FFXII: Match

[edenbound]

Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Pairing: Balthier/Fran
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Summary: Fran plays the dutiful girlfriend. For the_sandsea.


Balthier took time over trying to speak. After all, he didn't want to slur his words. It was bad enough that he felt sick -- he didn't relish the thought of having to clean vomit off his shoes, and his spare pair were scuffed. Fran seemed to sense his struggle and walked deliberately slowly, her arm around him to support him. Not for the first time, he contemplated how much stronger than him she seemed, in all ways, and wondered if it were so with all Viera. He thought not.

"It always eludes me," he said, very carefully, quelling a flip in his stomach that threatened catastrophe, "as to how you always match me drink for drink, and yet I'm always the one being carried back to the Strahl."

Fran adjusted her grip a little. He thought she might be laughing, but she was always good at hiding that. "Viera have greater capacity than humes, it seems."

"It does seem so," he said, staring at the dancing shrubbery to determine whether it was actually dancing, and if so, whether it was one of those damnable monsters doing some kind of war dance in preparation for an attack. Fortunately, the verdict seemed to come out that it was doing neither of those. Fran ignored it, anyway. "One day, I shall get you drunk, Fran. Eventually."

"I do not look forward to it," she said, wryly.

"I'm not particularly looking forward to carrying you back to the Strahl on that occasion, either," he admitted. "But it does seem I owe you a favour. And perhaps payback for the time you dropped me in the gutter. Next time, I believe I will have you drink two bottles of Bhujerban Madhu for every one that I have."

"That will be expensive."

"And I might have to hire someone to carry us both back to the Strahl," Balthier agreed, and leaned over abruptly -- doing his best to miss his shoes -- and threw up. Fran waited patiently for him to stop, wiping his mouth with something when he straightened up. He smiled at her. "But for now, you can continue being the dutiful girlfriend."

He paused for a beat, expecting an objection. Fran didn't say anything. She simply put her arm around him to help him, supporting him when he stumbled a little. She helped him into the Strahl and into a seat, and found him something to wash his mouth out. Only then did she speak, not quite looking at him. "I am only returning the kindnesses you have shown me."

"Why, Fran," he said, smiling at her, "you must be more drunk than I thought to say things like that."

He thought that, maybe, she blushed, though he wasn't sure if Viera could.

Comments

[irish-ais.livejournal.com]

(I totally ship Balthier/Fran, if nothing else)

<3

[edenbound.livejournal.com]

:D

[firebirdjones.livejournal.com]

Balthier, you know you can never match the awesomeness Fran has. :D And you'll never match her in a drinking contest.

*loves on the Balthier/Fran friendship-not-quite-relationship*

[lassarina]

Ahahahahahahaha@the dancing shrub. *faints of the giggles*

[threewalls]

Balthier's expansive piffle is somehow even more fun when he's drunk-- not slurring his words, but turning his focus to strange, strange things. There's a comfort with each other here, letting vulnerability show, that's quite charming, too.