On The Edge is Your Hope

Disclaimer: Square is my idol, but sadly I'm not actually apart of it. I'm just writing what was always intended between Balthier and Vaan, anyway.

Summary: Vaan Camui has always wanted to be a Sky Pirate. For his 17th birthday, his brother Reks allows him to finally attend the local Sky Academy. When he meets his legendary teacher Balthier Lhusu, things get a little complicated.

A/N: As far as I'm concerned, Reks is entirely too cool and pretty to be taken out of the game so early. So guess who's a key player here! This is AU, kinda. It follows a lot of what happens in FF XII, but I definitely took some artistic license. Therefore, no real spoilers, but I'll let you know beforehand if I'm going to touch on something that happens in the game later on. Because I know how pissed off I was when I found out died in Harry Potter 7 off a frickin fanfic. Bastards shakes fist

Warnings: Homosexuality, teacher/student relations, swear words, blood, drama, politics, all that good stuff that makes a good yaoi story.

...

"Happy Birthday, kid." Reks Camui smiled at his younger brother Vaan as the boy dug into his eggs. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the small kitchen table, pushing two red packages toward the fairer blond.

"Thanks, Reks," Vaan grinned, eying the packages eagerly. He'd bet 12 chocobos that big one was a sword!

"Can't believe you're already 17," Reks sighed, staring at his baby brother. He still looked 15 to him, and yet he was already a man. It'd been five years already…

"Can I open these or what?" Vaan asked bluntly around a mouthful of his breakfast, staring expectantly at Reks, who winced at his view of the first stages of digestion.

15, indeed.

Reks glanced up at the clock hanging from the bright yellow walls of the kitchen. Their mother had loved the color, saying it reminded her of sunlight.

"We may live in Lowtown," she'd laughed as 10-year-old Reks had asked her why she was in ratty coveralls with a yellow brush in her hand. She handed him a foam roller dipped in pale yellow paint and returned to her own wall. "But that doesn't mean we can't have our own sunlight!"

The paint was fading now.

"Wait five more minutes, bro." Reks said, trying to ignore the pang from the impromptu memory. He pushed away from the table as Vaan threw down his fork.

"What? Why?" he demanded, and Reks ruffled his hair firmly, earning a squawk of indignation out of Vaan.

"Because I still haven't eaten anything yet, you pig." He said, helping himself to a sweet donut from the countertop.

"You take two seconds to eat! You never eat anything! Come on, Reks!" Vaan griped, and Reks scowled at him as the doorbell rang.

Vaan leapt up and skirted through the living room. He ripped open the door, pulling up the bars as he saw familiar braids.

"Penelo! Kytes! Migelo- wow, what's going on? Is everything ok?" He asked hurriedly.

"Everything's fine!" Penelo laughed, launching onto Vaan. "Happy Birthday, Vaan! Ooh!" She exclaimed, jumping back to reveal a grinning Kytes holding a large package. It was wrapped in cheery blue wrapping with little chocobo print, chosen by Penelo, no doubt.

"Presents!"

Vaan stood back as the family filed in, Reks smiling knowingly as he shook hands with the older Bangaa.

Penelo trotted into the kitchen, grabbing a handful of sweet donuts. Vaan trailed after her, resuming his meal as he gave a warning about her weight, and what would happen if she kept tossing back those donuts.

"Thanks again for this, Migelo." Reks said quietly to the older male in the living room. Kytes had dropped the large package on the couch, whereupon Migelo added his own three brightly wrapped packages to the pile.

"It is in the best interests of all of us, I believe," the Bangaa rasped back at Reks. "Anyway, I couldn't take much more of Penelo and Vaan quarreling in my shop all day," he admitted, and as if in response, Vaan yelled from the kitchen followed by a distressing crash.

"Get in here!" Reks yelled over the laughter of Kytes and Penelo. "And bring the presents," he barked at Vaan, who came out first, looking guilty. He turned and sped back into the kitchen, running into Penelo, who shrieked, and another crash sounded. Reks closed his eyes briefly.

After Vaan brought the presents in without further incident and the two families had all settled down, some sitting on the floor due to the small amount of space, Reks left for his room, coming back with three pink packages.

Vaan eyed them with much trepidation, while Penelo fawned over the color, before staring in confusion at Reks as he dumped them into her lap. He smiled tightly at her before going to sit next to Vaan.

"Well, Penelo, since your birthday is only a few weeks away, we've decided to combine yours with Vaan's." He said in response to her flurry of questions.

Vaan looked vaguely put out, his lower lip pushing forward. He didn't want to share his birthday; it was his day for celebration!

He accepted his presents sulkily, happiness from earlier fading fast as he saw the pile from Migelo cut in half for Penelo. And she got three from Reks, while he only got two, what the heck?

Reks had indeed bought him a sword, which left him considerably cheered, along with a package containing an odd looking outfit of blue with white trim. Migelo's family had pitched in to buy him a large sky ship model to be put together, much to his delight, along with a football and a new pair of gloves and boots.

Penelo was delighting over her new hair bows and slippers when Migelo cleared his throat, and Reks glanced up at him, nodding slightly.

"Penelo, Reks, we have something exciting to tell you," he rasped, his floppy ears swinging in front of him. Penelo dropped her hands into her lap and Vaan looked up from running his fingers over the blade of his new sword.

"In addition to these gifts, well, Reks and I have decided to send you both to the Sky Academy."

A/N: Whoo, Vaan, you lucky bastard! I wish MY family would give in to my dreams! Anyway, not a lot happening here in this chapter, and –gasp- no Balthier. Fear not though, he'll be making his appearance next chapter. Can't leave our main man out in the cold now, can we?

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