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The Giza Plains; rain, cold and more rain. I am soaked to my very core and my fingers are frozen to the handle of my sword, the worst thing is that my treacherous eyes cannot stay away from Balthier, and his shirt’s unhelpful habit of clinging to his body in the rain, making it even harder for me to keep my eyes off him. I try desperately to concentrate on my task; which is to navigate a way though this hellish swamp without getting anybody killed, I nearly fail to do this when Penelo gets a nasty bite from a wolf and almost passes out. We heal her somewhat, and she smiles and suggests we keep going,

            ‘It’s nothing really’ she says through gritted teeth,

            ‘There’s no point in dragging you on any further for you to KO on us Penelo’ Vaan tells her, he looks to me, hoping I will agree with him and let us rest until the next morning.

            ‘Vaan, you have a point’ Balthier says, ‘lets call it a day’ he seems to decide my opinions don’t matter if its raining, and rudely wastes no time in dashing under the largest tree in range and making himself comfortable, I am irritated that he hasn’t even asked me what I think, but all the others agree with him and run to shelter, I am left with no choice but to follow. After a few attempts, Vaan manages to get a small fire burning and we sit around it, trying to get warm despite the continual rain. However I cannot seem to shake the cold from my bones, and instead sit shivering, arms wrapped around my knees fro warmth.

            ‘You should get some rest Penelo’ It’s very sweet how Vaan looks out for his friend, I know they are just friends but I wonder if it will lead to anything more in the future. They curl up together and quickly seem to fall asleep, comforted by each other’s presence.

            ‘There’s no point sleeping in wet clothes’ Balthier says, and without any form of modesty removes his vest and shirt, leaving him naked from the waist up and my face bright red at his nakedness. I press my eyes down into my knees to stop them looking as he places his clothes over a low hanging branch near the fire, and try to ignore my rapid heartbeat and quick breathing.

‘It seems Vaan and Penelo have the right idea’ he casts me a quick glance as I raise my face and I give him a look saying, ‘don’t you even dare come over here,’

‘Getting some sleep, I mean,’ he looks at me innocently, as if that were the only thing he meant to say, I bite my lip and lie down with my back to him, taking a very deep breath…

I assume all the others have fallen asleep by their regular breathing patterns, but it will not come to me and chills run up and down my spine, and the strong wind threatens to tear my soul away with his icy fingers. I turn over and face the fire, reduced to embers now and feel bitterly alone in the world. Although it would seem I am not alone, for I hear someone sit up, I freeze hoping to feign sleep, but the person stands and I hear their soft footsteps picking a path across the others towards me. He comes up behind me and I feel him kneel down. A warm hand is placed on my shoulder and Balthier whispers in my ear,

            ‘Ashe, you are freezing’ he calls me by name, not title, it feels strange, but I don’t correct him just whisper back,
           
‘I am fine.’
           
‘Fine? Ice maiden you may be, but I will not have you freeze over’ he leans over my body and picks up a numb hand, presses it to his lips, then pulls it gently, to suggest I might roll over and rest on him. As I do this, I abruptly realize he is still without a shirt, but he keeps pulling my arm across and I can’t pull away, so lie resting on his side instead, my head on his uncovered chest, which gently raises and falls with his breathing. I can hear his heartbeat and his skin if warm; for some inexplicable reason, my eyes fill with tears and gently roll down my face, falling onto his bare skin by firelight. I take a deep breath and taste his scent; a curious mixture of smokes and spices, of engine oil and gunpowder, of anything, he smells most of adventure. He must realize I’m crying because he slowly sits up, supporting me as he rises and keeping a hand firmly on my back, moving it in the curve of my neck as I lean on his shoulder and suddenly break down. I let out a sob, and he winds his arms around me reassuringly and simply holds me there as I weep into him, not sure why I am crying, perhaps only because he gave me a shoulder for it.

 His entire body radiates heat; somehow he has remained dry and warm in this weather, whereas I am cold and wet. He lowers his head slightly, and presses his cheek against my temple, giving me his warmth when all I can offer are my tears. His fingers curl round the back of my neck when he cups my face in his hand, lifts it towards his and lightly kisses each of my tear-stained cheeks before lowering my head again. We remain like this for some time, the tears silently running down my face. He slowly lies down, arms still around me; and my breathing calms and I stop shivering. Feeling truly exhausted, I drift off to sleep to the beat of his heart, something I have not done in a long time.

*************************
The Gods only know why I chose to follow Ashe as far as I have, and not even they know what on earth possessed me to kiss her that day in Rabanastre, I was lucky enough she did not bite my tongue off. But there was something about her that told me, that if I were to kiss her, she would kiss me back. As it is, I took a chance which most definitely paid off, but imagine my surprise now upon her bursting into tears, I have never seen her like this, she seems so alone in the world; without her resolve, guardians, pride or her strength, naked in a way. Luckily enough I’ve had my fair share of emotional women, so I just wrap my arms around her poor waterlogged body and try to make the blood run warm through her veins again, feeling almost unnervingly close to someone as naturally cold as her. I don’t speak because I know it would ruin the moment, instead I stare up at the sky as she lies down and falls asleep on my chest, glad to be of some comfort to her in this moment of weakness, for I know she will put up her shields by daybreak.

*************************

I wake to the most extraordinary sight in the Giza Plains, the sun at dawn, actually shining on this overcast swamp. The next thing I see is Balthier’s chest, a sight indeed, as it rises and falls next to me, still as spectacularly uncovered as it was the night before; I remember how I burst into tears in front of… no, actually on him, and swallow nervously at what he might expect of me now, hopefully nothing. As I am still determined to try not to get involved with him any further.

‘Ah, Good-morning sunshine’ He says, sitting up, eyes not on me however but the sun in the east, I am both glad and slightly annoyed at this tease. I become aware that someone else is stirring from his slumber, and as just as Capt. Basch sits up, Balthier decides to whisper seductively in my ear, ‘You don’t suppose that Basch thinks…?’ This is simply too ‘Balthier’ to be accidental, and I turn to him and sharply say,

‘Stop it you’re making it worse!’

‘And how, could this get any worse’ he purrs into my ear and runs a finger down my arm, he is deliberately doing this to irritate Basch, who must think…

‘Hands off! Pirate’ I try to sound strong, but end up sounding slightly flirty, luckily Balthier shrugs and begins to move away, but quickly turns back at the last minute and brings his mouth so close to my ear I fear he is going to kiss it, but instead his whispers,

‘Ashe, last night I tasted your tears, and they were delightful by the way’ His voice is soft and he draws out my name as he speaks it, he is sending shivers up my body, ‘and I expect; he continues, ‘that I will taste them again.’ By the time he finally stands up and leaves; my stomach has tied itself into knots, my heart is beating at a hundred miles an hour and my brain has melted away, I have to struggle to keep my breath regular as I watch his semi-clad figure make his way out onto the Plains, silhouetted by the morning sun, and I curse every god I know for bringing him into my life; but still can’t bear to take my eyes off him.

A grunt from Basch brings be back to reality and humility; I start to plan how I am going to get out of this; one under his steely glare,
            ‘Basch, it’s not what you think…