Cherished

prompt : what have you lost?
Vaan & Penelo

Disclaimer: I do not own FF12, its characters, settings, etc. These words, however, are mine.

Penelo sat with Fran and Balthier, waiting for Vaan to return from visiting Ashe. He'd told her this morning that he'd wanted to go and see her before they left for wherever it was they were going -- they weren't exactly sure of their destination at that moment -- and he had yet to come back after a few hours. Nobody seemed to mind, really. Who knew how long they would be gone for this time?

Fran, Penelo noticed, kept shooting the young blonde very meaningful looks. She hadn't commented on it, but seeing as how she hadn't stopped, she figured she should. "What is it, Fran?"

Fran leveled her knowledgeable eyes on her, seeming to be able to look right through her into her very soul, reading her every thought and feeling for just a moment before she looked away. It had been brief, but Penelo knew she'd found what she'd been looking for. Balthier shot her a look that said he felt her endless pain at being read so easily, before turning his attention away from the two women.

"Balthier," Fran said. "Would you excuse us for one moment?"

Balthier grinned and stood. "How did I know this was coming?" He didn't wait for an answer, before he turned and walked away to somewhere he wouldn't be able to hear his friends. When Fran knew they were safe to talk, she gave Penelo a sad look.

"What have you lost, Penelo?"

Penelo blinked.

"You know what I'm speaking of." Fran prodded further, not one to pry but knowing Penelo wanted to get it out there. But was this the right moment?

Penelo looked away. "Nothing. He's safe, right? He survived. That's all I ever wanted."

Fran sent a skeptical look her way, before she shook her head and dropped her eyes to the table.

They both knew that she hadn't just wanted Vaan to come home safely; she'd wanted so much more from Vaan, but he never seemed to see. He never seemed to notice. And now Penelo knew that his heart lay with Ashe and she wasn't so sure she would be able to get it back, even though she knew that Vaan would never get who he wanted. Ashe's heart lay with another.

All she ever wanted was for Vaan to love her like she loved him.

That was all she'd lost.