Disclaimer: I own neither Final Fantasy XII nor its characters.

A/N: My thanks to those reading and those reviewing! I'm glad you are enjoying this little continuation. Here is the next bit...enjoy!!


A Little Closer

White. Everything was white. The ground, the sky, the air…all white. White like the color of the snow, well because that was all he could see. Snow on the ground, snow falling from the sky, and snow swirling in the air around him. Was there ever such a thing as too much white?

At first he had marveled at its beauty. It had been years since last his brow had been graced by the delicate white flakes that melted after first touch. But now he was sitting on watch and the small flakes were no longer melting. They were coming down in a stampede and settling themselves on his head, shoulders, arms, legs…perhaps he should move.

Ah, another problem in that. Moving would mean disturbing the petite girl that had managed to fall asleep against his side. He expelled a puff of air and it was white.

Had he really ever wished to never see the dark of Nalbina again? Well, he was beginning to strongly reconsider the notion. At least it had been warm (not that the girl nestled against his side wasn't warm) and there was no white.

Basch sighed. How had he managed to get watch with Penelo? The snow must have been affecting his memory as he couldn't recall. Ever since the hopeless lesson in spear handling, she had become his permanent watch companion. Not that he minded. She was rather angelic looking as she slept. He shook his head, causing the flakes to scatter. He was going to try his best to keep his thoughts well away from the devil on his arm.

Yes, she had to be the devil. For no woman had ever managed to confound him so. She'd smile, his heart would stop. She'd laugh; his heart would skip a beat. She'd be angry, and even if it wasn't his fault, his guilt would well near consume him until he saw her smile again. Starting the whole heart stopping process all over again…this couldn't be good for his health. Certainly not at his age.

Age, that terrible number that decreed he was far too old to be entertaining thoughts of the two of them together. Which he could have swore he told himself that he wouldn't be thinking along these lines…damn.

A shiver shook Basch's body, but it had not originated from him. He stared down at the blonde (with white snowflakes perched on her head) and noticed the blanket had started to slip from her shoulders. Her lips had begun to tremble and the urge to draw her to him became overwhelming. Even that frustrating little voice was silent…perhaps it didn't like the cold.

His ears strained as he listened to the surrounding area. No snickers, no laughing, no sound at all except for the rush of frozen water droplets that threatened to bury them alive. Surely it couldn't hurt for him to pull her just a little closer. To right her blanket, that's all.

Basch searched the terrain with his eyes, yes indeed that was useless. But it made him feel better knowing he could see nothing, or no one, in the nearby vicinity. (Except for the white, of course.) He slowly pulled his arm up then around her shoulder, pulling the blanket back up about her. Her head bobbed before resting against the side of his chest and his hand settled on her shoulder. Penelo's shivering abated and Basch was giving himself a good pat on the back. At least she remained asleep.

A wakeful Penelo would mean he would have to be on his guard doubly so. Gods only knew what she was capable of and too often was he finding himself tongue-tied and out-of-sorts in her presence. It was amazing he was even capable of performing watch when she was awake. He preferred her asleep.

Penelo gave a tiny sniffle and Basch looked down at her. Snowflakes were tormenting her nose. At this rate she would be awake and he would have explaining to do. Panic…what did he do, what could he do…panic. His heart sped up as she gave another sniffle and turned her face into him. She settled and fell back into her peaceful slumber.

Basch exhaled the breath he had been holding; then nearly choked on the next one as her lithe form snuggled closer to him. The lower half of his arm was left suspended in mid-air (gathering little white snowflakes) because settling it down over her form was certainly not going to be proper. This truly couldn't be good for his health. His heart was already threatening to beat its cadence clear out of his chest and he couldn't keep his arm like this forever.

The inward torment of what to do was causing the man to have all sorts of revelations. He had always been firmly set in his belief that the fates provided, but he was now more than willing to say screw the fates, screw the Gods, because no damned deity or force of nature could be this cruel. They couldn't possibly exist.

Denial was a wonderful bliss. Pity it didn't work with the snow or the fact that a lovely, lovely evil, young woman was using him for her own personal pillow. He wasn't so sure he was immune to her even when she was asleep anymore. He couldn't even remember what he was supposed to be doing or why he was out in the blasted white world of hell.

He felt two sneaky arms wrap their way around him and he knew he lost. Balthier had once told him this was a game, right? Wait, no, he still had his arm that was beginning to strain from keeping it aloft. Not to mention the pile of snow accumulating on it was starting to add more weight. He looked to the sky and cursed the snow, shaking the offensive pile to the ground.

With a gentle moan, she destroyed his last reign of defense. Her head was now nuzzled against his chest and if she got any closer, she would be sitting in his lap. Not that he would have minded…wait, yes he would. That's not decent.

His arm flexed and curved around her, though he would swear he could no longer feel it because of the cold. But none of that seemed to matter much as he peered down at the woman who was trying her best to drive him insane. He smiled. Sanity was vastly overrated.

The crunch of snow alerted him that the fates still hated him even if he refused to believe they existed anymore. He felt the chill of air being brushed against his back and then a rush of warmth. His head turned to find one cocky sky-pirate wearing his trademark smirk. Basch still hadn't forgiven the man for being so familiar with his girl. No, no-no-no-no-no-no, oh no…Vaan's girl…Vaaaaaan's girl.

"You looked like you could use a little more warmth, but perhaps not," the sly man said quietly, eyeing Penelo openly.

Basch glared back at him. "Go away," he growled.

The heartless bastard raised an eyebrow and then shook his head with a silent laugh. "Were it me, captain, I would have already given in."

Basch just growled in return. He could feel his hackles rising and somewhere in his mind the little voice was ranting about MINE! CAN'T HAVE! MINE! Wait, what was he going on about? The blonde man shook his head for some sense, sending more white snow into the rush of falling white snow…oh it all looked the blasted same, who cared!

Balthier had stalked away unbeknownst to him and left him alone once again in the winterish wonder-hell with a rather beautiful devil. Perhaps the snow wasn't such a bad thing. It did make her porcelain features look even more delicate. And she did look extremely comfortable. The urge to place a kiss to her temple took over and he didn't regain sense until the act was complete.

Penelo gave a happy sigh and purred his name. Basch felt his heart flutter, stop, flutter, and then sing. She looked so peaceful as she slept. An angelic being sent straight from the fates to remind him that heaven does exist on Ivalice. The snow was rather beautiful as it danced about in the blowing wind. Basch grinned foolishly.

And he sat for the next couple of hours as snow continued to pile on and over him, not having a care in the world. Reality jarred him when Vaan and Ashe emerged for their watch. He had never seen anyone with the ability to be silent and laugh their head off at the same time. He can say he had now. His face efficiently flushed, he started to wake Penelo.

"Perhaps you should just carry her inside," Ashe suggested with a very un-princess like smirk.

Yet another thing he was never going to live down. They were all conspiring against him. He knew it now. This was proof! He muttered about propriety as he carefully picked Penelo up and then entered the tent away from the garish white and evil minions of the devil in his arms.