Part Two
Rain

Ashe barely slept. When she finally managed to doze off, she had a dream about Rasler. But in her dream, his eyes were hazel, not blue.

She awoke with a start. She turned her head to the right and saw that Balthier was gone. Sighing with relief, she climbed out of bed.

Only then did she realize that everyone else was gone, as well. "Damn," she cursed and hurriedly began to dress.

She'd gotten her shirt and skirt on and was fastening her left shin-guard when the door opened. She gritted her teeth when Balthier entered. "Knocking would be appreciated," she told him.

"Ah, but if I did that, I wouldn't be able to surprise you," he teased. "Frankly, I was rather hoping to catch you before you'd dressed."

"That's enough," Ashe said coldly. "Stop making these senseless innuendos. We might be traveling companions, but I am still a princess. And you are out of line."

"Oh, I'm aware of that," Balthier told her. "Besides, I wasn't meaning to imply that I wished to catch you au naturel. Just in that rather fetching nightdress you had on."

Ashe bit back a grin. He was too charming for his own good. And for hers. Shaking her head, she finished dressing in record time. "Just so we're clear," she said, combing out her flaxen hair, "there's to be no more bed-sharing between us. It's simply too untoward."

"Just so we're clear," Balthier mimicked, taking the comb out of her hand and turning her around to face him, "there won't be many more beds to share." He handed her a steaming mug of coffee. "If you had the same kind of night that I had, you'll need that."

She smiled behind her cup. "What kept you up -- awake?" she corrected quickly.

He grinned devilishly, then sighed. He put his hand on her shoulder and lowered his lips to her ear. "You have the softest skin," he said in an honest whisper.

Ashe lowered her mug. "Balthier --" she closed her eyes. "Don't," she said when she felt his hand slide down her arm. "Just -- don't."

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"You are aware that she can't be one of your conquests," Fran said in a low voice to Balthier as they walked the streets of Rabanastre later that morning.

"What are you talking about, Fran?" Balther said breezily, studying a clay pot that a Bazaar merchant had on display.

"You know what I'm talking about," Fran said warningly.

"Don't worry so much, Fran," he told he, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I will worry, because she is not just some woman you met whilst we were out traveling. She's not a fisherman's wife, daughter, or even a bar wench," Fran said.

"I'm well aware of that point of fact," Balthier dead-panned. He held up a beaded necklace to her, grinning.

She slapped his hand away playfully. "Don't you try to charm me," she said. "Remember, it doesn't work."

"Something I've lamented many a time," he quipped good-naturedly.

"Just be careful," she warned. "She is no ordinary girl, and this is not an ordinary situation."

"Duly noted," he said absently as the subject of their conversation walked by, listening intently to something Penelo was saying. Basch and Vaan weren't far behind.

Fran rolled her eyes in amusement. She'd borne witness to this time and again. Balthier would be completely useless until he got what he was after. Sighing, she realized in this situation, he might well be completely useless until they'd finished this quest and left Dalmasca and Ashelia far behind.

Balthier and Fran followed the others to Rabanastre's Southgate, the quickest way to Giza Plains, Ozmone Plains, and finally Jahara, which was their intended destination.

Basch cleared his throat when they approached. "We were just discussing battle strategy. It would be better to split into two groups of three for exploratory purposes."

Fran nodded. "Agreed," she said.

"Right. If we run into trouble, there's no use in everyone taking the beating," Balthier added. He snuck a glance in Ashe's direction and was pleased to see that she was glancing back at him. She looked away as soon as she noticed him looking back.

"Obviously, I must stay with the Princess," Basch said. "And Penelo wishes to stay with Vaan. So the two of you can decide for yourselves."

Fran smirked slightly. "I will go with Vaan and Penelo. They need a good archer with them." She smiled at Balthier and walked over to the children.

Penelo smiled at the viera, then narrowed her eyes when she saw Fran's satisfied expression. "What are you up to?" she whispered.

"Ah, just helping a friend," Fran replied.

"Well, then, I will accompany the Princess," Balthier said, as though the whole thing mattered to him not. He walked over and stood as near to Ashe as he could get away with, without anyone saying anything.

Ashe wanted to object, but how could she do that without causing a scene? She took a deep breath and got a heady whiff of the leather of Balthier's vest. Why was he standing so close to her?

"Shall we be off, then?" Basch said. "When we get to Giza, you go left, Fran, and we'll go right. We'll meet at the entrance to Ozmone."

"Sounds good to me," Vaan said, and started walking, Penelo not far behind.

"Let me go ahead, Highness," Basch told Ashe. "I'll cut you a path. Balthier, I trust you'll protect her in my absence?"

Balthier nodded with mock dignity. He waited until Basch had a good lead on him, and then took Ashe by the elbow. "Yes, let's let your bodyguard to his job, shall we?"

"And what are you going to do?" Ashe asked, cocking her head to the side.

"You heard the man. I'm to protect you," he said earnestly.

"Ah, but who will protect me from you, I wonder?" she said wryly.

"Why, Princess, are you frightened of me?"

Ashe smiled sadly. "Maybe a little," she said with a heavy sigh.

"I see," Balthier said. "Might I inquire as to why?"

Ashe shook her head. "You may not."

That made Balthier smile, and Ashe's pulse quickened at the sight. "Some day, I think you'll tell me," he said.

"Don't hold your breath," Ashe said as the first drops of rain from Giza Plains fell on her bare shoulders.

"I daresay we'll be soaked through and through by the time we've quit this place," Balthier observed. "Are you all right, Princess?"

But Ashe was smiling. A real, honest-to-gods smile, the likes of which Balthier had never seen from her before. "Are you kidding?" she laughed. "I'd forgotten how much I love the rain!" She held her hands out, palms open, and relished in the way the rain felt as it danced along her skin.

Balthier leaned against a nearby tree and watched in amusement. In this moment, she was no longer Ashelia B'Nargin, Princess of Dalmasca. In this moment, she was just Ashe, just a girl in the rain. And Balthier knew what to do with girls in the rain.

He pushed off of the tree and walked over to her. He took her wrists in his hands and pulled her body to his own. Looking down at her rain-plastered hair, he couldn't help but to smile. Her eyes were wide and bright and questioning, and for a minute, he just stared. Then she lowered her lashes ever-so-slightly and it completely undid him.

He crushed her mouth with his own, amazed at his lack of control. He fisted his hands in her hair and deepened the kiss.

Too fast, too fast. It's happening too fast! Ashe thought frantically. One minute she was enjoying the feel of the rain on her skin, the next, Balthier had grabbed her and then --

Then he was kissing her. The very thing she had sworn to avoid. And she knew she should stop him, she knew it. But he was warm and firm and so good at what he was doing and everything that she'd been missing without even realizing. And it had been so long, too long. She told herself it was just a momentary weakness, it would never happen again.

But then he slid his tongue over hers and she felt herself running her fingers through his rain-dampened hair and pulling him closer. She heard the gutteral sound that she made in the back of her throat and felt his name tumble out of her mouth breathily. "Balthier."

As soon as she said it, she pulled away. Her head still spinning, her heart still pounding. For a brief moment she swore she saw Rasler staring back at her -- and he was crying. "Oh, gods," she whispered, hand over her mouth.

"Ashe," Balthier said, reaching out to her.

But she backed away, shaking her head as though in disbelief. "No. Don't. I -- I can't believe I --"

"Ashe!" he said, firmer now. "You didn't do anything to be so upset about. Ashe, look at me!"

"I can't!" she cried, spinning on her heel and running off in the direction of Basch.

"Damn it," Balthier cursed, running his hands through his wet hair angrily. He wasn't mad at Ashe. No, he was mad at himself. Mad at himself for forgetting who she was, for thinking this was just another girl.

Because this was not another girl. Fran had been right, and he'd been a blithering idiot. And now he'd have to work like hell to make things right again. That kiss had made one thing very clear to him.

One kiss from Ashelia B'Nargin was not nearly enough.

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A/N: If you couldn't tell, I'm a big fan of sexual tension. XD Hope you guys are enjoying this!