A/N: And I'm here with my first Tales story! It has been exciting for me to write this, as it has been something I have always laughed about. To give a frame of reference, this is the point in the story where the party is in Asgard and Raine has scolded the two males, Linar and Harley, for trying to blow up the historic stone dais. I have recorded the events that followed! I hope you enjoy it.

Because I'm An Adult

by mrtysh

"Light!" Raine chanted, feeling the power of her magic course through her staff as she cast Photon on the Windmaster. With a final slash of Lloyd's swords, the monster disintegrated.

The party breathed sighs of relief, Lloyd and Kratos sheathing their swords and Colette and Genis stowing their weapons. Raine healed some of the more major wounds before leaving everyone to calm down after the arduous battle.

Before leaving the dais, Raine noticed an object at its center, which upon inspection turned out to be the Map of Balacruf. Skimming its contents, she sighed, as it was inscribed with an ancient writing that may take hours to translate into something useable. She rejoined the others at the foot of the dais.

"Raine, you're fantastic!" Linar praised.

She could feel her cheeks heat up. What a generous compliment. "Well, it was hardly a challenging opponent..." Raine looked down at the stone tablet she held. "Do you know of a way to decipher the Balacruf writing?"

"Actually, I have the necessary materials in my house. Would you like to accompany me?"

Raine didn't hesitate. This would be imperative for releasing the Wind seal. "Yes, let's go!"

The pair walked off briskly. Lloyd, Genis, and Colette looked at each other, puzzled.

Kratos frowned, perhaps a little more than usual. "Why don't we go to the nearest inn?" he suggested. Everyone nodded, eager for a long night of rest.

"Raine, I've said it once and I'll say it again, you're fantastic," Linar beamed. "I can't believe you deciphered this legend before sunset! You are truly gifted."

She blushed scarlet. Her cheeks might never look the same again. "It is thanks to you that I was able to work so quickly, Linar. You are quite resourceful."

"I'm just glad to be able to aid you in your journey."

A silence spread between them as Linar gathered up some of his materials off the table and stowed them away on a nearby bookshelf. He had just picked up a large book of ancient writings as Raine stood and gathered her findings. "I suppose it is time for me to return to the Chosen and share this information. Thank you, Li—"

"Raine, wait, at least let me offer you a cup of tea," Linar hurriedly filed away the book and paced over to her. "You have been hard at work all day today, and you haven't stopped to relax even once."

"But the seal—"

"That seal has been around for thousands of years; it isn't going anywhere, Raine. You deserve a few minutes to yourself, at the very least," Linar touched her shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "Have a seat, and I'll get some tea started."

What more could she say to that? Linar was right. Raine took her seat again and watched him prepare the necessary herbs and water. He had a fireplace in the corner, the small flames dancing in a most enchanting way. She found comfort in that.

Raine became so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice when Linar poured her a mug of tea and placed an array of sliced fruit on the table. He poured his own mug and took the seat across from her, that same reassuring smile adorning his face. "Please, help yourself."

A whole tray of fruit and two mugs of tea later, Raine told Linar all about herself and vice versa. She felt well-acquainted with this man already, more so than with Kratos, whom she had been traveling with for months.

After a few moments of silence, Raine noted, "It must be well into the night by now... I suppose I won't be getting any rest unless I make my way back to the inn right now."

"Don't be ridiculous, you can stay here. It's too dangerous for a beautiful woman such as yourself to be traveling alone at night."

She blushed again. She really needed to learn to control that. "B-beautiful?... That's not possible..." she murmured, eyes downcast.

Linar looked offended. "Raine, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. To think that you are also so incredibly intelligent and talented is just... breathtaking to me."

Beautiful? Breathtaking? Raine had never heard anyone talk about her in such a way, especially not from someone she'd only met days ago. Was she dreaming?

Linar touched her shoulder as he did hours ago, and Raine took note of how pleasantly warm the sensation was. He spoke softly, "Don't think so lowly of yourself."

She looked into his eyes. They were dark, like the night sky, but they had so much to offer her. They were full of admiration for her. His compliments were genuine.

"Thank you..." she whispered now, afraid that if she spoke too loudly, she might ruin this connection.

Linar's hand moved from her shoulder to gently caress her cheek, and he angled her face in a way that compelled her to keep eye contact. He never wanted to look at anything else. Inching closer to her, he looked for a sign of disapproval and was delighted to find nothing of the sort within her gaze.

His lips touched hers softly, and Raine soon relaxed in his arms. She was quite content to remain in his warm embrace for eternity.

"It looks like the professor hasn't come back yet," Colette said as everyone entered the lobby of the inn.

"Are you serious?" Lloyd scratched his head.

"She's conducting research with Linar," Genis added.

Lloyd sighed impatiently. "Man, ancient writing sure takes a long time to read. You think we should head over there and see what they found out?"

Everyone nodded and the team headed in the direction of Linar's house.

Sunlight filtered in gently through the window, alerting Raine it was morning. She slowly opened her eyes to see Linar sleeping peacefully beside her. They both lay on their sides facing each other, a thin cover the only thing concealing their bodies from plain view. She could not have prepared herself mentally for encountering such a level of intimacy.

Exhaling a contented breath, Raine eased herself out of the small bed so that she could dress herself. In doing so, Linar stirred, moving to lay on his back and blinking bleary eyes.

"...Morning," he murmured sluggishly to her, stretching out his limbs. Raine just managed to don her undergarments, not wanting to feel so bare in plain view despite the previous interaction with the man before her.

"Good morning," She couldn't help but smile. What a wonderful night.

"Why can't the professor go with Sheena?" Lloyd asked loudly. His ignorance would never fail to make an appearance.

Raine hesitated only slightly. She couldn't bear to explain the details of being a pure maiden to Lloyd and Genis. What a horrible example she would set! "Because I'm an adult."

Colette, Genis, and Lloyd appeared very puzzled. Sheena, however, blushed furiously and became frantic. "I-I-I'll summon Undine, now! Let's go, Colette!"

The summoner practically dragged Colette along after her to retrieve the unicorn's horn. Raine suppressed a chuckle at the reactions she received.

She held no regrets whatsoever for her status of adulthood.