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

A/N: My thanks to my beta, BlueTrillium, who always does such an excellent job!! A bit of fluff for those of you who demand it. ;) Thank you for taking the time to read and review!! Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven

The afternoon whiled away as the three conversed. Penelo was given the grand tour of the palace once again and caught all sorts of looks from many different eyes. Some stared in awe, some in suspicion, but Lady Mirith looked like a rabid couerl when she'd seen Penelo walking with her arm linked in Larsa's and Basch following only steps behind. Upon seeing the Lady, Larsa stopped to ask a question of his faithful Judge who in turn placed his gloved hand to the small of Penelo's back protectively, and the woman's mouth gaped. Wisely she just huffed in the opposite direction and Basch dropped his hand with Larsa resuming the tour. Penelo had a strong feeling they had done that on purpose and inwardly smiled.

They shared a private dinner in Larsa's quarters and each said their goodbyes for the evening when the meal had finished. Basch and Penelo walked the distance from Larsa's door to Basch's own quarters and the two began settling in for the evening.

"At least you'll be able to get out of that suit." Penelo grinned as she rapped on his breastplate.

"And into the bath," he added with a wince. "Though, I should see to the polishing of my armor before the bath."

"Aren't you supposed to have a squire or someone to do that for you?" she asked.

"I suppose had circumstances been different, then perhaps. But you must remember I came here to appear as my brother and none were to know. Larsa had helped me learn Noah's routine and assisted in teaching me the nuances of Archadia and its lifestyle. Most of those lessons were taught over polishing my armor," he offered with a small smile.

"It's kind of funny to think of Larsa teaching you anything. I can still remember the lessons you gave to all of us regarding weapons and armor." Penelo grinned at him.

"I fear even then Larsa was not as innocent as he seemed. Years of war, no matter how sheltered he appeared, robbed him of most of his childhood. He actually knew most of what I was able teach," Basch mused as he removed his cape.

"He always seemed interested in what you were telling him though." Penelo smiled as she rested against his desk.

"I fear he was merely being polite." Basch chuckled.

"Well I guess that's Larsa for you." She smiled at him and made her way to assist him in removing his armor.

"You need not assist me Penelo," Basch insisted.

"I know, but I want to. I haven't helped remove armor in ages it seems." She grinned at him.

"Then who am I to deny you such?" Basch conceded with a laugh.

Penelo smiled at him brightly and he just shook his head and laughed. At her command, he raised his arms and she unfastened his chest plate at the sides. Once the plate was removed and set on the desk he bent and moved to unfasten his greaves, but Penelo slapped his hand away as she kneeled and continued her work.

"Yet it seems that you will deny me the right to assist in removing my own armor," he said as he watched her.

"You get to do this all the time," she reminded him as she moved on to his other leg.

"Are you offering your services as a squire then?" he questioned playfully.

"Are you flirting with me Basch?" Penelo asked, looking up at him and cocking her head to the side.

This of course flustered the man who began to sputter, his eyes growing wide as Penelo just laughed.

"I'm just joking!" she exclaimed through her laughter as she stood handing his greaves to him.

"Um, right," Basch said, taking the cold metal from her as he tried to compose himself.

Penelo just grinned and decided to see how far he would let her push this. She had learned her lesson the night before, but this time she was far more prepared.

"I wouldn't mind you know," she said nonchalantly.

"Mind?" Basch questioned, looking very confused.

"If you flirted with me," she said conversationally as she sat in his chair and began rummaging through the desk drawers.

Basch mouth dropped open at this and he stared at her as though she was slowly growing a second head.

"Um, where do you keep your armor polish?" she asked as she smiled, while trying not to laugh at the look of confusion that was spreading across his face.

"You do not mind?" he questioned in amazement, shaking his head as though to rid himself of stray thoughts.

"Well it certainly isn't going to polish itself with you standing there gaping at me like a fish." Penelo smiled and batted her eyelashes at him.

"What? No…you…you wish me to flirt with you?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh, that. No, I said I didn't mind if you flirted with me." She corrected him and then changed the subject again. "Now where's your armor polish?"

"Why…what…who cares about armor polish!" He sputtered as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You're the one who said your armor needed polishing," Penelo teased as she propped an elbow on his desk and rested her chin in her hand.

"Penelo, I cannot hold two conversations at once." Basch sighed in frustration.

"Well technically you are supposed to be two separate people, so you should be able to hold two separate conversations, right?" she asked as she put on a puzzled look.

"What?" he exclaimed then began rubbing his temples.

Penelo couldn't help it any longer as she started to giggle. Basch eyed her warily and then shook his head and grinned.

"You were teasing me," he stated.

"Nope, I was flirting with you," she corrected.

"You are infuriating at times, you know that," he said as he crossed his arms and smiled at her.

"Yep." She grinned back at him. "Now about that armor polish…"

Basch simply shook his head in amusement as he walked behind his desk and bent over to open a bottom drawer. He pulled out the jar of white polish and a worn rag and handed them to her as he brought his lips to almost brush her ear.

"Your armor polish, my lady squire," he whispered softly before straightening.

"Now you're teasing me." Penelo shivered then giggled as she attempted to open the jar.

"Forgive me, but no," he said taking the jar from her and opening it.

"No?" she turned and looked at him puzzled.

"No," he stated with a smile as he handed the open jar back to her. "I believe I was flirting with you."

Penelo set the jar on the desk and turned to look at him in contemplation. She studied him as though she was seeing him for the first time. He looked quite adorable as the smirk he wore slowly faded into a look of concern.

"I did not mean to offend. You had said you wished me to flirt with you," he said hastily.

Penelo just shook her head and stood up. She crooked her finger at him motioning to come closer. He did so warily and she placed her hands to the sides of his face drawing him down to her. Basch's eyes went even wider but he did not try to pull away. Penelo merely raised an eyebrow at him and then smiled as she kissed the tip of his nose.

Basch's head jerked slightly but remained within her grasp as he blinked at her in astonishment. Penelo pinched both of his cheeks for good measure and released him and sat back down.

"You just had the most adorable look on your face. I couldn't help myself," she explained as she picked up the rag and scooped out a small bit of polish from the jar.

"Adorable?" he questioned with a goofy half smile as he touched his nose with a fingertip.

"What? You don't believe me?" Penelo grinned as she began polishing one of his greaves.

"Oh, it is not that. The last person to call me such was my mother when Noah and I were young," he said thoughtfully.

"Well you know mothers are always right." Penelo smiled to herself as she continued polishing.

"She would say that often as well." Basch smiled fondly reminiscing his childhood days.

"Mine did too. I think it's common mother knowledge," Penelo said as she looked to him and smiled.

"I believe she also would say that a lady should not do all the work." He grinned as he attempted to take the rag from her.

"No, that should have been your father. Your mother would be telling you to go take your bath." She smirked as she slapped his hand away.

"I believe my father informed me that you keep the peace by doing as your lady commands." Basch chuckled as he rubbed his hand.

"Well your father was a smart man. Now go take your bath and let me do this." Penelo giggled, continuing her work.

"As my lady commands," Basch said formally as he walked around to the front of the desk and gave her an exaggerated bow.

Penelo simply giggled at the display and watched him walk from the room humming to himself. He certainly seemed happier than she had ever seen him.

As she allowed herself to become engrossed in polishing, she began to let her mind drift. Their talk of mothers and fathers had brought back many fond memories. Though it was one memory in particular that struck her as funny and she wondered why she hadn't remembered it years earlier.

She had been sitting on her father's shoulders as the parade that her brothers were to be in marched down the streets of Rabanastre. Penelo remembered being amazed at all the sights, but then again most seven year olds were. She specifically remembered as the knights went riding by on their chocobos her mother had sighed wistfully and her father had teased her about it.

"Don't mind your mother 'Nelo, she's just admiring the view," he teased.

"Shush you. Oh dearest, if you ever find a man like the captain, you don't let him go," she chided fondly.

"Why would I want a captain papa?" Penelo whispered conspiringly to her father.

"Your mother thinks Captain Ronsenberg is a very good man," her father whispered back loudly and winked at her mother who giggled in return.

"Is he really papa?" Penelo whispered as she watched the knights with new interest trying to determine which one they were talking about.

"Yes love, he is." Her father smiled and patted her leg.

"Well if I find him I'll keep him then," Penelo reassured both her parents as she continued looking and her parents laughed.

The memory was bittersweet. She had certainly found the captain, but he was rather reluctant about the whole keeping him bit. Penelo was certain he liked her, but the man was too honorable for his own good. If only she could get the man to see reason. After all, her parents approved of him; what more reason did she need?

"Would I be interrupting?" Basch's gruff voice sounded from the doorframe.

Penelo jumped at the sound and turned to face him. He had a large grin on his face as he looked at her. He was definitely trying to kill her as he stood there with only a towel draped about his waist. Again it wasn't a new sight, they did spend almost a full year in close quarters after all, but it was very different now. And he had to have known by the look of the smirk spreading on his face.

"I wished only to observe you hard at work, though it seems you were more lost in thought." He chuckled.

"Yeah, well it's all your fault anyway," she said as she came to her senses.

"My fault?" he questioned still in the doorframe.

"All that talk about parents made me think about mine," Penelo replied as she set the rag down on the desk and stood up.

"I did not mean…" He started, abashed.

"It's okay Basch, it was a really good memory," she interrupted as she walked towards him. "Besides, it was about you too."

"Me?" he asked and smiled as he watched her walk towards him.

"Yep, when I was about seven," she grinned at him as he winced at the mention of her age.

"I fear I do not remember," Basch said uncomfortably as she stood next to him.

"I didn't say you were there, I said it was about you." Penelo giggled as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh," he said.

"My father was teasing my mother because she was swooning over you," she said as she grinned even bigger and rested a finger on his bare chest.

Basch simply looked down at the finger now resting on his chest and gulped. He was once again reminded at their gaping age difference and was starting to feel the fool once again.

"I never really understood why back then." Penelo admitted, then looked him up and down with a smirk. "But I definitely do now."

She ran her finger to one side of his chest then dragged her entire hand back across him as she passed through the doorframe. He released the breath he was holding as she swayed down the hall. He just didn't seem to understand how to gain the upper hand with Penelo. The woman was far to savvy with her flirtations and Basch was definitely leagues behind her.

Penelo stopped mid-stride and turned to look at him once more. "Goodnight Basch, sweet dreams," she said, winking at him.

As she turned back around, Basch merely shook his head in amazement. He just watched her saunter towards her room and he just couldn't tear his eyes away. Flirting was definitely something new for Basch, but then again so was this side of Penelo. She was always friendly towards him, but never this friendly. He would be lying if he didn't admit that he enjoyed it and even looked forward to more, age difference be damned.

When she finally entered her room and closed the door behind her, Basch was able to think again. He glanced around on the desk and noticed the polish and rag. He sighed as he made his way to his room and changed into a pair of cotton breeches and a shirt and then walked back out to settle himself at his desk to finish polishing his armor.