Chapter XIII
Three Little Words
Kilika, since I had last seen it, had grown considerably. It had only been a month since Vegnagun had been destroyed and the hostility that had Spira's political groups at each other's necks had been resolved, but the village had expanded to almost twice its original size. Both New Yevon and the Youth League had come together to make the small island town better for its inhabitants and better it most definitely was.
The air was buzzing with excitement and I didn't have to read any of the islanders minds to find out what all the fuss was about. Word about High Summoner Yuna's wedding had spread like wildfire and I, being one of her comrades, was bombarded with questions as soon as I was seen, which caused almost the whole village population to crowd around Baralai and I.
Was the High Summoner getting married in Bevelle? Did they have to buy a ticket to watch? Were they even allowed to be at the wedding? What were her wedding colors going to be? Was I going to be one of her bridesmaids? It felt like I was being questioned by the paparazzi and not by a bunch of curious islanders.
"Hey!" I yelled over everyone's voices and was stunned when they all shut up at once, not wanting to miss anything of what I was saying. Adult and child alike were hanging their heads down from the boardwalks above me, intent on hearing everything. "No, Yuna is not getting married in Bevelle and she doesn't want a public event made out of it." I purposefully didn't answer any more of the villager's questions. I was already irritated enough. "Now, if you don't mind, get out of my way."
A few seconds passed before the large group reluctantly parted to let us through. I could tell almost all of them had even more questions but they knew better than to ask. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when the crowd finally disbanded, returning to their own business.
Baralai's parents weren't at all poor. They had made very good money while they had worked for the temples and were now living off of their retirement. Their home was near the jungle; it was a quaint wooden hut that overlooked the ocean and, in the mornings, would probably have a gorgeous view of the sunrise. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I stared at it. This is the kind of house I would want, I thought.
Baralai squeezed my hand reassuringly before shoving back the large blue curtain that acted as a door. The inside of the hut was much bigger than I had first anticipated and I stood in the doorway, gaping at the beauty of Baralai's parent's home.
The front room was immense and had a comfortable looking sitting area that was lower than the rest of the floor; colorful pillows, big and small, were piled around an ornately carved table. A large bay window in the back let in most of the sunlight and, once the sun had set, there were various torches, candles and even a large fireplace to provide light once it was dark.
"Is that you, Baralai?" I heard a soft voice call from a room upstairs.
"Yes, Mom, it's me," he replied and a few seconds later Alessandra was standing at the top of the small staircase, smiling down at him.
I gasped slightly as I looked at her. The picture in Baralai's photo album didn't do her one bit of justice, even though that picture had been taken when Baralai was a small child. If anything she looked even more beautiful than what I remembered. Her long golden hair still held the same silky shine, not a trace of gray to be found anywhere. The only things that were noticeably different were the lines in the corners of her eyes and mouth were a little more defined. Besides that she looked like she hadn't aged a day. She probably had Baralai and Artim while she was young, my mind reasoned.
Alessandra practically danced down the stairs and wrapped her lithe arms lovingly around her son, embracing him tightly. She pulled back a few moments later and placed both her hands gently on his face. "Oh, Baralai, it's so good to see you. It seems like its been forever since the last time you visited."
"I know and I'm sorry," he said, taking her hands in his; their skin contrasting like day to night. "My work as Praetor has kept me busier than I thought."
"It's alright. Your father and I are very proud of you." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Speaking of which, where is Dad?" Baralai asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he looked around the large front room.
"A few of the priests needed his help with something at the temple. He'll be back soon." Her eyes met mine for the first time since we had arrived and, after examining me for a few seconds, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She moved away from Baralai and came to stand in front of me, eying me carefully like I was a piece of priceless art. Her eyes widened briefly then narrowed to tiny slits. "...Aria?"
I was so shocked I took an involuntary step back. She had recognized me right away, the exact thing I had been afraid of. I risked a quick glance at Baralai and he was staring at the back of her head with a flabbergasted expression. I was quite surprised as well. Baralai and I had been so close when we were children that we had been practically joined at the hip and he hadn't even recognized me until I had blatantly pointed it out to him. Alessandra had only looked at me for a few seconds and she knew who I was automatically. I'll have to point that out to him when we're alone, I thought, storing that information away for later.
"Aria, what happened to you? I've been so worried about you," she whispered, wrapping her hands tightly around my forearms and looking dangerously close to crying.
"It's...a long story," I replied, wondering whether or not if I should tell her what I told Baralai.
"You can tell me once you two are settled in. Follow me," she said, reaching over to her son and taking his hand before leading us up the stairs.
The room she showed us was even bigger than the living room, if such a thing was even possible. The bed itself was humongous, with a large canopy of bug netting surrounding it. There was another blue curtain in the wall adjacent to the bed that I assumed led out onto a balcony. The floor was polished wood covered by many colorful rugs. There was a small sitting area similar to the one in the living room set in the far corner of the room. It was a very cozy looking and I knew for a fact that it would be hard for me to leave once it was time for us to return to Besaid.
"Our bathroom is across the hall," Baralai said, placing his bag next to the dresser.
I placed mine next to his and went to sit in one of the large cushions, sighing to myself at how comfortable it was. Baralai joined me and we sat in silence for quite a while before he spoke up.
"I have to offer you an apology, Paine," he said, his voice low.
"Why?" I asked, frowning as I turned to look at him.
He sighed deeply and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "As soon as my mother saw you she instantly knew who you were." He paused and stared at his hands. "I've known you for the past three years and I didn't even recognize you until you said something. I'm sorry."
Against my better judgment I reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. I opened my mouth to speak but instead yelped in surprise when Baralai yanked me into his lap. Our lips brushed together lightly and I quickly looked away from him as my cheeks flared a bright red.
"It's alright," I said, breaking the silence. "You shouldn't feel guilty about it."
"I know, but I can't help it," he murmured, tracing the lines and contours of my face with the pads of his fingers.
I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand, savoring his touch and committing it to my memory. I was going to follow Gwen's advice, part of it anyways. I was going to enjoy the time that I had left with him and, when the time came for me to leave him, I hope I would be able to do it. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, my mind reassured me.
I jumped when his lips brushed against mine again but I quickly returned the favor before he could pull away and before I lost my nerve. His strong hands tightened around my waist, pulling me closer to him as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving fluidly against mine. I knew in the back of my mind that kissing him was only making our whole screwed up situation worse, but I didn't care. I loved kissing him. His lips were so soft and fit so perfectly against mine, like we were a pair of perfectly fitting puzzle pieces.
We broke apart and gazed into each other's eyes as our breathing slowed. I wish I knew what he was thinking! The temptation to read his mind was so great that I almost gave in. It was so hard, dammit. I wouldn't even have to think about it. All I would have to do is extend my consciousness out a few inches and...no! I won't! I breathed in slowly through my nose and snaked my hand around behind his head, pushing him forward until our lips met again. I needed a distraction bad and kissing him some more was an alluring enough prospect.
A muffled moan reverberated in his chest as I grazed my tongue over his lips. A hungry frenzy consumed my mind and I knew that, even though I had already severely crossed the invisible boundaries I had already established for myself, I wouldn't be able to stop. I liked it, no, loved it way too much to even consider stopping now. Like he was unconsciously answering me, Baralai wrapped his hand around the back of my head and weaved his fingers through my hair, effectively keeping me in place.
I, once again, for the second time in less than four days, found myself straddling him. This little occurrence should have unnerved me for I remember where and how we had ended up the last time that we had been in this position. I wanted to stop myself before our situation got out of hand but, then again, I wanted nothing more than to keep going. To keep touching him, to keep kissing his lips and for him to keep kissing me.
Then, as Baralai ran his hand down my neck and across my collarbone and as I weaved my fingers through his soft hair, my sub-conscious mind revealed a shocking revelation to me.
I did love Baralai. I truly loved him and it scared me to death.
Alessandra called us down for dinner a few minutes later and we discovered that Damon, Baralai's father, had returned from the temple while we had been upstairs. It still blew me away how similar Baralai and his father looked. They could have easily passed for twins if Damon was just a little younger.
I had not known Damon as well as I had known Alessandra when I was growing up. Her temple duties had been rather lax and it had been easier for her to get time off to spend with her children. Damon had interacted with me on a few occasions, though, and as I look back at those memories, I realize that little girls were a foreign thing to him since he was a father of only boys. I had just thought he was shy.
Damon smiled widely as he embraced Baralai while I waited silently next to the staircase. I was pretty sure that Alessandra had told her husband about me already. Without missing a beat, Damon's dark brown eyes that were oh so familiar found my crimson ones and he beckoned me forward, the same smile still gracing his face.
He drew me into his arms as well and I awkwardly returned the embrace. He examined my face just as Alessandra had. "You've changed quite a bit, Aria."
I nodded. "I've been through a lot these past few years."
"You'll have to tell us the story over dinner," he said, leading me toward a beautiful table made of mahogany wood set in front of the large bay window I had seen earlier.
"Only if you want to, dear," Alessandra added as we took our seats around the table.
Alessandra had certainly outdone herself while she was preparing our dinner. It mainly consisted of fruits, vegetables, dried strips of meat and fish that had been cooked over an open flame; a true islander's diet. The first subject that Alessandra brought up was the one I was hoping she would save for last or not bring up at all.
"What really happened to your parents, Aria? We only know what the temples have told us," she began. I sighed inwardly at the repeated use of my former name. It caused me great pain to hear it spoken and reopened age old wounds that had already scarred over, but I didn't have the heart to correct them.
I hung my head and thoughtfully chewed on a piece of dried meat, thinking about how I was going to correctly word my answer. Baralai took my silence as a refusal to answer.
"Mom – " He started to object.
"No, it's alright," I said, cutting him off. "They deserve the truth too." I shot a meaningful glance at Baralai and he nodded. "When I turned ten my parents were murdered." I left it at that.
Alessandra's eyes became wide and right when she was about to speak her husband snarled under his breath. I whipped my head around to look at him and frowned when I saw his eyes closed, his head slowly moving from side to side like he was in a trance.
"I knew it," he whispered. "I knew it. Do you believe me now?" He questioned, addressing his wife. "I knew it was those cursed assassins of Mika's!"
I gaped at Damon in shocked surprise. The Invisible had been one of Yevon's most heavily guarded secrets on top of Vegnagun. How then did he know about them? Damon's eyes met mine and I could tell he knew what I was thinking.
"My assumptions have never been confirmed until now. I didn't truly know if Mika's fabled elite assassins were real or not, but now that you're here I know that I was right."
My eyebrows twitched but only slightly. "How so?"
"Mike and the rest of the Maesters, except your father of course, told everyone that all of you had moved to Besaid to assist in the training of the young Lady Yuna. Only a few of the priests and acolytes believed it. The rest of us suspected foul play. A few days later I sent a letter to the high priest of Besaid Temple inquiring about the young apprentice's status so far and also about you and your family's health. I really started to become suspicious when the letter I received back said that none of you were there in Besaid. Everyone had known about your father's views, Aria," Damon said, his dark eyes softening when he mentioned my father.
I nodded my understanding, glad that he hadn't spoken my father's name. "You're right. The Invisible do exist. That's where I was being held for the six years after they murdered my parents until I managed to escape." I paused and swallowed to wet my throat. "Which is why I look so different."
Baralai's parents nodded their heads gravely. I suspected they knew much more about The Invisible than they were letting on. I was going to have to question Alessandra about it later.
"If I remember correctly," she began, staring at her lap. "then you don't have much time left." She looked up at me and I nodded my head once, my throat constricting painfully. I hated reminding myself about it and it only made it sound worse coming from Baralai's mother. "Isn't there some way...?" She asked, desperation in her voice.
"No," I replied, looking at Baralai as I spoke. "I'll be theirs on or before my nineteenth birthday. Nothing will stop them from reclaiming me."
Hopelessness flashed through Baralai's eyes but was gone quicker than it appeared. He averted his eyes away from mine, staring down at his plate. My insides clenched together roughly as I examined his pained expression. Leaving him is going to be much harder than I thought...
Alessandra was still staring at her lap when I looked at her. Her eyes, normally so bright, were dark with thought. Then, like a switch had been flipped, she snapped her head up and smiled at both myself and her son.
"Let's not dwell on this," she said, the light returning to her eyes. "Both of you are here now. That's all that matters."
Dinner passed pleasantly enough and, afterwards, I helped Alessandra clean up while Baralai and Damon caught up with each other in the living room.
"I'm sorry about everything you were forced to go through, Aria," she said as she slowly scrubbed the dishes. "If there was some way I could have saved you..." She trailed off and sighed heavily, her strong shoulders sagging.
"It's not your fault," I replied softly from my place next to her as I helped rinse off and dry the dishes. I sighed to myself, wanting to go on but not knowing what else to say.
"I was so worried about you for so long," she said, not giving me a chance to say anything. "I prayed every night, begging Yevon for a sign that you were alive and safe somewhere; hoping that whatever fate had befallen your parents you had not shared in it." She paused and looked at me, a wide smile on her face. "I never gave up hope. I knew that you were still alive, but Baralai..." She paused once more and a deep sadness enveloped her face for a few seconds before she masked it. "He was so distraught over it for a very long time. For a while I thought he would never recover from it. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if your parents had never been murdered."
I nodded and absently dried a few of the dishes then placed them on a towel next to the sink. "I've wondered about the same thing. I would have liked to get to know my parents better. I...would probably give anything to see them again."
"They shouldn't have been taken away from you so early. What Mika did was very wrong. The Invisible need to be stopped...permanently. That much is certain."
The two of us were silent for many moments and I knew that Alessandra was right. The only way they can be stopped is by destroying every last one of them. That's what I have to do. I have to be the one to stop them. I'm the only one that can. I looked over my shoulder at Baralai for a few seconds before turning back around. I could very well die if I take on all of them by myself. I can't tell Baralai. As much as that thought hurt it was true. If he knew what I was planning he would try to stop me. The less he knows the better.
"Alessandra," I said once the silence had become deafening. "You and Damon know much more about The Invisible than you let on, don't you?"
She pursed her lips before nodding once. "Damon and I devoted two years to the research of Mika's elite assassins. In that time we learned a great deal of information about them."
There was only one question burning in the back of my mind and, even though there was no chance that she could know the answer, I just had to ask. "Is there someway...for me to go back to the way I used to look?"
"I don't know," she answered, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. "We found out about the changes every member goes through but whether or not they can ever get their original eye color back still remains a mystery. I wish I had more answers for you."
"Yeah, me too. It's alright though," I said, not really wanting to talk about it anymore.
We continued cleaning up in silence and I jumped in fright when Baralai came up behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back. He smiled apologetically. "Are you tired?" He asked, wrapping his arm around me more securely.
"A little," I replied as I grabbed my gloves off the counter.
"We'll have a lot of time to talk in the morning, Aria. It's late. Go get some sleep," Alessandra said, gathering me in her arms for a good night hug before turning to Baralai and doing to same.
Damon was waiting for us by the staircase and gave both of us a hug and brief kiss on the cheek. "The priests have requested my presence again tomorrow and I was wondering if you would join me," he said, addressing his son. I stood in awe of how fluid his voice sounded. Baralai's resembled his father's, but only vaguely.
"Of course, I would feel honored," he replied, smiling at his father. Baralai turned to me and placed his mouth next to my ear, making an involuntary shiver shoot down my spine as his warm breath blew across my neck. "I'll be up in a minute."
I was confused by his words and wondered silently what he was going to do but quickly dismissed it as I climbed the stairs, figuring I would find out once he joined me. I got to work lighting the torches and candles that were placed in our room as soon as I entered; I didn't need to use a match to get the job done. Once there was enough light to see by I tied back the large blue curtain that led out to the balcony and walked outside, breathing in the salty night air and letting myself relax.
I turned to look at Baralai as he walked in the room a few moments later, a small smirk turning up the corners of my mouth when I saw what he was carrying: a bottle of wine and two crystal glasses. He planted a lingering kiss on my cheek after joining me out on the balcony.
"What's the occasion?" I asked, folding my arms over my stomach.
He smiled as he poured us each a glass. "Nothing special really."
I took the glass that he handed to me and we stood there looking at the stars, just enjoying each other's company. The wine definitely helped me relax but by no means made me feel drunk. It would take a lot more wine to do that.
"A few questions, Paine," he said, setting his glass down on the wooden railing in front of him.
I looked at him, my silent cue for him to keep going. I was almost a hundred percent sure which one was going to come out first. Great, now I'm becoming a psychic, I thought, a wry smile making the corners of my mouth twitch. Only where Baralai is concerned though. A partial scowl replaced the smirk and I was instantly wondering where the hell that thought came from.
"Why didn't you stop my parents from calling you Aria?"
I stared into my glass for a few seconds, wondering that myself. "I don't really know." I took a sip of my wine, trying to come up with a better answer because I know that one would leave him far from satisfied. "But I do know that your parents don't need to know everything."
My eyes met his once more and I was relieved when he nodded, accepting my answer. "I was hoping they would have some information that would be useful to us, but my father couldn't answer any of my questions." He gulped the rest of his wine then refilled his glass.
"What kind of questions did you ask?" I downed the rest of my wine as well and he gladly refilled my glass.
"Nothing of consequence," he replied, taking another large drink of his wine. "I just wanted to find out what he knew."
His answer made the corners of my eyes twitch slightly. He wasn't telling me the whole truth and I instantly began to wonder exactly what he was going to be doing with his father at the temple in the morning. Something's going on here... I was about to voice my accusation but I held my tongue at the last second. If he wanted to tell me he would. If I wanted I could just read his thoughts and figure out what was going on that way, but I didn't want to do that to him because I loved him.
"Thank you," I said suddenly, the words rushing out of my mouth so fast it took me a few seconds to realize exactly why I had said it.
Baralai sent a thoughtful glance my way and moved closer to me. "For what?"
"For..." I paused briefly, trying to find the right words. "...everything." I stopped, at a loss for anything else to say. I had no idea where I was going with this and I turned my face away from him to prevent him from seeing my cheeks redden with embarrassment.
"Like what?" He asked, pressing the subject.
I racked my brain for a few seconds and almost sighed in relief when I thought of something relevant enough to pass for a reason. "Just for sticking by me like you have. You didn't have to but you did anyways and I really appreciate that."
"You're welcome," he said with a smile. "You don't need to thank me though. I do it because I love you."
My cheeks reddened a little more at his confession and I felt a minuscule fluttering in my stomach. Once my cheeks had returned to their normal shade I turned back to look at him and, as I gazed into his eyes, I knew he meant every word. This man would walk through purgatory for me and I would even go as far as to say that he would give his life for me. All those thoughts suddenly felt so right. I loved him too and I would gladly do the same for him.
Then, without any inhibitions or hesitations, I closed the gap between us and willingly pressed my lips against his. I knew at that moment that I wouldn't have to say anything for him to know that I loved him. Willingly and eagerly falling into his arms was good enough for him. And that's good because it's going to take a while for me to confess it to his face, I thought as he ran his hands over my hips and up my sides.
With our wine forgotten on the railing he began to steer us back inside, allowing the curtain to fall shut behind him. I was vaguely aware of him expertly unbuckling my outfit as I was undoing his robe. I decided to speak up once we were both half naked and before the rest of my self-control was lost.
"Baralai, I'm not so sure we should do this here," I rasped, my skin tingling where ever he touched me.
"And why is that?" He whispered as he nibbled on my neck, continuing to strip the skin tight leather from my body.
A slight moan escaped my lips and I was almost undone. "Both you and I know that neither of us are silent love makers and I really don't want your parents hearing us." I gripped his chest as he began sucking on the skin in the hollow of my throat.
"Then I suppose we're going to have to be quiet," he purred, his fingers flying across the buckles on my pants.
I could feel his growing need for me as my hands worked on undoing his pants and his chest vibrated in a throaty groan as I brushed up against him. A grin crawled across my face as I realized that I liked the sound of that but, before I could take my evil intentions any further, I was already naked and he was throwing the rest of his clothes away from him like they were red hot.
Time seemed to slow down once we were standing there together with nothing in the way and nothing to hold us back. I wanted to look at him and really take him in, really look at him. We had been so consumed with our desire that night on Besaid we barely stopped to breathe let alone examine each other's bodies, something I wish I could have done. Now I didn't even want to look away from his face and break my eyes away from his. I probably would have been content to gaze into his eyes for the rest of the night but once his lips pressed against mine and he pulled me into his embrace I suddenly remembered how much I wanted him.
His hands clutched at and kneaded my flesh as they traveled over every inch of my chest and back, his hot tongue curling around mine. His touch was rough yet gentle, lustful yet loving all at the same time. Each soft caress and lingering kiss I committed to my memory, not taking one second for granted. I knew, all too well, that my time with him was limited and I was determined to make this night one that both of us would remember for the rest of our lives.
Before I knew what had happened we were tangled together on the bed, his hungry mouth roving all over my chest and neck. A strangled moan escaped from between our joined lips as he slid inside me almost effortlessly. He growled and grabbed my hips, slamming his pelvis into mine, making me moan even louder.
"Yevon, you're amazing," he whispered as he continued thrusting.
Later, as we lay there panting, our sweat slick bodies cooling in the night air, I allowed a small smile to crawl onto my face. So...this is love.
Baralai took a deep breath and exhaled slowly then rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around me. "I love you, Paine."
I rolled towards him and wrapped my arms around him as well, resting my head against his chest. I bit down on my tongue to prevent myself from saying it back even though I desperately wanted to. I wanted him to know that I was finally ready to return his feelings, but I knew that if I did it would only make leaving him even harder.
So I just said the next best thing. "I know."
We stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, until we fell asleep and I dreamed about telling Baralai how much I loved him.
