So like, this is major au, cuz a) no war for the sake of this thing working out so therefore ppl know what noct looks like, b) this pairing is au, and c) if this pairing was canon, daddy regis' reaction would not be this, but like i said, au and this is good song about growth and acceptance, so we're going with it. The nickname nyx calls noct (myshka) is used other writers for this pairing, so it isn't my original idea, I just used it since everyone on this mircoship has sorta adopted it? Anyways, I hope you enjoy cuz this became way bigger than I intended it to be lmao.
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Regis found out through the citadel grapevine. Servants gossiping during their shifts was nothing new, usually pertaining to the scandals of Insomnia celebrities, and rarely caught the attention of the king as he travelled from one meeting to the next. However, the passing of his son's name from their lips made him pause in the hall, listening intently to what they had to say.
"Did you hear about the Crown Prince skulking about the city in the evening?" one servant tittered to her companion, receiving a gasp in response.
"No, you're not saying that the prince was one of those two teenagers who were spotted kissing in the alley by the citadel?!"
"That's what a guard told me." the servants' voices faded off into the distance as they continued on with their duties. The king adjusted his grip on his cane, continuing to walk onwards to his next meeting, disregarding the women's' gossip. If his son was seeing a girl, he would know.
A mistake on his part.
The gossip reached his ears a second time, from a council advisor, who approached the king and his shield with a group of fellow nobles after a meeting.
"Your majesty, I'm not sure if you're aware of the rumours surrounding your son, but perhaps you could clear it up for us." the man questioned, arms folded tightly behind his back.
Regis turned towards him, shifting his weight from his bad leg before giving the advisor his full attention.
"There have been instances where an individual resembling the prince has been spotted out in the streets of Insomnia at night. More often than not, in the company and embrace of men."
The king froze, his mouth forming a small 'o' as he thought back to the servants gossiping a few days ago. When they had mentioned two teens, they had meant two boys, something that Regis had not been anticipating.
Regis could only smile calmly, hiding his shock and anger beneath his mask.
"Forgive me, councilor, but I don't pay much attention to rumours as they rarely hold any truth to them." the king replied, staring down at the advisor, who continued to stand his ground.
"Of course, but every rumour has a grain of truth to it, your majesty." the man stated, offering a short bow before walking away, leaving Regis to process this new information.
Noctis hadn't been expecting a confrontation at dinner, he hadn't even been aware of the rumours surrounding him. When his father appeared in the private dining room for dinner, he could sense the calm before the storm. The prince kept quiet, knowing his father would speak when he was ready.
The king began calmly, as if he was discussing something as simple as the weather.
"There have been some interesting rumours circulating the citadel as of late, Noctis. Have you caught wind of them yet?"
Noctis tensed slightly, unsure of the direction this conversation was headed in.
"No, I haven't. You always taught me rumours weren't worth listening to unless someone brings it to your attention." the dark-haired teen answered carefully, pushing his food around his plate.
"Well, this was interesting enough for a member of the council to speak to me about it, considering it had something to do with you and an unnamed boy."
Noctis froze as the words fell from his father's lips, staring down at his plate with wide eyes. Silence filled the room, the sound of the prince's fork hitting his plate echoing in the high ceiling.
"I-uh…." Noctis scrambled for an answer, avoiding his father's green eyes as he frantically tried to come up with an explanation.
Regis continued to speak in a calm tone of voice that oozed a deep disappointment and anger, a tone he rarely ever used with his son.
"Tell me, Noctis. How am I supposed to answer when the council tells me my son, my only heir, was kissing boys in the streets of Insomnia? Do you have any idea how this sort of behaviour reflects on the family?" the teen's hands trembled, causing his fork to tumble from his finger tips. Blue eyes nervously stared across the table, fixing on a point just over the king's shoulder.
"Your right as heir and next in line for the throne can be brought into question due to this sort of behaviour. It's an embarrassment and makes our line look weak, son." Regis tried to reason, hoping his son would tell him that it was only drunken tomfoolery and was likely to never happen again.
But Noctis merely took a deep breath, before looking into his father's eyes.
"And what if 'this sort of behaviour' is who I really am? What if my romantic tastes are an embarrassment and reflect badly on our family?" the prince questioned defiantly, blue eyes boring into green. The silence was so deafening, you could hear a pin drop.
"You are part of this family; you're my son. But this behaviour isn't good for your health, Noctis. You need to move past this-this phase." the king stated, lacing his fingers together as he leaned against the table top.
"And if it isn't a 'phase'?" the dark-haired boy challenged, narrowing his eyes at Regis as he waited for an answer.
The king never replied, choosing to stand and leave, his silence enough of an answer for Noctis.
The seventeen year old prince began packing his essentials that evening, and left the citadel without a word, severing contact with his father and leaving his life as crown prince of Lucis behind.
Noctis shuffled across the apartment floor before collapsing onto the beaten up queen-sized mattress. He ended up half on top of his lover, drawing a groan from the man beneath him.
One ice blue eye opened as the raven-haired boy snuggled against the firm chest he was laying on, frowning lightly.
"Rough day at work?" Nyx questioned, his voice gravelly from sleep.
Getting a head shake in response, the glaive sighed, sitting up and pulling the younger man into his lap.
"If it's not work, than what is it?" the Galahdian prodded, cradling his lover's dark head against his shoulder. Noctis remained quiet for a few moments, sighing as he collected himself.
"Ignis came by today while I was at work." he began, tucking himself under Nyx's stubble-covered chin, "He said that the king is asking after me…"
"I thought you had severed all ties with him when you were 17.." the older man stated, waiting for his lover to clarify.
"Yeah, after he found out about…about my preferences, I moved out and we haven't spoken since…" the prince explained, staring at a spot on the wall, "But Ignis says he's been asking about me more often recently, and that his health is declining…" Noctis trailed off, lost for words as calloused fingers combed through thick black locks.
"What are you thinking, myshka?" Nyx whispered, pressing a kiss to the crown of the twenty-year old's head.
"What if he's dying, Nyx? What if he's dying, and I never go to see him..?" Noctis asked in a broken voice
The galahdian tightened his arms around the younger man, allowing him to cry into his chest.
"But if you go, you might be able to make amends. Then you can be there until his last moment…" the tattooed man reasoned, trying to soothe his lover as he cried.
Watery sapphire-blue eyes met ice coloured ones as Noctis pulled himself away from Nyx's chest, sniffling as he wiped at the tear tracks covering his cheeks.
"Will you come with me?" the ex-prince begged him, blue eyes wide and pleading.
"I'll never let you out of my sight, myshka, I promise you that…" the galahdian assured, drawing his younger lover into a tearful kiss.
"Thank you…" Noctis whispered against chapped lips, allowing Nyx to pull him back down onto the mattress, tucking himself against a muscled chest.
Noctis clung to Nyx's hand as they were led through the familiar halls of the citadel, servants that lingered along the way gossiping and whispering at the appearance of the missing prince, hand-in-hand with an immigrant, and a much older man at that.
The pair silently followed Ignis towards the large double doors that hid the king away from everyone else, a familiar sight to the ex-prince as the doors eventually opened for them. The king's chambers were kept warm by the fires that were lit in the massive fire places, fighting the chill that crept through the citadel stonework.
The fires were the only source of light as they moved further into the king's chambers, Noctis freezing as the duo came face to face with the last set of doors that separated them from the king. Nyx placed a comforting hand on his lover's shoulder, grounding the younger man as he took a deep breath before opening one of the doors and entering.
The room wasn't as dark as the rest of the king's quarters, bedside lamps aiding the roaring fire in bring light to the room. The king lay swaddled in the warmth of his blankets and the fire, tired green eyes turning slowly until they landed on the familiar form of his son.
"Noctis…" Regis called out, his voice betraying just how uncertain he was about the man before him actually being his son.
"Hey dad…" the raven-haired man replied, taking slow, tentative steps towards his father's bed.
"Oh, Noctis… It's been too long, come closer, son. And bring that fellow with you." Regis said, gesturing for the pair to come over to his bedside, attempting to prop himself up against his pillows.
The younger man knelt at his father's bedside, worrying his lower lip between his teeth as Regis grasped his pale hand gently.
"Let me get a good look at you…" the king whispered, clouded green eyes slowly scanning the twenty-year old's face, taking in every change he noticed—from the way Noctis styled his hair, with little braids and beads woven among the long black locks, to the small freckles and scars that he had obtained from various job occupations. But most of all, hidden behind the obvious nervousness of being back at the citadel, Regis could tell his son was happy and felt free in his new life.
His green gaze moved upwards to his son's companion, examining the older man carefully.
"Noctis, if you wouldn't mind introducing us." Regis requested, nodding up at the galahdian standing behind his son's shoulder.
"Oh, dad, this is Nyx Ulric, my um…my boyfriend. Nyx, meet my dad, Regis." Noctis introduced the two to each other, clearing his throat slightly as he forced to words out.
"I trust you've been taking care of my boy, Ulric. Bahamut knows I haven't these last few years…" the king inquired, gazing tiredly at the couple before him.
"Of course, sir. I do my best to keep him comfortable and happy, your majesty." Nyx assured the fragile monarch, receiving a soft nod in response.
"Good, good…" Regis trailed off, sighing heavily before locking eyes with Noctis once more, "While I'm glad you have been doing alright, I didn't ask after you so I could interrogate you and your partner, Noctis."
"Son, I hope you'll forgive my behaviour over the last few years, especially the whole mess about your sexuality. There is no way to excuse my reaction or my behaviour over these last few years. I'm sorry that it took me four years and laying on my death bed to come to terms with who you are and accept you." the king wheezed out, breaking into a rattling cough that made Noctis' heart jump into his throat. He gripped Regis' hand tightly, Nyx resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"And now knowing that you have a loving and caring life partner, I know that your feelings for him are as real as the love I had for your mother. My son, make sure you keep kissing that boy in the streets. Hell, when I'm gone and you've been crowned as king, kiss him on the citadel balcony. Don't ever let anyone shame you as I have." Regis told him solemnly, gripping Noctis' hand tightly as his green eyes stared into the blue of his son's.
Noctis held back his tears, swallowing tightly as he smiled at his father.
"Sure thing, dad." the younger man assured, a few tears escaping and sliding down his cheeks.
The king then turned his attention to Nyx, fixing him with as stern of a look as he could muster.
"Now, I expect you to do right by my son, and make an honest man of him, Nyx Ulric. I want to at least see an engagement ring on my son's hand before I pass on." Regis lectured, Noctis turning a deep red in embarrassment. Nyx chuckled, gently twirling a strand of his lover's dark hair around his finger.
"Already on it, sir." the galahdian promised, Noctis turning around quickly to look at his partner in shock as his blush deepened.
"Good. And please, call me Regis." the king smiled lightly, watching the duo with a pleased gaze.
Nyx gazed adoringly down at the raven-haired man, while Noctis, even with his intense blush, glanced up lovingly at the elder man through his lashes.
If Noctis falling in love and being loved was the end result, his son should keep kissing that boy in the street.