A/N: Fair WARNING: This fic is fluffy—at least I think it is. xD Not that sure. Read on if you wish. :) And I would really like to hear from you in the end. Thank you. :3
Leap of Faith
"Noct, where are we going?" She gasped out, trying to keep up with his long strides.
"Just trust me." He chuckled, keeping a firm grasp on her wrist.
Two pairs of feet lithely yet quietly padded across the palace hallways, eager to reach the destination that had been designated. She had herself to blame for this recent mishap they were about to get themselves into. Earlier tonight, she had realized that she couldn't get some sleep—not when she was too restless. She had left her guest quarters in favor of being in the palace archives; where the smell of leather-bound books would be prevalent—and comforting. Imagine her surprise when she found him in the library as well. His excuse? He couldn't sleep.
She had found him sitting on top of a sturdy ten-foot tall bookshelf. There had been no sign of a ladder in the area, so she had wondered how he had managed to perch himself up there, but she figured it was a natural thing. While most people tended to gravitate towards the ground, Noctis had a strange penchant for perching on high places. When they had been children, he had always been fond of climbing trees, even if he got scolded for it. Once, she had caught him trying to climb the palace walls, but to no avail. That had been the last time she had seen him try to climb anything grand.
"It's not anywhere illegal, is it?" She asked him, jogging to keep up to him as he pulled her hurriedly along.
"Not unless someone sees us." He snickered, an impish smirk on his handsome face. "My old man would probably get a heart attack." He joked as he peeked around a corner to check if the coast was clear. (Though it probably was since it's the dead of night.)
She rolled her eyes. She knew how much Noctis loved his father, and to see him joke about their whole agenda right now, she figured it was something forbidden indeed—forbidden for safety's sake.
"Seriously though, don't tell my father." He stopped running when they reached a spiraling staircase. The Lucian castle had a lot of them, and this was just one of the many.
"Only if you tell me where we're really headed." She figured she had a right to know. They were running around the castle just to get to this place, and it was half past midnight.
Noctis sighed. "That would ruin the surprise." He mused, keeping a hand braced on the banister that lined the spiraling stairs. "Let's just say it's my special place."
She blinked. His special place. He was taking her to his special place. She could feel her insides fluttering drastically around, but instead of being too showy about it, she kept her calm; feigned nonchalance as best as she could. She always had a crush on him, and though she figured now wasn't the right time to tell, she knew she would in time, but not now.
"It's somewhere high up then." She commented, following his lead quickly.
Noctis stopped climbing the stairs long enough to give her a look. "You don't say." He smirked.
Both of them were quiet as they ascended the seemingly never ending staircase. The entire structure just seemed to spiral on for ages. But even then, Noctis did not stop climbing. He didn't seem to tire, whereas she could feel the slight burn on her thighs already. She knew for a fact that when they were through with this, she'd feel thoroughly winded. And while it was in her best interest to pay attention to the stamina of her body, she chose not to.
She had constantly visited Noctis in this palace when she had been a child. And although they had many grand adventures in the palace grounds together, she had never been in this particular wing of the castle before. It was gloomy and gothic—with a touch of Victorian—just like the rest of the place, but it seemed as if the entire room—the tower itself (because that was what it was)—had a distinct atmosphere of its own. She couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something so eerily charming about the way the royal tapestries lined the walls—everyone of them depicting crossbones, and the way the unlit torches perched on sconces jutted out of the stonework. She took her chance to peer over the edge of the banister, and she could see a black and silver chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The staircase spiraled around it in a swirl that reminded her of conch shells more than anything.
If she was in the mood for having an overactive imagination, she would have pictured dark and musty brick walls with cobwebs in every nook and cranny; the perfect castle for a lonely blood thirsty Count. She shook her head, ridding the imagery that her brain had conjured up. The Lucian Palace was nothing like the one she had envisioned seconds ago. It was spotless and clean and utterly majestic—in and out, just as their monarchy was. And speaking of monarchy, the Prince had not stopped his long climb yet.
This had to be the tallest tower in their castle then—some place Noctis would actually like, she guessed. But if this was the tallest tower in the grand palace, then...this would have to be the Bell Spire, the very one where a guard would stand on in ancient times, alerting the inhabitants of the palace to enemies marching beyond the walls, but it was vacant now, she supposed. It merely remained ingrained to the structure to remind its subjects and the people of the world how old and how steadfast this castle still stood. It had been standing for centuries, that was for sure.
In the back of her mind, she wondered how it might have looked like before. Perhaps the same; only take out the digital and modern touches added to the entire palace.
"Are we headed for the Bell Spire?" She asked Noctis curiously, failing to hide the weariness in her voice.
He turned to look at her. "Not really there, but we'll pass it." He shrugged. "You tired?"
"I'm all right." She insisted. "Just catching my breath." She pressed on, climbing the last few steps so she was merely a step below him.
Noctis hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Maybe I should just carry you. Can't have a lady getting all worked up." He teased, eyes glittering with mirth and amusement.
A fierce blush immediately crept to her already flushed cheeks. "I do not need a man to carry me up a few flights of stairs as if I were a damsel in terrible distress." She declared confidently, looking straight into his blazing blue eyes.
The Prince smirked. "Of course." He whispered. "Let's carry on."
She didn't speak another word, even when he reached out and grasped her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. They climbed the rest of the steps like that, hand in hand. By the time they had reached the top landing, she was already fully winded, but she would never tell him that. The dome of a bell hung from short and taut chains of brass and iron, rusty and faded from ill use. The view from up here was beautiful, but Noctis hardly noticed.
"Is this your special place?" She asked him conversationally, running a finger over the rust coating the metal exterior of the bell.
Noctis pulled her along. "No it isn't."
The Prince let go of her hand, but that was only because he braced himself against the exterior rim that bordered the domed roof of the spire. After catching enough momentum, she watched him as he agilely hauled himself up, his boots disappearing from her point of view. She gripped the metal railing that bordered the entire top of the tower and stuck her head out into the chilly night to try and see where Prince Noctis had gone. A pale and strong hand immediately assaulted her line of sight. He wiggled his fingers at her, telling her to grab his hand so he could pull her up.
She risked a look at the ground below, and couldn't really believe how high up she was. That made her wonder how everything would look from Noctis' vantage point on top of the castle's tallest spire. The wind whipped at her blonde hair, momentarily stinging her eyes.
"Take my hand, Luna." She heard him speak.
She trusted him. Trusted him more than she had trusted anyone. She blindly fumbled for his hand and supported her own weight as he guided her. She was even surprised at how easily he had hauled her up—effortless in his ways. She was on her hands and knees, staring down at the fine layer of bricks covering the roof. Breathing in deeply, she adjusted herself so she was safely sitting on the peak of the spherical roof of the palace's tallest spire. Her eyes were closed and she breathed in deeply, giving her body time to adjust to the new altitude.
"You'll miss out on the view if you keep that up." Noctis remarked.
His voice sounded distant. She opened her eyes, and could have sworn her breath hitched at the magnificent sight. She could see the skyscrapers of Insomnia, rivaling the palace's tallest spire. She could see the breathtaking lights of the capital city, twinkling at her from miles away. She could see the tiny cars that lined the streets of the city that never slept—their red tail lights hazy and bobbing in the blackness of midnight. If there were people down there, they were so distant and utterly unrecognizable from this vantage point. This was out of the ordinary. This was an eagle's point of view—its breathtaking glimpse of the buzzing metropolis below. The titanic war ships that lined the Lucian bay appeared as tiny as toys.
She looked up and saw the vast blanket of darkness that covered the sky, the moon shyly peeked from behind the dark clouds, almost hesitant to show itself in its magnificence. Stars dotted the black backdrop, burning and shining from billions of miles away.
No wonder Noctis had called it his special place. It was special indeed—more than that, even. Up here, she felt closer to the sky, felt closer to flying, felt closer to the entire universe that could never be fathomed by the most brilliant mind in this world alone. Beautiful wasn't a word that could justify the view spread out before her. It paled in comparison to this.
She had no words.
"Indescribable, isn't it?" Noctis spoke in an awed voice.
"Exactly what I had in mind." She spoke, still lost in the scenic display before her.
She did not see the smirk that crossed Noctis' face as he watched her adore this new sight.
"Probably your first time seeing things like this from an eagle's vantage point, huh?" He asked, coming down from his perch on top of the needle point to settle himself next to her on top of the small domed roof.
"How long have you been coming up here?" She asked, tearing her gaze away from the city below to actually look at the young man here with her.
"Since I was fifteen." He smirked, admiring the view as well. "I have kept tabs on the changes going on in the city ever since." He nodded to himself, bending one knee as he rested his elbow on top of it. "See that skyscraper over there?" He asked her, pointing at a glass structure a few miles away.
She had something snarky at the tip of her tongue, but she held herself back from actually saying it. "Mhmm..."
"From up here, I saw how meticulously those engineers and their machines worked on it." He told her, sounding wistful. "Reminded me of termites erecting their home."
She bit her lip as she spluttered a bit. "Of all the things to compare it to." She looked at him exasperatedly.
Noctis looked at her and shrugged. "It's the truth." He deadpanned.
At that, she was unable to stop the silent laugh that poured out of her mouth.
"You like it up here." She stated, catching the wistfulness in his face mixing with the attentiveness that was never absent.
From the look on his face, she knew he had something sarcastic to say.
"Makes everything else feel so unreal." He whispered, his tone close to being reverent.
She blinked. That wasn't something she had been expecting. He loved heights—she knew that ever since they were children. He even told her about wanting to drive an airship someday, a pilot, governing the skies with a mighty flying machine. How childish that dream had been; childish but ambitious—and it was the good kind.
"Hey, do you remember wanting to be a pilot?" She asked, drawing her legs close to her chest to rest her cheek on top of her knees. She watched as he kept his eyes on the view beyond.
He chuckled. "I still do."
They were both quiet after that, just allowing the view to continuously sink in. They both absorbed and relished in this moment; alone in tranquility, savoring the breeze blowing in their faces. If she was being too idealistic, she would say she could almost taste the clouds. It was yet another thing she appreciated about Lucis—about Insomnia specifically. The city was a buzzing metropolis, a digital town filled with the hustle and bustle of busy economically driven people, but the air was as clear as ever. Fog dotted the high places, but smog was uncharacteristically missing.
The noise though, was a different story. Even within the confines of the palace walls, the buzz of the city could still be heard, and although she found it comforting at times, she figured she needed a break from all that street chatter for a while. Noctis' invitation tonight had been a small blessing that she was grateful for. She was glad she hadn't turned down his ideas. She most certainly did not regret seeing this.
Red and green lights twinkled in the distance in rapid succession, and as if she were a little kid herself, she pointed at it rather enthusiastically—as if she had never seen an airship traveling in the sky before.
"Air craft at two o' clock." She giggled at her own version of a military report, and it had caught Noctis' attention.
He smirked at her, yet again. "Yeah." He chortled. "Wanna hitch a ride?"
His tone was suggestive and was clearly implying something.
"From this distance?" She shook her head. "Unlikely." She sighed melodramatically, pretending to feel disappointed.
"You underestimate the range of my teleportation."
She turned to look at him and could see the red glow emanating from his changing irises. He had a predatory gleam in his eyes, the red color appearing so stark and flashy in the darkness. He looked unmistakably cocky too—a portion of his attitude that she did not fail to note. She actually found it quite endearing, especially if he was joking around.
"I underestimated the breadth of your ego." She corrected him sternly, rolling her eyes at him as she tried to hide the smile that threatened to engulf her face.
"A lot of people do." He retorted just as snarkily.
"Hmph."
She shifted her attention back at the wondrous view before them, and settled on wrapping both of her arms around her knees. She resisted the urge to shiver at the suddenly cold gust of wind that blew across them. The night was getting old enough, and her senses were becoming increasingly aware of the hard surface beneath her bottom. She found herself wishing for something soft to sit on. The bricks were becoming rather unforgivable, but she decided to ignore the slight discomfort. It couldn't really compare to how wondrous and free she felt up here. It was nothing compared to this; the panoramic view, the chilly breeze, this moment shared with the man who had a special place in her heart.
Her breath hitched unexpectedly yet again when she felt a sudden bump at her side. She was suddenly aware of an arm placed behind her, his hand braced against the bricked roof for a small amount of support as he shifted closer to her. Their shoulders were touching and so were their arms. He must have seen the inquiry in her violet-blue eyes because he spoke.
"It's cold." He grumbled, as if it were common knowledge.
"You have your jacket." She pointed out not-so-subtly, but she secretly liked the fact that he chose to share his warmth with her.
"Body heat is so much better." He snickered, making an unabashed show of snuggling as he exaggeratedly buried his nose in her hair., and nudged the top of her head with his lips.
He took a healthy whiff of her scent, like a druggy having his fix.
"Such a creeper." She rolled her eyes, but she let him have his way.
"Do you like me?" Came his unexpected question after a long moment of comfortable silence.
The question made the butterflies inside her stomach flutter around madly. She had the urge to pull back to try and gauge the expressions on his face, but she figured he would find that uncomfortable, so she stayed as she was—with her head settled comfortably on his shoulder.
"Of course I do." She replied immediately, her eyes closed to try and keep him out. Somehow, she had a feeling he was going to try and look at her face, so she did her best to keep it neutral, but not too neutral. Too much of a poker face, and she would just be obvious.
"Like a friend?" He asked in his deep and husky voice—which she strangely found to be sexy. He also seemed to stiffen in slight apprehension.
She really hadn't been expecting him to suddenly ask her these things. She must have been quiet for too long in his opinion though, because he spoke up all of a sudden, halting her thoughts and catching her off guard.
"No, don't answer that. Forget I asked." He muttered.
She freed her own head from the confines of his warmth. She had no idea how long they had been up here, but it was still dark and eerily lit, that was for sure. The moon had long since decided to quit being shy. It had come out of hiding and was now bathing the city in its silvery glow. And she was staring at his face and had subconsciously succeeded in capturing his gaze. His irises were no longer red; they were a calming crystalline blue again.
"You don't want to be friends." She commented.
The longer she stared at him, the more she was becoming aware of how much her eyes constantly wandered to his lips. Well, she was quick to notice that he was doing the same thing, shamelessly at that. With a heart that threatened to beat right out of her chest, she boldly kissed his lips; only too relieved when she felt him return it. She reluctantly broke their contact first, determined to gauge his reaction to that. Beautiful vibrant blue met her sight when she opened her eyes.
"You cheated." He breathed against her mouth, hot and heavy with so much anticipation.
She smirked at him, sneakily intertwining her fingers with his. "You took too long."
His responding smirk at her was amusing, but it had dissipated from her mind in an instant as his lips descended upon hers this time, letting her feel his kiss. An arm glided around her waist and pulled her closer to a well-sculpted body. She opened her mouth for him when his tongue pointedly asked for access—dragging the taste organ across the seam of her lips. Her free hand automatically went up to cup the back of his neck, pressing him closer, fusing her torso into the shape of his—fitting every curve to every dip, filling every hollowness with a sealed patch that only something as strong as this could do.
They kiss, and kiss some more—only because one wasn't enough.
They part only because they must, and she was more than reluctant about it. The skies and the buzzing metropolis were their stable witnesses at this moment, and she was only too happy about making the first move. It was something she could tease him about in the near future.
"Still friends?" She couldn't help herself, nor the teasing smile that quirked at her kiss-swollen lips.
Noctis nuzzled the side of her face with his nose, and planted a sweet kiss on her flustered cheek afterwards.
"Friends don't French kiss on castle rooftops." He whispered huskily in her ear, keeping her as physically close to him as possible.
"And I think some real rest is long overdue." She whispered, gazing up at the night sky that still shrouded their city in utter darkness.
The cars on the busy streets below were beginning to phase out as the roads cleared for daybreak; as the restless people of Insomnia rushed to their beds to catch an hour or two of some much needed rest. She figured she needed one to. They had been up here long enough. She needed to catch an hour of sleep, and so did Noctis. In the back of her mind, she wished it could go on like that forever; have the night never end and she and her Prince could stay up here and share a thousand kisses without anyone telling them off, but sadly, she knew it was wishful thinking—brought out by the more feminine side of her; one she hardly ever acknowledged.
She drew away from him to stand up, balancing herself carefully and smartly on top of the domed roof.
"Time to get up, your Highness." She teased him cheerily, heart still fluttering from the kiss they had shared a few moments ago.
Noctis grumbled in slight disagreement, but pulled himself up to his feet nonetheless.
"All right, I'm coming."
She took a moment to take in the whole view—as if for the last time. Who knew when she would have the chance to come up here again? While she would have enjoyed countless nights on this roof top with her Prince, she knew other pressing matters were calling her forth—ones she couldn't easily ignore. She was only here on a short stately visit, after all. She and the other aristocrats were leaving tomorrow morning at lunch. Noctis must have seen the regretful look on her face because he immediately moved to kiss the top of her head as some form of assurance.
"I'll take you up here every time you come over." He promised her, brushing his fingertips across the back of her neck.
She sighed in response.
"It is time to go, my lady."
"Let's go." She agreed, getting down on her knees again so she could properly maneuver her body around to get down from their perch safely.
But it seemed like Noctis had other plans. She could tell when she found him pointedly looking down. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he was thinking, and what he wanted to do.
"Are you crazy?" She asked him, arching a perfect eyebrow.
He answered her inquiry with a very impish grin.
"Where's the thrill seeker?" He responded suggestively, stepping dangerously close to the curve of the dome. One wrong slip-up would mean a terrible accident that could lead to death—with a thousand injuries. "There's a hay stack conveniently placed below." He stated, jerking his thumb downwards.
She shook her head at him. Of all the things to suggest. But she would be lying if she told him she didn't find the idea quite appealing. There was something strangely enticing about sticking your neck out; risking your life so recklessly just for the heck of it. That was a side of her that Noctis constantly brought out. He was crazy, but he was her right kind of crazy.
"Have you done this before?" She asked, boldly approaching him to stand by his side.
"More than a dozen times now." He smirked smugly. "Call it teenage recklessness."
Yes, because jumping from castle towers without safety gear was a totally normal thing to do.
"Do your friends—?" She trailed off, suddenly feeling a teeny bit queasy at the thought of jumping this high and free falling into the ground below—free falling into a haystack, more specifically.
"Our stupid ideas." He confirmed, chuckling at the memory that must have been replaying in his mind. He looked at her, gauging her reaction.
Perhaps he could see her reluctance, but for the most part, she was willing to try.
"Do a swan dive." He advised, perfectly at ease—a likely result of years of experience. "On three."
She allowed his voice to wash over her as he counted down and she braced herself. At the last count of one, he dove off the dome—gracefully free falling into the black of night. He was beautiful to look at, but that was before she remembered she should have jumped off the roof at the same time as he did. Mentally steeling herself, she breathed in deep, and launched herself off of the domed roof—executing a dive that only a well-practiced swimmer could achieve.
It was dangerous. It was hair-raising. It was reckless. It was exhilarating.
She knew then; knew that she had been right to trust him. She could see him falling ahead of her, and she could never have been more thankful for taking a great leap of faith—into that damnable haystack waiting to break her fall below.
A/N: I know, I know... XD Far-fetched ending. But c'mon, people! xD Give me a frakkin' break! I've been playing Assassin's Creed Rogue all day, and I'm too hyped about AC Syndicate coming out this month. I believe it has influenced this latest piece. [That "Leap of Faith" thing these bad ass Assassin dudes do after they have synched their view points.] Also, I've borrowed some lines from AC Unity (Arno's and Elise's moment in that hot air balloon). Not my finest, I know, but this is a moment of randomness, and I enjoyed writing it. Besides, I have been picturing Noctis doing that 'leap of faith' thing too many times to count now. Couldn't help myself, and I just had to write it down. :D [The warp-strikes and warp-drives in the Demo are close enough though... xD]
Do leave a review if you are feeling compelled to. :) I am already thankful. Until next time, then. ;)