Disclaimer: don't own any of the stuff mentioned yadayada.
Balthier was not himself today, noted Fran as she placed a glass before him and poured a drink.
He was sitting quietly and not joining in the conversations they were having. In fact for once Vaan was dominating the conversation. He was regaling them with tales of his recent adventures in pirating, a topic that Balthier usually was only to keen to join in with. But not today, he let out a slight inaudible groan and placed his hands on his temples. Basch and The Queen had also made a rare appearance today.
"Balthier are you sick?" Ashe asked eventually.
He shook his head but kept his eyes down.
"It's not like you to be so quiet, are you really okay?" Penelo questioned.
A silence fell between them; Balthier looked up at the group and revealed his strained face. The atmosphere suddenly grew particularly uncomfortable.
"Tell me what is wrong" Fran ordered.
"There's a voice inside my head, it won't shut up!" he whispered with a slight snarl.
The atmosphere grew even more uncomfortable. Everyone knew that Balthier despised this type of madness after he had believed for so long that it had infected his father.
"What does it say?" Penelo asked after a while, she was not sure what to make of this situation.
"Its talking about Fran, It wants to talk to you and I keep telling it to talk to you then, but it or her or whatever it is says that it can no longer talk to you, it misses you and blames me." It was disconcerting to see the usually calm and well mannered pirate in such a panic.
"The wood?" Fran thought out loud.
"Don't be absurd how a Hume could hear the wood." Ashe said flicking her head to the side in disbelieve.
"I know that, but what else could it be!" The Veira uncharacteristically snapped.
Basch shot her a glance in warning to remember her place. Fran took no heed of this and turned back to her partner, she put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him closer to her so she could whisper a promise that she would silence it. He put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer, burying his face in her shoulder.
Penelo looked away, she was always slightly overwhelmed by the level of tenderness the two of them could now show. She loved Vaan dearly but secretly she hoped that one day they could achieve such an unspoken intimacy.
Ashelia did not look away; any affection that she might have held for the pirate had long since withered away, now she felt barely anything for him or his partner, perhaps a brief flicker of friendship now and again, but she cared far more for the two orphans. Secretly she resented Fran and Balthier, things would be simple for them as they only truly had each other with no one in between, yet they would not admit their love for each other no matter how clear it was to the rest of the world. They could take it for granted that they could hold each other and not feel rejection or judgement the way she would if she were to reach out for Basch as she longed to.
It was unfair that they could easily flout and waste their time with each other denying that it was precious and that it would not last forever. She would give anything for just one more hour with Rassler, but he was snatched away. It was a pain that neither of them would appreciate until it would be too late and this made her heart heavy, perhaps she did care for them after all.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Fran who had stood up. "We shall visit Jote."
Balthier nodded, he had managed to calm down now. "It was nice to catch up." He addressed to the others, feeling slightly ashamed of his ramblings.
"Let us know how things go okay, I hope you feel better." Vaan replied.
Balthier gave a slight grin and followed his partner, leaving the rest of the group sitting in a circle on the grass.
Fran started up their newly repaired bike, and Balthier jumped on to the back. They sped off into the distance. Fran couldn't help but feel slightly jealous that the wood, if in fact it was the wood, had chosen to talk to Balthier instead of her. She was practically a Hume now, just with a Veiran appearance.
The voice in his head was silent now; Balthier leaned back and enjoyed the breeze against his face. Fran loved to drive fast and wild swooping over trees and streams, it always gave him such a rush, his stomach dipped as she dropped down under a branch. He tried not to look down at her long legs as he found that gave him a different type of rush, one that would put him into an inappropriate mood for meeting with the stern Jote and the foolhardy Mjrn.
Fran slammed on the breaks he fell forward. He managed to avoid impaling himself on the sharp point on the back of Fran's armour, but was unable to avoid getting a face full of hair. .
"You should have held on a little tighter." She was sounding slightly amused.
"Or you could park sensibly for once." He teased
"Oh and what would be the fun in that." She got up and worked her magic on the entrance to Eruyt Village. Balthier mimicked her.
"I'm glad to see you are in better spirits." She spoke not taking her eyes off of her task.
"Yes, well even I'm allowed to have a little diva strop every once in a while."
"It does not suit you."
"I suppose I was a little frightened." He admitted
She turned to face him looking very serious. "You never have to excuse yourself, not to me."
Balthier felt a lump in his throat, damn her and her ever tightening clutch on his heart. He was ruined for any other woman now, no one could ever compare. He did not tell her this but rather he gave a slight nod in appreciation.
They entered the village and were greeted with the usual mixture of curious and disgusted stares. Balthier winked at some of the Veira and was rewarded with furious scowls. Fran stifled a laugh, and elbowed him in the ribs light-heartedly.
It seemed that Jote had been waiting for there arrival, they spotted her up the path looking at them. Before they could reach her they were greeted by Mjrn who in comparison to her sister was surprised to see them.
"Fran and Balthier!" She said with disbelieve, "We heard news that you were responsible for saving Ivalice from destruction, is this true."
Fran nodded.
"Sister, must you insist on perusing such dangerous activities." The young Veira sighed.
"There is no telling her Mjrn, she's constantly getting me into allsorts of trouble." Balthier contributed, he favoured Mjrn over Jote as she was more like Fran, curious and adventurous. He understood that Jote had a heavy burden to carry and this made him uncomfortable.
"Jote."
"Fran, Fran's hume." Jote greeted as she joined them
Balthier raised an eyebrow, "What am I, a pet?"
Jote ignored him and ushered them up to her quarters. They all sat around.
"The wood spoke to Balthier." Fran half stated and half asked.
Jote nodded. "An attempt to harm him, or a request for your presence, I know not, it is not for me to question the woods actions."
Fran looked slightly annoyed, trust Jote not to give a clear answer.
"Mjrn, please take the Hume and wait outside."
"Oh so I'm just the messenger am I." Balthier shook his head in irritation and followed Mjrn out.
Jote turned to her younger sister, "The wood was impressed by you actions. You were one of the ones responsible for preserving Ivalice."
Fran remained silent.
"She says that you have one last chance, she is willing to allow you to return. On the term that you never leave again."
Fran's eyebrows furrowed, she wished she hadn't have come.
"If you refuse then you will no longer be able to enter the village."
"So I must choose between being trapped here and being trapped out there."
Jote nodded,
"If I come back I'll be with you and Mjrn again, but I'll never see Balthier again."
"This is your home, Fran please return." Jote said almost pleading.
Fran considered her options very clearly; she would miss her sisters dearly if she were to be truly exiled. But what of the alternative, she tried to imagine a life where she didn't wake up to that cunning grin, a life with no more flying free. No more lying on the roof of the Strahl of a night gazing up at the stars with his arms wrapped tightly around her.
The pain she felt was too much to bear, she had occasionally regretted leaving her home but now she had found a new home and it was with her Balthier.
"I shall miss you sister." Fran leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Jote's shoulders.
The elder Veira's disappointment was apparent, she did not return her sisters embrace, she felt tears stream down her back. Fran never cried but she just couldn't hold it back.
"Why Fran?" Jote asked
"Because I am in love with Balthier." She admitted in a whisper.
Jote softened; her doomed sister had indeed fallen for a Hume, Jote hugged her slightly.
"My poor dear sister." She soothed, now was not the time to scold her it was too late for that. "Then you must go, but you'll always be in heart."
Fran dried her eyes and took a last look at her sister.
She found Balthier and Mjrn looking at pebbles, the memory of the times they had spent collecting the colourful stones as children entered her mind and she had to fight back the tears again.
"Anything interesting?" Her partner asked.
"No, it was nothing, come, I think we should be going." She said turning away.
"I'll see you soon though, won't I? Mjrn asked.
Balthier noticed that Fran shut her eyes tightly as if she were fighting back some inner turmoil.
"Yes, see you soon sister." She lied. Mjrn was already prone to angst, saying goodbye would be too hard.
Balthier put his arm on Fran's back and lead her away from her sister.
"What happened?" he whispered.
"Really it doesn't matter; I had to make a decision that's all."
He felt the path disappear behind them as they left the village. He looked thoughtful for a moment and it dawned upon him.
"You can never go back now can you, not even to visit?"
She nodded and he noticed her eyes were brimming slightly.
"What did they ask you to do, Fran it really can't have been that bad could it?" He took her wrists in his hands.
She would not meet his eyes.
"Tell me, please Fran; I can't imagine what would make you do that!"
"She said I could stay in the village but that I…."
He tilted her head up slightly so she was looking in his eyes
"That I could never see you again."
Balthier ran his hands up over her arms and held her tightly. Neither of them spoke, they didn't need to. He knew for sure now that she loved him and he would spend the rest of their lives showing her that he loved her in return.
"Take me home Balthier." She said her voice slightly muffled against his chest.
Fran was tall but light so he easily swept her up into his arms and sat her on his seat on their bike. He climbed on the front and reminded her to hold on tight.
A/N: please review, thank you.