As A Dare
There was little to do on these rainy days in the camp on Mushroom Rock Road. They were waiting to board the boats to take them to their first mission site - Bikanel, some had heard - but a fierce storm had just come in off the ocean, delaying their departure. The rains had destroyed the road and the surrounding grasslands, so any exercise was out of the question. Everyone was tired of having muddy clothes and then having to go out into the mud to clean their clothing; it was a neverending battle that would end only when the monsoon passed.
Gippal had taught the others to play beka, a game involving a pair of dice and quick hands. Nooj had even participated for a while, and did surprisingly well too - but then he had been called away by a couple of former Crusaders to talk shop. Gippal, Paine, and Baralai had continued to play, but beka swiftly grew boring with only three players. Paine had then taught them a game from her childhood called “Truth or Dare”.
Gippal loved this game.
They played it for a couple of hours. Baralai always chose “truth” when faced with the question “Truth or Dare”. He had recounted stories about his parents, the most embarrassing thing he’d done in a temple, and the reason he chose to join the religion, as well as a few other ‘truths’. Gippal had particularly enjoyed the story of Baralai’s failed magic spell that had resulted in an entire room of the temple being covered in peanut butter.
Paine mixed up her truths and dares. The boys had heard about a terrible sunburn that she’d gotten when she was seven, and about a childhood friend that she had kissed in the back corner of a weapons shop. Gippal had dared here to take off one of her many belts, which - much to his chagrin - did not result in her clothes falling off. Baralai had a much more innocent but perhaps more deadly dare - Paine had to go out, in the rain, and get into Nooj’s tent and bring back something of his. She had presented them with a small dagger for her efforts, and then Gippal had to be the one to return it.
Gippal, however, always chose the dare option. The other two seemed to have a great time coming up with ridiculous things for him to do. He had taken off his boots and let the others look through all the various secret compartments. He had run out shirtless in the rain (even though the original dare had been to go out naked, but then Paine objected that she didn’t want to see his nether regions). He had said and translated the worst curse he could think of in Al Bhed, but his most recent dare was the absolute worst.
“I dare you,” Paine said, “to kiss Baralai.”
“Kiss him?” Gippal replied, looking over at Baralai who seemed just as shocked. “Like, on the cheek kiss or on the mouth kiss kiss?”
Baralai’s cheeks were flushing.
“Kiss kiss,” Paine clarified, imitating Gippal’s intonation.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Baralai objected.
“No, it’s Gippal’s dare,” Paine replied quickly. “You get no say. Now, go on and kiss him.”
“What if I don’t do it?” Gippal asked. He thought he caught a glimpse of Baralai’s expression falling.
“Then Baralai has to do it.”
Baralai insisted, “Wait, I’ve never heard that rule-“
“Shut up,” Paine said, smacking Baralai on the arm.
Gippal thought that this was all very suspicious, but he couldn’t back down on a dare. “Alright Lai,” he said, standing up and crossing the tent to where Baralai was. “You ready?”
“No,” Baralai replied, but Gippal could see that he was very, very ready. He looked something like a boy who was about to get his first kiss, with his eyes all wide and his jaw quivering.
Baralai wanted Gippal to kiss him, Gippal realized suddenly. Well, he would be certain that Baralai enjoyed it. Gippal wasn’t sure that he expected Baralai to kiss back, and so he was surprised to find Baralai slipping his tongue into his mouth and his arms around Gippal’s shoulders. It was the first time Gippal had kissed another man; maybe it was just Baralai, but Gippal wondered if he had been missing something big all these years.
The kiss left Gippal breathless. Baralai looked pleased with himself, and when Gippal looked over to see Paine’s reaction - she was gone.
Now, he understood what was going on.
“Baralai,” Gippal said, turning an almost menacing grin on the other. “Truth or dare?”
Grinning brightly in return, Baralai responded simply, “Dare.”