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Taste of Real Freedom	By : DarkHybridChild Category: Final Fantasy Anime > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 226 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XII or any of the characters. I make no money off of this fiction.

Chapter List
- 1-True Freedom
- 1
It was another typical morning; the sun had risen about an hour ago and light was slowly filtering in through the window of Vaan's room.
Although he couldn't exactly be called a morning person, he awoke whenever he felt like it and was get up and go not soon after.
His eyelids fluttered open and his head tilted to the side on his pillow towards said window.
Outside, there was already the faint noise of the hustle and bustle of the marketside stalls in Rabanastre's streets.
He could also vaguely make out the scent and aroma of the food stalls wafting in that had his mind coming to full consciousness.
Inhaling a deep breath, Vaan slowly pushed up onto his elbow before adjusting his angle to push himself up.
He only got so far, because something decided against his thoughts of getting up.
Arms encircled around his middle and pulled him back down.
"Hey--" He began to protest.
Warm lips brushed against the back of his shoulder, trailing up to the side of his neck.
"You aren't thinking of running out on me now, are you?" Came the heated words murmured against his skin, voice a husked, smoky tone.
Vaan's body reacted instantly, a shiver running through his figure as he processed the voice and his position. A moment later, his body laxed, melting back into the embrace around him to press back against the body there. "Mm, no, the thought hadn't crossed my mind yet, but now that you've mentioned it, I could do with a good chase..." He answered cheekily.
There was a sharp, but not painful nip to his shoulder. "Saucy minx. If you expect me to up and chase after you, you've got another thing coming."
The blond laughed. "Oh, you won't chase after me immediately. But you'll come after me eventually."
The sheets shifted and the bed shook with movement as Vaan found himself twisted around to face the other.
"You are quite the vain creature." His partner murmured.
"Pretty sure you're talking about yourself, not me. Me, I'm just selfish and greedy with a taste for adventure and longing for the skies. You, however... You're--"
Before he could continue on, Balthier launched forward, seizing Vaan, and pressed his mouth to his in a deep kiss.
Gasping in surprise, the blond struggled for only a moment before letting himself be swept up into the kiss, bringing his hands up to tangle in the other's locks of hair, pulling him closer.
For a monent, their kiss was deep and passionate, leaving Vaan almost breathless, before suddenly, Balthier's hands skittered up his sides in a playfully ticklish manner that had him pulling away in a knee-jerk reaction with a squeak.
"No fair--" He started to say, only to be kissed once more, the elder Sky Pirate rolling them across the bed.
Unable to fight the sensations, Vaan began to giggle and outright laugh at the ticklish treatment, caught up in the utter thrill of the kisses being pressed to his lips and the feel of Balthier's quick, nimble fingers tickling his sides.
Struggle as he might, he couldn't find the strength he needed to bat the other's hands away, only able to cling pitifully to the other's shoulders as he fought to get enough air in-between his laughter and the kisses.
And as quickly as it all started, the other stopped, smirking down at him, eyes gleaming with a particular sparkle to them Vaan only ever saw while they were together alone like this.
The air around them became heavy for a moment, full of a strange tension as if anything could happen. Then, Balthier leaned in close, bringing a hand up to guide Vaan's head to tilt forward just enough to draw him once more into a slow, achingly slow but sweet kiss.
"Oh." Vaan breathed, eyes wide with pupils dilating as the sentiment of the kiss kicked in.
Balthier's movements slowed, but were nonetheless full of intent and purpose as they caressed across Vaan's form, drawing the other further and further away from reality and into a foggy, near euphoric state of mind.
It was a slow, sensual buildup the more Balthier's fingers traced along every inch of the blond's skin he could reach.
The atmosphere around them became sultry, heated.
Ache. Vaan ached. Desire wound him up tight. He let the other man pull him further down into the daze of pleasure, willingly allowing his body to be taken and plundered by the Sky Pirate.
Magnetic. Static. His senses were on overload from the feel of Balthier's lips nipping down the column of his throat, hyperaware of their fingers digging into the side of his hip and nails scraping into his lower back.
Sound was a thing, moans and gasps mostly, but unable to truly be registered by either participant in the bliss of the moment.
Heartrate fluttering, pulse spiking, there was the briefest moment their bodies met, synchronized, and stilled, becoming one entity--only to be broken a shuddering breath, a cacophony of sound following, each sinking down into a pool of liquid heat.
Balthier's weight over Vaan pulls his attention back briefly as he gazes up towards the other with hazy, misted eyes.
It's a moment later the brunet shifts their dynamic position and he finds himself scooped into the other's arms, head pillowed against their chest while the man proceeds to murmur unintelligible nothings into his hair as his fingers trace lethargically down the skin of his back and side.
There's something finite and fragile within this space, within these moments. Vaan knows he probably shouldn't take them for granted, and slowly cracks his eyes open again, moving one hand to catch Balthier's wrist, bringing it up slowly to inspect slowly. The man always wore bracelets and rings--simple baubles that suited the man's fancy, but there was a particular ring that Vaan never saw him without, even when he'd remove practically every other piece.
It looked important, so the blond thief never asked. But it still made him curious. He let his fingers slowly trace up along the man's wrist, then to his fingers before slowly linking his through and clasped onto the other.
"Curious, are you?" Came the quiet, lazy drawl.
"Of course. But I think I know by now not to ask about things you don't want to talk about." He answered just as quietly back.
There was a soft sound, a brief chuckle, before Balthier dipped his head down to place a quick kiss to their temple. "Let's just say... No matter how far one flies or where they go, there is simply some chains one can never truly break. This," He slowly lifted his ring finger and the dulled gold band with some kind of seal etched into it briefly reflected the light.
"Is the existential burden I bear. The weight of a name."
The longer Vaan stared at the seal, the more familiar it seemed to look to him. Until finally it dawned on him where he'd seen it: In Archadia. Which meant...
Wordlessly, he tilted his head and their wrists so he could examine it closer.
The weight and symbol of a life that was chosen for them. The weight of a name and a reputation that preceded it. Vaan didn't understand these things himself, not really, but he knew the shadows that would fall over the other's eyes whenever the subject would come up.
He frowned, and on impulse, he unlinked their fingers and in one swift movement, slipped the ring right off of the other's finger and clasped it close.
The started, surprised noise Balthier made would've made him grin triumphantly if this was any other surprise move he had done, but instead he turned his gaze seriously to the other, before speaking.
"Then it sounds to me, someone needs to pry that burden off of you for a while so you can really be free."
There was silence as Balthier stared with slightly widened eyes, the shock and surprise apparent in his slightly open mouth.
Vaan looked down to his hand, bringing his other up and over and slipped the ring onto his own finger. It was still heated and warm from Balthier's own hand and the weight was a little strange since Vaan never wore any kind of jewelry on his fingers but to him, it felt like it was the right thing to do. He lived off of instinct, after all. He didn't put much question into the particulars.
After a long, heavy and slightly tense silence, the corners of Balthier's lips quivered before a shaky chuckle escaped. "Cheeky brat." Is all Balthier murmurs as he pulls the blond back down into his arms and proceeds to press another kiss to his mouth.
Vaan can feel the rapid pace of Balthier's heart against him, can feel the sensation of something akin to desperation that's emanating from beneath. So he pushes back, puts all of himself into reciprocating their kiss, into letting his hands find purchase on the other and let him know he's there.
Everything's once again forgotten as the Sky Pirate gets lost in the sudden fragile, newfound sensations he feels welling inside of him and the overwhelming adoration he feels for this desert boy.
Later, it's a surprise to Vaan that Balthier doesn't ask for the ring back. That he lets him continue to wear it throughout the day.
Days pass and he slowly forgets the feeling of it even being there on his finger.
A month later, and Balthier's gearing up the Strahl with Fran that Vaan finds himself filled with disappointment that he can't follow.
Migelo still needed his help with the shop and Kytes and the others were waiting on him, too.
"Do you want this back?" He asks as he holds up his hand to show off the ring.
Balthier's quiet for a time as his gaze settles on the ring. After a long moment, the other slowly shakes their head.
"No. Hold onto it for me." He answered slowly before drawing the other close.
"I want to taste what real freedom is before I take it back. So take care of it for me." He murmurs into the thief's ear, before tipping their head up and placing a kiss to their mouth.
Vaan simply gives the other a small grin when he pulls away. "Got it. Be safe."
"I am the epitome of caution, have you forgotten who I am? I'm the--"
Vaan cuts him off with a laugh. "The 'Leading Man', I know, I know. Now shut up and get going before Fran decides to take off without you."
The other leers at him for a moment, fake affronted at being cut off before he shakes his head and wordlessly turns and walks up the ramp of the Strahl.
Moments later, said ramp closes and the engines roar to life.
Vaan steps back and watches as the airship slowly takes off before exiting the docking bay and taking off into the sky.
He looks down once more to his hand and the ring settled there.
Well...
A grin formed on his lips as he opened the palm of his other hand to reveal one of Balthier's earrings in it.
Another new addition to his slowly growing ensemble of pilfered baubles.
Next time he sees Balthier, he'll be in for quite the surprise.
Chuckling to himself, he turns and exits the aero dome and heads back to his small abode, grinning all the wider as his eyes land on his other stolen object: a white, crisp, pristine shirt.
After all, a fledgling Sky Pirate had to start somewhere, didn't they? Who better to steal from than their elder.
-End-
End Notes: Because we all know in FFTactics Advance 2 and Dissidia Vaan has a shirt that suspiciously looks like he swiped it from Balthier. Sorry not sorry.
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Taste of Real Freedom