He goes to kiss him and instead reels backwards, hacking and coughing because he just inhaled a mouthful of dust and sand as Vaan shakes out his hair.
That's the first time.
Penelo sees and runs off giggling to catch up with the rest of the group. Vaan, who has no idea of the event which had occurred, stands, and innocently asks Balthier if he's okay because he's on his hands and knees and spitting into a bush.
He doesn't quite know if he deserves the sudden high-speed chase down the path resulting in them both crashing into a rather immediate cliff-face.
Later that night Vaan sits in front of the fire they've created beneath a large hollowed log – because it would only rain the day they don't have shelter – and wonders why Balthier's looking at him like that.
The second time they're at the Phon Coast, and Vaan and Penelo are sprinting down the lip of the shore, flapping their arms and shrieking like children as their naked feet dance in and out of the waves. Balthier's surprised they'd never seen the ocean before. As soon as the crystalline water was in sight and Ashe had grudgingly allowed a short break, Vaan had kicked off his leg armour and tossed off his small jacket, running half naked towards the blinding sunlight.
Balthier sits back, enjoying the view and partaking in a short conversation with the would-be-queen, which she seems to find deep and meaningful and he finds just a distraction to take his mind off the figure with sun kissed skin and white-gold hair dancing amongst the water.
Eventually Vaan returns, panting, to where Balthier was reclining underneath the shade of one of many palm trees, and drops onto the dune beside him, spread-eagled. Fran stands a way off, and when Balthier's eyes meet her she rolls them and wanders away to help Penelo gather up her soaked belongings.
"So," Vaan says. Eyes on his face, Balthier remembers. But his chest is rising and falling quite speedily and its hypnotising in a way. "You don't want to go swimming?"
"I prefer the view, far better than the experience." Balthier replies coolly. Vaan frowns in that cute way he does when he's trying to understand if he's been insulted or not.
"Really?"
Balthier thinks for a moment, and Vaan's even more confused when the man grins snarkily, looking through his lashes at the boy.
"Oh, some things. Other things, perhaps not."
He dares to raise his hand and nick Vaan's small nose with his crooked forefinger, before standing and stretching his arms high over his head, wandering off across the sand suddenly feeling very satisfied. The spluttering behind him wasn't too bad, either.
The third time is just before Bahamut. They get a moments rest, the innkeeper at Bhujerba knows them well enough now, and so she lets them stay upstairs without a hassle. Penelo and Fran in one room, Ashe and Basch in the other, and the two sky-pirates (or, the sky pirate and the pirate in training) are left to their own.
Balthier is glad for that for two reasons. One, Vaan is a silent sleeper (he wonders if that has anything to do with growing up in a place where you could have your throat cut twice before you realised you were dead. Or, if you were as pretty as Vaan was, worse). And two, well, if Vaan didn't realise that by now he really deserved anything that was coming to him.
He belatedly realises that he should never underestimate a boy who grew up in a place where you could have your throat cut twice before you realised you were dead.
As soon as he shuts the door behind him and turns, Vaan is there in a flurry of dark skin and bright eyes, grabbing onto the sleeves of Balthier's blouse and pulling rather desperately back towards the bed. Balthier makes a surprised humming sound as he lands on top of him, and resists the urge to shrug.
Eh, third times lucky.