Work Text:
Balthier did his best not to let the Strahl influence his opinion of people. Liking his airship and treating her with the respect she deserved didn't show anything at all about a person except that they had the sense they were born with.
Still, Vaan's joy at the sight of the Strahl was infectious, and the effort he put into learning how to handle and maintain her - not to mention the persistance it had taken to make Balthier agree to teach him in the first place - was impressive. And he had to admit that Vaan's company was - refreshing. They exchanged insults, Balthier trying to impress the finer points of verbal warfare on Vaan by using him as an example; Vaan graced him with his full, undivided attention for the duration of their lessons - and for quite a while afterwards, if truth were to be told, but Balthier had the feeling that he wasn't intended to notice that; and Vaan provided him with hours of entertainment, even if Balthier found himself reduced to laughing at Vaan's mistakes.
Balthier did his best not to let the Strahl influence his opinion of people.
It was the only thing of which it could be said his best wasn't quite what it should be.