Noctis Lucis Caelum was called "the Prince" at Insomnia High School because he had it all: the cool car, close friends, rich father, and a mansion that could probably fit a quarter of the population of Lucis.

Graced by good looks and enigmatic charm, he was always chased by girls and invited to join sports teams by guys. Others said he was a playboy using his charms to gain the affections of girls like Cindy or Iris (though, it seemed to be the other way around).

But to Luna, he was her best friend, and an old one at that. In fact, very few people at school knew that she and Noctis grew up together – or that they once lived in the same house.

She was ten when she and Ravus moved in with the Caelums, albeit under unusual circumstances. Noctis had no siblings and Ravus made it clear he was far too mature to spare his time fooling around with children, so that left her to be the "sister" figure for Noct.

She could never forget the mornings when an eight-year-old Noctis would unceremoniously kick open her bedroom door, jump on her comforter, and demand that she play with him outside, nor the dinners where he'd casually scoop up his vegetables when his dad wasn't looking and drop them on her plate. She would step on his toes whenever he did that, but he'd just smirk like the devil and carry on. Noctis was indeed the miscreant.

On the days when he wasn't misbehaving, he would be curled up beside her as they read the Cosmogony books outloud (they were a popular children's series about Lucian myths). He also liked to fish, eat Altissian Crab and Fish crackers that she'd purchase at the supermarket, and would help her water the syllablossems that grew in the backyard.

That was all nearly 8 years ago, yet whenever her thoughts lingered on Noctis, she still remembered that little boy who always followed her around. He was like her little brother, really.

But the notion of him being " little" and a "brother" changed the summer before her senior year of high school.

It all started with this text message he sent a few days ago:

Up for the movies this weekend?

Funny – she couldn't recall the last time they went to a theater. But maybe that was more of a reason to go.

After all, it was the middle of July and it was filled with nothing but pre-filling college applications and emailing her former teachers for recommendations – to the point where she felt she wasn't seeing enough of her friends.

And that's why she texted him back.

Sure. Pick me up Saturday at noonish?

Who knew what they were going to watch, but they'd negotiate one way or the other.

When the expected date arrived, she decided to wear a white crop top and a white mid-calf skirt featuring a lace design. It was a good mix of casual wear with a dash of something fancy, which was her choice of style even if she was just going to the movies. She looked herself over at the mirror in approval.

A knock came at the door and when she opened it, there stood Noctis in a black T-Shirt and dark blue jeans holding a jar of what appeared to be Ulwaat Berries.

"Before you ask – dad wanted me to give these to you and Ravus as a thank you for making pastries last time. Why he wants to give these to you now – I'm not sure. But here you go," he awkwardly handed them to her, and she laughed.

"Thanks, I guess this is a sign he wants me to make more. You know, I could just give the recipe to Ignis," she suggested.

"Please. Ignis won't even look at it. Says he wants to "come up with a new recipe" on his own." Noctis said the word "recipe" the way Ignis would.

She laughed remembering the notable catchphrase. Just when she was going to add on to the joke, she noticed him staring at her outfit.

"It doesn't look weird, does it?"

"What doesn't look weird?"

"These clothes," she gestured to her figure.

He gave her a shy smirk.

"No, not at all. You look gorge – uh, I mean, um, great. You look great."

For reasons that she couldn't quite put her finger on, his cheeks had a reddish hue to them.

"Sorry, is it hot in here?" she asked. Her apartment did have a tendency of being too hot in the summer, and it certainly didn't help that the central air conditioning would sometimes bust. She planned to chat with the landlord about it later.

"Nah, Lu, I'm fine. Let's just get out of here," he stretched his elbow out like a gentleman about to take a lady out for a stroll, and she linked her arm with his. They were used to doing that as kids and now and then as teens. Nothing weird about that, but what was strange was the scent of cologne on his clothes.

"I didn't know you wore cologne," she inquired more than she stated. She thought Noctis hated the stuff.

"Just trying something new for a change," was his simple, yet hesitant reply.

"I like it, it's nice."

As friendly as all of that was, there were other surprises she hadn't quite expected at the movie theater.

"Get your own bag!" she laughed as Noctis greedily scooped a handful of popcorn from her.

"Sharing is caring, Luna," he teased while shoving buttery popcorn into his mouth. Even though he'd insist he never wanted any, he always stole her popcorn when they went to the movies. She didn't mind, however.

"If that's the case, Noct, maybe you should let me drive the Regalia – since, after all, sharing is caring," she quipped back, taking a single popcorn to her mouth. She could see him sink into his seat and shake his head with a chuckle.

"Alright," he sighed. "Maybe after this movie, but we need to come back in once piece." He wiggled his eyebrows as if to suggest they wouldn't.

"Noctis," Luna gasped, "I practically told you how to get here! Ignis and I both know you can't drive alone to save your life. I mean weren't you behind the wheel when the Regalia broke down –"

"Ahem, that was Prompto, and if there's anyone who can't drive to save their life, it's him."

"Riiiiggght," she crowed, while mentally laughing at the image of Noctis trying to survive a car ride with Prompto. He did have a point. Then again, both he and Prompto had just gotten their driver's licenses', so she wasn't entirely wrong for implying they could barely drive.

"By the way, what's this movie about?"

"Glad you finally asked," he replied as if he were going to give her a grand summary.

"So, there's this special class of soldiers trying to protect their kingdom from a nasty empire and they're called the 'Kingsglaive'. They get their powers from a King who's also keeping his people safe by maintaining this gigantic magical wall over his territory. It's got a lot of fight scenes and stuff."

"Sounds like your kind of movie."

"Oh, it is. And you'll like it too," he winked.

Noctis always had a penchant for war movies with undertones of castles and fantasy. Well, at least it seemed to feature a female protagonist this time, so she could enjoy it too.

Besides that, she was also hoping to spend some quality time with Noctis. She hadn't seen him since the day they went fishing near Duscae's mountains in the Spring – and wonderfully enough back then, he had chosen the right day to catch Lucian Catfish as they were swimming in hordes. They had caught so many fish to the point where the fish started flapping their way back into the lake. She'd never laughed so hard and sworn she saw tears of joy in Noctis' eyes. She loved seeing Noct have a great time – mainly because he rarely showed that side of him to other people. Or maybe, he seemed to only show it to her.

"You got a little something on your lips, Lu," he interrupted, breaking her away from that spectacular day.

"What, what is it?" she asked, swiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Well, now it's here," he whispered, placing his thumb below her bottom lip. He gently swiped down, and she could feel the grease of butter coming off. "All gone," he declared, before licking the butter from his thumb.

"Noct!" She exclaimed and slapped his shoulder, which only made him smile.

"What? It's just butter, relax," he coolly shrugged like it was the most normal thing to do.

"That was on my mouth," she retorted.

"Lots of stuff gets in contact with our mouths, and it's not like you have cooties or anything….do you?"

"Ugh," she exhaled. "Noct you're so…."

Noctis smirked. "I'm so….what?"

Gross? Nonsensical? Mischievous? Whatever he was, she wasn't fast enough to tell him because the trailers ended and the lights in the theater began to dim. The movie was starting.

"Just enjoy the show," she mumbled.

She took more popcorn without looking back at his face as he chuckled. When the first scene began to role, she could sense in the corner of her eye that he was still looking at her. Was there butter on her mouth again? And if there was, how could he tell in a dark theater?

She turned to look at him and their eyes met.

"Something wrong?"

He averted his gaze.

"Nothing. I – I'm glad you came with me today."

"Of course. Not like I had anything better to do," she whispered, which was very well true.

"Good."

It was a bit strange of him to act shy like that, considering he was never shy with her before. Though he seemed comfortable enough, given that his arm was resting on the back of her seat and his fingers were lightly touching her shoulder.

After the movie, they were walking back to the car while ranting about how Nyx, the protagonist, should have lived at the end.

"What's up with writers' killing their main characters?" Noctis sighed.

"Beats me. But he had to put something on the bargaining table," she reasoned. "Maybe they'll release the alternative ending in a couple of weeks?"

"Doubt it," he smirked before adding, "That's why we have fanfiction."

She didn't know why – but hearing him say that made her laugh so hard that she ended up laughing into his chest and gripping his sides to steady herself. He laughed with her while wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Noct," she started in between laughs, "Since when do you read fanfiction?" She was of course, being playful when she asked the question, remembering all too well how in his pre-teen years, Noctis easily got disturbed with the number of character ships for King's Knight.

And yet, she could not have predicted that he'd provide a serious response.

With his arms still wrapped around her shoulders, he tightened his embrace.

"Since I started watching movies with you."

That's when she stopped laughing. Her mirthful gaze was slowly replaced by a cautious surprise.

Wait, did she hear him correctly?

She thought she'd imagined it and the seductive way he said it. And she thought she was imagining the yearnful expression in his eyes that were staring back at hers.

"Is that so," she murmured, a little uncertain of where this was going.

He slid his hands to take hold of hers.

"Yeah. And believe it or not, I like seeing you laugh when I steal your popcorn. I like getting on your nerves too," he chuckled.

She could feel warmth emanating from his palms, or maybe it was coming from her own cheeks. Something he said inside the theater emerged from her memory: Lots of stuff gets in contact with our mouths.

And at that moment, she felt his gaze on her mouth. And somehow, that compelled her to look at his.

"Why tell me this now?" She hesitantly asked, the words coming out in a whisper.

His cheeks had that same tint of rouge he had at her apartment, and this time it was clear to her that it wasn't because of the summer heat.

"Thought you should know," he whispered back, moving his thumb to the corner of her lips.

And then he bent down and pressed his lips against hers.

Her eyes widened.

In that moment, she was meeting an entirely new Noctis, far different from the one she was laughing with at the theater, fishing with at the lake, or scolding as a child. This Noctis was the one that licked the butter from her chin off his finger. The one that gazed at her a little longer than before. This Noctis held secrets she didn't know about. This Noctis had desires she didn't understand.

His hands cupped her face as he added pressure to the kiss with his soft lips. She felt like he was telling her a secret: I like you, Luna. I like you a lot. I might be in love with you.

What was happening?

As she struggled to find an answer, all she could think about was his mouth pressed against hers. Some crazy part of her at that moment decided to close her eyes and return his kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back with the same sweetness he was giving her. Gently, their lips parted and their tongues slipped into the dark caravans of each other's mouths. It felt like they were having a sexy, wet embrace with no one in the world to care except them. She could feel his hands against the fabric of her outfit, squeezing her curves and a moan escaped from her before she could suppress it. She could taste the butter from the popcorn, and a hint of Ulwaat berries that he must have stolen from the jar he brought over that afternoon. Her hands found their way within his jacket, and she could feel his smooth pecs he preferred to keep hidden and his quickening heartbeat underneath his black shirt. A selfish thought crept into her head: she wanted more. More of him.

But then, a more practical and alarming thought struck that selfish one to the curb.

They were best friends.

And she was eighteen. He was sixteen. She would be graduating high school and going to college. He wouldn't be seeing her as much. He would be alone, heartbroken. She would be guilt-ridden.

She pulled away immediately and gasped, "We can't do this."

His lips were wet and his cheeks were rosy from their long kiss as he looked at her in confusion.

"Why not?"

Why not? There were plenty of reasons why, and it baffled her that he couldn't see that. In fact, she was baffled that she wasn't able to see that until after she broke away.

"Noct… we've been friends for a long time. Going any further than that could jeopardize what we already have. And I'm going to college and you'll still be here and – "

Before she could continue, he interrupted.

"You don't think I know that?"

She gave him another look of surprise.

"I know you'll be graduating this year. I know you're going to college. But I didn't want another year to go by without telling you how I feel."

Another year?

Her mind went blank. Had he been harboring feelings for her….for years? And she didn't have the slightest clue? Her cheeks burned a flush pink as she directed her mental energy to focus.

"Let me get this straight," she began. "How long have you liked me?"

He moved his hands into his pockets. "A long time, Lu. Too long. I'd say, since we were kids."

Her lips parted at his words. All those times, when they laughed together, teased each other, played "House," watched movies, went fishing, ate meals, collected things in the backyard – all those moments – were times when he liked her? She tried to find words to say – anything – but she was trapped in this moment where suddenly a boy she admired and respected for this long took her out of those innocent, childhood memories and had pulled her into a breath-taking, sexy kiss. And holy shit, did she think it was sexy.

As she thought about the past, she realized they were still standing in the middle of the theater parking lot. Astrals, they kissed in the middle of the parking lot!

"Let's talk more in the car," she suggested hastily, aware of the growing glances in their direction.

"Okay," he caught her drift.

They walked side by side in silence. But her mind spewed question after question as she remembered all the times she spent with Noctis and how normal each encounter with him seemed to be.

When they approached the Regalia, he awkwardly turned to her and asked, "Still wanna take the wheel?"

She glanced at the driver's seat, recalling their playful banter inside the theater.

"I do," she replied, and when he handed her the keys, it felt like he was handing her control over the situation.

In the car, they sat looking at anything expect each other. She didn't know what to say to carry the conversation to a place that wasn't awkward. Honestly, everything after that kiss seemed so surreal, and she didn't know what she could say or do to break the tension in the air.

And he seemed to sense this.

"I'm sorry, Luna," he whispered. "If you want, we can pretend this never happened. I never meant to make you feel weird."

She looked at him this time.

"No, I don't want to pretend it didn't happen. And I don't feel weird. I'm just surprised. I never realized you had feelings for me. I never realized that you saw me as more than just a friend."

As she said that, she thought about the way he looked at her outfit earlier that day, and how he almost said something about it that she didn't quite catch. And then there was that waft of cologne on his body that suddenly seemed intoxicating just by sitting next to him in his sleek luxury car.

"I'm surprised that you're surprised," he chuckled nervously. "I've always liked you. As a friend and a love interest."

Her ears buzzed at the word "love."

She swallowed before continuing. "But Noct…I've loved you as a friend. I never got to experience anything with you beyond that. We should really think about what we'd be getting ourselves into if, you know, we continue this."

His eyebrows shot up. "You're open to dating me?" His voice was hopeful.

"What? No, that's not what I said," she rebuked.

"But it's what you meant," he said confidently, and a cool smirk caressed his handsome face.

How mischievous of him.

"And I guess that kiss and this whole confession was planned from the very beginning?" She hammered back, and now it was his turn to be put on the spot.

"Uh…well, not everything was planned," he looked at her shyly.

She felt her heartbeat quicken as she stared at this beautiful man, whom she knew deep down that she actually loved. She could feel that when they kissed, especially when she kissed him back. Her desires were definitely beyond that of friendship.

"Noct…," she began, "I want to get to know you…as more than just a friend. But I don't want to ruin what we already have. I think we should take it slow, as long as you're okay with that."

"Luna," he said, gently placing both of his hands on her shoulders, "I'm okay with whatever makes you feel okay. I don't want to do anything that'll hurt you."

She smiled at that. He was always looking out for her. Just as she was always looking out for him.

"Thanks, Noct," she whispered softy. Turning away from his pretty face, she turned on the ignition and they took off into the night back to her place.

Saying goodbye to Noctis was harder than expected. The memory of their kiss lingered in her thoughts as Noctis slowly escorted her back to her apartment door. He seemed reluctant to retire for the night as well, his arm brushing hers every chance that he got. She was inwardly smirking at that – she was getting better at reading him.

She paused at her door, turning to him in hopes that maybe a nice compliment would come out of her mouth. What a nice time she had. What a great movie it was. What a fantastic kiss they shared. Unfortunately, he beat her to it.

"Thanks for hanging out with me, Lu. I had an awesome time," he said. And there it was – his handsome smile on his kissable lips. It made her breath hitch. All she could do was smile back and say, "Me too, Noct."

There was hesitation in his eyes as he gazed at her, his eyes drifting to her lips. And that's when she knew - he wanted a goodbye kiss!

She felt the blood rush into her cheeks like last time, only now, it would be her turn to kiss him. If she had to be honest with herself, she wanted to kiss him again. Badly. So she set aside her nerves and gently got on her tip toes to plant a sweet kiss to his sweet lips. He responded by placing his hand on the small of her back and intertwining his other hand with hers. There was a quiet affection in this kiss, which wasn't as intense as their first one, but nonetheless, it made her feel adored and cherished.

When they broke apart – reluctantly – both of them found it hard to say goodnight and go.

After all that talk about taking things "slow" and expressing her fears about their relationship, Luna was finding it harder to fight her growing physical and emotional attraction to Noctis.

"Do you, maybe, want come inside for a bit? We could try those Ulwaat Berries you brought over," she suggested, her eyes moving over him expectantly.

His face lit up with an impish glee when he answered, "You know I do."