It had started as a purely sexual relationship. She needed release, and he was more than willing to provide. Yet now, as they continued to travel together, to better know one another, she began to feel something towards that dammed pirate she never expected to feel towards any man besides Rasler. She had grown to love him.
Once, when they lay next to each other, in a state of bliss and exhaustion, the word love escaped her lips. He had grown tense, then had continued as if she never said anything of the such. It was strictly a business of pleasure with him, and she needed to remember such.
His hand, his back, that firm ass, and that thing he did with his tongue should be all she cared about, not the little way he'd smirk, or how his eyes continued on, a troubled past clearly hidden though not shared. She shouldn't even be worried for his safety, he was hired help in a sense. Yet she found herself casting what could perhaps be more than necessary protectives on him. He, if course, joked about it as her wanting to keep his body safe. The laugh she let out at that comment was forced, though she hardly thought he took notice, already busy undressing her.
Yet... She felt that once he had opened up to the group, to her even, he would return her feelings. He was not some soulless bastard of a playboy, and he did care enough to make sure she was always okay and well taken care of during their little tirades.
Speaking of which, Fran had distracted the others so they could have a chance to sneak away. She was the only one who knew what was going on between them, though Basch had his suspicions, especially after seemingly falling ill after more and more meals. Which Balthier claimed, of course, that he had no time to do such a trivial thing.
As Balthier began to work that magic that made her beg for more each time, her mind traveled down such thoughts. Balthier seemed aware her thoughts were elsewhere, and did his best to pull her out of them.
"What do you get out of this, besides for the bragging rights of having banged the brains out of the future queen of Dalmasca?" She truly wanted to know, though it was posed as a playful question.
He had smirked, looking into her eyes with a grin. "Well, even a...what did you once call me? A brothel wench, was it? Even a woman at a brothel receives pleasure, and you are one of the best women I've even been with."
Balthier continued then, making her body shiver. However, she was disappointed with his answer as she wished for a more… romantic one, as foolish as it was.
Balthier led her to climax, and then lay by her side. Usually, he would get up right away, but perhaps it was his knowledge something was bothering the Princess that led him to stay.
"So tell me, what is going through that beautiful mind of yours?" He reached out to brush away a lock of hair from her eyes.
"It's nothing to concern yourself with," She replied quickly, embarrassed that she had so easily fallen for a man she barely knew when she had told him their relationship was to be 'no strings attached'.
Balthier chuckled softly. "Ah. I see. You know, it's just the nature of things."
"What?" He couldn't have figured it out so easily, unless he too recalled her slip of tongue those days ago.
"That you would fall for me. I must heed against that, though. The physical aspect of things is nice, but I know you Ashe. You want something more, you want someone you can know everything about, and I have far too many secrets to burden you with."
"Everyone has their fair share of secrets," she argued weakly.
Balthier stood and picked up his shirt. "But not everyone is me." He sighed then, as if he had changed his mind, and sat back down beside her. "I've been hurt in my past and I cannot trust someone with my heart just yet. If anything, it's more time I need than anything."
"Then you shall have it."
He smiled a soft smile, then his smirk was back in place. "Now, you haven't yet paid me for my service… Round two?"
She couldn't help but laugh as they as he began pleasing her again.
Perhaps it was just the nature of things… but nature was usually right.