Oneshot: Haunting. (Final Fantasy XII) Basch/Balthier PG
Title: Haunting
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Rating: PG
Characters: Basch & Balthier. Hinted Basch/Balthier
Series: None. Short oneshot
Warnings & Notes: No warnings really, nothing actually happens in this oneshot but I just felt like writing it. It's giving me a break from the Reno/Tseng piece that I somehow started... Also I do not own the game or it's characters.
He couldn’t quite step out of the shadows of Barnheim. Its cold never left his joints and the fever dreams he’d dreamt remained with him still.
Every night he wandered through a land of winter where the hills were covered with snow and ice hang from the branches of the great oak. His breath crystallized in the air and the wind sunk its fangs into his skin. Harsh were the winters of Landis.
Every day he sought the heat, be it from the sun or the effort of battle. He pushed himself further than possibility should have allowed and never strayed from his purpose. The sands of Dalmasca or the fields of Kerwon, the hills of Buhjerba or the trails of the jungle. The comfort of sunlight touching his shoulders or the caress of warm winds against his face.
When the rains fell over Giza, no sun shone and no heat comforted him. He dreamt of winter even when he was wide awake and it scared him. Rabanastre seemed all too distant where it lured close to the horizon. He tried to never let his eyes falter, to keep looking at the goal he prayed to reach. He mostly succeeded, yet when they stopped to rest, his eyes wandered.
“It is becoming increasingly rare to hear you speak.” Balthier stood next to the bridge that kept Basch from falling into the newly created stream.
Basch studied the motions of the water, the swirls when it changed direction and the bubbles when it penetrated the earth below. The rain had soaked his clothes long ago and was now trailing down his back in a most displeasing way.
“I’ve never been a man of words.”
“That is no exaggeration.” Balthier walked to stand by his side, elbows placed on the bridge’s rail as the pirate leaned over the edge to inspect the flow of the water. “Though I wouldn’t call you mute…”
“Perhaps I have little time for conversation with my attentions elsewhere, you know that we cannot slow down.” Basch felt the scent of wet gunpowder and leather, a reminder of just how close the pirate had come.
“You are a dreadful liar. We must work on that.” Balthier chuckled and gave Basch a half smile. “What is bothering you?”
“It is unimportant.” Basch shook his head and he could feel how Balthier took a small step back. “It is nothing that will affect either of you.”
“Forgive me if I have offended you.” Balthier frowned and leaned his head to the left, Basch could have sworn the pirate was pouting in thought. “It was not my intention to be nosy.”
“It is in your nature, Balthier.” Basch smiled in an attempt to smooth things over. “Only Vaan can rival your curiosity.”
“It is an unlikely group I find myself in.” Balthier laughed and the sound was warm and welcome, so different from the unrelenting cold.
“Do you and Fran often join forces with temporary allies?” Basch hoped his attempt to change the topic went unnoticed and even though he doubted it, Balthier seemed content to let it go.
“Only when we require an audience.” Balthier’s laugh really was intoxicating and Basch found himself wishing it would surround him and that all other sounds would drown in it.
“You seem fond of theatrics.”
“It goes hand in hand with the art of distraction.” Balthier stepped closer again. “Yet you do not seem in need of further distraction, sometimes I question if your heart is with us still. It is not that I doubt your devotion towards our cause, and even if I did I would care little. What does bother me is that you seem to walk around in an impenetrable bubble of constant misery. All I ask is that you let me know if there is anything I can do for you. Your brooding makes it more difficult to enjoy arguing with your dear princess or tell Vaan stories only he could believe.”
“Are you saying that I’m…” Basch laughed. “Keeping you from dazzling your audience?”
“I would word it differently.” They laughed and Basch realized that he’d relaxed, the tension instantly returning to his muscles upon his discovery. “Ah but refrain from doing that, I had worked so hard to plant a smile on your face. You really should smile more often, it makes you look your age and not ancient.”
“I never know if you intend to compliment or insult me.” Basch shook his head and chuckled silently. “You really are a strange one.”
“I believe the word is ‘unique’.”
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Rating: PG
Characters: Basch & Balthier. Hinted Basch/Balthier
Series: None. Short oneshot
Warnings & Notes: No warnings really, nothing actually happens in this oneshot but I just felt like writing it. It's giving me a break from the Reno/Tseng piece that I somehow started... Also I do not own the game or it's characters.
He couldn’t quite step out of the shadows of Barnheim. Its cold never left his joints and the fever dreams he’d dreamt remained with him still.
Every night he wandered through a land of winter where the hills were covered with snow and ice hang from the branches of the great oak. His breath crystallized in the air and the wind sunk its fangs into his skin. Harsh were the winters of Landis.
Every day he sought the heat, be it from the sun or the effort of battle. He pushed himself further than possibility should have allowed and never strayed from his purpose. The sands of Dalmasca or the fields of Kerwon, the hills of Buhjerba or the trails of the jungle. The comfort of sunlight touching his shoulders or the caress of warm winds against his face.
When the rains fell over Giza, no sun shone and no heat comforted him. He dreamt of winter even when he was wide awake and it scared him. Rabanastre seemed all too distant where it lured close to the horizon. He tried to never let his eyes falter, to keep looking at the goal he prayed to reach. He mostly succeeded, yet when they stopped to rest, his eyes wandered.
“It is becoming increasingly rare to hear you speak.” Balthier stood next to the bridge that kept Basch from falling into the newly created stream.
Basch studied the motions of the water, the swirls when it changed direction and the bubbles when it penetrated the earth below. The rain had soaked his clothes long ago and was now trailing down his back in a most displeasing way.
“I’ve never been a man of words.”
“That is no exaggeration.” Balthier walked to stand by his side, elbows placed on the bridge’s rail as the pirate leaned over the edge to inspect the flow of the water. “Though I wouldn’t call you mute…”
“Perhaps I have little time for conversation with my attentions elsewhere, you know that we cannot slow down.” Basch felt the scent of wet gunpowder and leather, a reminder of just how close the pirate had come.
“You are a dreadful liar. We must work on that.” Balthier chuckled and gave Basch a half smile. “What is bothering you?”
“It is unimportant.” Basch shook his head and he could feel how Balthier took a small step back. “It is nothing that will affect either of you.”
“Forgive me if I have offended you.” Balthier frowned and leaned his head to the left, Basch could have sworn the pirate was pouting in thought. “It was not my intention to be nosy.”
“It is in your nature, Balthier.” Basch smiled in an attempt to smooth things over. “Only Vaan can rival your curiosity.”
“It is an unlikely group I find myself in.” Balthier laughed and the sound was warm and welcome, so different from the unrelenting cold.
“Do you and Fran often join forces with temporary allies?” Basch hoped his attempt to change the topic went unnoticed and even though he doubted it, Balthier seemed content to let it go.
“Only when we require an audience.” Balthier’s laugh really was intoxicating and Basch found himself wishing it would surround him and that all other sounds would drown in it.
“You seem fond of theatrics.”
“It goes hand in hand with the art of distraction.” Balthier stepped closer again. “Yet you do not seem in need of further distraction, sometimes I question if your heart is with us still. It is not that I doubt your devotion towards our cause, and even if I did I would care little. What does bother me is that you seem to walk around in an impenetrable bubble of constant misery. All I ask is that you let me know if there is anything I can do for you. Your brooding makes it more difficult to enjoy arguing with your dear princess or tell Vaan stories only he could believe.”
“Are you saying that I’m…” Basch laughed. “Keeping you from dazzling your audience?”
“I would word it differently.” They laughed and Basch realized that he’d relaxed, the tension instantly returning to his muscles upon his discovery. “Ah but refrain from doing that, I had worked so hard to plant a smile on your face. You really should smile more often, it makes you look your age and not ancient.”
“I never know if you intend to compliment or insult me.” Basch shook his head and chuckled silently. “You really are a strange one.”
“I believe the word is ‘unique’.”