Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Barthello

Her voice was but a soft, drifting feather, gracing his unworthy skin. He blessed the day he ever met her, sometimes even going so far as to ponder the thought of building a shrine to commemorate the fated event of their meeting. To him, she was a picture of perfection, from her soft, black hair pinned back behind her, to her amazing, sun kissed skin and big, dark almond eyes that always seemed to strike fear into those brave enough to look. What other woman could do that? No one that he knew of. He had gotten to know many while being a Guardian, and still it seemed that no one could ever hope to top her.

And now, she was his. And he was hers. It was what he had always dreamed of, and more. Through every harsh word, through every sharp tone her magnificent voice could carry, he felt the love that she bared for him. He knew that his dearest, most beautiful Dona loved him as deeply as he loved her. She just had her own special ways of showing it.

Barthello's love for the woman of his dreams had lead him to really consider the thought of building a shrine to her, but not just any shrine – a monumental shrine for all to see, one that he would decorate on the same day every year since they day they met with an amazing or priceless gift. He had decided then and there, dressed in his "Kiss the Cook" apron and small cooking utensils in his thick hands, that he would adventure Spira once again to prove his love ten-fold. It would be the beginning of many pilgrimages he would take alone, always to return with a precious gift or artifact that could only match the beauty that was Dona.

"Um, honey?"

The ridiculously muscled ex-Guardian turned immediately upon hearing the silvery pyrefly softness intertwined with the low, delightfully demanding tone of her voice. His excitement nearly caused him to break the little spatula in his thick, calloused hands. "Dona?"

"I think you're burning the eggs." She turned simply back to her copy of the Kilika Exponent, the local newspaper, and continued reading with a hand on her small, round belly.

Barthello looked back into the pan above the fire with a small smile. He had always been a superb cook, and this time was no different, for he did not burn the two little eggs sizzling softly in the pan after all. Though Dona was the image of everything worth living for, worth defending for, she was not exactly the greatest chef. This, of course, never phased her lifemate, for he only got enjoyment out of pleasuring her however he could, and seeing her in any state of irritation, which is what happened when she tried to cook, would immediately cause his heart to sink and nearly drown. His Goddess deserved so much more, and he swore upon the very name of Yevon that he would do everything in his power to treat her as such!

"Honey, did you hear me?" the dark skinned ex-summoner replied, her almond eyes slowly drifting up over the brim of her newspaper to glance at him.

"Yes, Dona," Barthello replied, smiling to himself. He knew that her delicate little upturned nose was only detecting a bit of the smoke from the heated stove, but he would never, ever tell her that she was wrong. Ever. Why? Because she was a Goddess, and whether or not she was right or wrong, it did not matter to him. Only her pleasure and love for him mattered, as well as the health and happiness of their future son. He prayed it would be a boy.

Carefully, the bulky, thick-fingered man scooped the little eggs onto a crude plate, which always reminded him that he would get better ones for her once he was able to – probably dishware made in Bevelle, where only the finest of fineries could be found – and gently sliced a perfectly baked piece of bread from the fresh, steaming loaf on the wooden counter to add in with the eggs. The ex-summoner did not bother to look up, but thanked him nonetheless before finishing a paragraph in her newspaper and placing it down on the rickety bamboo table to inspect the meal.

How does he do it? She poked the eggs with a fork. Perfect, every time…

"Do you need something else?" Barthello asked her hopefully, the loud tone of his voice causing Dona to flinch. He suddenly sat down before her on his thick knees, smiling widely at her, and waited for a reply, forgetting all about the clashing apron he still wore. She only shook her head and smirked – not the usual mean, heartless ones that she threw out to anyone who passed by her, but a pleasantly surprised smirk, one that only he would see. When she brought the loaded fork to her mouth and chewed softly, Barthello leaned forward slightly in anticipation. If she was not satisfied with her breakfast, even in the least, he would jump up and remake everything, because it had to be perfect for his Queen.

Her dark eyes looked over at the muscled man before her, and she leaned down to him to plant a soft, loving kiss above his brow. When she sat straight once more, allowing herself a small, almost undetectable smile to show, Barthello immediately shifted himself closer to her and placed his hand over her round stomach with a big grin. Sure, he may have been a little slow in the head, and sometimes he had a tendency to get a little too excited, but she did love him. She loved him dearly.

That small, thin smile made the ex-Guardian's heart almost stop completely. That was what he lived for – that little expression that let him know that he was not only doing his job as a good Guardian, for he would always think of himself as her one and only Guardian, but also that he was doing his job as a good husband. It was then that he decided he would travel across Spira, seeking only the best for his lifemate, and return with things that she would only dream of having. Barthello had always told her that he would give her everything, and now was the time to actually put that promise in motion.

A/N: After looking over that little part in my fic "All Your Airship Are Belong To Us" about Dona having a little belly and Barthello gone, out proving his love to her, I suddenly had this insane urge to write a short oneshot about what happed to possess him to leave her and make a journey of his own.

I hope it brings a smile to some faces. It did for me!