NSFW
Non-explicit shenanigans to follow.
If that is not to your taste, please feel free to skip.
There is no one and nothing when he wakes up. Well, rather, the Nothing is gone, replaced by a cold and empty expanse of metal ceiling and tile floor. Stiffly, Noct picks himself up and marvels that he can even do that. Carefully, gingerly, he gathers his legs under him- a minor miracle in and of itself- and pushes himself to all fours. He holds the stance of a moment; shaky, off-balance, but he doesn't fall. His legs hold him. Slowly, deliberately, he crawls to the metal railing and uses it to pull himself up. His legs shiver and tremble, but his knees remain more or less straight. He stands there for a good minute before taking a first cautious step. He doesn't go down, and not just because he's gripping the railing for dear life.
Noctis tries to remember the movements Gladio's put him through a thousand times during physio. It's so much harder without the larger man to push and pull his legs for him. The muscle is there now, however, even if the coordination is not. Noctis makes it down the long catwalk to face what remains of the blast doors. He's out of railing and there's a good eight foot gap between him and the doors. He thinks of his father's walking stick, the one he gave to Iggy when he lost his sight. Closing his eyes, he reaches for it and hopes Iggy won't mind him borrowing it for a bit. There's….dust on it. It's the best way he can think to describe it. No one has touched the walking stick in ages, though the rest of the weapons have seen hard and heavy use, each burning with an individual energy signature.
The massive shields and huge two-handed swords burn with Gladio's bright red, the pistols and rifles smoke with Prompto's blue, and the pole arms and javelins are alive with Ignis' green. The trident is there too, tendrils of silver swirling delicately around it. There's also an assortment of swords that Noctis doesn't recognize, all of them twined with a thorny dark purple. He can only assume this is Luna and Ravus. Noctis breathes a heavy sigh of relief. His friends are still alive. Well, now they'll know he's okay too.
With a flick of his wrist, Noctis calls the walking stick into his hand. It offers far less stability than holding onto the rail, but it evens his balance and helps him stay on his feet. Belatedly, Noctis thinks about simply warping out of the fortress, but decides to hold off for the moment. It will be a long walk back to his friends, wherever they are. He's going to need to pace himself. He could call the chair, could roll out of here, but he wants to try to do this. Bahamut promised him legs that work, and dammit, he's going to use them.
The walls and floor are not as highly polished as he remembers, a thick layer of dust and grit covering everything. Has it been so long? Noct fervently hopes not. Motion caught out of the corner of his eye makes him stop short, free hand raised to sling a spell. He shouts and falls hard on his ass, cane clattering loudly to the hard, tile floor. Noct sits there for a minute, wind knocked out of him, staring at what had startled him: his own reflection. Except this can't be right. This can't possibly be right.
Abandoning the cane, he crawls forward and uses his wrist guard to wipe away the grime coating the wall. That's him. Astrals above, that's him! He'd asked for his legs to be functional but this! He really should have been more specific. Trust the celestial sextet of absolute dicks to play a dirty practical joke on him. Not just his legs, but his body in general has grown. He'd swear he's taller, and more heavily built than he had been. The softness is gone, his face all hard angles beneath a heavy beard. Six, yesterday he couldn't grow more than the suggestion of facial hair if his life depended on it. Gladio ragged him about it all the time.
A horrible thought curdles in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he's been gone longer than he thought. Maybe it's been longer than hours, or days, or even weeks. Noct absently thinks he could live with "months", but something tells him it's worse than that. Retrieving the cane, he uses it and the wall to get back on his feet. He needs to get out of here. He needs to figure out what happened. Now.
When he does find his way out, it's into deserted, windswept midnight. There must be a storm coming, there isn't a star in the sky. Unless…
In the distance, sickly purple-pink light swirls, vomiting out creatures not meant to walk beneath the sun. The bottom of Noct's stomach drops out as he surveys a world drowned in solid black. Daemons. Starscourge. He's been gone too long. He's too late.
The guy who picks him up doesn't know who he is, and Noct doesn't tell him. He lets him explain what happened. He'll take him as far as Lestallum. That's the only safe place left. Noct thanks him. Turns out he knew this kid once, back when he was just little. Ten years ago.
Ten years.
Noct feels ill. Ten years for the guys to fight on their own, for Luna to try to hold the Darkness at bay all by herself. An entire decade gone. They probably thought he was dead. They might still think that, unless they noticed him pull the cane from the armiger. He doesn't have to wait long to find out. Even after all this time, he recognizes them through the dirty windows of the diner. Prompto sees him first. He goes pale beneath his freckles, color draining from his face as if he's seen a ghost.
"Noct!"
They all turn to look. Noct can't help the smile stretching his face or the tears welling up in his eyes.
"Guys!"
It's impossible to tell who makes it to him first. They all pile on as if they're playing football and he's got the ball. Noct half expects the sheer weight of happiness to knock them to the ground and he doesn't even care. However, with so many arms to hold him up, he can't help but stay on his feet. Luna elbows her way to him, the guys making room for her.
"Dear Noctis," she breathes before taking his face in both hands and kissing him. Noct blinks but soon melts into it. As first kisses go, it's not bad. The guys hoot and make good-natured cat-calls. Noct ignores them, keeping his eyes closed for a moment after they've come up for air. When he looks up, he finally gets a chance to really look at them.
The gray twilight that lingers over Lestallum allows him to take in what ten years have done to them. They're all bigger than he remembered- not taller, but bulkier, fully grown into their adult bodies. The only exception is Luna, who seems to have aged twice as much as everyone else. The guys may have different hairstyles and scruffy beards- all except Ignis, of course- but Luna's golden hair has faded to platinum. Her body is strong and straight in his arms, but there isn't an ounce of padding to her. She looks starved, exhausted, but the fierce light in her eyes still burns bright as the banished sun.
"I'm sorry," he whispers, hugging her close. "I had no idea the stupid ring would take so long to recharge."
"It's alright," she assures him, squeezing briefly and stepping back. "You're here now. That's what matters."
Iggy doesn't need the walking stick anymore, which explains why it had lain unused in the armiger. He cooks them all a welcome home feast, nodding and moving his head from side to side as if grooving to a tune only he can hear. It takes Noct a minute to remember that Iggy can see things if they're moving; perhaps he can see things that are stationary if he's the one in motion. Ravus lends a hand- he has two now, one mechanical, one flesh. Everyone tries to forget about why Noct has returned, and focus on the fact that he's here and they're all together again. Noctis wants to ask what's happened during his absence, but it seems cruel to do so just now. Instead, he holds his peace and Luna's hand, and just tries to enjoy it.
It's good to hear Prompto's terrible jokes and Ignis' worse puns. Ravus has a wit so dry that it takes Noctis a good thirty seconds to realize he's said something funny, even though everyone else is already laughing. Gladio's unabashedly happy and too loud. Luna just sits quietly and smiles. She's tired, he can tell, but there's relief there as well. Knowing she won't have to carry this burden alone must be a huge weight off her narrow shoulders.
After they're all fed and full and sleepy, Noct just wants to pile on the floor with everyone. He's not ready to let them go yet, even if it's just to their own rooms to sleep. Luna also seems reluctant to part company, and won't let go of his hand. He doesn't really mind. It's late, but rather than retire, they deal a game of Chase The Dragon. Even Iggy plays. Noct understands as he picks up his own hand. The cards are textured on the inside: silky for hearts, rough for spades, smooth for diamonds, and fuzzy for clubs. The face cards are more simple, bearing a letter "K" for kings, "Q" for queens, and "J" for the jacks with a corresponding texture for each suit.
"Okay, so, who wants to kick off the bad news?" Gladio announces and lays down a card. Everyone else follows suit. Prompto announces the results: Ravus ten, Luna five, Gladio seven, Ignis nine, and himself three.
"Right. Guess I'll start," Prompto says nervously as he reshuffles the cards and deals. "So. The good news: Niflheim isn't really a problem anymore. Their tech got away from them and with Ideolas dead, they're not much of a threat. Chancellor Izunia still pops up to be his usual charming self, but other than that…" he shrugs. "We've got bigger problems." He turns to Luna.
"Without Niflheim to worry about, I was able to resume my duties as Oracle, but it wasn't enough," she explains. "Everything began to go dark immediately after the crystal absorbed you. We did our best but…" She gestures helplessly at the heavy darkness pressing in on the windows without even any stars to lighten it.
"Luna's done all she can, but it's kind of a lot to ask of one person," Gladio picks up the tale. "Because of her, Lestallum's the only place left with anything approaching daylight. Everything else is under deep darkness. Not much out there now except some hunter outposts, and even those are slowly retreating."
"Their majesties have been keeping things running to the best of their ability," Ignis continues. "We've all adapted as best we can, but things will only grow worse." He stops short of saying 'unless you fulfill your role in all this'. Luna keeps one hand in Noct's and twines her free arm around his waist. Noct can't quite force back the sudden rush of heat below his collar.
"We're glad you're back, your highness," Ravus finishes, putting an arm around Iggy. Okay, that's a little weird. Noct blinks as he realizes. Oh. Okay. Huh. Alright. Neither Iggy nor Ravus had seemed wired for romance, but hey. That's cool.
It hits him then that life has gone on. These aren't just makeovers; everyone's grown and changed and lived their lives without him. Things have happened. Relationships have sprung up. Noct swallows hard and holds onto Luna a little more tightly.
The moment evaporates as Ravus shuffles and deals. Noct can't decide if Ravus is teasing him with the 'your highness' business or not. They play a few rounds, but Noct can't remember who wins or loses. Eventually they all admit defeat and adjourn to pass the rest of the night in sleep. Noct's already spent ten years asleep, he doesn't want to sleep any more, yet somehow he's tired.
"I'll show you to your room," Luna offers. Noct agrees, and takes her arm, grateful for the additional support. She's always been there to steady him, even when they were small kids. Abstractly, Noctis remembers that they were supposed to get married before everything descended to a new and exciting level of hell. They've both been alone in the dark for ten years. Suddenly, Noctis doesn't want to be alone anymore.
"Would you...stay?" he stammers as she turns to leave. "Just...just to talk. I don't… I mean…" Six, he feels like he's nineteen again and it's all so damnably awkward. Luna takes pity on him and smiles.
"Of course."
She stays with him and they talk until it's light out- or until it's as light as it ever gets- before finally falling asleep. Noct's still got his boots on, Luna doesn't even take her hair down. Nothing happens, but it's comforting to lie there with her curled around him and know that for this particular ten minutes, everything is alright.
It isn't easy to slide out from under Luna's arm without waking her, but Noct manages it. He leaves her delicately snoring and makes his way out to the common area to find everyone else already there. Ignis and Ravus are busy making breakfast, and Gladio and Prompto are going over reports of some sort. Ravus turns to look at him and Noctis stops dead. He's sure a lecture is coming, but all Ravus does is smile enigmatically and go back to mixing pancake batter. Noctis blinks, shakes himself, and goes over to sit next to Prompto.
"Where's Luna?" Prompto asks. His gift for tact has not changed.
"I figured I'd let her sleep, she looks exhausted," Noct says. Gladio raises an eyebrow but says nothing. Noct decides to continue with his idea before the conversation can degenerate.
"So...the whole Oracle thing. The True King can do that too, right?"
Ravus looks over. "The prophecies don't say much about it but, yes, I believe so."
"Good. As King, I hereby declare Luna has the day off. No, make it the week. I'm taking over."
"Are you indeed?" Ignis seems amused.
"Well, the people need to know that I'm still alive and kicking- so to speak- and Luna obviously needs a break, so yes. She can come back to it after she's had a chance to rest, and I mean actually rest."
"You may have to tell her that yourself," Ravus says, fighting not to snicker. "My dear sister isn't one to follow royal edicts that aren't her own."
As it is, no one has to tell her because they let Luna sleep until she wakes up, which is well after noon. By then Noct has already cleaned up and changed into the clothes Ignis has laid out for him. He kind of feels like his dad in the formal three piece suit and walking stick in his hand. All he's missing is the crown. It's weird and scary and while he always knew this would happen, his teenaged brain had never pondered the full implications of why and how. In order for a prince to become a king, the old king must first die. Regis has been gone a long time now, but Noct still misses him. Gripping the cane tightly, he hopes he can do a half-decent job for as long as it's his job to do. Which won't be long. Better make it count.
Finally, he makes his appearance on Gladio's arm. The rest of his Crownsguard- Ignis, Prompto, and Ravus- fan out behind him. Those gathered to be blessed by Luna's healing touch stare up at him bewildered, each blank expression asking "who the heck is this guy?"
"People of Lestallum," Gladio bellows. "Accordo, Lucis, Gahlad, and Niflheim! Your king has returned!"
There's cheering, and Noct half wonders if Prompto is standing behind him with cue cards. He had honestly expected everyone to kind of hate him for the whole ten years of darkness thing. Maybe they're just happy to have someone to heal them, even if it's not Luna. Either way, Noct spends the rest of the day proving to his subjects that he's not a complete screw-up and that he hasn't been slacking for the last decade.
By the end of the day, Noctis has an entirely new appreciation for Luna, and what the guys have been dealing with, but mostly Luna.
"I don't know how you do it," he tells her, lying flat on his back on his bed. Luna's sitting beside him, and reaches to idly smooths his bangs out of his face.
"I've done it for as long as I can remember," she replies. "It's what I was born for."
"And I was born to bring the Light back to the world."
"Thanks not what I meant," she hurries to amend.
Noctis catches her hand and holds it against his chest. "We both have a lot of expectations on us. We were supposed to get married before I got swallowed by a man-eating geode."
She giggles at this. "Yes, we were."
"Do you...still want to?"
That brings her up short and for several seconds she just stares at him, lips parted in shock. Noct realizes that was the absolute last thing he should have brought up, but it's too late now. He's on the verge of opening his mouth to tell her she doesn't have to answer, that it's a stupid question, but she beats him to it.
"Do you?"
Now it's his turn to stare blankly.
"Back when dad first suggested it….yeah. Yeah, I did. Except it seems like kind of a dick thing to do- marry a girl just to leave her a widow. I know at the time it was mostly to get us out from under Nif control, but...I wouldn't have minded at all. Yeah, we were both kinda young, but I always liked you, maybe even had a little school kid crush on you."
That makes her smile and blush.
"I do like you Luna. A lot. A whole lot. I just...like I said, it seems cruel to have you marry some guy who you know is going to leave you and not come back. Maybe leave you with a baby. I don't… I don't want to do that to you."
She takes his hand and holds it in both of hers, her smile turned soft and sad.
"That's very noble of you," she says quietly. "But you've forgotten something."
"What's that?"
"What I think of all this. I've been alone for ten years too," she begins. "The boys are dears, and I have my brother, but it's not the same. Before you were taken by the crystal, I had accepted the idea that we would be husband and wife, even warmed to it. You were and are a dear friend. I've missed you during these long years of darkness."
He had forgotten the poetry of her speech, the graceful edges her accent gives to her words. He could listen to her read the phone book and not be bored. He stretches to touch her face and she leans her cheek into his palm.
"We aren't children anymore, Noctis. Neither are we king and queen, for we have no kingdoms and only scattered people. Answer me not as a monarch, but as a man. Do you love me? Do you want me to be your wife for however long we may have together, or shall we go on as we are, as dear friends?"
How the hell is he supposed to answer that?
"Can't we do both?" his mouth answers before his brain can catch up. Luna laughs and falls on him to hug him close.
"Of course we can," she says, and kisses him.
Twelve years ago, there had been a contest for various high-end designers to make Luna's wedding gown. Invitations embossed with gold and silver had been sent out to countless dignitaries. Every syllablossom in Tenebrae had been harvested to adorn the Fenestalla cathedral. Now, it's just the two of them, flanked by what family they have left, standing in the pale gray beams of the veiled sun.
Luna's dress is still white, but far simpler than the confection of silk and lace she was supposed to wear. Ignis has conjured a dark suit for him from somewhere. Noctis doesn't dare ask where or how he got it. They exchange vows before their remaining subjects, and kiss. They shake the hands of well-wishers, receive hugs and such gifts as their people can manage. The guys have instructions to secretly see that all presents are redistributed to those who truly need them.
This must have been what weddings looked like for the ancient kings: an outdoor banquet more akin to a picnic. Simple food, but plenty of it. Someone finds some speakers and plugs in their phone to provide music. It's all soberingly low-budget, but nobody seems to mind. Everyone is smiling ear to ear.
Ravus gets the last word with a slightly choked-up "Take care of her," as he assists the royal couple in their escape from their own party.
"I will," Noctis promises, and hobbles after his bride.
They can't exactly manage a destination honeymoon. The guys have very graciously moved their stuff to a different room so that they will not disturb, or be disturbed by anyone. Now it's just the two of them, Noctis suddenly feels awkward. True, Luna's seen him in a worse state than this, but he doesn't like the idea of her seeing his bare legs even if they are healed and no longer buttressed by braces. Luna seems shy as well. She's having trouble meeting his eyes and a pink flush has spread across her cheeks. He notices then that the gown doesn't fit her properly; that the bosom gapes and the pencil skirt is too wide for her narrow hips. It dawns on him that she's shy about him seeing her as well.
"Hey," Noctis tells her, gently lifting her chin with one finger. "No pressure, okay."
"It isn't that so much," she hedges, looking away. "Only…" She gestures vaguely at herself.
"I think you're beautiful," he tells her honestly and kisses her forehead. Smiling, she leans against him and puts her arms around him. Noctis rests his chin on her head, content to just stand there. Then she's stretching to kiss him and that's even better.
Luna's always been with him. When he first woke up after the daemon attack, Luna had been there holding his hand. She's been fighting beside him ever since their escape from Niflheim control. What with trying to avoid detection, awakening Astrals, and adding items to the armiger, they haven't gotten to do anything that resembles dating. That doesn't mean he hasn't come to admire and appreciate her as more than a childhood friend. He has. She's as much a part of the team, of his life, as the guys. He honestly doesn't know what he would do without her. Maybe theirs isn't the most passionate of romances, but that doesn't make it less real. He loves Luna; first as a friend, and now as something more.
He doesn't remember falling to the bed with her, or how their clothing ends up scattered across the floor in a way that would make Ignis twitch. He stops short at the pearly slip and her smile is so grateful it hurts. Perhaps in return, she doesn't touch his trousers except to undo them.
It's hard to make out the shape of her body in the deep shadows of the room, but he can feel each vertebrae, each rib, the sharp edges of her pelvis, and wishes he had been there to keep it from happening. He'll make it better, he promises himself as she smothers his mouth with her own. He'll fix it. He will.
He meant what he said. She's beautiful, despite the toll the last years have taken on her. She's soft under his hands, yet strong. She may be reduced, but she isn't beaten. He isn't either. The time in the crystal may have built up his body, but he can't help feeling self-conscious. Somehow, she doesn't draw attention to his shortcomings, doesn't make him feel awkward and ashamed. Noct does his best to show her just how much that- how much she- means to him.
Morning finds them still entwined, Luna's head on his shoulder, her nose nestled in his throat. Her dainty snores continue for a moment before she inhales deeply and yawns. For once, he doesn't mind getting pulled from his dreams into the waking world.
"Morning," Noct mumbles and sleepily kisses her bangs. Luna returns the favor, touching her lips to his neck and sending a rush of warm pins and needles over his skin. It isn't until that moment that he realizes they've forgotten something fairly important. Noct is instantly awake as panic seizes him and he mutters a curse.
"Noct?" Luna asks, lifting her head. "Is something wrong?"
"I just realized we didn't… I didn't um...suit up last night," he says awkwardly, feeling his face burn.
"Oh is that all," she yawns and snuggles closer. "Don't worry about it."
"Oh. Really?" he asks, feeling his heart rate begin to slow to its usual pace. "You've got that taken care of on your end, then?"
Luna shrugs. "Noct, I haven't bled for twelve years. The Astrals took that from me. It was one thing I was more than happy to sacrifice."
"So...is that part of the covenant, or because you're literally all that's standing between Eos and eternal darkness?"
"That last one, I think. It didn't dry up right away. It was only after I'd been appointed Oracle and begun healing people that it stopped," she explains. "So you don't need to worry about that."
Noct breathes a sigh of relief as she stretches to kiss his jaw. On one hand, he's glad he won't accidentally leave her alone with a baby. On the other...well, the Lucian line had to end someday.
"I wouldn't mind though," she goes on. "That way I'd get to keep a little piece of you with me."
Noct can't help blushing slightly at that. "Is that so?"
"That's so."
"Well then." He turns to pull her into his arms, and any further words are lost in their kiss.
