As requested by a friend, she wanted me to create this story. Or, the intro to it anyway. It might not make sense to some, but here was how she wanted the storyline to go. Stella & Noctis already know each other and their relationship started building up, and after that, things can and may happen. Very vague, I know, but that was all I really had to work with. And I know some of you are adverse to the Noct/Stella pairing, but please bear with me on this. Sorry, but I suck at summaries. And excuse the lack of dialogue, there will be some shortly. So without further adieu, may I present: Final Fantasy Versus XIII Amor est vitae essentia.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Amor est vitae essentia

Noct made his way up the dark carpeted stairs, away from the party. It was an annoying event, no matter how many times he tried to force himself to get used to it. To keep track, it was the second one this week. He looked down a large, dark, and empty corridor on his left once he reached the top of the steps. Somehow, it called to him and tugged at his conscience because he wanted to just get far away from the dinner party as possible. Although he knew that he had to endure it for the sake of the royal family's image and for the people in the city as well. He could still hear the chatter and classical music emanating from the floor underneath him. No one would miss him for a while, he concluded.

Finding the nearest black sofa bench, Noctis quietly sat down, giving a heavy sigh in the process. Again, the noise from the lower floor disrupted his thoughts. He looked up and stared at the stars embedded in a soft black velvet night across the glass ceiling above. And abruptly, his thoughts turned to a certain guest that was residing in the same tower at that very moment.

Stella was still in 'confinement,' or so she called it. He had told her not to leave his room until the party was over. Surprisingly, she had not strongly resisted against his wishes. Stella cracked a joke and complied without a fuss when he was so sure that she would literally fight him until he agreed to have her out of his room. But she just smiled and commented on how she felt like she was loosely 'confined' in his room. Lately he had noticed that she was not like the Stella he knew before. The bright, fresh, and cheerful girl was losing her remarkable flair, and he could take a guess as to why that was. She was homesick. Since she had no choice but to stay here until the elders were able to find a way to send her back to Tenebrae. If they were able to find a way, that is. If not, then he had decided that he would take her home himself.

Looking up through the ceiling, he remembered what Stella had told him when she was first able to come out and explore the tower at night.

"You can see the 'light' too, right Noctis? I can also see it…"

To his surprise, he found himself missing her voice. Quickly averting his eyes back to the direction of where the noise was generated from, he abruptly made a decision to leave. There would be many more useless parties to come, he figured. Taking out his black, sleek cellphone from the pocket of his dress pants, he pressed a speed-dial button and called his faithful butler, Miles.

"My Prince?" the old voice answered. Noct was able to hear the chatter even more clearly from the phone than from where he was. Miles was probably keeping the guests entertained as well as he could. "What is it that you require?"

"I'll take my leave right now, Miles," Noct answered the man while standing up from where he sat. "Tell the guests that they can stay for as long as they wish for the rest of the night, or they can leave."

"Certainly, young master," was the reply.

Noct hung up as he made his way down the corridor as disappeared into the dark. Along the way he began unbuttoning his suit jacket and loosening his black satin tie. The clothing choice Miles had selected for him was sometimes too suffocating, but this time Miles was not the one who chose it. It was Stella. He did not want to refuse her when she suggested this particular all black outfit for him to wear.

He never liked being different. Never before in his life. And once he inherited the powers of the Crystal, his life completely underwent a drastic change. He was treated with the highest respect anyone has ever known. But what they failed to realize was that it made him lonelier than ever. It was only until Stella told him what everyone else never did.

"I think you are fine the way you are, because you are still you, Noct. Nothing can change that."

Her words freed him from the confinement that always existed around him for so long, although she probably never knew that. Stella was an unusual being. Talkative, yes, and extremely so at that. Yet she always managed to cheer a person up, even if that was not her initial intention. Her very aura calmed him completely, and he never really understood why she always made him feel at ease.

Before he knew it, Noct had arrived at the front door of his room. He did not understand why, but at that moment, he felt as though he was about to enter a stranger's room, and yet, it was his room to begin with. He wondered what he would find Stella doing at this hour of the night. He knocked once, then twice, but there was no answer.

Is she asleep? He wondered, curious. And without a second thought, he opened the door.

At first, the petite figure of the woman on the bed was not visible. It was only until the moon shined upon her pale body veiled in a rich oak white colour that the Prince was able to see her peaceful sleeping face. Noct walked over to the edge of the bed, leaned down, and gazed softly at that beautiful face.

Yes indeed she was beautiful, and he wondered if anyone ever told her that.

Someone probably has, he thought, feeling a slight edge of uneasiness wash over him. Who wouldn't?

Under his gaze, Stella began to shift, and Noct silently stood back up from his reverie. A book that was placed upside-down laid next to Stella, and it was obvious that she had been reading it. Noct felt a touch of pity over the fact that she had to stay locked up in his room like a prisoner. And at that point, he had to admit that she really seemed like one. But it was a risk to put her out of his sight to any part of the tower because of the fact that she was the desire of many rival kingdoms surrounding his own. There have been no signs to indicate that they know she is in his kingdom at the moment, but Noct was sure that eventually the secret will be released one way or another. And that thought made him wince.

Picking the book up from the black satin sheets, Noct looked at the title before realizing that it was a book that he was forced to read during his childhood.

Somnus…he remembered. Miles had given it to him one day and asked that he learn to read it properly to help him improve his Latin. Not that he really needed it or anything, but it was more like a friendly suggestion to Noct more than anything else. Now that he thought about it, he had not seen this book since he was a boy. He had no idea where he had placed it all these years, and suddenly, Stella was able to find it without any difficulty. Or so he assumed.

Never before had he seen anyone so amazing. Never before had he met someone who made his blood pulse at the very thought of her like Stella. Stella, he concluded, was just too good for words. A one of a kind person. And someone he could not bear to lose.

She stirred once again, her hand gripping the satin sheets below her. She looked like she was having a bad dream of some sort at first, but then Noct realized that it was simply because she was cold. Without putting much thought into it, he gently placed a warm blanket over her slim body and slowly watched her as she breathed evenly. He wouldn't mind doing this for the rest of the night, watching her as she slept and simply knowing that she was here with him.

For now, that was enough for him.

So how was it? Should I even bother to continue?
Feedback would be nice, so don't hesistate to comment.
Cuz I don't bite ;]