The Ever Regal Regalia
Based (loosely) on a side quest given by Cindy in Chapter 2 of FFXV.
AN: For fun, I suggest listening to Cindy's theme while reading this. I swear it'll be worth it.
The sun started to set as the Prince and his retinue made their way back to Hammerhead. Sweaty, dirty, and exhausted from their journey on foot to retrieve the car wax, they were met with an unusual site in front of the garage. The scene caused Gladio's voice to rumble deeply, the tone making Noctis almost shiver. "Well, I'll be. And I thought the desert couldn't get any hotter."
With a low, wolf whistle, Prompto picked up his slacked jaw and fished out his camera. This was just too good to pass up. It had Ignis fiddling with his glasses, cleaning the lenses with the fabric of his shirt and putting them on once more as if he thought he witnessed a mirage. While Noctis pulled at the neck of his shirt, which suddenly began to feel too tight. As the four males watched the scene between the two females, it seemed that time had slowed down.
Her golden skin exposed in all its glory, Cindy had rid her yellow, cropped jacket and clad in a red bikini top. She giggled with a water hose in hand. Her thumb pressed at the hose's opening and the water sprayed all over the place, including the stoic Glaive. Lightning, who ditched her Glaive coat, settled on only her sleeveless turtleneck that clung tightly to her skin. With pale and milky skin uncovered, her toned arms rose as she feebly tried to shield herself from the spray. Her face contorted in amusement and a chuckle escaped her lips.
At a flick of her wrist, Lightning summoned a watera, which resulted in a drenched female mechanic. Cindy countered by releasing her thumb from the hose's opening, subjecting the Glaive to the full force of a water jet. Soaked to the bone and pieces of pink hair flat on her face, Lightning's leather outfit clung to her every curve more than before. She laughed refreshingly, a sound the Prince had not heard in a long time.
"Looks like we got an audience." Cindy grinned and waved her hand. "Hey there, Prince!"
"And what are you two lovely ladies doing?" Gladio swooped in, garnering attention from the mechanic.
"Givin' the ole girl a wash." Cindy replied, donning on her jacket as she felt a chilly, evening breeze. "Poor thing ain't as shiny as she is with all the dust lyin' around."
"Hey." Lightning greeted, running her fingers through wet hair, combing it up and away from her face. The action left Noctis frozen as he witnessed a different side of Lightning, who always kept a part of her face covered due to her hair's natural style.
"H-hey." He said back with a sheepish hand rubbing the back of his neck and looked away. Without hair framing her face, the color of her pale blue eyes were more intense than usual. "You've been busy." He nodded towards the Regalia. Everything from the windows to wheels were spick and span, except for the front.
"Mm, yeah." She replied and walked forward, bending to pick up the bucket of soapy water, in which the Prince coughed and looked away again. Her bodysuit was not helping with his situation. He could only watch as she dipped a rag in the bucket and proceeded to wipe the Regalia's windshield. As she bent once more, he saw Prompto's flushed face behind her, both eyes and mouth wide open.
"So, you found that car wax?" Lightning grunted a bit as she stretched to wipe the upper portion of the windshield. Noctis watched her toned arm, the muscles working beautifully, and his eyes travelled to her form, back arching as he stammered. "Y-yeah. The daemons were a bit troublesome."
She raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're not injured or anything? You look stiff." As she finished washing the front, she proceeded to the hood of the car, bending almost at a 90-degree which made her arched back more noticeable. He swallowed, throat feeling as bone dry as the desert. "Just tired. It was a bit far on foot."
"You rely on the Regalia too much." She scoffed, a bit amused. "I'm sure Gladio enjoyed the small detour."
"Prompto wouldn't stop complaining."
"I'm sure." Lightning replied as she rinsed the hood with the water hose. Cindy happily bounced to her side, holding a red bucket of the car wax they found and wanting to service the Regalia immediately. Popping the hood open, the two females gathered close and inspected the engine and parts underneath.
Prompto and Gladio stood next to Noctis as they watched the women work. "Man, am I dreaming?" The blonde cameraman sighed blissfully, while the King's Shield countered, "Oh, I hope I'm not."
"There's just something hot about women and cars." Prompto continued in a somewhat euphoric state.
"Said women are drenched as well." Ignis suddenly appeared behind them and Noctis spun around to look at him in horror. His advisor never made quips about these kinds of topics.
Gladio whistled lowly and teased. "Iggy likes what he sees."
"I think we all do." He replied in a murmur, adjusting his glasses as if to get a better look. "There's no harm in spectating."
"I can't believe this." Noctis nearly groaned as his friends created an awkward situation that was borderline voyeuristic. With nothing else to say, he continued to watch the two females, mainly his Glaive. She tucked a damp string of hair behind the ear and bent down on the hood, her strong arms flexing as they supported her weight. His stomach flipped at the realization she was damn attractive, and she wasn't even doing it on purpose.
Pursing her lips, she did something with Cindy's instructions and he was almost in awe with how every muscle in her body was dedicated to the task. He was entranced with how she licked her lips and bit on her bottom lip. "Uh-oh." Gladio sang at his side, voice still in teasing mode. "Lover boy's got it bad." He ignored his Shield's jibes as he was totally transfixed on Lightning.
The spell was broken as Cindy slammed the hood shut, slapping her palms together which was a sign that her work was done. "Now that I've slapped some of this wax in your car, y'all be glidin' down the road and saving gas too."
"I greatly and deeply appreciate your work, ladies." Ignis came by and inspected the Regalia, shiny, sleek, and beautiful. "She is looking as regal as ever."
"We're really grateful, Cindy." Gladio thanked and went to inspect the newly cleaned car, while Prompto began to take pictures.
"Thanks a lot." Noctis said genuinely, lightly squeezing her shoulder.
"It was my pleasure, Prince. Lightnin's been a huge help. I have half a mind to hire her. But I figure, you wouldn't have liked that." The belle of the body shop gave him a cheeky smile and when she winked, Eos help him, she just knew. "Glad you enjoyed the show. If she were a car, she'd be a pretty damn fine one."
He groaned once more. "Not you, too."
She giggled. Her eyes travelled to Lightning, who was currently rubbing a towel in her hair. "The look you had is like when Paw-paw sees a mighty, fine car."
"She's not a car."
"That she ain't, but I know love when I see it." She winked once more and stretched an arm above her head. "Hey, Light!" She called out. "Wanna grab some grub?"
Laying the towel around her neck, Lightning gave her a small smile. "Sure. I'm hungry." As Cindy nearly skipped to the Glaive's side, she wrapped an arm around Lightning's and made their way to Takka's Pit Stop. But halfway there, Lightning turned around and looked Noctis in the eye. "You coming?"
His body moved before his mind could think and his mouth could speak. It was then Noctis realized, he could never say no to anything she asked.
AN: This got so out of context. But I needed a car wash scene. I also needed Light and Cindy being BFFs because they're goals (and nosebleeds). And I needed the boys gawking at them because those two are just damn sexy.
And shout out to loveiscosmicsin. If you all are looking for another car wash Lightis, there's a story in AO3. This popped up way back and I remembered reading it and it's super lovely.
For Lightning's Glaive garb, I imagine it's a mix between her Lightning Returns' outfit (Equilibrium) and Crowe's in Kingsglaive. It would be more like Crowe's except that she's wearing her sleeveless turtleneck inside and a crimson cape behind her. (But if it's a formal event/super cold, she'll wear the black frock coat like Nyx's).