A/N: I wrote this by request of a friend. I've never played Final Fantasy XII, I've just been watching her play sometimes, so it's not going to be perfect. But, at least I tried.
The mesmenir slowly took a step back, its reflexes having started to wither after he first hit. Penelo ruthlessly shot at the horse, hearing its pained neighs until it finally fell. She no longer felt remorse for killing the animals they encountered; it was just another day on this strange journey. Vaan had started her on this path, Vaan had brought her here. All in all, it was Vaan's fault. Everything was Vaan's fault.
Like the increase in her heart rate every time she looked at him, muscles straining, during a fight, as he whacked animals with his long pole. The way her knees would start to feel weak if he ever smiled at her. And whenever he said her name…well, that was an entirely different story. Yes, it was all Vaan's fault. It was his fault that she was falling for him so hard, and she could do nothing about it.
A crazed chocobo ran at them, its feathers black as the night. Before it even got close, Penelo shot it in its wing, and Vaan whacked it with his pole. The bird fell, feathers flying everywhere, before it was even close enough to attack. Penelo snuck a quick look at Vaan, whose face was set in a grimace.
"Nice, job, guys!" Larsa said, making Penelo jump. "It didn't even get close."
"Thanks," Vaan said, grinning. "But we all knew that chocobo never stood a chance against Penelo."
"Me?" she asked, trying to keep a blush from creeping into her cheeks. "You were the one—well, you killed it," she insisted.
"But you slowed it down. I couldn't have killed it otherwise, you know. I'm not fast like you." He grinned once again. "Jeez, learn to take a compliment, Penelo."
Her face flushed in embarrassment. "You should too," she mumbled, but no longer had the will to argue with him. He was just too cute.
Basch, who no one had been paying attention to until now, ran along ahead to an approaching viper and slashed at it with his sword, successfully beheading it. "If you guys keep complimenting each other," he said good-naturedly, "then we won't be able to use your skills at all! Come on!"
Larsa jogged up with Basch, but Vaan held back and waited for Penelo. She started walking, as if she was trying to catch up, but at a much slower pace than the others were walking ahead of them.
"Uh, hey, Penelo," Vaan said, coming up alongside her. "Are you okay?"
"Me?" she asked again. "Of course I am."
"Oh. It's just that…uh, nothing. Sorry," he said nervously.
Penelo snuck another glance at him, biting his lower lip and looking far more adorable than she ever thought possible. She swooned internally, not daring to let it get to her expression. "It's fine," she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry.
"Come on, guys!" Basch called. Another mesmenir was charging at him and Larsa, and then knew they needed the other pair's help.
"Right, sorry!" Vaan called. Penelo ran for a few feet, then took aim and fired an arrow, straight into the horse's upper leg. It stumbled and fell down, allowing Larsa to stab it. It stopped moving seconds later.
"Nice shot," Basch commented. Larsa nodded and smiled. Penelo smiled, but was looking at Vaan's back. Every chance she had to admire it, she was going to.
"Come on, guys. Let's get going," Vaan said, motioning in the general direction of Rabanastre. "We need to go get supplies."
The four mercilessly slaughtered pretty much anything that came their way as they traveled to the town. All the loot they could find, they grabbed—they were going to need a considerable amount of money to afford the equipment they'd need.
When they finally made it to the gates of Rabanastre, they put away their weapons. No need to seem overly hostile to people there.
"I'm going to go see if I can get spell lessons," Larsa notified them, taking some of the money they had earned.
Basch, on the other hand, wanted a new axe. He took a bag of the stones they had found, to sell, in hopes of getting enough money to buy one.
Then, it was just Penelo and Vaan, in the middle of the square, but in many ways, still alone. At least, every time Penelo caught Vaan's gaze, it certainly seemed that way. The rest of the world just seemed to fade away; the Bangaa screaming obscenities behind them, the moogle that was flying joyously around a nearby fountain.
"Are you okay, Penelo?" Vaan asked, jolting her from her calm. "You kind of spaced out there."
She shook her head, clearing it. "Yes, I'm fine," she insisted. "But, Vaan…I've been meaning to ask you," she said, knowing their time alone would be fleeting. "Do you…I mean…would you…"
"What?" he asked, completely oblivious. "What's up, Penelo?"
She took a deep breath, her mouth suddenly dry again. "Do you like me?"
"Like you?" he asked, confused. "Yeah, I like you. Of course. Would I have gotten you into this journey if I didn't?"
Her heart skipped a beat, if not two or three. "I don't mean it like that," she whispered. He leaned in closer to her, to try to hear her better.
"Huh? Then how do you—"
Penelo, taking advantage of how close his face had gotten, and knowing that she would never be this brave again, leaned forward just a little bit…
And promptly fell forward, almost knocking Vaan down. Luckily, at the last second, he caught her. "Woah," he said, grinning. "Don't kill me."
She didn't bother standing up. "Vaan…" she whispered, her voice slightly husky. "Kiss me."
And then, in what was possibly the most glorious moment of her life, he leaned down, and without hesitation, pressed his lips to hers.
When she finally caught her breath, she whispered, "You knew all along, didn't you?"
"Of course. When you love someone, you notice these kinds of things."