CHAPTER 27
When she received a summons from Eastment – she really should have known better. Nowadays, the Councilors all corresponded with her via omni-tool, including Eastment. When she got into the skycar with Balint – Imitha, Oliver, and Keeya were inside. Turns out that Balint had petitioned Eastment for Rosemary and her family to have a true day off – no C-Sec or Bridgeton business whatsoever. Imitha had been ready enough to close Wakey Brews for a day, much to the disappointment of their regulars.
Wakey Brews had become quite trendy over the past few weeks, once word had gotten out about its drinks and warm and scrumptious baked goods. Although Wakey Brews could have remained open, with Haka and Ossuri now working there – Imitha had been so overjoyed about the prospect of spending down time with her best friend that she had happily given them all the day off... with pay. Rosemary didn't brood about that too much. Haka and Ossuri were proving to be good employees, capable and eager to learn. Ossuri usually shadowed Rosemary, however, intent on mastering the way of the bean, and Haka worked more alongside Imitha, obsessed with her delicately flaky croissants.
Rosemary, Balint, Imitha, Oliver, and Keeya went to Shepard Park where a free concert was already underway. Imitha laid out a modest picnic of dainty sandwiches, dextro and non-dextro juices, and cupcakes. They enjoyed the picnic and the music in the soft glow of moonlight, and the whispering, cool breezes.
Rosemary drifted as Oliver and Keeya tossed around a ball with Balint and Imitha, lulled to sleep by a full stomach and the gentle notes of elcorian wind instruments. When she woke up, it must have just been an hour later – her head was resting on Balint's lap, and Imitha, Oliver, and Keeya were sleeping around her, contented smiles on their faces. Balint was running his fingers gently through her hair.
"They're so beautiful..."
"Hm?" Rosemary was slow to feel self-conscious, even as Balint was touching her hair so gently... intimately.
"Your hair – they're like shining curls of chocolate."
Rosemary blushed. With some reluctance, she forced herself to sit up. Balint's lap had been very comfortable, even encased in armor. "You know, you should rest, too."
"I will. Later." Balint closed his eyes. "I like this. Listening to the sighing strings of instruments on a cool, crisp night... It reminds me of home."
"Palaven?" Rosemary was curious; Balint had never talked about his life before C-Sec.
"No... I was born on Palaven, and I spent the latter part of my teenage years there, but no... Most of my childhood I spent on Gellix."
Rosemary had never heard of it. Then again, she'd been Earth-bound until less than a year ago. "Where's that?"
"A garden world in the Arrae System, in the Minos Wasteland. I... was raised in one of its penal colonies."
Rosemary's eyes widened. "Penal colonies? What do you mean?"
Balint was silent for a minute. Then, he told her what he had probably told very few people in his life: the truth. "My father was a thief, and my mother – an assassin. They fell in love, had me, got caught – and had me smuggled to Gellix so I could be with them."
"What were they like?"
Balint smiled slightly. "My father was a easygoing guy – it was hard to get him angry. If you annoyed him, he just... stole something that would ruin your life for a few months. Nothing too expensive or fancy, just – vital."
Rosemary smiled. "That's unique."
"He was pretty amazing," Balint agreed, his smile fond, but sad. "My mother was a bit neurotic, but kind to genuinely good people. She used to tell me to 'treasure the good ones', because life 'makes villains out of too, too many people'. 'It's my job', she used to tell me, 'to slit the throats of the bad ones'. She told me that she only took jobs that 'made the galaxy a little safer for the good guys'."
Rosemary's smile grew wry. "That's... twisted, but not wrong. At least it doesn't sound too wrong to me."
Balint looked at her, a little surprise on his face. "You know... you're the first non-krogan to not tell me she was crazy for thinking that way."
"Non-krogan?"
Balint sighed and leaned back on his hands. He looked up at the darkened sky, his face grim and haunted. "When I was seven, the family of one of my mother's victims put out a hit out on my mother. My dad died trying to protect her. Lost them both."
Rosemary understood his pain all too well. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Balint."
Balint saw the tears in her eyes, and felt better for her understanding. He looked away again. "Yeah... I starved for a while – then I tried to steal from a small gang of krogans. They decided to adopt me when I killed the one who caught me. Taught me how to fight."
That explained how he managed to overpower that Blood Pack krogan in the Zakera Wards... Thinking about it, Rosemary was once again impressed.
"When I turned fifteen, they turned me over to the turian military."
Rosemary frowned. "Why would they...?"
"I had no criminal record. I had a future. I think they wanted what was best for me, and the Hierarchy was never one to refuse a soldier. Got a reputation as a decent sniper – got noticed by Sparatus."
Sparatus... Sparatus... Oh! That's the turian councilor's name...
"He's the one who recommended me to C-Sec. And the rest... you know."
Rosemary was silent for a moment, then, "Why are you telling me this, Balint?"
Balint thought about it. "Well, I know all about you – only seems fair."
Rosemary leaned forward and pressed her lips against his mouth. He tangled his hand in her curls and they kissed softly, taking their time. Unlike their previous heated exchange, this one was slow, sweet... and different. Lust took a backseat to Rosemary's softer emotions, and judging by the gentle look in Balint's golden eyes when they pulled apart – he felt the same. They held each other for a long while. Rosemary closed her eyes and drank in his warmth and just... him. Inwardly, she sighed – not knowing how she should feel about this. I'm... I'm in trouble.
