"I want to be close," she says quietly before shifting in her seat so that she can rest her head on his shoulder while she finishes off her tea. Even if those kisses last night, and the time before that, and that other time had all been flukes, and all he wanted was a friend and a good healer for his crew, she wanted to be close in whatever capacity he wanted.
Even if it felt impossible not to want to kiss him all over again.
"You should talk to the crew once you're feeling better. They're worried."
Well that's a clear enough answer, one that makes his chest feel full. He tilts his head against hers, wishing he could lift his arm to stroke her face, but -- it was seeming like he'd get another chance.
"I will," he murmurs. "They'll be worried about you too. It was a sullen week on the Strahl without our beloved healer."
He keeps working on his tea, though, sitting up only to eat a little more. "Alright," he says, nuzzling against her head once more, "I think I'm ready to be bandaged and sleep again."
"They know I'm here with you, and I'm well enough to do my job, if anyone's beloved, it's you." When she says it she realizes she isn't just talking about the crew at large while using a word like that. He's her beloved, plain and simple.
"Good," Aerith nods when he mentions he's ready to get back to bed and pulls herself away from him. She gets to her feet and dips into the washroom for a fresh washcloth and bandages before returning to his bedside.
"Aerith," he says sternly, even if his heart does strange flips at her turning that word back on him, realizing what he did in picking it for her. "You're part of this crew. People care about both of us. We all want you here, for as long as you'll stay with us." He bites his lip, not sure if this is what he should be doing, but, "I want you here." With him. He didn't know the extent of what Piaget had said to her but -- she was so deeply wanted.
And maybe, he thinks as she goes to get materials, it's not so shocking Piaget got to her. Yes, he doesn't love that she thought him capable of using her but -- wasn't that the world they both came from? The world she was supposed to go back to?
She returns and he smiles up at her, shifting when she asks. "It feels much better. I was expecting it to take at least twice as long to heal."
She settles behind him, carefully cleaning the wound on his back. "I know, but you're their captain, and from what I've heard you haven't been acting like yourself." Her free hand brushes through his hair and over the nape of his neck, absently touching him while she tends to his injury.
"Having a good healer with you is a very worthy asset," Aerith says quietly, smiling to herself as she mulls over what this really means for the two of them.
"Are you tired?" Her hand detangles itself from his hair before she bandages his back and rests a hand on it, calling on her magic to help knit the wound closed faster. "You know, I'm going to use all your fancy soap once you're asleep don't you?" Aerith leans in, peering over her shoulder at his face in profile, her lips brushing against his shoulder as she does.
“Are you telling me off for being distraught?” He asks gently. But he hums lowly, leaning back into the hand in his hair. “Extremely worthy,” he agrees. “I’m lucky to have her. We all are.”
He’s thinking about what this means too, as much as his mind can manage right now, just happy for her hands against him, the flare of magic repairing his skin and muscle. “I am getting tired,” he says. “And you should use it all. We can go buy more together.” She kisses his shoulder and he reaches up to curl his arm around her, his turn to scratch his nails against her hair.
She lets herself cuddle against his back as best she can while avoiding his wound, her eyes fluttering closed from the feel of his hands in her hair.
"Sleep, I'll be back soon."
It's getting more and more difficult to pull away from him the more things get said between them, but she's still his healer and he does need to get all the rest he can if he's going to be back on his feet again soon.
She draws away and into the bathroom, the sound of water running audible before too long. Soon turns into something closer to an hour and a half as Aerith lets herself scrub off the remains of her time in captivity before she soaks in the water, dozing off at least once in the process.
With his dressing gown wrapped tight around her to keep it closed, Aerith tiptoes out of the bathroom, hair loose and still drying as she does her best to inch into bed beside Balthier without disturbing him too much.
The sound of the bath soothes him to sleep, though he falls asleep on top of the blankets. At some point he wakes up and shuffles to a dresser, trading his work pants for an older pair of soft pajama pants, and then climbs back into the bed.
He’s out when she gets into bed, but not so much he doesn’t stir, pushing the blanket out of the way. “Come here,” he says groggily, much too charmed by the vision of her clean and relaxed with mussed hair and wrapped in his dressing gown. And when she does he pulls her against his chest, looping his good arm around her and putting his nose in her hair.
All too pleased to be invited beneath the blankets, Aerith doesn't waste any time cuddling against Balthier's side, deflating against him with a deep sigh as she feels herself put down the weight of what happened, however temporarily.
"Balthier," she murmurs, her voice rich with sleep as she tilts her head up to look at him through heavy-lidded eyes. Her hand comes to cradle his cheek as she smiles at him.
"I just wanted to say that," Aerith begins, not sure where she's going but knowing she has a hell of a lot she wants to tell him. Words fail, leaving her statement half-finished and hanging in the air until she bridges the space between them and kisses him hard.
Her warmth presses to his side, her weight like an anchor. He sighs happily, arm pulling her tight to him, and the sound of his name on her sleepy voice sends goosebumps across his skin. When she touches his cheek, he rolls to look at her, lips parting to say something, but next thing he knows Aerith is kissing him hard, and he's humming into her touch, hand coming to cradle the back of her head as he meets kiss after kiss. His shoulder is still stiff, so he shifts her so he can grip her better, wanting to feel as much of her as he can, wanting to make her feel safe and held and tethered.
When he finally pulls away to catch his breath, there are tears leaking out of his eyes and he's smiling so hard it hurts. "Aerith," he breathes back as his nose gently traces her skin.
The sight of tears in his eyes makes hers well up too.
"Does this," she stops and tries again. "Do you," but that isn't it either and once more Aerith falters, kissing him lightly a few more times before giving it a third try.
His laugh is breathy, like being too loud will some how break this perfect moment. "I really like you too," he promises, bringing a hand to her face and thumbing away some of the moisture there.
"Contrary to my reputation, I'm not in the habit of asking anyone into my bed. I'm finding I quite enjoy this exception." He knows she trusts him, knows she believes him, but he also knows it doesn't hurt to tell her that explicitly before he's kissing her again.
"I've really liked you for awhile now," he murmurs.
Hearing the words echoed back at her she realizes how terribly short they fall, but she basks in it anyway. It almost feels easier to breathe, having a better idea of where they stand.
"I'll stay in your bed as long as you want me to," she shifts against him, cuddling closer, nothing more behind her words than a desire to stay near.
"Does this mean that you want to be with me how I want to be with you?"
"That depends," he says lowly, humming into the way she cuddles against him. He doesn't know how much experience she has with relationships, doesn't know what she can read and assume, so he wants to be clear and he doesn't want to push.
"I want you with me as often as you'd like to be, and I'd like to kiss you a good deal more, and I'd like to spend more days like your birthday together." He clasps his hand around her head, cuddling right back against her, heart skipping because that last one had nearly ended in something more physical, and while he's very open to that, it's also not something he's asking her for before she's ready.
"And to be perfectly clear, I haven't wanted that with anyone else in years, and not like I do with you." That day she'd become so jealous of his friend made more sense to him now. So did the way she'd sometimes preen at being his wife, which now makes his heart stutter. "My life has been so much fuller with you in it, Aerith."
Her smile grows the more he explains the way he wants to be with her, her fingertips gently tracing through his hair while he speaks. It's everything she hoped for and then some and Aerith doesn't hold back when she leans up to kiss him again, nodding her head eagerly while her lips press against his.
"I want all the days and nights with you that you want with me," she utters between kisses, not relenting a single inch of space. "I want to talk to you and watch you smile, and learn all your favorite things."
Aerith flushes, deeply gratified by the knowledge that she's the first to pull these feelings out of him in a long time. "I treasure my life with you Balthier."
She's so thrilled that all his worries seem silly in hindsight. He smiles into the touch at his hair, closing his eyes until she's kissing him again. "You're well on your way," he assures her in the space she gives him to breathe. "And we have all the time in the world."
His heart flutters at that, at her admission that she treasures a life with him, and he cups her face, looking her over breathlessly. "I -- Do you --" He sighs, laughing at himself as he presses their foreheads together. "You make me tongue tied sometimes, you know that?" He kisses her again before he says, "You are a wonderful fake wife, but I'd like you to be my real partner, in whatever ways you're comfortable with. You don't need to decide tonight. I just -- regretted not being honest with you."
"I already decided that I want that," she says on the heels of his telling her she could take her time. Kissing him again she brings both hands up to cradle his face and hold him there for a long moment before wrapping her arms back around him again.
"You're so smart and kind," Aerith murmurs affectionately, her eyes roving over his face. "How could I not want to be with you?"
He's teary again, kissing her hard and smiling and smiling, not expecting how quickly she'd agree. And when she pulls back, eyes trained on him, voice so affectionate as she sings his praises he can't help feeling bashful, turning to kiss her palm.
"I could say the same of you," he says, pressing her damp hair behind her ear, loving that she's wrapped in his arms and his dressing gown. "Smart and kind and brave and adventurous. Spirit too stubborn to break." He admire her greatly. Was humbled she enjoyed him back.
He's weak, though, and he knows sleep is coming again, and so he sighs, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight to him. "You fit so wonderfully in my arms," he murmurs. And his dressing gown. And his life. He kisses the top of her head, hands running affectionately over her. "I hope you know you're stuck being held all the time now." He doesn't think she's going to have any complaints though, and as he falls asleep, his head is filled with all the things he wants to do with her.
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no subject
Date: 2023-02-24 11:30 pm (UTC)Even if it felt impossible not to want to kiss him all over again.
"You should talk to the crew once you're feeling better. They're worried."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-24 11:54 pm (UTC)"I will," he murmurs. "They'll be worried about you too. It was a sullen week on the Strahl without our beloved healer."
He keeps working on his tea, though, sitting up only to eat a little more. "Alright," he says, nuzzling against her head once more, "I think I'm ready to be bandaged and sleep again."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 12:01 am (UTC)"Good," Aerith nods when he mentions he's ready to get back to bed and pulls herself away from him. She gets to her feet and dips into the washroom for a fresh washcloth and bandages before returning to his bedside.
"Turn around, let me see your back."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 01:08 am (UTC)And maybe, he thinks as she goes to get materials, it's not so shocking Piaget got to her. Yes, he doesn't love that she thought him capable of using her but -- wasn't that the world they both came from? The world she was supposed to go back to?
She returns and he smiles up at her, shifting when she asks. "It feels much better. I was expecting it to take at least twice as long to heal."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 01:46 am (UTC)"Having a good healer with you is a very worthy asset," Aerith says quietly, smiling to herself as she mulls over what this really means for the two of them.
"Are you tired?" Her hand detangles itself from his hair before she bandages his back and rests a hand on it, calling on her magic to help knit the wound closed faster. "You know, I'm going to use all your fancy soap once you're asleep don't you?" Aerith leans in, peering over her shoulder at his face in profile, her lips brushing against his shoulder as she does.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 03:41 am (UTC)He’s thinking about what this means too, as much as his mind can manage right now, just happy for her hands against him, the flare of magic repairing his skin and muscle. “I am getting tired,” he says. “And you should use it all. We can go buy more together.” She kisses his shoulder and he reaches up to curl his arm around her, his turn to scratch his nails against her hair.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 03:58 am (UTC)"Sleep, I'll be back soon."
It's getting more and more difficult to pull away from him the more things get said between them, but she's still his healer and he does need to get all the rest he can if he's going to be back on his feet again soon.
She draws away and into the bathroom, the sound of water running audible before too long. Soon turns into something closer to an hour and a half as Aerith lets herself scrub off the remains of her time in captivity before she soaks in the water, dozing off at least once in the process.
With his dressing gown wrapped tight around her to keep it closed, Aerith tiptoes out of the bathroom, hair loose and still drying as she does her best to inch into bed beside Balthier without disturbing him too much.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 04:21 am (UTC)He’s out when she gets into bed, but not so much he doesn’t stir, pushing the blanket out of the way. “Come here,” he says groggily, much too charmed by the vision of her clean and relaxed with mussed hair and wrapped in his dressing gown. And when she does he pulls her against his chest, looping his good arm around her and putting his nose in her hair.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 04:28 am (UTC)"Balthier," she murmurs, her voice rich with sleep as she tilts her head up to look at him through heavy-lidded eyes. Her hand comes to cradle his cheek as she smiles at him.
"I just wanted to say that," Aerith begins, not sure where she's going but knowing she has a hell of a lot she wants to tell him. Words fail, leaving her statement half-finished and hanging in the air until she bridges the space between them and kisses him hard.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-25 11:48 pm (UTC)When he finally pulls away to catch his breath, there are tears leaking out of his eyes and he's smiling so hard it hurts. "Aerith," he breathes back as his nose gently traces her skin.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 01:49 am (UTC)"Does this," she stops and tries again. "Do you," but that isn't it either and once more Aerith falters, kissing him lightly a few more times before giving it a third try.
"I really like you."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 02:40 am (UTC)"Contrary to my reputation, I'm not in the habit of asking anyone into my bed. I'm finding I quite enjoy this exception." He knows she trusts him, knows she believes him, but he also knows it doesn't hurt to tell her that explicitly before he's kissing her again.
"I've really liked you for awhile now," he murmurs.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 03:28 am (UTC)"I'll stay in your bed as long as you want me to," she shifts against him, cuddling closer, nothing more behind her words than a desire to stay near.
"Does this mean that you want to be with me how I want to be with you?"
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 09:22 pm (UTC)"I want you with me as often as you'd like to be, and I'd like to kiss you a good deal more, and I'd like to spend more days like your birthday together." He clasps his hand around her head, cuddling right back against her, heart skipping because that last one had nearly ended in something more physical, and while he's very open to that, it's also not something he's asking her for before she's ready.
"And to be perfectly clear, I haven't wanted that with anyone else in years, and not like I do with you." That day she'd become so jealous of his friend made more sense to him now. So did the way she'd sometimes preen at being his wife, which now makes his heart stutter. "My life has been so much fuller with you in it, Aerith."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 11:16 pm (UTC)"I want all the days and nights with you that you want with me," she utters between kisses, not relenting a single inch of space. "I want to talk to you and watch you smile, and learn all your favorite things."
Aerith flushes, deeply gratified by the knowledge that she's the first to pull these feelings out of him in a long time. "I treasure my life with you Balthier."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-27 02:31 am (UTC)His heart flutters at that, at her admission that she treasures a life with him, and he cups her face, looking her over breathlessly. "I -- Do you --" He sighs, laughing at himself as he presses their foreheads together. "You make me tongue tied sometimes, you know that?" He kisses her again before he says, "You are a wonderful fake wife, but I'd like you to be my real partner, in whatever ways you're comfortable with. You don't need to decide tonight. I just -- regretted not being honest with you."
no subject
Date: 2023-02-27 03:19 am (UTC)"You're so smart and kind," Aerith murmurs affectionately, her eyes roving over his face. "How could I not want to be with you?"
no subject
Date: 2023-02-27 03:37 am (UTC)"I could say the same of you," he says, pressing her damp hair behind her ear, loving that she's wrapped in his arms and his dressing gown. "Smart and kind and brave and adventurous. Spirit too stubborn to break." He admire her greatly. Was humbled she enjoyed him back.
He's weak, though, and he knows sleep is coming again, and so he sighs, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight to him. "You fit so wonderfully in my arms," he murmurs. And his dressing gown. And his life. He kisses the top of her head, hands running affectionately over her. "I hope you know you're stuck being held all the time now." He doesn't think she's going to have any complaints though, and as he falls asleep, his head is filled with all the things he wants to do with her.