*Updated 09-05-2018*

Chapter 40 - Our FUCKING loved ones.

Rosa and Vaas walked hand in hand back to the compound, walking slow as if they were savouring the moment of peace and quiet on the island.

Vaas turned and effortlessly scooped Rosa up in his arms, making her giggle, her head resting on his chest. He always made her feel so safe when she was close to him. Rosa decided to put the memories from that night, behind her; he didn't mean it and she took his word for it. She only felt a little bit of pain when he did lift her up but she didn't care. Rosa wanted the moment of happiness to last, it distracting her from the events of the past few days.

Vaas carried her through the compound into the warehouse; the only pirates around were the ones of the night shift. Many had probably gone to bed; exhaustion or boredom getting the better of them. It was a pretty plain night, the air warm but it was cold for Rook. The moon was high and bright in the sky. An assortment of jungle animals and insects, played a unique tune, each sound different from the last.

Vaas kicked the door open and put Rosa on the bed, gently. She rolled over and propped her hand up so she could rest her head onto it, watching Vaas. He pulled off his tank top and boots, then his pants so he was just in his boxer shorts before falling on the bed next to Rosa. Rosa smiled, then got to her feet and took off her boots and clothes, joining him, also lying in her underwear.

"How come you don't like birthdays?" Rosa asked, looking up at the ceiling, concentrating on the xenon lights above.
"I just don't." Vaas replied.
"There must be a reason though. You can't have been born hating birthdays."

There was a silence between the pair as Rosa listened to Vaas' breathing. He sighed and Rosa turned her head to face him. Vaas did the same as she smiled a little at him.

"I loved birthdays when I was little. But being in the Rakyat means that when you turn 13, you need to become a man. You need to fight someone."
"That can't have been that traumatic, beating someone up. You probably saw it all of the time."
"You had to kill them as well. It was a battle to the death."
Rosa's interest peaked a little, now yearning for more of Vaas' story.

"I had to pick an opponent, someone in the tribe. I had all of the time before my birthday to choose. Then, about 3 days before, I'm walking through the temple after being out hunting and I hear some crying. I look around and follow the noise to find Citra, sat on the floor in a corner, shaking and crying."
Vaas cleared his throat.
"I asked her what was wrong and being her older brother, I wanted to protect her. She said that one of the tribe members, Vikal, had tried to rape her. She fought him off but he had hit her a few times; her arms were starting to bruise from where he had grabbed her and her face looked sore and bloody. He was the one I was going to fight."

Rosa was captivated.
"And then what?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"The day of my 13th birthday came and I already knew that the day felt different, you know? I didn't know if I was to still be alive by the end of it. At noon, I walked to the fight area within the temple and saw Vikal stood waiting for me. He was just a regular tribe member, not too big of an opponent, but stronger than a 13 year old boy. He stood cocky and he was smirking at me; he knew that I knew what he had tried to do to Citra."
Vaas sighed. Rosa touched his hand, reassuring him to continue.

"They then gave me this herb stuff to make me stronger, and if I won, I would start the Path of the Warrior. The fight starts and he's just beating me fucking senseless. Then, I saw Citra move into the crowd of the other tribe members. She looked upset, like she had been crying again. That gave me the power, the motivation, to get up, jump onto the back Vikal when he wasn't concentrating - stupid fucker was just soaking in the cheers from the crowd- and put my knife into his heart. I won but I was fucking scarred for life ... I still think about it."

Rosa was taken aback at the ease at which Vaas had told her the story, but was shocked to learn about the harsh reality of his first kill. At least she was more grown up when she had killed, not 13 and it wasn't forced.
"Woah." Rosa breathed, her voice quiet.

"I mean, without family who the fuck are we? There was a time where I would do anything for my sister, I mean, the first time I ever killed was for my sister. But that was not enough for her, no, no, no, no, no, please. You see the thing about our loved ones ..."
Vaas was on his feet now, pacing the room.
"Our FUCKING loved ones, they come and they BLINDSIDE you every fucking time. So they say to me, they say, 'Vaas, Vaas, who the FUCK is it going to be? THEM or ME, ME OR THEM? Like, like you know, like they fucking think that I need to make a fucking choice."

Vaas stood getting his breath back, anger clouding over his eyes. Rosa stood up and walked over to him, gently taking his face in her hands, directing his line of sight to her.

"Hey, hey." she whispered, "It's alright. They can't hurt you anymore."
"She didn't even act grateful, Rosa. When I killed for her. She always told me that I wouldn't be man enough to rule the tribe. To rule anybody, or to do anything. Nothing was ever enough."
"I know, I know." said Rosa, shushing and soothing Vaas.
He was starting to calm. Rosa had never fully realised how much of an affect that the Rakyat and Citra had on him; she felt stupid for not seeing that before.

"Come on." Rosa said and she led him back to the bed.
He lay down as so did Rosa. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it over the pair before she opened her arms out to Vaas, beckoning him to cuddle into her for a change. He scooted closer to her, wrapping his arms around her middle, his head resting against her chest. Rosa brought her hand up to stroke Vaas' head, still soothing him.

"The Rakyat are ruthless fuckers, huh?" Rosa said, airily.
"Yeah." Vaas replied, a short answer and Rosa knew not to mention it anymore.
The pair were quiet again until Vaas spoke up.

"Sometimes I feel like the world is on a diagonal, and I am the balancing point."
"I get that." Rosa replied, "... I get that."
"A lot of people after that day didn't really want to know me anymore. They all thought I was fucking crazy ... I guess I am."

Rosa pulled away from Vaas so she could look at him. His eyes looked sad and Rosa hated seeing him like this.

"Vaas. You don't need to care what people think. You are crazy. But it's one of the reasons why I love you. The Rakyat, they didn't know you. They brought you up like a pig for fucking slaughter. It was wrong."
Vaas didn't say anything.
"You can forget all about them, which I know will be hard, but that part of your life is over. You have a new life. Here, ruling this island, being your own kind of warrior. With me."

Vaas let out an exasperated sigh and pinched between his eyes. He started chuckling a little.
"You're right. It's just hard sometimes when I think about the past. I showed so much promise. So much fucking promise. But that's what those fuckers do to you. What Citra did to me ... What am I talking about?"

"Vaas ... it's okay to let go. You don't have to be afraid anymore. I won't ever let anybody hurt you again."
Rosa smiled gently before leaning over him and kissing him.

Vaas pulled her on top of him, so her legs were either side of his body as she pressed harder onto his lips. Vaas' hands traveled all over Rosa's body, mostly feeling her back and ass, squeezing it every so often. The kissing turned into a full blown make out session as Rosa felt a small pressure from Vaas' crotch in her inner thigh. She stopped kissing Vaas as he began working his lips down her neck.

"I ... think ... we should stop." breathed Rosa.
Vaas slowed down and worked his away back up to her lips and gave them a few little pecks.
"Just when we were having fun." he said quietly.
Both Rosa and Vaas were trying to get their breathing to normal, it having accelerated quickly with the heat of the situation.

"When I'm better." Rosa said as she rolled off of Vaas, and returned to her previous position, her hands against Vaas' bare chest.
"What I am going to get for my birthday then?" Vaas asked.
Rosa laughed.
"I have something up my sleeve, don't worry, dear Vaas."
"Aw, fuck, I hate surprises." he whined.
"Shut up, you sound like a pussy. Keep whining and you'll be getting nothing."
"Okay, okay. I'll be quiet." Vaas replied.

There was silence for a moment.
"I love you so much, hermana. I hope that you know that."
"I do, Vaas. I love you so much too."
Vaas smiled.

"Goodnight, princesa."
"Goodnight, Vaas."

Rosa drifted soundly off to sleep, the feel of Vaas' chest rhythmically rising and falling with each breath relaxing and calm.