A/N: Set within the FF12 storyline with several liberties taken as typical.
Just roll with it, alright?
Let's Go Find It, Beyond the Wind
-0-0-0-
Fran didn't know when she started noticing the young street rat was maturing, only that he was.
Whence, before, she could see the beginnings of his awkward crush on their resident princess, now she saw him settling down. He was no longer nervous and fidgety around the short-haired girl; no longer would his bare chest point towards the sandy-haired blonde subconsciously. And he had stopped staring at her bright pink mini-skirt whenever he fell a step behind.
Instead, he laughed and joked with her the same way he would his childhood friend.
At times, his laugh would be a foot above boisterous and enter obnoxious. Her sensitive ears would wilt, and her partner and his mentor would bop his head in reprimand, and even the stoic former captain of the royal guards in their midst would break into a smile.
She would, too, and her ears would perk up again.
The young street rat would scowl as he was made fun of, but it never quite reached his good-natured eyes, and her party was able to trudge through the sweltering desert with renewed vigor.
-0-0-0-
It was the little things, Fran noticed.
A hand coming through his hair when the princess' turned to him with a question. A bottle of water offered just as he was about to drink. A stray compliment that would leave the young widow either scowling deeply or flushing patiently.
All this, she quietly observed.
Fran, in the years since leaving the trees of her home, had learned that Humes performed an awkward song-and-dance during courtship. Sometimes, she would wonder why he would not outright say what seemed clear as day to everyone. Most times, she wished he wouldn't, because the various attempts he made had her curiosity piqued and entertained.
Her eyes swept towards her partner, who cut through the silly banter between the street rat and the princess with his usual wit to remind them it was time to move once more.
The street rat rolled his eyes like a child, and the princess sighed, but both gathered their things and followed.
She would follow, too.
-0-0-0-
Something had changed between the two of them.
If Fran were to put a finger upon a time, maybe it was after they were met with the garif in disappointment.
It was just a small thing, really, but Fran, curious as she was with the ways of the outside world, noticed.
The street rat was calmer in his steps, and the princess would sometimes sidle up to him.
Fran was unsure what to make of it, but her ears delighted when the street rat's tone no longer pitched close to obnoxious, and had settled upon jovial.
He would still offer the princess the occasional drink, even if his throat was parched and husky. The young woman, in turn, would offer a small smile.
At times, he would crack a joke that would fall short, but the princess would shake her head and march ahead, still with a smile adorning her lips. He would sigh deeply, and her partner would bark at him for lagging behind once more, and he would jog with a skip in his step.
Fran found herself smiling, too.
-0-0-0-
"What is this?" Balthier asked, one handsome brow raised in question.
She stared at her bottle then back at him. "A drink." She said, her eyes narrowed and insistent.
"Thank you." He said, but made no move closer to her. "But I'm not thirsty. Why don't you save that for later?"
And onward, he left.
Fran stared at the bottle in her hand for a moment and then shrugged.
She followed.
-0-0-0-
Fran found him on his back, gazing up at the stars. The fire beside him was dead, but the street rat paid it no mind as he was wrapped in his heavy coat.
She frowned. "Should you not be standing guard?"
"Oh, hey." He greeted, craning his head upwards to greet her. "I didn't realize you were there."
"A sign of neglected duty." She pointed out before settling on the spot next to him, her long legs drawn against her chest as she rested her chin atop her knees.
"There's two of us now, right?" He said, his silly smile still upon his lips. "That's double the security."
Fran shook her head in amusement. "The point is defeated. Maybe it is time for your rest?"
"I can't." At the tilt of her head, he added, "I've never been this close to the skies before. Never seen the stars this bright."
His comment made her pause her reprimand, and she followed his enamored gaze upwards. Indeed, the stars were brighter than in her home, where the trees that protected them had also shielded the heavens.
Thinking on it, she could understand why he was so entranced.
They both longed for a world beyond their own.
"Tell me about your home." He said.
She thought about his request. Her mind drifted to the wood and the Mist; her nose could still smell the fresh dew in the morning; her ears could still hear Mjrn's gentle laughter and her eyes could still see Jote's faint smile.
"There is not much to tell." Fran told her companion, though not harshly.
In the end, she had willingly left her jungle to learn more about the world beyond the thicket.
"Maybe." His tone was light but skeptic. But he left it at that and a warm feeling settled on her stomach.
The feeling, however, was not warm enough against the mountain breeze, and she shivered involuntarily.
Her ears picked up her companion's movement, and her eyes widened when a warm cloth wrapped around her.
"Are you not cold?" She asked when he laid back on his spot.
"Not really." Vaan said with an easy smile. "I might sleep soon, too."
The mountain breeze paced past them and she noticed him fidget.
She shook her head.
Quietly, they continued gazing at the twinkling stars.
-0-0-0-
It occurred to her, suddenly and while she quietly watched, that her partner preferred Hume women.
It was in the way his eyes danced at the tavern girl selling them spirit, or the way his smile charmed a flower girl into revealing rumors. It was in the way his hand linger just enough on another adventurer's shoulder, and the way he would coyly tease the princess and the dancer.
Fran might not have figured it out if had not been looking, but she did.
Her crimson eyes swept to the side, where Vaan was haggling for a sword while the princess beside him browsed through new wares.
Eventually, the street rat grins wildly and clasps hands with the dealer, who had an equally lively smile on his face. The princess shot the pair a judgmental glare, but the conversation is lost to Fran in the bustling street.
Still, as the two men chatted animatedly, she smiled.
Vaan certainly had a way with people.
-0-0-0-
Fran was still tense when she tightened the drawstring of her bow.
It had been one of those days when a skirmish left them exhausted. Phon Coast was as beautiful as it was dangerous.
They had heard that a large pack of Silver Lobos hunted through the field and felled more than one caravan. It was simply that time of year, according to the tavern girl, when pups grew and learned from their elders.
Her party quickly brushed the warning aside. They had come this far and would not be deterred.
It was simply their misfortune that what they thought was the entire pack was only an advance party. The battle had dragged on further, with more hungry beasts joining in each passing minute, surrounding them. Overwhelming them. Even as they retreated, they were being chased.
Fran realized too late that they were being herded and separated.
And that was when the craziest thing happened.
A loud roar halted the wolves' advance, and her heart momentarily stilled when the hulking form of an angry Archaeosaur came charging at them…
…with Vaan a frantic leading its way.
The Silver Lobos decided wiser and fled, leaving the party to yet another battle for their lives.
They survived, of course. Tired, exhausted, and irritable, but alive and preparing a feast of dragon meat.
Finished with repairing her bow, Fran pushed off from the rock she was resting on and approached the sulking street rat, who had just finished being told off by the rest of their party for his recklessness.
"Fran?" He looked puzzled and worn out when he approached. It was clear, exhausted he may be, that Vaan was resigned for yet another reprimand.
She nodded her head.
"My thanks."
And then she rejoined the rest of their party in the campsite.
-0-0-0-
Something had changed between them.
Fran looked between the princess and the street rat, who seemed to be making a point of avoiding each other's gaze one morning. It was such a curious thing, and it made her wonder if this was yet another of the Hume's strange courting rituals.
That was until her partner strolled through the hall of the inn and wrapped an arm around the rigid princess' shoulder, and Vaan quickly excused himself to gather information on their next destination.
She sniffed at the air and her face wrinkled at the scent she caught.
Her gaze shifted from the princess palming her face, to the amusement of her partner as the princess ground her heel against his boot disapprovingly, and to the door the street rat had made his quick escape.
She shook her head and poured herself another cup of tea.
-0-0-0-
It really did not take long for the dust to settle.
In fact, all it took was a talk between the three of them, and they were once more off to continue their rebellion.
Of course, the street rat was no longer hovering around the princess as much as he used to, and the princess was more forgiving of her partner's teasing than before.
Really, Fran wondered if the stories she had read about the Humes and their drama were at all real.
-0-0-0-
"You do not approve?" Fran tilted her head.
The former captain thought about her question before deciding, "If it pleases my liege, then I shall offer support." Fran continued staring, and he finally relented, "But no, I do not. A worthy friend he may be, but he abandoned his name and title in pursuit of self-indulgence. And I believe my liege has yet to move past Lord Rasler's death. As they are now, I can only wish with the best intent."
Fran nodded her head.
That sounded logical to her.
-0-0-0-
The first time she truly saw him, they had been performing maintenance on the Strahl.
Vaan had approached her, curious, and willing to learn more about the airships he coveted. And Fran, seeing no problem with having a competent hand, was willing to teach. And to her surprise, he was a very fast learner.
They spoke of things mundane, and occasionally he would crack a joke that made her ears flatten but her lips twitch. At times, silence insisted as they concentrated at the task at hand.
They had worked well into the afternoon before finally deciding to take a break.
Sat down next to him, equally covered in sweat and grime and grease, she turned to him to express her gratitude.
Her words stalled at the brilliant grin on his dirty face. He brushed his slick hair away from his eyes and he continued to admire the machinery around them.
Fran's lips flattened and decided she would rather continue watching him.
It did not take long for him to notice her stare, and his wide gray eyes locked into hers.
"You alright, Fran?"
Her heart thumped at having been caught staring and embarrassment coursed through her veins. Slowly, and as nonchalantly as she could, she averted her gaze.
"Perhaps we might call this a day." She said, suddenly feeling self-conscious from his attention.
"You sure?" He sounded disappointed to her ears. "I'd really like to know more about all this. And the more we finish now, the less you'll have to do later, right?
Fran thought about it. Indeed, his words were sensible. "If you insist."
Vaan cheered mutedly and stood up with a bounce. Fran found herself amused by his enthusiasm.
And then he stretched a hand out to help her up with a smile.
-0-0-0-
There were times when she caught his gaze trailing after the princess, but those times were few and far in-between.
Still, it reminded her that some part of his heart still held a special type of affection for the young woman.
-0-0-0-
Fran was transfixed as Vaan and Penelo performed.
It was a rare treat she experienced even after all these years outside the jungle.
She always knew Penelo could dance. Her feet were light, her form was lithe, and she moved with a deceptive grace around the fountain while the crowd cheered.
But it was Vaan that surprised her.
He had picked up a hurdy-gurdy and began playing a catchy shanty. And from his opening verse, he had ensnared both her and the crowd. Though not quite as boisterous as the rest of their audience, Fran found herself tapping her foot in rhythm with Vaan's song.
There was something electric in the air, and it coursed through her, making her heart race. And she could tell everyone else felt it.
It was as if she were in the Wood once more. It had been so long since she felt this connected, and her body missed it dearly.
"Fran." An insistent voice cut through her good mood. She snapped to the side and found her partner's disapproving gaze. "We need to sneak in while the guards are distracted."
Inwardly, she groaned her displeasure. She spared one last look at the two distractions—and flushed slightly when Vaan caught her gaze and gave a knowing wink; she was certain he completely missed the why, though—before joining the rest of the infiltration team.
-0-0-0-
Later that day, Fran sidled into the spot beside Vaan, who, in turn, blinked in surprise when he found her dark skin pressed against his side. He flushed an adorable shade that softened her eyes, and she patiently waited the brief moment for him to recollect himself.
He paused in tuning his hurdy-gurdy and offered the Viera his full attention.
"Fran?" He looked at her questioningly.
With a quiet smile, she raised the bottle in her hand towards him. "A drink for your parched throat?"
His eyes trailed from her hand to her expectant eyes. He grinned at her roguishly. "Sure."
Subconsciously, Fran brought her other hand against her fluttering heart.
And as she watched him drink, a thought occurred to her.
Maybe she could get used to this Hume courting ritual-thing.
A/N: I'll see when I can get the next parts down.
For those that have been following my "Post-World B" Dissidia stories, I've actually had a running subplot focusing on Vaan (and Ashe). This is basically the backstory leading up to it.
The next part, for whenever it does come about, will focus more on a post-DDFF!Vaan, and how Fran reacts to him and the half-Esper he has kidnapped.
Lastly, credit where credit is due: the archaeosaur-thing was inspired by oobidoobi's sketches over at deviantart. Go check them out!
Thanks for reading and until next time!