Other Options

Why was it that whenever he was desperate enough to do whatever needed to be done, he ended up in a situation like this?

He had not been still for more than a few brief moments and the most scarred of his knees was already throbbing with pain. He tried to look at the brighter side of the matter at hand and he was pleased that his face was mostly covered and thus he would not be so easily identified by those several pairs of eyes that were undoubtedly watching from the shadows. This was Archades after all.

Balthier hummed in thought as he remembered the name of at least one person who was looking at him.
It could have been worse.
Basch was a reasonable man and Balthier was certain that the knight wouldn't respond in any unreasonable way.
His face was suddenly not covered anymore as hands moved from his hollowed cheeks to play with his hair.

The man above him did obviously not agree with the profound statement that 'thinking was simply not sexy'. Balthier was certain that the humming had something to do with that.
Thoughts did not feel half as good to a hardened length as vibrations did.


It was not that Balthier did not enjoy acts of fellatio or that he did not love being watched while he performed said fellatio.
It was the fact that he was doing it in a dirty back street in a city he'd tried his best to avoid.

It was not that he thought himself above using sexual acts as a currency, he did in fact prefer it over dealing in blood.
It was that he was buying something he did not want to need this badly so that he could do something he really wished he didn't have to do.

It was that he did this to help someone he wasn't even overly fond of.

It freaking bothered him.


The other man, impatient in his state of painful arousal, was barely able to stop himself from thrusting. Balthier appreciated the effort and decided to put the groaning man out of his misery.
A little something he'd learned in Balfonheim years ago made his throat encounter liquid heat within moments and caused someone's knees to give out.
That trick never failed.

"Satisfied?" He mumbled, disliking the hoarseness that seemed to be inevitable to a man in his position.

"Of course." Jules laughed and forced himself to stand on unreliable legs. "You've never failed to keep your part of an honest deal. You actually payed for more than my words, you've bought my silence as well."

"Excellent." Balthier did not move as Jules swiftly tucked himself back into his trousers and disappeared into the shadows with only slightly greater speed.

Balthier sighed. "Would you kindly give me a hand, Captain? My knees are objecting to my position."

Basch stepped forward and Balthier grabbed the extended hand. Once he was back on his feet he tried to study the blond's face. Basch appeared calm but not entirely relaxed, tension lingering in his shoulders and neck. Tranquil orbs of gray and blue watched his own face and Balthier stepped back into his usual role.

"I take it Ashelia sent you." Balthier began to walk towards the busy street. "She really has no faith in a pirate's honor."

"Lady Ashe knows how an Archadian deal is made." Basch was at his shoulder but kept his eyes on their common goal. "She was worried about the prize."

"I would not risk giving information to a streetear."

"It is not I who have doubted you." Basch's voice became slightly rough, a small but evident sign that he was offended.

"This deal will get us into Draklor, what else matters? It's not like I've never broken a law before." Balthier raised an eyebrow but kept walking.

"I was of the impression that prostitution was legal in Archadia." Basch's voice was dreadfully even and it annoyed Balthier to no end, he did not care to know why it did so.

"Not in the capitol." Balthier glared at the older man. "Even if it was I could still be sentenced to death for sodomy."

Basch was silent a moment longer than Balthier expected before he replied and Balthier found himself longing to hear what went on inside the other man's head. "You could be sentenced to death for many of your crimes."

"Certainly." The lack of such luck caused him to frown. "Yet I've committed most of them for profit and not to benefit others."

"Does that make you feel more guilty?" The surprise was dreadfully evident in Basch's voice and they both raised their eyebrows.

"I do not feel guilty." Balthier snapped. "There was nothing else that I could have done. I do not tend to whore myself out unless I have to."

Basch stopped and Balthier turned around to glare at him. A moment of silence passed and he heard how the knight sighed in frustration.

"I am not accusing you of anything, pirate." Basch walked briskly past him. "You forget that I too have dealt in that currency."