were she self-aware enough to understand, Kateryna would know that one of the many reasons she likes Noctis so much is the sound of his voice. ( He’s quiet, like herself — but, when he does speak, he speaks like it’s easy. He doesn’t stumble end-over-end over words like she does, like her father does, and he doesn’t seem to have to think as hard as Mister Ignis — not to mention that his voice is an even, comforting pitch, airy and friendly. )
Good, he still remembers her! She whines a bit more urgently now, eager to be held — and, as soon as Noctis’s thumbs are hooked beneath her arms and she’s been hoisted onto his hip, she buries her face into the crook of his throat ( covers what remains with Ellie’s “tail”, doesn’t want to be seen by anyone! )
You came all this way to free me, huh?
Slowly, she pulls Ellie’s “tail” back just enough for her bright eyes to shine through the shadow — for Noctis to be able to see the way that she nods in affirmation. ( He gives her a smile, and she hums a soft thanks, reassured. )
I’m in your debt. Let’s get out of here, then, huh?
Another nod, and she disappears once more beneath her blanket,
fastens her arms securely ‘round Noctis’s neck.
What’s this? Our meeting cut short by a toddler?
One of the Kingsglaive’s daughters. A very shy thing, but she’s taken quite a liking to the prince.
Do all ‘glaive children have run of the castle?
Come now, Noctis intervenes — likely because Kateryna has begun to tremble and cry with a fear that she’s being reprimanded. You all know Kat’s an honorary princess, here. I operate on her time.
She clutches Noctis even tighter, and stills — comforted, childishly so, by the idea. He bids farewell to his father, strolls right out of the room — and, somewhere in the inaccessible depths of her mind, she knows that Noctis can only do these things because he is important in a way that she is not / in a way that no one else is or could be. ( It frightens her — because, if he’s important, then he’ll go away one day. That’s what happened to Mommy, she thinks. )
I’m sorry I was late, he offers, once they’re ( safely! ) in his room, once she’s seated ‘pon the edge of his bed and pulling Ellie away from her face just in time to see Noctis brandishing a movie — an animated tale about a frog that dances and sings. ( She hopes it’ll ease her fear of the amphibians; Noctis really likes frogs, so she wants to like them, too, but it scares her when they jump so high and fast! ) She proffers a grateful smile in return, settles more comfortably atop the bed while he sets it up.
❝ It’s okay. ❞ She fidgets with Ellie’s ears, nervous, before asking: ❝ A—Are you in trouble because of me, Uncle Noctis? ❞
She alternates her gaze between the movie previews and watching Noctis don his matching onesie, can’t suppress a girlish giggle at how happy it makes her to see! ( and, how silly the over-sized trunk looks as it wags left and right with his steps, like a dog’s tail. )
He sits behind her, and she crawls along the space between them until she’s clambering into his lap, reclining against his chest, reaching for a juice box as soon as it’s been readied for her.
❝ It was okay. I—I got to see Mister Ignis! Papá had to train with the other Kings-gave, s—so he said I could see if Mister Ignis would watch me, a—and he did! He — He let me put a “wax seal” on a letter. He writes lots of letters. Does he have lots of friends? ❞
Haven’t seen your Papá in a while. You’ll tell him I said not to work too hard, right?
❝ I’ll tell him. He — He wanted me to tell you “hi”. He wants to cook for you before you have to leave. He wants to be better than Mister Ignis. ❞ She allows that to hang in the air for a moment, and then: ❝ A—Are you gonna miss me when you leave, Uncle Noctis? Will — Will Miss Luna-free-uh let me see you? ❞ @caelumdevium!
SHY AS KAT IS, he feels incredibly lucky that they gravitated toward each other as much as they have. beneath his ‘ cool ’ exterior, he truly always has been just shy ------ and he thinks kat can pick up on it in a way that few others have been able to, a kindred spirit. noctis never really imagined himself to be good with children, either. but kat and he have stuck together like glue. he’d do anything for her.
that includes wearing a silly elephant onesie, trunk and all. his father had expected him to be ‘ too cool ’ to wear it. but, for kat, wearing it is what’s cool.
are you in trouble because of me, uncle noctis ?
he has no siblings ------ noctis never really thought he’d be an uncle to anyone ( used to think it would make him sound old, anyway ). but he feels warm, hearing it. it was daunting at first, knowing any kid could possibly look up to him. with kat, it’s endearing, it makes him want to do his best.
noctis shakes his head. “ nah. they’ll be fine out there. dad gets it. don’t you worry, peanut. ”
and he hopes she isn’t worrying any longer, as he hears her giggle at his onesie, and he bobs his head, lets the trunk bounce as he exaggerates another shake of the head.
she climbs upon his lap, lays back against his chest, passes her the juice box she’s reaching for once it’s ready for consumption. he hopes she enjoys the movie, knows she isn’t the greatest fan of frogs and that’s precisely why he asked for her permission to trust in his choice of film, to show that frogs like blueberry can be heroes and aren’t all scary.
then again, noctis also thinks blueberry is rather lazy.
i got to see mister ignis !
“ that’s great. i know iggy’s been wondering when the next time he’d get to see you would be. ”
he let me put a “ wax seal ” on a letter. he writes lots of letters. does he have lots of friends ?
there’s guilt, now, that pulls at noctis’s heart at the very notion that he’s going to have to find a delicate way to phrase this. for he doesn’t wish to imply that ignis doesn’t have any friends --- although they certainly are few in number, and the fault there lies with him and his father ------ because nobody should be given such a massive responsibility at such a young age, and noctis is convinced that he’s effectively ruined ignis’s life.
and that’s not something he really wants to unpack in front of a child.
“ well --- yeah, he has friends. he’s one of my best friends, after all. but a lot of those letters he writes are actually for me, and dad. he’s, ah --- he’s real helpful, like that. ”
he hopes that suffices. knows that he of all people has to put in effort to sound convincing about anything. but she brings up her father, and he allows the conversation for now to flow in that direction.
“ you tell him i said hi, too. ”
he wants to cook for you before you have to leave. he wants to be better than mister ignis.
and that elicits a real, genuine chuckle.
“ is that right ? ignis is a real good cook, he’s got some tough competition. but i bet you like your dad’s cooking, huh ? maybe he’ll give iggy a run for his money. but don’t tell him i said that. ”
are you gonna miss me when you leave, uncle noctis ? will miss luna - free - uh let me see you ?
his answer requires no further thought. then again, perhaps that’s because he doesn’t quite want to think about his wedding --- isn’t ready to think about what that will mean for he and ignis. that’s a handful of rules the two of them must be breaking --- and if this peace treaty is to be carried out successfully ------
he wonders what luna would think, if she knew. wonders if she’d understand, or if she’d be heartbroken. noctis does love luna, make no mistake. but he doesn’t think he loves her like the way he loves ignis. he wishes he’d just come to the conclusion sooner.
but, as for kat, that requires no hesitation or thought, either. most importantly ---
“ of course i will, peanut. you’re the coolest kid i know. i’ll miss our movie nights, too. watching movies with prompto just isn’t the same. but --- i don’t think i’ll be gone terribly long. and i know luna will let you see me --- i’m sure luna would like to meet you herself, too. i know she’ll appreciate you keeping me company all this time. by the way ------ ”
now that he thinks of it --- he reaches into the pocket of his onesie, where he’s stowed away a piece of jewelry that he found while he was out and about with prompto one weekend, just for this occasion. it’s a necklace, silver, with a small elephant charm hanging from it.
“ i found this last weekend --- it’s a special charm. as long as you wear it, you’ll remember that i’m always gonna be right here --- ” points to her heart. “ no matter where i am. whenever you don’t feel strong, just rub the elephant, and remember that. okay ? ”
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