This chapter turned in pure fluff. Nyx tries to keep his place in the story, but I needed to do some planning and had a lot of difficulties writing this chapter. I want to get to the action, but as with all my stories, this one might not be so short. I want to give Noctis and Luna time in Insomnia and have a side-plot with Regis and Nyx before that my version of Kingsglaive's events take place. I'm sorry for the wait, but I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!

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Crystal ties – Insomnia's last stand

Chapter 3 – My house is your house

A tall man wearing glasses and his hair styled in a strange but quite distinguished peak opened the door to Noctis's apartment for us. His suit was elegant, his back ramrod straight and he exuded a natural air of politeness that fell somehow gentle instead of a pretense. I had had enough of Loqi's manners to last me a lifetime, not to mention the other nobles from Niflheim I had seen in the past few years.

"Thanks Iggy," Noctis greeted him. He invited me to step into the apartment, careful of not using my name until the door was closed.

I had been wearing my hood up and Noct had made sure to take the less extravagant of the dozens of cars waiting in the garage next to the manor Nyx had previously escorted me to. He drove himself, encouraging me to sit next to him instead of the backseat and we talked about everything I was seeing of Insomnia on our way. He parked the car a few roads away from his block, insisting we would be fine walking on the sidewalk. I couldn't muster the nerve to hold his hand in public even if I wanted to. I didn't want to attract attention to us, I didn't want to be spotted when I could have time off from the empire, time off from being a princess stuck in a golden cage.

Ignis Scientia's deep voice and marked accent snapped me back to the present.

"I was disappointed in a few things I found lying around," the man observed, Noctis deflating a bit at the clear meaning beneath his advisor's words.

My eyes widened and I rose a hand, grabbing Noctis's forearm without thinking.

"You didn't have to inconvenience yourself or your friends for my sake, Noct."

Ignis straightened at the sound of my voice, his teasing smile leaving. I had always found it difficult to understand humor and the last thing I wanted was to be a burden.

"You're not inconveniencing anyone, my lady," Ignis declared. "I'm sorry for not greeting yourself better already, I always get carried away by my urge to make a better man out of this prince."

"Iggy!" Noctis pleaded for the teasing to stop. "Luna," he continued, his eyes meeting mine. My heart swelled a little and I ushered it back down, fighting against my blush as Noctis went on, his hand gently brushing my shoulder, "it's safe here, I swear it is, you can take off the hood. This is Ignis Scientia, my advisor and my Hand. Which means cleaning after me shouldn't be beneath him."

Ignis ignored him superbly, offering me a bow.

"It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, lady Lunafreya. Umbra has arrived already, I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you two together."

How was I supposed to take off the hood now? Noctis gave a light tug to the fabric, my hood falling for what might be the last time. I was supposed to be safe in here, so I shouldn't have to hide anymore…

"Thank you," I whispered to Ignis, holding his eyes and wondering how to answer him. I had been introduced to over a thousand people, but this man was important for someone I loved. "I… I'm honored to finally meet you. Noctis talks very highly of you."

My prince looked at me in alarm, clearly wondering if I was going to embarrass him too. And I had to admit, I felt so far from what I knew, seeing him flustered helped me calm down. It felt wrong. I didn't want him flustered or uncomfortable. Well, maybe a tad flustered. Simply to be even with the way he made me feel back in that parlor.

"I taught him well," Ignis said, the hint of a smirk threatening to take over his calm expression.

"Specs, I swear to the gods, I'll…!"

This time I was the one to lose my cool.

"Noctis!"

"Careful, your highness," the taller man warned. "I'd better take my leave before I manage to make this… gathering awkward. You'll find stew in the fridge."

I stepped into the kitchen by the door as Noctis held it open for his friend to leave, fed up with the teasing by now. I simply wanted to stay out of sight from the hallway and when I realized that both men kept talking for a moment, I fell back in my old habits. When you're trapped in your own home and don't know who could try something against you, every bit of information may count. It was ridiculous right now, but I couldn't help inching closer to the hallway and straining my ears to perceive the last words from the advisor. This had been a large, a very large mistake on my part, my cheeks burning.

Ignis had taken a lower tone, his voice more serious, but also gentle and I could tell this wasn't meant for my ears.

"I advise you to make sure you use proper protection in case…"

"Out!" Noctis almost phased him outside in his rush to chase away his friend, closing the door and locking the five-something locks that were on it.

All the clicks made me nervous and I set out to find Umbra, in order to recover some of my calm. Luckily, my loyal dog had been sleeping in the living room and yapped cheerfully at me when I sat on the couch next to him, my hands stroking his dark fur and gently scrapping at the skin between his ears. Umbra always had the best sense of timing to be found and find people.

"There you are, boy," I greeted him, feeling some of my anxiety settle.

Umbra's muzzle pressed against my thigh, his eyes shining and his tail slapping the air. I could tell he was hoping to see Pryna. These two were inseparable and he had grown quite protective of her since she'd been hurt a few years back.

"She's safe, we let her under the care of someone trustworthy," I whispered to him.

"There you are," Noctis said, stepping in the living room. "I'm not the best of hosts," he went on, the clear blush on his cheeks making my stomach roll in nervousness. I was glad to be around him, but the deepest form of intimacy was far from both of our minds, at least, far from mine. The bruise on my arm wasn't the only one on me and even if it wasn't for that, I wasn't sure throwing myself at Noctis would be wise. "Would you like some water? Or maybe tea?" he added.

My lips were tingling as I remembered our few kisses in that parlor and I nodded absent-mindedly, before realizing this wasn't the answer he needed.

"Whichever is simpler for you," I said.

"I don't want to give you simple, Luna."

I met his eyes then, neck bent to get a better look at him, the gaming stations I had been trying to recognize from the very normal houses I had visited as I healed my people forgotten.

"I'm not used to asking for things," I admitted, wondering why I felt the urge to apologize.

Noctis simply shook his head.

"I'm asking you if you'd like something to drink. Or something to eat. Or anything really. All I could give you were words, Luna."

My first thought was that I wanted more hugs. Or just the feeling of his palm next to mine. It felt safe and I needed to feel more at ease in his presence. I wanted to be at ease because it was hard to remember the last time I'd ever felt that way.

…

I had barely been dismissed for half an hour by the prince when Drautos called me for a new assignment. And I'd better up my diplomatic game before I made a complete ass out of myself.

"That damn albino is already strolling around the place like he owns it," Drautos explained.

Watching after the imperial Commander, Ravus Nox Fleuret, was to be my job. To be precise, I would relieve Libertus from that job, because he didn't have the patience for it, but I honestly doubted any Glaive had the patience for it. And I wasn't too excited about this task. I needed to punch something, not babysit yet another royal.

But don't you owe this as payback Nyx? You made the sister mad, why not get to hang out with her brother now, I thought to myself.

A sudden ache made me hold the steering wheel tighter and I heard the King gasping in a corner of my mind. There was a flicker on the horizon, a speck of light shifting across the wall, I wondered if I hadn't imagined it but it seemed real.

The crystal feels wrong, Regis whispered to the confine of his thoughts. I don't know how long I can hold that... I should do better than this, shouldn't I Aulea?

I hadn't heard him quite that desperate before and had to think a good minute to remember who Aulea was. Than I could picture the old man standing in front of a grave, trying to bear the burden of his nation on his shoulders alone. I wasn't sure the prince needed to hear about how bad things were for his father. But if it had been my father, I knew I would have wanted to know.

Maybe I can skip on that job and just…

Drautos would kill me. And then Libertus would do worse stuff to whatever was left of my body. I barely registered the rest of the ride up to the first class hotel where the Fleuret brother was staying, wondering if there was anything to ease my King's burden.

I whipped up my phone and dialed Crowe's number as soon as I was parked. And of course, I ended up on her voicemail. Who was I kidding, she had to be on duty too. When did we ever got any time off? As if I needed it, Regis's next thought rang as clear as crystal in my ears.

How can they believe I've gone senile? The wall flickering for half a second has nothing to do with my wits!

Now that was an alarming thing and I needed to clear it up somehow. My connection to the King faded when I stepped out of the car, giving me the urge to jump back in my seat just in case…

But no, my thoughts remained silent. All I had to go on with was that idea some people were thinking Regis was going senile. I wasn't sure where and who to probe for information yet, but I would get to the bottom of this new development.

"Are you parking or not?" a soldier asked me, walking up to my car.

He'd spotted my uniform and was giving me a funny look, certainly wondering why I was acting so jumpy.

"Here to relieve Ostium from his job, actually. Just forgot my phone," I lied through my teeth, locking the door to my car before fully turning to the soldier.

His posture had slightly relaxed, but I wasn't completely out of the clear yet.

"I have my boss on speed-dial in case that prince is too much to handle for me, you know?"

He cracked a smile, nodding in understanding.

"Oh, he is a handful, brace yourself."

His sister is like a mouse with an enchanting voice, how bad can he be?

Thinking of said mouse had me hoping Noctis would be careful with the Oracle. He was good-intentioned, but excessively young and Lunafreya seemed quite vulnerable. Like a Galhadan flower, beautiful, soft and bending in the breeze, but crumbling between the hands of a petulant child.

Shit, drop the poetics, Nyx, hopefully, that princess has a few thorns.

But my mind couldn't seem to get the flower imagery out of my mind as I prepared myself to meet her brother. I wasn't too worried. I would just be standing as a wallflower and keep to myself unless the prince moved his soldiers around in too large of a group. My assumption was that both Fleuret were prisoners from the empire, since that was what Noctis had insisted upon when he'd asked me to pick up the potential Luna.

I had to wonder what the two of them were doing right now… And how well or badly he handled things.

…

I hadn't realized that giving Luna a tour of my apartment would make me self-conscious, but she appeared amazed at most of the furniture and it only served to remind me of how secluded she had been all her life.

My apartment wasn't average to be honest, Ignis had helped me deciding on a place and wouldn't let me take anything beneath his standards.

"Unlike the citadel, I only have one bathroom in here."

Luna smiled.

"I love the colors. Those black tiles are cute."

I knew who was being cute right now, holding on a sigh. How had I managed without her around for so long? Her comment on the tiles seemed to be her impulsive and honest opinion, for she blushed as she realized she'd said it out loud.

"You've always been strong with details. If you'll follow me, we have my excuse of an office to visit."

The kitchen and living room were self-explanatory enough and Luna couldn't help a little gasp when she noticed my lengthy collection of comic books and graphic novels. There was one series in particular she wouldn't let me shut up about in our letters, because she had read the first and third number as a young girl, stumbling on them per chance despite all the interdictions made by the empire. It was almost complete now, with only a few numbers lacking and while I had told her a very hefty summary of the whole thing, I'd kept a lot silent in the hopes I would be able to share the story with her if either of us could visit at some point.

"Who's that?" she asked me, pointing at the cover of the 34th volume.

"You can't skip so far ahead Luna!"

Umbra had decided to remain in the living room, happily sleeping away his exhaustion from running all the way to Lucis and I was tempted to wrap my princess in a hug once more, since she was looking at me with those warm, curious eyes. It would take a lot of patience to handle the fact she wanted to read through the entire series during her stay, but it might be the only thing she actually dared to ask me.

How hard is it to please someone who denies their own needs? I wondered.

"You don't have a desk in your so-called office?" she observed.

I cocked my head to the side, my shoulders slumping a bit. Ignis had berated me for mixing the functionalities of most rooms in my apartment time and again, even though I really didn't see a point. He insisted that a bedroom should serve only for sleep, but I have the ability of finding sleep anywhere in the world.

"I have it in my room instead. I prefer to lounge and relax here. You can read later, I promise the books won't go anywhere," I teased her, carefully grabbing her elbow to invite her in following me.

Luna obliged, gently storing the book back on the shelf and giving me a smile.

"What's next?"

"There's a storage room… And the bedroom where you'll sleep."

Luna's easy disposition seemed to tarnish when we stopped in front of the bedroom, the only one I had in my suite and she realized it was mine.

"I… I don't want to kick you out of bed. I mean…"

She started blushing as she took a step back, apparently unsure about how I wanted things for our sleeping arrangements. I couldn't help but remember Ignis's comment about protection and felt my cheeks heating up a bit.

"My couch is really comfortable," I assured her, "…and I don't want you uncomfortable. I've never slept next to anyone since I was a kid and I doubt my bedside manners are any better than when I would kick my dad in the shins."

She did laugh and it felt as though we'd evaded some embarrassment but my heart was still beating a little too fast as she stepped into the room, slowly taking a look around the place.

I had visited her home once, but she'd never seen mine and I hadn't shared it with many people. The Citadel should have been my home, the only one I should want, since I was going to be King, but this flat was all I really needed. Giving a mental check to what the place looked like earlier this morning, I was grateful for Ignis picking up my dirty clothes lying in a corner of the room and making the bed looks like some hotel suite.

"I know it's small and…"

My desk was there, with half scribbled letters, my laptop and a tower of politic treaties Ignis insisted I had to read.

"It's lovely," Luna stated, crossing her arms behind her back as she took another look around the room. "It feels like an actual home where someone can live. Although I question the lures."

Her voice held some teasing, but I couldn't help my ears turning red as I realized my lure station showed my latest creations, some of my most prized lures also left on display. I had started that thing when I was 12 and had never mentioned it in any of my letters to her, because it felt… dorky I guess?

"Oh… Well…"

I was certain I'd asked Ignis to move that thing, but my advisor must have been thinking it was better that Luna see my apartment as it was.

"You think we could visit a few fishing spots while I'm here? Regis never got to give me that fishing lessons he'd promised and…"

She halted as she saw my face dropping slightly.

"I don't think I've apologized for that yet," I managed, my throat feeling tighter than it did before. It felt hard to breathe as guilt wrapped itself around me.

"For what?"

My princess sounded genuinely confused and I was wondering if speaking up actually meant I was going to push bad memories onto her when she could finally catch a break.

"We left you back then, all on your own and it was my fault. If I hadn't gotten hurt in the first place…"

Luna shook her head, her hair following the movement in a way that was almost mesmerizing. I really had to get a grip and get used to having her around me before I made a complete fool of myself!

"We might have never gotten to meet each other if it wasn't for that wound. And I'm not saying I'll ever wish you any harm. The past is as it is, Noct."

I tried nodding in agreement, but it was hard to hear her being so calm when she should be the one feeling angry and betrayed.

"You're so patient, Luna. How do you do it?"

She shrugged in answer.

"I didn't turn out like that because of the empire if that's what you're wondering, Noct. This is who I always was."

Her smile seemed frail, but I accepted to take her word for it. The last thing I wanted to do was to make her sad.

After offering to prepare dinner with me, I suggested to keep the kitchen experiments for a later time and stick to a meal Ignis had left for me in the fridge. Luna was convinced by the very sight of the lasagna plate and asked for seconds twice, which confirmed to me she was growing a little more comfortable.

"That's a ravenous appetite for a princess," I teased her.

"You ate half of it by yourself!"

Our evening went by as I introduced her to a few of my favorite video games, and after trying for over an hour, we shifted to a reading session. Time flew by too quickly and by 10, she was yawning every five minutes or so and had trouble hiding it. She still wanted to take the couch instead of me, but I insisted.

"What if I asked for compensation since you're getting so worked up about it?"

Luna frowned slightly, a tentative smile growing on her face.

"What are you suggesting?"

"One kiss in exchange for taking my bed?"

I tried not to blush saying it, because I was afraid I'd make her feel bad or uncomfortable, but despite flushing, she shifted closer to me on the couch.

"What kind of kiss? I need clear terms to make this work."

My ears burned and I fought against my own awkwardness. Playful Luna was… fascinating, too adorable for my heart and… nerve-wracking.

"Anything particular in mind?"

Her hands were wrangling together in her lap and I could tell she was nervous too, but she nodded.

"A few things."

Her voice sounded too low, almost sultry and I couldn't swallow, couldn't move. Her lips brushed against my jaw, a fleeting touch. Gods, I needed more.

"You meant an array of options with that plural, didn't you?"

My voice worked, but my mouth was dry and I hated myself for sweating. We'd kissed earlier today, but this was different. She was in my home. My little sanctuary. No one could walk in on us and that meant we might just catch up on all the lost time between us. All the feelings and longing I left between the words because writing them down felt almost wrong.

"I did. Not quite princess-like, was it?"

"I didn't say I minded."

She reached one hand up, her fingers brushing against my neck, cupping one side of my face. I leaned over, not sure what to do. I didn't want to forget the bruise on her arm, but holding her felt right, but acting too familiar might…

Our lips met and the questions died down. In the span of a few hours, I had forgotten how good she felt. It was a chaste kiss, too brief, but my arms were around her and I dipped in for more, half a groan in the back of my throat.

"You said one kiss," she breathed out when we next parted.

"That you gave me. Doesn't mean I can't extend the courtesy."

Her lips were smiling against mine and her hands ran through my hair. Tugging and stroking.

"Luna, I need to… ask you… what were the other types of kisses you had in mind?"

Her mouth was red, her eyes hazy and her skin so flushed, she almost looked feverish. But she took this chance we had, she allowed me in and closer still, pulling on my shirt to have me shift in one way and another. Her embarrassment was temporarily gone and I would have done anything she asked me.

"Hold me closer through this one?"

She tugged on my collar, leaning down on the couch and I followed. I wondered if she'd let me try one or two of the kisses I had in mind.

To be continued…

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Writing kissing scenes in Noctis's pov is… weird. But writing any fluff in first person can be weird. This chapter was short, but it took me so long to write a decent amount of pages, I decided to keep things at this first step. Luna was introduced to Noctis's apartment and they should have the chance to share time together and apart from the rest of the world. Although Noctis's friends will soon be introduced to Luna. And I wrote something about Regis being potentially senile. Need to keep that up. :D