Penelo and Reks: 086
Title: A Crumpled Photograph
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Characters: Penelo, Reks
Prompt: 086 Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
Word Count: 830
Rating: G
Summary: Vaan appropriates Penelo's only photograph of Reks, and she receives comfort from a surprising source.
The_sandsea table link: http://airelement.livejournal.com/57837.html
It was just a crumpled, dog-eared excuse for what was originally a good photograph, taken three years ago during a hot summer. Penelo slept with it under her pillow until the invasion; after she and countless other orphans ended up living in Lowtown, she slept with it clutched to her heart. It was just a battered piece of glossy paper, but it was all she had.
When Vaan found out, he went berserk. He couldn’t believe that Penelo, his sister in all but blood, had kept it from him for so long. She knew how much he missed Reks, how much he wished for just one tangible reminder of his older brother’s life. Yet for two years after Reks’ death, she had guarded the picture fiercely, hitting anyone who even tried to take a look at it. Even him.
Penelo hadn’t slept without the photo for three years. Now, she lay awake, eventually getting up to sit with her legs hanging over the edge of the cliff. Everyone was angry with her. Even Ashe, who normally supported even Balthier over Vaan, had looked at her scornfully and ignored her all day. The only person who even acknowledged that Penelo existed was, for some odd reason, Balthier.
“Perhaps your dear brother gave the girl his photo for a reason,” Balthier had drawled, and Penelo had stared at him. He couldn’t know - how could he?
It was Balthier’s turn to keep watch. Penelo watched Fran shake his shoulder, and it only took a moment for the sky pirate to be upright with a knife in his left hand. Penelo didn’t see where it had come from, or where he put it back, but a couple of seconds later he was as nonchalant as usual, leaving Fran to curl up and sleep while he sat down on a hard rock.
“Balthier?” Penelo whispered.
“Hmm?” he replied. He sounded bored - whether of keeping watch or of her, Penelo didn’t know.
“Why did you tell Vaan that… that Reks and me… that we…” Penelo had never told anybody, and now the precious words choked in her throat. Bitterly, she wished that she had spoken them before, that they had told Vaan of their relationship no matter what he would think.
“I’ve never known a woman to sleep with a photo of a man two years dead that she wasn’t in love with,” Balthier informed her.
“But - Vaan never knew -“ Balthier snorted.
“The boy wouldn’t notice if a Cluckatrice tap-danced on his forehead wearing Ashe’s wedding dress,” he said. Penelo giggled.
“He is a bit dense,” she agreed.
“Get some sleep,” Balthier told her. “You can’t equal Vaan Ratsbane’s victories if you’re sleepwalking tomorrow.” Penelo wondered where Balthier had heard what the Lowtown kids called Vaan. She grinned. It was nice to find someone else who thought both the name and Vaan himself were stupid - other than Ashe, but then she was condescending to most people unless they could help get her throne back.
A few hours later, Penelo woke to find that she had cuddled up to someone in her sleep. She twisted around, and discovered that Balthier had decided to join her instead of sleeping on his own. He looked calm while he slept, less like a legendary sky pirate and more like just an ordinary man. More like Reks. It wasn’t his facial features that resembled Reks - no one could call them even remotely similar - but the relaxed softness of their faces as they slept, the rise and fall of their chests as they breathed, and even the way they curled up around her.
Penelo had never cried for Reks. She didn’t cry, full stop, for one thing, and Reks was gone. What was gone wouldn’t be coming back, no matter how much she cried, and besides she still had the picture to treasure. But now, for some reason, she cried. It was a release, as blissful as much as it was painful, and she rested her head on Balthier’s chest and let the tears come. He started stroking her hair at some point, the comforting gesture prompting another rush of tears.
“Remember him as he was alive - staggering around with a big vat of Bhujerban Madhu in his arms - not dead,” Balthier murmured. Penelo nodded, not really having the energy to be surprised (comforting words from Balthier?), still letting the sweet tears run down her face. A few moments later, Balthier sighed and twisted, shoving a large silk handkerchief into her hand.
“Oh, for pity’s sake, you’re making my shirt wet,” he grumbled, and Penelo couldn’t help but laughing. It was the same old Balthier, certainly.
She had once thought that life and love would never go on without Reks. Now Penelo began to wonder if there was more out there than death and grief. She didn’t think she could ever drink Bhujerban Madhu again, but maybe she could move on. Even without the photo, maybe she could go on living.
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Characters: Penelo, Reks
Prompt: 086 Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
Word Count: 830
Rating: G
Summary: Vaan appropriates Penelo's only photograph of Reks, and she receives comfort from a surprising source.
The_sandsea table link: http://airelement.livejournal.com/57837.html
It was just a crumpled, dog-eared excuse for what was originally a good photograph, taken three years ago during a hot summer. Penelo slept with it under her pillow until the invasion; after she and countless other orphans ended up living in Lowtown, she slept with it clutched to her heart. It was just a battered piece of glossy paper, but it was all she had.
When Vaan found out, he went berserk. He couldn’t believe that Penelo, his sister in all but blood, had kept it from him for so long. She knew how much he missed Reks, how much he wished for just one tangible reminder of his older brother’s life. Yet for two years after Reks’ death, she had guarded the picture fiercely, hitting anyone who even tried to take a look at it. Even him.
Penelo hadn’t slept without the photo for three years. Now, she lay awake, eventually getting up to sit with her legs hanging over the edge of the cliff. Everyone was angry with her. Even Ashe, who normally supported even Balthier over Vaan, had looked at her scornfully and ignored her all day. The only person who even acknowledged that Penelo existed was, for some odd reason, Balthier.
“Perhaps your dear brother gave the girl his photo for a reason,” Balthier had drawled, and Penelo had stared at him. He couldn’t know - how could he?
It was Balthier’s turn to keep watch. Penelo watched Fran shake his shoulder, and it only took a moment for the sky pirate to be upright with a knife in his left hand. Penelo didn’t see where it had come from, or where he put it back, but a couple of seconds later he was as nonchalant as usual, leaving Fran to curl up and sleep while he sat down on a hard rock.
“Balthier?” Penelo whispered.
“Hmm?” he replied. He sounded bored - whether of keeping watch or of her, Penelo didn’t know.
“Why did you tell Vaan that… that Reks and me… that we…” Penelo had never told anybody, and now the precious words choked in her throat. Bitterly, she wished that she had spoken them before, that they had told Vaan of their relationship no matter what he would think.
“I’ve never known a woman to sleep with a photo of a man two years dead that she wasn’t in love with,” Balthier informed her.
“But - Vaan never knew -“ Balthier snorted.
“The boy wouldn’t notice if a Cluckatrice tap-danced on his forehead wearing Ashe’s wedding dress,” he said. Penelo giggled.
“He is a bit dense,” she agreed.
“Get some sleep,” Balthier told her. “You can’t equal Vaan Ratsbane’s victories if you’re sleepwalking tomorrow.” Penelo wondered where Balthier had heard what the Lowtown kids called Vaan. She grinned. It was nice to find someone else who thought both the name and Vaan himself were stupid - other than Ashe, but then she was condescending to most people unless they could help get her throne back.
A few hours later, Penelo woke to find that she had cuddled up to someone in her sleep. She twisted around, and discovered that Balthier had decided to join her instead of sleeping on his own. He looked calm while he slept, less like a legendary sky pirate and more like just an ordinary man. More like Reks. It wasn’t his facial features that resembled Reks - no one could call them even remotely similar - but the relaxed softness of their faces as they slept, the rise and fall of their chests as they breathed, and even the way they curled up around her.
Penelo had never cried for Reks. She didn’t cry, full stop, for one thing, and Reks was gone. What was gone wouldn’t be coming back, no matter how much she cried, and besides she still had the picture to treasure. But now, for some reason, she cried. It was a release, as blissful as much as it was painful, and she rested her head on Balthier’s chest and let the tears come. He started stroking her hair at some point, the comforting gesture prompting another rush of tears.
“Remember him as he was alive - staggering around with a big vat of Bhujerban Madhu in his arms - not dead,” Balthier murmured. Penelo nodded, not really having the energy to be surprised (comforting words from Balthier?), still letting the sweet tears run down her face. A few moments later, Balthier sighed and twisted, shoving a large silk handkerchief into her hand.
“Oh, for pity’s sake, you’re making my shirt wet,” he grumbled, and Penelo couldn’t help but laughing. It was the same old Balthier, certainly.
She had once thought that life and love would never go on without Reks. Now Penelo began to wonder if there was more out there than death and grief. She didn’t think she could ever drink Bhujerban Madhu again, but maybe she could move on. Even without the photo, maybe she could go on living.