(A/N): Can you believe only a week has passed in-story? And after Chapter 12 we shall enter the Spring Break segment! Or at least, I hope so. I really hafta kick my own butt into gear and stop feeling insecure about the upcoming scenes I've written. Grr. XD I'm getting plot bunnies for another AU, and it's a Family centric one, but I don't want to start it until I finish this one first. Bear with me, guys!

Chapter 11 - Companion

"To get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

~ Mark Twain

"What's wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing." Baralai had been so distracted, watching a group of teenagers be obnoxious and loud in the corner they claimed, that his ice cream started to melt, and he sighs. He almost forgot they went to Baskin Robbins for dessert, and in their lapse of conversation got lost in his thoughts, thinking about how some teenagers are robbed of that kind of freedom.

"You look really serious."

He smiles, amused by the irony. "Aren't I always?"

"Mm, more serious than you usually are. I'm starting to get worried," she says, smiling.

"I was just thinking..." He wants to talk about it, wants to confide in Yuna and ask what she thinks, but he cannot say explicit things without dishonoring Shelinda's trust. "I was thinking about the things teenagers like to do, going to parties, drinking alcohol or having sex... those things. It upsets me how normal it is when rule breaking shouldn't even be popularized. I don't see the need or the appeal to socialize with others for the sake of, well, I'm not sure, actually. I just don't understand."

"Oh. You don't like any of that stuff, do you? Partying and flirting with girls. I don't know anyone else like that."

He hums, impassive. "I apologize if I seem boring to you."

"No, not at all. I like that. I like that you're so level-headed and mature."

He hums again, except this time flattered. "Yes, I was thinking in general... about the common mistakes people my age make, and it embarrasses me. But then what should you do if it happens to someone you know? Do you mind your own business and forsake them, or do you give them moral support…? Ah! Don't mind me. I'm simply thinking out loud." He returns to his ice cream and hides behind his waffle cone, ashamed of letting something like that slip.

"Hmm… Well, I think you think too much."

Unsurprised by this statement, he sighs. "You think so?"

"Mmhmm." Yuna nods, standing up so she can circle around to sit beside him. Before Baralai can inquire why she felt the need to move closer, she shoves ice cream into his face without warning, acknowledging his unamused look with a cheeky smile. "You really need to learn how to chill. It's good for your―."

His evil smile betrays him when he attacks her nose in kind.

'Freakin Christ, she's late.'

Tidus checks his watch again for the tenth time, blowing air out of his nose. Sitting on a bench alone at the streets of Luca, his date happens to be running late, and he wonders why do girls take forever to get ready, let alone take forever to arrive anywhere for a date. 'Yuna never made me wait. What the hell?'

This time he sighs, and he decides to pass the time by calling Gippal.

Riiiing. Riiiing. Riiiing. Riii― "What's up?"

"Yo. Nothing much. Hey, you got a minute?"

"Sure. What's been ailing you, my friend? You sound just a tad bit distressed."

"You gotta help me out, Gippal. I think I messed up."

"Oh, jeez, what'd you do this time?"

"Nothing! I mean..." Tidus huffs, feeling instant frustration at the mere thought of him. "It's all stupid Baralai's fault."

"What? Baralai? As in that angel-wearing face of a demon? Who did he kill among your family?"

"I'm being serious here. Yuna overheard him saying how I like to sneak girls in the boys' locker room and do 'stuff' with them."

"Which you do? I don't get it. Why do you care what she thinks when you two aren't a thing anymore?"

"Well... She's different," Tidus says, sulking. There are too many couples walking arm-in-arm, holding hands, or sneaking kisses, and he slumps against the bench. Luca acts as a hot spot for young people, and the fact they used to walk these same streets together depresses him. He doesn't want to call their relationship a memory just yet. "Besides, she broke up with me. Can you blame me if I'm still hung up over her?"

"I don't know, man. Think about it. She broke up with you, and it was Yuna. No one saw that coming. I don't know what to tell you. You just gotta learn to move on."

"Look, that's not the point. I don't want her thinking I'm that kind of guy."

"But you are. Admit it, bro, you've made yourself out to be quite the player, and everyone knows it. I know that was your way of coping, but that put you even further away from her. Plus, from what Rikku tells me, Yuna's got a thing for nice guys. And the prettier the face, the harder she'll fall for him."

"Let me guess. That's why she's all over him now. God, it pisses me off."

"Hey, that's my best friend you're talking about!"

"I don't care. Just looking at him makes me wanna..." He trails off, surprised to see Yuna exit Tobli's Hottest Trends one store down. Before he can work up the nerve to call out to her, someone joins her side, and the fond smile instantly drops from his face. Tidus watches the way she looks at him, eyelashes all aflutter as she blushes, taking the arm he offers; he knows they don't notice him because they start to walk away. When she reaches down to lace her fingers in his, catching him by surprise, does jealousy further twist the knife in his gut.

"Uh, Earth to Tidus?"

"Holy shit. You won't believe what I'm seeing."

"What? What?!"

"Yuna and Baralai are together, and they're alone."

"Is that so? Hmm. Where are you right now?"

"In the streets of Luca. I've been waiting on a date, but whatever. That's not important. When did they happen?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Gippal says, humming with diabolical glee. "So, that's where they went..."

"Wait... You knew about this?"

"Of course I did! I'm the mastermind behind their date. No way would Baralai ever―."

"Hey! I thought you were on my side! What the hell, Gippal?"

"Don't get me wrong, bro. I love you and all, but Baralai is my homie. Plus, I think you might be confusing me for Cid's girl, because she's the one who ships you two, not me."

"Gippal, why'd you have to do this to me? You know how I―." His date arrives before Tidus can finish his sentence, and he swears, ignoring the unabashed smile or casual apology the girl sends his way. "I gotta go now, but this conversation ain't over, you hear me?"

"Grandmother, I'm home!"

No answer. Baralai heads for the kitchen first in search of her while Yuna removes her shoes at the foyer. There are empty, yet dirty containers and plates by the sink, and he knows that she ate at some point. Taking a quick minute to wash them and place them in the machine to dry, he goes out into the garden, treading the small stone path to find her asleep beneath the pergola in a hanging chair. Is she asleep? Concerned, he leans over to clasp her hand, checking for a pulse. Faint, but strong. He sighs, relieved, and sighs again at her naked appearance. Picking up the quilt he placed here for this very purpose, he unfolds it and spreads it across so she won't shiver in her sleep. When Baralai comes back inside, he spots Yuna beside the doorway.

"She's out in the garden. It's best not to bother her."

"Oh, okay. I wanted to say hi, but I guess it can wait."

"I appreciate the thought, but you don't have to." He smiles, leading the way upstairs.

"But I want to! I like your grandmother. She's really nice, and I want to hear more of her stories." He laughs, but doesn't comment. The moment they enter his room, Yuna runs past him to throw herself on his bed. She snuggles to a pillow, groaning in weary satisfaction. "Mm, food coma. I'm sleepy…"

"Hey, this is my bed. Stop stealing it every time you visit." Baralai climbs on after her, disgruntled, but playful as he pushes her aside to provide himself some room. He exhales, groggy to the point he collapses there and closes his eyes. "I've fallen and I can't get up. Food coma…"

She flops to the other side, giggling at his remark. "Are you going to take a nap?"

"That was the original plan. Feel free to join me, because I'm not in the mood to drive you back home right now."

"Where's the freedom in that when you're my only means of entertainment?" she says, teasing him. Perceiving his sullen mood, however, motivates her to sober her mirth. She draws random circles on his back, feeling him twitch at first before he leans against her light touch. "Too much on your mind?"

"You can say that," he says, contentment softening his inner thoughts. "Just… stuff… that I don't like to think about."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff."

"Okay."

"Actually…" He turns around to face her, sighing. "It's not in my place to say. I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to, so don't think I'm keeping secrets from you or anything. Believe me, I'd tell you anything if you asked of me."

She hums, pursing her lips as if to contain her smile. "Really? Well, did you notice your forehead creases whenever you're thinking too much?"

"What? No." He touches his head, feeling self-conscious, and wonders how did she manage to catch that annoying habit of his. Don't his bangs provide enough coverage to keep up his poker face?

"Liar." She chides him with a smile. "Gippal told me you used to wear headbands a lot to hide it."

"Of course…" He mumbles, shifting to lie on his back and hide his face behind his arm. "Remind me to draw the blueprints for my revenge."

"Can I smooth down your stress wrinkles whenever that happens? I don't like seeing you upset." She leans up on her elbows to hover by his side, reaching to pull his arm away so she can brush his hair from his face.

He looks up at her, bemused and in awe of her serene energy. Once she starts humming to a familiar tune, he closes his eyes and dozes off to the memory of them sitting in his car, on their way back to his place. He had rolled down the two front windows to enjoy the cool, afternoon wind, and had risked a glance in Yuna's direction only to see her whole face light up with golden sunlight. The warmth and calm that blooms in his chest starts to spread across his body, lulling him into a state of absolute contentment.

Taken in by the urge to yawn, he covers his mouth. Peeling his eyes open, it startles him to see Yuna lying next to him fast asleep, and he wonders how much time had passed since they passed out. Moving to lie on his back again, Baralai blinks at the ceiling, thoughts swarming his mind. Shelinda's secret pregnancy, Braska's paternal concerns, the drama of his friends and the coma of Yuna's mother ― everything that happened over the past five days keeps on piling up and he doesn't know what to do. Should he do anything to support his friends, or should he bide his time in silence? He wants to tackle things one step at a time, but he doesn't know where to start. His head feels heavy and his throat hurts, restless in bed even though more than anything he wants to rest, but once he turns his head to look at Yuna does immediate calm wash over him.

Shifting to lie on his side, he reaches out to touch her, unsure of where he wants to touch her, and then settles for her shoulder. When she does not react or awaken, he develops the courage to run his hand down her arm until he loses the nerve, retracting his hand. He frowns in silence, dissatisfied by the distance between them. His heart skips a beat, though, when she speaks.

"...mm, why did you stop? That felt nice…"

"...um, uh, I-I want to feel close to you. Is that alright with you?"

That came out wrong somehow; in his head, it sounded more articulate, less needy. The surprised look on her half-asleep face makes him self-conscious.

She sits up, rubbing her eye, and smiles down at him. "Do you want to cuddle?"

"Cuddle? I guess, yeah, wait, what are you―."

She startles him by how fast she collapses back on the bed and scoots inside the space of his arms, snuggling her face in the crook of his neck. Her breath on his collarbone tickles his skin, spreading ferocious tingles down his spine, and this causes his face to flush hot. He gulps when her hand rises to clutch his shirt, curling her fingers around his breast, and only now does he remember his need to breathe. Inhaling the scent of her hair, his whole body unwinds, lulled by a familiar sense of security. Her voice drifts in his ear, pulling him back to reality.

"You act like you don't know what cuddling is."

"Well…" He blushes, embarrassed, folding his arm to pillow his head. "It's not like I do it all the time. You're the only other person I've… you know what, never mind. I want to stop talking about this. This is embarrassing."

"What? No! It's very adorable."

"It's embarrassing."

"It's adorable."

"Shh." He pats her face, coaxing Yuna to silence herself. "Go to sleep."

She giggles, batting his hand away. "No, I won't."

"Yes, you will. Sleep and forget."

"I'm not going to sleep and forget this―."

"Yes, you will. Goodnight, sleep tight, and sweet dreams."

"No," she says, expanding on the first letter, "No, I won't. You're a meanie."

They laugh and swat at each other's hair, poking each other, until they start to mess around. Yuna soon discovers his weakness after he keeps dodging her touch, growing suspicious before realizing he's ticklish everywhere, and she takes this as the perfect opportunity to exact her revenge. She pounces on his stomach, holding him down; perceiving her intent, he flails in desperation, pleading with her to release him through breathless laughter.

"Release me this instant, you fiend!"

Her maniacal giggles echo above his pleas, straddling his back to attack his sides. "What do you say? What do you say? C'mon, say sorry," she says, singing the words, and her moment of victory disappears too soon once he manages to roll on top.

"...Never!" Baralai succeeds in catching both her wrists and tries to pin them down, grunting and struggling with the effort after realizing he underestimated her. "For the love of Christ, where do you get your strength from? Drinking milk every day?"

"You'd… be… surprised…!" She smiles, mischievous, and lunges to push him back. This startles him, yet he does not budge an inch, resolving to trap her hands in midair while she fights to free them from their interlocked fingers. Too busy subduing her, Baralai fails to predict Yuna's next course of action; she blows air in his face, causing him to sputter and loosen his grip for a fraction of a second ― all the time she needs to jerk her hands free. Before he can recover, she shoves him off the bed.

He sits up, leaning over the edge of his bed, and fixes her an unforgiving glare. "I call foul! That was cheating."

"I didn't know there were rules in tickling people."

"Apart from making sure not to kill someone―."

Their eyes both dart to the cell phone that rings on his bed. It must have dropped from Yuna's pocket, because he doesn't remember his phone having that pink protector or cute, little keychain. They share a look, and before Yuna can intercept him, Baralai lunges to grab it. He lies on his stomach, looking at the caller ID of a blonde girl puckering her lips at the camera, and then moves to hold it out of Yuna's reach when he feels her crawl for it.

"You don't need to answer this. It's no one important."

"No, it's Rikku, give it back to me." Yuna hops onto his back and reaches around him.

Baralai holds it further out of reach, taking delight in her struggle. Wherever she crawls to gain some leverage, he moves to adjust himself. "Oh, look, you missed your call."

"Yeah, no thanks to you."

He smiles. "You're welcome ― oh, she's calling again."

"Will you hand it over, please?" Yuna says, on the verge of swiping it.

"If you want it back that badly, you must take it from me."

"Do you really want to start something you can't finish?" She tries to intimidate him, yet his look of amusement causes giggles to crack her serious mask.

"I guess I will have to go and accept your challenge." He grabs her around the waist, stretching his other hand to keep the phone hostage, and tightens his grip on her when she pushes to reach. "Oof! Careful with your legs."

She allows herself a quick apology, and purses her tongue in concentration, inching her fingers inch ever closer up his arm.

Once he feels his grip start to slip from around her waist, which keeps wiggling without relent to move higher, he rolls to throw her off balance and then steals the chance to pin her below him again.

"No fair. You're bigger and stronger than me," she says, taking a moment to breathe.

He smirks, victorious, until he hears his phone ring in his pocket. She follows his line of sight, and he fails to stop her from pilfering his phone straight out of his pocket. "You little ― Hey!"

Slipping out from beneath him, she crawls off his bed and jumps to her feet, enraptured by the object. "Now we're even. Oh, look, it's Gippal. Hm, I wonder if he's still together with Rikku…"

"You can let it ring. I'll call him back later. At any rate, your phone is mine."

"That's okay. I can just take yours instead. I wonder what kind of pictures you have…"

"Nothing you'll find―." Baralai freezes in mid-sentence, remembering that one incriminating photo, and panics. Desperate to conceal his secret, he leaps off his mattress and lunges for her. "No!"

Crashing into her, they fall in an awkward tangle of limbs. His phone clatters to the ground, landing several inches away. Baralai stands on his hands and knees, trying to regain his bearings while Yuna moans, holding her head. She sees where his eyes focus and moves at once to catch it within her sights, but his arms grab her from behind, dragging her in by the waist.

"Why are you so scared? Hm, hmm…?"

"N-Nothing. It's nothing. Nothing at all."

"It doesn't sound like nothing. Do you have something naughty like a picture of a naked woman or―."

"No! Now will you stop? I don't want you peeking at my stuff. Why are you so eager to know, anyway?"

She attempts to crawl forward, pulling against his firm hold, and squeaks when he pins her down flat with his entire body. "M-Maybe because, ow… you're making such a big deal out of it, and it's making me super curious."

"Why can't you respect my feelings and leave it alone?"

"Why must you be so secretive? I just want to know more about you."

"Well, you're being oddly aggressive about it!"

"Can you, ack, get up a little? I-I can't breathe..."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry―."

She takes advantage of his momentary distraction to throw him off her back and snatch the phone, rushing out his room.

Quick to recover, Baralai gives chase as she races for the stairs. He intercepts her just in time to catch her wrist, halting her descent to yank her back; she slams into him, losing her grip on the phone. It tumbles down to the bottom and Baralai lets go of her to make a mad dash for it, only to realize his mistake. Yuna latches onto him from behind, throwing him off balance, and to their mutual fear they plummet down the stairs. He manages to react fast by catching the rail, but trips over his feet in the process. He has no time to think before his body tumbles back to hit the wall, and Yuna lets go. He throws himself off the steps first, bracing himself for the inevitable impact. The blow knocks him breathless, yet he moves to roll onto his back just in time to catch her fall. Her head hits his chin the same time she lands on his crotch, and he groans from the excruciating pain, seeing neon stars burn the back of his closed eyelids.

"Oh no, a-are you okay?! Did I hurt you? Please let me know you're still alive."

Baralai holds her tight so she won't see his tears, and takes several deep breaths of air to ease the trauma he just experienced. "...It's okay. A part of me broke inside, but I'll live." He sighs as she moves to sit up, too immersed in his misfortune to care about the way she straddles his lap.

She smoothes the chaffed skin of her arms, humbled by his heroism. "Thank you…"

"You're welcome," he says, voice flat of any emotion.

"...um, Baralai?"

"Just give me a minute." Closing his eyes, he lies there spread-eagle style, subjecting himself to a moment of much needed silence as he attempts to ease the lingering pain through sheer force of will ― and the startling, soft touch of her lips on his cheek causes his eyes to fly open. He sees her pull away with a smile, dazzled by her beautiful, red face. Her chaste kiss of gratitude steals his breath worse than his fall down the stairs. It doesn't help that she hovers close enough for him to lean up and return the gesture, and the thought of kissing her robs him of the ability to initiate that wish.

"You're in pain, and you're still thinking about me. Thank you so much."

"A-Anytime…" Baralai experiences a new kind of pain, one that calls itself yearning and bittersweet pleasure that loves to grow unbidden below the belt. Searching for a distraction, he discovers his phone nearby and snatches it before Yuna remembers why they tussled in the first place. "Let's see if my phone still works after all the abuse―."

She watches the flabbergasted expression form on his face, which ignites her curiosity aflame. Before she can poke him for answers, however, she sees the most vulnerable and open smile overtake his face, ruining the mature image she has come to associate as Baralai himself.

"Password protected lock…" He palms his forehead, at a loss for words. "I'm so stupid! How could I forget?"

She blinks at him, struck speechless, and slaps a hand over her mouth, unable to contain the giggles his own inane laughter inspires. They collapse next to each other, bursting out into hysterics. It'll take at least fifteen minutes for them to begin calming down, before they break out into more laughter ten seconds later.

"Revenge is a bitch, motherf―."

"Gippal, language."

"Yes, mother."

The world has returned to normal from the turbulence that had been this past week, yet everything doesn't feel the same, as if his life decided to move out of alignment. Paine still refuses to talk to him, answer his calls, or even look in his direction. Ever since she found out he had been responsible for hurting Yuna, her hostility and anger towards him have migrated past rejection and onto unforgiving blame. They are sitting in the same room, breathing the same air, but she pretends they are strangers, and this motivates him to reflect her attitude. Baralai doesn't want to waste his time on someone who makes him feel unwanted, no matter how justified the reason.

He passed up the chance to play Black Ops II, not in the mood to be on the same team as either of them, and so he contents himself with watching them steal headshots and ruin buzzkills while defending the yacht from the invading team. It's been almost a whole week since the accident, and ever since Monday morning Baralai makes a point to visit Yuna's mother everyday. The doctor told the family it would take weeks, if not months for all the broken bones to heal, but as for her waking up ― no one can say. Baralai has yet to visit today, because Gippal wanted to have Gameday, but until he receives a call from Yuna he might just end up leaving early without her prompting to avoid this awkwardness.

Yuna. Just the thought of her brings a smile to his face. Lately his mind keeps gravitating to Yuna more, maybe because her company feels more welcoming than Paine who has the ability to turn people away. Regardless of the fact they've been best friends for almost two years, she shouldn't be acting this difficult. Has she finally started becoming a woman? Frightened by the idea, he cringes.

Motivated by boredom and a restless kind of yearning, he wishes to text Yuna, but doesn't know where to start. 'Maybe I should text her something poetic, just to see how she'll react.'

[I write this to you as we are many miles apart, separated by a stifling distance. How are you? What are you doing right now?]

He puts down the phone, reigning in his excitement. The cries of human anguish and headache-inducing sounds of gunfire distracts him, leading him to neglect his phone for a whole five minutes before he notices a response text.

[Greetings from far away. :3 Just doing some chores. How about you?]

[Nothing. I'm with Gippal and Paine. They're playing Black Ops right now.]

[You play first person shooters? I can't see you swearing or t-baging people online. XD]

He grins, amused by her remark. [Yes, I do play shooters, and no, I don't swear or t-bag people online. That's something Gippal is more adept at. I, however, am a complete gentleman.]

[How can you be a gentleman while playing CoD? XD]

[Simple. I give people clean and honorable deaths, not embarrassing ones.]

[Oh, I see. :3 Hey, why don't you come over my house sometime? My cousins love playing CoD. Maybe you can help cool down their hot heads. They really need to eat some humble pie.]

[Tempting. Maybe sometime soon. :) By the way, are you free today?]

[Yeah. I'm almost done here. Why? Do you want to hang out?]

[Yes, somewhere close and convenient for you.]

[How about Quickly's? :3]

[I don't mind. :) Text me when you're ready, okay?]

Pocketing his phone, he sighs from his lazy spot on the couch. Although Baralai said he would wait for her to respond back, he would much rather leave now without her prompting for some much needed space.

"Gippal?"

"...Yeah, what's up?"

"I'm sorry I have to say this, but I'll be leaving early." Baralai stands, stretching his body, before bending to grab his messenger bag. "I have some things to do."

"Tch. I see how it is. Okay, give me… like three, no― I'll say goodbye to you in five. Let me just finish this."

Leaning on the armrest, Baralai glances at Paine and laments what their relationship has been reduced to. He can't even remember what attracted him to her in the first place and wonders if they will ever go back to being friends.