This is for the FFXII fandom
Vaan/Ashe, implied, I don't know where this pair came from, but I wanted to try it.
Notes: Ashe and Vaan get stuck on one of the strands on Phon; a temporary discomfort, much to Ashe's displeasure.
Sorry, I haven't updated anything in this pen.
X
Ashe - Don't Interrupt.
xxxXxxx
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Ashe is above the ridge, where the shore is staring up at her, and she fights like a hell-cat.
Her sword is making that noise, the way it slams into those monsters rushing out from the ground.
Even when she is victorious, her body moves fluidly, like an avenging Valkyrie, and he's below watching, his breath caught.
Vaan has his own worries, fighting off his own battles, but his fight with those against him is short. In moments, he has done the deed quicker, with fluid movements.
And he's there, running towards her, where she's at.
She's thrusting with a kind of vigilant severe action, her voice is shouting over the rumble of clouds.
The rain is pouring all around them in small drizzling drops, melding into the shores of the Phon Coast.
There's the calling of the sea breeze, of Archadian air that chokes them both, because she begins to defeat her enemies easily until the last one: The large span of its wing snapping loud, louder than the thunder across the water's horizon. And its beak swoops close to her body, sniping a little bit of exposed skin, scratching and causing her to cry out - fierce, painfully.
She doesn't really realize that she's falling as her sword hand swings violently, slashing at the wings and the predatory eyes.
She doesn't see anything but the sky above, where the droplets are falling like millions of tiny wet stars.
Vaan moves his legs, fast, his arms stretching. There's nothing but air between them, and she's floating down like a feather.
He's right there, reaching for her, just like last time.
His hands are sweaty and there's the scent of her, all sweet and perfume, nothing near as anything he's ever experienced.
She is so light even as she makes that noise, that breathless feminine sound.
It's so easy, setting her close to his chest, her face in the crook of his shoulder, his neck, feels her hot breath there. Because he's still holding her tight against him as he pulls out the crossbow, he is able to land the last arrow into the predator. And when it's done, his hand is still there, fastening around her waist, too close to her bottom, and he's not really noticing too much else as he stares into her eyes.
He can see she is angry again. But why he doesn't know. She makes a move to indicate that she's alright, gently pushing him away, and he lets go, reluctantly.
She doesn't thank him this time, not like the last. He thinks it's because he is too much like a child in her eyes. The way she snorts up at him, or the way she reprimands his jerky movements.
He's had enough.
So he reaches for her as she saunters past, grabbing in an indelicate way.
The touch of her arm, electrifies him. It shocks her.
"What is it, Vaan?" She turns to him, glaring.
"That's it?"
"Hmm?"
He reaches behind his head, arms, biceps, all stretched out, doesn't realize how much his chest is sticking out.
"You didn't even say thank you."
She stares at him. Her mouth is open, showing pink tongue.
There's something in her that wants to turn around and ignore him, but she doesn't this time.
A soft sigh escapes her, the fall of her breasts and the steady beating of her heart makes her relax.
"Thank you…" she is thankful that he's always there to catch her.
X
Ashe can't help but feel a kinship towards Vaan, ever since they talked last along the river of the Garif.
She is thankful in many ways and feels oddly pleased when he's around.
Perhaps, it is because he watches out for her. Perhaps, even so, he stares often in her direction.
She can feel it. The way his eyes move when she's thinking as she walks along the hard sand of the village.
There's even a time when he follows her, always wants to be in her party, when the group parts ways.
"We should hurry back to the others." She says, quickly, annoyed at the way he is looking at her.
"Yeah, we better." He usually says so much, but this time, he's getting drenched by the water. His pants are moist, and his chest feels the path of running rain water along the muscles of his tight skin. Towards to the V-valley of his pants below. It's uncomfortable, and squeaky noises from the cloth and metal are making him annoyed.
She tries not to notice, because she can't possibly think that Vaan could be anything close to attractive. She's particular about her men, and she's keeping those fires burning for her late husband like he's still around.
They realize that the rain is pouring harder, but she doesn't notice anymore, because her hair is plastered against her skull, her clothes and armour too wet.
Angry threats from the sky persists, the lightning is striking down even the man-rays on the shore, the predators with their claws are running fast.
"Oh no." Vaan runs up to the center point of the dividing line. It's closing up, and he grabs her, pulls her along.
"Come on, Ashe! We've got to get going!"
But they're too late.
X
They find one of those caves, where treasure is abundant, and the secret hiding places of traveling hunters and prospective treasure seekers rest. It's between the two areas of sandy islands, and the rain is relentless on both sides. Vaan grabs one of the chests, finds more gil to pocket and Ashe is disappointed that there isn't anything else when they're done. They both decide that it'd be best to rest up for the night, at least until the rain stops and the dividing line between the islands open.
X
When she is sleeping, he's right there, next to her. She sleeps unhurried, breath soft and easy, like some kind of precious idol he's seen in one of those rooms filled with gold.
But he doesn't realize that she can feel him, all of him, the way his heat is so close inside the cave. Because, It's cold outside, and she's curled up, back against him.
He's been sitting up watching her, doesn't know why he does this, because she is the Princess.
She's not even Penelo, and that's what makes it all so strange. All this newness, this freshness, and while his childhood friend was small framed, familiar of sweet musky sweat and suede, Ashe is everything close to the wind and the fire. She's the expensive smell of perfume he's only got to whiff when he was in the Palace to steal her stuff. And he can't help himself as he lowers his face to suck in the rest of her.
She slightly stirs and for a moment, he is frightened. He doesn't want her to wake and see him doing this, because it would be too weird. Too strange, and worst of all, he knows more than anything that she's going to reprimand him again, tell him to sleep on the other side of the cave.
Oh – but there isn't any room in here. He bumps his thigh against her back, where her ass is, and he feels the lump in his throat.
It's dark in the cave, and cold, and she's pushing her body against him to conduct heat, find anything to stop the shivering.
She's irritated beyond belief, finding voice in the darkness. "I can't believe you forgot to get the pouch of items." She tells him this the second time, because she can't help it. And because he's too close, too warm.
"I'm sorry, OK?" He tells her back, irritated too. "It's not like I did it on purpose."
He sees that she's shivering, even as his body is so close, trying to be quiet next to her.
"Ashe, let me….hold you."
There, he's said it, and it's not like it's something bad. He is feeling nervous, and he doesn't know why. He just knows that he likes to feel her, touch her, smell her, get closer.
She hesitates for a moment; her eyes are staring straight ahead, but there's nothing but shadows.
Ashe scuttles back a little, making a little whimper, and she is thinking that it's the cold, and wonders too if this cave is cursed.
The noise of the rain is still beating a drum outside, and she's wishing there's a moon out, at least to give some light. But then, Ashe feels his arms, surprisingly strong around her.
He places his chin along the soft rounded shoulders, dips down a little to smell her neck, breathe in her hair. He makes a slight sigh, afraid of the emotions he's experiencing.
"Do you feel better? Warmer?" he hopes that she's not angry at him again.
She mumbles something.
"What?" he leans closer, his lips too close to her lips, his arm tightens around her. The way her body pushes against his groin, he feels something else, and grits his teeth.
"Vaan, let's just try and sleep, and by morning, the rain should subside. The others will come searching, or find us before morning."
"Yes, of course, I want that too. I'm so tired," He really is, but his body wants something else, and he just knows that this discomfort will make him feel lousy come daybreak.
Instead, because he must, Vaan curls up so close, as close as he can ever be with her. His other arm is snaking underneath her body, so that he can get her back closer against him, and he's shivering.
His face buries deep in the moonlight hair, sucking up her scent, touching her arms softly with his fingertips.
It's this that makes her say something. "Vaan, what are you doing?"
"I'm sorry…." He parts his lips, and they're dry. "I was just…"
She turns around, the shuffling noise in the dark and the movement rough. Now, she's up against him, her face screwed up in irritation.
"What are you trying to do?"
"I don't know what you mean…" He really doesn't, but he's guessing it's because he's touching her arm like that. "Is it bad what I'm doing?"
"No…" she can't say for sure he's done anything improper, but she turns around anyway, bent on getting sleep.
She can feel now that he isn't reaching for her, though his body is still close. There's a steady heartbeat in the blackness, it seems to obstruct even her vision, perhaps because there's nothing but his body and his scent. And the sound of heated breaths around them.
"You can hold me…" she tells him after a few moments.
But he doesn't.
And she's just staring at the darkness again, waiting. "Vaan?"
"I'd rather not." He chokes.
He's turning away from her now. His back against hers. And the sound of his silent sobs reaches her ears after awhile.
She wants to tell him something, but instead is silent, grasping for words; she forces her eyes to close, wishing for the day to come.
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