- Desert Song - [1\1] - [Balthier\Vaan] -

[Desert Song Sequel to Freedom in the Skies]
It was hot, the sun was bright overhead and the fact that no wind blew made the young man trudging through the desert grateful. He'd been around here for days, fighting hundreds of fiends and other strange things that resided in the Dalmascan Desert. He was tired, but he knew he was close to the encampment that was the halfway point.
Upon arrival, he was greeted with the small camps inhabitants, who knew him well by now since he'd been going through this place for nearly a year now.
"Vaan!" A young woman, who was a little older than him, ran towards him waving. Vaan removed the hood of his tan desert cloak and greeted his newfound friend with a smile.
"Hey, Aria! How've you been?" He greeted her as she tackled him into a hug.
"I've been good! Life is the same, I mean come on, it is a desert for cryin' out loud... OH! I have something for you!" Aria took off her shoulder pack and dug around inside, pulling out an envelope of some sort and handing it too him.
"Who's it from?" He asked, turning it over in his hands, but upon seeing his name in an elegant script, he smiled.
"You know who." She said suggestively, grinning down at him. Aria was a tall woman of 23, with long, white-blonde hair bleached from her years in the desert, with smooth, lightly tanned skin and shinning emerald eyes.
The 19-year-old chuckled as he carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside to read it.

My dear Vaan, it's been a while I suppose and I have missed you terribly. I recently stopped by Aria's camp and dropped this letter off, knowing you would get it very soon. I am happy to inform you, I have seen your airship, and am quite impressed, and very happy for you.
Anyways, enough with the formalities, I MISS YOU! If you're reading this within a day of me leaving it, you'll be happy to know, I'm coming back early this time. I know I've been gone on this last wild treasure hunt for a while now, so I thought I'd surprise you.---
Vaan looked up then, a curious expression on his face as he looked at Aria.
"What?" She asked innocently. He arched a brow at her in suspicion before he continued reading.

--And don't give Aria that look, I know you are. So, I'll be at the river waiting for you, my love, I decided to take a nice walk through the desert and see the sights again. Fran has the Strahl and told me I needed to see you, in not so many words, of course, as is her way, but she is right.
I hope I'll see you soon, Vaan.
--Balthier.

Vaan burst out laughing, folding the letter back up and sticking it back in the envelope before sticking it in a pocket of his pants. He shook his head as Aria led his to her tent and out of the heat.
"So, when was he here?" He began, taking the cup of water she offered him.
"Yesterday, actually, so you made good time this round." She replied, taking a seat on the carpeted ground in front of him.
"Good, I guess I'll restock my supplies and get going then... I could probably make it by nightfall, maybe morning if I paced myself." Vaan mused, taking another sip.
"I'd like to come with you, if you don't mind; I want to go check up on some things in the other village." Aria said, drinking some from her own cup.
Vaan nodded, "Alright, let's get going then."

A few hours later, they found themselves taking a break among some rocks that hid a shadowed alcove. Vaan looked out and up at the sun and knew it to be around after noon, he grinned; they were making very good time.
"Ugh, I love the desert, but I hate the heat!" Aria groaned, taking a gulp of water from her leather water pouch.
Vaan did the same with a cheeky grin, "You could always come live with Penelo! She's offered how many times?" He poked her in the forehead playfully.
Aria swatted his hand away with a grin, "Oh get off it, I don't want to have her fussing all over me all the time! Besides, I'd hate to make her worry if I run off to the desert!"
Vaan laughed, "Fine, fine... We should get going though, we'll be there soon."
Aria nodded and after another twenty minutes of just sitting there, they pulled their cloaks back around them and set off again. Several hours, a load of fiends, and one last break later, they finally made it to the encampment on the banks of the river. When they arrived, they were greeted warmly and surrounded by excited teens and children who Vaan had met a couple years previous during their journey.
Aria's grandmother emerged from her tent and hugged them, spouting random nonsense about their health and other grandmotherly things. Vaan discreetly looked around hopefully, which the old woman caught and she gestured toward one of the rest tents with a knowing smile. Vaan grinned and ran to it, slowing to a stop just before the entrance and taking a deep breath to calm himself before entering.
The tent wasn't that huge, but it was big enough to house a few beds made of blankets and pillows, the ground covered in exotic rugs, and it was empty. Well, except for one little area. Lying in sleep in one of the far beds was a long, lithe body, shirt off and on their side, facing the tent wall. Vaan tread softly as he removed his desert cloak, pack, and gloves, setting the items on the floor beside the bed as he kneeled down beside the sleeping man.
He reached out and caressed the taunt skin of the other's shoulder, the muscles rippling under his gentle touch, a soft noise sounding as the man rolled onto his back and into the touch. Vaan smiled as sleepy eyes opened and blinked up at him, focusing on him with a strange look.
"Vaan...?"
He nodded, "Yep! I got your letter this morning. Nice job with catching my look, Balthier...." Vaan replied, one hand skimming across Balthier's chest.
The sky pirate smiled up at him, "Well, I know how you are; so of course I'd catch it...."
Balthier sat up then, engulfing Vaan in a tight hug, making the younger laugh, until he was cut off by a strong kiss. He melted into it easily, it had been so long since he'd felt these lips, sure and loving, upon his own. Five long months of being apart had tortured him to no end, but he dealt with it, because of the steady stream of letters he received from his lover.
Vaan savored the taste of their first kiss in ages, smiling when they parted slowly. Balthier wrapped his arms around Vaan's waist and pulled him down to the bed, holding the younger man to him with the intent of not letting him go. Vaan was content with this, smirking when he felt those lips attach to his neck immediately, already marking him again. He loved this, the feeling of being wanted by the pirate, of being missed and needed, if someone had told him a few years back that he'd end up with the older man, he would've laughed in their faces before knocking them out, but now that he was, and he was loving every moment of it.
"So, how did the search go? Did you find what you were looking for?" Vaan asked, running fingers through Balthier's hair, which had grown a little more since he'd last seen him, now it was falling into his eyes a little, giving the pirate a little more of a rugged look despite his clean-cut style.
"Oh we found it alright, but the guardian watching over the place was a pain, tore up one of my good shirts in the fight. Fran teased me about it, so it was quite annoying..." Balthier answered, nuzzling Vaan's hand as it trailed to his cheek, Vaan's thumb caressing his lip.
"Darn, and I wasn't there to see it..." Vaan chuckled, pecking his forehead.
Balthier smirked, "Oh, you've had your fair amount of my ruined shirts on your floor, in case you've forgotten, most of them were lost in the heat of passion, thanks to your impatience, my dear Vaan..."
He moved up and on top of Vaan, pinning the former thief to the bed with a grin as he leaned down to kiss him once more. Vaan smile in the kiss, sweeping a leg under Balthier's and making the man fall on him with a noise of surprise as he flipped them over and he straddled Balthier's waist.
"I see you learned a few things in my absence..." The sky pirate commented as his hands came to rest at Vaan's hips, watching as Vaan removed his vest and run a hand through his longer blonde hair.
"Been sparing with Aria a lot, so we've both got a few new tricks up our sleeves..." Vaan said, leaning down and latching onto the Balthier's neck, his own favorite spot on his lover.
"But you don't wear sleeves, love." Balthier pointed out with a cheeky smirk.
Vaan nipped harder at his neck, making him twitch, "I know that, it was a figure of speech, smart ass...."
"But you love my smart-ass..." Balthier said in a slight whine as Vaan sucked at the skin of his neck, enough to leave a mark.
"Oh yes...now, shut up..." Vaan murmured, nibbling at Balthier's ear, the man beneath him stifling a moan.
Balthier chuckled as Vaan began unbuttoning his shirt, noting his young lover's slow movements, deliberately taking his time in taking it off.

"Let's turn this room into a pirate ship and plunder each other..."

Vaan stopped what he was doing and sat up, giving his lover a strange look. Balthier just grinned innocently.
"What?"
"'What?' How about, what was that?" Vaan asked, folding his arms across his chest with a smirk, dropping his weight onto Balthier's hips, making the man below him groan.
"What was...? Oh.... Yes, that little line?" Balthier asked with shifty eyes and Vaan nodded.
"Don't know. Now kiss me!" Balthier said, sitting up and grabbing Vaan into another kiss, the other only rolling his eyes as he kissed back.
Vaan nibbled on his lip as Balthier's hands began to venture down to the sash covering the clasp of Vaan's pants. Vaan smiled in the kiss and easily pushed the older man back down on the bed, straddling him and deepening the kiss. Balthier manages to undo the red sash and threw it to the floor, those hands quickly coming back to the clasp and ties of those tightening pants, Vaan groaning against his lips as he teasingly caressed the growing bulge hidden beneath.
"Tease..." Vaan moaned when they finally broke away for air.
"Same to you, love." Balthier retorted good-naturedly, moving his hands to rest on Vaan's thighs.
"Yeah, yeah... Ah, fuck this slow shit!" Vaan stood up on the bed above Balthier and began to strip out of the rest of his clothes, carelessly tossing them to the ground in his impatience.
"Now there's the Vaan I know and love...." Balthier said, chuckling when Vaan smacked his hands away from his own pants and proceeded to undo them, immediately pulling the pirates pants from his hips and down his legs, adding them to the pile on the floor as well.
"Sorry, wanted to make it special, but I hate holding back..." Vaan said, moving up and positioning himself over his lover's hard length, biting his lip in anticipation of the pleasure to come.
"And I hate it when you aren't impatient--!" Balthier groaned aloud when Vaan lowered himself onto his erection, staying still fro his love to get used to the feeling again.
"I know...I just try not to be...just so I can...torture you--" Vaan said, in between deep breaths and suppressed moans of pain.
"Ah...such sweet torture it is..." Balthier murmured, adjusting himself under Vaan, using his own patience to allow Vaan to get used to him again. "Gods, I missed the feeling of being inside you...Vaan..." He moaned as Vaan took on a slow rhythm at first, slowing easing himself into quicker movements.
"Feelings mutual..." Vaan's voice was tied between a moan and a gasp as Balthier thrust up into him with an eager jerk of his hips.
Vaan lifted himself until he was nearly empty of his lover's erection, before he slammed down with painful force, both yelling out at the sudden wave of pleasure as it hit something deep within Vaan.
"Ah gods, VAAN!" Balthier cried out, arching into his lover as the 19-began to ride him, fast and hard, slick heat nearly throwing him over the edge.
"Fuck..." Vaan moaned louder, throwing his head back as he cried out, his body having spasms of pleasure tear through him, shuddering every time the Balthier moved a little, slightly changing his direction so as to hit that same spot again.
When he did, Vaan nearly screamed his name, so he silenced his lover with a hard kiss, crushing their mouths together in hungry passion. Vaan wrapped his arms around Balthier's neck, bringing them closer together, even as their rhythm became faster and more erratic the closer they got to their finish.
Passionate cries, kiss-swollen lips, slick skin, lust-driven kisses, loving eyes, fulfilling moans, and complete devotion to each other, this and more flowed through them as their bodies moved together in a new rhythm overtaking the old, this reunion of lovers renewing their addictions to one another.
"Ah...Balthier--Oh gods--!!!" Vaan cried out as he came, his essence exploding across his lover's stomach as Balthier arched into him with the deepest thrust.
Balthier gave a deep moan of his name as he spilled deep within his lover, watching with arduous eyes as Vaan threw his head back when his orgasm hit him, the two letting the tremors of completion rock them as they rode out the last of their orgasms.
Vaan collapsed on Balthier then, quivering with the after shocks of pleasure. Their panting breaths were the only sound in the room, Balthier smiled as Vaan sat up and eased himself off Balthier's length and dropped onto the bed beside him, sighing contentedly when Balthier turned over and wrapped his arms around him, pulling them together again and bringing a light blanket up and over them, just in case someone came in sometime later.
"Damn I missed this..." Balthier whispered, kissing Vaan's forehead lovingly.
Vaan smiled up at him, reaching up and giving a sweet kiss, "Don't be gone so long next time then, okay?"
Balthier smiled, "Next, I'm bringing you with me, I don't want to be away from you again..." He chuckled, "I'll lock you up in my room on the Strahl and never let you out...Only when I feel like it..."
Vaan laughed when Balthier's hold tightened possessively, "You are such an ass some days, but I love you anyways..."
"Of course, how could you resist this?" Balthier joked, nibbling at Vaan's ear playfully, making the younger squirm a bit.
"Easily sometimes, but not when I missed you this much..." Vaan told him, moving so he was pressed more against Balthier, draping his one of his legs over Balthier's, making the blanket move from their waists a bit, revealing toned torsos and protruding hips.
Vaan's hand trailed down to rest on Balthier's hip as his other went up to caress Balthier's cheek, while Balthier's arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders. Vaan looked up at Balthier and they smile at each other, before meeting in a loving kiss, filled with their adoration for each other, care for each other, and deepening love for each other.
"Goodnight, Balthier..."
"'Night, my love..."
To be Continued.

[Desert Song Sequel to Freedom in the Skies]
Over the next few weeks, Vaan and Balthier spent nearly every waking moment with each other. The two spent most of their time on the banks of the Nebra, catching up on their months of separation and just reveling in each other's affections. One night, as the two were planning on returning to Rabanastre the next morning, Balthier was watching as Vaan went around packing their things, making sure they had everything for the trek across the Estersand, even though it only took a few hours to cross and they could always come back.
He watched with a content smile, seeing even more of the subtle changes his lover had undergone in his absence. Vaan's skin was a little tanner now; his sun-bleached hair was longer and closer to his shoulders. The muscle beneath that skin was more refined, his body moved with a toughened grace that was held with a confidence Vaan didn't used to have, as it was often over-shadowed by his teenaged impulses years back during their journey to help Ashe and Dalmasca. Balthier was proud of how much Vaan had matured over the years since; proud of the strong young man he's grown into.
And very much in love with this young man.
"There, everything's done, we'll be all set tomorrow. All we have to do is make sure Aria gets back tonight." Vaan said as he finished, stifling a yawn when he came over and sat down next to Balthier.
Balthier smiled and pulled his down to the bedding with him, Vaan immediately moving so they were pressed together comfortably, resting his head on Balthier's chest.
"Can't wait to get home?" Balthier asked, nuzzling the platinum locks of his lover.
"I am home...with you, I am home. But I want to make sure Penelo's doing alright and check in with Montblanc about the hunts I did on my way out here." Vaan answered, his tone telling the older man he was falling asleep.
"I see, well then, we better get some rest, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow..." Balthier said as he lifted Vaan into his arms and carried him over to their makeshift bed of blankets and bedrolls. He laid his lover down smiling and kissed him, Vaan mumbling randomly while Balthier stripped him down to his under garments, making sure he was asleep before he slipped outside to wait for Aria.
He didn't have to wait long for Ruksel's boat to dock and for Aria to come running toward him.
"Hey Balthier, Vaan asleep?" She greeted him, the two walking toward the tent where Vaan was.
Balthier nodded, "Yes, we sparred for hours today and even after he beat me, he still insisted on packing up. Usually, he's gloat in victory until I shut him up, but he hasn't at all... Aria, who is that man and what has he done to my dear Vaan?" He joked, grinning as her.
Aria laughed softly, "He's still Vaan, he's just changed a lot since you left, matured so greatly, Penelo and I are still getting used to it. He's got so many new habits now, like his hair, he hasn't cut it in months! Nor does he blow off chores or errands Penelo sends him out on for their ship. He's becoming quite the responsible young man now." Aria explained, her voice dropping to a whisper as they entered the tent, Vaan's soft, rhythmic breathing filling their ears.
"I noticed... I think it'll be a while until I can get used to this..." Balthier sat down next to Vaan, brushing his lengthy bangs from his forehead, smiling affectionately at the sleeping man. "I've missed him so much, I hated that I was gone so long..."
"So we heard..." Aria chuckled. She watched as Balthier leaned down and pressed a gentle, loving kiss to Vaan's parted lips, smiling admiringly at how much the infamous sky pirate himself had changed since the two had first become a couple a year previous.
"You've changed too, you know..." She began, smiling at him still.
Balthier looked up at her, confused. "How so?"
"Well, you're not much of an ass anymore, still the charming sky pirate, but not an arrogant playboy, you don't have that prickish attitude and you've become a little more open with your emotions... You've changed a lot since you two got together, Vaan too, as you've already noticed." She explained.
Balthier stared at her, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He said straight-faced, the corners of his mouth resisting his signature smirk.
"You're a little more impulsive, especially when it comes to Vaan. I saw you last night, watching him eat that fruit...." Aria grinned wickedly as him then, "Watching the juice trail slowly from the corner of his mouth, his long tongue darting out to lick it up.... Dear gods, I was dying to see you leap at from across the fire, you were holding back so bad, biting your lip and everything!"
When Balthier let out a strangled groan, she laughed, shutting up when he gave her a very deadly glare, the woman still giggling as she stood up to go to her grandmother's.
"I'll see you two in the morning, g'night." She said, exiting the room.
Balthier heaved a sigh of relief after she was gone, standing to undress and climb in bed with his lover. Vaan made a small noise as he turned in his sleep, snuggling into Balthier's arms, the pirate smiling and moving to kiss the blonde, pleasantly surprised when he kissed back.
"Hey..." Vaan murmured sleepily, moving his arms up and around Balthier's neck, pulling them closer together.
"Hello love, sorry to wake you..."
Vaan gave small smile, "S'okay... I heard you enjoy watching me eat..." Vaan chuckled when Balthier made an exasperated noise.
"I couldn't help it! If there weren't so many damned people around, I would've taken you right there!" Balthier complained, gesturing his free hand around wildly as if to explain himself.
Vaan reached out and grabbed his hand, bringing it to his lips as he looked up at Balthier through light lashes.
"My poor sky pirate... His calm and collected exterior can't resist even the smallest flow of juices when it comes to his lover..." He teased, pressing soft kisses to Balthier's fingertips.
"You are evil..." Balthier accused as Vaan's tongue darted out to his lips, skimming over them before Balthier groaned, capturing Vaan's lips in a desperate kiss.
"Very veil..." He murmured as Vaan moved on top of him.
Vaan sat up then, enough to grind his hips into Balthier's, forcing a deep groan from thr man beneath him.
"I know, I just love torturing you..."
He leaned down and practically attacked Balthier's neck with his teeth, enjoying the reactions from his pirate lover. Balthier got lost in the sensations, mind nearly going blank, but somewhere in the back of his mind, Balthier was reflecting on what Aria had said earlier, about how much Vaan had changed since they became lovers, and the changes he'd obviously gone through since they were last in together. When he left, Vaan still had his impulsive ways, jumping the older man whenever he got the chance, not that Balthier was complaining...
But now Vaan had matured greatly, his actions more precise, still a little impulsive, but as far as Balthier was concerned, Vaan was the Leading Man in this part of their story. Vaan knew every bit of him by now, and knew well how to get a reaction from him.
And he must admit; it was working.
"You know...I kind of like...this side of you..."
Vaan smirked at him, "Only for you..."
Balthier grinned and the night was lost, and he could easily tell, that they weren't going to be getting much sleep that night.
[End]
plunder him, baby.

fuck you, that's HOOOOOTT!!!!!!!