(A/N): Happy (belated) Valentine's Day, everyone! Enjoy this new installment. :3

Chapter 14: Tension

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved."

– George MacDonald

"Why do you like Baralai so much anyway? He's so dark and brooding."

Yuna blushes, embarrassed by how easily Rikku throws her feelings out into the open. Everyone agreed to hang out after school for pizza, and while waiting for their orders of Pepperoni and Cheese pizzas, Tidus challenged Gippal to a round of air hockey. Baralai and Paine stand beside them to watch, awaiting their turns to face off against the winner while leaving the two cousins alone at the dining table they claimed.

"He's not dark and brooding. He's quiet and reserved. Plus, it's not like he never smiles."

"He never smiles at me. He's so mean." Rikku grumbles, pouting. "And I would have expected you to like em more lively, Yunie. I mean, Paine likes em dark and brooding. Speaking of who, did you know Paine did it with an older guy before he left for the army?"

Yuna chokes in her sip of Mountain Dew. "R-Rikku, that's supposed to be private!"

"I don't think she cares as long as it's you. Only the three of us will know!"

"If you say so..." She steals a glance at the arcade and smiles.

Baralai plays against Gippal now, matching him blow for blow. His eyes are focused, darting between the lightning-fast disk and Gippal's energized body movement. He probably builds his entire offense on defense, waiting for chinks in Gippal's invisible armor before spotting the opportune moment to strike. She will know when it happens, because he will maintain his easy-going pace until his eyes harden in serious delight – like now, and he wastes no time in striking the disk to zip across the table.

This causes Gippal to panic, fumbling in his block, and the disk slides into the slot. "Damn it! Stop applying formulas in your head, you cheater."

"That's all luck," Tidus says, annoyed by the outcome of the game.

"You only say that because you are a sore loser." Baralai grins, sliding more coins into the machine. "And that is what I call skill, not luck."

"If you're going to complain every time someone wins, then stop losing," Paine says, taking Gippal's place to pick up the disk. She disregards the petulant scowl Tidus sends her way, and smirks at the boy across from her. "Are you ready?"

Although the air hangs heavy between them, Baralai still has the grace to smile. "Whenever you are."

"Get ready to be dethroned, King of Games."

"I will enjoy seeing you try."

Paine goes in hard and Baralai retaliates in kind, looking more concentrated than ever. What a rare sight to see them so competitive, and Yuna watches them, worried. She hopes that this game won't end up being more than just an outlet for their hostile energy. Feeling a warm pressure on her side, she turns to see Rikku smiling ear-to-ear.

"Have Paine take a picture of Baralai. It'll last longer."

Yuna blushes bright red. "No, I– That's rude! I don't know if he would even mind. I can't presume..." Vindicated by her own transparent feelings, she sighs. "You don't think I'm being too obvious, do you?"

Rikku giggles. "You just noticed?"

"Oh, no." She panics, mortified. "You think he knows?"

"Maybe. I don't know, Yunie. Compared to the other guys, Baralai's pretty mysterious. But you know what, you should totally make the first move. Cuz let's face it, he's not going to make it anytime soon."

"You think? Oh, I don't know..."

"You're so indecisive, Yunie. I don't get why you're not doing anything. What are you waiting for?"

"It doesn't feel right to rush it. At least, that's the feeling I get..."

Yuna looks down at her lap, fiddling with the fabric of her skirt. She made a promise to herself that she would wait and take her time falling in love with someone else, because she had dove in headfirst in her last relationship without a thought as to where it might go. There will always be fun and romance in a relationship, especially when you are dating the right person, but that does not mean you lose sight of your priorities because of it. Yuna learned that the hard way, and although every part of her wants to confess her feelings right now, a part of her also fears that it may be too soon for him to hear.

Rikku nudges her by the elbow, drawing her out of her quiet contemplation. "So, Yunie… Have you ever thought about doing it? You know, with him?"

Comprehending the true meaning behind her vague question, Yuna's whole face burns crimson. "N-No! Rikku, why would you say such a thing?"

"Don't pretend you're so innocent. It's not like you never thought about it. I mean, a lot of people are doing it. It's not forbidden." She gives her a sly smile, leaning forward to prop her chin atop the bridge of her twined fingers. "Besides, sex is pretty awesome."

"You..." Yuna feels her throat grow dry, and she gulps. "Y-You know how it feels?"

"Yeah... Remember that one time Gippal and I were supposed to meet you two at Samurai X? Well..." Rikku blushes, lost in reminisce.

Yuna gasps. "T-That's what you were doing?!"

"Yep! We were going to do it eventually. It's not that big of a deal." Rikku shrugs. "But anyway, you like him, right? Then, that means you want him, too."

Yuna wrings her hands below the table, feeling shameful. "No, I... I-I don't like thinking about him like that. I mean, I try to, but... It just feels wrong, especially when he doesn't know that I... um... And I don't even know if he likes me! So..." Faltering under Rikku's expectant look, she gulps.

"So, what? You fantasize about him when you touch yourself? Daydream about marrying him? Aw, you're blushing redder than a cherry!"

"Rikku, please stop, they might overhear us..."

She laughs, enjoying her flustered attempts to cover her mouth. "You're the best person to tease. You have, like, the funniest reactions!"

In the background, the disk ricochets off the edge of the table, flying with such violent velocity it strikes Tidus square in the face. Baralai and Paine forget about their intense rivalry for the moment to acknowledge the victim. Gippal ends up cracking first, breaking out into insane laughter and prompting the other two to follow suit.

"Guys! That's not funny!" Tidus says, on the brink of tears.

"You poor baby," Paine says, giving a mean smile.

"I apologize. I will treat you to some ice cream later. Will that make you feel better?" Baralai adds insult to injury, fighting back the smile.

"Shut up! I hate you guys!"

Yuna follows her English 11 class to the library, hugging her copy of Frankenstein's Monster close to her chest. Someone ambushes her from behind, causing her to squeal in fright, and she turns around to smile at the bubbly mass of cute energy. Elma can rival Rikku in cheeriness, so when Yuna glares at the brunette girl in mock anger, she can't help but eventually break. "Elma, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Success!" Elma laughs out loud, bouncing to match her pace. "I can't wait to start Macbeth. I heard it's pretty brutal. What about you?"

Yuna smiles. "Me, too. I don't know much to the story, but I'm interested to see Macbeth's fall from grace."

"But didn't you see the Jimmy Neutron episode about Macbeth?"

"No? That's a cartoon. I don't think that counts as a proper adaptation."

Elma sticks her tongue out. "I bet you didn't even watch it, or else you'd know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Okay, class, line up in an organized fashion. Inside voices, please." Ms. Yocun calls for everyone's immediate attention, shepherding the throng of students through the detection gate.

Stepping inside the building, Yuna spots two familiar faces behind the front desk. She knows Isaaru, because they have been next door neighbors for years, but the other... She blushes, giving her hair a quick touch-up. When Baralai catches her eye behind his computer monitor, he smiles and lifts a hand to wave. She blushes in response, daring herself to wave back. Elma clings to her arm all of a sudden, jerking Yuna out of her momentary bliss.

"Oh, no..."

"W-What's wrong?"

"If my turn comes up and Baralai's open, take my spot. Please please please let me have Isaaru."

She frowns in confusion. "But why?"

"Let's just say he hates me. Help a girl out?"

"Quiet over there! This is a library. Show some courtesy."

They flinch like deers caught in headlights, giving Ms. Yocun sheepish smiles.

"Of course, I will," Yuna says in a low voice, reassuring her, "You don't have to worry about anything."

Elma sighs in relief, letting go of her arm. "Thanks! You're the best."

Yuna smiles, facing forward again just in time to watch a group of girls reach Baralai's end of the counter.

They are dressed in flashy clothes and stylish shoes, their faces glowing with jaunty laughter. Long-haired and well-endowed, they make Yuna feel quite plain in comparison, and she resists the urge to look down and frown at her faults. Most girls tend to look and behave like them, boastful and uninhibited by old-fashioned, lady-like standards, which makes her wonder. Even though she has been told she's "beautiful, smart, and cute" by the people who care about her, do those qualities really hold a candle to them?

Baralai blinks at them, unaffected by their immodest appearances. Do they not attract him at all? Their cleavages are exposed, their arms and legs all bare and kissed by the sun, and they wear so much make-up and jewelry they emulate the beauty of barbie dolls.

The first one gives him a coy smile, twiddling a piece of her blonde hair. "Hey! Long time, no see."

"Hello. Good morning." He smiles in polite greeting, grabbing the book she holds out.

She leans her chest over the counter to showcase her cleavage in her low-cut top, propping her chin on the palm of her hand. "I don't see you around much anymore. Do you still tutor after school?"

"Oh, no, not at the moment," Baralai says, reaching back to grab a copy of Macbeth from amongst the pile to check it out. "Other obligations have cropped up that needed my immediate attention. Why do you ask? Do you still run into trouble with math?"

"Maybe. Do you think you can squeeze in a little time for me? You're the best at explaining things."

"I don't know about that. I always received the impression I bored you. After all, you were never able to focus well."

"It's not my fault you have a sexy voice." She pouts, receiving her book now.

The other girl wedges in between them to take her friend's spot, holding her book out with an eager smile. "Whenever you have free time, you should totally help me out with my Anatomy homework. I get stuck on the same problem and I don't know what to do with myself."

"That's an idea," he says, impassive of their girlish giggles. "But I'm afraid I cannot. Like I said, I am too busy, but perhaps someone else in the tutoring program can help you."

"Hm, maybe... Thanks! See you around."

The two girls walk off, disappointed by his lukewarm response.

Yuna withholds her anger, even after they walk past her. It does not surprise her that Baralai attracts a fair amount of admirers, but she never imagined some of them to be this aggressive. Shelinda had been right: he does not need to look far to find someone, and he has a whole lineup of girls eager for his attention. It baffles her to witness him rebuff romantic advances without pause for breath, as if girls do not interest him at all. Remembering his words from the other day, however, causes her heart to swell, and she smiles. To be considered a close friend now, she wonders if that could also be considered a sign that he has begun to develop feelings for her.

Baralai drops his smile as soon as they have their backs turned, sighing. "Next, please."

Maroda throws himself at his side, clutching at his elbow. "Dude, give me your problem. Give me all your problems! Every single chick that comes at you, throw em at me!"

"By all means, take them all." Baralai smiles, mood lifted by his begging, and takes the book that Maroda slammed down on the counter to repeat the process. "How are you, by the way?"

"Nothing much. Just stuck at home until I get rid of my C. I hate progress reports. I bet you don't even know how it feels to fear them, do you?"

"What's there to be scared about?" Isaaru says, mocking his meathead of a brother. "They're a reflection of your work."

Baralai laughs. "Exactly. You can only blame yourself."

"You damn overachievers…"

As Maroda drags his book down to his side, walking off with a grumble, Yuna takes a step forward. She senses Elma breeze past her to seize Isaaru's end and glances in her direction, recalling her earlier foreboding words. Wrought with concern, she smiles at Baralai in greeting, looking for any changes in his amiable expression.

"Good morning. How are you today?"

"Good morning! I'm doing great. It's nice to see you."

"Likewise." Baralai grins, brightened by her warm greeting.

Nothing hints that he possesses any ill will towards Elma, no glare or scowl in her direction or even any falter in cheer, so she drops the matter for now and carries on in pleasant conversation. "I can't wait to start studying Macbeth. Shakespeare's writing's so bold, I love it."

"Which is your favorite? I'm torn between Hamlet and Julius Caesar myself."

"A Midsummer Night's Dream is pretty fun. Although I do kind of like Romeo & Juliet more." She blushes when she confesses that last part, embarrassed by her pick of the popular favorite.

"You and your love stories." Isaaru shakes his head. "At least you stopped reading Twilight."

She blushed, mortified that he even brought it up. "Isaaru! That was like two years ago. I'm past that phase now."

"I happen to like Romeo & Juliet," Baralai says, surprising Yuna with his sincerity. "The romance I do not particularly care for, but I do enjoy the feuding rival families."

"That's because you love revenge stories. No matter if it's trash, you'd still read it."

"There is nothing wrong with a good revenge story."

Yuna hangs by, enjoying the two bicker and wishing she can stay longer to mingle, but she sees her class filter out, and decides to get a move on. Maybe she can ask Baralai later what Elma meant by him hating her, and hopes that she will remember the next time they are together. "I have to go now. My class is leaving. Have a good morning, you two."

"Oh, Yuna, wait. I have something for you." Baralai leans forward with his arms folded on top of the counter, beckoning her over with a mischievous smile.

Yuna halts to turn back around. "Yes? What is it?"

"Would you like a kiss?"

"W-What?!"

"A Hershey Kiss." He pulls out a tiny, silver wrapped object from his breast pocket and holds it out between his two fingers. Reaching down to pull her arm up, he proceeds to place it down on her palm. "I wanted to return the favor, from Sunday."

Why does her heart beat for such an evil, vindictive man? Yuna pouts, averting her eyes. "...you suck."

"You know, there are many things I can say in response to that," Baralai says, amused.

She clears her throat, regaining her composure. "No, what I actually said was 'thank you' for the Hershey Kiss."

"You are very welcome." He smiles wider, delighted by her humble admission.

As Yuna sticks her tongue out at him and Baralai attempts to snatch the appendage of her insolence, Isaaru watches them fool around until she departs from the library, waving goodbye at them. Noticing how his eyes linger on her back, Isaaru smiles. "You and Yuna seem close."

"Hm? Ah, yes, well..." Baralai straightens up from his spot, retreating into the pages of their appointment binder. "She is too fun to tease. I sometimes can't help myself. You would know. You live right next door to her, right?"

"Yes, and I do understand that feeling. Very well, in fact. I'm simply not as evil as you, nor nearly as flirtatious."

In the middle of wheeling out a cart of books, Baralai snaps to attention. "What? I am not– ahem, that is, I was not being flirtatious. Besides, we are friends. Are friends not expected to get along?"

"Baralai, I know you. Only when you're comfortable around someone does your evil side tend to show."

"You wound me. My kindness is not a mask, it is a state of being," Baralai says, dismissing his remark with a wry smile, and continues on with his task, heading towards the bookshelves. "I thought you would know me better by now, Isaaru."

Watching him disappear in the back, he sighs. "...I thought so, too."

Yuna returns to the library later that same day, staring at her open notebook. Instead of memorizing her English vocabulary or practicing her Math problems, she keeps daydreaming about the next time they are together, wondering what their relationship will be like once it takes flight. Embarrassed by the thought, Yuna decides to pack her things early for home. When did it become impossible to live through a single day without thinking about him? A life before Baralai existed, what had that felt like?

"Yuna, dear!" Someone intercepts her trek down the open hallway, interrupting her thoughts with a bold hug and a swift kiss to the cheek.

Yuna halts in her tracks to acknowledge her, pink dusting her cheeks. Perturbed by LeBlanc's shameless affection, she somehow manages to extract herself from her hold and faces her a good distance away. Maybe it has to do with the fact LeBlanc's a foreign exchange student, but Europeans can be so forward. "H-Hello, LeBlanc. Good afternoon."

She grins. "Studying hard for those midterms, hm?"

"Yes." Yuna smiles. "I want to do my best so I can reward myself with Spring vacation."

"Good for you!" LeBlanc pats her shoulder, and then moseys up to her side, leading her down the hallway. "So, a little birdie told me you and Baralai are close. Is that true? Because if it is, I need your help."

"What's wrong?" At the mention of him, Yuna becomes concerned.

"Oh, no, don't worry your pretty little head over it. It's nothing too serious! You see, Baralai and I share an Acting class together and we've been partnered for an important scene, but lately he's been avoiding me. How rude! Ever since I convinced our teacher to give us an extra scene, he flees like a rabbit from a hyena. He's such a silly goose! I mean, it's just a kissing scene. There's no reason to be shy!"

Yuna fidgets, blindsided by a most gut-wrenching mental image. Although she holds no doubt Baralai can resist the female charm, would he be able to resist this one? LeBlanc has made herself quite notorious for seducing any man she lays her eyes on, and now she has set her sights on him? Dear, lord. "Oh, um... Have you tried talking to Baralai about it? Maybe he's upset because you didn't consult with him first."

"Nonsense! I am a good kisser. Therefore he's in perfect hands. I wanted to practice with him to make him more comfortable, but you know how elusive he can be. And that's when I thought of you! After all, you talk to each other a lot, right?"

"Y-You can say that," Yuna says, intimidated by this girl and her rather aggressive fixation of him. Maybe she will back down from pursuing him if she shows how close they are. "To be honest, we talk to each other every day."

"Wonderful! Then you'd know where Baralai is."

"I think he's almost done with basketball practice–."

"Perfect! Lead the way. We might be able to catch him in time."

"No, wait, I don't think he'll–." But before Yuna can finish her sentence, LeBlanc snatches her by the arm, forcing her in direction of the main gymnasium. Maybe Baralai had been avoiding her for a reason, and Yuna just smoked him out of the lion's den and into the oven. Afraid of facing his potential wrath, she drags her feet the entire way, wanting to delay the inevitable.

"C'mon, Yuna! Hurry up! Don't you want to see all the shirtless guys?"

Yuna fights the urge to recall Baralai half-naked in the boys' locker room, and blushes when she fails. "I'd rather not..."

"You again," Mr. Kinoc says the moment they set foot inside the gym, stopping them right in their tracks. He scowls, glaring at LeBlanc in particular. "I thought I told you to stop coming around here. You're a distraction to the boys."

"Hey, it's not my fault they like the attention." She winks at him, shameless.

He turns to acknowledge Yuna next, scrutinizing her. "And whose fangirl are you?"

"What? Me?" Yuna blushes, embarrassed. "No, I– I'm waiting on a friend."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say. Wait a sec..." He narrows his eyes, rubbing his chin in thought. "I know you. You're one of Cid's girls, aren't you? ...Which one are you again?"

"I'm Yuna, his niece."

"Ah, right. The law-abiding one. Well, alright, you are free to watch... but keep a close eye on your friend! She hounds men like a dog in heat."

"Yes, sir." Yuna salutes him, before LeBlanc drags her away.

"Yay! You're a life saver." Sauntering over to the bleachers, she drags Yuna down to sit beside her. "Doesn't it excite you, watching such raw muscle in action? It's like a dance! And I want to join in. Oh, look, that's him! That's the one I want to win over. You don't mind, right?"

Setting her backpack down by her feet, Yuna had no time to search for Baralai in the crowd of boys before LeBlanc threw a fast one on her. "Mind what?"

"Sharing! After all, he's your friend, and I wouldn't want to intrude on what you two have got going on."

Yuna stares, flabbergasted by the speed of her words. "...I don't know what you're trying to say, LeBlanc, but… You can't just ask me to give him to you as if people can be owned. If you want to be with Baralai, it's really up to him whether or not he wants to return your feelings."

"But you don't understand, darling. He doesn't want me at all. Have you seen me chasing after some guy? No, because that's something I never do. But that boy, he gives me a run for my money. Nothing I do entices him. You, on the other hand, he likes you." LeBlanc leans in with a knowing smile, propping her chin on the palm of her hand. "He lets you in, and that's not some ordinary friendship."

Yuna fidgets, bashful, but tries not to raise her hopes up. "Y-You really think so?"

"I know so. But alas, you don't notice, because Baralai can be such a guy sometimes. And speaking of guys... Look at them go! Aren't they glorious and oh so delicious?" LeBlanc sighs, captivated by all those muscles in motion.

Yuna follows her gaze, and finds Baralai in an instant. Although all the boys wear the uniform shirt and baggy shorts, he sets himself apart by wearing an orange-black jersey and form fitting sweatpants. He even wears a blue headband to keep his hair out of his face, and she giggles at how adorable he looks. And yet, watching him play with such control and intensity steals her breath away, and she starts to feel her heart beat fast.

"Beclem! Pass! Maroda is open!"

He ignores Baralai's call and charges ahead, jostling pass two, no, three of his opponents, and leaps for the hoop, landing a violent slam dunk.

Baralai stops to catch his breath, wiping his mouth before standing straight, signaling a time out. Once the team settles down, he stalks over to his arrogant teammate with a deliberate, calm beat to his step, and halts before him. "Beclem, why didn't you pass to Maroda?"

"I scored the basket, didn't I?" Beclem says, placing both hands on his hips.

"That's not the point, and you know it." Baralai crosses his arms, wearing a dangerous smile on his otherwise exasperated face. "When an opportunity presents itself, you take it. Learn to exercise teamwork and allow your teammates a share of the glory – not show off like a baboon with the biggest butt on this side of the country."

"If teamwork was all it took to win a championship, then the Luca Goers would've gotten beat by now! Sharing our feelings and holding each other's hands won't give us victory."

"Have you learned anything while I was captain? Victory is never given, nor is it done with teamwork alone. It also requires a lot of practice, trust and dedication to your team, plus hard work. You know what the problem is? I do, and I'm looking at it. And if you keep on playing solo with your head up in the clouds, you will never get far. Daydreamers don't get special treatment."

"How would you know?"

Baralai shrugs, unbothered by his cynical tone. "I haven't been proven wrong, yet."

"You'll be surprised how soon that day's gonna come."

Sensing the tension heighten between them, Maroda steps in to pat Baralai's shoulder. "Chill out, B'man. It's not that big of a deal–."

"Maroda, stop kissing his ass. We all know where that's been."

"Hm, well, you would know, now wouldn't you?" Baralai says, raising his eyebrows knowingly, which causes the boys to snicker.

Beclem blushes, his nose flaring in humiliation. He either has the choice to walk away and be smart, or throw the first punch and look stupid. He decides on the former, and jerks around with a toss of his hair, stalking off in direction of the locker room. "I'm out of here."

Yuna stands from her spot when seeing the other players head for the locker room.

"Go, go, Yuna. Soften him up for me." LeBlanc pats her butt, and she jumps, giving her a meek smile.

Baralai lingers to collect the stray basketballs, giving no indication that he notices their presence. The moment someone hugs him from behind, he jumps from unpleasant surprise, dropping the armful of basketballs. Swerving around at once to glare at the perpetrator, he drops the look, exhaling in annoyance. "Jesus Christ, I thought you were Rikku for a second. Please, don't do that again."

"Oh, um…" Yuna steps back, feeling guilty. "You don't like being hugged from behind?"

Baralai rubs his head, awkward. "Ah, no. That is, if we were alone, at least I know that it's you, but because I'm out here…"

"Oh. Right! I'm sorry, I should have thought about that…"

"Well, at least you know." He sighs, taking a quick moment to grab a ball.

"Um, apart from that…" she says, desperate to move on, "Are you feeling okay? You seem upset."

"To be honest, no." Facing her again, Baralai scratches his head, wondering how such an egomaniac ended up as the captain of the team again. The only reason being he had talent. Oh, right, and because he also appointed him last year. "If I may ask, what are you doing here?"

Baffled by his inquiry, Yuna cocks her head with a grin. "You're not happy to see me?"

"Ah, sorry, I meant–."

"Lighten up. I was only teasing. I came to watch you practice."

"I wish you hadn't. It wasn't our best."

"Nor is it your worst."

"True."

"Nice footwork out there, Ballerina." LeBlanc takes this as the perfect opportunity to sweep in and steal the conversation, pleased by the annoyed look on his face. "You've convinced me those beefy Luca Goers got nothing on your grace."

"Hello to you, too, LeBlanc." Baralai gives her a half-hearted greeting, hugging the ball to his waist.

"Ugh. What kind of response is that? Don't you know when to humor a lady? Especially when they are flirting with you?"

"You must understand I am not interested. In you, let alone flirting with you."

"Tsk. You are so uptight! What are you going to do once we start rehearsing our kissing scene? You'll be too flustered to perform properly."

"Ah, but I have a solution to that. Undoubtedly there will be days where I will not be able to meet with you, so..." Baralai smirks, propping the basketball up on the palm of his hand. "If you ever find yourself in need, practice kissing on this ball instead. I know you are accustomed to seeing them in pairs, but I assure you this has been places the likes of which only you would know."

"The nerve!" LeBlanc blushes, incensed. "Wait until we perform our scene together. I will humiliate you in front of everybody!"

"A date I will be looking forward to." He smiles, waving in farewell as she stomps off. Satisfied by her dramatic departure, Baralai turns back around to face her. "Right. So, where were we?"

"Oh, um… I-I forget." Yuna blushes a little, flustered by their exchange. "LeBlanc's an interesting character, don't you think?"

Baralai scoffs. "'Interesting' is a nice word, but anti-Christ is more like it."

His response came off so blunt and full of disdain, Yuna explodes into giggles.

He looks at her, amused. "What, you do not agree with me?"

"N-No, that's not it…" She tries to recollect herself. "Don't you find her attractive? You know, for her confidence?"

"Confidence? You call that confidence? You mean the type of arrogance that can only be surmounted by her intolerable ego."

The more he talks, the more she can't contain her giggles, and she decides to stop there because she had long forgotten why she felt nervous and insecure in the first place.

"What is it you find so funny?"

"You." Yuna beams, giggling some more. "You're so funny, you know that?"

Baralai stares in response, until a slow smile forms at the corners. "One second go, you looked so anxious, and now you are relieved. I don't think I will ever understand you."

Paine had been watching them, hidden from plain sight behind the doorway. Elected by two meddlesome idiots to invite Baralai along to the mall, she did not have to search long to find him. She heard voices coming from inside, but upon recognizing Yuna's, stopped right before the entrance. Her eyes harden at the unsuspecting pair, suspicious. Never has she seen them truly alone, and out of morbid curiosity wants to see how they act without the others around to keep up appearances.

"What are your plans for today?"

"My plans? I don't think I have any. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you would like to come over. I definitely want to relax first, but... Maybe I can help you study for our midterms."

"Really?" Yuna grins, delighted by his offer, and then her eyebrows crease in confusion. "Wait, I thought you told those girls in the library that you didn't have time to tutor people."

"Oh, you heard that? Well, I was not exactly lying." He shrugs, collecting the stray basketballs one by one to deposit them in the cart. "In your case, I am always willing to make time for you. I would much rather be with you than someone I barely know."

Overwhelmed by their sweet and loving exchange, Paine rolls her eyes and exhales. Is this how they flirt? Dancing around the obvious with the kind of passive-aggressive words that can beat bushes to death? Those two idiots just smile and blush at each other, acting all nice and cute, which only serves to annoy her more. If they became an actual couple, how nauseating would that be?

When Baralai moves to grab the last one, he groans in pain and grabs his right shoulder.

"Are you alright? You look pretty stiff..."

"Oh, it's nothing. Just my shoulder." At the mere mention of it, he grimaces and bends down to retrieve the basketball anyway, ignoring the discomfort. "Beclem made basketball practice unnecessarily brutal today. He kept throwing basketballs at me while I wasn't looking."

Yuna hovers by his side, concerned. "Do you want me to rub your shoulder later?"

Baralai takes a step back, uncomfortable. "You don't have to take care of me." Seeing her look of sadness, however, motivates him to amend his statement. "...but I would really appreciate it."

Regardless of his attempt to appease her, his rejection still hurts, and she frowns. "You don't have to act nice. If I'm bothering you, you can say so."

Paine chuckles. He can be so neurotic, especially in the face of such doting affection. 'What was I ever worried about? Those two won't last long.' She continues to watch them anyway, feet rooted by her curiosity.

They stand there in awkward silence, Baralai fidgeting with the basketball while Yuna ignores him. He breaks the silence by depositing the ball into the rack, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before turning back around to face her. "To be honest… I like when you give me attention."

Paine's eyes bug out of their sockets at this uncharacteristic, blunt confession.

"When we are together, a part of me really wants to monopolize you. But I always stop to think 'what level am I allowed to monopolize you?' Is it even appropriate to ask that kind of thing? I enjoy your company, and yet I am not used to being taken care of, so… excuse me if I ever act cold or brisk."

"Oh…" Yuna grins, pleased by this admission. "It's okay. And I'm sorry if I suffocate you. I can be pretty clingy, huh."

"I find your manner of clinginess rather endearing, so I am not at all too bothered by it."

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

Silence settles, before the squeak of sneakers and roll of heavy wheels breaks it. Baralai pushes the cart of basketballs into the open equipment room while Yuna trails behind him, hands clasped at her back. She tiptoes forward, waiting for him to lock the door before capturing him in a surprise hug.

He turns around to give her knowing look. "What was that about?"

She jumps back a whole two steps, smiling in glee. "We are alone now."

By the time they exit through the double doors together, Paine had already disappeared.