AN: I don't know why but this fanfiction has found me listening to pop love songs that I haven't heard in ages. So uh… if you want to listen to a song with this I've found that The Backstreet Boys 'As Long As You Love Me.' Is a good one. What it works? Seriously it fits so well it's scary, don't blame me if I like old pop (I swear I listen to other good music leave me alone)
-Unlucky-
When Balthier awakes he's against something warm and moving. He looks up groggy, confused, when he finds himself curled into Basch, laying against his chest, legs entangled, with Basch still sound asleep. Balthier can feel the slight movement of breath beneath him. He's never seen the Captain this…at peace. Even on the night when he had snuck in to watch him sleep, he'd been tense. The worry lines etched onto his face seem lighter, his shoulders lax, and Balthier nearly jumps out of his skin when he speaks.
"Good morning Balthier." He smiles, and Balthier pulls away, the feeling back again with fervor.
"Good morning." He replies, a bit curt. He can see Basch frown a little, but he shakes it off and sits up.
"I suppose you have things to do. I shall leave you be." Basch stands and Balthier almost thanks the Gods when Basch pulls him into another one of those gentle kisses for a moment before releasing him and leaving.
Balthier is left staring at the door, heart pounding, that feeling growing heavier in his chest.
So he takes the only course of action that makes sense. He shuts out the feeling, and the man that causes it with it.
The next time when Balthier pulls away from his touch Basch's eyebrows furrow, but he only tries again. When he dismisses gifts and offered food with a 'no thank you Captain' he frowns. When he turns down help in battle and says someone else can surely do it, that feeling in his heart pangs instead and the warmth fades into a knot in his stomach instead. When they're back in an inn again, he knocks on the pirate's door but when Balthier looks up he only says 'busy Captain' and waves him off.
When they're out camping though, he knows Balthier isn't busy and sneaks into his tent once everyone has dozed off. The sky pirate sleeps soundly and Basch can only stare like he has once before, admiring the sleeping figure before him, his stomach a knot, but the wings in his chest is as furious as ever. He doesn't wish to wake him, so he only curls in next to him, wrapping an arm around the other, and sleeps.
He's woken abruptly, Balthier standing over him, looking angry. The knot in his stomach tightens.
"What do you think you're doing Captain?" Balthier snaps.
Basch's heart is pounding, but flight or fight has snapped into action and he furrows his brows, "Being near you Balthier. What's wrong with you?" He accuses.
"Nothing is wrong with me Captain. Something is wrong with you. I thought you could take a hint." He scoffs.
Basch can only blink, the knot tying into his heart, the wings furious, but getting smaller and smaller as the knot takes hold instead.
"What is it Captain…hmmm?"
"Balthier I lo…" He begins.
"Don't bother Captain. You must be too thick-headed to get it. I don't want you."
"What?" Basch breathes, stunned.
"A most common phrase from you. I said, 'I. Don't. Want. You.'"
"But…"
Balthier snaps, something in his chest twisting, his stomach sour, and he fights it with harshness as usual, "You're a courtesan Captain. I bedded you, and now I'm done."
Basch blinks, the knot tight, the wings gone, the warmth only bitter cold. He doesn't say a word, he only stands, walks in front of Balthier and glares.
Balthier feels like his insides are twisting, churning as Basch stands before him. Then Basch moves lightning quick and as his cheek stings and burns, the tent flaps billowing as Basch leaves, Balthier realizes he's been slapped. For some reason though, his chest aches more than his face.
They avoid one another like the plague. Basch pitches his tent on the outskirts of camp, and takes food there as well. Balthier acts like the other doesn't even exist; he doesn't say his name, look in his direction, or even assist in battle.
The whole group notices, but most are too afraid to say anything. Ashe could care less, Penelo is clueless, and only Vaan tries. One night at the fire Vaan speaks up, "So did you and Basch have a fight or something?"
Balthier stands too quickly, snapping at the boy, "That ignorant buffoon is of no concern of mine. Nor should my personal affairs be any of yours." With that, he stalks off to his tent in a huff.
Vaan only blinks, "What's his problem?" He asks the group but everyone shrugs, besides Fran who twitches her ears, staring after Balthier.
As more time passes, they are still distant, but they at least trade meager words, necessities, and no more. Basch moves back into camp, still away from Balthier, but he dines with everyone once more. Balthier acknowledges the Captain and aides him in battle, but no more than is needed.
A time comes when Balthier requires assistance and calls to Basch for help, "I need help onto this Chocobo, still a bit stiff from that last battle, could you give me a hand?" Basch only snaps a huffy and quick 'No'.
Balthier blinks after him as he stalks away, "What did I do?" He remarks, all innocence. Almost everyone shrugs, just as clueless.
"I am surrounded by idiots." Fran complains.
"I am no idiot." Balthier remarks, mock hurt on his face.
"You are the biggest idiot."
"I take offense to that." He chides with a grin, but when Fran twitches her ears and stalks off he wonders what he's done wrong.
What none of the group notices, besides the ever-observant Fran, are the slightest things neither will admit. She can catch Basch watching Balthier mid-story, and watch him snap out of it, shake his head and quickly retire to bed. When the stars come out and he stands watch she can hear the quiet musings, asking the Fates why they tease him so, did he really deserve this to only end up agreeing that, indeed, he probably did deserve it. There are times she wakes in the night, passing his tent, and hears the slightest whisper of 'Balthier', and she can only shake her head in the still of the night.
It is not just the Captain she watches though, for the sky pirate is just as guilty as he. She catches Balthier watching him in battle as he moves with ease, to quickly glance away, and unleash such of flurry of anger on the creature he fights. He picks at his food at dinner if it's anything that he had once given up to Basch, and she can hear him tossing and turning for periods of the night, enough to give him bags under his eyes. When she elects to room next to him in an inn she can hear his pacing footfalls, and though muffled, she can also hear him arguing with himself saying 'stop it Balthier, stop thinking on it' and occasionally 'why does it hurt' cried out into the night.
She tells neither; why should she? She has never understood humes and their romantic customs anyway.
The next hunt mark they take is a higher rank than they're used to, but Balthier waves it off once he sees the reward. "We can take it, no worries." He promises, and they head out.
The battle is harder than expected. There are not enough potions, and phoenix downs are following suit; to top it off magic is running low, and even Penelo can barely breathe between each Cura, since she doesn't have enough to cast much else. Basch jumps in for Ashe, who retreats with low health, but decently well off all the same. The creature is almost down, but it pulls a large final attack, aimed right for Basch. He can't dodge, not in time, and it hits him, full force. He's on the ground, and Balthier moves to jump for him, "Basch!" He cries, but Fran grabs him, and motions to the creature, still barely alive, but still a threat.
They fell the creature at last and Balthier runs to Basch's side. He isn't moving and the dark pool beneath him is unnervingly large. Balthier scoops him up, cradling the other man in his arms, "Basch speak to me, come on." He pleads, and the whole group can hear the worry in his voice and it's so out of place that their own worry multiplies tenfold.
"Heal him!" Balthier shouts at them, but they're out. There aren't enough potions, and everyone's out of magic, and all Balthier can do is blink away the dampness beginning in his eyes.
"Basch…please…" He pleads, almost a whisper.
Basch stirs, blinking up at Balthier and manages a horse whisper, "I don't want to die alone."
AN: UGH! The feels this gave me writing this. The courtesan bit nearly killed me, then that last line did me in. All I could do was yell at myself going 'why am I doing this' and then keep on writing. Will Basch die alone, not knowing what could have been? Will Balthier man up and admit his damn feelings you stupid obstinate pirate? Don't kill me dear readers, I beg you, instead read on and find out!