Please read the end for notes.
He sat on the cold hard ground in middle of the garden. He leaned his head back against a rock as he played with his newest Galahdian braid. Fingers gliding over the thin black leather cord wrapped in with a couple of black beads every few twists of the braid. He was debating on how he wanted to spill his secrets.
"Hey mom, I've been missing you a lot lately. I've been thinking of you more than ever." He closed his eyes imagining the soft breeze to be his mother's response. So gentle and kind, without any of the judgment he'll fine when his secrets are taken public. It allowed him to relax just that little bit more. "So, I plan to bring a visitor with me to see you soon." He fingered the loose beads in his pocket a moment before he went on. "I finally found the one. It was just like you said it would be. The way it was when you fell in love with dad. I just wish you were here. I know you two would have gotten along great. He's amazing and I love him.
"We're planning a private ceremony soon. I want to introduce you two before that happens. I
figured it was only proper since I plan to use the beads you gave me in his braid." He paused again, not sure if he wanted to continue. He shook his head. He had got what he needed to off his chest, as well as received the reassurance that he needed. This was the right path for himself.
He sighed as he pushed himself up off the ground. He turned his face up to the sky one last time as he brushed the dirt off his pants.
"I promise I'll be back soon and I'll bring him with me." He swipes his hands over his face once before turning and heading back towards the Citadel.
It was late when they finally fell into the bed together. Well past the time that the sun had sunk below the horizon. The responsibilities of a prince and glaive washing away as they gravitated towards each other. Wrapping their arms around each other as they let the tension flow out of their limbs. Listening to the boisterous noise traveling through the windows of their apartment. It wasn't long into their relationship before they both started to think of the small space as theirs instead of just Nyx's place.
Noctis nestled his head under Nyx's chin. His silky hair gently tickling the glaive as the man nuzzled into the black inky strands. Almost at the same time they each reached out to twine the newest edition to their braids around their fingers.
Noct had been surprised when Nyx proposed. He hadn't been surprised when Nyx brought out beads and cord for the occasion. Of course it took a few tries for Noctis to get it right. It was all part of joy and fun for them. Later, during their wedding ceremony, they would braid in the rest of the beads they both carried around.
Noctis let out a gentle sigh as he relaxed that last little bit and closed his eyes. It was Nyx who finally broke the silence around them as he gently tugged on Noct's braid.
"So where did you run off to today, little king? I didn't see you on the Glaive training grounds." His voice was soft with curiosity. His fingers playing with the beads in the braid he was holding.
"I skipped out on training with Gladio and had to make it up.. I had someone to talk to that I plan to introduce you to soon. There's someone I want you to meet before our ceremony or we take this public." He let the braid slip from his fingers as he moved on to gently tracing the tattoos within his reach.
"And here I thought I had met everyone who had a piece of your heart already." Nyx held a hand to his chest in mock hurt. A pout on his lips that Noct was amazed that it hadn't end the war already. It was hard to say no to that pout, fake or not.
Noct hid his smile into the glaive's neck as he mumbled his reply. "All but the one. You would have gotten along great with my mom. It's almost scary to think about." He let a small chuckle out at the thought.
Nyx tilted his head to get a better look of his price. "I am sure we would have from what little I've heard about her. There wasn't a reason while she was alive for me to get close to her, and your dad and I didn't have that kind of relationship back then to even start talking about our families." He pressed a gentle kiss to Noct's cheek in understanding. "I'm still a bit surprised your dad was ok with this though. Including the Galahdian traditional ceremony instead of a full blown Lucian one."
Noctis let out a full laugh as his hand reached the tattoos on the glaive's neck. "Well it helps that my mom was from Galahd. Before they had their Lucian wedding, mom and dad had a private Galahdian one." Nyx was quiet for so long that Noctis pulled away a bit to be able to see the man wrapped around him better. "You okay?"
Nyx blinked his eyes at Noct before furrowing his brow is confusion. "So…. how have I not heard about this before? I mean that's a pretty big deal. And what about his braid and beads? What about stories or whispers or anything I would have heard back home about someone marrying into royalty?"
"You didn't know?" A little bit of his own confusion showing though before he snuggled back into Nyx's embrace as he let out a small sigh. "I guess dad and I don't talk much about her, but I'm still kinda surprised actually. From what she told me in her letters, she was from the northern villages. As for his braids, they're there, just not out in plain sight. I think it's hard on him to see it every day."
"Holy. Shit!"
"It's not that big of a deal." Noct muttered. "Let's just go to sleep. Please? I have to deal with the counsel in the morning with dad."
Nyx calmed down a little bit at hearing the exhausted pleading tone his Prince was using.
"We've been together for almost two years and I've been a Glaive for a hell of a lot longer than that. In all that time, this is the first time I'm hearing about the late Queen having been from Galahd." He paused as if tasting the words before using them. "You've never mentioned going to see her before, or told me that she wrote you letters. Hell! I didn't even know that the King and Queen had a Galahdian marriage ceremony. Even before your mom passed, I never saw a hint of braids from either of them. That could have been because of the bigoted counsel members though." He received a small grunt from the lump in his arms, as if encouraging him to keep talking.
"And now I'm ranting because I'm tired and you're just letting me go on and on." Nyx took a steady breath, inhaling the sweet scent of Noct's hair. "What really has me right now is that I've met her before as a Kingsglaive, but I'll never get to meet her for you as your fiancee."
The glaive's quiet admission brought the prince out of his sleepy haze enough to reply. "I can take you … tomorrow if you want?" Noctis grit out through a yawn, trying to snuggle even closer to Nyx in his sleepy state.
Nyx smiled at the action before letting out a small yawn of his own. "I think I'd like tha'." As he settled into the bed with his arms still wrapped around Noct, he mumbled into into the young man's hair, "Good night, little king."
The garden Nyx was brought to was one that he had not seen in the castle before. It was distanced away from the busiest parts of the Citadel, closer to the royal chambers. It was so quiet and peaceful.
"This was my mom's favorite place in the castle. I've always felt close to her when I come out here." Noct said as he spread his arms out. It looked like he would wrap the garden up in his arms and carry it with him everywhere if he could. "After dad gave me the first letter mom wrote, I always came out here to read them. Every new letter where I got to learn more from my mom."
He slowly lowered his arms and reached down to the bundle they had brought with them for a small picnic in the garden. He pulled out a well-worn envelope. He twirled it in his hands for a moment before continuing.
"I always wondered if I would be able to give this to someone one day." His face somber with the thought before he visibly brightened and looked straight at Nyx. "Well, before you landed at my feet."
Nyx smirked at the raven beauty. "I did that on purpose. You looked so lost, I just had to put a smile on your face." The grin on Noct's face told him that he would never believe that story.
Before he could say anymore in defense of his pride, Noctis was holding out the envelope with a
gesture for him to take it.
Nyx took the envelope from the prince's outstretched hand. He stared at the elegant writing on the outside. There was a single word written, "Heart." Nyx raised a single eyebrow as he glanced at the young man beside him, causing his face to turn a gorgeous shade of pink.
"Mom wrote that so that I would know which letter was for you. She also said you'd understand why after you read the letter." He paused a moment as he stared at the writing. "I figured it was only right to bring you out here to give it to you. You did say you never got to meet her as my fiancee."
Nyx pulled him to his side and pressed a kiss to his forehead before returning his attention to the envelope in his hand. With deft moves that didn't betray his nerves, he opened the envelope. Shaking the letter out and unfolding it, he steeled himself before he started reading.
To the one who holds my son's heart,
I know I don't have much longer to live. It saddens me to know that I will never get to see Noctis grow up. He is my heart and what has kept me going past when the doctors said I'd be gone. I have left him many letters. This one included.
You must be a very amazing person if you are reading this. I wrote Noctis clear instructions to not open this letter but to give it to that one person who makes his heart sing. As I write this I am wondering who you are.
How did you manage to capture the heart of the prince out of everyone else vying for his attention? What was it that drew you to him, that made you fight to be at his side the way no one else did? I hope that you fell in love with who he really is and not who he may have to pretend to be. It is my prayer that you are full of integrity and true character, loyal and honest, brave and intelligent. But, I also pray that you are funny and compassionate. Qualities I know Noctis won't see much of as he grows into his title and is groomed to take his place as king.
My dear, I want you to know that I love you. I know this as I write this letter, even without ever meeting you or knowing your name, I love you because you love my son and make him happy. There is nothing else that a mother could ask for.
Now, wipe those tears, wrap your arms around Noctis, and always remember that spark you feel when you think of him.
Thank you for loving my son and bringing a light to his life that I could not.
Love,
Aulea (Mom)
P.S.: Wear your new Galahdian braid with pride!
After folding the letter and putting it in his pocket, Nyx did exactly as he was told. He wiped the falling tears with the palm of his hand while he snaked his free arm around Noct's waist, pulling him close.
Noct nuzzled his head into his glaive's chest as he asked, "Everything ok?"
"Everything's perfect little king." He wrapped his other arm around Noctis to bring him closer still. "Your mom is amazing."
They stood that way for a long time just holding each other in the flowers with the feeling of being watched over. Ideas of a picnic long forgotten.
This work was inspired by and dedicated to a few lovely fic writers over on tumblr and Ao3. They wrapped me up and drug me from my current ffvii fic to shove me head first onto this rarepair raft that has turned into a comfy cozy pirate ship. Since this is finish, now I will add the papasan chair over in the corner.
This was inspired by aithilin with her First Meetings au which first made me think about the fact that it was sad the Noct wouldn't get to introduce Nyx to his mom.
What do I even say about prayers and her Braids au, it's just amazing. I also have to say thank you for indulging me and taking a sneak peek to make sure the boys were in character.
Of course I have to include jasperraven for introducing this pair to me. Night Watchman was the first NyxNoct fic I read and fell in love with the pairing.
What to say about ckyking. You gave us gladio/noct/nyx...that's all there is to it. I need more of it. It's the pain from your stories that I'm hoping this will help even out. You can make a person feel that so hard.
You are all amazing but this would not be possible if it were not for my lovely and amazing beta balancedchaos. That you for checking up on me and making sure I'm alive and for helping me through my tougher writing battles. I would be truly lost if not for you.