Today's chapter is mostly fluff and hurt/comfort. It heavily revolves on Noctis and Luna. We have smut, we have teasing, and also Prompto trying to understand what is happening when Cindy looks at him. I know I've promised more Ignis screen time, but it will happen in next chapter. Some of it is already written, but my life is pretty hectic lately and I'm still trying to organize my time around everything I have to do. I hope you'll like this chapter! 😊
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Stranded
Chapter 8 – It's not safe
Noctis had been unable to find sleep on the small mattress of his bunk bed, tossing and turning, causing the bedframe to wince in protest to each and every of his movements. His back ached, his old wound acting up, not to mention how restless he felt. Knowing that after Altissia, he would have to face his home country. Seeing Cleigne, Duscae and Leide again wasn't such a bad thing, but the thought of Insomnia made him feel sick. There wasn't a lot of news coming out of the capital. All he knew from Luna was that the empire was preparing a raid on Lestallum. Prompto hadn't been able to give him more information and with all the damage they'd caused on Nifelheim with the resistance, Noctis knew his country was safe for some time. But what was his father doing?
"You need a remedy to fussing?" Luna asked him in a low voice.
She was on the bed above him and had been so silent, he had been convinced she slept.
"Am I keeping you up?" he asked, an apology waiting on the back of his tongue.
Her legs dangled over the edge of the bed and he couldn't help staring as her nightgown rode dangerously high on her waist when she got down. She replaced her skirt and kneeled on the corner of his bed, offering him a tired smile.
"Think we can snuggle together?"
"Well, it's a pretty small space," Noctis observed, before turbulence pushed her right between his arms, her forehead missing his by mere luck. "If you put it that way, you might be safer here," he added teasingly.
"I didn't provoke this turbulence! I just miss being close to you."
It was their second night on the ship, Cindy forced to take a detour due to a squadron of airships from the empire.
"I'm not that far," he objected, but Luna shook her head, wrapping her arms around him possessively.
She wasn't looking for the savage passion like before, clearly happy to lean her head in the crook of his neck and settle by his side. He shifted the covers so she wouldn't get cold, one arm around her frame, testing the best way to lie down next to her without either of their feet poking out from the sheets. The metal frame winced some more, and it was a tight fit, Noctis forced to push one shoulder into the wall so Luna wouldn't half hang out of the bed.
"I'm not sure I can sleep like this," he admitted sheepishly.
"Well, you weren't sleeping earlier. You just need to snuggle closer," she offered.
Her hands ruffled his hair, her breath on his neck making him shiver. Having someone being this affectionate with him was still new and Noctis was trying to get used to it. He pulled her close, wondering if he even wanted to sleep. He listened to the sound of her breathing, squeezing her palm in his hand, their fingers intertwining in a heartbeat. They rarely shared any lazy moments and he wished for more of those. He wished for an awful lot of things since he'd met her.
"Luna?"
"Hmm?"
"I don't feel reasonable," he sighed, turning them around so he could lie with his face on her chest. He palmed her left breast with his hand, teasing her through the fabric of her gown. "How about bare snuggles?"
"Noct…"
"You said you missed me," he whined.
"Isn't Prompto's bunk right…?"
"This is the closest I can take you to heaven…" Noctis whispered, frowning as he pondered how that sounded, his eyes meeting with Luna's dubitative gaze. Her neck was bent, chin pulled inward so their eyes could lock despite him lying with most of his weight on her. "Like while keeping you alive," he added. "Shit, that got dark. Can I try again?"
She bit her lower lip, unable to hide her amusement.
"I'm far too lenient with you, Caelum."
"I love you. I don't think I've expressed it enough yet."
"With your body?" she enticed him with a twitch of her lips, her fingers trailing down his back.
"Reading my mind?"
She asked for a kiss, but Noctis went for her neck, his nose pressed against her jaw, finding her earlobe, his hands making quick work of the straps holding her gown in place. The metal bunk protested at all the following motions, Luna unable to hold back a breathy whine when he found the tender spot by her ear. Her fingers tugged on his waistband, ghosting his thighs before to find her goal.
"Well, someone's impatient," he commented, his voice barely controlled.
"And you aren't? Please take that shirt off," she asked playfully.
"Please? That's nice," he chuckled, claiming her mouth for a long, heated kiss that was cut off only for a few seconds and more of his skin on her skin.
"I'm always nice," Luna defended herself in between the following kisses.
He retorted by flipping her around, bringing her back flush against his chest, teasing one nipple while he held her waist with his free hand.
"I never told you what a lovely back you have, have I?"
His lips kissed one shoulder blade and then her spine, her entire body shivering in his embrace. He'd always loved the elegant line of her neck and how they simply folded together when he held her like this. The way her flesh shivered under his touch, how her hands would reach for his thighs and cock to guide him closer. Except her hands didn't move now.
"I'm all bones," Luna reminded him, her voice too sharp.
For an instant, her tension felt wrong and Noctis hoped he could ease her self-doubts. It was rare, but whenever it happened, it made him worry of the things he'd missed. The parts of her past he didn't know about.
"Nah. You're soft warm curves," he told her, making sure to stretch every word as he inched himself closer. "You're mine to love, Luna."
His fingers stroked her clit, giving it a light pinch that made her hide her face in the pillow she was now clutching, her gasp coming out muffled.
"Don't...don't tease me."
"I'm not."
She wriggled her hips in objection and Noctis agreed she'd waited long enough. Their pants mixed together, his princess soon begging to see his face, bending her neck until he rolled her to her side. He hated the sense of loss he was left with as he parted from her, rushing to reconnect with her, holding her tighter. One of her legs was around him now. She gasped, her fingers curling in his back, barely holding herself together. The bed cracked and winced with every thrust, Noctis kissing her scream to silence, unable to hinder the whine coming from his throat.
Luna couldn't help her voice from shivering and wondered if she could ever be sated with him.
"Love me more."
"I'm not done," he assured her in between ragged breaths, cupping her head in one hand.
"More. Noct."
I want more. I can be more, but only in your arms.
He whispered her name, not sure his tongue could work on any other word when she looked at him with these eyes. He could have drowned in her arms.
…
The first creaking had been a simple taunt, Prompto ready to give them the benefice of the doubt. They needed to sleep after all, unless royalty made people inhuman. Seeing as how they could use magic and apparently go at each other nearly every single night, the gunman was ready to bet his right foot they weren't human. He liked his hands too much to bet them.
The door to his room was pulled open by Cindy when the creaking of metal became continuous and she found him sitting by the door with his hands clamped over his ears, muttering a nursery rhyme out loud to pretend he could block the sounds. She gently nudged him with her boot, although his eyes had already moved up to take in the intruder.
"Oh, do you want your own partner?" he asked the pilot as he noticed the light flush of her cheeks.
"I didn't know I needed ear plugs on this trip or I would have packed them."
A muffled whine and heavy groans made them both a little more uncomfortable and Cindy simply gestured to the hallway, Prompto jumping to his feet to follow her. The blonde led him to the machine room, gesturing for him to have a seat and the noise of the ongoing motor and all the other parts keeping them in the air was a promise that no undesired expression of passion could reach their ears anymore.
The gunman plopped himself in a clean corner on the floor, Cindy leaning against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. The skin-tight suit had been replaced with an overall covered with oil and grease that made her look messy. He wanted to ask whether that was her pajamas, but she beat him to it.
"My eyes are up here, birdhead. Are they that expressive all the time or is this a special occasion?" Cindy asked him straight out.
"Well, the creaking bed is a new addition. Really hard to focus with the rhythm that guy does. It's like a staccato."
"Shut up! A staccato would kill the poor girl."
They both froze as they realized how easily they'd fallen into a casual talk about their respective friends' sex life. Prompto wasn't used to anyone joining in his comments and Cindy hadn't even expected the words coming out of her mouth.
"Well, at least you know why I came out so strong the other day. With these two around, I get frustrated," he mumbled, not sounding as carefree as he'd meant to.
"I hope you don't think I'm going to ease you out of your misery."
"That sounds like a death sentence. And this room looks like there are way too many ways for you to kill me."
"Or tear off the parts poking out," she suggested, her grin widening as he paled enough for his freckles to stand out.
"Yeech, are those my choices?! Threats to my nether regions or knowing how well Noctis's nether regions are doing?"
Cindy covered her mouth and wrapped one arm around herself, only to burst out laughing despite her apparent attempt to hold it in. Her laugh rippled through him, leaving him with a smile on his face and he looked away, because he wasn't sure what his eyes might show. People actually laughing in earnest at his jokes was rare. The one person who used to was…
"Can we lay off the subject of sexual frustration? I don't have energy to spare for stuff other than work."
"With a body like yours?"
Her smile turned into a thin line and he could have hit himself on the head.
"Sorry. I'll lay off. It's meant as a compliment though."
Cindy pursed her lips at that, which really didn't help his case.
"I get that Caelum is her bodyguard/boyfriend/human stress relief, but what's your role in her pilgrimage?"
"I'm the spare! No, no, okay, I won't kid around anymore. I'm the life container!" he announced, stretching his arms out in a childish manner.
The pilot looked at him with a raise brow.
"You heard about the astrals? Luna needs someone to give his life force in exchange for every covenant. If Noctis was the only one to do it, he'd die. And she clearly prefers him alive. That frozen bitch, Gentiana, she tricked the princess into bringing me as support on the first covenant. So I guess in a way, I am a spare…"
"That's some crazy shit. Raise that chin up, I don't allow moping on my ship."
He blinked, looking up at her.
"You're giving me orders?"
"My ship, my rules," Cindy stated.
Why do I like it?
"I can roll with that."
Cindy hadn't shown him the way to the engine room only to save him from the sounds, but because she needed a distraction and her following question left him with his mouth hanging.
"So, why did you even agree to follow them for the covenants?"
"I… If I don't, I'm basically killing Noctis." Prompto stated.
A dark feeling wrapped around his mind as the thought settled in.
She grimaced, "And that bed rocker is your friend. Not much of a choice. While you haven't been in Tenebrae for long. You joined the Oracle's army like… two months ago?"
"Three," he corrected her. "But yeah, I'm fresh meat."
Prompto blinked, wondering why he'd even refer to himself that way, but Cindy played along, pretending she didn't see the marks of embarrassment on his face.
"You do look like your expiration date is for a long while. You might even be a decent guy." She paused and cocked her head to the side, hesitating before adding, "Should I say clone?"
His smile was dark, and his shoulders hunched over.
"Depends. Should I call you girl?"
She didn't look away, but her stance did change, and he noticed how she shifted from one leg to another, twice.
"Fair point. You think I'm fresh meat?"
He shook his head.
"Maybe don't call yourself like that then," Cindy offered, her eyes appraising him with something akin to worry. He tried to brush it off to the fact she didn't want him dragging the princess down in her pilgrimage. "You sounded serious too."
"Well, we all have issues. No need to try fixing mine."
"Maybe we should focus on the royals onboard and their issue."
"Like the probability of babies all over your ship?" Prompto quipped, only half-joking.
She frowned, biting on her lower lip at that.
"Now that's a scenario I don't like. I am not a babysitter."
"And we're not deaf either."
With a nod and a tentative smile, they agreed to team up regarding this particular problem.
…
Noctis didn't want to have any regrets about the previous night, but as soon as he stepped into the cockpit of the ship, he knew Argentum was going to be an ass about it. Luna was just behind him, seeing as joining their travel companions separately wasn't quite necessary. They couldn't pretend nothing had happened considering how much the bedframe creaked last night.
"Hey guys! How did you sleep?" Promtpo greeted them. "Oh wait, I forgot. You didn't. We heard you."
"All-night-long," Cindy chimed in, holding back on a yawn that sounded half fake. "Should you really be up and running?"
Both blonds were sitting lazily on the floor, a game of cards on a table between them, having clearly bonded over a sleepless night. Neither of the royals could believe there hadn't been a place in the small ship where they couldn't be heard. Had they been that loud…?
Noctis bit his tongue and Luna turned bright red, despite excepting some teasing.
"I think we counted…" Prompto started.
"Five rounds. Outside of the time we walked out. Now I know you're young, but you'd better not burn yourself out like that too often," their pilot observed, her eyes heavy on Noctis's shoulders.
In fact, her gaze trailed right down to his waist and he wondered if they hadn't welcomed a female version of Prompto on the team.
"You don't have anything better to do?" he started with a frown. "Like land us?"
"Nope. Regulations forbid anyone from landing before eight. Unless you want your princess to walk all over the rocky terrain from the emergency landing to the city on her wobbly legs."
"I'm not wobbling around," Luna retorted. "And while we might have been… energetic, there's no need to tease us all day about it."
"No need?! Where do you think my life force comes from? My good looks?" Prompto protested. "I need sleep and if this is a prelude to the whole trip, I'll be dead before you've even produced a spawn."
Cindy snickered at that and it was only because Lunafreya appeared ready to summon her trident -and the fact the temperature in the room turned a few degrees colder- that they accepted to drop the subject. Noctis still had to deal with Prompto's elbow pocking him in the ribs a few times as he thanked him for not sparing him any detail.
"Since you two became such good friends, how about Argentum helps you with your deliveries, Cin? I need to get a few things underway with the local politicians before we can worry about the hydraen."
The mention to the covenant sobered up Prompto from his abject teasing and the prince was brought back to reality. Forging a pact with Shiva was one thing, but the tide-mother wasn't known for her kindness. He'd tried digging into a few books but hadn't found the time. He suspected Luna wanted to save him from worrying too.
I'd better talk with her.
He didn't want to be kept in the dark like he'd once been due to the crystal refusing him as chosen. He hated being the last person warned.
"Should we worry?" he couldn't help but ask.
The look Luna gave him was enough to tighten his throat. That princess was usually ready to take on the world, but they were dealing with gods after all. The scourge was a distant threat in Insomnia and without the stories Ignis used to tell him about the empire, Noctis might have had a much bigger shock when he first saw someone affected by the blight. How was Ignis doing now, he wondered. Anything not to ponder about the terrible task Luna was carrying, taking on the duty of both the Oracle and chosen king since his younger brother couldn't move his ass from the capital.
Wasn't there a story in the paper about him leaving on his pilgrimage? If he starts collecting the royal arms, he might realize what I did…
Noctis was lost in thoughts for a good part of the morning, Luna making a few phone calls while Cindy made a quick inventory of the packages she was delivering. One was particularly big and made Prompto wonder if he could even push that crate long enough to impress the pilot.
The landing was a bit rough due to strong winds and Cindy got into an argument with the docking officer, which Luna took as their cue to leave for a quiet day in Altissia. Prompto was stuck behind, but he had stated that he needed the prince away for him, because he couldn't look at him without imagining a bed creaking wildly at the moment. Noctis had to accept that he might never live this down.
Luna was a bit flushed when they stepped into the actual city, past the check line where they'd showed passports with fake names. They had put on civilian clothes, something Noctis was clearly more used to than her and started off with a gondola ride. Luna sat close to him as they discovered the city, her bodyguard relishing the fact he could wrap an arm around her frame and keep her close even though they were in public. It felt like she truly was his girlfriend for the first time, even after all the things they'd shared.
As everything in his life though, that simple bliss didn't last for long. It was just as they stepped into Maagho for dinner that Luna was bumped into by a passerby coming in too quickly for Noctis to prevent the contact without warping. He was under strict order not to considering blowing their cover could cause a diplomatic incident, so he simply caught Luna's arm and pulled her away as a man with light brown hair worn in braids started apologizing at her.
"Hey, didn't mean to…" He paused, recognition lighting up his blue gaze. His hands gripped her shoulders so suddenly, Noctis wanted to draw his blade, but what followed stopped him cold. "Wow, Luna, what are you doing here?"
"Nyx?! It's… it's been years."
"I can't believe you're here. And still so damn skinny. Do you ever eat?"
Noctis cleared his throat then, noticing the way Luna's shoulders had lowered at the comment. How she'd called herself "all bones" the previous night. Who the hell was that Nyx? Luna couldn't help her brief instance of confusion and couldn't decide whether introductions were in order or not. They weren't supposed to draw attention.
"You were in a hurry, I wouldn't want to keep you," she started.
"Well, I have a meeting with Libertus, but he won't mind the wait when he'll hear who got me delayed. You got an escort of one?"
"That's… my bodyguard," Luna declared, evading Noctis's eyes.
Her nervousness was practically dripping from her pores as she fumbled with her hands a bit and motioned between both men.
"Cael, meet Nyx Ulric. He used to train under Cor Leonis back when the Immortal mentored me."
Noctis managed to keep his eyes from widening as he realized what this meant. From the casual way he addressed the princess, Nyx had been a good friend back when she was a teenager.
"A bodyguard? So, you finally saw reason? Must be a nightmare to look after this little tornado. Cor insisted I guard her myself back in the days, but I was the one needing protection most of the time."
What kind of protection? Noctis wondered.
"It's not an easy job, but I can't say I'm ever bored," the exiled prince found himself answering to Nyx's question.
"Don't gang up on me, now," Luna warned. "I'm not that much trouble."
Nyx noticed the fragility behind her words and pulled her into a hug without even asking for permission, muttering in her ears, "However much trouble, you were worth it."
The princess was brought years back, to the confusion she felt when her "too-friendly" friend -according to Gentiana- had walked out on her without so much as a goodbye. They had been lovers back then, the princess making it clear to him that they couldn't hope for a future. Nyx was too tied to his country and too much of a commoner, no matter how strong of a soldier he would become. Not to mention that the princess wasn't seeing herself getting quite old with the odds her country had in its favor. Lunafreya had been under a lot of pressure then, but she had also been vulnerable with him, something he apparently hadn't realized.
Noctis was seething by now, because no one, not even Biggs and Wedge were that familiar with his princess. But Luna was off down memory lane and when Nyx suggested they took time to catch up, she sounded happy to agree.
"Would you mind giving us some time? You can have a break from guard duty."
"First beer's on me," Nyx added, handing him a handful of gils.
Noctis tried to get over the sting in his heart and to quickly pull his eyes away from Luna. Correction, the Oracle, the warrior princess he guarded. His charge. His liege. He was stunned, especially considering that she didn't mind letting people in her country know of their relationship. He would have been proud to introduce her to his friends as his girl. But then again, she wasn't accused of attempted murder on her own brother. She kept telling him she knew he'd been framed, but he wondered if she would defend him if she couldn't take the risk of using his actual name.
He sat down at the bar with a sullen look, keeping an eye on the pair as they settled at a table by the water with the guy who had to be Nyx's friend. Said friend made a reverence to Luna and excused himself quickly, taking his own spot at the bar.
"So, you're the third wheel and I'm the fourth, huh?" Libertus asked him.
Noctis grunted his reluctant approval.
Luna couldn't help a worried glance his way, but he didn't catch it, swirling the whiskey he'd ordered in his glass.
"He looked pretty dark. Wearing black and all," Nyx commented.
She was shocked by the fact she'd forgotten his voice over the years. They had been together for a while, even though they never put a label on it. And now she was trying to make small talk with him, wondering if she felt longing, nostalgia or sheer pain amidst the confusion swaying her.
"Black's his favorite color. He's Lucian."
Somehow, focusing on Noctis made her more nervous.
"Oohh. What the hell is he doing that far from…"
"Nix that," Luna cut him off in the way she always did back when they were teen. "I want to hear what you've been up to."
His smile was tentative.
"Waging wars, holding Galhad together. Libertus and I almost started our own bar, but then my wife…"
Luna blinked a bit too slowly and he bit his tongue. She remembered him stating he'd never marry and would break hearts until all the fathers in the world came after him. And he had been looking at other girls in Tenebrae, but his best smile was always for her.
"It's been over… 6 years, hasn't it? I met her in Galdyn Quay and my life was turned over its head," he couldn't help the grin coming over him and it felt contagious just watching him. "Things were getting rough in both Lucis and Galhad and she has family here, so we moved. Like that, suddenly it was easy to give up everything, tie the knot, start a family. I've got pictures of our girl. Cure is turning 2 this year. She'd be so excited to meet you in person. She insisted on disguising herself in lady Lunafreya this year."
The girl on his phone had mischievous eyes and looked every bit like Nyx, with darker hair and light braids hanging on one side of her head.
"You sound happy," Luna observed, finding herself smiling despite the light ache she felt. "And she's beautiful."
Why was there a part of herself thinking that this could have been her life? She never wanted…
"Thanks. I guess I got boring. I'm the dad who can't shut up about his kid. But enough about this civilian. I want to hear from you now. You look pretty tired. Lots of sleepless night as you plan more strategy to face the empire or recruit more people into your cause?"
Luna fought against the blush that threatened to cover her face considering what she'd been doing on her last sleepless night. Why did she feel more embarrassed in front of Nyx than she could have been with Cindy and Prompto earlier?
"I still have a lot on my plate. I came here to get a bit of rest before setting back to work. I may have found a way to settle the score with the empire once and for all."
"Color me impressed. Should I relocate my family to an inhabited island for a few weeks?"
Luna had always been rash and his question asked with the genuine intention of teasing her brought back all of her doubts about her endeavor. A hand on her shoulders made her jump, although it was Noctis who'd walked up to her.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time."
He stayed vague, knowing Luna well enough to tell she wasn't entirely comfortable around Nyx. If he couldn't be introduced as her boyfriend, he wasn't going to give up on what it entailed. His goal had been for her to have a good time today.
"Plus, we have a potential investor that should arrive any minute now." Libertus chimed in.
"That's right. Now I feel bad, I hogged almost all the conversation to myself," Nyx seemed ready to apologize, to which the princess shook her head.
"There's not much new in my life and you've dealt with enough craziness back in Tenebrae," she offered. "Although, if you know where Cor went…?"
The Galhadan's expression darkened.
"He went "god-hunting" four years ago. Talking about some crazy trial he wanted to get rid of. Never heard of him since then and my orders were to not follow him. For once in my life, I listened."
They parted with a few goodbyes, Libertus assuring the princess that they would be around Maghoo on most nights for the next week if she wanted to catch up with either of the Galhadan. His heavy wink wasn't lost on either Luna or Noctis, but by then, the bodyguard wanted to leave and never come back.
…
"What's the hurry?" Luna asked when they were out of the restaurant.
"No hurry, I just don't like seeing you this uncomfortable."
"I'm not… I'm tired, alright?"
She was tired of feeling flustered and trying to regain her bearings, but her tactic backfired.
"Oh sure, so now it's my fault?!"
"I never said that! Why are you…" she paused, realization hitting her. Noctis was almost storming off, not even checking on her and she hurried after him, pulling on his jacket. "Noct, stop."
His eyes were so cold when he whipped around, Luna couldn't understand how her breath didn't turn into fog as she gasped.
"Don't call me that," he snapped. "It's one or the other, but I'm sick of being… You say I'm your equal behind closed doors, but when it matters, I'm the bodyguard, when you need my arms, I'm your sex toy. Am I just a replacement to the guys that were there before? Like that Nyx you never mentioned but needed to catch up with?"
"What?! No, you're…"
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him in a back alley, hoping her gestures wouldn't look commanding.
"…I only wanted to make sure you wouldn't be recognized, Nyx is from Galhad, he has to follow the news from Lucis."
"Can't you trust him? You two were clearly close in the past," he added, the bitterness gone from his voice.
Luna couldn't deny the fact, but she wanted to erase his doubts. How could she let him see himself as nothing but a tool when he was so much more?
"You have no reason to be jealous, the man's happily married and it's not like I ever actively tried to keep him in Tenebrae."
"Don't you wish you did? You were looking so lost…"
Even as he said so, his hands were attracted to her, his arms meaning to comfort her, although he needed reassurance. Luna shook her head at him.
"If you're going to be angry with me, stay angry, Noct. I was shocked and flustered earlier. I did tell you there had been other men in my life. Nyx was… He was the closest thing I had to a boyfriend before I met you, but as soon as his country was in danger, he left me without so much as a goodbye. I felt played for a fool. I don't want you to feel that way," she added, her hands gripping his.
Noctis swallowed, the lump in his throat feeling heavier than before with the way she looked at him.
"Luna…"
"You're Noctis to me. Not a bodyguard and certainly not a toy I'll drop. Am I that shallow to you?"
"I have trust issues. My father threw me out of my own family and I'm not sure why I call my brother my brother. It's not about being shallow…"
Luna wondered if she should eventually raise the fact he hadn't rebuked her potential shallowness. But she had put herself first too much with this walk down memory lane. Her hands cupped his face as she willed him to believe her.
"I love you, Noct. I might miss parts of the past, but when I look forward, it's you I want by my side. After the covenants and once the empire is dealt with, I hope you will still be with me. But if you need to stay in Lucis…"
The shiver to her voice told him how hard it would be for her to relive what had happened with Nyx.
"We've talked about this before," he reminded her.
"But words aren't enough, are they?"
He had an objection on the back of his tongue, but Luna guided his head to the crook of her shoulder, hugging him close, her hands ruffling his hair. Noctis allowed himself to breathe her in, his arms closing around her frame. She felt thin and she was shaking slightly.
"What's this? I'm not crying," he couldn't help the teasing in his tone, because he felt diminished when she grew this soft on him.
"If I kissed you, wouldn't it feel like I'm using you?"
Her hesitation was cute.
"You can kiss me, Luna. As long as I can keep my pants on, since it's the middle of the day."
She instantly tried to pull away from him, her cheeks flushed with outrage, but Noctis turned his embrace into a vice, taking a few steps until her back was against the wall.
"I'm not some nympho…!" Luna defended herself, her words cut short by his lips on her mouth, Noctis stealing her breath if only to ascertain he had a right to.
"I know you're not. I'm enough to satisfy your needs after all."
"That's not how I see it. I can't get enough of you, I'm not…"
Her voice quivered and Noctis realized it might be too soon to tease her.
"You've never left me disappointed either," he whispered to her ears.
"That's because you're too nice to ask for more."
"I don't remember being that nice last night."
His hands trailed down to her left hip, where he'd left a mark on her skin in the rush of passion.
"That's not what I meant… I don't get how you can settle for this."
She was referring to herself, much to his own shock and he stepped back, all teasing intentions gone.
"Luna?"
She gestured to herself, her chest heaving.
"I… I know I'm too thin and too pale. My skin's an ugly patchwork and…"
"Stop that," he nearly snapped at her once more. "I love you. Your waistline has nothing to…"
"You're lying! I'm a bag of bones and no matter how much I eat, I can't…"
His eyebrows were crossed as he held her shoulders, shaking her up.
"Who put that idea in your head? Was it Nyx?"
He'd called her skinny…
The princess looked many years younger as she nodded.
"He used to joke around he should force me to eat more, but I don't think he ever realized…"
She hiccupped on her own sob and hid her face against his chest, angry with herself for being so shaken.
"Luna, you're beautiful. How can you doubt it? And why didn't you tell him to stop the teasing if…?!"
Her answer came out muffled, but Noctis didn't have to press her further to get more explanations.
"Because it wasn't serious! I always make things physical because that way it seems easier to believe any guy would be interested… My title means nothing but trouble, my line has no future, I always thought I'd die young and…"
"Whoa, slow down! When were you planning on letting me know all that?"
"I thought I was over it. I really thought…"
"You don't have to be over it. I just wish you'd believe me when I say you're pretty. And what the hell was that part about dying young? You want me to fail at my job so badly?"
"I don't want to die," she objected. "Not before I get more time with you."
How could she say such a thing? How could he even let it slide, simply pulling her closer, trying to grasp how far the invisible scars run? Noctis held her as she broke into tears, stroking her hair and hoping his embrace was enough for her to feel safe and not as small and bony as she called herself. The fact she admitted her insecurities and allowed herself to be this vulnerable around him was all the answer he needed. More then her life, he guarded her heart. But he couldn't help but be worried.
"Luna, why are you crying?" he asked her after a few minutes.
"I'm sorry."
She sniffed, desperately trying to get her breathing under control again.
"No, you don't get to just apologize. You're scaring me. Why would you even think of dying? It's not like your country can deal without…"
But they'd left Tenebrae with someone else at the helm. And instead of her people, for once, Luna dared to think about herself in a time other than the present.
"His daughter," she explained. "Just seeing her picture made me wonder… If maybe I can… What if we can have that too?"
Her tears were gone, but her eyes still held hesitation when she looked up to him.
"You mean… you and I? That's… Can we have an actual date or two before we jump to those questions?"
She managed a smile, her nod so soft, he barely noticed it.
"I'd love that."
He gave her a tender kiss, delicate and slow, which she repaid him with the feathery touch of her hands on his shoulders. She felt so unsure of herself, Noctis found himself taking the lead for the rest of their explorations.
They started by fishing, Luna sitting in his lap and hindering more than she helped as he tried to land a catch which could be turned into a worthy dinner for Prompto and Cindy. After a while, the royals had agreed they needed to compensate their respective friend for going overboard the previous night. They walked around Altissia, aimlessly discovering the city of water. When he saw a flower dress in a window display, Noctis insisted on Luna trying it out, refusing to hear about how self-conscious she felt. He accompanied her in the cabin despite her protests, commenting on her waist, hips and a thousand more details he loved about her to make sure she would forget that "skinny" nick name. The clerks were eyeing them with pointed looks when they walked out, and Luna hoped her blushing could eventually stop.
She had put on the dress, white fabric dotted with blue flowers, the skirt wavering on her slender legs, while the top exposed a good portion of her back. She coaxed Noctis into getting himself a new set of clothes, although the convincing stopped when the colors he should be wearing came into question. They shared ice cream on one street, made a lightning quick visit to the coliseum -Luna instantly deciding the whole concept should be abolished and Noctis had to drag her out before she started a scene- their day out finishing in a restaurant where they made small talk, enjoying the moment of silence as they sat thigh by thigh on their cushioned seat.
"Can we take a picture together?" she asked him out of the blue.
"Sure thing."
He'd never been big on selfies and Luna wasn't either, he was amazed she even owned a phone, but he was grateful for the simple happiness she exuded as she took out her cell and tried to find the right angle to catch them both. In the hand, he laid his chin on her right shoulder, one arm wrapped around her, his free hand threatening to tickle her side as she struggled with the lighting. They were both grinning so much, it was surreal to think either of them had been down earlier.
"You should take more than one picture," he told her.
"Then stop tickling me!"
"But I want one where you laugh!" he defended his point.
Luna couldn't remember a time when she'd been this carefree before.
"How do I thank you for all of this?"
"You say thank you and hope I don't start taking you for granted?" Noctis offered.
"That was a question?"
He laughed, shrugging awkwardly.
"You said you wanted a future with me. After the Astrals and the empire. So I guess, the best way to repay me today and every day I manage make you smile is to keep desiring that shared future. You give me somewhere to belong."
He didn't want to lose this twice.
Their fingers intertwined, and Luna smiled at him.
"Don't ever let me take you for granted either, alright?"
"Alright."
To be continued…
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So then, Nyx is Luna's ex. He's pretty clumsy in there and this might be his only appearance in the fic, unless you tell me you'd like to see him more. He gave me a good occasion to explore Noctis's insecurities. In next chapter, Raviris is on the menu, some heavy flashbacks from Ignis's backstory in this AU and possibly Cindy and Prompto's shenanigans. There was a tiny, tiny mention to Ignis's stories about the empire, but I won't say more over it yet.
As always, reviews motivate me into writing more 😉