The Chosen King

Ind. Sel. Pri. Noctis from Final Fantasy XV

[rexelectus]

● — || @heartbinders inquired : click. click. click. hey noct did you know you're modeling right now? because you are. for prompto. candidly

● — || 𝐈s he the [ [ greatest ] ] at knowing that he's being a model for his best friend ? No . Absoslutely not . Then again . . . It wasn't exactly Noctis' [ [ focus ] ] as his hands wrapped around the journal that he and Lunafreya shared . He heard the clicks , but the Prince just waved his hand away as if he was [ [ shooing ] ] Prompto away himself . He knew it wouldn't work , it never worked . . . But , Noctis wanted to finish this letter before he ran out of time for writing to Lunafreya again .

I hope that you're safe , wherever you are . . . I hope you liked the present I sent you , and that it made it to you safely . I'll see if I can send you something else , soon . I don't want to weight Umbra down . He travels far enough for us .

We'll see each other again soon . . . I promise .

Once he closed the journal and placed it securely back with Umbra , Noctis' pushed himself off the log he had been sitting on and brushed himself off from the dirty and debris that now [ [ clung ] ] to his clothes .

❝ Did you get all the pictures you needed ? Or , do you need an actual modeling shoot ? ❞ He asked , not letting his gaze leave from Umbra until he [ [ vanished ] ] seemingly into thin air .

[fairfallcn]

the closeness between them was grounding and welcoming, comforting even. though Zack couldn't help but wonder if he was pushing it just a little too much. while he may not mind the closeness between them, he wasn't sure Noctis felt the same. perhaps it was a little bold of him to assume he could occupy the Prince's personal space as much as he was. but Noctis hadn't seemed to push him away yet. and he had caught the way Noctis' eyes dipped down. did that mean... 『 ❝ good. ❞ 』 no, Zack couldn't just jump to conclusions like that. 『 ❝ because I'm only telling you the truth... ❞ 』 and Zack was never one to openly lie to someone. he was not big on liars. he blinked, suddenly broken from his thoughts when Noctis moved, taking a step back and away from him. he frowned, softly, hand still raised though his grip had fallen from the other's shoulder when he'd backed away. was something wrong? 『 ❝ huh? ❞ 』 rest? him? well, he supposed he had been away for a while and the journey hadn't been easy, 『 ❝ oh... I guess... ❞ 』 but that was literally the last thing on Zack's mind right now. 『 ❝ Noctis... ❞ 』 he spoke the name quietly, once more stepping forward and reaching out. this time, he brought up both hands and placed them on either of the Prince's shoulders as he closed the distance, leaning in until their faces were inches apart, 『 ❝ first... there's something I wanna do... if you'll let me. ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐓he Prince had made it all of three steps away from Zack when his voice pulled Noctis' attention [ [ right ] ] back to the soldier boy of which it had came . His hands stalled at his sides , eyes [ [ flickering ] ] between Zack's gaze , his tender smile , and back . His heart fluttered in in his chest — racing at a mile a minute as thoughts spun between sanity and vanished .

❝ Yes . . . Zack ? ❞ He felt the weight of Zack's hands on his shoulders again , forcing Noctis' gaze to break momentarily . He looked down at Zack's calloused hands , feet [ [ planted ] ] into the polished marble floors . Noctis swallowed , lifting his gaze once more up to the others .

There were a lot of [ [ blanks ] ] that Noctis couldn't quite fill in . Too many , in fact . Some were about how he thought Zack would [ [ want ] ] to rest . Others , were about how their reunion felt [ [ different ] ] than the many others that he held for soldiers who had just come home . Truth be told , Noctis had [ [ many ] ] thoughts shoved in his head , so much so that if Ignis had heard them , he'd be told how foolish he was for having them in the first place . Yet . . .

❛ First . . . there's something I wanna do . . . if you'll let me . ❜

Once again , Noctis found himself [ [ tracing ] ] Zack's enchanting blue gaze as he lowered himself down to his level . He nodded slowly before his head steadied , eyes [ [ searching ] ] Zack's eyes like they were a field of stars he was destined to navigate .

❝ . . . What is that ? ❞

[honorforged]

@rexelectus said: He doesn't want to interrupt his focus , so Noctis takes care to bend the tea that had now gone cold in Zuko's cup , form it into a heart , before setting it on Zuko's desk next to his hand . Crystal , ocean blues settle on the brush as it took the last stroke along the parchment . ❝ I figured you needed something to look at that wasn't a scroll . ❞

Zuko’s brush stilled as the little heart settled beside his hand, and he stared at it, the sharp crease on his forehead easing as realization caught up with him. After hours buried beneath scrolls written in suffocatingly formal script, the tiny shape looked almost absurdly soft sitting there against the dark wood of his desk.

A quiet breath escaped him that was dangerously close to a laugh as golden eyes flickered toward Noctis. “You bent my tea into a heart,” he said, his tone delicately soft. “This might be the sweetest use of waterbending I’ve ever seen.”

Leave it to Noctis to find some impossible way to pull him out of his own head without demanding anything from him.

Carefully, he nudged the little heart with the back of one finger so he wouldn’t ruin its shape, then his gaze dropped back to the parchment, though his attention clearly wasn’t on the scroll anymore. “It helped,” he admitted, the corner of his mouth twitched upward faintly before he finally set the brush down altogether. “Thank you.”

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐇e was half - prepared for Zuko to call the heart childish or silly , but when he visibly [ [ melted ] ] at the sight of it , Noctis' own smile began to form . He crystal blues looked down at the heart on the desk , and how it's jasmine - green hue looked against the wooden surface . He gave a small nod of agreement to Zuko's observation , lifting his gaze towards Zuko's .

❝ You weren't drinking it . ❞ Noctis said , matter - of - factly with a shrug as he saw Zuko's eyes linger on him . ❝ But , I'm glad you thought it was sweet . . . I don't exactly get to use my bending often . I thought this was a good enough excuse . ❞ Quietly , he walked around Zuko's desk until they were standing closer to one another . No longer did was desk create a [ [ wall ] ] between them , but something Noctis now saw as a cage that he needed to free Zuko from .

❝ You're welcome . ❞ His eyes flickered down to from beyond his charcoal bangs to the brush that now lay against the parchment . His lips lifted upward into a smile as delicate as the heart on Zuko's desk . ❝ You shouldn't stay in here all night . You'll fall asleep in here . ❞ Noctis shrugged [ [ acutely ] ] , ❝ Last I checked , your desk isn't the most [ [ comfortable ] ] thing to sleep on . ❞

[fairfallcn]

Zack would, indeed, move mountains for the people he cared about. he would even fight Gods for them if it was asked of him. he would go to the ends of the planet and beyond to make them happy. but, oho, what was this? was that the sight of pink on the Prince's cheeks? Zack tried not to let it show so much on his face how amused he was by the other's embarrassment. or how he thought it was cute to see Noctis blush. he laughed heartily, taking a slight step back to give the raven some personal space back. and a chance to reign in his bashfulness without directly pointing it out. yet, all too easily, his teasing turned into something more serious when his ears picked up those whispered words. his grin softened to a more subtle smile, full of nothing but adoration for the Prince before him. he hummed, softly, once more moving to close the distance between them to the point there was very little of it. 『 ❝ hey... ❞ 』 he reached out a hand, gently placing it on Noctis' shoulder as he ducked down to look at him, 『 ❝ not a chance. ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐍octis sucked in a breath as he [ [ slowly ] ] traced the line Zack's own eyes painted as he lowered himself down into his space . If it were anyone else , he'd take a step back — walk away before he deemed them too close . But , something about being this close to Zack felt more like a [ [ reward ] ] than it did a punishment . Being this close to people was [ [ never ] ] something Noctis enjoyed , nor was it normally permitted by those who kept their watchful eyes on the Prince at all times . . . Yet , as voices dipped into whispers , and the world vanished from around them , all Noctis could do was allow his eyes to dip [ [ once ] ] down to Zack's lips then lift back up to his gaze . The weight of the other's hand on his shoulder felt [ [ comforting ] ] after the many nights where Noctis wished he'd come home .

❝ I'll hold you to that . ❞ Out of his peripherals , Noctis could still see that softened grin . Beneath it , he wondered what Zack's thoughts were . Was he alright with them being this close ? Was it something he regretted ? Questions he wondered if they would ever have answers that came to light .

❝ We - . . . Should get you situated . ❞ Noctis breathed , taking a step back from Zack to put some unwanted appropriate space between them . ❝ You probably want to rest . ❞ Yes , he regretted what he had said the [ [ instant ] ] he said it , but he couldn't keep Zack all to himself . . . After all . . . That would be selfish .

[fairfallcn]

Zack always enjoyed trying to read Noctis and figure out his thoughts. it was like a big puzzle for him. he wanted to understand the Prince and all his dimensions. he could tell there were things on the raven's mind that weren't being voiced. but he also knew it wasn't his right to pry. if Noctis wanted to talk to him, Zack wanted to trust that he would... when he was ready. 『 ❝ tall order? pfft... not for me. you tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it. ❞ 』 Zack, ever the master of confidence { when he wanted to be }. there was nothing he wouldn't do for Noctis to make it up to him. nothing at all. 『 ❝ so give me your best shot, Your Highness. ❞ 』 a playful wink, his grin growing just a little. 『 ❝ hey... I'm still learning. gotta give me some credit. ❞ 』 another slight shift in his body, leaning in just a little bit more to be better level with Noctis' face, 『 ❝ but I had a feeling that wouldn't be the case. and I'm glad... because I'm sure I'll never get sick of you. ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐙ack always entertained Noctis , in that it seemed that no matter how high he asked the other to jump , the height had no limit . Of course , that applied to [ [ most ] ] things , but when it came to things like this , Noctis wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to asked of him . He didn't want to be [ [ selfish ] ] — though every part of his heart [ [ screamed ] ] for him to be . Maybe that's what made this so difficult — that Noctis knew that Zack would move mountains just to make sure he saw the people he cared about smile . That Soldier Boy was as reckless as they came , and yet . . .

. . . Noctis always found himself looking for him in a crowd , and being [ [ excited ] ] when he came home .

That wink — small in gesture but large in meaning — made Noctis' cheeks turn a shade of pink he would rather [ [ die ] ] from than know that his face was that color . ❝ Well , I - um . . . Okay . Stop it . ❞ He pushed Zack's arm with his hand playfully , turning his head to the side to allow his hair to [ [ hide ] ] the bashfulness that had suddenly appeared .

However , that didn't stop the way Noctis' eyes [ [ drifted ] ] back to Zack's face , or how he [ [ memorized ] ] how close they were . Nor , did it stop the way his eyes searched Zack's for answers that Zack might not possess . ❝ You say that now . . . ❞ He whispered , ❝ . . . But , the night's still young . Who knows ? You might change your mind . ❞

[silky0105]

I struggled with this for months. Too hard to make my imagination into a real painting.

[fairfallcn]

Zack felt it too. that specific type of heaviness. for Zack, it was more a feeling of guilt for leaving Noctis for as long as he did. he didn't like causing undue stress on people. especially those he cared about. Noctis was no exception to this rule. to think that he might have worried the Prince didn't really sit right with him. and he'd do whatever he needed to to make it up to him. 『 ❝ I do... and I will make it up to you. whatever it takes. ❞ 』 his grin grew then, as he caught sight of that smile on Noctis' face. it warmed his heart to know he was the reason for it. he shifted, turning his body to better face the other. leaning in just a little when Noctis made a step towards him, tipping his head and humming softly in thought. 『 ❝ that is true. forever is an awfully long time. and I would { h a t e } for you to get sick of me. but... if it's what you want... ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐓here were many things between them that Noctis [ [ wasn't ] ] saying — things that he should have said , but that he didn't want to bring to light during a reunion that was [ [ supposed ] ] to be happy , not sad . Things like : how many hours he stayed up late , ignoring the insomnia that he already fought with , just to see if Zack came back . He also didn't mention that when he got news of attacks , Zack's name was the [ [ first ] ] one on his mind of who he worried about .

. . . Frankly , there were [ [ too ] ] many things that Noctis thought about when it came to Zack , but that was his own problem to deal with .

❝ Whatever it takes ? That's a tall order , don't you think ? ❞ His chin tilted upward [ [ slightly ] ] , matching the way Zack dipped down into the small space that lingered between them , now . His eyes glanced at Zack's grin , and how it [ [ still ] ] managed to mimic the sun .

❛ May he never change . . . ❜ He thought in the sanctuary of his mind .

❝ You think I'll get sick of you ? ❞ The Prince mused in reply , ❝ You don't know me well enough if you think that's the case . ❞

[fairfallcn]

Zack watched Noctis carefully, taking in every minute expression and reaction with a soft smile on his face. from the way his eyes softened to the lift of an eyebrow at Zack's response. 『 ❝ of course... I owe you that much for disappearing on you for a while. ❞ 』 it seemed so simple to him. he enjoyed being around him, after all. 『 ❝ besides... where else would I wanna be? ❞ 』 the tone of those words was different... softer. 『 ❝ so yeah... I'm leaving it up to you to keep me around as long as you want. ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐓here was something heavy that settled between them , then . Or , maybe it just settled on Noctis . . . Because he had [ [ genuinely ] ] missed him a lot . Sure , he was playing it like this was no big deal , but his eyes couldn't tell a lie . . . No matter how hard he tried . ❝ You owe me more than that for disappearing . ❞

Crystal blue found their home within the bright skies of Zack's eyes , noting mentally the [ [ tender ] ] undertones that laced under Zack's words . They made Noctis' smile -- the kind of smile that he kept reserved [ [ only ] ] for those who mattered most to him .

❝ You tell me . . . ❞ He replied , taking a small step towards Zack . ❝ . . . I could say ❛forever ❜ , but that's an awfully long time for you to stick around . ❞

[fairfallcn]

『 ❝ alright... you got me. ❞ 』 it really was a poor excuse on his part for his disappearance. even if it was the truth. sometimes he just got a little carried away and became one-track minded about things. but still... he wanted to do better. so, when Noctis asked him, he didn't hesitate in his reply, 『 ❝ nah... think I'm here to stay. at least for as long as you want me around. ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐂rystal blue eyes softened at the reply that seemed to come as easily as [ [ breathing ] ] . If it were [ [ anyone ] ] else , Noctis would have thought Zack was just telling him what he wanted to hear — as people often did . However , for [ [ Zack ] ] , trusting what he said was never something he questioned . Zack was loyal to a fault — a skill Noctis admired , whether it would lead to their happy ending , or their untimely demise . If he was going to stick around . . . Who was Noctis to tell him no ?

❝ As long as I want you around ? ❞ The Prince asked , his left eyebrow lifting on his forehead . ❝ You're going to leave that up to me ? That sounds dangerous . ❞

[nerditudes]

"I believe I am doing my duty, Noctis. Or would you prefer I leave you unattended with potential security risks?" His arms crossed-- the standard mother hen energy already coming off of him.

"Gladio's around the corner." He added, nodding his head toward the Prince's Shield, who poked his head out from behind the corner and waved cheekily.

[rexelectus]

● — || ❝ 𝐋ast time I checked , doing your ❛duty ❜ didn't involve spying on me talking to my friends . ❞ He shook his head , waving his hand [ [ mindlessly ] ] through the air . ❝ I'll be fine . You can leave me unattended . If anything goes wrong , I'll let you know . ❞ Though he highly doubted that would happen . The mention of [ [ Gladio ] ] , however , made Noctis look over his shoulder to the corner with Iggy's gaze had landed .

❝ Of course he is . ❞ Noctis gave Iggy a pointed glance . ❝ Seriously ? ❞

[fairfallcn]

『 ❝ heh... guess you got a point there... ❞ 』 a soft chuckle left him, Zack reaching up to rub at the back of his neck in embarrassment, gaze shifting off to the side, 『 ❝ I never meant to come across like I was hiding on you... I guess I just got caught up in old habits. but I'm here now. ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || ❝ 𝐌aybe more than one . ❞ His own soft trace of laughter [ [ wove ] ] within his words , but the smile on his lips didn't hide the [ [ true ] ] feelings he held within . Regardless , the question that followed [ [ hinted ] ] at something honest . ❝ Are you here to stay this time ? Or , are those habits going to come back ? ❞

[nerditudes]

Noct is so-- so bad at flirting it almost hurts. He's just going to pretend he doesn't hear this and will be on his merry way. He has some healthy lunch to make, after all.

[rexelectus]

● — || ❝ 𝐀re you spying on me ? ❞

[fairfallcn]

『 ❝ Noctis?! I... I may have missed you... just a little bit. where have you been? ❞ 』

[rexelectus]

● — || ❝ Hm . You're one to talk . ❞ His eyes flickered down as he smiled at his boots . ❝ I could ask you the same question . I didn't know you liked to hide from me ? ❞

[rexelectus]

● — || ❝ I heard you missed me , @fairfallcn ? ❞

[bladeslinger]

Jet huffed a quiet laugh at that, head tipping slightly as Noctis turned to face him. The shift didn’t go unnoticed as the prince squared himself and Jet’s eyes flicked down for half a second to mirror that glance at the space between them. “Careful,” he murmured, tone dry. “You keep talking like you know my job and I might people start thinking you’ve been paying too much attention to me.” A crooked smile pulled at his mouth, “Sometimes,” he went on, it’s more useful to let someone see you. See how they behave when they know they’re being watched.” His gaze held Noctis’s, “And right now? I’m learning a lot.”

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐇is tongue [ [ swirled ] ] around his mouth once as his smile shifted to mischievous . ❝ Like I said , you're one to talk . ❞ Noctis' eyes dipped slightly as her turned his head to look over his shoulder . ❝ I might be paying attention to you , and you me . . . but one pays more attention to me than my Advisor . ❞ Who , he was [ [ certain ] ] was lurking near . After all , Ignis was [ [ always ] ] watching .

His brows furrowed together in thought as Noctis turned his gaze back to his guard . ❝ Right now you're learning a lot ? We've been talking for roughly two minutes . What have you learned from that ? ❞

[bladeslinger]

Jet didn’t bother looking away when he was caught. The corner of his mouth tilted higher and one shoulder stayed braced against the wall, posture loose. “Y’know,” he drawled, voice carrying just enough to reach without effort, “for someone trying real hard not to notice me, you’re doing a pretty lousy job of it.”

His gaze dragged, slow and unapologetic from the dip of Noctis’s head back up to those crystal eyes, sharp with interest as he pushed off the wall and closed a bit of the distance between himself and his charge.  “Relax. If I wanted to go unnoticed, you wouldn’t have seen me at all.”

[rexelectus]

● — || 𝐍octis smirked , eyes dropping from Jet towards the marble floors beneath his polished boots . He shook his head , charcoal bangs [ [ catching ] ] against his skin while amusement painted itself across his features . ❝ You're one to talk , for someone whose job it is to not to be caught . ❞

He turned over his shoulder to fully give Jet his undivided attention . After all , it wasn't polite to ignore one's bodyguard when he was speaking . What if he was saying something important ? ❝ So , you [ [ wanted ] ] to be caught ? Why's that ? ❞ He glanced down at the space between them . noting it with a quick raise of his brows , before looking up at Jet . ❝ Seems counterproductive . ❞

[bladeslinger]

He’s observing the princling from the comfort of this wall he’s leaning against.

[rexelectus]

● — || Noctis glanced towards the wall behind him , catching the gaze of the one watching with a keen eye on par with his advisor . Crystal eyes dipped as he smirked down at himself , [ [ trying ] ] to pretend that he didn't see him . Trying . . . Not succeeding .