A/N: Some feels and fluff! Enjoy~
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story idea, in conjunction with Milaya Milen Zeal. She wrote Noctis's and Zidane's parts.
Nothing Without A Soul
Chapter 25
X*X(1 Month Later)X*X
Prompto sighed, watching as Zidane and Luna left to the arcade and get out for a bit. He would have enjoyed going any other day, but he was a month away from having the triplets, and Noctis had his studies today. Which meant he was to stay with him.
'I just hope they have some fun,' he thought to himself.
X*X(Meanwhile…)X*X
Ravus drove the Regalia for Luna and Zidane, considering Luna was pregnant and Zidane couldn't drive to save his life.
"Excited to try the arcade again, Zidane?" Luna asked her bond.
"Yeah, especially now that we don't have to worry 'bout being hunted down, yanno?" Zidane chuckled out. "That really put a big damper on things last time…"
"I know, but Aranea ensured our safety, thankfully," the pregnant woman giggled.
"True…very true," Zidane chuckled. Luna smiled softly as she placed her hand over Zidane's on the seat between them, a content sigh escaping her. Zidane merely smiled as he reclined back, turning his hand to let their fingers intertwine.
"We almost there?" he asked after a moment.
"Just about," Ravus replied, before he turned into the parking lot for the arcade. "Here we are," he announced once they were parked. "I'll wait out here, but call if you need me," he told Luna.
"I will, but we should be fine," she assured her brother, climbing out of the Regalia carefully.
Zidane easily hopped over her out the door, after which he carefully helped her out. "You sure you gonna be okay?"
"Yes, Zidane, I'll be fine," she smiled. "And so will the twins." Zidane merely chuckled as he led her toward the arcades, briefly waving to Ravus as they went, just because.
As they walked into the arcade, however, the man at the counter said to a fellow employee, "I'm surprised that runt by the dumpsters isn't begging for change today…"
"Hmm?" Luna hummed, confused. Zidane looked at the men curiously, before he frowned as he slowed down enough to listen what they had to say.
"Eh, hopefully the brat's learned his place by now," the other employee said.
"What are you talking about?" Luna frowned, approaching the men with her hands on her hips.
Though the two men looked up in surprise, they quickly waved it aside. "Nothing important. Just mosey along, missy."
Zidane glared as he stepped up next to Luna.
"It's nothing to worry about," the other man insisted.
"It certainly didn't sound like 'nothing to worry about'," Luna growled, frowning darkly.
"Look, just mind your own business and go about your way," the other man said with a dismissive wave. "Let those qualified to handle it deal with this."
"Well in that case; Lu? You wanna check out these dumpsters?" Zidane asked simply.
"Sure," the pregnant woman smirked, and the pair headed outside, much to the men's chagrin. Once they were outside, Zidane looked around, before he nudged Luna and gestured for what he believed to be the dumpsters the men had been talking about. Luna nodded softly, before she and Zidane carefully headed over to the dumpsters, where there was pitiful whimpering sounding in between two of the large metal boxes. Zidane frowned slightly, before he glanced to Luna, before slowly moving over.
As he peeked around the box, it took him only a moment to spot the teen sitting huddled up in between the two dumpsters, black hair hiding the majority of his face. Luna bit her lip, trying to keep herself from calling out to him, not wanting to startle the teen.
Zidane, however, moved over slowly, before he crouched down and regarded the teen for a moment. Eventually, though, he reached out and tapped on his arm with a finger. Which, in turn, made the teen yowl and try to move back…though all he managed to do was press himself further against the wall.
"Hey, whoa, whoa! Easy, dude!"
"Easy, we're not going to hurt you," Luna murmured, giving the teen a warm smile. "Sorry we startled you."
The boy was gasping for breath as he looked back and forth between Luna and Zidane with wide, frightened amber eyes, looking like he was on the verge of tears. As Zidane watched him, though, a sudden feeling of familiarity struck him and he frowned in surprise, his tail swaying slowly behind him.
"What's your name, hun?" Luna asked kindly. The teen didn't respond; he just moved back and curled up further, keeping his gaze trained at the pair shuddering violently. "I promise, we're not going to hurt you…"
However, before the boy could answer, there was a rather loud rumble, and instantly, the teen froze and curled up even further.
"…Oh geez…" Zidane murmured.
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Luna guessed, giving the teen a sympathetic look. "We can get you something to eat, if you'd like."
The teen looked up slowly to Luna, not daring to move or say anything. Zidane looked at the boy for a moment longer, before he sighed and moved over and grabbed the boy's arm, standing up and dragging him up to his feet with a yelp. "Well, don't just sit there! Let's get some grub, shall we?"
"Be gentle, Zidane," Luna cautioned, before she smiled. "But yes, let's get some food." Zidane hummed softly, before they started heading for the arcade again, with the blonde dragging the raven along behind him. When they walked into the arcade, however, the men who had been insulting the poor teen they now had with them looked at the trio in shock.
"Say anything and I'll report you to your manager," Luna threatened, and the men quickly shut their mouths.
Zidane glared at the two men, silently nudging the boy after them toward the snack bar. "So 's there anything specific you like?"
The boy blinked a few times, before shaking his head swiftly.
"Then we'll get a variety," Luna giggled.
"Right! You two just take a seat and I'll be right back!" Zidane said as he gestured for the tables they were now standing next to.
"Come, take a seat," Luna smiled at the teen, pulling out a chair for him once Zidane had left. The boy hesitated, before he slowly nodded and took the seat, though he remained extremely skittish. Seeing just how scared the poor boy was, Luna asked softly, "Did those men do anything to you?" He slowly peeked out from under his bangs, before quickly shaking his head.
"I certainly hope not…" Luna murmured, before smiling softly at the teen. "You're safe with Zidane and me, just so you know."
Slowly, the boy looked up, still fidgeting in place. Just then, though, Zidane came back over with a tray of all sorts of things. "They got a whole lot of different stuff here!" he quipped with a grin as he put the tray down.
"Something the twins will enjoy, I'm sure," Luna giggled, before feeling movement in her abdomen, making her pause.
"What? What's wrong, Lu?" Zidane asked, a little worried.
"I think…" she murmured, trailing off, before the movement happened again, and she smiled. "They're kicking."
"Really?" Curious, with his tail swishing, the blonde walked over and placed his hand on her stomach. Immediately, the twins kicked against their father's hand, making Luna laugh.
Zidane managed a small laugh as well, before he patted her stomach and quipped, "Think they're trying to say they're hungry?"
"Probably," she nodded, laughing lightly, before looking to the teen. "Would you like to feel, too?" she offered to him kindly.
The boy flinched at being addressed, but his gaze did flick to Luna's stomach briefly…but in the end he quickly shook his head, his cheeks exploding in ruby.
"That's okay, if you change your mind, they'll be here," she giggled, smiling softly at him.
"Anyway!" Zidane proclaimed as he took his own seat. "How 'bout we eat and then we go play some games, huh?"
"Good idea," the pregnant woman agreed, taking a little bit of the food from the tray and taking a bite. The boy looked back and forth between the two, before his stomach rumbled again and he pouted. After a moment more, he licked his lips and then reached out and slowly tugged over a plate of fries that had been set aside. When no one complained, he began to eat, rather quickly at that.
"A bit better, huh?" Luna asked him kindly when he had finished the fries. He hesitated for a moment, before he nodded his head. "Well, there's plenty, so help yourself to some more if you'd like." After a moment, the teen slowly nodded and began to take a few more things, munching quietly.
Zidane chuckled softly, but as he watched, he couldn't stop himself from having this odd sense of familiarity…
When they had all gotten their fill on the snacks, the couple basically dragged the teen to the arcade's gaming area to play.
"So, we tried the shooting game last time, but that was a fail compared to Prompto…" Luna remarked. "So, which should we try this time?"
"Hmm…" Zidane looked around for a moment…before blinking. "What's this?" he asked, gesturing to a machine that clearly displayed "Justice Monsters V" on the top.
"I think Noctis has played this one, but he gets frustrated every time," Luna giggled.
"Huh? Why?"
"Because it's difficult for him. But we'll see how you can do," Luna smiled.
"Uh…sure," Zidane said with a shrug, as he moved over and put in a coin to start the game. And the raven just watched from a distance, head tilted to the side curiously.
"You can do this, Zidane," his bond urged. Zidane hummed as he started the game. He frowned at the first few misses, before he finally got a grasp on the game, his tail moving back and forth and coiling in his concentration. Luna watched him, pleasantly surprised to see he was doing better than Noctis ever had.
Zidane didn't say anything as he kept on going for at least a good half hour…before he used up his last life.
"Ah dammit…" he groaned. "SO close…"
"Well, you did better than Noctis ever has," Luna smiled.
"It's not THAT hard…" Zidane said with a shrug, before he turned to the brunette. "You wanna try?"
"…!" The boy tensed, before he shook his head swiftly.
"It's fine to try," Luna soothed. "We've got plenty to spare as far as change goes."
"Yeah, come on! Give it a shot!" Zidane quipped, tugging the boy over. "Maybe you can even beat it."
Though the teen seemed unsure of that part, he did eventually step up to the cabinet to try it.
"Here you go," Luna murmured, putting in a coin. The teen bit his lip worriedly, before his fingers began to move along the buttons as he tried to play the game. Luna looked at Zidane, hope in her eyes. She was hoping this teen would talk to them at some point, because she felt bad for him. She honestly wanted to bring him back to the castle, that way he could come out of his shell a bit.
Zidane caught the look and he nodded his head, before he crossed his arms and watched the boy as he got absorbed in the game, fingers beginning to move a lot smoother over the buttons. And then he blinked when he noticed the boy had just beaten the boss that had taken him almost ten minutes earlier. "Wow! Look at you!" he laughed. "You're doing great!"
"Noctis would be very jealous," Luna giggled.
"Bet he would be," Zidane laughed as the teen kept his focus on the game, getting further and further as the minutes dragged on.
Eventually though…
"…Ah!" the boy yelped as his last life was ended by the boss that came after the one Zidane had lost to earlier.
"You did really good!" Luna praised, smiling.
"Nice one, buddy!" Zidane said as he gave the boy a friendly slap on the shoulder, making the brunette jump with a yelp.
"U-uh…th-thank you…" he squeaked out.
And that made Zidane freeze. '…wait…that voice was…?!'
"Zidane?" his bond frowned, noticing him stiffen.
"…" Zidane didn't answer; instead he squinted and stepped up to the teen suddenly. But before he could stumble back, Zidane reached out and grabbed him by his head, swiftly moving his hair out of his face and looking at him for a long moment. And then his eyes widened in surprise. "…No way…"
"What's wrong?" Luna asked, concerned.
"…Vivi?"
The teen's eyes widened in alarm at the single word. "H-h-how di-did you…?!"
"Who's Vivi?" Luna questioned, puzzled.
"He's…" Zidane started, before he paused, thinking, before he turned back to the teen. "Hey, tell me something?"
"H-huh…?"
"When I say "Mikoto"…what do you think of?" Zidane asked firmly.
The teen blinked, twice, rapidly, before he squeaked, "I-I don't…k-know a-any M-Miko's…"
"Wait, how would you know her by Miko?" Luna frowned.
"Um u-uh…!"
"Oy Vivi!" Zidane said, grabbing him by his arms before the teen could try to beat a hasty retreat. "Look at me! For real; LOOK at me! Who am I?!"
The teen blinked, twice, before he slowly shook his head. "I-I don't…!"
"Yes you do!" the blonde pressed, curling his fingers a little tighter in his arms. "C'mon, Viv! You know damn well who I am!"
"O-ow…! Y-you're hurting me, Zidane!"
Immediately, Zidane let up, but didn't let go entirely. "You were saying?"
"…!"
"What's going on?!" Luna demanded, now bewildered and frustrated.
"What's going on," Zidane said, as he tugged the teen closer while pointing at him, "is that THIS is Vivi Orniter. Miko's old mate."
"I-I—!" the teen stammered out nervously.
"What? But…" Luna trailed off, before her gaze steeled. "We need to take him to Mikoto."
"Exactly. Let's go!"
"Right," she nodded, and the pair left for the Regalia, Zidane practically dragging Vivi after them. When they got to the car, Ravus was surprised to see them, especially with Vivi.
"Who's this?" he asked, curious.
"Not now, Ravus. We need to head back, now," Luna told him firmly. "I'll explain later."
"Right," her brother nodded, and started up the car once Zidane and Vivi were in the backseat and Luna was up front. Ravus hurried them back to the Citadel, and once there, he parked, letting them out. "I'll talk to you soon, Lunafreya," he murmured, and she nodded, agreeing as the trio climbed out, Zidane taking the lead. As they went, though, Zidane pulled out his phone and sent a text to Prompto.
'Prom, get your ass to medical right now!'
There was a swift reply back. 'I'll hurry as best as I can with the triplets, sheesh!'
Zidane rolled his eyes, before he stepped into the infirmary, still dragging Vivi after him by his wrist. "Oy! Miko!"
"Not now, Zidane," Mikoto said solemnly from where she was working, not even turning around.
Luna sighed. "Mikoto, we have someone here to see you." Almost immediately after she said that, Prompto arrived at the medical ward, huffing for breath.
"What's the…big rush…Zidane?" he panted.
Zidane looked at Prompto dryly, before he reached out and put his hand on Vivi's head, making the brunette turn his head to face Prompto without a word said.
"Vivi…?!" the pregnant Genome gasped. Before anyone else could say anything, though, there was a loud crash, making them jump in alarm, before turning to the source.
Prompto and Luna looked at Mikoto, the latter surprised she'd dropped her glass of water.
"But how? How is he…?" Prompto trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
"I don't think that's as important right now, right?" Zidane pointed out, before he grabbed Vivi's arm and pushed him further into the room, making him stumble a bit.
And then he looked up just as Mikoto turned around, her eyes wide in alarm and surprise. And as soon as she saw him, she gasped, covering her mouth, as her eyes steadily filled with tears.
Luna watched them, hoping Vivi would respond to Mikoto in a good way. Prompto, however, was shocked. How had Vivi managed to come back? And where had he been all this time?
For a long moment, silence hangs around them so heavily that it was almost suffocating. But, finally, Vivi managed a small, almost squeaking word. "M-M…Miko…?"
Mikoto was breathing heavily now from behind her hands, her hands pressed down so firmly her nails were digging into her cheeks, and as she blinked, tears rolled down her cheeks as her body trembled and her tail coiled up tightly. She hiccupped then, and with what sounded like an almost anguished cry, she dashed forward and threw herself at the brunette, who just barely managed to catch her and keep them both standing.
"A-ah…!"
Prompto watched the exchange, a small smile curving his lips. Luna was just happy that Vivi seemed to be responding appropriately to Mikoto. Zidane, meanwhile, was fiddling with his phone, before he managed to hold it sideways and briefly tapped the screen, making it click, before he moved it upright to type something.
Prompto quirked a brow at his friend, before seeing that the shorter blonde was texting Kuja. After getting a reply back, Zidane chuckled softly and put his phone back into his pocket. Upon spotting the look on Prompto's face, he quipped, 'He's got work; but he'll come by later for sure.'
'Good,' the pregnant Genome smiled.
"…Dummy!" they suddenly heard, making the trio look over in surprise. "How…how could you!? You jerk! Don't do that again!" Mikoto wailed.
"I-I'm sorry!" Vivi squeaked out, even as Mikoto started pounding her small fists on his chest, saying "Dummy!" with every punch.
"Oh boy," Prompto sighed, but a smile was stuck on his face nonetheless. After all, Mikoto would FINALLY have her chance of having a baby of her own, after over 200 years.
Zidane allowed a small smirk of his own before he whispered to the others; "C'mon; let's make ourselves scarce, eh?"
"Yeah," Prompto nodded, and he and Luna followed Zidane out into the hallway.
Once they were away from the infirmary, Zidane allowed a laugh. "Well! I'd say that was a productive day!"
"Where the hell did you find him, anyway?" Prompto inquired, curious.
"At the arcades, believe it or not…" Zidane said, before he frowned darkly. "…next to a dumpster…"
"What?! What was he doing there?"
"Dunno…he's still as skittish as he always was…so we weren't able to get that out of him yet…"
"Geez…well, hopefully he'll come around with some time," the taller Genome sighed, feeling the triplets kicking a bit.
"Oh yes, Prompto?" Luna piped up.
"Hmm?"
"The twins are kicking," she told him, a bright smile on her face.
"Nice! Well, it's good to know they'll all be active little ones," Prompto grinned.
Zidane laughed at that. "At least we won't be bored, eh?"
"Not at all," Prompto chuckled.
"I take it Noctis is still studying?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, but he's probably out by now. And he's also probably wondering where I went…"
"Well don't keep him wondering for long then," Zidane chuckled, waving his friend off.
"Gotcha. I'll catch you guys later, then," the pregnant male smiled, before he headed back to his and Noctis's room.
As he was about to enter, though, the door opened and Noctis stepped out, though he blinked when he spotted Prompto. "Oh hey."
"Hey, sorry about disappearing like that," his bond apologized softly.
"'s Okay," Noctis said with a shrug, stepping aside and letting Prompto in. "So what happened?"
"Zidane and Luna found Mikoto's old mate, who had originally died during the events in Bran Bal. Seems he's come back, too," the blonde smiled.
"Really?" Noctis asked, before he smiled. "That's good…I think Mikoto deserves to have someone there for her, too."
"Definitely," Prompto agreed, and pressed himself against Noctis. "How was studying?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Boring, what else is new?" Noctis chuckled softly.
"Fair enough," the smaller male snickered, his tail waving happily. "Luna's twins started kicking, too, she told me."
"Really?" the prince murmured, before he smiled. "She must've been excited, huh?"
"Yeah, she was," Prompto chuckled, before placing his hand on his own stomach.
"And these three just won't settle down, the stinkers."
Noctis laughed as he wrapped his arms around Prompto. "Guess they're just eager to come out, hmm?"
"Can't say I blame them. I want to see them, too," the blonde murmured. At their father's familiar touch, the triplets kicked.
"Hahah. Easy, there," Noctis murmured. "It won't be long now…"
"Yep, just another month," Prompto murmured. Noctis allowed a smile and gently kissed Prompto's forehead.