Viera Mating Rituals: Morning

The Morning After

Warning: Adult situations, drama, slight angst, and so much sap your gonna need a whole stack of pancakes to go with it

Ooh! And smut, just a hint of smut…man it’s really hard for me to keep this fic TI’m tempted just to write a separate smut chapter just to get it out of my system .
Anyways…I promised you a long chapter so here you go

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Balthier woke at around 9 in the morning. If he didn’t have to wake up early, his internal clock always woke him up around that time in spite of when he may have gotten to sleep. It had been a rather long night. He wasn’t really sure what time they had finally exhausted themselves, but it surely had to have been some time during the wee hours of the morning. He would have opted to laze about for another hour or so but this morning his body wouldn’t let him sleep in past 9:30. He was aching all over, muscles he didn’t even know he had were throbbing with a dull soreness. Not extremely painful, but just enough to be annoyingly uncomfortable. Thus he started to raise for the morning beginning with carefully unwrapping the sleeping Viera who was so snugly cuddled around him.

After freeing himself from the long limbs that had been coiled around him, Balthier took a moment take in the sight of the sleeping Fran…hair all disheveled, sleep crusties in the corner of her eyes and a path of dried slobber running down her cheek. He looked at the woman he had come to idolize as a goddess and quietly chuckled to himself, thinking she was completely and utterly adorable. Seeing her less than immaculate did nothing to tarnish his image of her in the least. If anything it heightened his image of her. She was still the same beautiful woman he had taken a fancy to a little over three years ago, but now she seemed more…real.

The young Arcadian leaned in and placed a soft and ever so gentle kiss on the slumbering Viera’s forehead before pulling away from her warmth with great reluctance.

“Now then.” Sighed Balthier sitting up. “Where in bloody hell did my pants run off too?”

…

After reclaiming his astray pants and tucking a blanket around Fran, Balthier turned his attention to making breakfast. Balthier was in charge of all of the cooking duties. Fran was a brilliant mechanic, but a very lousy cook. She couldn’t make toast to save her life. Balthier didn’t mind, he enjoyed cooking and was rather good at it. It was it was a skill his mother felt a young man should have and taught him from a very young age.

---

“Honestly the men in this country, half of them scientists; They can use a beaker and a Bunsen burner but try and get them to cook something and it’s like quantum physics to a five year old.” She told him as she helped him carefully break an egg over a mixing bowl. “Well surly my son will not be one of those men. Not if I can help it. A man should know how to properly feed himself. Isn’t that right dear?”

“Indeed.” His father agreed “If I hadn’t learned to cook I would have died of starvation ages ago. A very useful skill worth learning, cooking.”

Dr. Cid looked down at his son and smiled a rather mischievous smile. “Plus my son, it’s an excellent way to draw the fancy of many beautiful women.” his father winked, “How do you think I won your mother over? Gods know it wasn’t my dashing good looks.”

His mother laughed “Oh stop. I think you’re quite dashing dear.”

“Ha ha.” His father laughed “Now who’s the one that needs glasses?”

---

Balthier shook his head, taking the once happy memory and shoved it back behind the locked door deep within his mind and turned his attention back to preparing breakfast.

It wasn’t long before Fran’s keen nose picked up on the aroma of Balthier’s morning cuisine. Balthier turned his head at the sound of her sleepy sighs.

“Morning.” He smiled cheerfully

Fran pulled the blanket up around her as she sleepily uttered an inarticulate moan that sounded something like a morning greeting. As was her usual morning salutation. In spite last night’s events, Fran never had been what one would call a morning person.

“Breakfast will be finished soon.” Balthier turning his attention back to cooking. “Tea?”

“Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you.” Fran's voice a drowsy whisper

Balthier poured Fran a cup of tea, made very strong using two tea bags, adding cream and one sugar, just the way she liked it and got up to take it to her.

“Thank you.” She nodded

Balthier’s mind was buzzing. He was itching to ask her about the previous night. But he didn’t push it. Besides, he knew Fran would need at least one more cup of tea before she would be more coherent, maybe even two.

The air over breakfast was rather awkward. Balthier had made Fran’s favorite but she only stared at her plate not taking a bite of anything.

“Not hungry?” Balthier asked

“No I suppose not…” Fran said quietly. She set the plate aside and sipped her tea.

It was already her forth cup of tea and she still hadn’t perked up.

The silence grew and was killing him. Balthier had to say something. He knew his choice topic was probably not the best, but they had to talk about it some time. “Um…about last night…”

“I’m sorry.” Fran said suddenly hanging her head, hair falling across her face.

“Eh?” Balthier confused

“I must have been like an animal…I’m sorry you had to see me like that…the things I must have done…I would not have had control of myself…”

“Then… you don’t remember?” asked Balthier “You don’t know what happened? What we did?”

“I know what we did…I know what happened…well the basic idea of what happened…we have it too. Oh, what do you Humes call it? “The Talk” “The Birds and the Bees”. The elders talk to us about what happens to a Viera once she Comes of Age.”

“Ah, I see.” Says Balthier. "What exactly do the tell you?"

“They tell us once our element entrances us and we have invoked its power we will enter a wild, animal like state and… for lack of a better term “hunt” our chosen mates and initiate intercourse with them.”

“ Chosen mates?”

“Yes. Because we will be in a state of wildness, our actions will be taken over by that state and so, at least one cycle before we come of age we must find a male and stalk him, fixate on him…so that once the Fervent Passion sets in we are at least be absorbed with the task to find him. It keeps us focused, so we do not run rampant and hurt others that may cross our paths.”

“I see…so you choose me to fixate on.” Balthier couldn’t help but feel a bit happy.

Fran nodded.

“So you’re in this animal like state and from then on you act on instinct… you can’t fight it, or control it?”

Fran shakes her head. “It comes over us so fast we do not have time to fight it.”

“And you don’t remember anything? Not a thing?”

“Well, the images of the actual event are all one big blur…the only thing we remember…all I can remember are all of the sensations I felt. Our senses are heightened once we invoke our element; the sensations are the most profound thing we feel so we remember them very vividly.”

“Ah, well that’s something…” Balthier was curious; he knew it wasn’t the time for him to go acting like a …well... like a guy…but he really wanted to know, well, how he mesuered up. But how to ask…

“So, um…how were these “sensations”? I mean, does it hurt? When you invoke your element or whatever? Were you in pain at all? Or was it all a kind of…pleasant feeling? I mean, you’re ok right? I would hate for you to have been in any pain…”

“No, there was hardly any pain aside from a dull aching in my loins…” Fran’s head dropped lower and she sounded rather embarrassed and ashamed.

“Oh that’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Balthier reassured her. “Everyone has that. Perfectly natural…”

“Overall I felt…” Fran started again “Well…to be perfectly honest…”

Fran’s head shot up and the look on her face greatly surprised Balthier.

She looked extremely distressed and her eyes were glassy as if she were on the verge of tears.

“To be perfectly honest…I’ve never felt anything so incredibly amazing.” She burst out in a rather distraught tone. “Words can not describe how wonderfully magnificent my body felt!”

Balthier blinked rapidly a few times. “So the overall experience was…good?”

“Yes.” Fran whimpered

“Then why do you seem so upset?” Balthier worried, “Is there something I can do to make you feel better?”

“Oh why are being so nice?” Fran moaned distraughtly

“Um…do you not want me to be?” asked the very confused young man.

“I hunted you like an animal!” exclaimed Fran “You can’t tell be you enjoyed that.”

“Ah, well, Yes…I did find that a bit strange...” Balthier nodded “I admit you had me a bit scared there for a moment, but once I realized you weren’t going to eat me it was actually quite amusing when I looked back on it… Plus it’s an instinctual thing right. You couldn’t help yourself.”

“Oh, how can you be so bloody sympathetic and understanding?!” exclaimed the growingly hysterical Viera.

“Um…sorry…I guess it’s just the way I am…Though people usually see it as one of my good traits…” Balthier was now 10x more confused that when this whole conversation first started.

“I caused you great pain. Just look at you! You have my scratch marks all over your body.”

Balthier laughed “Oh that’s nothing. I’ve suffered worse pain under far less favorable circumstances. I never quite understood people that get off on pain during sex…to each his own and all, but just couldn’t see it. I mean true pain isn’t pleasant and the instances which cause pain are not favorable, but you know... during sex in the heat of the moment, I found a bit of pain does seem to add a bit of spice to things…”

“What?!” Fran shocked an appalled

“No really. During sex you’re feeling all kinds of sensations, the pain is just one more thing so you don't even really even take much notice… and then when the endorphins kick in you get this amazing head rush along with everything else… the whole thing was quite amazing actually…”

Balthier noticed Fran’s aghast look

“What?! It’s not like I’ve become a full fledged card carrying masochist you know… and there’s no way in hell I’m ever going to let you or anyone tie me up…I’m just saying a few…” Balthier look over the claw marks Fran had inflicted. “Dozen scratch marks aren’t all that bad.”

“But you were angry! I tried to force myself on you! I know among Humes that is a great offence.”

“What?! Are you accusing your self of trying to rape me?”

Fran hung her head in shame. “How can you not hate me?”

Balthier burst out laughing “Because you can’t rape the willing love. And I wasn’t angry…”

“You don’t have to keep lying to me to spare my feelings!!!” Fran suddenly burst out angrily cutting Balthier off.

Balthier was taken a back by her out burst. “I- I’m not lying…”

“Yes you are!” the distraught Viera snapped accusingly “I distinctly felt your anger. It was very profound.”

“Well you must have misunderstood, I wasn’t angry…” Said Balthier defensively.

“STOP LYING TO ME!” Fran shrieked

“I’m not lying!” Balthier getting flustered

“Yes you are! You were angry with me! And you’re angry with me right now.”

“Oh for heavens sakes! I’m not angry with you!”

“Then why are you yelling at me?!”

“Because!” Balthier stopped and took a deep breath in an effort to calm down. “Because, you’re yelling at me. I’m not angry. Just a bit frustrated. There’s a difference.”

“So you’re not angry with me, you just find me irritating and bothersome.” Said the now for some reason offended Fran.

“Now I didn’t say that.” Balthier said becoming more flustered

“But I frustrate you?”

Balthier gave an exasperated sigh “Yes, to be perfectly honest. Sometimes. Not always.”

“Like now.”

“Yes!” Balthier nodded “At this particular moment in time I do feel rather put off.” Balthier took a deep breath and exhaled. “And I’ll admit, last night I was just a bit angry with you…”

“HA! I knew it.” Said Fran spitefully

“Oh come now.” Balthier growing very impatient, “I wasn’t trying to be deceitful or false hearted with you when I said I wasn’t. Though I don’t see why you’re so mad. I was well within my rights to feel angry. I mean how do you expect a person to feel, being frightened half to death and then find out they were worried over nothing? You could have warned me or something.”

“Oh? And what was I to say?” asked Fran as if the thought of giving him any kind of a warning was utterly preposterous.

“Oh I don’t know,” Balthier, throwing Fran’s attitude back at her. “Something like ‘Balthier, I’m going to get more firewood…oh by the way, if it seems like I’m about to hunt you down like a rabid worgen, don’t worry, it’s only because I’ve contracted the sudden urge to fuck you.”

That, got Balthier slapped.

Fran stared daggers at Balthier snarling up her noise “Oh, you Humes and your vulgarity and sarcasm…”

And now he really was angry.

“Oh, and you Viera and your secretive secrets.” Glared Balthier “Getting any bit of information out of you is like pulling teeth.”

“Honestly! What IS it with you Arcadians and your obsession over information?”

“What IS it with you Viera and being so adverse to sharing information? You act like saying anything about your race and culture is some big unbreakable taboo.”

“Well it is!”

“Oh? And what of leaving The Wood eh? You certainly had no qualms over breaking that taboo!”

Fran gasped, eyes wide with shock as if Balthier had slapped her.

Balthier regretted the statement as soon as it left his lips. “Oh bloody hell…” He sighed “I didn’t mean that…I—”

Balthier’s words were stopped in their tracks as Fran suddenly hunched over and burst into a fit of sobbing. She really was crying now, with tears and everything.
His heart proceeded to crumble as a forlorn sense of dejection washed over him.

“Gods I’m a bastard. What am I doing, going and making a woman cry? Mother must be rolling in her grave.” Balthier sighed feeling lower than low. “Oh Fran, I’m sorry, that was an absolutely horrid thing for me to say.”

He reached out and wrapped his arms around the weeping Viera pulling her close to him.

“Please don’t cry. I’m sorry I got angry. You just scared me, I was worried. I thought something was seriously wrong with you. I wanted to help but I hadn't the slightest clue on how. You wouldn't tell be anything. You wouldn't tell me what was wrong. And know one knows anything about Viera, so I couldn't ask anyone for help. You know I hate feeling helpless, not being able to do anything, being forced to sit and do nothing. You know me better than anyone. I only want to know you as you know me. Is that so terrible?”

Balthier sighed. He had no idea how he could make her understand his emotions. She had never displayed any kind of extreme emotion before. She had never gotten this angry or this sad. And he certainly had never seen her cry. Up until now he didn’t even know Viera could express emotions like this, let alone cry.

“I care about you Fran, more that I care about anyone else that remains in this world. Do you understand that? It’s only natural for people to want to know the people they care about. I don’t know exactly why…It’s just how we are.”

“I know.” Fran said in a sob

“Well as long as you know. Come now, stop crying. You’re going to mess up your pretty face.”

Balthier reached for a napkin and stared wiping away Fran’s tears. The weepy Viera’s face was all blotchy, her eyes were all red and puffy and her nose was red and stuffy causing her to sniffle. On top of that her hair was still all disheveled. The image of Fran from earlier that morning suddenly popped into Balthier’s head.

He knew what he was about to do was most likely only going to make matters worse but Balthier simply couldn’t help himself.

He suddenly burst out in loud hysterical laughter.

“Why are you laughing?”

Fran’s distressed pouting voice only assisted in making Balthier laugh harder.

“If you’re trying to make me feel better you’re failing quite spectacularly.”

“I'm sorry to laugh in your moment of woe, but you're just so utterly adorable looking all pouty like that."

“Well I’m glad you find my moment of woe to be so amusing.”

“Oh Fran, don’t be like that.” Balthier couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “It’s just you’ve never been this way before…Gods, with all of these random mood swings, it’s like you’re a real woman.”

“And you haven’t seen me as a real woman before this?”

“Heavens no.” Balthier's laugher was dieing down a bit.

Fran looked genuinely hurt and looked as if she were going to cry again.

“Oh Fran, when I first saw you at the gate to Arcadia... To me, a boy of 15 who had barely started coming into his voice, you were like a goddess. You’ve always been this strikingly beautiful ideal image of a woman to me. Perfect. Flawless. But you’ve always been so distant with all your mysterious secrets.”

Balthier hung his head sighing “I could never get close to you, no matter how hard I tried. So you’ve remained this divine untouchable being.

And with your indifferent attitude I never knew what you really thought of me. I knew you at least you didn’t hate me, you wouldn’t have been around me if you hated me and you were so supportive when mother died. I only figured out a few months ago…during the accident…”

Now it was Balthier’s turn to be on the verge of tears. “…You didn’t abandon me and leave me to die… so I figured out that we’re close friends. We’d always be friends. I was happy with that. I was fine with us being friends ...never becoming intimate…but last night that all changed…didn’t it?”

“Oh Balthier.” All Fran could think was, “What have I done? Gwyneth warned me about how fragile Humes were, why wasn’t I more careful?”

Fran notice Balthier was shaking. She thought he might be crying but then she heard him softly chucking. This made her feel a bit more at ease.

That is until the chucking grew steadily louder before it became loud hysterical laughter.

“Balthier?”

“ ‘I tried to force myself on you.’ ‘How can you not hate me” Balthier, mocking Fran’s voice “HAHAHA! Oh Fran you silly, silly girl. Do you really think I could ever hate you? Honestly?”

“No…I suppose not.” Fran answered a bit unsure

“No…I suppose not” Balthier mimicking Fran’s voice again. “You really are too cute.”

Balthier made a sudden quick movement and Fran found herself on her back with the Hume male hovering over her with a rather deviously twisted smile split across his face.

“I’ve told you before love, you can’t rape the willing.” Balthier’s voice was hardly above a whisper and laced with promise of wicked debauchery. “Have you the faintest idea how long I’ve dreamed of having you? I had all but given up, and then here you come, blowing my wildest fantasies right out of the water. Do you honestly think I would turn away something I’ve wanted for so very long?”

“Balthier.” Fran’s trembling breath whispered

Balthier’s eye’s snapped shut “Oh Gods how I’ve dreamed of hearing my name whispered on you lips like that.”

Balthier sat up and looked at Fran naked and exposed before him and smiled “Last night you wanted me.” He whispered “You wanted me in away no woman has ever wanted me before. You stared at me with such desperately needy eyes, your perfect flawless body spread before me, open, begging. Do you really think a bit of pain would discourage me from accepting the invitation?”

Balthier reached out to caress Fran’s smooth supple flesh. She gasps and writhes under the soft caress of Balthier’s hands.

The Arcadian chuckled deeply. “You’re body is still as sensitive as it was last night…or are Viera always this sensitive?”

Balthier’s hands abruptly move, caressing Fran between her legs pulling a gasping moan from her lips. He laughs

“I barely have to touch you and already your body responds to me.” He grins and leans back over the Viera’s body.

Fran gasps as the young man pushes his throbbing hardness against her.

“Have I gone too far?” Balthier whispers softly “Is this crossing the line? Do you want me to stop?”

Fran slowly shakes her head. “No.” she breathes