Author's note: This is basically using a situation from one my own memories…tee hee. With a twist. I had to use this song because well, this was what was playing at THE time! It's a bubbly upbeat song all about wishing how your lover can experience or know just how in love with them you are. It is by Faith Hill and should only be the normal album version…not the popped up rubbish that was released as a single.

This is also longer and a bit more steamier. I wanted to write more but it was getting difficult and I'm still aching to carry this on. However I'm being sensible and stopping it.

I hope this song makes sense with the situation, there could be many other scenes I could have chosen, but this what I feel fits. Enjoy.

(May still change the ending sometime. XD)

The Way You Love Me

She couldn't keep her eyes off him from the very moment he walked into the room at Larsa's side. He had forgone the metal armour and wore instead the darkest blue suit that she had ever seen, the colour only showing from the certain angles of the gentle light. The suit fit his broad frame tightly and perfectly, tailored to match every muscle and angle of his limbs and to her it seemed that he was made taller by that outfit. Or was it because his hair was longer?

The long tail trailed down his back whilst the golden fringe still kept falling by his smiling face. Some people didn't see that smile, especially under the beard but she never missed them.

The Emperor of Archadia, now up to his guardian's shoulder proceeded down the line of guests, greeting them and being welcomed by friends in return, but Ashe couldn't take her eyes off the older man.

Nor could he look away from her.

Basch Fon Ronsenberg approached her, his dazzling blue eyes screaming with intense want, and as he bowed gracefully to his former charge, his stare burrowed right into her core twisting it into a whirl of euphoric chaos.

"My apologies for not coming to see you last month." his whispering deep voice reverberated inside Ashe, shuddering her to her bones. "I offer no excuses. I have missed you, my Queen."

Basch lightly scooped hold of her hand and held it up to his mouth. Ashe, still stuck by the gaze of his mesmerizing blue orbs, by the pursing of his lips and the feel of the delicate moist touch on her skin; quivered when the soft mass of golden greying hair of his beard tickled her knuckles. No one had greeted her like this, everyone with the exception of the host himself had stuck to the protocol set for royalty, which meant no touching her. If anyone had greeted her in the way he had, there would have been uproar, but no one had noticed. Even though the Queen of Dalmasca was barely able to stay steady on her feet, the many other guests were oblivious as they took their places at the dinner table.

"I've missed you." she whispered delicately back. She wanted to say much more, but the proper words were lost with the crazy turmoil bombarding her by being in his presence.

She had missed him, missed the feel of his arms around her and the sensations he provoked by simply loving her in those rare moments they shared together. Even when he was stoic and silent, in his capacity as the protector to the Emperor, stiff and formal; Ashe had the excited fluttering in her stomach that made her giddy as a teen.

"I wish you could have seen just how you kissed me." she stammered.

"See myself kiss you?" Basch chuckled lightly as he held out her chair for her. Ashe slipped and almost fell into her seat, sighing with relief when no one else saw her falter. However, she nearly jumped up again when Basch, taking his place beside her, sneakily took hold of her hand under the table. Ashe bit sharply on her lip when his fingers began to stroke slow wanting caresses on the knuckles he had previously kissed. "That is an unusual wish is it not?"

"Would it be so unusual to want you to know how you make me feel?" Ashe whispered softly from the side of her mouth as the banquet and hustle of conversation began all around them. She squeezed his hand tightly, desperately, before letting go and picking up her glass as innocently as possible.

"Hmm, what do I make you feel?"

Hmm…that sound he made, the rumbling in his chest, the low dulcet tones, it made her heart flutter with excitement. She called for the waiter to fill her glass and still she couldn't stop smiling and glancing at him as the trickling of champagne sloshed in the crystal glass. She pulled her glass away a little too quickly, making the waiter spill some of the liquid on the table. She didn't hear the waiter's apologies, only the low rumbling chuckle from the man sitting next to her.

She glanced in his direction and saw that Basch's eyes were flickering on and over her, his lips still smirking beneath his beard as he took in every detail of her delicate silk red and orange dress and the way the long ringlets of hair trailed over shoulders and curled over her chest.

"I can't think properly when I am around you."

Ashe emphasised her words by squeezing the thick muscle of his leg beneath the table but such a supposedly discreet action made Basch react with one of his own and it resulted in something that was far from discreet.

The touch of her bare leg through the slit of her dress, the graze and tickle of his fingers caused her to jump and choke in mid swallow of her food. She turned bright red from the euphoria of his touch rather than lack of air, so the pat on the back from Larsa didn't exactly help. Then Ashe was slightly embarrassed when everyone on the long table, the nobles and dignitaries and even Vaan and Penelo had stopped talking to look at her. Only her two Dalmascan friends seemed to find something amusing, hiding their grins behind their hands.

"You fiend." she hissed to Basch when the conversing began and the two youngest guests eventually got tucking back into their own meals. "Are you trying to incite political outrage by your behaviour? Our host would be most distraught."

"My behaviour, Ashelia?" Basch whispered back to her from behind his napkin as he dabbed at his mouth. "If you could see yourself, watching me with every bite I take of my food? Such obvious staring…anyone would think you were in love with me."

"A preposterous notion." she smiled.

Though it was the truth. She loved watching him, every tiny action he took whether it was cutting his food or sipping on his drink, it drove her wild inside. Yet Ashe knew that the same could be mentioned about the Judge Magister; the soft tones of his voice, the glances from those irresistible ice blue eyes, the touches of his hand across her thigh when no one was looking, showed his own desire for her.

She loved being close to him. Hearing him speak with such affection, the sound of his laugh when Vaan told one of his jokes, she didn't want to be anywhere except with him. How she wished that she could hear him say out loud his feelings for her, that she could tell him how she felt with his arms wrapped around her body, holding her tight.

He had missed a lot these past four years, especially how she was when he left her after his visits. They had been careful and discreet about their relationship, meeting away from prying eyes (though Ashe suspected Penelo may have spotted a few things about their behaviour) yet once they parted, Basch never got to see how uplifted and happier she was. It wasn't fair that he missed seeing how much more confident and stronger she was because of him.

Someday she would show him how lucky she was to know him like she did. She hoped it would be this day.

When the dinner finished, Al-Cid announced to the guests that the rest of the evening would take part in the main ball room. So everyone gracefully and politely rose from their seats and slowly progressed through the obsidian palace to the huge domed ballroom of glass.

Ashe walked by Basch's side, smiling dutifully to those who passed them, trying hard not to show how much being close to him was making her.

Could he not hear the way her heart was pounding in her chest or hear the gasping breaths her in mouth? Surely he could just plough through this lot and sweep her away?

He must have read her mind.

When they walked into the ballroom, the moonlight shining through the dense forest towering above the dome, she felt a sharp tug on her hand. Before she knew it, Ashe was pulled away through the drooping dense branches of some indoors trees and hidden from view from the crowd, she was pressed hard up against a black marble pillar. Her eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat and her lips parted to gasp but instead they were sealed lovingly and hard with his.

His mouth motioned over her lips, hard but so passionate that she couldn't keep her eyes open. She responded to his kiss with equal vigour, motioning in time with Basch's mouth, moaning into him as he cupped at the back of her head with one hand and smoothing over the curve of her bottom with the other. Ashe snaked her own hands round and over his broad back, feeling the muscles of his shoulders rippling as he held her; she streaked her fingers through his long blonde hair trailing down his back, loosening the tail of gold and grey from its binding. Then as he lifted her further up the pillar, pressing his kisser harder and with more urgency, Ashe brought her hands round to stroke through his beard and her legs curled around his waist.

She tasted his tongue as it slipped inside along with the sweet flavour of champagne tingling in her mouth. Her legs sagged and lost all grip from the pressure of Basch pressing himself against her and she almost wailed into the kiss as her Knight trailed some of his fingers delicately up her leg, hitching the long silk sides of her dress up. The touch of flesh and flesh, the burn and tingle made her squirm.

She gasped, Ashe felt as wild as he did and she was burning for more, but as the kiss and their frantic groping nearly toppled a nearby tree from it's pot, Basch broke apart the kiss and Ashe slumped against the pillar. Her legs nearly gave out and her breath was panting heavily as if Basch's lips had been keeping her alive and not the air she breathed. She touched at her forehead, feeling the film of perspiration already forming and dampening her fringe. A single drop fell from her brow and onto her swollen red lips where it was kissed away with one soft touch from Basch's mouth.

She thought her heart would burst through her chest at the way it was racing and pumping so hard.

"Forgive me, I could not wait until later to do that." he sighed into her ear, grazing his finger down her hot blushing cheek. "Nor could I restrain myself after seeing you again."

"Basch…" she panted, her eyes looking round and through the concealing branches to the dancing guests oblivious to the Guest of Honour's absence. "You are quite simply outrageous! You are getting more and more daring with your years. It's not how you used to be."

"Really?" he smirked pressing his lips in a teasing graze round her neck, wrapping his arms round her slender waist. She nodded shyly. "And do you like this new side of me, your Highness?"

"Can you not feel?" she asked grabbing his hand and placing it where her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. Basch nodded, his trembling fingers touching at her skin. He rested his forehead against hers and released an aching sigh, starring into her glazing eyes.

"Always." he uttered kissing her again and feeling her tremble and shake against him.

"Do we need to stay here?" she moaned pleadingly. "Could we leave this place and be somewhere else?"

"You are the Guest of Honour, Ashelia." he rumbled trying to assert control over the urges he so badly wanted to express. "I'm sure if you wish to leave, no one would object."

"Then let's leave. I want to be alone…with you. Now."

Basch smiled, amused greatly by her demand and forceful order but it wasn't an order he was going to refuse from his Queen. He kissed her tenderly on her lips again, lingering long enough to feel her body become limp in his arms. He traced down her back with the tips of his fingers, smiling once again when he saw her eyes glaze over at his touching.

"Wha-?"

Ashe's voice faded into a mumble and instead of finishing her sentence, all she could do was grin back up at him with the largest and goofiest smiles her mouth could muster. It was ridiculous, that someone of her stature was hiding away in the corner, being so spontaneous and naughty.

But it was Basch. He was the one who evoked such happiness and excitement in her, he was the million and more reasons why love glistened in her eyes, the reason why she was behaving so unlike the Queen of Dalmasca should be behaving.

"May I escort you away from here, Your Highness?" he tried to keep a straight face, but it was impossible to do so with her so giddy as she was. He held out his hand, noting his love's shaking as she took it and walked with her out to the crowd.

Ashe had to cover her mouth. The rushing pace they both took up received a great many confused and shocked looks from all they hurried past, along with the fact that the Archadian Judge was holding her hand in a very intimate manner and both of them were ruffled and flushed from their kissing.

The music stopped but the murmurings didn't at seeing this very obvious couple walking to the door of the ballroom. It was only when they reached the huge archway that Ashe coiled both her hands round his arm and walked out, laughing and walking with a surprising spring in her step.

It was not the proper behaviour of a Queen, but she didn't care any more if they saw.

Nor did it matter for her that she knew what Al-Cid had wanted to ask her, so openly in front of everyone.

Basch was her world. No one else could ever make her feel the way he did.

She loved the way he loved her.

And the way he was going to as well.

END.

Happy Valentines all you smoochy folks. XD