It was two minutes short of midnight that found not-quite-sixteen-yet Emperor Larsa Solidor standing on the edge of the balcony that stretched away from the sliding doors in his expansive royal suite. He had his hands braced against the stone railing that ran along the edge, his body slightly bent over to peer down at the gleaming city lights.

Sixteen was supposed to be a special birthday, a coming of age, where new doors opened for you, and yet he had already received all the special rewards that were coming to him. He was already emperor of a vast kingdom, he already wielded the closest thing that could come to absolute power, and he had a whole array of subjects who treated him as though they generally enjoyed his rule.

He had even already gotten a license to drive the sky-cabs, just because he could ask for one as the emperor.

It had left him feeling a bit broody, which was probably why he didn't notice the footsteps coming up behind him, their steady pace coinciding with the sudden distant bells that spread throughout the city, announcing the new day…and his birthday, by association.

"All hail Emperor Larsa in his sixteenth year," a voice suddenly whispered in his ear. It was soft and female, tinted with amusement. "Even if he is still a bit short," her breath washed over his ear and cheek the young emperor couldn't help but shiver. When he felt her arms hook around him a moment later he shifted his weight away from the balcony, draping his own across them.

"Hello Penelo. I didn't know they were letting sky pirates into the palace again," he said, without turning around. Had he been paying attention, he would have known it was her long before she reached him. He recognized the way she moved, the way she smelled, the way her arms felt. He probably could have picked her out of a crowd with his eyes closed. "And I am hardly that short."

He was right, in a sense. He'd had the good graces to gain several inches as he aged, enough to make him seem a bit more regal in his position as emperor. Unfortunately, Penelo had decided to go and do the same thing, so the emperor always seemed to find himself being eye-to-eye with her lips.

"Short but cute?" Penelo offered in half-apology, each word sending another heated breath across Larsa's neck. "Apparently there's some sort of loophole for Sky Pirates the emperor is secretly in love with, by the way. You might want to get that looked into." She added.

"Oh, I will have to, eventually," Larsa smiled, tilting his head slightly to the side, away from Penelo's breath, if only to make it easier for himself to concentrate. "But then, however will you visit me?"

"You're standing on a balcony, your majesty. I will simply sweep down from the sky and steal you away in my amazing airship," Larsa could feel the vibration as Penelo giggled softly behind him. "We'll fly high into the sky and have fantastic adventures every night before I bring you home in the morning."

"Won't your partner object?" The words came unheeded, and there was that ever present slight hint of jealousy in Larsa's voice, whenever he spoke of Penelo and Vaan and their friendship. He regretted them almost immediately, he knew that there was nothing between Penelo and her oldest friend, and yet he always seemed to find himself bringing it up.

There was a long pause, the emperor couldn't even feel the sky pirate move, he wasn't even certain she was breathing. And then finally he heard her let out a long sigh. "No, he won't. Vaan has his own interests, you know. They don't lean towards…this." She gave him a squeeze, and Larsa had to bite his lip to keep from grunting in surprise. "Now no more talk about that, or I won't give you your birthday present. I've been saving it just for you." Penelo added.

"Oh? You got me something?" Larsa wasn't surprised, but he pretended to be. They always exchanged gifts on their birthdays, or sometimes just in the middle of one of Penelo's random visits. Often it was some piece of jewelery from him, or some random treasure Penelo had found from her. "I always look forward to the fascinating things you bring me. Is it another statue?"

"No," she answered, her voice quite soft.

"Perhaps a tapestry? I hung the last one in the throne room."

"No," she answered again, her voice even softer, somehow closer than a moment before.

"Oh?" Larsa found himself at a loss. "Then what is it?"

There was another pause, and then he felt Penelo place a soft kiss on the skin just behind his right ear. Immediately he froze up, his hands tensing, his whole body shivering. "Is…is it a gemstone?" He managed to ask, his voice stuttered, breaking at unexpected points.

Penelo simply kissed his neck again, a bit lower, moving down the muscle there towards his shoulder. He tried to think of something else to guess, to miss the obvious clue, but no sound came out.

"Larsa?" The young sky pirate spoke after a few more of those soft kisses. She sounded almost uncertain now, perhaps his confusion and nervousness had surprised her.

"Yes, Penelo?"

"Don't turn around for two minutes. If you want your present then…come to bed, okay?" There was another soft kiss, and then her arms untangled themselves from him, and he could hear her walking carefully back into the royal apartments in that graceful way she had.

He stood there, motionless, waiting for the shivers that she had triggered in him to pass, his eyes still on the city far below. Their relationship had always been close, very close…bordering on the edges of things without ever crossing over. Part of him had suspected, even hoped, and yet…

And yet the woman he loved was inside, getting in bed, and he was here worrying about it. He could almost hear Balthier's voice in his head, telling him how foolish it would be to pass up such a treasure.

And so he waited, and the seconds felt like agony, until he was certain it had been just about two minutes, before he turned and walked back inside himself.

"Happy birthday, Larsa."