“ noctis… “ lunafreya’s tone was uncertain, questioning. “ if i may, could i ask… “ arms folded to loosely hug herself, her lips pursed as the ( selfish ) request faded to silence.
she’d wanted to ask for a hug, as the glacian’s chill sunk its claws deeper, but expressing her own wishes was still far, far too difficult. the oracle was too used to dismissing them.
Noctis couldn't, for the life of him, recall a time she asked anything from him. Time and time again, she was the one who provided; who did so much- all without asking for anything in return. He was here because of what she had done; the Astrals would have never found Noctis worthy if not for Lunafreya's intervention.
They both had come so far, thanks to her efforts. So, Noctis anticipated what kind of inquiry would leave Lunafreya's lips. Because, needless to say, he would do anything for her-
"Huh?" Before anything could be said, it was stopped by a choice, a choice of silence.
Her gesture gave the faintest hint of an idea, but he was quick to shut down anything that he deemed impossible. Making assumptions would lead both of them to nowhere. He didn't know if it was a good idea to insist to speak her mind, unless she decided to forever hold her tongue.
If I don't do anything, then... He clenched his fist, letting out a shaky breath. He wasn't even aware he held his breath until he made his own decision. Instead of sitting across Lunafreya, he sat next to her. For Noctis, this felt like a huge step forward, rather than letting hesitation or self-doubt get in the way for the nth time.
Time and distance were cruel to them, since all those years spent apart made closeness like this feel alien. When did things exactly change this much between them? Why did they feel so apart even when they were together? Was it their duties holding them back? Answers to those questions were like Lunafreya's silence; there was something that could be said. But, they were things that would be better left unspoken, by the off chance that saying it out loud would manifest it into reality.
His hand now was inches away from hers. The hint might be a bit too obvious, that if Noctis lingered for a few more seconds, he feared his heart might explode. "Things didn't go exactly according to plan, huh?" In an ungraceful manner, he ended up scratching the tip of his nose without thinking. Somehow, he could be anything but normal around Lunafreya. Then again, it was Lunafreya, and that alone was good enough of a reason.
"I-I'm not talking about what just happened. But..." He let out a breath. If any of his friends saw this, they would think the same thing: He was hopeless. Even Noctis could admit that much. "I mean, y'know, us being together like this. To be honest, I'd rather have things be this way. It feels different when I'm with you, Luna."
As soon as his eyes met hers, his heart reminded him what she meant to him. Gulping down his pride, he opted to do what he once thought was unthinkable: his fingers intertwining with hers. "If you stay with me, you don't have to face everything alone. I want to make it up to you. Let me... Let me protect you."
With the yearning of being with Lunafreya becoming stronger by the second, he ended up holding up her hand, where he pressed his forehead against her palm. Although he couldn't put it into words, the gesture was him pleading for her- pleading that she would be as selfish as him.
I want to be with you. Please. Don't leave me.
