(A/N): Most of the content (such as the first scene and third) had been originally co-written with Sorrow has a Human Heart a year or two ago, but we never managed to complete them. I've been re-reading through a various amount of WIPs, hoping to rewrite them into a full-fledged story ― like this one. I hope they flow well.
Chapter 4 shall be on its way this week! :3
Chapter 3 - Conflict
"When introverts are in conflict with each other... it may require a map in order to follow all the silences, nonverbal cues and passive-aggressive behaviors!"
― Adam S. McHugh
'We expect strong storms to continue through the area thru midnight. Right now, a severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for the following counties, as you can see at the bottom of the screen. These storms have a history of producing deadly hail, frequent lightning, and winds in excess of 55 MPH. There is also an associated risk of tornadic activity―'
"...We may have to move to the basement," Baralai says, turning off the television and putting down the remote. Yuna jumps when thunder booms above. The lights have not stopped flickering for the past five minutes, which makes them all the more nervous as time goes by.
"Do you have candles in case of a blackout?"
"There should be some in the downstairs closet. I'll go get the matches." Moving to the kitchen, Baralai looks through the drawers and cabinets. "Where are they...? I hope Nooj didn't leave them out on the grill..." He hears Yuna shuffling around in the background, digging through odds and ends of plastic wrapped stuff and bags full of miscellaneous items.
"Let's see... no... not that... that's decorations... no, ah-hah! Candles. I found them!"
Once he discovers where the matches were, Baralai sighs beneath the rain and ducks back inside the house. 'Really, Nooj, be less negligent of other's belongings. Or else I may end up murdering someone next time. Preferably you.'
Baralai walks into the living room, lighting the match in hand, and leaps out of his skin when a large crash of thunder resounds. Darkness swathes the whole house, and the match and flame drop to light its ominous descent. He hears several other things fall to the ground somewhere nearby along with Yuna's nervous voice, "Oh no... where are they... Ooooh..." and wants to feel concerned, but can't bring himself to focus right now, not when the house threatens to burn itself. He tries to stomp out the flame before the carpet catches fire, but missteps, hitting something else underfoot.
"Ow! Don't put that out..."
"My goodness, are you alright?" He panics and drops to his knees, searching for her. "I'm sorry, I did not mean t―ow!" His head collides into hers and they back away from each other, moaning in pain and nursing their respective bumps. Soft laughter breaks the awkward silence. Baralai reaches for her again, much more slow and careful this time, and brushes her arm. Moving to kneel in front of her, he gropes his way down to her hands. "Which finger is it?"
Yuna holds up her left thumb and starts patting around for the runaway candles. "This one. Maybe... I should get up first."
"Wait, wait. Let's find the candles first. We should light them so we can see where we are going." Baralai grabs the match, lifts it to broaden his narrow line of vision, and feels something solid bump his knee. "Ah! Found one, and another. Here."
"Quick, grab it before it gets away!" Yuna giggles, popping her sore finger into her mouth. Placing two of the candles upright, he lights them both and hands one over for Yuna to hold.
"Careful."
"Thank you."
Yuna scoots closer to receive it, admiring its warm glow until she notices something odd.
"Hey, these candles are pink. They're not emergency issue."
"Those were the ones that were on sale, so my mother decided to buy them for the emergency kit." Baralai doesn't find this quite as amusing as she does.
"Well, at least they work."
"I was worried I would need to find a friend to spend the night with when she brought them home. But, it was a family dinner as usual, minus the candles."
"Maybe your mom wanted to make the night more romantic and exciting." Candlelight accentuates her dreamy smile, highlighting her natural beauty. Baralai blushes when her words conjure a mental image most unbidden.
"Probably. I don't think they would want their romance to stop at food, though."
"...Oh. Um." Yuna pokes at the flame, speechless, face redder than any apple he has ever laid eyes on, and Baralai knows this because he has eaten a lot of them. 'Wait, did I just ― No! No. I need to stop this ― this, argh! whatever this is! Gippal thinking? Yes, Gippal thinking ― I need to stop thinking altogether!'
Knocking at the door startles the two teenagers. 'When did we start leaning into each other?' Spooked by their proximity, Baralai stumbles back and Yuna does the same not a moment too soon. He cannot hear the storm nor the words coming out of Yuna's mouth over the blood pumping in his ears. A tree branch flings itself against the window as the vicious wind howls outside, something he should feel concerned about, but can't find the presence of mind to acknowledge.
"Baralai! Anybody home? Let me in!"
"What is Paine doing out in this?" Yuna says, and Baralai blinks. Oh. Paine. He sighs and collapses back onto the floor, staring up at the dark ceiling. Has she gone crazy or did she luck out with the sudden turn of weather? Baralai suspects it may be a combination of both.
"Better let her in before she gets hurt."
Yuna beats him to the punch, eager to come to the rescue, and skips over to fling the door open. Standing on the porch, a very wind-blown, drenched, and disgruntled Paine glares at the last person she expected to see in Baralai's house. "Hi, Paine. Oh no, you're soaking wet! Come in quick."
Before she can register Yuna's concern, Paine takes note of the apparent atmosphere. Candles. Pink candles, lit near the sofa, where the pillows have been shifted. "Am I interrupting something?"
Her foul mood plummets further, and he can tell from the dramatic shift in tone. Baralai sighs, and mentally prepares himself. Standing to face her, he straightens his collar and shirt. "Yes. It's called a power outage. Please, calm down."
"And those are supposed to be 'emergency candles'? Pink is a bit too romantic, don't you think?" Baralai tries to suppress any memory of what happened mere moments ago, doing his utmost to keep his face cool, and prays to God Paine can't see much in the dim lighting.
"I suppose, if there were options, but those were the only ones my parents had the inclination to buy. I apologize for offending your tastes." Tired of this treatment, of her paranoid accusations and jealousy, Baralai decides that he has had enough. If she wants to be judgemental about things, he might as well play into it a little. Give her what she wants to see.
He motions Yuna to sit beside him and she takes the invitation, ignorant of his designs and Paine's anger.
"Um, why were you outside, Paine? Didn't you see the news?" Yuna says, confused by the hostility that hangs heavy in the air. Baralai wraps an arm around her to pull her close, and Paine's glare intensifies. Yuna clears her throat, uncomfortable.
"No, actually, I didn't. When I left my house, it was sunshine and lollipops. By the time I got here, it became Hurricane Katrina. And all I wanted was to talk with my date for the weekend..." Paine says, crouching down on the floor. "Unless he's preoccupied." He scowls, enraged by the fact she dares to hit one of his pet peeves ― talking about him as though he were elsewhere.
"Oh. It did get cloudy awfully fast... Sorry we left you waiting outside in the cold. If you want to talk to Baralai, you can do so right now. Unless, you don't want me to be present...?" Any semblance of polite talk dwindles into silence when Baralai continues to give Paine the evil eye and she likewise gives him the cold shoulder.
"That's not necessary." Baralai interrupts before Paine can get another word in edgewise. "As I recall, before the storm, you and I were already making arrangements to work on our writing assignment this weekend, remember?" The truth works in his favor, serving as a perfect jab to Paine's ego.
"That's true... but we should reschedule, since this date is important, right?"
"Not important enough that I was told about it before right now."
Yuna wants to shrink into herself and hide, if that would stop Paine from glaring daggers into her soul. "I don't know why you're acting this way, but... you are hurting Paine's feelings, Baralai."
"Not intentionally." He lies through his teeth because he refuses to admit fault, and turns toward Paine in order to reflect her rage. "If you want to do something, you should tell me first. Don't assume I can simply wipe my schedule clear at your slightest whim."
"You don't know Baralai at all, do you? He considers school way more important than his personal life. Hell, even his love life. How boring." Paine returns the glare tenfold, narrowing her ruby eyes into lethal slits. That makes him snap, however quiet and decisive the statement comes.
"And above that, I also use it to keep selfish would-be girlfriends out! We make these decisions together, or they don't get made. Choose."
"Er, maybe I should leave...?" Yuna says, moving to stand, yet Baralai's swift grip on her knee staves her impulse to bail at bay.
"You have no reason to. Don't kid yourself."
"Hmph. I see you've made a decision without me. It's gonna be like that, huh? Fine. I'm leaving."
"For the best, for now." How ballsy of her, to indict him of the very thing she had been doing to him for the past couple weeks. Telling him when and where they are going, and what they will be doing, expecting him to just drop everything he already had on his plate. This time proves no different; more blunt and paranoid accusations.
Yuna watches, horrified as Paine stalks out the house and into the roaring rainstorm. "You're just going to let her leave like that? What if she didn't drive here? It's dangerous! You said so yourself! You have to chase after her!"
In the face of Baralai's dark temper, Yuna stands as the voice of reason; he has no choice but to chase after her.
"Don't follow me," Paine says, shouting over the howling wind.
Baralai knows she intends to seek sanctuary with Nooj, and follows her there despite the ten-minute walk. He doesn't want Paine to fend for herself regardless of what his inner teenager says. Better that, or face Yuna's disappointment.
"I know, but I want to make sure you're safe."
"What, did Yuna tell you to come after me? I can't imagine you doing it over your stupid pride."
"What are you talking about?" He scowls, offended. "I'm not that insensitive. Paine, will you slow down?" When they reach the front yard, Baralai lunges forward to grasp her shoulder and she slaps his hand away.
Baralai takes a step back, stricken by hurt.
"I'm getting sick and tired of you! You never understand a girl's feelings, do you? Oh, wait, does that surprise you? I'm a girl, too, if you haven't noticed. Not just your best friend. Why don't you ever..." Halfway through, Paine gives up and stomps up the steps, slamming the door behind her when Nooj answered.
Baralai watches her go, bewildered. What did he ever do to cross her heart?
He returns home, frustrated and exhausted. Grabbing a towel from the closet, Baralai rubs his head dry and follows the sound of conversation, combing his mussed and damp hair straight. It surprises him to see who sits in the living room with Yuna.
"Oh, Grandmother. You're awake."
Yuna rises from her seat on the couch beside the elderly woman, and smiles. "Baralai, you're back. Your grandmother was just telling me this really fun story. She told me we clashed in another life, and I defeated her in an epic battle that determined the fate of the world. You never told me she shared my name. Yunalesca. It's a very pretty name."
His laugh sounds tired in its attempt to seem amused. "That's nice. Grandmother Yunalesca loves telling stories. Though I thought she didn't like people..." He stares in her direction and scowls at her scant attire, but she appears not to notice, sipping her cup of tea. Yunalesca's long and ankle-length hair almost glows gold in the candlelight, covering the majority of her naked skin save for the transparent white dress.
"Grandmother, what have I told you about dressing properly? You will catch a cold. Here. Let me grab a blanket for you." Yunalesca resigns herself to his care, and this silence and sudden complacency of hers makes him suspicious. Since when does she not make a big deal over his meddling?
"Did Paine return home safely?" Yuna says.
He sighs, weary. "Yes, I saw to that."
"She's still angry, isn't she? What was she angry about?"
"To be honest, I don't want to think about it. Usually I try to understand her, but right now I'm too angry to bother being sympathetic."
"You can't leave your friendship like this..." Yuna frowns, gazing at the space where Paine had crouched minutes before, and sulks at the wet leaves and stones that litter the floor. He makes a mental note to clean the carpet later.
"I don't intend to. But, neither can I let her keep dictating my every move. If she still wants to be friends, we can try, of course." Again, he sighs ― this time with a smile. Does Yuna ever reach a point where being around someone becomes unbearable? Probably not. But then, that's one of her finer points, and he admires her for it.
"I'm sure you and Paine have a chance to be together." Yuna walks over to lock the door, something Baralai forgot to do and feels grateful for the courtesy. Withdrawing the key from the deadbolt, she wonders aloud at its strange design. "Why do you need to lock the house on both sides of the door?"
"It's for Grandmother," Baralai says, receiving the key and pocketing it. "She doesn't have anything debilitating like Alzheimer's, but she does have her independent moments. She used to leave the house without telling me, and the police had to bring her back every time for indecent exposure. They threatened to put her into a retirement home if my parents did not take responsibility. Therefore, my parents had the deadbolt installed."
"You live with Yunalesca by yourself? Where are your parents?"
"They work out of state most of the time. They only visit during vacations." Baralai chooses not to elaborate further and hopes Yuna would just leave it at that. "Now if you will excuse me, I wish to grab a drink." Retreating into the kitchen, he fills a glass with water and sits down at the dining table. 'I just want this day to end, but I can't ignore Yuna's company until she leaves. It would be rude of me otherwise. After all, she did take off an entire day to be with me.'
Baralai lets his mind wander, taking the occasional sip, and almost chokes in his gulp when Yuna startles him by the call of his name. He turns to see Yuna enter the kitchen, wringing her hands. "Um, about Paine..."
Does she still want to talk about this? Then again, he can't avoid it forever. He must take action to confront Paine someday, sometime soon. Maybe confiding in someone will help instead of dwelling in the black hole of his thoughts. "Yes?"
"Maybe you two aren't romantically compatible."
"Honestly? I seriously doubt it. It was better when she was just another one of the guys. I never expected this kind of Jekyl and Hyde act when we decided to go on a date or two..."
"You like Paine, right? You can't say you didn't have fun times together." Reluctant to deny the truth, he nods. Yuna smiles in her attempt to cheer him up. "I was thinking... they may have been short-lived, but you should hold onto whatever happy memories you do have with her and cherish them. After all, you two will still be friends. Right?"
Her words echo his own, and that makes him smile at the irony. How can he dismiss her optimism without sounding like a hypocrite? "...As I said, we will try, but I won't fake anything. Not for anyone. If she still wants to be friends, it will be just as much her responsibility to heal the rift." He surprises himself with the level of bitterness that has found its way into his tone. But, he grows weary of it. It shouldn't all rest on him; the fact they share the same circle of friends only complicates matters.
Her warm and knowing smile catches him off guard. "You should be with someone who makes you happy."
"Difficult to say who that might be," Baralai says, skeptical, and Yuna frowns in confusion.
"Don't say that. Is there anybody who you enjoy spending time with? Someone who accepts you for who you are?"
"You make it sound so simple. Do you know of anyone like that?"
A little uncertain at the receiving end of these questions, Yuna averts her eyes to the ground, gazing at the lazy candlelight. "I guess you don't like Paine. There is Rikku, but she's dating Gippal. You get along with Lucil and Elma. There's LeBlanc, too, but you've told me she annoys you... You know, there are a lot of girls, even ones you haven't gotten the chance to meet, yet."
"Lucil and Elma are too much like sisters. Besides..." Baralai halts, hesitant to voice the rest. "Lucil and I have dated before."
Yuna's squeal of delight startles him, and he gasps when she jumps forward to peer into his eyes. "Really? So the rumors were true! Oops, I'm sorry." Blushing, she steps back. "I didn't mean to scare you like that. It's just... Gippal kept trying to tell people you were, um, gay, and Rikku refused to believe it, and so she made sure to watch you like a hawk every time you were around girls and... I think I should stop talking now. I'm embarrassing myself."
"...I don't think I have never seen you this excited before."
"It's the romantic in me," Yuna says, bashful.
He chuckles, and catches himself. 'Wait, I'm supposed to be angry. I have to start thinking about how I should act around Paine now...'
Heaving a heavy sigh, he lays his head down on his folded arms. He sits there in silence, barricading his thoughts and emotions, until Yuna startles him by placing her hands on his shoulder. He sits up, bewildered.
"What are you doing?"
"I, um, if it's alright with you... I thought you kind of look like you're in need of a massage," she says, scared of rejection. He leans back on the chair, contemplating this awkward request. It makes him uncomfortable when people touch him, but he doesn't want to come across as rude. Besides, he can't say he doesn't like it if he never experienced it.
"You can go ahead, if you like."
"Okay. How do you like me to do it?"
"I don't know. Try anything, and see if I like it."
She hums in concentration, thinking, and he flinches when her thumbs press down in firm, slow, repetitive circular motions. The pressure feels strange, neither pleasant or unpleasant. The lingering effect tingles in his neck and he shivers, self-conscious. "Wow, you're very stiff." Yuna says.
"I've been told." He chokes out the chuckle when she hits a tight knot, and he starts fidgeting.
"I can stop if you don't like it."
"No, no... I... I think I need this." He knows Yuna doubts him when he can't bring himself to say a single sentence without faltering, and he sighs. "I sit and study at my desk more hours than I sleep everyday. It's my fault for not taking better care of myself. I need to learn how to relax. Like... like now."
She says nothing and starts to hum again, resuming her ministrations. Maybe he will feel more comfortable if he lays his head back down, and so he does. His shoulders still clench up and he locks his jaw at certain intervals, trying to breathe through his nose, and even grips his arms when a sudden jolt of heat resonates beneath his skin wherever her fingers knead, but he endures it. He tolerates these foreign and vulnerable sensations to distract himself from thoughts of Paine and just relationships in general.
"I called my mom while you were out. She said she'll pick me up early since the weather's acting up. She told me she'll be here in twenty minutes."
He doesn't remember giving her a reply, but for some reason feels that he did.