So I don't know how this is going to turn out. It's a fic about Dr. Cid and Balthier that spans over several years. It's gonna be difficult since we really aren't sure how Dr. Cid and Ffamran's relationship was before everything happened so bear with me. No pairings as of yet, but there will be at least some slight Balthier/Vaan (sorry I just can't help it). I'm gonna rate it T but it will contain strong cursing, and probably a lot of it. Please review because I'm a little nervous about this one!
Enlighten Me
Chapter One: Leaves and Grass
Balthier sat on his bed aboard the Strahl, a mostly empty bottle of Madhu at his side. He could hear the hum of the engines from where he sat, and it soothed him. He could see through the window that the light was beginning to fade, and the tall grass of the Ozmone Plain bent silently in the wind, dancing its own little private ballet. He had landed here so that he could think for a while, his emotions raging inside his skull. The others had left him alone for the most part, not knowing what to say or do to make anything any easier for him. He was grateful for that. Their silence was the best gift they could give to him at that point. He hadn't cried, no that was something he had not felt the need to do so far. He'd kept his past a secret for so long at this point, his past…his father, that now the man's death had a strange effect on him. He watched the waving grass quietly, having passed the stage of pure anger into one of quiet reflection. He would have never admitted, not even to Fran (who probably knew his feelings better than he did himself), that he was shaken in a way he had never been before in all his twenty-two years. But Balthier the sky pirate would not cry…no…leading men did not cry, they were tragic heroes who loved and lost and carried on without even faltering. Which was exactly what he would do. As the grass continued its epic performance a memory came to him, one that brought the slightest hint of a sad smile to his lips…
Five year old Ffamran giggled as he ran through the tall grass. It tickled him as it waved in the wind, and was soft beneath his bare feet. "I'm going to get you!" called out a strong voice behind him, and Ffamran giggled louder as his tiny feet carried him faster away from his smiling father. All at once he felt like he was flying as strong arms and calloused fingers lifted him into the air, tossing him upward and catching him again before pulling him into a loving embrace. They made their way back to the house, Ffamran bouncing on his father's hip, his little fingers entwined in locks of graying hair…
The pirate sighed and closed his eyes, fighting off the ensuing pain behind his eyes. Taking another swig of the potent liquor, he stood up and removed his gold vest in an attempt to be a little less uncomfortable. He unbuttoned a few of the buttons on his crisp, white shirt, feeling a little too warm from all of the alcohol that he had ingested. He paced the room for a bit, the bottle of liquor slowly diminishing. Once dry, he tossed it away and opened another; no he was not quite numb enough yet. He could still see the burning hatred and insanity that he'd seen in his father's eyes right before he'd fallen only hours before…it would haunt him forever. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward of the pain in his skull, and let his jeweled hand run through his spiky brown hair. He could remember when his hair had been long and flowing, as was Archadian tradition. That he did not miss. He could even remember when he'd had it cut this way…he must have been about seventeen…
"You impudent little shit…" his father had cried, "How dare you go against my wishes like this? Well? Ffamran! Answer me!" He had stood there with his head down, not knowing any answer that his father wanted to hear. "I…I…like it this way," he finally managed to stammer, earning a wide eyed angry look from the older man. "You like it this way? Is that seriously your answer?" he asked. Ffamran stood quietly, still not knowing exactly what to say. His father did not give him a chance to answer anyway, "You do NOT disobey me in matters like this!" "Yes sir," he managed to squeak in return, still standing with his head down and his hands clasped behind his back. "Is that…is that an earring?" yelled his father after a moment's pause, bringing his fist down on his desk with a vengeful crash. Ffamran gulped, "Y…Yes...Sir..." "Judges do NOT dress themselves in such a manner," he father said, his tone more severe than the boy had ever heard it. "Father….I…I do not…wish to be…a judge," Ffamran managed to say, regretting it at once. "Jesus fucking Christ Ffamran!," yelled his father, "You don't have a fucking choice! It's an honor! I mean what the hell else would you want to do?" The boy gulped again, "I'd…I'd like to be a sky pirate," he said.
His father had been less than forgiving that day, but the pirate tried to remember that he'd been already half crazy with nethicite by this time. He slipped his hand into his shirt and felt the old, raised scars that spanned his back…no…he was not sure he could forgive his father for that day, whether he had been himself or not… He continued to drown his sorrows in the thick, dark liquid. There was a soft knock at his door, causing the pirate to stop in his tracks and turn his head toward the door. "Balthier?" came a soft voice from the hall outside. The brunette couldn't help but smile to himself. He was surprised that the desert boy hadn't shown up sooner. At first he'd hated they boy, he was too energetic and innocent for the pirate's taste, but sometime later the brunette had somewhat taken the boy under his wing. Now, though he would never admit it (even to himself), he was quite fond of the boy. In fact, he had a certain attraction to the blonde teen, though he was sure that he just saw a bit of his old self in Vaan. He unlocked the door, making sure not to smile at the boy as he stood there awkwardly in the doorway, shuffling his feet. "Did you need something?" he asked the boy. "I just wanted to make sure you were…you know…ok," said Vaan, not daring to enter the room. "I'm fine Vaan," retorted the pirate, "No reason I wouldn't be." He said nothing more before closing the door in the boy's face.
The young brunette returned to his bed, and laid back letting his head bump painfully into the wall. His eyes were attracted to the ticking clock on the wall…it was going to be a long night. He wished he would fall asleep, but he knew he probably wouldn't be able to get much rest that night….
To be continued…
Hope you enjoyed. Please review!