naughty thought popped into my head just then but I decided to keep it to myself.
Even though I could tell he didn't want to, he smiled at my comment. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad then."
We laid in companionable silence for many long moments, I didn't bring of up the subject of when she was going to take over and he didn't delve into the details of the meeting. Either he would volunteer the information or I would causally bring it up later on. I chuckled to myself. Boy, am I getting way to comfortable or what?
I wished that was exactly what I could do, just lay back and relax and let time pass me by like I had an unlimited supply of it. I wish I didn't have The Invisible looming over my shoulder. Why can't I have a normal life like everybody else? Is it really so much to ask for? Haven't I had my share of hardships?
Baralai suddenly jumped off the bed and I frowned as I watched him walk into his closet, coming out seconds later wearing a pair of running shoes and carrying his dual edged rod over his shoulder. I smirked as I realized what he was doing. I rolled off the bed, grabbed my sword from where it was lying next to my bag and followed him out into his spacious back yard, not caring that I wasn't wearing anything on my feet. There was nothing in it except a lot of grass and a good amount of trees. It actually looked more like a forest than a backyard.
"I think it would be a good idea if we trained together. You're right, office life is starting to make me soft," he said, expertly twirling his rod about his head like it was an extension of his arm.
"Think you can keep up?" I replied, widening my stance a small amount.
"I might be able to hold my own." A small smile curled up the corners of his lips as he readied himself, his eyes narrowing slightly.
We stood there staring at each other for a few seconds, sizing the other up with only our eyes. I took a deep breath and pushed my mental barriers out as far as they would go, deciding to use my abilities as a small advantage. Not cheating, I reminded myself. I need to do this to prepare myself for later. All I'll be doing is feeling when and how he's going to attack.
We both lunged forward in the same instant, our weapons clanging together loudly. I jumped back and quickly parried his jab then blocking as he swung the other end around to try and take me off my feet. I fell into a more defensive than offensive position and let him attack me. I closed my eyes, relying only on my feelings and found that I could just as easily block his every blow like I had my eyes open. I fell into a sort of trance and didn't even have to try to block him. Every time he reached forward with his weapon my sword was there to meet his rod. It was almost like I wasn't even moving at all. My muscles weren't crying out in protest and my head wasn't throbbing from the exertion of using my powers.
It felt like we had only been sparring for a short amount of time but I felt his strength begin to wane and his movements become more sluggish. I snapped my eyes back open and twisted his rod out of his hands, slamming my foot down on top of it to prevent him from grabbing it again. I let my eyes come back into focus, taking in Baralai's appearance since the beginning of our match. His shirt was soaked with sweat and his breathing was heavy while mine was still as even as it had been when we were talking inside, which puzzled me. I should have been just as exhausted as him with a lovely little headache to add onto it, but I wasn't. I lifted my foot off of his rod and picked it up off the ground, handing it to him.
"How did you do that?" He asked with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" I replied, deciding to play dumb.
"Fight with your eyes closed!" He exclaimed, still breathless. "How were you able to do that and still move so fast?"
I chuckled and tapped the side of my head. "I know that it probably counts as cheating but I still had to try it out."
"Were you reading my mind?" He asked, leaning against his rod.
I shook my head. "No, it's more like I could feel what you were going to do." I left out the part about how I really could read his mind if I wanted to.
"Let's see if you can do it again," he said, lifting his weapon off the ground and widening his stance.
"Hit me with your best shot," I said, a smirk playing on my lips.
I closed my eyes again and this time waited for him to make the first move. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly as I awaited his initial attack and almost yelped in surprise when, after he took a few steps to his right, my body automatically sprang forward. I could tell that he was surprised by my sudden action as well, the resounding clang of our weapons made me breathe a sigh of relief. Since my attack was so sudden I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to block me in time. I had to remind myself to stay in the defensive. With my advantage I didn't want to end up hurting him.
Once I had settled into my trance I found that, if I so chose, I could take advantage of the holes in his defense and throw in a few feints. I decided to stick to the defensive for now. I could practice offense with the Warrior Monks later.
I could tell that we had been going for longer than before when even I started to get tired. Well you aren't invincible. Baralai was getting winded as well. His attacks weren't as powerful and his breathing was raspy. I quickly disarmed him the same way I had before then snaked my way behind him and pressed my sword up against his throat. I pressed myself up against his back and wrapped my unoccupied left arm around his stomach. We stood there in silence for a few moments, the only sound to be heard was our heavy breathing.
"You're rather out of practice," I whispered into his ear. "It's surprising that you're body still looks the way it does."
"Well then stress is a very good workout," he replied, reaching his hand up to wrap around mine.
I let my sword fall from where it was pressed against his neck and stuck it into the earth next to us. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand and plopped myself down in the grass. The coolness was a refreshment to my heated skin and it was so comfortable that I was tempted to fall asleep right there. Baralai chuckled at my antic and joined me on the ground. I rolled onto my side to face him, a question that I had been meaning to ask him burning a hole in my mind.
"The other night... Was that your first time?" I asked, butterflies dancing in my stomach as I forced those words out.
"Yes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. What about you?" He questioned, caressing my cheek with his fingertips.
"The same," I replied. "It's funny though. You didn't perform like that was your first time."
"I could say the same thing about you," he said, one corner of his curled upward.
I chuckled and scratched the back of my neck, unsure of how to continue. I'm quite sure that he didn't need a reminder of last night because I know I sure didn't. Everything about it had been permanently burned into my memory; it was one of the few things I never wanted to forget.
"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly.
"Now that you mention it I could probably eat a whole chocobo right now."
He helped me up and held my hand as he led me through the house towards the kitchen, the feeling of his hand in mine making an odd feeling of déjà vu pass over me. For a man he had quite a wide variety of food, more than I ever would have thought. I hadn't inspected the pantry very closely those few days ago and it was probably a good thing I hadn't. I would have had quite the shock.
I stood back and let him gather everything himself. It was his kitchen after all. If he needed my help I know he would ask for it. He had a miniature wine rack sitting next to the fridge so I took it upon myself to grab a bottle of red wine and pour us each a glass. He smiled when I offered him his glass and gave me a brief but lingering kiss before returning to preparing dinner.
I wandered into the dining room and set my glass down on the large table. A large black book propped up on a decorative end table caught my eye and I couldn't help but go see what it was. I hefted the book up into my arms, surprised by how heavy it was, and sat down at the table with it. A large smile spread across my face when I opened it. It was a picture album.
The first picture that caught my eye was of a small white haired boy, hugging a plush chocobo in his sleep. His unruly mane of powdery hair was sticking up every which way making it look like he had stuck his finger into a light socket. I chuckled at how adorable he looked and was glad that part of him hadn't changed a bit since he was a baby. My mind pricked as I stared at the picture and the same feeling of déjà vu came over me. I frowned, unsure of what to make of it.
The next picture that caught my attention was of Baralai and an older sandy haired boy that I assumed was his brother Artim. They could have passed for identical twins. Baralai may have been born in Bevelle but I knew that his parents must have been from either Kilika or Besaid. My thoughts were confirmed when I flipped the page and spied a family portrait.
When I saw Baralai's father my eyes widened in shock. He was an exact copy of his father. It's obvious where he got his good looks from. Baralai's mother had lighter olive colored skin and bright golden hair. She was sitting, holding both small children in her lap while her husband stood with his arm encircling her shoulders. My eyes twitched as I stared at the photo. They look so familiar. Where do I know them from? How do I know them? This déjà vu feeling is really starting to irk me.
"Alessandra and Damon." I jumped at the sound of Baralai's voice inches away from my ear. I looked at him with a confused expression and he laughed. "My parent's names."
"Oh," I replied, staring back down at the picture. Even those names sound familiar. "They're gorgeous. Are they still alive?"
He nodded and pulled a chair closer to me before sitting down. "They are. They retired when Lady Yuna brought The Eternal Calm and have been living on Kilika Island ever since."
"Whenever we get the chance to, I'd like to meet them," I said, smiling at him.
He smiled back and gently kissed my cheek. "Would you like to spend a few days there before Sir Tidus and Lady Yuna's wedding?"
"Hmm," I mumbled, thumbing through a few more pages of pictures as I thought. "Are you sure it would be alright?"
"Of course. I can call them tomorrow to let them know I'm going to visit."
"That's not what I meant. Are you sure you're going to be able to leave Bevelle again? I'm pretty sure the council is getting annoyed with all this time off you're taking."
"Don't worry about them," he said. "I'll take care of it."
He then proceeded to illustrate a number of the pictures. I could tell that both Baralai and Artim had been loved deeply by both of their parents even though their work at the temple had kept them so busy. A small part of me was jealous that Baralai still had both of his parents. I would give anything to have mine back.
My eyes almost popped out of my skull when I saw a picture of an eight or nine year old Baralai hugging a younger girl with long, silky black hair and icy blue eyes. The little girl had a large, glowing smile on her face as she hugged the white haired boy back. The background of the picture was the park located next to the Bevelle Elementary School.
The little black haired girl in the picture was me.
