content: MALE!reader. You (y/n) are said to be older and taller than Noctis. Childhood best friends suddenly made to marry. But of course, no romance this was strictly political.
note: Noticed there are literally no Noctis fanfics on here, but I had to make it MLM because I'm simply self-indulgent like that. Sorry to all the girls out there, but I'm sure you can enjoy it the same lol.
Noctis and y/n had been best friends since they were children—two princes from rival kingdoms who were never supposed to get along, and yet somehow always found each other anyway. What started as stolen conversations and shared mischief grew into something quieter and heavier over the years, until neither of them could quite name what their bond had become.
At first, the strained relationship between their kingdoms made their meetings dangerous. Later, it made them political. And still, they kept meeting.
Now they were adults. Y/n was a couple of years older—taller, too, broader in the shoulders, built as he had grown into every expectation a kingdom had ever placed on him. Noctis had caught up in presence if not in stature, but even now, standing beside him, he felt the difference like a quiet pressure in the air.
The announcement had come first: Noctis was to marry Lady Luna. A perfect union, carefully arranged, widely accepted. Duty, as always, dressed up as destiny.
Noctis had played his part well. He always did.
Luna was perfect. Kind, composed, exactly what a future queen should be.
And yet the thought of it had sat wrong in his chest from the moment he heard it. Not because he disliked her—he didn’t. He simply… didn’t want it. Didn’t want that. Didn’t want a life carefully arranged around someone who wasn’t—
He stopped that thought before it could form fully.
Then everything changed.
The new arrangement came suddenly, behind closed doors between kings and advisors. A different alliance. Stronger. Cleaner. A binding that would tie the kingdoms together more permanently than any fragile romance ever could.
A marriage to y/n.
The condition was explicit in the contract: this was not love, not romance, not companionship as stories pretended. It was political infrastructure. A living treaty. A symbol. No kisses. No public tenderness. No ambiguity that could weaken the message.
A union of crowns, not hearts.
Noctis had read the words more than once, as if repetition might make them feel less strange.
Both of them were men. That part had caused noise in the court, of course, but the objections had been quieted quickly. Power had a way of silencing hesitation.
And still—this was the solution they chose. Not because it was easy, but because it was undeniable.
When the day came, the ceremony felt less like a wedding and more like a coronation dressed in tradition.
Noctis was dressed like the centre of the world.
Pure white layered in fine fabric, stitched with pale blue that caught the light when he moved. Jewels rested along his collar and sleeves like frozen stars. A heavy cape trailed behind him, brushing the floor with every step as if the kingdom itself refused to let him move too freely. Even the crown felt heavier than usual, pressing down like expectation made physical.
He had expected something simpler.
He had expected them both to look like this was mutual.
Instead, everything was deliberate.
Because it had to be.
White for sacrifice. White for duty. White for the heir who would become king and could not be anything else.
The blue threaded through it all was unmistakable—Lucian blue, royal blue, the colour of Insomnia’s magic and its legacy. But it was also the colour of the alliance being forged, the colour of another kingdom now woven into his future whether he wanted it or not.
He was not just a prince today. He was a statement.
When he finally saw y/n, the contrast made the message even sharper.
Black. Simple, restrained, impeccably tailored. No excess, no decoration that could compete, no attempt to match the spectacle Noctis had been forced into. It was not lack of care—it was intention.
Y/n had chosen not to stand beside the crown in appearance, only in position.
And as always, he was older. Taller. Calm in a way Noctis had never managed to fully replicate. Even now, even here, he carried himself like someone who had decided long ago that emotion was something to be controlled, not displayed.
Noctis told himself he noticed these things only because they were practical.
Only because they mattered politically.
Not because they made something twist uncomfortably in his chest.
The ceremony ended as ceremonies always did—words spoken, vows exchanged without room for interpretation, signatures laid down like sealing wax over fate.
And then came the throne.
The throne of Insomnia.
Noctis sat first.
It was not a gesture of comfort. It was placement. Clear, deliberate, and visible to every noble watching. The Lucian line remained sovereign. Nothing had been transferred, nothing diluted.
But behind him—standing just close enough that it could not be mistaken for distance—was y/n.
Not beside. Not above.
Behind.
A protector’s position in older military traditions. A consort’s position in newer political ones. And in this case, a compromise between both kingdoms that meant exactly what it needed to mean: support without replacement. Presence without displacement.
Even as older and, in many ways, more experienced, y/n did not challenge it. That, too, was part of the message.
Loyalty. Acceptance. Control.
Noctis stared forward as the court celebrated their union, feeling the weight of every gaze, every expectation, every carefully hidden calculation behind polite smiles.
A marriage of convenience, the contract had called it.
A binding of kingdoms.
Romance strictly prohibited.
He told himself that was fine.
He told himself it was easier this way.
And yet, behind him, y/n was close enough that Noctis could feel his presence without turning around.
That awareness lingered longer than it should have.
When the last of the formalities dissolved into celebration, it took nearly two days for the world to stop performing.
The palace was loud, full of music and laughter and nobles pretending this was joy instead of strategy. Noctis stood through it all like he was carved from something softer than stone but forced to act like it wasn’t.
Eventually, it ended.
Night settled over Insomnia, deep and heavy, swallowing the noise whole.
Tradition dictated they be escorted to the royal chambers together.
Of course it did.
The room they were led into was enormous—fit for a king who was now expected to share his space with a political consequence. The bed alone looked almost small against the vast walls, draped in fabric and gold trim that served no purpose except to remind them of their roles.
Guards remained outside.
Privacy, but only in the technical sense.
The moment the door closed, Noctis exhaled sharply and immediately began tugging at the layers of his suit.
“This thing is ridiculous,” he muttered, frustration breaking through for the first time all day as fabric resisted him at every turn.
He heard y/n remove his crown and set it down with quiet precision. Noctis followed suit a moment later, placing his beside it like a matching symbol of everything they had just endured.
Then something changed in the air.
A shove.
Noctis stumbled half a step before turning, blinking—just in time for another push.
“Oh—really?” he started, but the sentence didn’t get far before y/n’s fist tapped against his shoulder in something far too familiar to be called proper conduct.
It escalated quickly after that.
A light punch. A sharper shove. Noctis retaliating out of instinct more than thought, years of shared history snapping back into place like nothing had ever changed. A laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
“Seriously? After that ceremony, you still have energy for this?”
A tackle sent them both off balance, and suddenly the stiffness of the day felt far away enough to ignore. Arguments followed—stupid ones, meaningless ones. Who looked more miserable. Who stood straighter. Who held the worse expression when the vows were spoken.
Neither of them really cared.
That was the point.
Eventually the argument dissolved into something simpler: the bed.
Which side belonged to who.
Which, in practice, meant nothing at all.
They ended up both throwing themselves onto it at once, half-dressed in ceremonial ruin, shoving each other like they were still children sneaking through palace halls instead of kings-in-name only.
Noctis laughed again, breathless this time, the sound slipping out easier than anything he had said all day in front of the court.
For a moment, it almost felt normal.
Almost.
Then the weight changed.
Not pressure—presence.
He blinked up.
Y/n was above him.
One knee on either side of his hips, hands planted near his head as if he had pinned him without fully meaning to. Close enough that the rest of the room disappeared behind him.
Noctis froze for half a second, breath catching before he could stop it.
“…You’re really taking this seriously now, huh,” he managed, quieter than he intended.
His composure—carefully rebuilt over years, over duty, over denial—did not fully break.
Trigger Warning: Mentions of blood, violence, depression, suicide attempt, and minor sexual content
Synopsis: Daughter of a Niflheim soldier, you were sent out to Tenebrae to spy on the Nox Fleuret family and their involvement with the Lucis Caelum family. However, after learning the truth about Niflheim, you betray them. Your journey of revenge begins after learning of the death of your adoptive sister, Lunafreya, and your childhood friend Noctis Lucis Caelum.
First Chapter
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A/N: Hi, darlings! Sorry for the extremely long wait but here is chapter 12! Things will really start heating up now because we’re about a chapter away from Altissia! And if you’ve played FFXV... well, get your tissues. I plan to make you all suffer in ways the game didn’t. Muahaha. Anyways, enjoy!
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Church bells rung tauntingly above you as you dashed inside the building, worried that you would be late for the grand event. Though you were running as fast as you could towards the chapel, the weight from your heart felt as if it were slowing your entire body down. Finally, you threw open the chapel doors where you could feel unfamiliar eyes immediately turn to burn into your soul. However, you didn’t care to notice them. Your eyes stared at the end of the room where the backs of those you loved most faced you. To the left was your sister. Her long, white veil covered the entirety of her back, but you could make out the wedding dress she wore through the veil’s sheerness. The feeling of your sinking heart intensified as your eyes traveled to the right where the man you were in love with – but wasn’t supposed to be – stood. He was in a pinstripe suit, from what you could tell, and a crown sat upon his unruly raven-black hair.
“Do you, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, take Noctis Lucis Caelum to be your lawfully wedded-“
Your ears perked up as the voice of the invisible priest filled your head. The voice seemed to echo against the walls of the chapel and surround you. Lunafreya… was marrying Noctis? And she didn’t wait for you to start the ceremony? You’d always imagine you’d stand right next to your sister ever since you found out she was supposed to marry the prince. Why would she… start without you? Carefully, you trudged towards the front of the chapel as the priest continued.
“I do,” At Lunafreya’s unhesitant words, your eyes widened as your feet came to a halt. You started to tremble as the unknown priest began to repeat the vow, this time directed towards Noctis.
“And do you, Noctis Lucis Caelum-“
“No…” You whispered to yourself as you desperately tried to communicate with your feet to move again. The urge to stand beside your sister on her wedding day suddenly turned into the want to stop the wedding. However, your feet were cemented to the white floor. You blinked back tears as you jerked your body forward to no avail. Looking up, you gasped as you noticed you were no longer in the chapel. The guests’ eyes that had been staring at you from the beginning had disappeared and only Lunafreya and Noctis stood up front, staring into a white abyss.
“I…d-“
“No!” You shouted, your voice echoing throughout the space. Finally, your feet began to run towards them. As you reached them, you expected to reach out and grab ahold of Lunafreya, however, you took hold of the back of Noctis’s suit jacket instead. “Please… don’t get married…”
Suddenly, the white walls of the room melted to the floor to reveal pitch black ones. Your eyes widened in horror as the white completely drained from the room, leaving everything completely black. You gripped onto Noctis’s jacket for protection as it became harder to see anything from the darkness.
“A traitor has no right to be at our wedding,” Lunafreya’s cold voice filled your ears. Your head whipped towards her to see her in her usual white dress, now tattered and bloodstained. Her blonde hair that was usually in a updo, was now blowing wildly around her shoulders. Pryna and Umbra stood beside her snarling at you as their eyes glowed a dark ember – something you’ve never witnessed from the mystical dogs.
“I’m…”
“You are the cause of this. It’s your fault my mother is dead, why Tenebrae fell, why I was locked up for years in the manor. Why I threw away my life to become oracle. You took away all the happiness I had. The only one left to save me from my misery was,” Lunafreya paused briefly as her eyes flickered over to Noctis then to your hand that still held tightly onto him, “Him… and you even managed to take him away from me.”
“Lunafreya, I’m-“
“Didn’t you listen to my stories as a child, Y/N? The oracle ends up with the Chosen King, not the Imperial soldier’s daughter, as foretold by the Gods,” At her words she began to fade into the darkness. Immediately, you let go of Noctis’s jacket and attempted to reach out towards her. Umbra and Pryna simultaneously began to growl and bark viciously at you, causing you to draw your arm back as they and Lunafreya faded.
“You just destroy the lives of everyone around you, huh?” You turned to Noctis who was now facing you. His once azure eyes were now glowing red as they burned into you. “Because of your selfishness, my country and father have fallen. Do you actually think I don’t know the truth about you? How you’re Imperial scum? You’re just like your mother – a traitor. Glauca should’ve finished you off when he had the chan-“
“That’s enough, Y/N,” Tears streamed down your face as the voice of Gentiana echoed throughout the room. You turned your head briefly to try to spot the woman within the darkness before turning back to Noctis to only find him gone.
“Y/N!” Your eyes shot open as the fierce voice of an unfamiliar woman’s voice awoken you from your sleep. Your chest was heaving as your eyes frantically searched around the darkened tent. Iris was curled up asleep beside you with Prompto on your other side. When did you come back inside the tent? More importantly, why did you have that dream? Was it… predicting the future?
~!~
Noctis’s POV
Sleep was one of the things the prince cherished the most. If there was enough time in the day that he could get a chance to doze off, he’d take it every time. Every day, he looked forward to when he could close his eyes and drift off into a peaceful slumber. Well, as peaceful as it’d get with the threat of daemons and Imperials lurking around. Point is, he took sleeping as serious as Prompto took the chocobos. When he didn’t get his much-needed rest, he’d wake up cranky much to his friends’ dismay. The prince was already a slight grouch, but he was almost a hundred times worst when he didn’t sleep.
So, imagine Ignis’s surprise – and slight annoyance - to see the prince wide awake, sitting in his chair around the extinguished firepit. To see Noctis up before the sun was an extremely rare sight and Ignis knew that only meant one thing – he didn’t sleep the night before. After noticing the prince, the older man mentally prepared himself for any stark remarks from him. Ignis knew it was going to be a long day. However, to his surprise again, when he greeted Noctis, the prince responded distantly instead of with a grunt or just ignoring him. Ignis noted there was something off with the 20-year-old, but he decided to leave the situation alone. He figured it had something to do with Y/N as the ex-princess was wide awake as well. She, however, didn’t acknowledge the adviser – something Ignis expected from the woman.
Yes, sleep was the last thing on the prince’s mind. His mind kept repeating the previous night’s events. Throughout the night, Noctis questioned whether it happened or not. Did he dream it? But he couldn’t have had, right? He clearly felt Y/N’s soft lips pressed against his. He clearly felt the spark that ignited from her touch and the lingering presence of her when she pulled away. Noctis found himself touching his lips ever so often throughout the night as if trying to recreate the too short moment. It wasn’t the prince’s first kiss but the feeling that came with this one was new. He wanted to feel it again. He wanted to kiss Y/N again.
How could he, though? The terrified look in her hazel eyes she gave him when she pulled away struck a fear in his own heart. Noctis knew she instantly regretted the kiss. She felt guilty for kissing the man her sister, who she loved more than anything in Eos, was in love with. Noctis had to admit, he felt a bit guilty as well as Y/N did practically tell him that Luna was in love with him. However, it wasn’t Luna that Noctis was in love with. And, though it was selfish, he was happy that the one he did hold feelings for possibly returned them – whether she’d admit it or not.
“Ah, good morning, Lady Y/N,” Noctis was snapped from his thoughts as Ignis greeted Y/N as she emerged from the tent. Her eyes were bloodshot and dark circles were present under her eyes. Noctis’s heart dropped at the sight of her. He could tell she didn’t sleep much either, however, she seemed to be worse off than what he was. Y/N didn’t say anything to Ignis as she walked to the cooler to fetch a bottle of water. As she passed Noctis, her eyes glanced over to him, briefly meeting his cerulean ones. Noctis didn’t know why he was expecting a smile or a nod from the girl, but his heart sank further when the corners of her lips turned into a frown at the sight of him. She swiftly looked away from him as she grabbed the bottle and returned to the tent.
Noctis let out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his messy black hair. The elatedness he had felt throughout the night disappeared. Y/N regretted everything and now she probably hated the prince because of the kiss. Though she gave him permission to kiss her, Noctis shouldn’t have had asked when she was in such a vulnerable state. Finally, Noctis could feel the lack of sleep and the irritation rising in him.
“Since you and Lady Y/N are up, how about we wake the others as well and finish our journey to Caem?” Ignis proposed as he plopped down in the chair next to Noctis with a mug of instant coffee in his hand.
“Do whatever you want,” Noctis snarled under his breath as he got up from the chair and began to walk away from the campsite towards the beach. Ignis arched a brow before letting out a sigh. There was the cranky, sleep-deprived prince he’d known for over half his life.
~!~
Your POV
Your head pounded as you constantly replayed the events of your dream – nightmare – in your head. From the way Noctis and Lunafreya glared, to the way Umbra growled in disgust, and to the unknown woman’s voice who awakened you. Whose voice was that? You had recognized Gentiana’s but not the other? Was it a God? Why would a God contact you through your dreams, though? They hated you as much as you hated them. If anything, they would’ve tried to make your dream worse than what it already was. Clutching your head in pain, you looked towards the front seat of the Regalia where Gladiolus sat and Ignis drove. Prompto had decided to sit in the back to make more room for Noctis, Iris, and you. However, because he oversaw the music, the blond man demanded to squeeze in the middle of the backseat to easily control the radio from his phone.
His music blared out the speakers as Ignis zipped down the highway towards Cape Caem. Iris, who was sitting the closest to the prince, was bickering with her brother about something while Noctis was staring at the endless ocean that passed by.
“Can’t you turn that down some?” You frowned at Prompto who was searching for the next song to play on his phone.
“Huh?” He looked over to you. It was the first time you’ve really spoken to anyone all morning. Apparently, Noctis and you were giving everyone the silent treatment – especially towards each other. However, it was more so you were ignoring Noctis than he was you. You went out of your way all morning to avoid the prince. Every time you looked at him, you just remembered his red glaring eyes. That, and the kiss of course. Before you had fallen asleep, your fingertips had kept unconsciously grazing across your bottom lip. The tingling sensation you had felt didn’t vanish until your eyes became heavy with sleep.
“Turn the music down.”
“It’s my favorite song though,” Prompto pouted at you. In response, your frown deepened at the man. Prompto let out another pout as he turned the volume down on his phone. “What’s wrong with you today?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure-“
“I said nothing!” You sharply said to him, causing both Gladiolus and Ignis to throw you a look through the rearview mirror. Everyone knew something had happened between you and the prince as you were both in bad moods, but they didn’t know what. And you wanted to keep it that way. Even though you considered Prompto as someone you could trust, you didn’t want to tell him about your dream or what caused the dream. You were aware everyone in the car knew about your feelings for Noctis, however, no one knew you guys kissed and it was embarrassing to bring it up. That and… Lunafreya…
You clutched your head again as your thoughts traveled to her. What were you going to do when you see her? She could read you like an open book. She’d know something was up with you if you kept acting the way you did. Would you be able to tell her that you kissed the love of her life – or that you were also in love with him? Lunafreya has forgiven you about a lot of things but you doubt she’d forgive you for taking Noctis away. He was her last hope for happiness. You glanced over at the prince who didn’t seem to acknowledge the tension between you and everyone else in the car. He was meant for Lunafreya. Not you. It was as the dream version of your sister had said: the oracle marries the chosen king – not the Imperial soldier’s daughter.
And unfortunately, that’s all you’d ever be in this lifetime.
~!~
“Well, it’s bout’ damn time you got your asses o’er here,” Cid, the owner of Hammerhead, scrunched his nose as you and the others trudged up the hill at Cape Caem towards the house. The gray-haired man was sitting in a wooden chair on the porch of the medium-sized cottage, gnawing on a toothpick he balanced on the left side of his mouth. You’ve only seen him a couple of times but never really interacted with him. Mostly, you talked with his granddaughter, Cindy. She was the one who had bandaged up your bullet wound when you arrived in Hammerhead for the first time.
“We got here as fast as we could, sir,” Ignis said as he pushed up his glasses. “Is the boat prepared for departure?”
“Ah, about that…” Cid stopped chewing on the toothpick and looked at Noctis. “There’s some parts missin’ that Cindy and I were hoppin’ ya’ll could fetch for us…”
“What kind of parts?” Noctis arched a brow at the elderly man.
“Myrill? Methrill? Somethin’ like that. That little fella from the city said he knew where ya’ll could get some. Ask him. The faster ya get it, the sooner ya’ll can leave. I say about three days tops.”
“Three days?!” You asked in disbelief. “My sister is waiting for me. I need to be leaving tomorrow to get to her. Who knows what the Empire is doing to her-“
“You wanna repair a vessel over 20 years old? Be my guest. Let me see if you can get ‘er done any sooner,” Cid frowned at you. You returned the look to the elderly man as he turned his attention away from you and back to Noctis and the guys. “As I said, three days. The faster we get the material, the better.”
“Thank you, Cid. We’ll ask Talcott right away,” Ignis thanked the man. Meanwhile, you still held your glare at the man until you felt Prompto gently grab your arm and lead you towards the lighthouse. You assumed that’s where Talcott was.
You looked up towards the lighthouse and the frown gradually faded away. It was your first time seeing a lighthouse in person. Living in Tenebrae, you were constantly surrounded by the forest and a manmade river close by the city. There wasn’t a need for a lighthouse as no one traveled along the lake late at night. It was beautiful as the setting sun’s rays gave the illusion that it was glowing. You bet you could get a clear view of the setting sun if you climbed to the top. It would feel like something out of a romance novel.
Your eyes glanced to Noctis at this thought and felt your heart beat just a bit faster. He was getting information from Talcott with Ignis and Gladiolus as they stood closer towards the lighthouse. You studied how his arms were crossed over his chest and his muscles slightly poked out from his biceps. Just last night, those arms were wrapped around you. Just last night, you had opened a bit to him and let him become closer to you. And just last night, you had the nightmare that made you want to avoid him and close yourself off from him. For the sake of his feelings – for the sake of Lunafreya’s feelings. You couldn’t imagine what would hurt more. Losing the trust of the man you were in love with or the trust of your sister who’ve you shared so many memories with. The thought of losing both nearly killed you inside. You just wanted things to go back to normal. You wanted the dreams and visions to stop. You wanted to achieve your goal of reuniting Noctis and Lunafreya as originally planned, as well as, seek revenge on the Empire for making your family’s life a living hell. It’s all you wanted. So why… why was this journey harder than you expected?
Why were you continuously the root cause for everything that is happening?
“Comin’ along, princess, or are you just gonna stare at the light house all day?” Gladiolus smirked as he bumped his arm into yours. Snapping out of your thoughts, you threw him an irritated look before turning on your heel and follow the others as they walked back towards the house.
~!~
Lunafreya’s POV
Awaiting your and Noctis’s arrival. Noctis, I hope my blessing has been received. -Luna
It’s been a week since Lunafreya has heard back from Noctis or Y/N. She was a bit worried as since Umbra located them, the messages had been coming in constantly. It usually only took the messenger about three days to find the group and return to her. Endless thoughts coursed through the oracle’s mind such as if the group was hurt or if Umbra had injured himself along the way. However, she tried to put those thoughts to rest as Pryna didn’t show any signs of distress and she knew that at least Umbra was okay. However, the first thought? She wouldn’t be sure of until Umbra appeared.
Not only was she worried because of Umbra’s lateness, but the Empire was up to something. They had been watching her more closely and banned her from now leaving her room inside of the estate. Servants would bring food to the blonde woman and imperials would accompany her to and from the restroom. It reminded Lunafreya of the first few years after her mother’s death and the Empire acquired Tenebrae. Her and Y/N were escorted everywhere in the manor and under close watch by Imperials with guns, ready to shoot at even one mishap. Though, Lunafreya knew deep down the guns were more to scare Y/N. However, the younger woman stopped showing fear of the weapons and Imperials by the time she was 12. It was something Lunafreya admired about her sister. She didn’t easily show her fear.
Sighing, Lunafreya stared solemnly out of her bedroom window in case she happened to see Umbra prancing around. However, her ears perked up immediately as she heard the door opening. Umbra didn’t really need to use doors to enter and leave areas, but maybe a servant had noticed the canine and decided to open the door for him. Lunafreya turned around with hopeful eyes only for them to darken seconds later as an Imperial stood in her doorway. They weren’t accompanied with anyone else which confused the woman as usually they stuck in pairs.
“Lunafreya Nox Fleuret…” the voice of a matured man filled her ears. The way he said her name caused her skin to crawl. It wasn’t the mischievousness or hatred it was laced with that scared her but, the monotone that accompanied it. This soldier… Lunafreya could tell has had enough experiences in his lifetime to lack empathy for anyone. He was the type to kill without second thought. And though he frightened the oracle, Lunafreya couldn’t help but feel a familiarity with him as he entered the room and shut the door behind him.
“What is it that you want?” Lunafreya put her fear of the man behind her and held a straight face.
“My, you’ve grown since the last time I saw you,” she could hear the smirk under his helmet. It sickened her.
“Do you know me?”
“Why, of course. Who wouldn’t know you? You’re Lady Lunafreya. Ex-princess of Tenebrae. The last oracle,” The man sarcastically said in a happy tone. Lunafreya shifted her eyes down to Pryna who was snarling at the man.
“May I ask why you are here?” Lunafreya asked again. She wanted this man to leave as soon as possible.
“You know when she’ll come, right?” The man asked as he roamed freely around the room, stopping to take notice of some of the things in the room. He stopped in front of the mannequin that wore what would’ve been Lunafreya’s wedding dress. They planned to move the dress to the store window of its designer as tribute to the “deceased” oracle. The man let out a low whistle as he eyed the gown. “What a beautiful dress. Would’ve made a gorgeous bride to the brat…”
Ignoring the man’s disrespect for Noctis, Lunafreya’s mind focused on his question. “Who is this she?”
The man ignored her question as he continued to examine the dress. “Heard you weren’t even gonna invite your own sister to your wedding. I understand, though. Can’t trust someone who’s betrayed you and your family before-“
“If you’re talking about Y/N-“
“Now look at her. Off traveling with your fiancé. The man you love. Who knows what that little traitor is doing now with him? Probably fuc-“
“Please refrain from speaking of my sister in that manner! I don’t know who you are but to even think you know her better than I do-“
The man let out a hearty laugh as Lunafreya balled her hands in a fist. Lunafreya wasn’t a great fighter and it’d be dangerous to take on a man who could probably shoot her dead before she reached him, but she wasn’t going to let anyone talk nonsense about Y/N. Especially an Imperial.
“You know her better than me? Ha, no one alive knows that little wench better than me,” The man snorted as Lunafreya’s eyes widened at his words. This man… he couldn’t be? Why would he… appear here suddenly? And looking for Y/N? It didn’t make sense. What was the Empire planning on doing…? Why were they after Y/N again after all these years? Why did they send him to find her? What… what had Y/N done?
The man stopped laughing to look at Lunafreya’s look of recognition on her face. Taking in a deep breath, the soldier removed his helmet as he stepped into the sun’s shining rays from the window and closer to Lunafreya, who in return, took a step back only to bump into the window. She let out a quiet gasp as she examined the man’s smirking face and Pryna began to angrily bark at the man. The man’s dark brown hair appeared nearly black and his light brown eyes were almost hazel from the light that bounced off them. However, it was the playful smirk that gave him away. Lunafreya had seen it many times before and had learned to love but also despise that look on… Y/N.
“You know me, oracle?” The smirk grew on the man’s face as a small fire began to burn in his eyes. Another thing Lunafreya had seen in Y/N whenever she talked about seeking revenge on the Empire or the Gods.
“Jeno Y/L/N…” Lunafreya said the man’s name. Y/N’s father.
“Ah, so she’s told you about me,” he chuckled darkly before removing his gun from its holder. Aiming it at Lunafreya, the smirk fell into a look full of pure hatred. “Now, I’ll ask again, Lady Lunafreya, when will my daughter arrive?”
~!~
Your POV
“Why can’t I go with you?” You frowned at Gladiolus as you watched him pack some his things in a bag. After getting information from Talcott and Iris earlier in the day about where and how to obtain mythril, everyone decided to stay at Caem to prepare for a day or two as the lake it could be found at was heavily infiltrated with Imperial soldiers. However, Gladiolus had other plans that he didn’t seem to plan on telling you guys what they were. Now, the royal guard was in the boys’ shared room packing his things as the others were having dinner downstairs with Monica and everyone else. You had excused yourself from dinner as your thoughts ruined your appetite. After hearing of Gladiolus’s leaving, you thought it’d be a great excuse to escape the group – escape Noctis – for a bit until you could sort out everything.
“Too dangerous for you, princess. Gotta get you to Lady Lunafreya in one piece, right? Besides, this is the first time you’ve really talked to anyone all day and it’s about you wanting to leave the others. What’s up with that?” Gladiolus said as he threw in one last item before zipping up the bag.
Ignoring the second half of what he said, you sucked your teeth at the man. “Please. I can handle myself. You and I both know that. “
“What are you avoiding, Y/N?” Gladiolus asked again as he plopped down on the bed.
“Nothing.” You immediately said, “Just wanna tag along so you won’t be alone.”
“Hm, I won’t be alone. Cor will be with me. So… you stay here with Noct.”
You let out a frustrated sigh as he said Noctis’s nickname. Just hearing his name caused your stomach to do a tiny flip. You hated the feeling. It was still unknown to everyone about the kiss you shared with the prince and you wanted it to stay that way. So far, you were doing well with keeping your distance from the prince. It was even easier with Iris and Talcott around as they occupied most of Noctis’s time since you guys arrived. Still, you wanted to be as far away as possible from him right now to put your feelings back in check. You couldn’t be friends with him, and you definitely couldn’t be in love with him. Though, you were.
“I don’t get you, Y/N,” Gladiolus shook his head. “One moment you seem to get along with us and the next, you want to run away. It’s annoying…”
“Well, if you haven’t noticed, Gladiolus, I’ve been trying to leave since day one. And I-“
“Then leave,” Gladiolus simply said as he stood up and grabbed his bag. “The others may beg you to stay, but I won’t anymore. You’ll be fine. Like you said, you can handle yourself.”
You blinked at the muscular man in front of you in shock as his words registered in your mind. You’d been so used to the men trying to make sure you didn’t sneak off in the middle of the night. A few weeks ago, you would’ve loved to hear Gladiolus give you permission to leave and you would’ve left within the blink of an eye. But… hearing it now… it made your stomach twist in knots – and not the kind that you felt when you saw Noctis. No, this was more like… regret.
“Cat got your tongue?” Gladiolus laughed. “Well, whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best, princess. Hope you get your revenge on the Empire and see your sister in case you’re not here when I get back.”
Still frozen in your spot, Gladiolus placed a hand on your shoulder and gently squeezed it. Removing it, he walked out the door and let it slam behind him. His words circled your mind. You could run away right now. At this very moment and find a way to Altissia to see Lunafreya. Or, you could make a stop to Gralea and seek revenge on those who hurt you and everyone you loved. No one would be able to stop you. No one would take your picture without your consent or hold their camera above their head as you desperately tried to reach it. No one would irk your last nerve because of their matter-of-factly personality and strong loyalty towards making sure the prince became king. No one would wake you up at the crack of dawn to train you in areas you were already skilled in thanks to previous training from your brother. And lastly… you wouldn’t have to worry about a certain pair of ocean blue eyes staring at you when you “weren’t” paying attention. Or scold you when you were supposedly putting yourself in danger. Or experiencing goosebumps and chills from his casual brushes to your arm and other simple touches. You could leave now and not worry about it.
It wouldn’t be the first time you contemplated leaving. You’ve thought about it several times before but there was always something – someone – holding you back. You were tired of being held back from doing what you wanted to do. Since you were kid, you’ve always been held back – always told what to do. From the Empire, your estranged father, your duties as a princess of Tenebrae to Lunafreya stopping you from defending yourself and now the men you were traveling with stopping you from taking off every time you considered it. You were tired of it. You wanted to find your sister. You wanted to destroy Aldercapt, Ardyn, and whoever else brainwashed you as a child. You wanted…
You wanted to leave.
~!~
Noctis’s POV
Dinner was a little too quiet for Noctis’s liking. Yeah, there was Talcott who was rambling on about some cactus figures or something he wanted him to collect and Iris sighing -and hinting to the prince – how dreamy and romantic it would be to watch the sunset from the light house. Then there was Prompto who was showing Monica, who was uninterested, all the photos he’d taken so far. Ignis was discussing with another Crownsguard member about the flavors of the meal they were having. Gladiolus had packed his things and left during the meal to go off to wherever. He didn’t tell the group where he was going but just that he needed some “me time” or whatever. No, it was quite a lively dinner, but it was missing one snarky, sarcastic ex-princess who’d kick your ass with one wrong blink.
Granted, Noctis was avoiding the woman but that was only because she seemed to distance herself from him as well. He planned on making some kind – any kind – of conversation with her at dinner. However, she was absent. Noctis knew he messed up with the kiss and he just wanted things to go back to normal between them. If she wanted to pretend that it never happened, then it’d be no problem. It never happened. Or if she wanted to cuss him out or hit him for kissing her, then that’d be okay. The prince just couldn’t take her ignoring him. He was finally getting through to her and now he was back at square one. No, worse than square one. Noctis felt like he was back to being 8 years old and the 9-year-old Y/N wouldn’t even give him the time of day.
Noctis let out a sigh as he shook the water from his raven locks with his towel after his shower. As he passed the room Y/N was occupying, he stopped in front of it as he thought about what to say to her if he were to knock. He could pretend he was at the wrong room. Or, one of his items got mixed up with hers from the last time they camped together. However, either way, he knew she wouldn’t believe him. Still, he wanted to talk to her. To apologize. To tell her it wouldn’t happen again no matter how much he’d give to feel her close to him.
Taking in a deep breath after deciding that talking to the woman would be best, he quietly knocked on the door. Of course, it was no surprise to him when she didn’t answer. Still, the prince stood there for a while in case she decided to. Maybe she was asleep? Or downstairs getting food since she missed dinner? Hesitantly, he knocked a bit louder this time with more force. Since the cabin they were staying at was pretty old, it didn’t take much for the doors to open easily. The door creaked open just enough for Noctis to peek inside. Briefly deciding if he should or not, he knocked once more before pushing the door open a bit more. His eyes scanned what he could see of the room to see it was dark and… empty?
Noctis immediately opened the door fully to confirm that Y/N was not in there. In fact, nothing that belonged to the princess was in there. Her backpack she used to travel with wasn’t there, her shoes, nothing. However, as Noctis scanned the room, his eyes settled on the jacket hanging on the back of a wooden chair. He instantly recognized the blue behemoth embroidery on the back of the leather jacket. Y/N always wore his jacket that he let her use. The woman didn’t even take it off when it would be blazing outside; instead, she’d tie the sleeves around her waist. Noctis knew she wasn’t in the shower as there was only one and he had just left it not too long ago. Could she have…? Panic set in his heart as he ran out of the room, dashing down the stairs towards the front door.
“Your highness? What’s wrong?” Monica asked worriedly as she and a few other Crownsguard soldiers stood up from the dining table. Noctis ignored them and rushed out the door.
“Y/N?!” Noctis shouted as he tried to see around the darkened area. The only light came from the light house, the full moon above, and some fireflies flying about. Monica and the others came rushing out the house as Noctis took off towards the lighthouse.
“Go get the others,” Monica commanded two of the soldiers. They nodded at her before returning to the house to get Prompto and Ignis. Meanwhile, Noctis warped to the top of the lighthouse in case the woman had taken off there. He did see her amazed by the structure earlier in the day. Noctis silently prayed to the Gods she was up there. However, to his dismay, she wasn’t.
“Noct! What’s wrong?” Noctis heard Prompto yell up to him. Noctis let out a frustrated sigh as he warped himself back down to his friends. They knew something was wrong as Noctis had a frantic look on his face – an expression the prince rarely gave.
“Y/N. She’s gone.”
“Nonsense, Noct. She’s probably just asleep in her room or-“
“No, Iggy, she’s gone. Her things are gone. She only left the jacket I gave her,” Noctis gripped his hair with his hands as endless thoughts about where she could have gone rushed through his mind. That and what if she was gets hurt? How would he get to her in time? He barely got to her that one time she decided to take on an entire Imperial base. Could she have gone to try and find a way to Altissia to see Lunafreya? All the ports were closed. This was the only way. Did she think she could find another way? Did he really mess things up by kissing her? Noctis would take it all back if that mean he knew she was safe. He would’ve never tried to grow closer to her. He would’ve taken her words – we can’t be friends Prince Noctis – seriously when she said it.
“Noct, calm down,” Prompto said to his best friend. Years of knowing the prince and the blond has never seen Noctis freak out over someone like this before. He didn’t even behave like this after the reports of King Regis and Lunafreya’s deaths. “Maybe Y/N went with Gladio?”
“Impossible,” Ignis shook his head as he turned to look at Monica and the Crownsguard behind them who held exchanged worried glances with one another. “Monica, let the others know of the situation. We need everyone on the lookout for Y/N.”
“Yes, sir,” Monica nodded her head in acknowledgement. She then turned to face Noctis. “We will notify you as soon as there’s info on the whereabouts of Lady Y/N, Your Highness.”
Noctis watched as Monica and the rest of the Crownsguard began to scatter around Caem, preparing the search party. He jumped when he felt Prompto grip his shoulder. Noctis looked in his best friend’s eyes and could clearly see the worry he held in them as well. Still, the 20-year-old tried to smile reassuringly at the man.
“Hey, for all we know, she just went for a nightly stroll and will return later.”
“Prompto is right, Noct. We don’t know the situation behind Y/N’s sudden leaving, but we will look for her. However, if Y/N has decided to leave and find her own way to Altissia, then it’s best we still prepare for our trip as well. We’ll go to the lake tomorrow instead so Cid and Cindy can finish the boat-“
“I’m not leaving until I know Y/N is safe,” Noctis turned to Ignis.
“You still have a duty to fulfil as the Cho-“
“Chosen King. Yeah, Ignis, I know,” Noctis grumbled. Gods, was he tired of everyone reminding him of this duty he had that he never even asked for. Being a king was the last thing on his mind right now. The woman he was in love with was possibly in danger and he couldn’t help but feel that it was his fault.
~!~
Your POV
When you decided to leave, you didn’t really think about where exactly you’d go or how you’d get there. You just knew you had to leave that house before things worsened – before someone other than Prompto knew about who you really are. Maybe by now they’ve noticed you’re gone and Prompto decided to tell them who you truly were. You scoffed at the thought. If he told them about you then he’d have to tell them about himself being from Niflheim as well. You doubt Prompto would betray you like that, but anything was possible.
It was eerily dark out besides the streetlamps that past by every couple of feet. You could hear the snarls, moans, and groans of the lurking daemons as they hunted for their next victim. Luckily, you’ve traveled with the boys long enough to know how to stealthily avoid being seen. You thought that by not being near Noctis and his powers then you couldn’t summon your daggers anymore, however, they still seemed to work. You weren’t well equipped for wherever you were going. The backpack you took along only held some clothing items, a toothbrush, and about three healing potions you swiped from the Regalia before setting off.
You thought that now you were on your own, you’d feel free again – as you did on your train ride to Insomnia a month ago. However, you felt… lonely. You hadn’t even been gone a full two hours and you could feel your heart aching for the boys. However, you couldn’t go back. If anything, that dream was telling you what would happen if you stayed. What you were would work out for everyone. You would find a way to Niflheim – to Gralea – and destroy the Empire. If you fell, you’d fall knowing they fell with you. Lunafreya wouldn’t have to live her life in fear by them and could regain control over Tenebrae. Ravus was the rightful heir to the throne after Queen Sylva’s death, but you doubt the people of Tenebrae would want someone who served the Empire as a king. Not only that, but Noctis could be reunited with his true queen – the one he was meant to be with. They could go on with their marriage and rule over Lucis and Tenebrae together. He’d go on to fulfil whatever his responsibilities Ignis was obsessed with as the chosen king. Gladiolus would serve as shield and Prompto would probably become a royal photographer or something. Everyone would live happily without ever knowing the truth about you.
It hurt you that you chose your unavoidable death before seeing Lunafreya one last time. But you knew she would always be with you. You lifted your right ring finger up to the light of the full moon where your ring shone brightly. This was the best for everyone. At least you’d die knowing you tried to correct your mistakes – for serving the Empire – for loving Noctis.
As your thoughts consumed you, you blocked out the heavy footsteps of a large daemon approaching. The feeling of the vibrating ground underneath you snapped you out of your thoughts. Dropping your hand and summoning your daggers, you turned around just in time to see an Iron Giant preparing its sword that was about as big as the Regalia to swing at you. Without a second thought, you dodge rolled out the way as the sword slammed into the ground with a deafening cracking sound. You’ve faced Iron Giants before but usually you had the help of the boys – never on you own. It was called a giant for a reason. Any physical contact from the daemon could kill you on impact. You aimed one of your daggers at its midriff just as it raised its sword again. The dagger made contact but with little to no damage to the monster. Usually when you fought Iron Giants, you depended on Noctis and Gladiolus’s larger swords to get the job done while Ignis, Prompto, and you distracted the daemon from the others’ attack. This time, you were all alone. However, you wouldn’t give up here. You had a mission to fulfil.
Summoning the dagger back, you aimed again at it, this time for its muscular arm that held his sword. Maybe you could inflict enough pain that it could drop the sword and give you an opening. You threw the dagger with all your strength at its arm. You smirked a bit as it slammed into its upper bicep, causing it to drop the sword as you had planned. The ground shook violently from the drop of the metal and the silent night was filled with the screams of the daemon. Quickly, you dashed towards the giant as it struggled to remove your dagger from its arm. Stabbing one of his feet with your other dagger, causing it to bend over in more pain, you jumped up onto the monster. Summoning the dagger in his arm back, you went to attack its face.
However, before you could get the chance, the beast came back to its senses and roughly ripped you from it.
“Ah!” You yelled in pain as it began to squeeze the life out of your body. Your arms went limp in its grip as tears formed in your eyes from the pain. The daggers dissipated as you could no longer focus on keeping them. You couldn’t die here. Not yet. Trying to regain feeling back in your arms, you tried to get your mind off the immense, increasing pain to that of your daggers. However, as black spots began to fill your eyesight and the cracking of your own bones, it was difficult to focus.
Just as the thoughts of giving up crossed your mind, you widened your eyes as a large sword came hurdling straight from the sky, right into the daemon’s head. It immediately let you go as you fell to the ground, sucking in as much air as possible as you landed. Whose sword was that? Had Noctis… found you? Your head was spinning as your vision continued to worsen. You were too weak to stand up to assist whoever saved you. The sound of the daemon dying soon filled your ears and the light crunching of the ground from footsteps.
You looked up to your savior and saw long blonde hair of a woman. The last thing you saw before falling unconscious was her smirking at you.
~!~
“Wakey wakey, princess,” the sound of a woman’s voice filled your ears. “You can’t die yet. We still need you.”
“W-what…?” You stuttered as you came to your senses. The pain you expected to feel wasn’t there meaning that a healing potion had probably been used on you. You were laying on a row of chairs in some sort of aircraft. A dim light lit up the small room. You blinked as you looked towards the woman and eyes widened immediately. It was the same woman who tried to kill you and Noctis before. Quickly, you jumped up, ready to attack, but immediately fell back down from the sudden rush.
“Take it easy. We’ll be there soon enough,” She chuckled at you as she stood up. “I have to admit, you were doing pretty well at first. Daemons like though, they take a team. Speaking of which, where’s princey boy?”
“W-what do you want?” You managed to spit out at the woman – a glare deep in your hazel eyes.
“Me? To get paid,” she shrugged.
“I meant with me,” You slowly sat up. Silently, you summoned your daggers just in case you had to end this woman. However, the flash of the blue light that accompanied your summoning gave you away.
“No need to get defensive, princess. If I wanted you to die, I would’ve let that giant crush you to death. I need you alive to get my moola,” She rubbed the tips of her fingers together to represent money. After not receiving a response from you, she frowned and dropped her hand. “Listen, believe it or not but I’m on your side-“
“Bullshit. You tried to murder-“
“Things have changed since then. Like you, I want the Empire to fall, too,” she shrugged as she plopped down beside you. You continued to frown at the woman. Did she really expect you to believe her bullshit? She was probably leading you to your death for all you know. She felt your intense stare as she turned to you with an arch brow and let out a chuckle.
“What’s so fucking funny?” You deepened your frown.
“She gave me that same look one time! When she didn’t believe me when I said I hadn’t joined the Empire. Of course, I was lying then,” the woman continued to laugh to herself.
“Who is she?!” You asked.
“Ah… that’s right. You wouldn’t know her…” she looked at you with a bit of pity on her face. This angered you as you didn’t like strangers – especially those who tried to kill you – take pity on you.
“Marina Y/L/N. Ring a bell?”
Your daggers flashed away as an audible gasp escaped your mouth. “My… my-“
“Your mom,” the woman stretched casually as she stood up before turning to you with a smirk on her face.
“Aranea Highwind. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Y/N.”
The rain poured heavily that day, yet dull light still flickers at the end of that long stretch of road...
The rain offered a bittersweet cleansing. Emerald hues watched as the rain washed away the crimson liquid from her shaky hands. She prayed to Gaia, or Aya or to the Six, or whoever would bother listening, that she could finally be free from the life forced upon her but she knew better than to believe her sins could be washed away so easily.
Soaked black tresses did little to shield her eyes from the worst mistake she could’ve ever made. Now she had to live in constant fear that he would make her pay for what she's done...if he still had a pulse.
“Rayvenna?” Hearing her name had been the cause of her finally tearing her eyes away from her bloodied hands but only briefly. The rain had washed away most of the crimson essence from her skin but some still remained.
A familiar male had called out to her. His blond spiky hair dampened by the rain. “Ray, why are you out here?” When she didn't so much as turn to eye him, he reached out and grabbed her arm, his grasp firm but nowhere near threatening or painful, even so it was enough to cause the noirette to flinch and instinctively back away from him.
She turned to eye him, momentarily forgetting about her bloodied and tattered dress. Her dress had been a pure white and went down to her knees just a few hours ago. Now it remained torn, nearly falling apart from the bottom up and barely reached her thighs. It served as evidence that she’d spent far too much time running.
When the male had taken in her appearance he had been stunned to silence, the rain drenching both of them no longer of importance.
“What happened?” He asked as he snapped out of the storm raging within his mind, all the swirling thoughts and scenarios of what happened to her had come to an abrupt halt when she spoke.
“I had to free myself.”
-------
A shrill ringtone pierced the air of the otherwise silent room, startling the sleeping occupant awake. A slender hand shot out from underneath a cream-colored duvet, blindly searching for the source of the noise. After a few frustrating moments, a tired noirette pulled the covers off herself and finally answered the phone, not bothering to check the caller ID.
“Someone better be dying for you to be calling me this early.” She groggily answered.
“Oh c’mon Ray, don't give me that.” A familiar and cheerful voice responded on the phone.
“Tifa, you better have a good reason for waking me up, otherwise you’ll learn pretty quickly that I-”
“I know, I know but I do have a good reason for waking you up. I have a job for you.”
“From who?” Immediately Ray sat up, her interest sparked as her friend stated her purpose for this early morning call.
“Cloud.” Hearing that odd name momentarily stunned Ray.
“Why would-”
“Well it didn't come from him directly but apparently someone he made a delivery for previously, needs to refill their stock of curatives. Before you ask why you have to go as well, one of the clients is wounded and needs help. Cloud will be there to pick you up in an hour. Have fun you two.” With that Tifa hung up. Ray stood, intent on being ready before Cloud arrived.
Like clockwork, an hour had passed and the roaring of his bike's engine could be heard approaching her home. While the bike nears her home, Ray gently packs some of the curatives she'd made just a few days prior alongside materials she'd need to tend to a wound. It always helped to be prepared, is Rayvenna's mindset.
She can hear his boots trudge closer to her home as he approaches her door. Before he can knock, her front door swings open allowing for both of them to meet face to face. Not much of a greeting is needed between them other than quickly fleeting smiles.
"You sure are a master at giving a proper heads up." Rayvenna's tone is tightly laced with sarcasm but not a single hint of annoyance, causing Cloud to snort ever so lightly; so quiet that most would never hear it.
"I try." He retorts before offering his hand to take the bag containing the package she so neatly put together. Rayvenna shakes her head in response, slinging the bag's strap on her shoulder.
"Let's go, the customer can't wait forever." With that the duo venture out, Rayvenna riding on the back of Cloud's bike.
It's a pastime Rayvenna will never get enough of, to feel the wind hit her, the world around her passing by in a blur of colors, drowned out by the sound of the engine purring. To her, this is freedom.
All too soon, that rush from riding with her friend dies down as they come to a slow stop. It had been approximately an hour of driving and yet that still didn't feel long enough to satisfy her. Ray wouldn't ever say that though, it would make her sound vulnerable and needy.
They had arrived at the outskirts of Edge, a golden place dry and devoid of much life save for a few rebellious greenery here and there. Sitting up straight, Rayvenna stretches her back to relieve the ache brought on by leaning forward onto Cloud for support during the ride. A moment later and she's stepping off the bike, her boots finding hard solid ground beneath her. The desert is something she's used to given the many times she's traveled with Cloud.
"So who exactly placed this order?" Ray asks after five minutes of waiting for them.
"The caller didn't leave their name but he did say his two friends were coming to meet us." Cloud answers simply, no suspicion evident despite the fact he didn't seem to recognize the customers.
"All a part of the job." Rayvenna remarks earning a quirked brow from her blond companion. She didn't need to hear his question to know there is one.
"Showing up to meet random people in the desert to give them what's requested." Her clarification only receives a curt nod from him.
Only a few more minutes of idle chit chat pass before the clients arrive. To the surprise of both Ray and Cloud, a third person is in tow. A tall man with glasses helps his much more muscular and shirtless friend walk to them, said muscular man having his arm around the shoulders of the bespectacled man and another blond stranger.
"I am aware our comrade mentioned there would be only two of us that would show up but I'm afraid our friend here requires more assistance than just myself." Rayvenna takes note of the distinct accent but can't quite place it.
"Cue me!" The blond speaks whilst straining himself to keep the middle man up.
"Right." Is the only response Rayvenna gives, accompanied by grunting from the injured man as his comrades help him settle down on a rock only approximately two feet away from all of them.
"I apologize for the trouble." The middle man speaks as if he's winded. Rayvenna wastes no time in digging in her bag to retrieve the makeshift first aid kit, the clinking of glass bottles can be heard as she does so.
As she approaches him and gains a better look at his face, her eyes widen ever so slightly as a wave of recognition washes over her. The man looks to her confused, just barely catching the look before she forced it away and began the process of cleansing and dressing his wound. She puts gloves on before gently moving his hands from his lower right side, allowing her to see the blood staining his hands.
"It's not too serious." She remarks loud enough for his friends to hear, earning sighs of relief. Her green hues begin scanning the damaged area, her hands carefully placed around it while her small form leans forward to get a better look at it. The wound is about half the size of a thumb in length and twice that in width.
"It looks bad but it should heal in a day or two when I'm done." Rayvenna retrieves gauze before placing it over a bottle and spilling the bottle on it, allowing for the gauze to soak up the strangely colored liquid within the bottle.
"This will make the wound close and the skin fuse back together quickly." She informs him before placing the gauze over the wound. The man hisses in pain when she presses it down.
"Sorry." Rayvenna murmurs. If I really wanted to...I could use magic to make this easier…Rayvenna quickly wipes that idea out of her mind. Doing so could reveal her identity, and opening that door won't end well…
"What is that?" Her impromptu patient questioned.
"A concoction I made. Heals quicker than any Elixir but not in a drastic way like a Phoenix would. It does prevent the need for either so you don't dip into the supply you're picking up now. It is strong though so he will need to rest after this"
He nods in understanding though judging by the way he continues staring at her, Rayvenna wonders what else he may have understood. Does he think I look familiar as well?
"We appreciate your assistance." His very formal friend spoke, giving her the perfect excuse to stand up and step away from him.
"Hey...I think it's already healing. The pain is gone." This news brings a quickly fleeting but still prideful smirk to tug at her lips.
"Whatever that stuff is, it's already working miracles. Thank you." He adds before extending a hand her way. "Gladiolus." His introduction quickly follows. Before she can smother it, her eyes widen in response. It doesn't take much for every man except the other blond who is too busy on his phone to take notice.
"Something wrong?" Gladiolus asked, taking the words right out of Cloud and the other man's mouths.
"No." Comes her answer but given the way she hesitates it makes each of them wonder what else lingered.
"I'm Ray." She finally returns Gladiolus' handshake, faking a brief smile all the while.
Now it's Gladiolus' turn to be stunned momentarily. This makes Rayvenna's stomach drop.
"Have we-"
"I-I have your curatives." Rayvenna is quick to rush over to her bag, retrieving the box for them and handing it over. Once Gladiolus takes it, she retreats to Cloud's bike, putting significant distance between herself and the three comrades. This causes the bespectacled man's brow to raise and the blond's attention to finally move from his phone to the situation happening right before him.
"Thank you." The accent rings out lowly, though there's a silent question in the man's tone.
Cloud clears his throat, breaking whatever silent tension is slowly brewing.
"Right. Ignis, let's pay them for their trouble and get out of here." Something now begins to weigh on Gladiolus but neither of his comrades has the courage to ask what it is right now.
"Of course." The man, Ignis, agrees before a gloved hand of his reaches into his back pocket. The exchange of Gil to the seller is swift and without further incident. Rayvenna keeps her gaze to the ground, not wishing to allow any of them to get a better look at her.
"You have our thanks." Ignis announces smoothly before he motions for his comrades to follow. Gladiolus chances one more look towards Rayvenna before he follows behind his friends.
It's not until they're far out into the distance that Cloud dares speak. Leaning against his bike, he eyes Ray; almost nervously.
"You wanna tell me what that was about?" It may very well be an idiotic question but it's one he feels the need to ask nonetheless. It would eat at him if he didn't ask.
"I recognized him." Her initial answer is enough to make Cloud's gaze give away to one of complete seriousness and genuine concern. Before he can ask her to elaborate, she does so. "From when my mom brought me to Insomnia. His family has close ties to the royal Insomnian family." That's all she has to say for Cloud to fully understand.
"Ray...do you think they-"
"No. They were and still are loyal. There's no way to know for sure if he recognized me too. Even if he did, the only thing we can do is leave and forget this happened." All Cloud can do in response is nod. It's not his place to object.
With that, they leave, unaware of the conversation begging to be had between the three comrades just a short drive away. Inside the car, they've been gifted for the day.
"So uh…" Prompto is the first to speak, nervousness easily peaking through. "What happened back there?" Ignis remains silent but his gaze still flickers to Gladio through the rearview mirror every time the cat encounters a red light.
Gladio appears to be lost in thought, gaze glued to the fast-moving blur that is the world outside the car. It takes him thirty seconds to answer Prompto's question both because it took half that for it register and the other half for him to form the words.
"I think I know who she is." Ignis has a nerve stricken by this news. His own vague recognition settling back in.
"What do you-"
"We'll finish this discussion once we arrive back at the hotel." Ignis intervenes, earning a nod from both Prompto and Gladio. Thirty minutes of driving later and they return to the hotel as planned, just outside of Hammerhead.
They're greeted by a curious and well-rested black-haired male, their fourth and final companion. He stares at each of them, searching for signs that they've in fact done as he was told they were intending to do when they left. Seeing Gladio no longer needing both Prompto and Ignis to walk or stand, he assumes they had.
"I was about to lead a search party for you three." Comes his greeting.
"Aw, Noctis, you were worried about us? It's okay bud, we're all fine." Prompto teases, having momentarily forgotten about his concern for Gladio, unlike Ignis.
"Sure. That and if you three needed me to come save you, I wanted to make sure I would be there." This response earns an exasperated sigh from Prompto. While the younger members of their party engaged in playful banter, Ignis and Gladio made their way up to the hotel room.
"Ignis...Tell me, did that girl seem familiar to you?" Such a question is to be expected, even so, Ignis needs a moment of deliberation. He's searching for any explanation, any way that he can explain this that follows the story he was told. Then again, such an explanation only proves there is really no other way as he was told a story.
"Yes, she did." Ignis answers, his tone giving away that there's far more to say on the matter than just those two words.
"Do you think Ray...stood for Rayvenna?" The very mention of that name is enough to fill both with a sorrowful nostalgia.
"I think there may be a chance. Amarynthian officials declared her dead after that raid of Kalm." Ignis adds the last part as a reminder to both of them.
"Yes but…What if how they say it ended had been a lie?" Gladio has the words but barely the courage to say them.
"It is true that the timeline they gave had been odd and the things they've left out are even more suspicious but there's been no sign of her." Ignis tries to reason.
"Yeah, no sign, until now." Gladio had a point, Ignis is sure of that but is he sure this girl they met could truly be who they're wanting her to be?
"There's no way for us to know the truth without a shadow of a doubt if we don't properly investigate. So, I propose that we do just that, investigate." Ignis' idea brings a smile to Gladio's face.
"Then that's what we'll do. In the meantime, what will we tell Noct?" Gladio posed a good question one Ignis had been dreading.
"Nothing. There's no sense in getting his hopes up for it to only be a dead end."
"What won't you tell me and get my hopes up about?" Both Ignis and Gladio quickly turn to see the Prince himself standing there with a worried Prompto standing behind him, both thoroughly confused.
"It's noth-"
"Oh c'mon, Gladio. Don't tell me it's nothing when you two are clearly up to something you don't want me to know about. Judging by your tones it's fairly serious, so out with it."
"Noctis…" Ignis start but then needs to take a beat before continuing. What would he do if they told him?
"We think we may have found a lead on...Rayvenna." Gladio is ultimately the one that breaks it to him. The look that overtakes the young royal is enough to make both of them regret ever considering this. First utter confusion overtakes Noctis' blue hues, then sorrow and finally raw pain. They had ripped open an old wound, and this time it couldn't heal without answers.
"W-What?" The question isn't one demanding an answer, rather it's the only thing he could think to say initially.
"It's true. When we went to retrieve the curatives and have Gladio's wound tended to, there was a girl there. She had a striking resemblance to Rayvenna and even the name she called herself, Ray while not uncommon had been the same as Rayvenna. Those are the only clues we have to go off of though so we must not jump to conclusions."
"Where was she?" Noctis' tone had taken a far more serious edge to it, one portraying the hurt he felt but also the desperation and hope coursing through him.
"Noctis we don't know-"
"Where is she?" He barks, not willing to listen to the reasoning his friends had on the subject.
"We don't know. We met her and her comrade not far from the ruins of Midgar just outside of Hammerhead. She's long gone by now." This news does nothing to quell his desire to see who they were talking about. Prompto only grows more concerned but doesn't have the courage to interject.
"Noctis…" Ignis is the first to break the tense silence that fell upon them. "I understand what this means for you but you must not lose sight of what's important. Even so, I know you won't let this go so...I suggest we utilize two days to gather as much info as we can and figure out if this is indeed a lead we should pursue." This news births a new flicker of hope within Noctis.
"Thank you." With that he offers a small, fleeting smile before heading towards the room, leaving his comrades on their own once more.
"Consider me completely lost." Prompto finally chimes in. "Who is Rayvenna?"
"An old friend of Noctis, one that was declared dead a few years ago." Ignis explains, searching for a good way to explain this to their clueless friend.
"Wait...that name does strike a chord. Why?"
"She was Amarynthia's Princess and only true heir to the throne. She was kidnapped and supposedly killed as a means of forcing the Amarynthian government to surrender to a mysterious enemy." Ignis continues but realizes a little too late that Prompto now had even more questions.
"The entire situation had been odd but it was the only information given to both the citizens of Amarynthia and other nations. The Amarynthian royal family were allies to Lucis but King Regis had never been allowed to aid them in finding her. A few years after her kidnapping, a raid of the town Kalm, not far from where we went today had been raided in an attempt to find her." Gladio chimed in now, trying to piece the story together as best he can despite his own doubts.
"The operation hadn't gone as planned and Rayvenna had supposedly been killed in the process. That's the story the king of Amarynthia told but reports state her body had never been recovered. When anyone asked about those reports they were silenced one way or another." Gladio continued.
"And you guys think that Ray girl we saw in the desert could be her?"
"Yes. We didn't want to tell Noctis until we were certain. You see, Rayvenna and Noctis were very close as children. He had known her before Lunafreya and her death devastated him. He's never believed the story told about anything that happened to her." Ignis' follow up explanation earns him a nod from Prompto.
"And if it turns out she's still alive, then she and Noctis can reunite and we can figure out what really happened to her." This excites Prompto, in turn earning smiles and nods from his friends.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" He cheerfully runs after Noctis wanting to keep that hope alive.
"Ignis...You realize, if this turns out to be her, there's gonna be much more than a happy reunion, right?"
"Yes. We'll help her get back home and reclaim the throne her father currently sits on. There may be a coronation for her and a wedding for Noctis in such a short span of one another."
"It'd be nice to know she's safe though I wonder if it will cause issues for Noctis' and Lunafreya's relationship." Even though that may be a serious issue later, Gladio can't wipe the smile off of his face.
"I suppose only time will tell."
Just a few miles away from the motel Prince Noctis and friends currently inhabited, Rayvenna could be found pacing in her home.
"What if they tell that bastard they found me? What if they're in their way here now?!"
"They wouldn't do that. You said it yourself that they were allies to your family. And you were close with the Prince so there's nothing you need to worry about." Cloud watches patiently from against the closest wall.
"A lot can change, Cloud."
"What happened to you reassuring me that everything would be alright?"
"That went out the window when we turned on the news and saw that Lucis is signing a treaty with Niflheim in four days. If they realize it's me, they might be forced to hand me over right to Nikal."
"Then we make sure that doesn't happen." Cloud's tone leaves no room for debate. He's serious and has no doubt about his words. This is enough to ease Ray's concerns, her shoulders falling slump and short-form collapsing onto the couch in relief.
"You're right." It's all she can say and all there is to hope for.
A day would pass before the four comrades would have any substantial leads.
"Noctis!" Ignis exclaims, bursting into the tent the four of them shared, effectively waking the Prince from his slumber.
"What is it Ignis?" The sleepy Prince grumbled, still lost in the space between consciousness and slumber.
"We may have found something about Rayvenna." This is enough to make Noctis sit upright, at full attention and fully awake.
"What is it?" He's already shuffling to get up.
"I just got off the phone with the Marshal. He informed me that Rayvenna's aunt, Lady Anya, used to reside in Midgar before the Meteorfall, after some shuffling around she began living in Lestallum but made frequent trips to Kalm right after moving there and eventually a town known as Edge just outside of Midgar. It isn't much but it's a starting point." Ignis speaks while they exit the tent, joining their other two comrades outside.
"So that means-"
"We're taking going to the Edge!" Prompto finishes his sentence excitedly, earning groans from his three friends because of the pun.
"Essentially, yes. Now we best head out, the earlier we get there the better." Ignis' friends agree with him and quickly busy themselves with cleaning up the campgrounds and heading towards their now fixed vehicle.
"On our way to save a Princess!" Prompto seems to be his usual, excited self.
"Potentially, we must not forget that nothing is set in stone." Ignis reminds him and in turn Noctis of this fact.
"Right…but how cool would that be?!"
"Very." Noctis agrees, still hopeful. He doesn't catch the concerned look Ignis shoots him. It's clear the bespectacled man is worried this might all be for nothing and would crush the Prince's hope.
As they each get situated into the car and head out towards Edge.
Apologizing for any mistakes, misspellings or anything. I want to thank the people tagged and anyone else for sticking around and reading this. Again, I didn't have this proof-read so Im unsure of how good this is, but I hope you guys enjoy ! ❤
Chapter 4:
[Warning: This Chapter is a little graphic and may move a little fast.]
Consumed by light ; Engulfed in Darkness
"I want you to follow and watch over my son."
The Kings words replayed in her mind as she ran through the crumbling halls of the citadel, dodging the falling ceiling. His broken body laid out between fallen stones as he weakly reached out to her, gripping her arm with the last bit of his strength, haunted her.
"If that is what you wish.." she said, holding back a tear. She turned to Nyx, "Get Luna out of here, Ulric. I'll see you guys at the gates."
Nyx nodded and ushered Luna out, unknowing of his fate. The fate of a hero. She stayed alongside of the king for a few minutes longer, watching as he took his last breath before speaking.
"Your son and I will be the downfall of Eos, but I will follow your last command. I will protect him with my life. Forever will I be at the side of the prince."
She shook the scene out of her head and picked up her pace. She busted through the second story stained glass window, rolling as she hit the ground and catching a glance behind her. A few daemons stopping at the edge of the window, watching her. Standing quickly she sprinted towards her bike, jumping on quickly, disregarding the time to put on her helmet. She sped off, heading towards the gates. As she hit the nearly destroyed highways, she saw Nyx, battling Drautos.
Drautos?
Was he working alongside Niflheim the whole time? Anger took over as she ramped off of the highway and down to Luna and Nyx and that's when she noticed what Nyx had done.
"NYX!" She screamed, crashing the bike and flipping along with it. Her body smacked the ground hard, her flesh stung with every scrape she received. Bruises formed instantly and half of her face sported the ugly road burn scratches. Blood trickled from the wounds, but she didn't care. She pushed up, glancing around frantically for the traitor.
"Get Luna and Get Out, [Y/N]!" Nyx yelled, waving her away with his good arm and getting her attention. Luna looked back to her, tears forming in her eyes. She rushed to his side, careful not to touch his body that was forming into ash before their very eyes.
"He used the ring of Lucii..The kings granted him power and now he must pay the price." Luna whispered.
She looked towards Luna, the Ring and then to Nyx, "You're stupid, Ulric. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid..," She wiped her eyes and chuckled,"you couldn't stop being the hero just this once.."
Nyx laughed, but choked. His breathing was getting difficult and she noticed.
"It's your turn now, [Y/N]. Get Luna out, the get the prince to Altissa.." He said dropping the Ring into Luna's hand and staring towards her, his stormy grey eyes flashing purple for a few seconds. She nodded, pressing her lips to Nyx's forehead just as he faded away, allowing the tear she kept holding back to fall just this once. She wiped it alway quickly and looked to Lunafreya.
"Alright, Time to go. Once I get you out, we'll have to go our seperate ways, got it?"
Luna nodded taking her hand after she quickly snatched up Nyx's daggers and began to run with her. Luna helped her pick up her bike. It wasn't too damaged after the crash, but it did have a busted head light, a few dents and scrapes on the metallic green paint job.
They sped across the broken bridge towards the exit gates of Insomnia only to notice they were blocked by broken buildings.
"We'll have to ramp it." She said noticing a pillar that had fallen. Luna agreed and they quickly scaled the broken pillar, jumping over the wall. Everything seemed to move slow motion as they were in the air.
BANG!
A single shot rang through the air flying between her and Lunafreya. Her eyes followed the bullet sent from a Magetiek Sniper from below. In the process she had let go of the handle bars and fell off, smacking the ground with a loud thud. The impact had knocked the wind out of her and her vision began to blur.
Luna landed the bike with a skid, nearly crashing herself, "[Y/N]!". Her voice echoed through the air.
"Go! Get to Altissa!" She shouted, rolling over slightly and waving her away. Luna nodded and revved up the bike, speeding off down the road.
She groaned loudly holding her head. When her vision cleared she caught sight of one of the troopers holding their sword above her head. She quickly rolled out of the way as the blade dug deep into the paved road where her skull was. She scrambled to her feet, pulling one of Nyx's daggers out of her boot and throwing it at the Sniper that had shot at her. The dagger landed in the center of the Magetiek's head, piercing it. She warped up and pulled the dagger out, noticing the other sniper aiming its gun at her. She quickly sprinted across the metal bridge using both daggers and gliding them through the center of the solider's stomach. She threw one of the daggers at the troop that tried to kabob her head to the ground. It pierced his head and when she warped down, she slid the other across his throat in one quick, swift motion. She yanked her blade from its head and watched as it dispersed into smoke. She turned slightly, her head pounding. There were at least twelve more troopers surrounding her, but she didn't care. Out of no where an Magetiek ship dropped the MA-X Angelus-O. It nearly crushed her and the ground shook when it landed.
"Shit..." She whispered out. It pointed it's torrents at her and she stared down the barrel of its gun. She dodged it quickly, running around the enemy, but only into the crowd of the others, she blocked attacks from the others, quickly hitting, kicking, and blocking. Another loud bang rang out through the air and a bullet pierced through her shoulder. She flung back and landed on her ass, rolling slightly. She gripped her wound, struggling to push herself up, the smell of burning flesh overwhelmimg her.
Gotta get up, Gotta get out of here repeated through her mind as she got to her feet. Out of her peripheral she noticed an broke down building. Using Nyx's dagger she threw it across the plane, lodging it into the cement, slightly limping she warped out of the enemies view, dodging a few shots from the Magetiek and dislodging the blade and falling to the ground. A loud grunt exited past her lips.
"Gotta move.." she whispered to herself, pushing herself up and gripping her shoulder. She manged to limp up a back road before she fainted from blood loss.
Noctis sat on the edge of the back seat of the Regalia. His fingers gripped the passenger's head rest, his knuckles turning white.
"Ignis, speed up!" He commanded and Ignis nodded, speeding the car up. They pulled to a halt a good distance away from the gates and out of view of the Magetiek troop guarding it.
"Take the back road, Iggy." Gladiolus said pointing to the back road on the side. Ignis nodded and quickly whipped the car around. They got a few feet up the road before Prompto shouted.
"Woah Iggy, Look out!" Prompto pointed at her body that way laying in the middle of the dirt road. Ignis swerved the car nearly crashing into the mountain side trying not to run her over.
The four boys jumped out the car and ran up to her, "She's hurt really badly.." Prompto stated pointing to her gun shot wound and crouching by her side. Gladiolus nodded and crouched with him.
"Help me flip her over, Ignis go get the first aid kit." Gladio said as he and Prompto place their hands on her side. Ignis left to retrieve the kit and Noctis stood above his two friends waiting anxiously.
Her hair was soaked in blood and dirt clumped around her and on her clothes. Gladiolus slipped her hair out of the woman's face.
"It's [Y/N]..." Noctis whispered out, shock covering his face.
"What happened to her..." Prompto asked, looking back at Noctis. Noctis shook his head and watch as Ignis disinfected her wounds and patched her up.
"Only one way to find out." Gladio said, picking her up and laying her down in the back seat, "We wait til she wakes up." He leaned against the side of the Regalia crossing his arms.
"Of course." Ignis said standing next to Gladio and pushing up his specs.
Prompto looked to Noctis and before Noctis could answer his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Noctis, It's Cor. We need to talk. Meet me as soon as possible."
51. " I'll never let anyone hurt you, you understand?" With our Noctis bey love love looooove :)
(casually doing these requests out of order XD XD XD XD XD XD XD )Thank ye for sending this request in! I’m gonna enjoy this. *cracks knuckles*
I’ve got Til it happens to You by Lady Gaga in my head so I’m gonna apologise now for the implied attempt of Rape (it’s only a few words in the beginning and isn’t anything at all graphic).
It’s hella short (to which I apologise greatly) so if you want a different scenario usingthis Prompt, maybe send in a little more to go with XD This is open to anyone.
Not gonna tag anyone just in case.
You were visibly shaken. The man that had been towering over your form, which had been pressed harshly against the wall, only moments before, now squirmed in pain on the floor. In front of you Noct stood tall, protective of your traumatised form. He looked over his shoulder at you, questioningly.
Your eyes said it all: the man had done nothing. That he, Noctis, had thrown him off you just in time.
He looked forward again. “Get away from here before I kill you myself.”
A little harsh? All rapists deserved death. And it was just the man’s luck that you had already contacted the police - thanks to this app on your phone. Just as he was about to stand, the police sirens were roaring, officers barking orders at each other. And the man was arrested.
You didn’t need to make a statement: the recording system on the app having voice recorded the ordeal and given them the evidence needed to take him to court.
Once the hustle had left, he turned to you, hands hesitantly cupping your cheeks. “Did he hurt you? Did he…”
“No. You got here before he did.”
Noctis placed his forehead on yours for a brief moment, waiting until your arms were around his waist before he buried his face into your neck, his arms bringing you into the comfortable confines of his frame.
He held you like it for a few moments, then a few minutes more, keeping you there until you had stopped shaking, until you’re tears had dried and your breathing controlled.
“Let’s take you home.”
—–
You decided that, above all else, you wanted to be with him. At his place. You felt safer there.
So. So safe.
He valued that. And he held you. He kept you safe. Within the confides of his arms.
Noctis placed gently kisses upon your face: you cheeks. forehead, temples, chin, your nose -“I’ll never let anyone hurt you. You understand?”
You nodded, and he kissed you lips. Gently. Softly. Tenderly. Not pushing you too far.
Notes: There is little that I love more about Ignis and Noct than exploring the bond that they have as brothers, they’ve been in each others lives since the dawn of time and I think they have a wonderful relationship and I could no longer resist. Plus I felt I should not only finish writing something (ahaha so many unfinished fics) but that I should throw my hand at doing something not centrally Gladnis (I mean there is still Gladnis because hello have you met me I can’t not it is like crack to me), but it is a side note rather than the main focus. Plus I needed something amusing in their to break the tension or I may have cried. I just have a lot of feelings. Don’t judge me. And just to set the mood because I am terrible some wise words from Cid.
"They're not your bodyguards. They're your brothers."
Ignis and Noct brothery fluff, lucis and past insomnia, gladnis mention, 3376 words. (AO3)
The sun slowly dropped below the horizon, the stars sparkling in the clear night sky as the darkness once again crept over the world. If the longer nights weren’t a sign of much worse things to come it would be quite easy to get lost in the beautiful night sky that sat over Duscae, but alas it was nothing more than a reminder of how much time they didn’t have. Fortunately for them, as the Regalia rumbled to a stop in the parking spot, the bright lights of the outpost would fend off such evils as the four young men quietly got out of the car. They hadn’t slept the night before, travelling through the night and fighting off the terrors that threatened them and finally they were all able to succumb to the tiredness as bags with clean clothes were removed from the boot of the car. The motels weren’t the most luxurious of accommodations but it was better than the cold hard floor of the tent and they would all benefit from a real bed at this point in the proceedings, and a decent shower.
Since he was the only one who hadn’t had the novelty of napping in the car, Ignis had to stifle a yawn as they approached the motel owner but fortunately for him, Gladio stepped in to acquire their rooms allowing him to simply rub tiredly at his eyes as they awaited the keys for the two rooms.
“Hey, specs.” Only just catching the set of keys that his bodyguard threw at him, Noctis looked almost nervous as he looked up to Ignis who was readjusting his glasses. “Do you mind if we share a room tonight?” Had they both been more awake and perceptive they may have noticed the slightly disappointed expressions that fleetingly skated over both Prompto and Gladio’s faces.
There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation before Ignis responded, after all he knew what such a request meant and he would always strive to do everything he could within his power to aid the Prince, even if that just meant being a sympathetic ear for the younger male when all he wanted to do was sleep. “I don’t mind at all.” An almost unseen little smile curved the lips of the twenty-two-year-old as he picked up Noct’s overnight bag that had been placed on the floor as they loitered waiting for their sleeping arrangements to be acquired. “Let’s call it a night and retire for the evening.”
It didn’t take them long to all get in to their rooms. It was hardly the Leville or Galdin Quay, but there were beds and a shower and at this point in time that was all that mattered. Ignis hadn’t even closed the door and Noct had already thrown himself down on one of the beds with a loud exhale. For once in his life though he wasn’t worried about the younger male falling asleep within moments. If that had been the plan he wouldn’t have asked him to bunk with him for the night. There was a small, selfish part of Ignis that questioned why the Prince couldn’t have waited until a night when he wasn’t dead on his feet but for all his years of knowing him, the advisor had quickly learnt that there was no telling when Noct would get to this point: the point where he had to talk, so there was no way he would hold it against the poor lad.
“I’m going to go and have a quick shower.” Stepping out of his shoes was one of the best feelings he had had all day, and the relieved expression on Ignis’ face would have given that away had Noctis not been staring up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to the unsolved mysteries of the universe. With everything he would need at hand, just about to close the door to the bathroom a strange gurgling noise broke the quiet of the room, Ignis raising an eyebrow as he peered back round the door to see Noct placing his hand on his stomach as if to try and hush the noise. “Then I will pick us up some dinner so your stomach doesn’t devour itself over night.”
The prince had skipped dinner that night. The excuse he had given was that he had homework but Ignis knew him, he was like a brother to him and any good brother would know that Noctis wouldn’t pass up food to study. As the fifteen year old walked down the high ceilinged corridors, he ensured he kept the tray in his hands steady. One of the kitchen staff had offered to take the meal up to the prince but the bespectacled boy wanted to do it himself, he needed to make sure everything was okay even if he already knew in his heart of hearts that it wasn’t.
Stopping in front of a large, familiar door, a shifting of the tray and its contents allowed knuckles to rap against the solid wood, echoing through the vast and empty hallway. No response. Knocking once more he listened closely, and he was sure he could hear rustling of some sort, but still no response. Sighing, he knocked again. “Noct, it’s me.”
For a few moments he was expecting yet again a response of absolutely nothing. He wanted to just burst through the door but the young Prince already had enough going on in his life and burdening him, the last thing Ignis wanted to do was start invading what little privacy he still had a hold of. On the verge of turning around and walking away a small voice came from within the room behind the door. “Ignis?”
“Can I come in?” He waited in silence yet again before a quiet, reluctant noise of approval came in response. Carefully swinging open the door, Ignis placed the tray down on the desk in the corner of the room as he tried to assess what was quite going on in the younger boys bedroom. Noctis was nowhere to be seen but he didn’t need a map to tell him where he was as all the pillows, blankets and sheets that were supposed to be on the boys bed had been stripped and assembled into a quite well fashioned fort. There was no doubt about it that if he were to look inside the small ebony haired boy would be sat in there. “Room for one mo—“
“Password!” The word came out with such volition as Ignis had slightly raised the corner of one of the sheets to take a quick peek, instantly dropping the fabric as he tried to hide the smile that crept at his features. He knew it was a coping mechanism, it was hiding a much bigger issue but if it was what Noct needed then he would play along.
Thinking it over for a few moments, nothing particular came to mind so he hoped manners would grant him entry. “Please?”
Noctis had gotten into the shower as soon as the bathroom had been free’d. He knew why Ignis had opted to go first: as he stood under the warm water he soon last track of how much time he had been in there, just enjoying the sensation. Finally he stepped out of the shower, drying off and getting into his pyjama’s for the night he expected to leave the bathroom and find Ignis already asleep after picking him up some food. It was clear to see how tired the older man was when they pulled into the outpost. What he did see as he swung open the door to the bathroom, hand rubbing towel over damp hair to try dry it as best as he could, drew a very much perplexed look on his soft features.
Dropping the damp towel from his shoulders to the floor, he instantly picked up knowing if he were to leave it there Ignis would probably smother him in his sleep with it. He tried to find somewhere to drape it but the chair in the room was being used to create a peak in the blanket fort that had appeared in the space between the two beds. Opting to drape it on the door handle, black hair fell floppily in front of eyes as he edged towards the new construct. He didn’t know what to expect, but at the same time as he lifted what was clearly supposed to be the ‘door’ he wasn’t at all surprised by the set up inside. All the pillows and sheets from the actual beds made up two, make shift beds on the floor under the canopy of the larger sheets. Ignis had even bought in the lamp from the bedside table to provide them with light as two takeaway boxes from the diner next door in the space between the ‘beds’ with a bottle of water each.
“Password.” The matter of fact tone came from Ignis as he sat cross legged in his makeshift bed for the night, putting down the phone he had been scrolling through to look to Noct as he peeked into the fort. The smile that adorned the Prince’s face was the first genuine one he had seen for a while and it brought out one of his own.
“Please?” Receiving the nod of approval, a quiet laugh was shared between the two as soon they were sat facing each other, both looking far from their usual presentable states as damp hair fell flat, clinging to foreheads as lose pyjama’s hung off their bodies. Reaching out for one of the bottles, a quick swig was taken as Noctis looked around at the structure that they resided in, shoulders relaxing as he finally started to think about letting the wall down that was permanently up with the boy. “How long did this take you?”
“Not long, I learnt from the best.” Reaching out he passed one of the takeaway boxes to Noct who eagerly took it. His stomach may have become quiet in its protest but he was still ravenous, not surprising since they hadn’t eaten since lunch. “Besides, you took a considerable amount of time in the shower, I had to find something to do.” Lifting the bun tentatively of the burger that was in his lap, Noct was mildly surprised to see all the garnish had already been removed, looking questionably to the green eyed man sat opposite him. “Don’t get used to it, I’ll be putting extra vegetables in your dinner tomorrow to make up for it.” It was a small gesture, but it was one that meant a lot to the Prince as he dove into the meal hungrily.
No words were shared as they enjoyed the meal, not until the phone that sat by Ignis’ leg lit up and buzzed quietly as it vibrated with an alert. With a mouth full of food Noct was unable to question who was texting him at this time of night, but the raised eyebrows and curious expression was all Ignis needed to see to know what was on his mind. “Gladio, wanting to know that you’re okay.”
A rather mischievous smile played on his youthful features, swallowing his mouthful before he spoke in a tone that matched his expressions far too perfectly. “Oh really, is that all it is?” The question drew a confused look out of the man who made no effort to hide the fact that he swiftly locked his phone in retaliation, choosing to say nothing than put his foot in anything. “If I looked at that message, it would just be Gladio worried about me?” He could see where this was going and Ignis wouldn’t bite, taking the high road as he refused to be sucked in to the situation instead just picking up a few chips as he looked back at Noct blankly.
It happened within a blink, before he could even pre-empt it Noct had done it, reached forward and grabbed his phone and before he could lunge wildly to try and get it back it had already been unlocked. He still tried none the less, as what little remained from their dinner went flying to the floor he hadn’t even grabbed at his sleeve to try and drag his arm back and Noctis was reading the message outloud. “’Hope everything is okay with Noctis.’ Okay, so you didn’t lie about that. ‘Prompto is taking forever in the shower’ yeah he does that you get used to it.” His free hand pushed away at Iggy’s head as he continued to scramble for the phone before he could carry on, the two of them lying on the ground as the taller male tried to scramble up the attempting to crawl away Prince. “’Miss you, wish you were here with me’ aw, that’s sweet even if they are just down the hall. Oh, and he sent somethi- OH GODS.” As soon as he clicked on the attachment Ignis got his opening even if it was too late, catching the phone as Noctis launched it in shock.
With the phone back in his possession, ignis took it upon himself to compose himself, moving back to where he was sat and doing his best to clean up the food that had scattered in the ensuing frackar while trying to remain as dignified as possible and doing his best to ignore the embarrassed flush that highlighted his cheeks. “I did not need to see that.” He ignored Noctis’ words as he regained some order to their blanket fort (honestly not the situation he thought he would be in that evening if you’d have asked him how he was going to spend his night). “So how long have you two been…” Trailing off, there was an immovable grin on Noct’s face as he looked to the flustered advisor as he sat himself back up, readjusting his pyjama’s in light of the scuffle. Their eyes met and once again Ignis remained silent, opting to take a sip of water rather than engage the Prince. “… Smooshing booties?”
He was trying so hard to keep it together but as those words tumbled out of Noctis’ mouth even he couldn’t help but crack a smile despite how much he didn’t want to. “That is not what you wanted to talk to me about tonight.” Getting a shrug in response, it may not have been how he had expected the night to go, nor may it have been the subject matter Noct planned on talking about with his oldest friend, but Ignis did have to admit that for the first time in days the Prince seemed content and relaxed. While it wasn’t the route they had expected to take, it certainly seemed to have let him wind down and just have the opportunity to act and feel more like a normal twenty-year-old boy. “How long have you known?”
“A while.” His answer elicited a quiet groan from Ignis that Noctis couldn’t help but laugh at as he picked up some of his pillows, fluffing them up in preparation for settling down to sleep. “Well I’m not stupid! But Prompto and I—“
“Prompto knows as well?”
“Of course.” Shifting so that he could lie down on his now nice and fluffy bed of pillows, Noctis pulled the thick blanket over him as he got himself in to a comfortable foetal position, watching Ignis who removed his glasses as he exasperatedly rubbed at his eyes. “Well, we knew you two were…. Yanno…”
“Smooshing booties?” A line that Noctis never thought he would hear the other man say as they both dissolved into laughter as Ignis also made himself horizontal for the night, trying his best to make himself comfortable but the floor wasn’t as comfortable as the mattress would have been but on reflection, he wouldn’t have changed anything about the way the night had gone.
“But he didn’t think it was anything more than that. I know you’ve been into him since we were back home.” A silence fell at the mention of the word, a heaviness that suddenly filled the room. They all felt it, the longing to go back to Insomnia but they couldn’t, and that knowledge made the whole concept even harder to accept. “I miss it…everyday…” There it was, the wall that Noctis always hid behind was gone as eyes met, laying opposite each other in their sanctuary. Without saying anything one of Noctis’ hands reached out from his blanket, laying waiting in the small space between the two of them until Ignis’ hand appeared, taking a hold of it tightly, squeezing it reassuringly and not letting go as eyes closed.
“Me too.”
He thought he was asleep, the prince was well known for drifting off in a matter of seconds but as one green eye opened just to check he saw Noctis looking down at nothing in particular. As soon as he felt Ignis watching him though gaze went up, catching his eye and forcing a smile on to his features even though it was clear where his mind had gone. If his mind was there, then even he the lord of sleep would struggle to get off and Ignis knew that they all needed at least a few solid hours interrupted sleep. He had a card up his sleeve left to play though. He may have felt endlessly embarrassed earlier but he could still use what had ensued to his advantage. “You know, I never reply to those pictures with my own…” Noct’s pensive expression was replaced with one of curiousity as he waited to see where Ignis was going with this. “Normally I find something completely unremarkable in the background to comment on because I know it winds him up.”
It worked and a hearty laugh came out of Noctis, his face definitely much more relaxed as he got over the laughter and the mental image of how much it must wind up Gladio. He knew Ignis said it just to make him laugh, but the strategist couldn’t be faulted, it had done the job as he finally closed his eyes to get some sleep, his own hand gripping Ignis’s back firmly. “Thanks, specs.”
“You know you can always talk to me about anything, right Noct?” Ignis crouched down as he crawled into the fort that Noctis was hiding within, settings eyes on the small boy who was curled up lying in the corner under several blankets. Noctis tried to hide his face, presumably to try and stop his new company seeing eyes that had the telltale redness and dampness of someone who had been crying but they certainly didn’t go unnoticed
“Why, because it’s your job?” There was a bitterness in those words that the fifteen-year-old knew wasn’t entirely focused at him. But he had a hunch he knew where it was coming from. “It’s the only reason anyone ever does anything for me…” And with that his hunch was confirmed. Sitting down next to Noctis who remained curled up, he didn’t even know what he could do or say at that moment. He was a thirteen-year-old boy, that sucked for anyone and he knew, he had been there but when you were the Prince on top of that? That bit he couldn’t relate to. As they both grew up they learnt more and more about the rolls that they were destined to fill and where their place was. Ignis never shied away from his duty and recently he had been taking more and more on himself, to better himself, and was now starting to regret it as it meant spending less and less time with Noctis as they had spent their younger years, as friends. If he’d spent more time with him, maybe he’d have been able to see this coming, been there to support him as his job in life was supposed to be.
Picking up a pillow he laid down on his side, facing the young, and more than likely scared Prince with a soft, reassuring smile on his face. Slowly he reached out, taking a hold of one of Noctis’ hands and holding it tightly. “Because I’m your brother.”
This is the second Noctis fanfic I had written and it was honestly my favorite one to write. It's seriously not the best, but I enjoyed it. Originally posted on Quotev. The song it was inspired by was "Endlessly" by The Cab. (The lyrics in italics)
I hope you guys enjoy it as well. Feedback is always welcomed!❤ -6.7 pages 2414 words-
There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece,
I swear it.
Yeah, I know that it's cheap; Not like gold in your dreams, but I hope that you'll still wear it.
He sat in the booth with his friends. They were all babbling on about something, but the young adult male just fidgeted with a small plastic ring incased in a plastic container a little bigger than the ring that he had gotten from a gumball machine.
He couldn't help but let his mind trail off towards her. She was beautiful. Her hair was long and a trailed down her back. The natural waves of it perfectly in sync with one another. Her skin was flawless and the time he was even lucky enough to brush his fingers against an exposed patch, it felt softer than petals on a fully bloomed rose. Her eyes were hypnotic and her voice was smoother than a fine wine that slid down your throat with ease, leaving you with wanting more until you became completely intoxicated.
She didn't know that he was the prince, but even if she did, she didn't seem like she cared, but Noctis wanted to keep up the masquerade. He shook the piece of 'jewelry' in its plastic tomb.
"Uh, Noct?" Prompto questioned the zoned out ravenette, giving him a curious look.
"Whatcha got there?" Gladiolus said teasingly as he snatched the toy ring from the prince.
"Hey! Give it back!" Noctis yelled as he reached over the table and snatched it back. This time tucking it safely away in his pocket.
"What does the royal highness need with a toy ring?" Ignis said giving the now embarrassed prince a questionable stare.
"No reason.." He muttered back, trying to act like the past minute never happened. He turned his head to gaze out the window trying to hide the fire to his cheeks, but failing miserably.
Even though he could confide in his pals for anything, he didn't want them to know about why he had it, let alone her. He watched as cars passed by, the thought of her still invading his thoughts
"Yo Noooct! Let's go, I'm tired." Prompto yelled to the unresponsive male. Noctis looked to his friend and exited the booth making their way towards the Regalia after paying.
It was late and Noctis had snuck out. Probably wasn't his best idea to travel alone at night with daemons looming about, but it was the only time he'd get alone.
He uncaged the small plastic ring and let out a long exhale before clentching his fist around it. What was he thinking? Why was he even trying to attempt this? He felt shy and awkward. Anxiety causing his palms to become sweaty and self doubt to settle in.
Yeah, the ink may stain my skin and my jeans may all be ripped.
I'm not perfect, But I swear I'm perfect for you.
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy. It's not a miracle you need, believe me.
Now I'm no angel; I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly.
Wings aern't what you need, you need me.
He felt like hopping back into the car and heading back to the small hotel they were staying at. It took alot just to get to where he was and now that he was here, it was harder trying to muster up the courage to see her, let alone give her some toy ring.
What was he thinking? This was embarrassing and she would probably laugh in his face for even trying to give her such a petty thing. He might as well have had came clean and bought her something that she deserved. Something that, even though would pale in comparison to her beauty, would complement her and show that he wanted her for himself.
He took a deep breath and forced himself up the stairs to the hotel room she said she was staying at.
When the two first met, she seemed to not recognize who Noctis was. He had bumped into her, making her drop whatever she had in her small arms all over the black top. She had snapped at him rather quickly, causing him to be taken back by her venomous words, but she had apologized mere seconds later.
Noctis just helped her with her things and this was the start of their friendship. She didn't know he was royalty and to be honest she didn't care about what went on in the kingdom or who was in charge. She had better things to do than keep up with someone else's life.
After all, she had her own life to live.
The female laid in the bed staring out the sliding glass doors. She didn't bother shutting the blinds. Nobody in Eos was bad and she was sure that no one would bother being a peeping tom.
Noctis ran through her mind. Images of running her fingers through his soft blue-black hair. Getting lost in his dark eyes. Brushing her plump lips against his. She wanted the male. She wanted to be next to him. For him to help warm her bed. To roll over in the morning and press her body against his. She wanted to feel his fingers graze her cheek before he would steal a kiss.
The fact of the matter was that she is lonely and she wanted to feel complete.
She wanted him.
Him and every problem, flaw, and smile that came along.
She wanted his love.
The young woman ran her fingers over her face and through her semi-wet hair as she huffed out a long, hot breath of air. She climbed out of the comfort of her sheets before stepping out onto the balcony and letting the night air engulf her somewhat bare body.
There's a house on the hill with a view of the town and I know how you adore it.
So I'll work everyday through the sun and thr rain until I can afford it.
Yeah, your friends may think I'm crazy cause they can only see I'm not perfect,
But I swear that I'm perfect for you.
Noctis knocked lightly on the door, shoving the hand that held the small ring in his pocket. Each passing second felt like an eternity waiting for her to answer the door, but before she could make her way back into the room towards the door Noctis ran down the steps into the safety of his car and sped off.
The prince silently cursed to himself, hitting a hand on the steering wheel. He felt idiotic. When he arrived at the hotel he was staying at with his friends he didn't bother going inside. Instead he sat on the steps leading to the front door.
"What is wrong with you...she's just a girl.." He whispered to himself, not noticing that Prompto had made his way outside.
"Who is?" The blond had said to the embarrassed male, startling him.
"No one." Noctis managed to choke out. Prompto was his bestfriend and he had met him in school. He told Prompto more than Ignis and Gladiolus, but for some reason he didn't want to confide into the same age male.
Prompto didn't want to accept that as an answer and Noctis knew that.
"C'mon dude." Prompto whined, being sure to make eye contact with the quiet soon to be king.
Noctis pulled out the fake painted gold ring with a small white pretend diamond placed perfectly in the center. The ring looked real and like it could be used as a wedding band, but Noctis had only paid 25 cents for it.
He gave the ring a slight toss towards Prompto and watched as he caught it and help it up to the moon before handing it back.
"What do you plan on doing with that?" He questioned and watched as Noctis shrugged his shoulders.
Noctis wasn't lying even though he had an idea on what he wanted to do with it. He also knew that if he didn't act quick he would most likely never get to see the female again.
"I want to give it to this girl.." Noctis finally let out. He felt a sense of relief flow through him.
"You couldn't have gotten her one that's , I don't know, real?" Prompto put emphasis on the word real. Noctis shook his head before answering.
"She doesn't know that I'm the 'soon to be king', at least I don't think she does." He stated stealing a quick glance at Prompto who looked as if he was deep in thought.
"Oh.." Prompto managed to get out, "You know, we'll be leaving here soon to Altissa, right? And what about lady Luna?" He looked seriously at the prince.
"I don't know.," Noctis groaned out, "That's why I feel so conflicted and I've been quiet lately. I don't know what I'm doing." He ran his hand down his face. He played with the fake ring with his free hand and looked towards Prompto.
"Go." Prompto said with a smile.
"Huh?" The prince looked to him confused.
"Go to her Noct. She obviously means something to you. I'll cover for you and the missing car. Just try to hurry back." Prompto told him, still smiling but placing a hand on his shoulder. Noctis nodded okay to the childish blond.
Noctis hopped in the Regalia, speeding of towards her once again, this time confidence over flowing out of him.
There's no guarantee that this will be easy.
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.
Now I'm no angel. I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly.
Wings aern't what you need, you need me.
You need me.
Noctis stood outside the hotel, this time facing towards the sliding glass doors. He threw small pebbles at the glass trying to get her attention. When she woke up, she jumped at the sudden sound of rock hitting the glass. She slipped on a small robe and made her way out of the room and onto the balcony.
When ger vision focused, she saw her raven haired friend that she was dreaming about. He stood down on the ground, looking up towards her.
"Hang on, I'll be down!" She yelled and watched as he nodded.
She couldn't believe that he was here, especially with how late it actually was. She slipped on pants and a t-shirt that was thrown to the ground and made her way outside. The early morning night air hit her causing her to shiver, but she didn't mind the cold breeze. She met up with the prince.
"Get in." He said in a rushed tone as he opened the passenger side door for the lady. Once she had obliged, he shut the door and hopped in taking off.
"Where are we going?" She questioned. It wasn't that she didn't trust her new found friend, she was just curious.
"You'll see." He said, confidence oozing out of the smile he flashed at her quickly.
The sun was rising and he was set on heading to towards the ocean. The woman didn't have much, let alone a car and he vaugly remembered that she said she would like to vist the ocean.
Once they arrived he had her close her eyes as he led her towards the water. They had left their shoes in the car and let the cool sand squeeze between their toes until they hit the edge of where the salty water connected. She knew instantly where they were and became a little too excited when Noctis had removed his hands.
"There..." He whispered in satisfaction as he took in the view as well.
"Noct.." The girl gasped, placing a hand over her open mouth then turned to the prince in hiding. "You didn't have to bring me here.." She whispered before throwing her arms around his neck hugging him.
They sat at the beach for about an hour. It was still early, but he knew how bad he would be scolded if Ignis found out.
"Oh..I wanted to give you something.." Noctis stated nervously before digging around in his pocket.
The ink may stain my skin and my jeans may all be ripped.
I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.
There's no guarantee that this will be easy. It's not a miracle you need, believe me.
Now I'm no angel; I'm just me, but I will love you endlessly.
Wings aern't what you need, you need me.
You need me.
The girl smiled and waited patiently until Noctis pulled out the ring and handed it too her. Careful to hide his face for the fire that was building on his cheeks.
"Now I know its not much.. and It's not real.. But I.." He started out mumbling.
The girl didn't care. She loved it and she would cherish it for eternity. She slipped it on her finger and pulled Noctis's face toward hers. She had a big smile on her face and it got even wider seeing him blush.
"I love it Prince Noctis." She stated before softly pressing her lips on his.
Noctis didn't hesitate to kiss back or pull her closer, causing her to fall ontop of him while he place his hand at the base of her skull. He entangled his fingers in her hair and broke the kiss, not breaking eye contact with her though.
"I thought.." He started, but she had cut him off.
"I knew the whole time Noct." She said smiling before leaning down for another kiss.
When they got back to the hotel she was staying at she started to climb out of the car. The prince grabbed her wrist quickly making her stop.
"Hey.. I'll be back for you. I promise." After that he let go. She gave him a sad smile and waved goodbye.
Little did the young adults know that he wouldn't be coming back.
There's a shop down the street that sells plastic rings for a quarter a piece
I swear it.
Yeah, I know that its cheap, not like gold in your dreams
