A/N: Dropping this nyxnoct fic here for Noctis' birthday~ have some fluffy goodness and enjoy!:D

"Are you sure you're okay, your highness?"

Noctis head snapped up to glare at Ignis. "I told you not to call me that," he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his princely raiment. His left shoulder was beginning to ache under the weight of the pauldron and Noctis desperately wanted the event to end already. "How much longer do I have to be here?"

Ignis sympathised with the Lucian prince. He truly did. The birthday of the one and only heir to the throne was a nationwide celebration and Noctis had been busy with preparations even before the sun came up. As a rule, he never willingly rises before dawn except when it involves pressing royal duties that he absolutely cannot weasel his way out of.

The loyal advisor could see in his prince's hunched pose and tight jaw that Noctis was nearing the limit of his social capacity. He pushed up his specs, "King Regis has recently retired to his chambers… I expect you will be able to get out of this soon." The speeches have all been given and the fireworks show long ended, Noctis just needed to be around for a little bit more to play the generous host before he could escape.

Noctis breathed a soft sigh, turning his gaze over the lavish open-air celebration atop one of Insomnia's royally owned hotels to stare at the far-off gates at the edge of the city. Above them, the wall glimmered in the night sky, both a calming yet chilling reminder of a war that is waged beyond it. A war that Nyx is fighting. A stray thought crept into the back of Noctis' mind. Visions of blood and bones but he quickly shook his head before it could be rooted, banishing it away with a scowl.

"He'll be fine," Gladio's gruff voice startled the prince out of his thoughts. "Just got word that the Kingsglaive are on their way back to Insomnia. Thought you'd be interested."

He was. Noctis straightened, heart suddenly racing in his chest. A million questions whirled in his mind, each equally pressing and frightening but the only words he managed to bite out were, "Is Nyx okay?"

Gladio paused, furrowing his eyebrows and Noctis immediately decided that he did not like the look on the shield's face. "Can't confirm that, I was told the Kingsglaive got roughed up pretty bad by some of those Niffs' daemon weapons. It wasn't a crushing defeat but we did lose some territories," Gladio explained and Noctis felt a dread sink into the pits of his stomach, fists clenched tightly until his knuckles were white. Gladio sensed the prince's increasing agitation; placing a steady hand on his shoulder as he offered a small smile. "Calm down, Noct. The Kingsglaive know what they're doing and it'll be awhile until they get back into Insomnia anyway." It didn't seem to do much to placate him, but Noctis reminded himself to be grateful that he was finally getting some news instead of the continued radio silence from Nyx and Crowe.

"I agree," said Ignis. "It's been a long day for you too. I suggest some rest before you attempt to do something I would not recommend doing."

Both of his aides stared at Noctis and with the stiffness in his shoulder and the beginning of a dull thumping on his skull combined, Noctis gave up any thought of resistance. He couldn't handle any more anxiety today. He had woken up on his birthday with a heavy weight looming over his head, not just because of his princely duties but more so because Nyx and his comrades were supposed to be back the day before. But they weren't.

It haunted him through the early morning royal rites, and well into the day even as Noctis was ushered about, to the point where it seemed that every shadow behind those great citadel columns were hiding something from him. Sometimes he would be talking to some aristocrat and faintly hear Nyx's heavy footsteps that vanished the moment he turned his head. Other times, he would pass by crowds and swore that for a second, he caught a glimpse of Nyx's fond smile which he had not seen for days now.

Noctis rubbed his face tiredly.

"I just… Iggy, could you give me a ride to Nyx's apartment?"

"I'm not sure that would be a wise decision."

Noctis looked up at Ignis, forcing the man to take in his pleading eyes and pout with a long, drawn out sigh. "I suppose it's the least I can do for you on your birthday," Ignis conceded, bowing his head, "Do you need a ride back too, Gladio?"

Nyx hissed all the way up to his apartment. The wound on his leg had long since closed –thanks to Crowe's first aid spells— and the medics had done a wonderful job in patching the rest of him up. Years of experience on the battlefield told him that he'd be good as new in a day or two with some rest but that doesn't mean that the tender injuries wouldn't sting with every step he took. Making his way down the corridor, Nyx fished for his keys in his pocket when he spotted a familiar dark bundle huddled in front of his door.

Nyx's heart clenched painfully as he stared down at the dozing prince. The younger man was clearly exhausted, dark circles beneath closed eyelids, wrapped tightly in the short cape that he still wore with his formal clothes. Nyx crouched down, biting back the hiss of pain from the movement as he gently shook the prince awake. "Noctis?" he asked, relief flooding him when Noctis stirred, blue eyes glazed with sleep slowly meeting his own.

"Nyx? You're back…"

"I am, little prince," Nyx brushed his hand against Noctis' cold cheek. "But what are you doing outside?"

Noctis blinked back the drowsiness that threatened to pull him under, a sleepy smile tugging across his face at Nyx's light touch. "I told Iggy I had the keys you gave me," he replied slowly. "I forgot that they were in the back pocket of my normal clothes."

"You didn't call Ignis back to take you to your apartment instead?"

"No…" Noctis struggled to his feet and Nyx held him steady as they entered the apartment, kicking the front door shut with a loud slam. He pulled the younger man closer to him, heart gripped by a sudden fear that made his blood run cold. Fear of Noctis slipping away into the nothingness, fear that this is all a hallucination from all the damn drugs they made him take and that he was not actually here, with him. The thought of his little prince far away in the citadel, curled up and alone in his bed on his special day no less, made his insides turn with guilt.

But Noctis seemed to lean into his embrace, solid, real, and now fully awake, pulling them both onto the bed where they tumbled into a messy heap.

"Ah, careful." Nyx flinched when his injured side made hard contact with the mattress. Beside him, Noctis froze, eyes wide as it dawned on him that the glaive did not come back unscathed.

"Where are you hurt?" he demanded, hands already fumbling for his cell phone. Nyx was hurt. Nyx had returned to him late and was hurt. He felt a whirlpool of emotions, anger and worry and something in between and it took Noctis all he had not to wrestle Nyx's shirt off him so he could assess the extent of the injuries the elder man sustained. "I'll tell Iggy to come by with potions-"

"Noct."

The prince didn't seem to hear him, fingers trembling as he continued to barrage him with questions, "Is it bad? Should I call a healer instead?" The frown did not suit his beautiful face at all, Nyx thought. Especially when he was the cause of it. It only made him feel guiltier, first with not being able to return before his birthday like he had promised and now, causing him more unhappiness on a day that was supposed to bring him only joy and laughter.

"Noctis."

Nyx caught Noctis' hand before he could finish dialing Ignis' number, pulling it towards him and placing it on his thumping heart. "Little prince, this heart is still beating," he said softly, letting his words sink in. "And it will be, as long as the dawn rises."

There was no reaction from Noctis for a minute before tears pooled in the prince's eyes, much to Nyx's alarm. "N-Noct?"

Noctis sniffled, pulling his hand away to wipe at the tears as he softly chuckled. "You're horrible, Nyx," he said, eliciting a fond smile from said man. "I spent my whole birthday wondering and worrying about how you were, about how you weren't back yet. Nyx, I didn't even know whether you were alive-" The prince choked up and Nyx hushed him, arms reaching to embrace his lover.

"I'm sorry," Nyx kept repeating, tightening his hold on Noctis, running his hand down the length of his back as Noctis buried his face in his shirt. "I left you alone on your birthday and I didn't even get you a present."

"You didn't pick up my calls or reply my texts either," Noctis mumbled in a childish manner, making the glaive smile. The glaive let his lover unburden his heart, complaining about the stuffy outfits he was forced into and the tiring insincere birthday wishes laced with snide remarks that he received from some of the haughtier nobles. With every word, Noctis relaxed more into Nyx's side and they ended up curled around each other, fingers intertwined as they stared up at Nyx's ceiling.

"Did nothing good happen to you at all today, little prince?" Nyx asked, enjoying the tickle at his neck as Noctis twirled his braids around his finger, occasionally pressing soft kisses to his skin.

Noctis hummed thoughtfully, eyes half lidded with a pleasant memory. "I had dad to myself for three whole hours in the afternoon," he replied, grinning. "Cor helped us escape after lunch and we hid in one of the rooms in the left wing where I used to play a lot. It was chaos."

"You mean, even Gladio's dad was deceived?" Nyx was impressed. The King's Shield was known to be wherever the king was, never leaving his side for more than a few moments at a time. From Noctis' previous stories, Clarus seemed like a dog hound that could sniff out King Regis with frighteningly good accuracy.

"I had Iris distract him for me but mostly, I think Clarus knew and led the rest of the staff on a wild goose chase on purpose. Oh-"

Noctis' phone appeared in Nyx's view, a self-taken picture of his lover and the King smiling brightly on the screen. He squinted at the badly made paper crown on Noctis' head and burst into laughter, "I fully support this to be made your official crown, Noct."

The prince pouted, scrolling to the next picture of Prompto holding up a white and yellow chocobo t-shirt with an equally curious looking cap with a spring and a red crystal on top. The next picture was Noctis is said articles of clothing, looking somewhat pleased with himself while Gladio openly laughed at him in the background. "Gladio said that I looked like I was sucking the life out of the bright colours," Noctis said with a whine in his voice. "What is that supposed to even mean?"

"It means he should get his eyes checked," Nyx replied, rolling his body so that Noctis lay beneath him, looking up through long dark lashes. His tired limbs ached in protest but Nyx willed them away, concentrating only on his prince as he leaned down to capture those soft lips in a longing kiss. "Happy birthday, little prince. May all your wishes come true."

He got a full smile in return, bright blue eyes sparkling brilliantly even in the dull lighting of his apartment. Noctis leaned up to give him a peck, "I think they all have, except one."

A raised eyebrow. "Then, may I have the honor of fulfilling your last wish?" the glaive asked, searching the prince's expression for a clue of what that may be.

Noctis nodded, eyelids suddenly heavy with sleep again but he reached up to cradle Nyx's face with both his hands, liking the tickle of the glaive's stubble on his palms. "I wish… You'd always come home to me. I want to be your place to come back to, Nyx."

Nyx remembered the battlefield he had fought at just hours earlier, the stars had seemed to shine just a little bit more, just a little bit brighter, before all hell broke loose. It was so many years ago since they did, back in Galahd when he used to sit outside on the porch with his sister to view the night sky; so he took it with him. Carried it in his heart as his blades flew across the bloodied fields, in bursts of magic and colour that made him feel like he was in the wind itself. Gazing down at Noctis, he felt as if he was looking at the same night sky which held those guiding stars, gentle and sure and unyielding.

It was Noctis' arms that he wanted to run into when the nights got too rough or the battlefield too bloody. His accepting embrace that shut out the rest of the world, rooting him to a present moment where they were both in, alive and breathing and safe.

Noctis was where Nyx has always wanted to be.

"You've always been my home, little prince."