.-°-..-°-. S h a r d s .-°-..-°-.

.Shard 16.
Paramina Rift

.-°-..-°-.

Maybe it was because she had seen Vaan and Penelo doing this untiringly for hours - maybe it was just because she was bored, maybe because she was so damn freezing that diving both her bare hands into the snow couldn't possibly make things worse. Maybe she really was searching vengeance for all the times he had fooled her. Maybe she just wanted to.
She caressed the perfect solid snowball she had made with her white fingers while standing back up, under the unbelieving gaze of Basch, who was about to speak but gave in for unknown reasons when he understood who her target was.
The shot was not kind - the snowball hit Balthier's jaw while flying at a considerable speed, to then slide down to his collarbone - probably the part of it which had melted at the contact with his warm skin was flooding irreparably underneath the turtleneck of his perfect vest.

He was completely astonished as he diverted his gaze from Fran, who he had been talking to until the hit, to Vaan, while trying pathetically to remove the melting snow from under his shirt, cussing incomprehensibly. But Vaan was so busy with trying to pin a shrieking Penelo into the snow that the sky-pirate set his eyes again on Fran, still trying to understand. The Viera hinted at the Princess with a knowing smile, and when also Balthier turned to her, just in time to see her shaking the rests of the snowball from her hands, he was smiling in total disbelief.

She felt so strangely stupid and childish while almost in embarrassment she looked away, avoiding his eyes - she didn't really wanted to show him the smile she had on her face in that moment - that would have been too-
She jolted when Balthier circled her neck with a strange movement, making her lean her back on his chest - she hadn't even saw him coming.

"Good shot, princess." he whispered into her ear - and his voice was too, too sly "But I suppose this will make us tie"

Her breath went away abruptly - frosty snow was falling down her décolleté with no return now- and her throat went so cold she couldn't even gather the strength to yell after him as he let her go, returning to Fran without even looking back.

.-°-..-°-.

AN: Ah-ha - this one is among my favs. Btw, are you guys more in AsheBalthier or AsheBasch? I can't decide.. mmh.. see you next week maybe!
Swamp-eyes