A/N: Chapter 3 is finally up!!! SO sorry that it took soooo long. Forgive me guys, i know you're eager to know more.

Disclaimer: I do not own my favourite people or places, curse you squareenix! But i own the plot twists.

Angel [A Balthier x Penelo Fanfic]

Chapter 3: Uninvited

Penelo washed her face, trying to rid herself of the embarrassment that she had experienced at the dinner table a few minutes before. Or maybe it had been an hour. She'd been in here a while. She didn't know how she lost her grip like that. She was usually much more resilient when she thought of him, she had even imagined what she would say. But when it came to actually saying it, his smile knocked her off balance.

Why does he still have that effect on me? She had thought so many times since she had seen him at dinner. Why the hell did he come back? He was cryptic about that too.

She looked up at the mirror, and turned around startled. There was nobody there.

I'm losing it, she thought, I manage to avoid him for five years and then when he's here I start hallucinating! This is ridiculous. She turned around and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her. And then she jumped again. "You seem to be making a habit of showing up uninvited, don't you?" she said to Balthier.

He flashed Penelo his leading man smile as he leant against the wall in the hall. "I'll have you know, Pen, that I was invited. Remember? I met up with Vaan and he invited me."

She scoffed. "Well, I think you've outstayed your welcome. I'll show you to the door" She started to lead him to the door, but he caught her arm and pushed her against the wall.

"I'm not going anywhere, until I get what I came for." He said to her, his breath smelling of her world famous potatoes.

"And what is that?" She asked, uncomfortable that he was suddenly so close. She was fighting the urge to hit him for having the impudence to throw her against a wall.

"I want to be able to have a conversation about what happened. To try to get you to understand, and for me to understand your point of view. I want you to forgive me, and I want for us to go back to the way things were before, but if that's not possible to be able to at least be civil with each other." Balthier looked at her with pain in his eyes, almost begging for forgiveness.

Penelo just laughed. "I've heard it all before, Balthier. You play the part very well, but I won't be fooled again." She turned to the kitchen door, which was open a crack. "It's rude to spy on people, guys. I would have thought you'd be more polite" She turned back to Balthier and said "I'd go find somebody else if I were you. I'm not interested"

She stomped on his foot before storming off to her room, leaving Vaan and Ashe in stitches as Balthier whined "But I'm the leading man! I choose the leading lady! And my foot hurts!"

Ashe, Vaan, and Balthier were standing around the bench in the kitchen. They were all eating chocolate cake. "So Balthier…what are you…going to do…next?" Ashe asked between mouthfuls.

Balthier shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea. I could try a number of things."

"Like what?"

"Like doing outrageous things to express my love, flowers, chocolates, pretty shiny things..."

"Oh she does like shiny things" Ashe said thoughtfully.

"But I'm not going to give up. I'm a sky pirate and sky pirates…"

"Never give up, and never say never?" Ashe finished for him.

"Yeah, that." He said, nodding. "I think I might go to bed, the chocolate cake doesn't help"

Ashe agreed and took his and her plate to rinse them. They both left Vaan in the kitchen, with a mouth stuffed with chocolate cake. "I love guilt food" he remarked.

Penelo lay in her bed wondering what the other three were doing. Probably laughing to themselves about the whole thing. I swear this must have been a setup to get at me. A prank, or something. He doesn't deserve to be forgiven. He hurt me a lot. I wish I could forget.

I wish I could forget. She made me feel so alive. I can't believe how much she's grown, how beautiful she is now. When I saw her at dinner, I could hardly believe she was Angel, Balthier thought to himself, lying in bed in the spare room. I know what I'll do. He continued to plan for a half hour, then he got up, went to the door, and walked out into the whispering wind.