Much shorter than the first version because I have no intention of progressing this one on with sequels and such...but oh well – you see more of the game than you do in the other version. Enjoy!

1wildrose1 .. x

Rating: NC-17
Pairing (s): Balthier/Vaan
Spoilers: ...the fact that the party reach the Salikawood?
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XII or any of the characters in it, nor do I make profit from these works.
Summary: One night, as they stopped to rest after a long days' toil, the party decide to play a game that Balthier picked up during his travels, leading to the discovery of a few interesting facts about Vaan...

Warnings: Shounen-ai (Male/male relationships), Yaoi (Male/male sexual relationships.

WARNING! Lemon! Plus, Vaan and Balthier are slightly out of character, but it kind of makes sense to the context.

This has exactly the same beginning as I Have Never...I, up to when Vaan gets passed the bottle, with only a few words changed.

I Have Never...II

The heat of the fire roasted the side of Vaan's face due to the fact that he was sitting far too close, but that was certainly not the reason why he shifted uncomfortably every few minutes. He could feel Penello's eyes glance sideways at him at these times, smirking all the while – a deliberate smirk, because she knew exactly what was making him squirm.

The Salikawood, for once, did not loom over them ominously that night – instead, the gentle silver moonlight filtered thinly through the canopy, allowing the fire to cast the dominant light, making the space gleam a comfortable orange glow. The six of them, weary from several days worth of travel and battles, sat around the fire, revelling in their first real night of rest since they left Rabanastre after the events on The Shiva, a good eight weeks before.

That was when Balthier come up with the idea that they should play a game – one that he had learned from a bangaa which he never learned the name of as he travelled around Ivalice. He told them how they had played it to pass the time as they waited for night to fall so that they could make their escape from the cave they had been hiding in. It was at this point that Vaan began to doubt the innocence of this game – what kind of game would a shady bangaa and a Sky Pirate play to pass the time after what he could only assume was a heist? That, and the fact that this game involved alcohol – who knew what he would let slip?

"Are you sure we should include the Madhu?" Basch had inquired, gesturing at both Vaan and Penello as he spoke. Even Ashe scoffed at his seriousness and rolled her eyes, even going as far as telling him to lighten up – well, as close to saying such a common phrase as the absentee princess could bring herself to get. Penello had grinned at her gratefully, eager to drink with the adults and have fun – Vaan, on the other hand, smiled meekly, almost wishing that they had paid heed to Basch. He wasn't a killjoy, or anything – far from it – but he didn't particularly like where this seemed to be going.

So, that's how he found himself drawing patterns in the dirt in front of him as he sat cross-legged in the circle, growing more and more nervous as the others took their turns – he knew where this was going. Fran passed the bottle of cheap Madhu to Penello, indicating that it was now her go – the blond pursed her lips and rolled her eyes upwards in thought. "I have never..." Her fingers drummed along the bottle. "Oh! I have never flown an airship."

The group groaned at her tame confession and Balthier took the bottle with a sigh, taking a swig. Fran, too, took a drink and, surprisingly, so did Basch. He merely shrugged at their questioning looks. "Knowing how to fly came in handy."

The bottle was handed to Ashe, who was next to Penello. Balthier smirked across the fire at her. "Now, what has the princess never done?"

Ashe puffed up indignantly at his taunting tone, recognising the challenge in his words. "I?" She held out the bottle towards him before she even spoke, a sneer marring her features. "I have never ignored the call of duty." Balthier scowled at her – for reasons that escaped Vaan, as well as most of the others – and clenched his jaw. Ashe narrowed her eyes spitefully and shook the bottle at him. "Drink up, pirate."

The other snatched the bottle and took a reluctant gulp before pushing it into Basch's hands. "What about you, captain? What have you never done?"

Basch shook his head and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "It could only be the two of you to ruin a game that you both were so keen to play."

Balthier's lips curled into a suspicious smile. "You're absolutely right, I do apologise." He tilted his head towards Ashe. "Continue, please."

It wasn't that Basch did not realise that Balthier was up to something, just that – after the two bottles of strong Madhu he had drunk before the game even started, combined with a hearty meal and the pleasant warmth of the fire – he was too relaxed to care. "Very well. I have never..." He gazed around the surrounding wood for inspiration. "...been intimate with a friend."

Vaan blinked in surprise and glanced around at the others – they all seemed to be giggling and shaking their heads. He grinned at Penello when she turned to him and laughed with her – neither of them could have predicted that the captain would come out with that. Balthier coughed a little through his chuckles. "Well, I never would have foreseen that – just note this, my friends: it was not I who debauched the conversation."

Fran's nose twitched a little in amusement. "Now, that is an occurrence worthy of note." The viera reached across the circle, ignoring the lick of flames, and took the Madhu, drinking a mouthful before handing it to Balthier without hesitation. When he, too, had a drink, the circle erupted in wolf-whistles and giggles.

The pirate's eyes twinkled mischievously as he shrugged and rolled the half-empty bottle between his hands. "We're often travelling on our own for extended periods – seemed like a good idea at the time."

Fran's face remained neutral at his comment, but her ears stiffened slightly – 'someone clearly is not as light-hearted about the event as Balthier seemed to be'. "Is it not your turn?"

The brunette gave a debonair grin and studied the bottle in his hands. "It may not have been a good idea to drink during dinner – it seems that the alcohol is affecting us quicker than I anticipated. It usually takes a few more rounds before the conversation becomes debauched." He drew out the word and threw a smug look at Basch. "Either way..." He cast his eyes around the circle deviously. "I have never slept with the same person more than once."

Ashe rolled her eyes as the bottle was passed around the circle. "Why does that not surprise me?"

Balthier shrugged and watched as Basch, Ashe, Penello and Fran took turns to drink from the bottle. Vaan took it when it was offered to him, but held it in front of him with a faint blush making an appearance across his cheeks. Everyone but Penello rose their eyebrows in surprise. "Well, thief – I am shocked. I would never have pegged you as the type."

Vaan bit his lip and looked away – 'see, I was right about where it was going'. "Um..."

"I would like to inform you of a rule I forgot to mention." Balthier interrupted, grinning craftily at Vaan's red face. "Once one person breeches the boundaries between innocent and...not so innocent, everyone must comply."

'...fuck...' Vaan groaned and threw a glare at the blond girl next to Fran, who was currently laughing loudly as his expense. "I have never..."

"Yes?" Penello wheezed through her giggles. "What have you never done, Vaan?"

Vaan tapped his knuckles against the ground in agitation, otherwise ignoring the girl. "Uh...I have never...kissed anyone I haven't slept with."

"Vaan!" Ashe gasped as his confession, absent-mindedly taking the bottle and drinking from it, as well as everyone else – including Balthier. "So, every time you kissed someone, they ended up in bed with you?"

Vaan shrugged, looking away as the bottle was passed to Fran. "Yeah. Well...not always a bed, really – sometimes there wasn't one available..."

Balthier slapped him on the back, chuckling. "My, my, Vaan – I'm proud. We'll make a pirate of you yet."

Vaan twitched his nose in modesty and turned to Fran as she took her turn. The game went on like that for a while, faces growing redder with intoxication as the questions became more debauched. It was on Ashe's third turn that she began to run out of dignified ways to talk about such intimate things, deciding to give up on the whole charade and just allow the alcohol loosen her up. "I have never...received oral sex."

Basch choked around a breath. "Your lovers were never considerate to your needs?"

Balthier cackled at his statement, watching the drink being passed around the group. "Well, we know someone who has given it." It seemed that the more alcohol the pirate consumed, the less articulate he became. "Captain, it's your turn!"

Basch took the bottle, cheeks a little pink from what Vaan doubted was the Madhu. "I have never..." He shook his head, racking his brain for inspiration. In the end he shrugged and said the only thing he could think of. "I have never slept with anyone of the same gender."

Vaan groaned and grabbed the bottle, taking a swig – he had drunk to nearly every one of the other's confessions, even having to change bottles when he finished the first. 'Wow...I really must sound like a slut...man-whore...was there a term for a promiscuous man? Too dunk – don't care'. He looked up to see five shocked faces staring back. "What?"

Penello furrowed her eyebrows. "Is that were you went with Tomaj?"

He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it was his birthday..." Fran let out a small snort of amusement, showing no other signs of drinking all night.

"Did you give or take?" Penello giggled at her own question.

"I...um...Balthier, is it not your turn?" A red flush spread all the way to his ears as he thrust the bottle into the pirate's hands.

"No, you have to answer the...!"

"Never mind, he does not have to answer if he so chooses." Balthier's words were more than slightly slurred as he armed himself with the Madhu, turning to Vaan with a mischievous smirk. "I have never taken it up the arse."

Vaan's face fell – 'sneaky bastard'. He sighed in exasperation and snatched the bottle, staring away as he swigged. The others giggled and wolf-whistled at the blond. He pouted and glared at the fire. "It's not like I've never given."

Fran rose one eyebrow and smiled mysteriously. "Is that a confession to being intimate with more than one man?"

Ashe's eyes widened in excitement as she leaned as close to the blushing boy as possible without getting burned. "How many men have you been with? No – no! How many people have you been with?"

Vaan rubbed his hands together – a nervous habit – and shrugged. "You first."

Balthier grinned and leaned against the boy beside him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders as he fixed the princess with a triumphant stare. "Fair is fair, m'lady."

Ashe creased her nose and seemed to be contemplating whether it was worth the information trade-off – apparently, the intoxicated part of her mind won the internal argument. "Well...including Rasler...four? Yes, four."

"Four?" Vaan had to prevent himself from grabbing the nearest rock and beat himself over the head with it – he had been expecting...well...more than four at least – 'I really am a slut'.

"Come on, Vaan – I've always been curious about your magic number." Penello stifled yet more giggles at a joke only she seemed to understand – 'maybe she should lay off the Madhu'.

The ex-thief rolled his eyes upward in thought, leaning back on his palms. "Uh...fifty-seven? Fifty-eight?"

"What?" Basch blanched, eyes wide. "You are seventeen, Vaan – how is that even possible?"

Vaan grinned sheepishly, noticing the incredulous look he was receiving from Balthier. "What?"

The pirate shook his head and waved the bottle at the group in general – somewhere along the line, they had stopped going in the same order as they had started – ignoring the question. It wasn't that Balthier felt put out or anything – he had bedded far more people than Vaan – but...he was five years older than the boy, and even he did not have such an impressive black book at his age. "Who's next?"

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Vaan!"

"Wait! Wait!"

"Vaan, you're going to get lost!"

"Nooooo I'm not – I saw it around here when we went to that scaaaaarrry place...um...Na...Nab..."

"Nabudis."

"Yeah, that!"

"Come on, let us go back."

"Nooooo!"

Balthier sighed and rolled his long-soiled shirt sleeves further up his arms as he manoeuvred through close-growing trees and thick brambles, trying to keep up with the very intoxicated blond boy. When they decided to stop drinking, he had sobered up a little and was coherent enough to follow Vaan when he stumbled off through the woods.

He claimed that he had found 'the most wonderful sight in the whole wide world ever' when their party had travelled through this spot earlier, he just didn't mention it because he wanted it to be a secret. Balthier had made the point that the fact that he now knew about it stopped it being a secret, to which Vaan just replied "Well, it's our secret then." and promptly began to giggle.

"Here!" Vaan stopped abruptly and whipped around, grinning widely. "Loooooook!"

Balthier hauled himself up the steep hill that Vaan was standing on top of, not being able to keep up with his drunken hyperactivity. He got to the top, panting and leaning against a tree to catch his breath. "What's here?" Vaan frowned and gripped his face with one hand, pushing it to look at what was hidden down the other side of the hill. "Woah..."

Okay, so maybe Vaan had been right – the sight was breathtaking. The trees parted to reveal a small expanse of water – almost like a lagoon – that gleamed silver in the moonlight. The place where ground met water was grassy and abundant with wild flowers of purple, pink and blue and it graduated slowly into the depths like a beach, rather than dropping suddenly. The whole place was tiny, all backed into a corner of cliff-like rock, with just enough water for two people to swim in comfortably.

Another giggle erupted from the blond as he launched himself down the hill. "Vaan, wait!" Too late – Vaan's foot caught in a tangle of weeds, sending him flying. He rolled down the hill, slamming into rocks and tree stumps, before landing at the bottom, flat on his face. Balthier rushed to meet him as quick as he could without falling. He crouched down, peering down to see if he was okay. "Vaan?"

"Oooooh." The ex-thief whined in pain as he pushed himself up on his forearms, allowing Balthier to see his face – to his relief, there was only minor scrapes and marks that would inevitably come up as bruises. Vaan fixed his unfocused eyes on his dirt-smeared arms. "Oh no! Balthier, I'm dirty."

The pirate's eyes widened when his mind automatically took that the complete wrong way. Shaking the thoughts away, he reached forward and brushed off the dirt on Vaan's arms. "Better?"

Thin blond eyebrows drew together as he inspected himself. "Nooooo...Balthier..." He jabbed a finger at a non-existent smear of mud and rolled on his back, staring up at the sheltering canopy above them. "It's pretty."

Balthier smiled at how easily distracted Vaan was when drunk and nodded his head. "Yes, it is a very beautiful sight."

Vaan smiled and reached his fingers out as far as possible, as though he was trying to touch the very tops of the trees. Suddenly, he frowned, looking at his arm again. "Oh no! I'm dirty."

The brunette rose his eyebrows and shook his head, deciding to play along. "Yes, Vaan – you are. How about you wash it off in the water?"

His eyes lit up. "Yeah! Good idea!" His hands began to scramble at his clothes and armour, making small sounds of distress when he fumbled and couldn't work out how to get it all off. "Balthier, heeeeellllp!"

"Uh..." He didn't know if it was the alcohol still in his system, but Balthier found himself drinking in the sight of Vaan writhing gently on his back, cheeks flushed and trousers undone, pushed down low enough to see the V-line lead down to the blond hair that was just poking out. 'Gods...I should not be thinking about him like this when he's drunk'. He shook himself mentally – 'since when was I attracted to him in the first place? He's a man!'But he was Vaan – Balthier could forgive himself for thinking of the blond as sexy.

"Balthier! Help!" Vaan's voice became more whiny as he pouted in retaliation to his uncooperative trousers. "They're stuck!"

Balthier laughed and brushed Vaan's hands away, helping him undo the red sash and unclasp the metal shin guards, removing his boots. He was undressing him as a friend, nothing more – 'besides, he's so drunk he would probably fall asleep'. The little blond began to giggle and squirm under his touch. "Calm down, thief – stop wiggling! You're not helping."

He looked up with a goofy smile, cheeks further flushed from laughing. "Heh, sorry – it's just..." He giggled again, covering his mouth with his hands. "A Sky Pirate is undressing me."

Balthier smiled affectionately and rolled his eyes – an action he would never carry out were Vaan sober enough to notice. "Yes, I am." He pulled the baggy trousers down and removed them completely, having the decency to avert his eyes from the blond's obvious lack of underwear. Finally, he took off the plated vest and pulled him up to a sitting position. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

"Yeah!" Vaan grinned at him and reached out his arms. "Carry me!"

"Carry you?" Balthier bit the inside of his cheek and contemplated his options: he could either carry the boy bridal style and let him be on full display, testing his alcohol-weakened will power, or he could carry him in the way Vaan wanted him to, which would be so much worse...'Screw it – I'm drunk too'.

The brunette pulled himself to his feet with a low hanging branch and made sure that he was steady before turning to the younger boy. He reached down and let Vaan circle his arms around his neck as he pulled him up by his thighs, effectively wrapping himself in naked teenager.

There was only a few steps' distance between them and the edge of the water, but Balthier felt every centimetre crawling by as though in slow motion. All he could focus of was that well toned, naked arse brushing against his lower belly – not to mention what else was pressing up against him. He nearly groaned out loud when that warm body began to shift and convulse with giggles.

Vaan bit his lip and leaned into the man holding him, whispering hotly into his ear. "Hey, pirate – it seems that you are enjoying the feel of my cock against your body." 'What?" Balthier froze and looked down at the flirtatious smile on his face – 'this is still Vaan, right?' He was sure he had never heard the usually rather naïve boy speak in such a way before. "Hmm...I thought you weren't into men? Then again, maybe you just can't keep those thoughts about me out of your head." 'The hell? He's noticed?' He grinned mischievously and spread his thighs on Balthier's waist, leaning back to give him the most sultry look he could muster. "You want to fuck me, don't you, Balthier?"

The brunette nearly chocked on his own tongue at his forwardness. "Gods, Vaan – I'm beginning to see how you've slept with all those people." Balthier realised that he was now knee deep in cool water, still fully dressed in his expensive clothing. He sighed and went to place Vaan on his feet, being prevented from doing so by the blond's iron grip around his neck and waist. "Hey, you said that you wanted to get clean."

"Hmm, no – I'd rather be dirty." Vaan pressed his forehead to Balthier's, breathing on his skin. "You didn't answer my question."

Balthier groaned once again and looked away from that tempting sight. "Vaan, you're drunk."

"So are you."

"Yes, but you are drunk enough not to be held responsible for your actions. I, however..."

"So you do want to fuck me." Vaan's grin grew wider and he poked his tongue out. Suddenly, he jumped down and splashed into the water, submerging himself.

Balthier stood there, stunned, and stared at the spot where Vaan used to be. "Vaan?"

Blonde hair broke the surface near the back of the tiny lagoon, followed by a mischievously smirking face. "What? I just wanted to know."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Balthier had been sitting on the bank for at least half an hour now, ignoring the chill from his soaked trousers and refusing to acknowledge that he would have to do something about his now very painful problem.

"What's wrong, Balthier?" The brunette looked up to see Vaan in front of him, laying on his belly with his elbows resting in the shallow water while the rest of his body floated behind him. His cheeks were less pink than they had been before, indicating that he had sobered up a bit. "Your clothes are soaking wet – why don't you take them off?"

Balthier snorted and shook his head. "You're still trying?"

"You're still refusing?" He crawled towards the pirate slowly, grinning from ear to ear.

"What are you doing, Vaan?" With the way he was staring at him, Balthier felt like prey – about to be devoured. 'That's funny – I always thought that I would be the predator'. He leaned back on his hands, unable to look away from those captivating hazel eyes. "You know that this is not going to happen while you are drunk."

Vaan shook his head, continuing his prowl. "I'm better now – a long swim in cold water does wonders."

Balthier was scrambling for something – anything – to release himself from this trance. "It's late."

"We aren't moving out for another two days." Vaan reached the other and leaned over him, knees either side of his thighs. He pushed onto his chest, forcing him to lay down so he sprawl out on top. "Why do you keep on saying no?"

"I..." 'Because you're drunk, because I'm drunk, because we would regret it...' "I..." 'Because we have to see each other every day, because neither of us know how to commit, because we can't risk getting feelings for one another...' "I..." 'Because...Because...' "Fuck it."

He spun them around, finally allowing Vaan to smash their lips together, going straight into a fierce battle for dominance. Balthier felt hands gripping his hair hard as the other nibbled his lips, begging him to open his mouth. Their tongues clashed as Balthier pressed himself against the lithe body below him, burying them both in the long grass, encasing them in a private bubble of building heat.

Vaan's fingers found their way to the front of Balthier's leather trousers, easily undoing the buttons due to the fact that Balthier had removed the two belts that usually hung there when he had taken off his armour vest earlier that night. Reaching in to the newly opened material, he teased Balthier's need with his fingertips. "Hmm...well, pirate – you seem to have been hiding an awfully large problem from me."

"You really get off on that pirate lark, don't you?" He looked down at the blond, running the hand that wasn't supporting down him down the other's chest, rolling one brown bud between his fingers. He smirked at the small gasp this action elicited, the wandering fingers on his manhood pausing momentarily.

"And if I do?" The pirate watched as small white teeth nibbled at a plump bottom lip, subconsciously licking his own lips in response.

"Well..." Balthier leaned in close, making their eyes meet and their noses touch. "I would just have to plunder you."

Vaan's grey eyes practically rolled back into his skull as he groaned, biting his lip harder. Balthier took advantage of this, attacking the exposed bronze skin on his neck with his tongue and teeth. He ran his unoccupied hand down the inside of one of the other's thighs, pushing it up and out, effectively forcing him to spread his legs further. Vaan gripped the side of Balthier's neck to bring him up to look at him. "We don't have anything to make things easier, do we?"

"What?" Balthier furrowed his eyebrows in confusion – 'make what easier?' "I'm sorry to be the one to break this to you, Vaan, but you can't get pregnant."

He snorted and let his head fall back to the ground. "Uh, I know. I'm not a woman – that's kind of the point."

"What point? What do we need to make what easier?" Balthier hated being the naïve one, but he had never been with a man – how was he supposed to know what Vaan was talking about?

"Urgh – lubricant!" He rolled his eyes, annoyed at himself for not saying it straight away – he knew that this was new for Balthier. "I'm not a woman, so I don't...you know...They have their own...um." He shook his head and sat up, pushing Balthier onto his knees. "I'll sort it out."

"Wha-?" His question was cut off when he felt Vaan's hot mouth surround him suddenly, taking all of him down his throat in one swift motion. "Fuck." Balthier was not one to curse, but the way his tongue wrapped itself around the underside of his cock and how the tip of that very same tongue drug along the vein as he slowly pulled his head back to suck on the head – 'Gods!' – he couldn't help it.

His blond head bobbed up and down a few more times, toying with the tiny slit at the top with his tongue and rubbing the extremely sensitive gland just beneath it with his lips. When he felt that Balthier was slick enough, he pulled away and lay back, stretching out with his arms above his head in a very feline pose, enjoying the stunned look on the other's face. "You not going to join me?"

Balthier shook his head to try and clear his daze. "Yeah..." He blinked and smirked. "Yeah." He pounced on the younger man, capturing his lips with bruising force. He pushed Vaan's thighs apart and thrust into him suddenly, causing him to hiss and pull out of the kiss, eyes clenched shut. Balthier froze. "What? What's wrong?"

Vaan shook his head, teeth grit. "N-nothing, really. Just – ow – when you're with a man you usually have to get the one taking it ready too."

"Oh, um." Balthier went to pull himself out, but Vaan just shook his head and wrapped his legs around his waist.

"Too late now – just give me a minute." He closed his eyes and breathed slowly, trying to relax after Balthier's sudden entrance – 'I really should have told him what he needed to do before that happened'. Balthier began to kiss his face and rub his chest and stomach soothingly, trying to distract him from the discomfort. After a minute or so, Vaan nodded and shifted his hips. "Okay."

Balthier pulled back slowly, meaning to test the waters, only to find that Vaan felt incredible – like nothing he had ever felt. He shook his head and smiled apologetically. "I can't hold back."

Vaan grinned and thrust his hips up again, silently telling him to get moving. "Then don't." The pirate growled and slammed back into the body below him, revelling in the gasp that his action elicited. The blond bit his lip, moaning at every fast thrust, reaching up to claw at Balthier's shoulders. "T-tilt up a bit."

Balthier grabbed his waist and lifted him, shuffling his knees forward so that the blond's lower half was propped up on his thighs, changing the angle. "Like that?"

The other shook his head. "Lower." Balthier leaned forward, planting his hands either side of his head. Suddenly, Vaan gasped and wrapped his arms around Balthier's neck, pulling him closer. "There!"

Balthier groaned, hammering into that spot that was making Vaan's face contort in ecstasy. The blond below him began to squirm, reaching down to – 'holy hell' – touch himself shamelessly, bringing himself closer and closer to completion. "Vaan."

Grey eyes peaked open, surprised that the man had called his name. He couldn't help but grin. "Pirate." Balthier smashed their lips together in response, biting Vaan's bottom lip at the intensity of all the sensations flooding through his body. "Oh – Balthier."

"Oh, Gods." The body surrounding him had clamped down all of a sudden, making it hard for him to move as the other moaned and tensed. He thrust his tongue into the hot mouth below him, groaning as he felt Vaan pulse and squeeze from the force of his orgasm, milking him of his own. He sighed and rolled to the side to avoid falling on him, pulling the limp, panting boy onto his chest. "How did I ever believe that you were innocent?"

Vaan shrugged and smiled. "How did I ever believe that you were articulate?"

Balthier scoffed. "How have I demonstrated any less than proper conversational skills."

"I believe at one time during the evening, you said 'I...I...I...Fuck it.' Quote on quote, my friend."

"Hmm, well I will just have to be a lot more confident next time – hopefully I won't hurt you again."

"Next time?" Vaan twisted his upper body to place his chin on Balthier's chest, looking into the other's pale brown eyes. "It won't be only tonight?" His voice sounded hesitant.

Balthier shrugged and gazed up at the stars through a gap in the canopy above them. "I would like to redeem at least one of the things I have never done – the one we both have in common, I believe."

Vaan smiled and raised his arm, fingers curled around an imaginary bottle of Madhu, shaking it as they had when playing Balthier's game earlier that night. "Hey, Balthier?" The elder made a noise acknowledgement. Vaan's eyes surveyed his moonlit face for a moment before joining his gaze at the stars. "I have never been in love."

I've left Balthier's response for your imaginations to make up – have fun ;)

Drunk Vaan is cute – 'oh no!' I know I have spelt milady wrong at the beginning, but I think it looks better as m'lady – so deal. What did you think?

One last note: the three Final Fantasy VII games have finally come through the post, so expect some Cloud-centric stories to crop up...and some with Reno – I just love that man ;)