Title: Yggdrasil

Author: YukariYoukai

Pairing: Vaan/Balthier

Summary: In return for a flower, Vaan recieves the power to change the world. AU; Balthier/Vaan

Chapter: 3/?: "On the shores of eternity"

Notes: And where has Penelo gone?

---

Penelo leaned against the polished counter on her elbows and sighed. She had seen to all the new arrivals, and completed maintanence on recent visitors. She even got headway on Migelo's order. By all accounts, she should have been exhausted, but as she stared at passerby through the shops wall-to-ceiling windows, she only felt…

I miss Vaan.

---

Said blonde was currently marching behind Balthier, mentally listing the indignities he could make the Archadian suffer for this. I could do this and I could do that!Vaan wasn't going to let that damned man out of his sight! He was a liar, Vaan knew. And the first chance the Archadian got, he would ditch Vaan --- weaponless, but not completely defenseless --- and go his own merry way. Probably back to the Archades to brag to all his noble friends about how he came across a helpless orphan, Vaan thought darkly, and "helped" him. Pssh. Yeah, right.

Balthier, of course, didn't know Vaan's thoughts exactly, but he could guess. Which was why, after their five minute trot to the edge of the Salkawood, he gestured for Vaan to go in first.

"What?" Vaan questioned irritably at the man's hands.

"Why don't you go in first," Balthier suggested. "You might recognise the area---" and go home"---and remember where you dropped your effects."

"How about you go in first," Vaan drawled, crossing his hands over his (barely covered) chest. "And then we'll see about who remembers what."

"I have no idea what you're trying to say." Balthier trained his face into a placid expression and waited.

Vaan scoffed. "For a noble, you are pretty stupid." That little BRAT! The chief surveyor did not, however, let this ruffle the cool, self-satisfied look he was giving Vaan. I saved his life, and all he can do is toss insults. Found without weapons, food or gil. I should have known. "I'm telling you to show me where you 'found' me."

Balthier shot him a blank look. "And you couldn't just say that."

"I just did."

---

Locke ran in circles, squeaking. "What is it, kupo?" questioned Thorne, a brown moogle with white wings, distracted on his way to the gate construction site.

"I lost Vaan, kupo-po!!"

"OH NO, KUPO!" Thorne joined Locke in his circle-running. "What are we going to dooooo?" they wailed in unison.

---

Vaan crossed his arms again. "You found me there? Yeah, right."

"Sigh."

"Don't act like you're the injured party here." Balthier pulled out a scroll with a flourish, and spread it open on the tree trunk they stood on for Vaan to see. "That's nice. What is it?"

"A map of the Salikawood." Balthier explained slowly. "See where I'm pointing? That's where we are right now."

The blonde scowled. "I'm not a fucking idiot. And even if that is where we are now, that just makes it even more impossible for you to have found me."

"Oh?"

Vaan knelt in front of Balthier, and pointed to where the bungalows where. "That's where I live. And around here," Vaan dragged his finger down a few inches as he spoke. "is where you should have found me." Balthier judged the distance between his finger and Vaan's. True enough, the waif was right. There was no plausible way for Vaan to travel that far even if he miscalculated. For all his stupidity and brashness, Vaan didn't seem the type to get lost easily. But then, Balthier justified, his type never are.

"Perhaps you miscalculated the distance?" Balthier suggested hopefully. Maybe he was an anomaly --- easily lost, or mislead. The chance was on level with that of a cocktrice singing opera… but perhaps if one trained properly…?

He should have anticipated the glare.

"Perhaps," Vaan repeated in mockery. "You should show me where you actually found me." And perhaps Balthier could find himself a nice sturdy branch to hang himself from. Or the boy --- it was a toss up.

"Vaan," he managed to grind out. He paused, carefully extracted his hands from where they tugged at his hair, and composed himself before continuing. "This is pointless. I am leaving."

"What?"

"I've done my part. There is no need for me to stay and convince you. Convince yourself." Balthier gracefully turned and strolled in the direction of his temporary lodging. "And you can keep the map."

"…pompous bitch."

---

The overseer wiggled his nose. "Just what is going on here, kupo? If you don't start working, we'll be even more behind schedule!"

Several moogles paused in their cry of 'Oh Noes, kupo!' to let Locke tell his story. "I was chased by a most FIENDISH monster, kupo! It made my fur stand on its ends. And then Vaan rescued me… at least, I think it was Vaan, kupo, seeing as I only saw him for a second."

A look of concentration passed the white face of the overseer, before he carefully asked. "And just where is Vaan now?"

The majority of the moogles began to keen as Locke explained: "I don't know, kupo-po!!" Thusly was the most responsible of the group drawn into the moogle whirlwind of grief and worry.

---

Vaan, began Penelo's mental letter. How are you? What have you been doing? Come back to me soon. No, no. Come back… home… soon.

Migelo and I both miss you. The flowers miss you too. Penelo paused. That sounded… maudlin. And yet sentimental enough to convince Vaan into a visit. She ignored it and plowed on. Kytes' sickness has worsened. No one knows if he'll get better. Maybe if he sees you…?

That sounded nothing short of desperate. With a sound of disgust, she abandoned all thoughts of her letter and returned to Migelo's order.

---

Dammit! Vaan thought. He searched every endless plank and dead tree. He scoured every congregation of flora and rare rock formation. Still, there was no sign of his necklace or weapon. I knew he was a liar.

Vaan leaned listlessly against the body of a thick, wide tree and watched the night banish the last of the sunlight. He ached. The weapon he could do without, but that necklace… Somehow, he felt abandoned, lost. Over the course of the day, he felt it creeping upon him slowly. It threatened to swallow his mind whole. Under every rock, behind every tree, it lurked, waiting. It was old, and had plenty of time to wait. Breathing softly against the back of Vaan's neck, it sought to tease him, trick him into stupidity, break him into submission. He would belong to ---- "NO!!!"

The urchin rushed up and swung blindly behind him. He felt his hand connect with something terribly solid and broke into a run. It was behind him now, it would catch him… because he had no where to run.

"Balthier!" he screeched, as he viewed the red eaves of the cottage-house. "Balthier!!" He was panicked, chest-heaving, eyes-burning, gods-be-damned scared. When he sighted the ridiculous not-brown of Balthier's hair, he was surprised to find that the burning of his eyes sublimated to tears. But he did not stop running; he could not feel it anymore –that thing, that feeling, that old, old thing-- , but he knew it was there… waiting… waiting… A careless step and he fell, paces from Balthier's door.

"Vaan?" goggled the befuddled Archadian. The blonde lifted his dusty face and watched the last of his tears fall into the dirt, amazed and so, so relieved.

---

"What is that stuff," Vaan asked warily from under the blanket he was wrapped in.

"Hot chocolate." Carefully, as if the large, innocous-looking mug was a carrier of a terrible plague, Vaan accepted the drink.

"It's hot."

"Hence the name," Balthier added with a smirk. He watched as the boy cautiously sipped at it, found it rather good, and decided to hold the mug as if it were the most precious jewel in the world. "I see it is too your liking." Vaan nodded, taking another, larger, sip. He waited until Vaan's shoulders drooped a fraction, before he took a brave stab at the wooly gator in the room. "Are you going to tell me---"

"Yes," Vaan whispered. The candle light gave his face long, dark shadows, making him look haunted. "I panicked. You were the first person I thought of." The brunette stared at him carefully. Vaan fidgeted, then mumbled something that sounded like: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Are you that afraid of being alone in the wood?"

The boy's breath hitched. "Y-you… can't answer a question with a question," he voiced unsteadily.

"I can do whatever I want," Balthier retorted smugly.

"No, you can't. But I bet you've had people tell you that all of your life. I guess you expect me to do the same, huh?"

"That is not---"

"No, it's fine," Vaan interjected as he carefully placed the mug on the floor, and slowly peeled off the blankets. "Great Lord Balthier," he said with his head lowered in deference as he knelt on one knee. "Thank you for opening your shit shack to the poor, pathetic, vagrant orphan, who wouldn't know his arse from his head if you hadn't rescued him."

"Vaan," he tried.

The blonde lifted his head. "Great Lord Balthier," he continued bitterly. "Do us poor, pathetic vagrants all a favor and fuck off."

"Vaan...!" The door closed before he could properly form an answer. "Goddamnit!" He kicked at the mug Vaan left, and felt mollified when it cracked against the floor. Thank Ivalice he hadn't wanted carpeting. And why the hell was he so angry anyway? Idiot orphan boys --- he really shouldn't have been surprised, even the poorest of the poor have last names --- shouldn't matter to him, have never mattered to him. Just because he carried one home didn't mean he was… attached. Because he wasn't. Not even a little. The boy was a crappy conversationalist, didn't trust him at all --- the one who saved his bloody life!---, and most of all he was filthy. When was the last time his skin was near water?

But he had come to Balthier when he panicked. You were the first person I thought of. Which meant Balthier was the only person he thought of. Wasn't that grand?

Balthier's attentions were diverted by the growing puddle of hot chocolate on his floors and he sighed, opening the door to his room to find some damned rag when he was stopped short. Vaan, self-acclaimed 'vagrant orphan,' was looking at the front door as if it were the only barrier between him and certain death.

"Vaan," he said gently. If the boy didn't get it this time…!

"It's not that I'm afraid," he admitted softly. "Of being alone, I'm not afraid of that. I'm used to it."

"Then why come to me?" Balthier asked, and realized they were whispering.

"I told you why."

"No, you didn't. Not the whole of it."

Vaan turned to look the Archadian in the eyes, distracting Balthier slightly with the way the moonlight caught his too-pale hair. "There is something in the woods. And it wants me. I need to find my necklace so I can leave. I need to get out of here."

"Why is that trinket so important to you?"

"…I just need to find it, that's all." Balthier knew not to push his luck. "Look, I'm not going to stay here, okay, so you can stop worrying."

"I am not one prone to worry."

Vaan snickered and turned his face to the door again. " 'Cause you can do anything you want, right?"

"Quite. Including opening my shit-shack to poor, pathetic orphans who wouldn't know their---" Vaan moved quickly, covering Balthier's soft lips with his rough, calloused hand.

"Don't even think of licking me," he muttered darkly.

"Mp mmph mmmoh." Vaan raised a dark eyebrow.

"What?" The Archadian grabbed Vaan's wrist and, after a bit of a struggle, pulled it away from his jaw.

"I said: 'that is disgusting.' Your hand is filthy; why would I even want to lick it?"

The boy blushed. "Just… don't worry about it."

"Actually, I shall. Because I can --- ouch! That's it." Balthier grabbed Vaan's wrist again and tugged him along, and while the blonde struggled, he noted with satisfaction that Balthier was favoring his right leg.

"Ack! Gerrof! I won't go!"

"You will, and you'll like it."

"Noooo!" In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as Vaan was making it sound. Balthier wasn't going to chain him up and whip him for assaulting his person, or anything barbaric like that. He was just going to toss Vaan into a large tub of freezing cold water. Which he did with a smile, but that can hardly be counted against him, can it?. "B-b-balthier!" Vaan cried.

"Scrub well now!" he called gleefully as he shut the door.

"I ha- ha- HATE you!"

Notes: The chapter that sunk into the sludge of absolute romantic drivel. I actually had to flay myself a few times to edit out all the unrelentlessly sappy CRAP. Still, it reins supreme. Gah. I choke upon its syrupy sweetness!

Next Chapter: Just what the hell is Migelo ordering, anyway?