AN: Sorry this took so long; I've got a couple of papers and lab reports due this week. And I know its not much for a weeks wait almost, but I hope you guys will be satisfied with this one. :D
Again, thank -you thank-you thank- you to all my pweety (and wonderfully awesome) reviewers: Feeny, Poisonous Disaster, IH8Abbrieviations, and Qwi-Xux.
Oh. and I found this fantastic site last night during my weekly forum skims about real life FFXII characters. It's hilarious. I've posted the link on my bio if anyone wants a look see. I love the authors choice for Penelo; Vaan not so much. But Balthier looks so yummy I can gobble him up.
You Leave me Breathless
They'd arrived home some time after the stars came out but still the cool of the evening could not overcome the heat and heavy air of Lowtown.
The first thing he'd wanted to do was rip off the itchingly tight shirt then sneak away to shred the remains but Penelo's presence stopped him. Even though the shirt's collar had him practically in a chokehold, he was all too familiar with Penelo's lectures and certainly too tired to even pretend to listen. So instead he sat on the edge of their mattress, a glass of water at his side, trying to unbutton his shirt while waiting for Penelo to finish her shower.
He gave up after a few minutes. He hadn't even successfully removed his cufflinks and already his fingers were sore.
He squinted then mentally cursed the too puny buttons. Why'd they even bother making them so small? As far as he was concerned, ruffles and laces were reserved for pansies and pint sized emperors; real men ought to wear only to wear the bare minimum. Nothing fancy or requiring too many layers - they almost always invariably involved buttons– but instead something simple yet sufficient enough to protect him from the weather. Like a metal vest.
"The coronation was nice, wasn't it, Vaan?" Penelo's voice floated cheerfully from the bathroom, breaking his thoughts. "Ashe is going to make such a wonderful queen."
"Yeah," he grunted, suddenly noticing the light pressure against his back and turning his head down to see Penelo's hands resting on his shoulders. Her eyes crinkled and a smile spread across her face at the memory.
"And weren't the music and the flowers lovely?. Oh! I saw Larsa and Basch too – I had no idea they were coming tonight. And you should've seen the look on Ashe's face when Basch arrived. She looked so happy. They'd make a cute couple, don't you think?" Penelo pressed, sitting down and handing him a comb.
'Mhm." He agreed, nodding half-heartedly as he slowly untangled the knots in her hair. Penelo beamed at him. Her hair was still damp and hung limply over her night shirt. He wanted to catch a strand and kiss it.
"And the dancing," Penelo sighed happily.
He winced. There had been lots of dancing, he remembered.
Almost too much.
And not just with that sneaky Larsa with his poufy sleeves and knee high boots. Oh no. There'd also been all sorts of Archadian and Dalmascan gentry lining up and asking Penelo for a dance. At first she refused them all but then the music switched to a promenade and suddenly Penelo was whisked away from his arms. He had spent the remaining hour of the party sulking in a corner.
It really was a shame the party was masquerade. Otherwise he could've compiled a list of names and send it straight to Balthier, titled The Top Ten Richest Men in Ivalice. The old man wouldn't be able to take off fast enough.
"Hey, didn't Ashe look stunning tonight in her pink gown?" Penelo continued. "I wish I had a swishy dress like hers."
Penelo had chosen to wear a sunny yellow dress with a dark navy sash around her waist, highlighting the blue in her eyes. She also traded in her pigtails for an elegant bun, weaving several small primroses into her hair. When he first saw her in the dress earlier that evening, his eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets, and he'd only barely managed to hide his blushing from Penelo by blaming it on the tight shirt collar. And when they finally danced together, all he could see was her bright eyes and even sweeter smile as she gently led him across the ballroom floor. It was all he could do to not pull her closer in a crushing embrace and kiss her but Larsa was watching and even he was not that cruel.
"Huh, whatcha say, Pen?" he asked, suddenly aware Penelo was waiting for an answer.
Penelo sighed. "I said, didn't Ashe look stunning tonight in her pink dress, Vaan?"
He cupped her face, smiling as she tried to twist away, and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Yeah," he breathed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "She did."
She blushed hotly underneath his gaze. "What?"
"Nothing, " he quipped then thought better of it. He put on his best sheepish look. "Nothing, except these stupid buttons just won't come off. Could you help me out here, Pen? Believe me, I've tried."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Now sit still."
And as Penelo leaned in to unbutton his shirt he got a good whiff of the shampoo she'd just used. Her brows furrowed in concentration while she worked on the teeny buttons and he grinned. He didn't even protest when she yanked his collar. After all, if she was this close -and she was, he could even count the freckles on her cheek - it was worth the pain.