Noctis stands, motionless, at the top floor of Caelum Via. He had stopped in his track as soon as he caught a glimpse of her through the pale blue water of the huge aquarium. It makes her image tremble like a mirage, or a dream. But he knows this is real. Luna's here, in Insomnia, finally close enough for him to touch her. And she's more beautiful than he could ever have imagined, with a long black dress to pay homage to Lucis royal family and her golden hair flowing gently in the wind.
He has to take a few deep breaths before he can step forward.
«Luna?»
She turns around instantly.
«Noctis.»
She doesn’t look surprised, like she has recognized his voice somehow. Her smile, pure and joyous, makes her impossibly beautiful. Of course Noctis has seen her in the ads that cover the whole city with her face, but the picture was a very bland copy of the real beauty of the princess right in front of him. He feels his own face burn with embarrassment.
«In Tenebrae it is considered bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.»
Noctis looks at her in horror, all the warmth and blood draining away from his face at once. Did he mess up the whole marriage already?, is what he fears for a moment.
Luna hides a chuckle behind a hand and Noctis realizes that she is amused by his flustered reaction, which embarrasses him even more.
«Luckily for us, we're not in Tenebrae.»
«N-no, we aren’t...»
Noctis looks away, at a loss for words. The party at Caelum Via is lively, the sight of the city around them sparkling. He doesn’t care about it, barely registers their surroundings at all. He’s too conscious of the girl beside him and the bad impression he is definitely going to leave.
Luna looks at the city too and speaks softly, fondly.
«It's been a long time, isn't it?»
«I'm... happy we can finally meet again.»
He's surprised he managed to say it out loud, but he really wants Luna to know. His emotions are so intense, so overwhelming, that he fears she’ll sense them too.
For years he wondered if Luna felt the same way he did. When he heard his father’s announcement, Noctis almost didn't believe him: an arranged marriage forcing him to marry the girl he loved all his life? Oh what a sacrifice! Could he really be that lucky?
But, then, he started to worry. What if Luna didn't want it? What if she didn't like him that way? Last time she saw him, Noctis was just a weak kid on a wheelchair and she was a young girl, beautiful and tall and strong. She already had accepted her future heritage and promised to be by his side, supporting the Chosen King as his Oracle. Her duty, her fate. Never mentioned marriage or... love. He was unsure, and terrified.
He still is, his grip on the railing the only anchor in the storm of his thoughts right now.
The delicate touch of Luna's hand brings his mind back to the present.
«I'm happy to see you too. I've been waiting for this moment...»
Her voice is barely audible, a whisper filled with affection and longing.
Can Noctis dare to hope? Words escape his lips before he can stop them.
«You're so beautiful...»
Luna smiles and blushes and doesn't look away. She keeps her eyes on his, her unspoken determination unwavering. It's so intimate that Noctis feels uncomfortable, but does his best to match her strength and hold her gaze. He craved this intimacy so much and for so long he's not going to back away now. He even manage to bite his tongue before he can stutter some lame, embarrassed and unnecessary apology. He lets go of the railing and straightens his back.
«What does Tenebrae say... about hugging the bride the day before the wedding?»
His voice sounds weak and unsure at his own ears, but Luna doesn't seem to notice. She keeps smiling her beautiful, sweet smile.
«I don't know about Tenebrae, but the bride would love it.»
Noctis tries not to give to her choice of words more weight than it truly has. His lips move to a hint of a smile while he raises his arms to hug her. He never noticed how small and thin she actually is, never imagined how fragile she would seem in his arms. How her tiny figure would fit perfectly against his own body and make him feel fiercely protective. His heart is burning, his eyes prickling with the threat of tears.
In a few hours, they will be married. Luna will be his bride. Luna will be his.
A sudden bang startles them and the lights go out. A second one and Noctis instinctive reaction is to ready himself for the fight, to push Luna behind his back while he summons a sword and looks around for enemies. Luna’s hand on his arm stops him. She points at the sky with one elegant finger, and he looks up just in time to see one last flash of light and hear one more loud bang. Everyone’s eyes are looking up too, now.
The first firework is an explosion of golden stars in the pitch-black sky, soon followed by a second and a third. Then a few smaller ones sprinkle vibrant colors over them, fading quickly. Luna turns to face the spectacular flares lighting up the night, and Noctis’s gaze drops to her profile. Each new firework paints her with different colors: deep blues, brilliant greens, warm oranges… Suddenly the sky turns to white, while a series of huge white explosions cover the whole city with a dust-like rain of light. He’s seen those fireworks before and sure, the show is pretty, but he can’t bring himself to care about it. Not now that a soft pink shade colors her delicate skin, makes her hair almost violet and her eyes shine in the dark.
His body decides to move on its own. His hands are on her bare shoulders and make her turn towards him once more. Luna’s curiosity is barely noticed before Noctis bends forward, closing his eyes. Hopefully she won’t notice the blush that surely has darkened his cheeks, as he can feel it burn in his skin. Not that it matters much longer, because he’s kissing her.
Her lips are soft and sweet and he doesn’t want to be apart from them ever again, would gladly spend the rest of his life like that. All the tension he felt before vanishes the moment she responds to the kiss, gently but surprisingly determined. He tries to match her at first, everything he knows says that he should be the one leading. But he doesn’t need to, nor wants to. Her passion just proves how foolish his fears were, how much she wanted this too.
Luna feels the same way I do, Noctis realizes when he lets her take control. And soon we’ll be together, always.
Nyx tried his best, he really did, to look away from the scene. He’s pretty sure there’s a rule somewhere forbidding him to witness such a private moment, a rule to preserve the dignity of a Crown Prince. Of course he is far enough that he couldn’t hear what the prince said, but Nyx doesn’t need to. He can imagine on his own how bad the boy probably is with women anyway. At least he didn’t trip getting closer to her or something, which is already better than his expectations.
When the fireworks starts he doesn’t let that distract him. He’s on duty, he’s here to supervise the party and keep everyone safe, not enjoy himself. That’s one more reason he shouldn’t glance back at the royal couple, but he can’t help it. And look at that, they’re kissing! Nyx’s lips twitch as he tries really hard not to laugh. He has no idea how Noctis managed it, but apparently he somehow successfully charmed the Tenebraean princess? Nyx underestimated him apparently and is now pleasantly surprised, secretly a little proud too.
«Not bad, young king» he whispers, in the end allowing himself to smile. «Not bad at all…»
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