A/N : I've been ill! Pity me!! And review! I can see you all! Under the stats page I have lurking people! You know who you are and I will eat you.

I found my book! My little sister had it under her bed. It's barely legible from crayon marks but ugh…at least I found it. Um….I STILL don't have a new lip ring and I'm getting the Japanese version of Crisis Core YAY ME!! It's a good day to be Shan-chan! Enjoy my story please. Love you all and myself. Also thank you to the lovely people who have favourited me and this story. You make me write stuff! You do! XD

Chapter Three

Awkward Nights

The trip back to Balfonheim saw the four more restless than usual. It was probably Vaan's fault. When Balthier was in a foul mood so was everyone else and the restless blonde puppy had just knocked his hair gel in the toilet.

They paused at the Phon Coast for the night when dusk seeped into the sky and the stars began to wink at them. They could have easily continued their journey with the autopilot on but Balthier was less willing to leave the controls now that he had taught Vaan to drive his precious sky-jewel. With his in mind, he hid the keys at night.

This very night, Vaan yawned as he made his way to his room hoping Penelo wouldn't be in it. His thoughts turned to the beach. It was rare that they would stop in Phon territory. Maybe he could sneak out to go to the beach in the morning before they left. He opened the door of his room and paused in the doorway. There was a lump in his bed.

"Penelo! I-"

The lump sat up.

"Now really…do I have such a feminine figure? (Um…yes actually…)

"Balthier?"

"You don't kick as much as Fran…and frankly, in a Viera that isn't a desirable trait…those damn heels…anyway, she has taken my quarters hostage…"

Vaan sniggered, that was his question answered.

"Balthier…this is still my bed…"

The Brunette narrowed his eyes at Vaan.

"Did I not share with you Vaan, in your time of need?" he said with a raised brow.

Vaan sighed and walked into the room.

"Yeah…but-"

The door shut and he heard Penelo giggling from the outside.

"PENELO!! OPEN UP!"

"NO! Remember, you're grounded, you have to do what Balthier says, he's the oldest."

Vaan went pale.

"I like this girl Vaan, but I am not the oldest, Fran is."

"I can hear you pirate."

"Damn…."

\/

"Vaan? Are you asleep?"

"Yes."

"Well then, remove your feet."

"I can't, they're attached to my ankles!…OW!"

\/

"Balthier?"

"Zzzzzzzz"

"LET GO OF ME!! I AM NOT FRAN!!"

\/

The next morning, Vaan had absconded out of the window and the evidence was startling. Blonde hair and dusty prints marked the windowsill and the open window let in a draught.

"Well…" Balthier said non-nonchalantly, "Less trouble for us, Penelo, do you want to follow him?"

"No, he'll come back when he's hungry."

"That's what I'm worried about," Balthier replied.

"Unless he had been kidnapped by bounty hunters," Fran added hopefully. Penelo tried very hard not to think about what kind of bounty she meant.

"Kidnapped?" Balthier couldn't resist a laugh. "I'll give them five minutes with the boy."

He left the Strahl in search, Fran and Penelo watched him from an open window. He breathed in deeply as though sensing something they couldn't.

"My powers of deduction tell me the scamp had gone swimming."

"But…how?" Penelo asked Fran confused. Fran gave a half smile and pointed to the footsteps in the sand leading from the Strahl to the water.

\/

"OW…ow….OWWWWWW! Let go of my eaaaarrr!!"

"No."

"Can I at least put some clothes on??" Vaan whined.

"No. Strahl, now."

\/

Balthier sniggered as Fran dragged a tomato red, naked sky-pirate wannabe into the ship and locked him in his room. The window had already been pre-locked and the key was now attached to Balthier's key chains just in case. So, yet another day, Vaan was left to the confines of his room. He quickly dressed, glad Penelo hadn't seen him. Balthier, he didn't mind, he was also male and Fran didn't seem to care but Penelo might not be of the same mind.

When they did eventually reach Balfonheim and unlocked Vaan's chambers, Vaan exploded out of the room and tore off the ship the familiar smells of fish and spices hitting his nose without mercy. His feet pounded against the aerodrome floor but spectators ignored him, the majority of the locals already used to Vaan's ridiculous behaviour and tantrums. Balthier followed. Not willing to disgrace himself by running after the rat he took long strides and tried to keep him in his line of sight. But Vaan had a back-up plan.

He snuck into the Bazaar and hid. The old woman guarding the magic key he hid under but said nothing. She gave him a look that said "touch anything and die". He heard Balthier's shoes clomp past. There was no mistaking that gait. With a snigger, Vaan imagined him take his "tough guy" stance that was utterly a waste of effort in his opinion. His shoulders would be stiff, arms swinging stiffly and his lips pulled into a tight lipped frown.

"VAAN, THIS IS NO WAY FOR A SKY PIRATE TO BEHAVE…" Balthier shouted, earning a few stares. Vaan sniggered even more and gauged the time it would take Balthier to pass him. He jumped to his feet and doubled back.

He looked back as he ran, Balthier was turning the corner towards the old Reddas Manse. With wild laughter he turned around just in time to get a face full of Fran's cleavage.

"This seems to be re-occurring child…now, tell me what good reason there is, that I should not return you to the Strahl."

"Uh…my ear hurts?" Vaan tried with a cheeky grin.

Fran tapped her foot impatiently and folded her arms across aforementioned cleavage.

"I hate being grounded! I wanna go fight something!"

A smiled played on Fran's lips.

"This, soon enough, will happen," she said simply, "Balthier is going to slaughter you."

Vaan laughed.

"I kid you not."

"Nice work Fran." A firm hand clasped on Vaan's shoulder and his heart momentarily stopped. The grip was tight and heavy, Vaan knew escape was unlikely.

"Traitor."

Fran nearly laughed. Nearly.

"Fran is MY assistant Vaan, MY partner, she has never been on your side."

"You hate me."

Balthier looked startled.

"If I hated you, would I have taken in as an apprentice and put up with your antics for such a length of time?"

"But all we do is boring stuff! When are we going on our next raid?"

Balthier sighed and shook his head before grabbing Vaan's ear and hauling him back to the Strahl.

"You'll get your next raid when you can be trusted not to jump out of low hovering airships naked."

Point.

\/

Fran sold the un-needed loot at the market with Penelo to teach her about bartering while Balthier, never learning, taught Vaan some essential knowledge about airship mechanics. Nono, the moogle could have easily sorted out the problems himself but it was another skill that Vaan would need to know.

"Now turn this bit, this bit Vaan, no…there, yes," Balthier corrected him, trying to be patient.

"Kupo-po?"

"Ah, Nono, my good chap, take a break for now, I'm just teaching Vaan some things."

"Like this?" Vaan asked him.

"Yes, now, these-"

Nono looked miffed that someone else was messing around with his job. The pom-pom twitched dangerously but he said nothing.

"-glossair syringes, this is rather complicated so-PAY ATTENTION- if it wasn't for this knowledge Rabanastre would be dust-LISTEN!"

Vaan rolled his eyes.

"Oh...sugar...Vaan, Nono had the liquid magicite…would you?"

"Sure." Vaan was desperate for a break anyway, perhaps Nono had left the aerodrome and Vaan could buy a chocolate biscuit or cactus fruit to eat while Balthier yelled at him. He ran after the moogle, jumping over the cables and jump leads before reaching him at the aerodrome door.

"What's wrong Kupo? Balthier realise only I can do it? I'd better still be getting paid…kupo-po-po."

"Balthier needs the glossair ring stuff." Vaan replied having ignored the creatures rant.

"Oh…po…po…I left it in the Strahl…in the stock room."

"Oh…thanks…" Vaan panted and ran back to the docking bay to find Balthier but he was nowhere to be seen.

"BALTHIER?" he yelled looking around wildly "NONO SAYS-"

He never finished that sentence, in his haste, he forgot to look down and tripped over Balthier's foot as he pulled out from under one of the engines and landed on top of him with a thud.. Balthier was protected by his chest plate but Vaan nearly winded himself.

"Vaan, please, turn your affections else where."

Vaan reddened as he scrambled off of the smug sky-pirate.

"It's in the stock...engine…thing…" he mumbled, not making eye contact. Balthier wiped his hands free of oil with a handkerchief and sighed.

"I suppose I'll get it then, shall I?" Balthier decided and walked inside without confirmation.

A/N : Ugh….headache…I don't know if that's also Vaan's fault or not. XD Isn't italics fun?