Noctis's eyelid's struggled to open, the temptation to stay in his soft bed was giving the Lucian Prince a convincing argument. With a reluctant sigh the Prince began to pull himself upwards, intending to start his day early as had been drilled into him over the past weeks by his burly bodyguard. Noctis was ripped out of his post sleep drowsiness when he was pulled harshly back down to the bed, a cold object lying down on his chest.

'What the…' Noctis muttered as he looked down at the source of his trouble, only to find the Glacian's head pressed firmly down on his chest.

'It is too early my Love' Shiva whispered to him whilst her hands, which were wrapped around him, squeezed him tightly as though to re-affirm her desire for them to stay where they were.

Noctis settled himself back into the soft bed, who was he to argue with a Goddess?

The two remained contently in the bed, both wrapped around each other, Shiva taking in the addictive warmth of the Prince while Noctis stroked the soft, cool elaborate braids that the Glacian's hair was made up of.

'We're going to have to get up at some point' Noctis told the clingy Goddess.

Shiva's head rose from Noctis's chest with a smug glare, 'at some point, just not now', with that the Glacian moved towards the Prince's head and planted a sweet, cooling kiss upon his lips, sending frozen waves throughout his head. The Glacian however didn't notice Noctis's slack jawed expression and continued her offence against the Prince's mouth.

Eventually Noctis's brain began to thaw somewhat and he pushed back against Shiva, flipping their position so that now he was on top of her, earning a pleased growl from the Glacian.

Both Prince and Goddess were so caught up with their intimate embrace that they failed to hear the sound of the door being shoved open.

'Noct come on sleepyhead time to wak… Oh God what happened to your back!' Iris screamed as she spotted Noctis's naked chest and the faded scars cut into his back.

The sound of the younger Amicitia's voice startled Noctis and jarred him out of his brief moment of pleasure. Twisting his head over Noctis's eyes were wide with fear as he gazed into Iris's, her eyes reflecting the emotions that the Prince expected, that of disgust, revulsion and confusion.

'Iris I'm fine, the scars are o-' Noctis began only to be interrupted by the distressed Amicitia.

'Did she do that to you Noct?' Iris cried out, her eyes now directed at Shiva. With every second that passed the worse the mind of Noctis became, infront of him was a person whom he had called a friend was now freaking out over his scars, worst still it began to trigger a more subtle anxiety, how could he be King if he could not withstand the negative reaction of just one person?

'I did not do this to him' Shiva said, her cold voice cutting Noctis out of his mental reverie and stopping Iris from continuing her freak-out, 'and you little girl should not judge your King for the scars that he bears, his life has been a difficult enough without your whining'. With a blinding flash of light Shiva disappeared from the bedside and relocated infront of Iris, once more floating with a benevolent calm.

'Look I was just concerned about Noct, it doesn't help that you just happened to show up and then those scars appeared' Iris said defensively, her arms wrapping around each other as she spoke.

'What reason would I have for harming my Beloved?' Shiva retorted, her posture almost demanding a response from the smaller woman. When Shiva was given silence she continued, 'you can think of none, can you? I know why little girl, you are jealous, you wish that you were the one your King had chosen, now you are faced with a stranger who has gotten closer to him than you were ever able to be and you are angry, with both him and yourself'.

'Shut up' Iris whispered beneath masking bangs, her hair shielding her eyes, 'you don't know anything about me'.

'I don't need to' Shiva interjected ruthlessly, 'I can see it in your stance, the way you look at him, and the way your face falls when you think no one can se-'.

'Shiva that's enough' Noctis told the Glacian weakly, 'just leave Iris alone'.

The Goddess paused at the Prince's words, but he was already too late. Within seconds Iris turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind her.

'Why did you do that?' Noctis said, his voice barely a whisper.

The Glacian spun around with ease and glided effortlessly over to the Prince, 'because she hurt you, even a blind man could see that, and all because that little girl cannot accept the reality of the situation'.

'Iris was worried about me, what's wrong with that?' Noctis barked.

'No, she wasn't, she was lying to you' Shiva insisted gently, 'you saw her eyes, she was disgusted with what she saw'.

'Can't blame her' Noctis muttered, his face falling as he spoke.

A thin white finger lifted Noctis's face up by his chin, 'I can, she saw nothing that was hideous' Shiva countered, her eyes drilling into Noctis's.

'I know I shouldn't care, Ignis says it's even OK to feel embarrassed about them but I… it stings when others see them, when I see their faces it burns… they burn' Noctis confessed, his voice so quiet he wondered if he had only thought the words and not ushered them into the real world.

'I could get rid of them' Shiva offered, though she made no move to do so.

'No' Noctis told her, his head shaking at the notion, 'I hate them, but they're mine'.

Shiva's face fell from its emotionless façade to a small smile, her eyes seemingly glowing at the Prince's admission, 'good' she said simply before the Goddess floated a fraction away, 'now we had best make haste, I fear we have indulged in ourselves for too long'.

With a resigned groan Noctis hoisted himself upright and dragged his body off towards the bathroom, making sure to close the door behind him as to avoid tempting the Icy Fairy and her chilling fingers. Whilst taking a quick shower Noctis couldn't help but notice a peculiar development, mucus was dripping quite steadily out of his nostril and while he able to blow his nose once out of the warm confines of the shower it worried the Prince, he couldn't remember the last time he had a cold. After dressing himself and out of a futile reflex to style his hair, only to remember the stoic look Shiva had given him over the use of his hair gel and as such the Prince banished the styling product to the recess of his Armiger, Noctis was finally ready for the day.

Outside of the shower Noctis was immediately confronted by the leather clad messenger, the white body of the Goddess having vanished from the room.

'Ready to go?' Noctis asked.

'Soon, but first I would look at those scars of yours again' Shiva told him, her eyes drilling into the Prince's, telling him her request wasn't negotiable.

Without questioning the Goddess's intent, Noctis once more walked back over to the bed, discarding his dark shirt as he went. 'Now what?' Noctis then said, hoping that whatever Shiva had planned would be over with shortly. However, instead of receiving any answer Shiva instead walked around the bed and crept up behind Noctis, this action only increasing the Prince's curiosity, and fear of what the Goddess would do.

'Shiva what are yo…ah!' Noctis yelped as he felt the messenger's lips wrap themselves around the lower part of his neck, licking and biting gently which made the Prince shiver at the unyielding sensation.

'Done' Shiva whispered in Noctis's ear after kissing the now bruised area on his neck.

With dismay Noctis looked at the bright red spot on the side of his neck, no shirt would be able to this mark Noctis concluded gloomily. 'Who taught you about hickeys?' the Prince questioned with an annoyed sigh as he dragged his shirt over his head.

'The blonde one called Prompto suggested such an action, though he doubted that I could complete such a task' Shiva responded, the grin on her face showing her glee at the almost glowing mark that coated Noctis's pale skin.

Noctis rolled his eyes and walked passed the Goddess and out of the cosy room, now all he hoped for was that friends would be forgiving whilst they ate breakfast. The Prince shook his head at such a notion, he was deluding himself if he thought that would happen.


As it turned out, Noctis was right. Walking out and into the foyer of the hotel Noctis was greeted with the faces of his three companions, all of them were speechless, with Prompto's expression being the one that Noctis wish he could smack straight off his face.

'Noctis I hate to be the one to bring this to your attention but you seem to have a bruise on your neck' Ignis pointed out, earning himself a deathly glare from the Prince.

'Yeah Ignis I know' Noctis muttered under the gleeful stares of his friends.

'Wild night Noct? I better not hear the quiet pattering of little feet in nine months' time' Gladiolus added, 'but if I do I err… don't mind being an uncle'.

'Oh shut up' Noctis said with scorn coating his words before he looked directly at Prompto, 'and don't you even say a word'. For his part the Gunner didn't even protest, though his silent chuckling still managed to grind on Noctis's diminishing nerves.

Eventually the cackling children, the name that Noctis had titled his friends, calmed down enough to go out into the hotel and out into Lestallum for some food. Along the way Shiva linked arms with Noctis, an act which stifled even more giggles and chuckles from the Prince's companions. Without asking his companions where they would like to eat, Noctis sat down and ordered his breakfast at a nearby café, paying for his and helping Shiva decide on what she would try.

After some indecisiveness the entire team where finally eating away at their own meals, with Iris having discreetly joined them, the girl sitting closely to her brother and talking exclusively to everyone that wasn't the Prince or the hidden Glacian.

'So Iggy got any idea where we're heading next?' Noctis asked after swallowing the last of his coffee.

Looking up from his phone the advisor frowned slightly, 'our list of tasks are not as lengthy as they once were Noct, besides the key the old woman handed us at the Hunter's headquarters we have but one bounty left, the large bird Zu that roosts on the Rock of Ravatogh'.

'Err can we kill that thing?' Prompto said nervously, his eyes darting from Noctis to Ignis with an almost frantic like pace to them.

'Sure we can, quit being a wimp' Gladiolus interjected lazily.

'Then its settled I guess' Noctis stated, 'we should probably leave now if we're going to make it today'.

'Excellent initiative Noct' Ignis praised as the Prince rose from his chair and pulled out the necessary Gill needed to pay for their meal.

'So you'll be heading back to Caem then?' Gladiolus asked his sister as everyone prepared to leave, however Iris's response was less than civil.

'Why do I have to go if Noct's girlfriend gets to stay?!' Iris yelled out, drawing the eyes of those around her.

'Iris calm down!' Gladiolus growled, the last thing the shield wanted to do was make a scene, 'last time I checked Shiva is a God, you aren't. I want you to be safe, and being around us isn't exactly good for your health'.

'You should listen to your brother's advice little girl' Shiva added as she walked over to the two siblings, 'you will be better off away from us, and the distance will allow you to settle your grievances'.

'It's not fair!' Iris cried out, two tears running down her face as she wailed, 'you just came along and you suddenly have Noct wrapped around your finger, does no one find that creepy or odd?!'

Before Noctis could interrupt Gladiolus surprised everyone as he grabbed his sister roughly by the shoulders and pulled her in front of him, making it so that she was forced to look at her brother. 'We talked about this Iris, you promised that you would give up on your crush with Noctis' Gladiolus said, his voice resembling that of a disproving parent.

'But Glady' Iris began only to be stopped by her brother.

'No Iris you swore it to me' Gladiolus told her, anger clouding his words, 'you don't own Noct, and it was always up to him with who he'd be with. Just because he didn't choose you doesn't mean you have the right to act like a child and throw a tantrum!'

A tense silence passed as Gladiolus's words began to sink into Iris's mind. Soon Noctis began to wonder if he should step in, if only to reinforce what the Shield said, and what Noctis was too afraid to say.

'I'm sorry' Iris whispered, her quiet voice breaking the deafening void of sound.

'Don't tell me that' Gladiolus snorted, moving aside so that Iris was infront of Shiva and Noctis, 'tell them that'.

Hesitantly the young woman's head rose to meet both Shiva's and Noctis's eyes, 'I'm sorry, both of you, I know I shouldn't have acted like I did, it just hurts a lot to see Noct with someone else'.

'Don't worry about it' Noctis said casually, wanting only to put the recent events behind him.

'What my Beloved means to say' Shiva replied, her comment drawing the mock fully hurtfully eyes of said Prince, 'is that we did not wish this pain upon you, and I too am sorry for the words I said to you'.

A faint chuckle emerged from the young Amicitia's lips, 'don't be, I guess I was being a bit of girl'.

'Perhaps' Shiva agreed tentatively, 'but I all I see now is a strong woman, one who isn't afraid of recognising her errors'.

'Did Shiva just compliment someone?' Prompto whispered to Ignis as they watched the scene unfold, though his voice was heard by all.

'You'd best be going' Iris commented, her cheeks coloured with full red bloom at the Goddess's word, 'if only so Prompto doesn't saying something worse'.

'That is something we can all agree on' Ignis remarked, clapping his hands together before dragging Prompto by the ear a towards the parked Regalia.

'Ow ow ow, not the ear!' Prompt yelped helplessly while the passing miners giggled at the sight.

Iris and Gladiolus soon left as well, with Iris promising to call her brother every night, the action rewarding her a bone crushing hug from the large shield.

'So ready to go?' Noctis asked once more to the disguised Glacian, whose face appeared to be troubled, if only by a fraction, 'hey, what's up?' the Prince then added after seeing Shiva's face.

'Nothing for you to be worried about my Love' Shiva dismissed with a wave of her hand before she too walked towards the parking area and the Regalia, leaving the Prince alone.

'What's up with her?' Noctis thought worryingly before a darker thought crossed his mind, what could trouble a God? The Prince was ripped out of his pondering when a violent sneezing erupted from his nose, sending his head flying back.

'What the hell?' Noctis muttered to himself, he really did have a cold after all. Rubbing his nose with his finger to try and get rid of the suddenly developed mucus, Noctis meandered down the cobblestone street, 'maybe dating the Goddess of Ice does have its drawbacks' the Prince grumbled, already feeling the itchy sensation that marked another sneeze.


A/N

I'm back!

While this time off has been quite pleasant I am annoyed that I had to delay this fic for so long, at least now I have a nice plan for this story and an ending!

And as an added bonus because I've finished my other fic, this story shall be my main focus until I've finished it. I'm aiming for a new chapter every week, but I'll always say Monday is the latest I'll publish chapter.

Until next week, cya!