A/N: This was supposed to be a short fic to have fun with M rated stuff but has become... much longer than anticipated.
I have not seen brotherhood or read Dawn of the Future so consider this an AU.
"Rise and shine sleeping beauty."
Noctis rolled over and turned his back to the rudely opened curtains and the rudely spoken words. He even went so far as to bury his head under the pillow. His soft, fluffy, cockatrice down pillow.
He shifted one of his legs to luxuriate in the smooth slide of silk sheets against bare skin. After weeks or sometimes months of camping and sleeping on scratchy motel sheets, he both loved and hated waking in his old bed.
Loved, because it meant he was about to have a few weeks to enjoy living in civilization once again.
"Oi, Princess. You're gonna be late for work. If you don't get up, I'm gonna make you regret Iggy asking me to fill in for him."
Of course, he only loved this part if he allowed himself to forget that after this brief taste of home, the only world he'd ever known would be reduced to ashes.
Gods, he hated this part.
"I'm your Shield. Not your Nanny," Gladio's deep voice grumbled.
Noctis groaned into the pillow, "Go'way Gladio. Callin' in sick."
It was like this every morning he returned. Why, oh why, couldn't the loops start on one of his days off?
"Yeah right," Gladio answered with his usual disbelief, "you're fine."
Even though Noctis knew it never worked, it didn't stop him from trying from time to time.
Gladio's heavy steps on the hardwood floor made it easy to track him across the room as he moved back to Noctis' bedroom door.
"If you aren't up by the time I've reheated the breakfast Iggy left, you're on your own."
Ugh, did he always have to use that same disappointed tone?
It used to cut deeply, hearing his trusted friend and brother speak to him in that way. It made these mornings even more painful. Doubly so after loops where he'd been able to gain his shield's complete trust and respect.
Now he was just numb to it. It didn't matter what he did, he was always back to Gladio thinking he was a lazy, weak willed princess that he had to toughen up 'for his own good'.
Noctis sighed and impotently flung the pillow after Gladio, who was long gone. Going by the clanking, he was now in the kitchen and making good on his threat. Noctis flopped onto his back and brought his hand up to rub at his bare chest. Not a mark or blemish to be seen, even if Noctis could still feel the phantom pain of the dagger piercing his heart.
Waking with aches and sores from the method of his death sucked. Drowning was the worst. He couldn't believe how lucky he was not to have experienced it on his last death.
Well... 'lucky' wasn't really the word for it. But that was what he'd stick with.
Noctis stared up at the ceiling, briefly debating how he was going to deal with the events of the day.
He couldn't go to work, that was a given. Yet another reason for why he hated waking on this day specifically. Due to some obsessive 'fans', today was the day it became public knowledge that he was working at a sushi bar.
By the end of his shift the place would be full of his 'fans' all eager to get 'served' by the Prince of Lucis. And most of them wouldn't even eat the food, instead there'd be a sudden market for resold sushi. Gross. Not only that, but protesters, angry with his father's recent policies, would graffiti the place when it was closed for the night.
After all that, it wasn't fair for him to go into work. Dangerous even, according to Iggy. And while he hadn't exactly enjoyed having a job and serving people, the anonymity had been nice. Seeing how people acted when they didn't know they were talking to the prince had made him feel... normal.
For many of the first loops, those personal reasons were the main drivers of why he hated awakening on this particular day.
Until the loop where his dad died in his arms.
As soon as he'd died and woken back in this bed, he'd rushed to the palace, ignoring everything, desperate to see his dad. He'd just needed to see him healthy. Standing. Whole.
But then he'd been forced to wait, anxiously pacing the hallways, while there was an emergency meeting in the throne room. As soon as the doors had opened, out walked his new reason to hate the start of the loops.
Apparently it was also the day that he came to Lucis to demand their unconditional surrender. The bastard called it a 'peace treaty.' Hah! And Noctis had been stupid enough to fall for it the first few times.
He had no idea how many resets ago that was. He'd long since lost count.
Noctis sat up with a sigh. If he didn't at least make a show of getting dressed Gladio would never leave. For all his grumbling, he took his responsibilities annoyingly seriously.
Eyes half closed he swung his legs over to the side of the bed. His chest twinged uncomfortably at the motion and he rubbed at his chest again, grimacing. Usually when he died it was either with his friends at his side or during the final battle with Ardyn. The times where Ardyn killed him early in his journey to the Crystal were few but memorable. The man's rage always had a different flavor than usual on those occasions.
Noctis stood, blinking to banish Ardyn's snarling face. He mentally brushed off the light shivers as due to being cold, not because of him.
Opening his closet, he pushed the clean work uniforms to the side and picked out something more fitting for a royal council meeting. There was no point in playing along and pretending to go to work. Though he had done it in the past. Partly to get Iggy and Gladio off his back, but mainly to avoid running into Ardyn too early.
Seeing the man so soon after being killed by him often led to some unpredictable and unfortunate reactions on Noct's end.
But today there was no time to waste.
This time he had a plan.
After his attempts in the last loop had ended in complete and utter failure, he was determined to get it right this time.
Who knew the man would be so opposed to it? Not him. He'd assumed that Ardyn would jump at the chance if Noctis offered himself. After all his creepy advances, the blatant stalking, and the glancing caresses, Noctis had been sure it wouldn't take much.
But no.
It turned out the man could dish it out but not take it. He'd refused, rebuffed, or disregarded every one of Noctis' increasingly obvious overtures.
And he dared call Noctis a tease.
But this time Noctis had a plan. Sure, it had nothing to do with fulfilling the prophecy or saving the world. And he probably wouldn't even be able to save Insomnia this loop. But that didn't matter. This loop was going to be for him.
The last one didn't count.
Was the constant undoing of everything he worked for getting to him? Yes. Of course. He could admit that to himself. Was he going crazy? Maybe a little. But really, what else could whoever or whatever had started this expect?
Not even the gods were able to help him end the loops.
So, in the interests of his mental health, he'd started to take breaks from saving Eos. He'd first started to do it after a particularly traumatizing and heartbreaking end that was not to be thought of.
He called them Noct-Loops. They were the only reason he hadn't gone completely crazy. Usually he took off on a multi-month fishing trip that only ended when he was dragged back into fulfilling the prophecy. Or he died.
He was doing something rather extreme for this Noct-Loop, but it wasn't like he was going to be giving his virginity to the man. Hell no. At least... not mentally. Physically this body had only felt the pleasure his own hand could bring.
Unfortunately, it had taken him nearly twenty loops before he finally stopped being so uptight about sex and got laid. Now, after an uncountable number of loops, it had gotten to the point where the iterations he died a virgin were among the most depressing loops.
He'd been in the loops so long he even decided to branch out and try out men. Without the expectations of providing an heir hanging over him, or the pressures he put on himself -plus feeling more secure in himself- he found it a surprisingly easy experience.
In fact, through experimentation he'd found that he more often than not he preferred men. Especially if they were older men. People who were closer to his own physical age were just so... childish. Not to mention inexperienced.
And no, it had nothing to do with any suppressed daddy issues, screw Gladio for suggesting it the last time Noctis had confided in him.
"Noct? You up yet?" Gladio yelled across the apartment.
"Gettin' dressed!" he yelled back.
Noctis selected an understated black suit and tie that he always wore to family dinners in the palace. It wasn't the fanciest, but it would have to do. Besides, if he was able to force his way into the throne room, he'd have to wear the ceremonial robes over his outfit anyway.
After putting on the black slacks and buttoning up the black dress shirt, he glanced at his phone.
It read 11am.
Shit.
No wonder Gladio had sounded extra pissed. Usually Noctis got up earlier than this.
How quickly he woke up seemed to depend on how he died, but not always. It was a small frustrating inconsistency that he'd stopped questioning.
When did that bastard arrive in Insomnia again?
Sometimes little details like that were difficult for him to remember. Over the course of the months and years it often took for everything to reset, there was just too much to keep straight.
He'd used to know down to the second when Ardyn would appear in the throne room. That was in the early days, when he'd realized Ardyn was in Insomnia. Many times he'd rushed to the palace and tried to kill the Accursed.
Noctis had quickly stopped when he realized how fruitless his efforts were. Ardyn never stayed dead. Not to mention attacking the man usually resulted in multiple Diamond Weapons destroying Insomnia before his eyes.
Wait. That's right! Ardyn always arrived...now. Shit. I'm late.
Scooping up his phone, he sent a quick text to his boss, letting them know he wasn't coming in. Citing 'family business' always got him the least questions asked. Normally he wouldn't bother for a Noct-loop, those were about getting the hell out of Insomnia and being alone, but he needed to stay on Ignis' good side for his plan to have a hope of succeeding.
Grabbing some black socks to go with his black tie and black suit jacket, Noctis stumbled out of his bedroom and into the rest of the apartment, the dumb pillow almost tripping him while he typed in the message to his boss.
"Hey, Gladio." He made his way over to the couch, slumping into the seat and dropping the rest of his clothes next to him. "Just got a message from dad, they need me at the palace." He ducked his head to put on his socks, so Gladio couldn't read the lie in his face.
"What?" Gladio pulled his own phone out, "I haven't heard anything."
"Well I did so..." Noctis trailed off, not needing to continue. Gladio was here to drive him in Ignis' stead to work. So instead he'd just have to drive Noctis to the Citadel. No big deal.
"Thought you said you were sick," Gladio raised a skeptical eyebrow, "you sure you're not just trying to get outta work?"
"It sounded urgent alright?" Noctis stood, wrapping the tie loosely around his neck, "so can we just..." He motioned to the door, trying to keep up his casual uncaring facade. No need to show how badly he wanted to get a move on. Ardyn was already in the city and giving his dad the conditions of Insomnia's surrender.
If Noctis didn't hurry, he may not be able to make the changes he needed to the treaty.
"Huh." Gladio looked him up and down. "Must be to have you dressed like that so fast."
Noctis nodded and fought not to meet Gladio's gaze and challenge him. It was hard, pretending to be his old self.
"Alright," Gladio conceded, "but you should at least eat-"
"I'll eat in the car," Noctis interrupted, striding to the front door and slipping into his dress shoes.
Gladio sighed and took Noctis' breakfast out of the microwave. "You know what Iggy will say if he-"
"I know, I know. Let's go already." Eating in the car was high on Ignis' list of unacceptable behaviours. But Noctis was too impatient to care.
"Ok, Ok. Geeze." Gladio's movements sped up a bit as he collected the few things he'd brought into the apartment.
Noctis suppressed a growl and yanked the door open, saying, "I'll meet you in the car." He grabbed the keys from the side table and strode out.
Gladio's cry of, "Hey!" following him out the door.
He didn't have much time. Not if he wanted to crash Ardyn's audience with the king.