Today we have friendship and fluff and friendship and more fluff. I totally indulged myself there, and I'm paving the way for some shameless smut in the next few chapters. Enjoy!

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Stranded

Chapter 15 – Recover your faith

Cindy was by Luna's bedside on the following morning, insisting she'd take over looking after her so that Noctis could take some time to rest after waiting hours in the ER.

"You, highness, gave us quite a scare," the mechanic told her friend as soon as Luna recognized her through her hazy eyes. "Good morning by the way."

"Good morning," Luna croaked, wincing at how parched her throat felt.

It was so uncomfortable to come back to her senses and take into account all the aches and sores in her body, the princess wished she could fall back into a deep slumber until everything was healed. Her thoughts rushed right to the news she'd received and her mix of shame, amazement and guilt.

"Don't speak before drinking some water, gal, here, let me help."

Cindy gently sat her up, propped up on her pillows and held her glass with one hand, her other arm wrapping around the Oracle's shoulders.

"Thank you. I'm so sorry for going out there and acting so rashly," Luna tried apologizing.

"You kicked the empire's ass," Cindy countered. "To the point there's over six bodyguards looking after this floor in case anyone would try getting to you. I had to go through four check-ups before finally being allowed into your room."

"Aren't you exaggerating a little?" Luna asked as she leaned back against her pillow.

"Noctis was the one who oversaw your protection in this case, with the help of Lady Camelia. Prompto almost wanted to tie him up to his bed at four in the morning."

"He was still up by then?!"

Luna's eyes widened and they had been so small from exhaustion that they barely looked like their usual selves, except for the redness that made Cindy wonder what news Noctis had held out on Prompto and her. He had been quite open about Luna's state, until some point in the conversation where he'd froze after saying "to believe she's even…" He'd stopped himself, wondering if it was wise to share this news when Luna was so closely concerned and while Cindy immediately imagined the worst, he'd assured both Prompto and herself that it wasn't anything bad.

"He's frantic. We all were. I don't understand how you think you can pull stuff like this without worrying any of us. You're my best friend."

"Oh, Cindy, I'm so sorry," Luna whispered, reaching for her hand and squeezing it tight. "I had no idea I'd do anything like this when I left yersterday morning. I wanted to revise my plans, but when Leviathan spoke to me, all I could see was a way to save this city without causing more harm to the people I love."

"By almost getting yourself killed? Counter-productive don't you think?"

Luna gave a self-derisive chuckle and apologized once more. They sat in silence side by side for an instant, Cindy sensing a remaining tension in the air.

"Out with it. What's still eating at you? The empire is no threat anymore."

The princess grimaced a bit, her free hand instinctively reaching for her belly and Cindy frowned.

"It's really new and I didn't have any symptom for it," Luna said, clearly struggling to defend herself for the news she had yet to name. "…at least, I mixed them up with stress and being overworked…" Cindy offered her a smile as she paused, Luna taking a deep breath before telling her the news. "I… I'm pregnant."

Cindy blinked once, her hand squeezing Luna's with more strength while a smile crept up on her face as she looked from Luna's eyes to her still flat stomach.

"Are you for real?" the pilot exclaimed. "Ha, sounds like you're finally going to have to slow down a bit!"

"Is that all you have to tell me?!" Luna raised her brows at her in indignation, flushing all the way down to her neck.

Cindy raised her hands in the air to appease her.

"What am I supposed to say? We're 25 and waging a war, I thought you and Noctis were being prudent while acting like freaking rabbits in heat."

"Cin, please!"

"Honestly, I've never seen you depending this much on a single guy."

"I love him more than I knew I could. I know it's not entirely healthy, but I'd rather have him as my drug than an actual drug. We keep each other together."

"In more ways than one apparently. I can't picture you with a round belly."

"Me neither," Luna confessed. "I almost killed that baby along with myself yesterday. And I don't know what using my magic does to the poor thing. There's three more Astrals I got me to meet, I can't…"

Cindy shook her head at her, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Girl, why don't you worry about that later? You need to rest and recover right now."

Luna groaned as she raised herself a little higher on her pillows.

"I know! But I need to make a decision about the baby. The timing is wrong and… Noctis said he didn't care about it dying or not. All he worries about is me."

Cindy rolled her eyes before scooting over to wrap one arm around Luna's shoulders, the Oracle leaning her head against in the crook of her neck without much more encouragement.

"How do you expect the guy to react to an unplanned pregnancy? He doesn't even know if he can call you his girlfriend around strangers."

Luna covered her face with her hands, her whole frame trembling as she tried to hold back a sob, Cindy mentally chiding herself for driving her deeper into guilt without meaning to.

"I've done everything wrong with him," Luna hit herself on the head.

"It doesn't sound that way. And you know crying hurts your ribs."

"I'm scared, Cin."

Her friend nodded, brushing her hair and giving her time to regain some of her composure before trying a new joke.

"I'd be terrified if I was in your shoes. Any child of yours will be impossible to look after, but with Noctis's DNA put into the mix, it's going to be a wild little thing. Your kingdom might very well be doomed."

Luna did laugh at that, even though a few more tears came down.

"If I can keep it, would you be the godmother?"

"Don't you have Gentiana for that stuff?"

"I'd rather have my best friend do it,"

"Aww, you're going to make me blush," Cindy managed, actually tearing up.

It was hard to fight against her impulse to squeeze Luna in her arms just to reassure herself about the girl being alright. She'd come so close to losing her.

"You'd better stay safe, little mama."

"Oh lords. Don't call me that yet!"

…

Noctis had argued with Luna about it, but he'd started his rehabilitation as a live-in patient at the center of Accordo, even if that meant he couldn't assist Luna when she was discharged from the hospital or see her for more than a few hours every week when she came to pick him up with Prompto. The princess had been stuck in bed and insisted she was boring to hang out with and also that she'd heal up faster knowing he was doing everything in his power so they could leave Altissia sooner. The city on water had lost most of its charms for the pair with the recent events.

He heard a chime and rolled over in his bed, reaching for his phone.

L: How was your day?

Noctis stifled a light whine as his fingers hovered above the screen, his right hand shaking too much to be of any use and he typed back with his left hand.

N: Hey. Outside of missing you, it was a good day. How are you?

He almost held his breath as he waited for an answer. Until now, Noctis hadn't realized how used to having her around he'd grown. They could spend a whole day apart in Tenebrae, him training people while she dealt with paperwork, but they were never further apart than a few stairs and doors. Now he couldn't remember the last time they'd slept next to each other.

L: I'm still coughing like crazy, you're not missing anything.

But it's just a cold? Noctis insisted.

He'd read as much as he could and learned a lot of terrifying things and couldn't bear the idea he'd lose her to an illness after everything they'd been through.

L: I swear it is, I have a nurse checking on me outside of Cindy and Prompto and I don't need hospital care. Just rest. And yes, I am resting. I slept 16 hours last night…

I doubt that counts as a night at this rate, he teased her.

L: It does if I say so. Enough about me. Today was the last day of your second week.

N: There's a lot more weeks to come. I'm typing slow.

L: You need to be patient with yourself, my love.

Her words made him sigh, his heart swelling with longing.

N: I miss your voice, Luna.

L: Right now, I sound like a frog. And our baby is giving me hiccups again.

Noctis froze at the casual mention to the baby. He'd seen the ultrasound pictures, but it still felt so unreal. He'd seen a head and tiny limbs attached to the white dot that shifted in jerky motions on the gray pictures. It looked almost human and Luna had cried seeing it while all he could do was stare with a dozen fears tightening his throat. A baby had killed his mother. A baby was so vulnerable. A baby was family and he wasn't sure he was cut out for family with how his had fallen apart.

Hey, don't go into shock, she asked, the three dots signaling she was writing some more remaining on for a good five minutes as she decided on what she wanted to add.

N: I'm not going into shock, Luna. I'm slow at processing this.

L: Maybe we should stop being slow before it's too late to make a decision.

The twitch in his right arm was so violent, Noctis couldn't stand any weight on it and sat up in his bed. He called her, the tonality replaced by her coughs and throaty voice.

"I'd warned you I sounded like a…"

"Luna, I won't joke about this. I don't know how long we have before it gets too dangerous…"

She hacked and wheezed as she tried to muster words and Noctis wished he could fix her with the little magic in his veins.

"I'm bad at expressing myself on this, but I don't want to impose any choice on you. You're the one who's pregnant."

"We can't have such a talk on the phone," Luna warned him. "I'll visit as soon as I'm better, we can come back to the suite and talk things out."

It was complicated to get out of the center for Noctis, but that was because he needed an aggressive treatment if he wanted fast results and Luna had insisted she was well looked after by their friends. He still blamed himself for being wounded so badly in the first place, but what was done was done. Regrets weren't going to change anything about the pregnancy either.

"Okay. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait for our drama to be over," she tried teasing him.

"You sound tired. You need more sleep, cat princess."

"Oh gods, don't call me that."

He smiled then, picturing the way she was rolling her eyes. He wanted to hold her so badly right now.

"Go to bed and dream of me," he insisted, hoping his longing wasn't too clear in his voice. "Love you."

"Love you, Noct."

That night, they both tossed and turned as they wondered what the other was really thinking and not telling about the looming decision they needed to make. Noctis tried to garner some information via Prompto, but he couldn't text much during the day and the gunman had his hands full keeping the press off Luna's back and looking after the princess with Cindy's help. So Noctis focused on his rehab, pushing himself through every exercise hoping his arm would react eventually. That something would just click back into place from all the massages, treatments and painful sessions of retraining. His progress was undeniable, but holding things was painful, and the shaking wouldn't leave.

It was three days later that he received a message warning him Luna would come to pick him up, meaning he'd better brace himself for a very serious talk. He wasn't sure he was ready, but then again, was Luna feeling any more sure?

When his phone beeped at two pm, Noctis nearly tore off the elastic he was using for his latest exercise in his rush to confirm it was Luna. Underneath all the anxiety he felt at the idea they were having THE talk about this unexpected pregnancy, Noctis couldn't help a pure sense of euphoria at the idea he would see her. Luna didn't like the various face-call applications, always worried their exchanges could be traced, and also explaining she looked like hell and preferred texting or talking. Noctis wondered how much of a teenage boy he was since he'd counted the days in between their real life meetings. It had been 9 days apart and the very idea put him on edge.

I think I have an addiction…

"Finish this round of exercise before panicking," his instructor called him back to reality. "If you bust out of here running, you'll give us bad press."

And Lunafreya was trying to be discreet when she visited, using the canals despite her strong aversion to water ever since the Most Dangerous Hunt advent.

Cindy was the one with her, keeping an arm around her friend's shoulders to offer her support as they stopped by the pier hiding inside the building. Noctis knew he only had a few hours of freedom before coming back to the rehab center, so he joined them on the boat after throwing on a jacket and the cap Prompto had given him to help avoid curious looks.

"You really look younger than you are this way."

"And you don't look suspicious at all, wearing a full-on veil," he teased Luna back.

"I thought it made my eyes stand out," the princess observed, Cindy snorting.

"I can't believe the first secretary paid a hundred ladies to wear veils like this one in order to give you an excuse to walk around incognito," the mechanic laughed. "I know you just did Accordo the biggest favor you could, but this thing makes it hard to breathe!"

As much for moral support as to help the princess in not being spotted by anyone, Cindy had taken up wearing the veil too when she accompanied her somewhere.

"Are you certain you're not saddened by the fact you can't flash any skin in this get-up?" Noctis suggested.

That earned him a slap from both girls and a comment about spending too much time with Prompto.

"Where is he?" the exiled prince asked.

"Stayed back at the hotel. There's a dozen guys like him in the hospital so he's been getting trouble every time he walks out."

From the way Cindy added the last part, it was clear there had been a few crisis to calm down between them and Noctis decided to lay off the teasing. It was Prompto who had told Noctis of how things had changed between him and Cindy first. Luna had tried getting Cindy to put a name on what was going on, but the mechanic had refused to call it anything more than a fling.

Noctis and Luna had agreed not to comment, seeing as they couldn't exactly point fingers. Noctis was still worried about Prompto, while Luna wanted to make sure neither of her friends would get hurt in the awkwardness developing between them.

"Has to be hard, having so many lookalikes," Noctis sighed before looking for a way to change the subject. "So," he started, his attention focusing on Cindy while he drew a light shiver along Luna's right arm. "How long did she sleep last night?"

"I wouldn't call it a night," Cindy answered. "She was out for a good twelve hours."

"Only ten!" Luna protested, her blush and smile effectively hidden by the blue veil she wore.

Their gondolier laughed at their antics as discreetly as he could, and the travel was spent in idle chatter, Noctis being careful not to ask any question about health but unable to keep his hands to himself. He needed to hold Luna's hands, to brush her wrist with his thumb and tickle her ribs to reassure himself about the fact her bruises were really gone. He even dared to reach for her with his right hand despite how much it still shook and how hard grasping anything was. All those small touches were acceptable since she wasn't Lunafreya for the outside world right now and Luna had no intention to discourage him, happy to lean on him as they were rocked by the gentle water of the canals. Cindy rolled her eyes at their amorous ways, wondering why the adoring look in Noctis's eyes reminded her of a particular blond who didn't know when to shut up.

Upon reaching their hotel, Noctis helped Luna up the stairs, smiling at her weak protests, Cindy complaining that gallantry was really a one-minded business which earned her a defying look and Noctis's free arm.

"I didn't say I needed help," she laughed.

"Maybe if I preach a good example to Prom…" Noctis started suggesting.

"Oh, leave him out of this, you scoundrel!" Cindy playfully retorted, stepping away from him for good measures.

Luna giggled at the insult used against her man, clinging to him as her laugh left her gasping for air a second. There was something carefree in the gesture and Noctis realized how badly he'd wanted this. The sparkles in Luna's eyes told him she had been wanting nothing more herself and he wished the veil and his oversized jacket weren't necessary for them to even feel safe being this open about their love for each other.

"Don't take roots there, lovebirds," the mechanic warned as her own laugh died down.

They hurried across the street and inside the hotel, taking a side entrance to gather less attention before riding the elevator to their floor. Luna couldn't go through too much exercise yet, still winded by her cold. It drove her mad, but the magic toll she payed for summoning two Astrals at once and channeling their magic had sapped her energy.

Prompto welcomed them with Noctis's favorite snack, at least according to the gunman, which was triple meat nachos smothered with two different type of melted cheese.

"I hope you're not trying to get yourself forgiven for something," was Noctis's initial reaction and Prompto feigned offense, finding it hard not to smile or burst out laughing.

"I have been holding down the fort as the only man in the house for a couple weeks now. You have no idea what these girls get me into."

"Ladies," Cindy corrected him with a poke in the ribs.

"These really fine ladies," he agreed, poking her back and catching her hands in his when she tried to strike back, making her blush with a dashing smile.

Noctis almost felt bad for interrupting the moment, but he'd missed his friend and all the laughter he brought in his life.

"So what have you been getting into lately? I hope you've got pictures."

"No, but out of all the persons carrying this exact DNA," he started, tapping his chest with a macho face, "I have the prettiest nails!"

"What?!"

"We took him on a mani-pedi adventure," Luna explained, leaning against the counter as she debated whether she wanted some nachos herself or not. "Had him wearing his own veil and everything to make sure we wouldn't have difficulties on the way there."

Noctis sniggered and asked for pictures. The four of them sat down together to scroll down Prompto's camera growing collection of photos, Luna having to sit on Noctis's lap for them to have enough space to squeeze upon a single couch. Prompto held the device for Noctis, arguing that his hands were better occupied holding onto a princess.

"You really need to stop pushing your luck, you know, Prom?"

"Oh, don't you think I've paid for this in advance? I have paint on my toenails and no idea how to remove it!"

"He was perfectly agreeable with it," Cindy objected.

"Please tell me I don't have to wear sandals in Lucis!"

"I…" One look from Luna stopped Noctis mid-track and he bit back a smile. "I can't vouch for that. Apparently, you've been a real goblin for the past few days."

"A few pranks here and there to lighten the mood since everybody misses you and your brooding sighs," Prompto defended himself.

"Well, I don't miss you making fun of me being serious. But it's tough sometimes without the three of you around."

They had gotten pretty close during their stay at the hospital and Noctis needed to sit down with Prompto at a bar to curse against the world and share more crazy anecdotes about either of their crazy lives. Before Luna could apologize for his situation, Noctis asked Cindy about her airship's repairs. The thing had been assaulted by mercenaries and needed a lot of fine-tuning before they could head to Lucis. They talked for a good hour, sharing the mountain of nachos and laughter with ease, before the mechanic recalled an appointment to collect a specific piece of machinery.

"It's heavy, isn't it? She'll need me," Prompto declared, following her into the entryway to tease her about which color of veil she should wear to match his own incognito get-up -sunglasses and a top hat-.

Noctis slowly turned his full attention back to Luna, smiling with her as the pair of blonds argued on their way out, the princess jumping slightly at the door banging shut behind them.

"You nervous?" Noctis asked, kissing her temple as he hugged her closer to him.

"Just a bit lost in thought," she admitted, her shoulders slouching almost imperceptibly.

Her fingers worried against his palm and he brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles one by one.

"We have the afternoon, Luna, so you should be lost with me."

"Noct, I… I don't want to tiptoe around my pregnancy until we barely have time to listen to each other."

All the lightheartedness was suddenly gone, replaced by this cold void of fear that came whenever he thought of the baby. He had no idea what he wanted, or if he even had a right to want something that would be in contradiction with what she wanted. It was her kingdom's legacy and her line at stake.

"Okay… Okay. Let's just… rip it off in one go like a band-aid."

Luna shifted back to stare up into his eyes with her mouth hanging open.

"What does that mean?!"

He lowered his head, his right fist shivering by his side.

"Nothing, I… I'm nervous about this. You'd been talking about having a family before we headed to the covenant…"

He didn't mean to sound accusatory, but it came out wrong, or maybe Luna heard it wrong, her shoulders drawing inward, eyes blinking too quickly. Her legs had folded in and she had made herself small on her side of the couch, as though she didn't want their bodies to touch in any way.

"I don't want to force you into anything, Noct, I thought you'd heard me back at the hospital when I said I didn't trick you, I genuinely thought it was safe, my cycle is…"

"Whoa, whoa, I never said you tricked me," he clarified, keeping his voice steady. "I… I simply feel like you've had a lot more time to ponder this question than I have. Having a kid is… I can barely protect you."

"It's not about being strong enough for it, parents all over the globe get overwhelmed..." she started.

"Luna, my brother hated me enough to have me exiled."

"What do you think our baby could do?!"

"I don't know! I don't know anything anymore. What you want, what I should want, what will happen if Ravus decides this baby is a danger for his throne."

"Not this baby, Noct. Our baby," Luna told him, her right hand brushing her belly protectively as she spoke. "It's not only a potential heir for Lucis. It could be the next Oracle too."

"That's…"

"And what do you mean when you say you don't know what you should want?!" she cut him off. "We're equals. If you want me to… abort or…" she almost shuddered at the thought and Noctis hated himself for putting her through this. He wanted to reassure her, but she was already going on. "You have a right to tell me. I never intended to control you and just because I'm a princess doesn't mean what I want comes first. We made that baby together…"

Tears welled up in her eyes and Noctis couldn't bear the distance anymore, shifting closer to scoop her in his arms, pulling her into his lap once more. This time she nestled closer, keeping one hand on her belly.

"I love you, Luna. I don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me," she assured him. "I just need to know if you'd rather lose… Not lose, I don't want to guilt trip you. The timing's so wrong and we should have planned this, not…"

She was rambling and Noctis knew it could go on for a while if he let her.

"Luna, look at me, okay?"

He cupped her face with one hand, his right arm steadying her despite the pain burning in his nerves.

"I need to know what you want Luna. This is your body and your heir. I'm scared but you must know my mother died giving birth, don't you? We have all the technology and the potions in the world and… I see so many ways I could lose you."

"Noct, my heart already stopped once and I made it. I vowed to myself I wouldn't stop until my people were free of the oppression of the empire and while their fleet had taken a beating, I'm not done yet. I can't have someone else ruling on Tenebrae forever and I thought my line would surely end with me, but I always promised myself I wouldn't rest until…"

"Forget all that," Noctis asked her, holding her head with both hands now. "Say you're not going to be a queen, your life is yours and yours alone. You're simply Luna. What does Luna want?"

Her shivering gasp told him how hard it was to push her duties away even for a minute. She held on to his wrists, her breathing unsteady as a war waged inside of her. She could summon gods, take ships out of the sky and heal the scourge, but could she have a child on top of all of this?

"It's selfish…" she managed through clenched teeth.

"Be selfish, you've sacrificed enough. Tell me what you really want."

"I'd… I'd like to keep it," she confessed, unable to hold on to his eyes. "I don't know if I can be a good mother, I don't know if I can even keep it safe until our baby's born, but…"

"Luna…"

"It's not fair to you, Noctis."

How was he supposed to answer back with this knowledge and pretend he could brush off any external questions?

"How is it fair to you?" he shot back. "You said you couldn't have this baby now. Being a mother and saving the world is starting to feel like a lot."

"Well, I'm pregnant now. Would you rather wait? Maybe t… try again when the timing's better?"

"No. No, that would be wrong."

He wanted to hide in her arms, but her hands were on his face and her watery eyes found his.

"Noct, please, forget wrong or right. What do you want to do?"

Surprisingly, he had a dozen words ready and they tumbled out like a whirlwind as he held her tighter.

"I want to stop time and find an island where you'll be safe and away from harm until the Scourge runs out by itself."

"My dear, sweet prince. Can you give me a straight answer?"

"We can have the baby on an island, can we?" Noctis asked back, a sheepish look on his face.

She smiled through her tears.

"Is Lucis an island?"

"Shouldn't the next Oracle be born in Tenebrae?"

"That's too many questions, I'm still trying to get my hormones under control and… We're keeping the baby, right?"

"We are," he whispered, slowly realizing that making that decision together was taking away most of his fears. "We're having a baby," he repeated, hoping her smile would never leave and drying her tears before widening his eyes as he pretended a sudden realization was hitting him. "I need a raise."

"You…!"

He bent his neck to kiss her outrage silent, Luna hitting him in the chest playfully once or twice before giving in to savor his embrace, relishing the sense of freedom she suddenly felt.

"We'll get married after my rehab, I imagine?" he asked her between two kisses.

Luna froze, her lips remaining still under his and Noctis wondered if he'd sounded too casual.

"What?!"

"There's a royal heir growing inside of you and we can't let him be born out of wedlock, can we?"

"Are you proposing to me?" Luna couldn't help the disbelief in her voice.

"Well, unless it'd be bad for your image as the Oracle. I think people already suspect you have a thing for your bodyguard. I'd like for it to be exclusive."

"Oh my gods. You're not suggesting it out of obligation, right? I can't…"

"Nah, I'm just after the honeymoon and your money."

This time, her punch wasn't as light as the others, but he laid her down on the couch, his arms holding her as though she was the most precious thing in his life.

"I love you so much, Lunafreya. You're the moon to my night. The sun to my days. A magic all your own fixed the man you picked up by the road and now… I don't want to ever let go."

She gasped from the use of her full name, caught unprepared for such a confession. Her heart could have melted in her chest and she blinked furiously as she tried to accept the fact he was talking to her. Was she worth this kind of love? Was she worth this man?

"Noctis. I… I don't know what to say."

He smiled cockily at that, stroking the side of her face.

"You don't have to say anything. Not with words."

He kissed a lock of her hair, his nose following it as it fell down to her neck and his tongue on her skin made her gasp once more.

"Wait, Noct, I don't want Cindy or Prompto walking in on us."

"I missed you," he offered, adamant on stealing her breathe and voice for more kisses.

"And I want to marry you, but I can't accept your proposal like this."

He raised himself on his good arm at that, his smile shifting to pure joy.

"For real? I get to marry my boss?"

She giggled, ruffling his hair.

"I'm not your boss. I'm your partner. And you get to make me into an honest woman."

She smiled into his following kiss, whining against his mouth as they both felt a new hunger for each other. Except Noctis soon had to lean more weight onto her and couldn't help a moan of pain as his nerves begged for mercy.

"Damn arm…"

"You need some healing," Luna instantly offered.

"No, the doctors said no magic for you unless it was a question of life and death," he reminded her, bringing her on top of him to ease the pressure on his right arm.

Luna bit her lips, afraid she'd feel too heavy even though Noctis always told her it was preposterous.

"It's really hard to believe you're pregnant."

"Yeah, I haven't puked once. My appetite is gone most mornings, but I don't feel nauseous."

"Well, that's good. I'd rather you don't hate me for making you pregnant."

Luna tickled his ribs as a comeback to his teasing, kissing him gently once more before to lie with her head on his chest, wishing to listen to his heartbeat for a minute or two. The sound always reassured her and Noctis sighed in contentment as they snuggled closer.

"I'm not sure I'm up for more than cuddling if I'm honest."

"Even if I did all the work?" he teased her, cupping her ass appreciatively.

"This isn't how a prince should behave," she warned him, poking him on the nose for good measure before to turn more serious, "I don't want to rush as though either of us could die the next morning. Eos should be a lot safer now."

"I wonder how I can manage something even remotely as cool as what you did. You'll make such a badass mom."

"Any kid would be lucky to have you as a father. I know you'll do well. I mean, you can handle Prompto, surely you can handle an actual baby!"

…

Aranea had given coordinates to Ignis so they could meet. The trip to Altissia had taken a few days on a ferry and kept the former advisor in a dire state of seasickness. He could drive a car at speeds that defied the law when needed, he could read pretty much anywhere, and scale walls; but he was no seafarer. He crossed the city, surprised to meet women wearing large scarves or veils to cover their faces. He'd read rumors of it on his phone but hadn't expected it to be true.

It wasn't a fashion statement at this point but nearly an obsession. Hopefully, it would have helped Aranea in getting around, since he saw more than one picture of her on wanted posters. She might very well be the only surviving officer of her fleet. Ignis was extra cautious about not being followed, making his way to the outskirts of the city, down to a scrapyard which was hiding past two miles of swamp.

A few beasts lurked there, forcing the man to take out his polearm and he was sweaty when he finally made it out of the swamp, his suit covered with a wide range of stains he'd rather not identify right now. He took off his vest after a few steps into the junkyard, studying the piles of scraps for a sign. He hadn't spoken to a human being in the past 72 hours and was worried his imperial girl could have been found out in the time his travel took.

He'd never seen her ship, it took so long for Aranea to claim one for herself despite her office work, and there was no sign waiting for him. He made his way through the junkyard, careful of where he put his feet and wondering how bad his shoes would look by the time he'd be back in town. His hairstyle couldn't keep up with the sea wind, the humidity in the air and all the fights and he tried to salvage it somehow while keeping one hand free in case something popped out of nowhere.

"Are you trying to fix your hair?" a woman asked from across a pile of garbage, teasing in her voice.

"Aranea!"

Ignis dropped his hand, realizing his vanity and pride were getting the better of him to cover his anxiety at the idea of seeing her again. But what did it matter how either of them smelled or looked when they could be together? He'd seen her bloodied and broken a few times before escaping Niflheim. Right now, she was standing on her own two feet, wearing dark camo pants and a tank top revealing a bit more cleavage than was necessary. Her silver hair was drawn back in a lose ponytail, her hands bare and her arms covered with small cuts.

"You look taller," she commented, replacing a fallen lock behind one ear.

His throat was too tight to speak and he swallowed, trying to find a word of greeting that could convey all the longing he'd felt for the past several years. Instead he managed a fragile smile, his eyes eating her up, shining with reverence and a burst of love.

"No compliment for me?"

Her heels were flat and made almost no sound against the ground as she took a few steps forward. Her skewed gait was as he remembered it and Ignis wanted to crawl out of his skin if it meant standing closer to her but found himself frozen solid. He still had no idea where'd she come from, he had meant to see her for so long but now he wasn't sure where to start. At least, he found his voice this time.

"I don't see how commenting on my height is a compliment," he teased her back, hoping the awkwardness would dissipate soon. "How are you holding up?"

She winced, nearly missing a step and catching herself just as he was parting his arms open for her, shaking her head weakly.

"C…can we head to my ship first? Because if I break down now, I don't know…"

"Aranea, I… Bloody hell, I was overwrought with concerns for you for almost 7 years, and I can't embrace you now when I finally have you in front of me?!"

"You know I need walls around me," she defended herself, her shoulders heaving.

I want you around me.

Ignis coughed at the inappropriate thought and erased the space between them, trying to take in every little change, comparing the details he remembered to the one he might have forgotten. She had to bend her neck to look up at him and the feeling was strange. Seeing her looking so much smaller than him made every of his protective instincts spike up. He was afraid things had changed, afraid he wasn't welcome, because he knew that other men might have come into her life. How could he expect her to be faithful to a relationship that only brought her danger?

"I was afraid you'd stood me up," he confessed, his hands tentatively reaching for her waist.

Her hands found his first, Aranea taking a step back, wishing her tension away to no avail.

"I would have regretted it too much. But you don't get to hold me wearing that stained shirt."

Maybe that way my heart can regain a normal beat when you actually hold me.

"Fair enough."

Her palm was damp against his, but when she worried her upper lip, wondering if she should apologize about it, Ignis had already intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Lead the way?" he offered as they stood there, both still in awe at the simple idea they were in the same place, with no screens or codes between them.

"I thought you were running," she tried to tease him.

"Never from you. I should have run a long time ago. Hopefully, I'll prove worth the wait?"

She laughed, poking him in the side.

"Where do you keep that confidence? Last time I checked, you had learned every one of your bedroom performances with me."

"I was referring to my cooking skills, but you have a point. I need an extended revision regarding bedroom activities."

Aranea was glad to see the blush on his ears, because she didn't feel quite that confident even if she tried to show him otherwise. She squeezed his hand and smiled when he squeezed back. Holding hands with Ignis was so familiar, that very gesture was enough to calm most of her fears.

"You can drop the proper boy act."

"Proper man," he corrected her, bumping into her hips on purpose only to wrap an arm around her and settle her balance in his hold. "You shouldn't ask me that. I'll turn into some depraved horny teenager."

"I thought I'd said not to…"

But Ignis's patience was running thin and he leaned a kiss on her ear, Aranea finding herself wanting more.

"I missed you on the past 2553 nights," he whispered against her skin. "So I might be a little desperate."

"That's… that's one third charming, two thirds creepy, you know?"

"I apologi…"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Iggy, shut up and kiss me already."

He had never been so quick to oblige.

To be continued…

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I wonder what the next smut scene will be in this fic. XD I hope you liked this extensively long chapter. Dialog heavy, but fluff heavy too! :D I needed the fluff. My stress is going up and down so much lately.

Next chapter will contain Ignea and angst, because they're the very same. We'll also have silver/gold and hopefully more Noct/Luna, unless Ignis takes over the fic for a bit. Reviews make me happy!