Final Fantasy XII, Fran/Balthier, Set Gamma
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Pairing: Fran x Balthier
Theme Set: Gamma (2 of 5)
Rating: G to R (to be safe)
A/N: No real spoilers that I can think of.
#01 - Air
Balthier gave a laugh at Fran's attempt to hide her shock at leaving the ground in an airship for the first time; the wind was sending her long ponytail askew behind her and it took all her composure to keep from slinking away from the open porthole and back to the safety of the deck.
#02 - Apples
"Pfft. These are all underripe," the viera said in disappointment as she spit the mouthful of fruit she'd bitten off to the dusty ground, and to the produce salesman's disappointment her male companion closed up the gleaming bag of money he had and they walked off to the next stand.
#03 - Beginning
"Well," Balthier said with a grin as the rush of their first successful smuggling run wore off on them, "...I guess it's just a matter of time before we'll have to watch out for bounty hunters."
#04 - Bugs
"Such an bother," Balthier scoffed as Fran fired an arrow straight into the head of yet another spider-like Mimic; "...I suppose that's ANOTHER one I owe you."
#05 - Coffee
The color of her skin was simply another reason he never failed to lose interest in his companion; it was a rich dark hue completely unlike his own.
#06 - Dark
Lovemaking without even the smallest of candles to provide light is as much a pleasure for them as it is a testament to their knowledge of each other; hungry lips find skin with an ease that they've only achieved through years of practice.
#07 - Despair
To the casual observer Balthier seemed no different then before his veira companion had left the Strahl for good, but anyone who'd known him for a while could have attested that his smiles had been less artificial back then.
#08 - Doors
She'd turned her back on the chance of escape once she'd heard the airlock of Balthier's ship close for the first time, and now she wouldn't have given it up for all the treasure in Archadia.
#09 - Drink
Fran can't hold her liquor despite what some might think from her no-nonsense attitude, but since she's definitely a 'fun drunk' Balthier tries to encourage her to do so on a regular basis; very rarely does he succeed.
#10 - Duty
They swore no allegiance to any nation or leader anymore, but they'd follow each other to the edge of the world if need be.
#11 - Earth
The viera watched as her companion poured a small container of dirt over the young flowers even though she said she had no interest in such things; she simply hadn't thought Balthier to be the type to grow flowers, after all.
#12 - End
It was always gratifying to Balthier when she would scream out his name upon reaching her limit, sweat running down her ebony skin and settling on the mess of bedsheets beneath her.
#13 - Fall
No matter how focused he was on her body Fran appreciated it every time she felt Balthier's hand on the back of her head, keeping it from landing on the pillow with a thud.
#14 - Fire
He breathed a sigh of relief as Fran cast the incediary spell on their remaining foe; he never could quite get the hang of complicated things like magic anyway.
#15 - Flexible
Sometimes he would stay silent when he woke up and watch Fran stretch, hypnotized by the graceful harmony of her muscles and skin as she exercised.
#16 - Flying
Even though her hand was under his shirt and the moist lips on his ear assured Balthier that he was very much awake, that still didn't take away from the knowledge that Fran could send him higher than the Strahl with the smallest of efforts.
#17 - Food
She sighed in exasperation as she finished the, to say the least, unsuitable meal-- if he could cook this poorly, it would explain why he looked so thin and wan the first time they met.
#18 - Foot
She gasped with a combination of shock and pleasure as he took one of her toes into his mouth, sighing as he worshipped each one in kind.
#19 - Grave
He had asked her once where her parents were, but a single glare left him too afraid to ask if she wanted to leave flowers for them.
#20 - Green
She has the strangest affinity for fresh lettuce and cucumber, and even though buying perishable foods is expensive for a pirate, Balthier ensures that she always has more than she can eat.
#21 - Head
She loses the will to move his sleeping body at the sound of his slow snoring, and instead plants an uncharacteristically gentle kiss on his forehead.
#22 - Hollow
There were certainly times when Fran thought that all Balthier cared about were material things, and the pirate had to admit that before they had met she would have been right in thinking so.
#23 - Honor
It was a long-dead word in this era of endless conflict and deception; Balthier often joked that he and Fran were something like saints compared to a despot like Vayne.
#24 - Hope
She sat beside him quietly as his breathing labored, wondering if any prayers he made for him would be heard, or if there was even anyone to acknowledge them.
#25 - Light
He nearly turned red when Fran picked him up and carried his limping form to the Strahl, and even though she meant nothing by it her comment that he weighed less than she thought he would only made him more embarrassed.
#26 - Lost
"Well, there goes tomorrow's meal," Balthier chuckled darkly as their target made a narrow escape through the dense field of cloud.
#27 - Metal
"Now...I think you'd better apologize to the lady," the pirate said coldly as he pressed the gun deeper into the drunken man's gut; as the polished steel of the weapon winked up at him he knew this would be the last time he made a crack about viera in public.
#28 - New
"...That's definitely a different cologne for you..." Fran said with interest as she leaned closer to her companion, enjoying the scent more than she wanted to admit.
#29 - Old
Balthier sighed as he pulled out the obstinate part of the Strahl's engine while Fran assured him that he shouldn't have bothered with trusting such a shady dealer to begin with.
#30 - Peace
The Strahl was like their own little world; a bubble in the endless war never seemed to reach them, only provide food for thier table.
#31 - Poison
Balthier handed the antidote to Fran without hesitation, deciding that she didn't need to know it was their last and that he was slowly dying as well.
#32 - Pretty
It was always her eyes that held his attention the most; a brilliant amber that seemed to look right through his soul.
#33 - Rain
It was always a bother to him before, but through Fran's example he gradually came to appreciate the natural melody of a storm.
#34 - Regret
From hard times to periods of abundance and everything in between, there wasn't a single part of his life as a pirate that Balthier didn't enjoy, though Fran still remained the best part.
#35 - Roses
Fran often said that giving flowers seemed like such a vain and trivial thing, but it didn't stop her from the slightest of smiles when her companion handed her a massive bouquet to celebrate their 10th year as partners.
#36 - Secret
It had happened purely by chance-- his attempts to arouse her were going nowhere until he brushed one of her long ears and she trembled in anticipation.
#37 - Snakes
"...Any more brilliant ideas?" Fran asked sarcastically as the giant viper slinked out of nowhere, blocking their path to the treasure they sought.
#38 - Snow
"That's just an old folk tale," Balthier said dismissively as Fran tried to explain the admittedly uncommon phenomenon to her companion; "...Can you even remember the last time it rained in this damned country?"
#39 - Solid
Both of them gasped for air as they crawled out of the Sandsea, grateful to be back on steady ground even as they cursed the Strahl for giving out on them in this place.
#40 - Spring
"So the seasons changed on me again, haven't they?" Fran noted with a chuckle as Balthier plucked a lily from the ground, one of the only signifiers that what passed for winter in this desert had passed.
#41 - Stable
"Settle down?" the viera asked, arching an eyebrow at the thought; "Sorry, but I think I'll take a life on the run over rotting behind some kitchen counter, thank you."
#42 - Strange
She could smell it on him, that odd aroma he gave off whenever he had some 'big score' planned.
#43 - Summer
"Wouldn't you rather slip into a more comfortable bathing su--" Balthier began before Fran pushed him into the lake, grinning victoriously as she walked away.
#44 - Taboo
The only thing she'd learned that Balthier didn't like talking about was his father, a subject she was more than willing to leave alone.
#45 - Ugly
She was grateful that her race aged much slower than humes did; part of her wondered if Balthier would still want her if she actually looked her age.
#46 - War
There was something almost feral about the way Fran was in bed, as if she saw it as a fight to determine whether she or Balthier was the dominant one in this relationship.
#47 - Water
His jaw nearly fell out of his head as he saw her walk out of the shower, dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel, but the slightest hint of laughter in her eyes sent the clear message that she was merely taking delight in teasing her companion.
#48 - Welcome
"You'll always have a place on the Strahl, you know," he said with a grin as Fran disappeared, gone for parts unknown.
#49 - Winter
Though she could be outright cold at times, when they were alone she never stayed that way for too long.
#50 - Wood
She had abandoned her people and everything she'd come to believe in, but even so Balthier wondered if the Wood might call her back with a strength that even one such as her wouldn't be able to ignore.