He's the first person to touch her like this and treat her so familiarly, rather than the etiquette steeped rigidity back home. She knows she probably isn't the first person to warm up to Balthier while he pulls her closer like this, but, much like those little smiles he cast in her direction the night they shared wine, it makes her heart flutter just a touch.
"Won't it be good? Being seen out at nice places together?" She doesn't have any clue whether or not they'll need to keep this cover up after leaving this particular city, but, just in case...
"Such a noble," he teases, close to her ear so only she can hear. "More worried about being seen than what you get to see. This way." He tugs her away from the main walk, lifting some overgrown vines to reveal a door. They slip inside. It's hotter, more humid, a small, tall room for tropical plants. And private. It's only here he releases her from his arm.
"But yes, it will be good for our ruse, which I think will keep suspicion off you. Should keep suitors off you, too. No vagabonds in seedy taverns for you." He grins at her, watching her eyes take in the foreign plants and gorgeous architecture.
She doesn't know what to make of being pulled off into a small, cozily warm room alone with him, but her heartbeat picks up in pace as the door swings shut. Stuck between relief and disappointment when he lets her go, Aerith is grateful for the new, wonderful plants to admire, turning towards a display of red, fragrant orchids as she listens to him.
The talk of suitors gets her raising her eyebrows, and without looking at him - she can hear the smile in his voice and some part of her warns against staring directly at it when she's already feeling a little silly - Aerith shakes her head. "No suitors, agreed. I'm not a princess anymore."
It hasn't even occurred to him she may read this some other way, not with how convinced he is that she finds the idea of being with him repulsive. So it's good to see her wide-eyed and smiling, floating to the plants like they're magnets pulling her to them.
"No, you aren't," he agrees. He hadn't believed that before, not until that day with the wine, and even then -- something had changed that day, but it was only recently that when he looked at her, he saw a woman with a life to live, a pirate, and not a lost princess playing adventure.
"I was worried you wouldn't realize that. They'll give up on you in another few months, arrange some other marriage, and then you'll really be free."
She does look at him when he agrees with her, gratified. It's dizzying to think about leaving behind everything to learn a new way of life, and her ignorance of how the world works makes her feel silly, more often than not, but hearing him reinforce that she still wasn't a princess anymore made her feel good, steadied.
Is she still concerned about that? Well, he remembers what it was to have no place in the world, and fear the new stability he'd found would disappear just as thoroughly.
He comes to stand beside her, catching her gaze even as he runs his fingers over the leaves of the orchids. They're a bit like her, wild and bright. "You have a place on my crew so long as you want it. I've never met a healer half as good as you."
"Not bad for a soft little princess, right?" She beams at him, pleased that her abilities are this appreciated, shimmying from side to side as she talks.
"Maybe I can learn how to fight someday too, I can help out more then."
"You are one of those things," he says, smirking at her as she genuinely squirms with delight. What a strange person.
To the latter, she has a point. "It would be good for you to have more defense than your cutting tongue and tendency to disarm people with your cuteness."
Catching that remark, Aerith narrowed her eyes, barely holding back a smile. "You're always going to make short jokes, aren't you? We can't all be tall and elegant you know."
"I would not put it past you. Bruise them a few times too," he saids with mock disdain in his voice. But he looks thoughtful. "A staff would suit you. It has good reach, not heavy. I think I know someone who could give you lessons."
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no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 04:49 am (UTC)"Won't it be good? Being seen out at nice places together?" She doesn't have any clue whether or not they'll need to keep this cover up after leaving this particular city, but, just in case...
no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 11:03 pm (UTC)"But yes, it will be good for our ruse, which I think will keep suspicion off you. Should keep suitors off you, too. No vagabonds in seedy taverns for you." He grins at her, watching her eyes take in the foreign plants and gorgeous architecture.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 03:13 am (UTC)The talk of suitors gets her raising her eyebrows, and without looking at him - she can hear the smile in his voice and some part of her warns against staring directly at it when she's already feeling a little silly - Aerith shakes her head. "No suitors, agreed. I'm not a princess anymore."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 03:43 am (UTC)"No, you aren't," he agrees. He hadn't believed that before, not until that day with the wine, and even then -- something had changed that day, but it was only recently that when he looked at her, he saw a woman with a life to live, a pirate, and not a lost princess playing adventure.
"I was worried you wouldn't realize that. They'll give up on you in another few months, arrange some other marriage, and then you'll really be free."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 04:05 am (UTC)"And I get to stay and work for you?"
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 04:46 am (UTC)He comes to stand beside her, catching her gaze even as he runs his fingers over the leaves of the orchids. They're a bit like her, wild and bright. "You have a place on my crew so long as you want it. I've never met a healer half as good as you."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 05:06 am (UTC)"Maybe I can learn how to fight someday too, I can help out more then."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 05:52 am (UTC)To the latter, she has a point. "It would be good for you to have more defense than your cutting tongue and tendency to disarm people with your cuteness."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 06:14 pm (UTC)"We can't all be tiny and feral either. You should appreciate your assets more."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 09:32 pm (UTC)"They used to let me use a staff for casting magic, I'm sure I could knock someone out with it if I tried!"
no subject
Date: 2022-12-26 03:50 am (UTC)