A new chapter! I've been having some difficulties writing lately, my moral is going through ups and downs, so the updates on every of my stories will remain sporadic for a bit. Today's chapters is a lot of hurt/comfort and bromance, with a bit of Noct/Luna and some fluffy/smutty Ignea. I'll try to keep the focus on Noctis and Luna for the next few chapters, but I love my Iggy, so bear with me. 😉
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Stranded
Chapter 16 – It's your loss
Prompto's face was a big smile to congratulate the royals about their good news, but Noctis and Luna were already worried from the brief phone call Luna had exchanged with Cindy. Something was wrong, and they were going to get to the bottom of it.
"You girls stay here while we'll hit a few bars," Noctis decided, halting Luna's protests with a fierce kiss that left her breathless and deeply flushed.
"You promise you'll come back to tell me goodbye before heading to the center?"
"I will. Prompto here will get drunk in my stead so I can bring us both back in one piece."
Cindy was quiet, almost invisible and Luna knew her friend needed more than girl talk. She almost wanted to call out her light to ease both of the blonds' hearts because they looked quite miserable despite how much they were trying to smile and be happy for them.
"I'm calling dibs on the godfather title," Prompto declared. "I know I'll be supposed to cover your little monster in gifts, but you mostly need someone that will keep his cool around a needy child and I can handle kids."
"Where did you get that experience?" Luna mused.
"I have a few hundred clones. That's a lot of siblings."
They did laugh with him since he was earnest in his teasing and didn't look quite down about it and the guys parted from the girls promising to be good, Luna insisting to hug Prompto before they left. She didn't lose a minute turning to Cindy to ask her what had happened, and the mechanic let herself sank into the couch, shoulders hunching, running both hands through her hair.
"I messed up with Prompto. He… He basically decided to get in sync with Noct and confessed, and I panicked."
Luna looked at her with rounder eyes but said nothing, silently encouraging her to continue.
"We've been fooling around a bit, testing the waters. He's cute and he makes me feel good and you know I usually prefer to keep guys at bay."
Luna simply nodded, shifting closer to her friend to hold her hand as she went on. She knew Cindy had been through a pretty shitty childhood and there were traumas her friend had never been willing to share before. She also knew that Cindy had never been in any serious relationship before, since engagement and intimacy made her uncomfortable. Seeing her growing closer to Prompto had been impressive and somehow scary, because it seemed far too easy for her guarded friend.
"So when he said he loved me and I realized it sounded real…" Cindy tried explaining herself. "It was too serious, it brought me back to…" her voice broke and Luna shook her head, her way to tell Cindy there was no need to speak of things she wasn't ready to put into words. "Something snapped in my brain, I couldn't stay there... I rejected him. I was cruel, Luna, so damn cruel. He's such a kicked puppy already."
"Cindy, I don't want to be mean saying this, but as hurt as he's been, Prompto is a man. You need to see him for what he is."
"I do. What scared me was that I wanted to say I like him too."
Her tears took over then, Luna whispering her name, unsure if she knew the words to comfort her friend. She gave her the time she needed to get through the first few sobs, holding her closer when Cindy cursed against herself.
"I broke his heart and I'm the one crying?!"
"You said you like him, Cindy, of course knowing he's hurting makes you cry."
"But what if I'm wrong about this? My heart is a stupid thing."
"By the Astrals, don't say stuff like that," Luna opposed. "What if you're right?! You need to trust yourself more girl. When you have a feeling about something, you're always right. Remember what you said when you saw how I was looking at Noctis?"
"Ha, I certainly do. Damn! But I've been wrong…"
"Trust your gut on this, Cindy. You never let any man close to you. You were down to snuggle with that one every night."
"Beneath all the hard-ass comments he makes, he's freaking sweet," the mechanic admitted. "But my gut is often wrong…"
"Was it wrong when you flew us through a storm back when we were teenage girls? Or that time when you dragged my ass out of the bar just before it was raided by imperials?"
"Dumb luck in the second case. You know I hate to puke in public toilets."
They did laugh at that comment, Luna coughing a bit by the end of it while Cindy sniffled.
"I was really awful to him, Luna. Saying I'd been "nice" because I pitied him."
"That's… that's pretty savage even for you," Luna admitted.
"So how do I even…?"
"Well, he works for me, so he has to stick around," Luna observed. "Give him some room at first, but if you really like him, he should know. I'm sure he would understand someone panicking about a confession."
Cindy wanted to argue that her panic was on another level, but couldn't find her voice except to whisper how sweet and adorable he'd been to her, apologies streaming with her tears.
"I'm ruining your day, Luna…"
"No, no, it's okay, Cin, don't ever worry about something as silly as that."
"But…"
Luna hugged her closer, shaking her head at her, brushing her hair away from her face.
"You calmed me every time I was down and helped me see clear when I was worrying about this baby. And friends are supposed to be there when we have rough times. I'm always going to be there for you, even when the baby is out and running around."
"Thank you, Luna. I don't feel worth this, but thank you…"
It took a lot more comforting for Cindy to start calming down, but Luna didn't give up until her friend started feeling somewhat better. Noctis's own job was of a different sort…
…
Prompto grew paler with the first step outside and when he tried to joke about Noctis's proficiency at making his girl pregnant, it was so faked that Noctis couldn't even manage a laugh.
"What the hell did she do to you?"
"Get me drunk first man."
They stopped in the first bar they spotted, Prompto insisting on testing the special shots of the house before going for a few beers. He seemed to warm up with every new gulp of alcohol, dragging Noctis to play pool and pretending the guy needed his help to hold the stick until Noctis got tired of that little game. Noctis was surprised at first at how people let them be, the guys they were playing with not even making fun of him for his shaking arm. He noticed the whispering, but it was hard to tell if it was about the clone or about the prince of murderers. With the hours passing, people whispered less, minding their own business, be it made of happiness or misery.
"Why don't we just sit down and drink, Prom? I need a break," Noctis asked after the fourth game.
His right arm was aching up to his shoulder and he was starting to regret not taking his painkillers with him. It was still hard to depend on pills for him and they barely alleviated the pain on the worst days. Prompto followed him to a booth, insisting on paying their next round.
"The daddy-to-be should be celebrated after all! Who knows when you'll be able to drink again."
"Very funny."
Prompto crossed his arms over his chest, looking more serious as he asked him, "How likely are we to get drunk in Lucis?"
Noctis had to concede him the point on that one and he stared at his beer, deep in thought.
"With Luna… in her current state," Noctis went on, doing his best to be discreet in case anyone was listening in on them. "I'm not sure I want to be in Lucis," he admitted. "Or at war."
"You and me both, dude. But things are what they are."
"And how are things? I mean… you can ask me to sod off if you'd rather, but did something happen with Cindy?"
Prompto hung his head, shoulders drawing inward just enough for Noctis to notice.
"I did something really stupid. It didn't seem stupid, whenever I'm sweet with her, she melts a little and I can't get enough of her smiles. But apparently, that was all because I'm a cute lost cause."
Noctis gripped the table with his bad hand, holding his glass with the good one.
"What?! What the hell did she say?"
"That she only ever looked at me out of pity," Prompto snapped, looking away from his friend, his fingers nervously drumming against the table. "I can't even be happy with that. No, I had to tell her I loved her and make a damn fool of myself."
"That's crazy Prom. How is loving her making a fool of yourself? She's… Well, she's not nice, but I thought she was…"
"Don't say that. It hurts, but she's a great girl. I dreamt too big."
"You're owed respect, stop acting like you were dirt on her shoes."
"What's so wrong with that? At one point, being the dirt she stepped on would have been my only goal in life, Noct," Prompto sounded so serious, it was painful for the prince not to interrupt him. "I'm sub-human, and pitiable, and ridiculous. She tells me not to worry about how broken I am, but all I could do was complain and be insecure. Who wants that?"
Noctis hit their table hard enough to make Prompto jump, his glass spinning until he caught it between his hands and people looked up in surprise.
"Everyone is broken over something," the Lucian man stated. "The people saying otherwise are either fooling themselves or too sheltered to know what life's like. And that bitch should know better than…"
"Whoa!"
Noctis held his glare, trying to make his point, "she dresses like a slut half the time, she toyed around with you for weeks, leading you on, and…"
"She sure did, but that doesn't make her a slut. I've seen enough actual sluts to know. Noct, she cried after yelling at me and it hurt so bad. I know I'm worthless and I know pity was involved at one point if not all along. Don't try telling me you aren't friends with me out of pity a little bit yourself."
"I don't pity you. That'd be way too hypocritical of me. I'm a walking and stumbling lost cause half the time, Prom."
The gunman snickered at that, rocking the remaining beer in his glass, his shoulders sagging a little more.
"I'd never used that word before. Love. And she instantly blew me away, saying I couldn't…"
He grabbed a fistful of his shirt, staring down at the barcode peeking out of his sleeve with dark eyes.
"What if she's right?"
Noctis wanted to slap some sense into him, but he also had half a mind to head back to the hotel suite and give Cindy a piece of his mind. Prompto was so fragile beneath the harsh words and dirty jokes.
"You definitely have feelings and you have a right to do so, man. You have a right to love and be loved. Heck, if she can't be happy with you, she's nothing but a dumb pretty face."
"Heartless maybe, but not dumb. She's mean at cards."
"And at everything. I mean, things were looking good, weren't they?"
That was a bad angle and Noctis bit his tongue as soon as the words were out. Prompto had rarely talked about things between Cindy and him. You'd think he would share all the juicy details with his only male friend, but no, he was of the kiss and don't tell kind despite all the trash talk.
Prompto started nodding and then shaking his head no, his eyes blinking too quickly before he was drying off tears.
"We'd snuggled and make out and it was nice. A comfort thing she called it, but I must have gotten too comfortable."
"Stop it, for Etro's sake, Prom, I saw the way she'd look at you when you walked into a room."
"How many times did a girl start punching you and yelling when you opened your heart to her, huh?! I don't care what signals she gave before today, I blew it and that's all I…"
"You tried," Noctis corrected him. "Her reacting badly doesn't mean you earned the words she used."
"I don't want to go back and face her. How pathetic is that?"
This time, Noctis couldn't contain himself and gave him a slap on the shoulder, using his right hand out of habit, which meant the attack turned into a friendly pat more than an actual attack.
"There's nothing pathetic about how you feel. If I could have you stay over at the center, I'd make arrangements for it. You definitely could use some time away from Cindy…"
Prompto couldn't help remembering the way she'd snapped at being called "Cin" and wondered if it was because the nickname came from him or whether it was something else entirely.
"I can't help myself, I still feel worried about her."
"You can't back-order feelings," Noctis tried comforting him. He shuffled around the booth to sit by his friend's side instead of in front of him, Prompto protesting at first to the half hug the prince offered him, caving in not long after.
"I thought I was done feeling so worthless. But it doesn't go away, does it?"
Noctis sighed, knowing what he meant. He wanted to call Cindy names, but it wasn't what his friend needed and he felt lost about how to handle this. In the past, Gladiolus had never opened up about any of his relationships, mostly because those barely lasted longer than a weekend and Ignis had opened up after some time, but kept his pain to himself. Which brought the prince to a realization, he had never really confided or be confided in before, outside of what he shared with Luna.
"Okay, you know what? We said we'd go over every bar we could find. So we're going to do that. And to hell with it."
Prompto didn't look so sure, but he followed Noctis out and the pair of friends followed their phones to the closest bar, taking a few shots and one beer before heading back down. They would punctuate each new gulp with a curse against something, from the Astrals to indecisive girls and bad brothers, which sometimes caught people's attention and even a few free rounds for the duo. By the fourth bar, Prompto was openly laughing, his face held sideways, and he would tear up at the smallest incentive, be it the colors he saw on some girl's dress or just the fact Noctis's hand was shaking every now and then.
"Dude, it's fine…"
"I know, I'm just full-cstra emotional."
"Full-cstra?" the prince repeated.
"…Xtra. Cstra… Damn. I've never drank that much before."
"We'd better stop. I'm not sure I'll be let in the center by now."
"To hell with that, right?" the gunman said, raising his glass and lowering it almost as soon, dizziness taking over him. He crossed his arms over the table leaning his head on his forearm with a grunt.
"I think we've found your limit. And I'm going to regret this tomorrow."
Noctis patted his shoulder, his eyes a bit unfocused and he wasn't sure he understood what Prompto was talking about with how much he slurred.
"How'd ya do it?"
"What?"
"How'd you do it?" The blond repeated slower this time. "Luna falling for you despite… You're a prince, but you've got one hell of a reputation. I can't even have a mechanic liking my sorry ass…"
"Damn, Prom, it's not…"
"Was there something special you did or said?"
Noctis decided to give it some thoughts, especially because of the look Prompto was giving him, his head still lying on the table, tears shining in his eyes but refusing to fall.
"I still don't believe it most days, you know. At first I tried to be the best I could at everything, but Luna didn't care for that. I was useful to her and I didn't mind being a tool. I needed a roof and a more stable situation than just running."
"When did the banging start?"
Noctis barely had the sense to wince, trying hard to kick his memory and his brain into working together.
"I started sleeping in her room, at the foot of her bed to be precise, after one vicious attack by Glauca. We were already close and it was… convenient at first. I fell for her hard. Almost from day one. And while being unsure, I wanted to prove myself worthy of her attention. So I worked until it felt like I was doing enough."
"You didn't have to force anything, huh? It just happened."
"Oh, some of the things she does drive me nuts, don't get me wrong. I'm not a morning person and she'd rouse me at any moment in the night. But whenever she smiled…"
"You're not helping me, you… Lucian spawner."
"Spawner?!"
"I'm all out of worthy insults. Or anything worthy. Cindy will never…"
A brutal poke in the ribs cut him off his dark tangent and Prompto yelped, sitting up straight once more to shift a bit further from Noctis.
"The Quicksilver fellow that showed up at Luna's camp a few months ago wouldn't give up this easily."
"I asked you for advice and you decided to tell me your sappy story instead," the gunman complained.
"What if I got Luna on our side?"
"Pfff…"
"We'll matchmake you two before you know it," Noctis insisted.
Prompto wasn't so sure that was a good idea, but in his drunken haze, he agreed to it nevertheless. Luna wasn't impressed with the state they were in when both gentlemen showed up, forbidding Noctis from kissing her even after he offered to brush his teeth, but insisting on keeping having him stay over for the night. Cindy was already in bed and Prompto simply crashed on the couch in the living room upon his arrival, stating he wouldn't move an inch further before falling asleep.
"We need to do something for Prompto."
"Agreed. But Cindy is quite fragile right now, don't make that face, I know that girl better than yo do, Noct."
"You'll look after him for me?"
His fiancée nodded, replacing a few strands of hair as he leaned against the kitchen's counter, her hand running up and down his right arm, sensing the trembling settled in his nerves. She still wanted to apologize for that wound, but knew Noctis would turn melancholic if she insisted on it.
"I intend to help them both. And I will not order them to make up, I'll be more subtle than that."
"I have complete faith in you, Luna."
"No pressure, huh?"
He kissed her forehead, pulling her into a hug and sighed as she melted between his arms.
"I really, really don't want to head back to the center…"
"But the sooner you're cleared, the sooner we can leave."
His hands covered her still flat stomach, his voice cracking up a bit.
"Don't grow up too fast in there. I want to enjoy the sight of every little change."
He couldn't see Luna's blush, but he could almost hear it in the way she said his name.
…
Ignis was starting to forget what wearing a shirt felt like. He wanted Aranea in his arms all the time, barely parting from her to freshen up or fetch some food. On the first two days, they settled for canned food eaten cold, but after that, he insisted on cooking for her.
"I can help," Aranea offered.
"This excuse for a kitchen is too small for us both. And I can't focus if you help me while naked."
"I like seeing you unfocused," she observed. "Makes you look a little more human."
"Oh please," he rolled his eyes, turning around to look at the pots on the burners.
"You're so perfect all the time. Perfect shoulders," she whispered, following the muscles beneath the skin with her fingertips, "perfect hair" she stroked his hair, massaging his scalp as best as she could while standing on her toes. Ignis leaned his head backward so she could access more of his scalp, but she was already breathing against his shoulder blade. "Perfect ass." He gasped as she squeezed him through his boxer, her breasts brushing against his back.
"Aranea, I…"
"I love your voice. It's so deep…" she let her fingers tiptoe their way to the front of his waist, her nails grazing his sides.
He let out a shuddering breath, blinking a few times too many.
"You said you were hungry," he held back a moan.
How could he still be so sensitive?
"Did I say for what?
Her hands went south, bold and determinate, barely letting him speak.
"Your stomach grumbling was… Oh lords."
"How long will you resist me?"
Ignis turned off the burners, grabbing her wrists to turn around and pull her to him. Her smile was playful and tasted like honey.
"You know you can't live off love and candies."
"Which is why we have army rations. I don't mean to insult your cooking, but I can't help myself when I see you walking around in nothing but your boxers."
"You hid my clothes!" he protested.
Aranea smirked at that, "are you really complaining about your situation?"
He lifted her with a grunt, her legs wrapping around his waist instinctively, their lips locking together in a heated dance that was comfortably familiar by now.
"I wish… we didn't have to feel trapped here."
"I'm fine being your prisoner."
"A shame I forgot to bring shackles."
She tapped his shoulder with one finger, refusing his following kiss.
"Careful, I was being clumsy and sweet, not…"
"You're rubbing off on me. Are we talking or…?"
She felt him so close through the barrier of his boxers and the friction was bliss and torture so she cut him off.
"…or fucking?"
Ignis tensed as though the word was a physical slap in the face.
"Please, we don't…"
"Less talking, more kissing, Ig."
He obliged her, kissing her until they were both flushed and panting for air.
"Dammit. I've been turning into an animal since I got here, haven't I?"
"You've been having one nasty case of blue balls, haven't you?" The former dragoon teased him. "Let it out. We can stay here for a full week before we have to worry about food."
"Okay. I mean…" he bit his lips, clearly at odds with himself, while his hips were pretty clear about his intentions. "Aranea, can you… touch me more?" he asked, voice hoarse with need.
She remained shocked for a few seconds, since Ignis had never worked the nerves to give her directions before, except the rare instances she insisted on having his feedback.
"Where?"
His ears burned but he guided her hand between them, sitting her on the table and bending awkwardly to steal her lips for more kisses. She tugged down on the elastic of his boxer, relishing his moan when she gave him a squeeze. He needed to steady himself with one hand, teasing one of her breasts with the other, the tension still too strong between them for their gestures to be fully tender.
"I need to know what you want, Nea. It can't only be… me"
She arched under his touch, moaning into his ears, her nails digging in his lower back while she took her pace up a notch.
"I want to hear more of your voice."
"I want to make you scream."
The day stretched into rushed and lazy love-making, Ignis managing to complete dinner for her with only two more tries. They were exhausted before the sun was even down and snuggled close after a cold shower, Aranea throwing on a long and baggy shirt so they could stay on top of the sheets.
"How long until you miss your work?" she asked him.
"My work's with you now. Although I do want to meet Noctis. I owe him an apology."
Aranea worried her lower lip, toying with the few hairs on his chest as she wondered what that encounter would lead to.
"You want to help him reclaim his throne, don't you?"
"I don't know what his plans are, but it's true I'd like to help," Ignis started. "Except my priority is you. If you tell me you want to go live on a deserted island…"
"And take us both away from technology? No. Way. I know I can't stay in Accordo. I'd get killed. Lucis might be a better place for me."
"We could be hunters I guess…"
Ignis clearly disliked not having a plan ready, but Aranea had insisted that it was exactly what made their current situation exciting.
"If Noctis offers you a job, I say take it. I can't be on a battlefield for long with that leg."
"You'll let me look after you?"
"Well, as long as I can be a provider as well. Surely a defected strategist can bring something to the world other than a nice fit for a prisoner uniform."
"Oh, but in my prison, you don't get any uniform. Not even underwear."
"This sounds like a really unethical place, mister Scientia."
"The bars are my arms, so I hope it's comfier then it sounds."
He kissed the crown of her head and when he laid a kiss on her neck, her hair brushed aside, she couldn't help a chuckle.
"It tickles. Your stubble is starting to show."
"Would you prefer me with a beard?"
"I don't know. No mustache though, that's for sure. You'd have to let it grow until it can be called a beard. Would you prefer me with short hair?"
"I love you no matter what you look like," he insisted.
It was impossible to say which of them both was the happier. They just wanted to remain hidden in this little bubble of peace for as long as possible.
That bubble finally burst when Ignis finally felt too guilty for stalling his meeting with Noctis. There was a lot of information his friend needed to learn, and he couldn't leave him in the dark like that. Entering the center and asking for the exiled prince's name was easy enough, but the time spent waiting for Noctis to show up was torture. Ignis was good at waiting usually, but his patience had been used and abused over the years. Aranea had assured him that his friend was mostly fine after his confrontation with an Astral, but Ignis remembered only one time when Noctis had been hospitalized quite as long.
I rushed to Aranea and he can't blame me, but if she'd been in Niflheim while he was in Accordo, would I have skipped right to the empire?
With the way he'd treated Noctis on their last meeting, he was afraid of the welcome he'd received.
"He was shocked and deeply touched that you even wanted to check on him, he'll be delighted to see you," Aranea had said.
But Aranea loved him and while she wasn't one to lie, she had softened the truth for him every now and then. He'd left her a mere few hours ago and he already missed her so badly.
"You're growing pathetic with age," he chided himself.
…
"Are you certain?" Noctis couldn't help but ask for the third time.
"You have a visitor, Mr. Caelum. We can ask him to leave if you…"
"No, no, I'm just…. How did he learn I was here?"
And when did the chosen king's advisor leave Lucis to come all the way to Altissia? He was following the center's secretary to the visitors' rooms, a place where he usually met with Prompto and on very rare occasions, with Luna.
"We've kept that information confidential, but this friends of yours appears quite logical. There are only two rehab centers in Accordo, so he had a fifty percent chance by trying us."
Ignis was sitting in the waiting room, his back too straight, holding back on his urge to pace all over the room. The exiled prince was in a very similar state of mind. Ignis had been the last familiar face he'd seen, the last voice he'd heard, the ultimate threat convincing him he couldn't stay in Lucis. The worst part of it was the fact his friend had decided to believe his brother over him. Noctis could understand that Gladio wouldn't trust him after having his arm nearly cut off. But ever since his return from Niflheim, Ignis had been on his side.
Aranea's visit was the first hint that Ignis believed his story. Noctis had been shaken to realize how deep down, his brother's advisor still cared. And now he was here?
"Ignis," Noctis greeted him, holding his right arm at his side with his left hand in the hope he could hide the shaking.
He felt silly to even be self-conscious but Ignis was always so perfect, it put pressure on his peers somehow.
"Hi," Ignis replied, wincing at the sound of his own voice. "It's good to see you Noctis. I apologize for showing up like this without a warning…"
He'd gotten up and both men felt awkward, not sure how to look at each other or even what they were supposed to say.
"Don't be ridiculous," Noctis tried. "It's good to see you too. Surprising, I'll admit, but good."
They stepped into a small lobby where they could take a seat across one another and talk without the secretary's supervision. Ignis couldn't help replacing his glasses and jacket every few minutes and he soon heaved a deep sigh.
"I need to make amends, for I was a fool to follow orders and chase you from Lucis," he started. "Even then I knew, but I refused to act on a gut feeling alone."
Noctis wanted to tell him it was fine, but his heart clenched at the memory of that day. Ignis stood from his chair, kneeling before him as he went on, "I'm sorry for what I told you and not believing you. I'm deeply, truly sorry I helped them drive you into a corner…"
There was more he wanted to say, but Ignis was struggling to keep a straight face and Noctis barely remained rooted to his seat.
"Iggy… Don't kneel like that, it's… How do you even know it wasn't me?"
Ignis refused to get back to his feet, looking up at Noctis and fighting against his emotions as he took note of the trembling that ran from his fingertips to his elbow. Noctis instantly knew why he was showing such regret and paled a little more.
"Nerve damage," he tried to sound playful about the fact. "I guess that could make me and Gladio even."
"It was his left, though," Ignis observed. "I'm sorry Noct, I was a lousy friend."
"Can't you stop it, Ig?" Noctis pleaded, standing up and pulling on the taller man's jacket. He lacked the strength to have him back on his feet, much to his chagrin, but he went on, "Just knowing you believe me means a lot. Everyone out there thinks I'm some deranged…"
"You are not!" Ignis stood up, gripping his shoulders. "Ardyn pulled the strings and created illusions with Ravus's full cooperation."
Hearing it from someone else's mouth was almost painful, for it brought Noctis back to every dark look, every stare and glare, and the strings of insults whispered to his very face. His father's repulsion at the sight of him. Noctis felt dizzy and had to hold Ignis back to steady himself.
"How do you know?"
"Ravus grew a conscience and told Iris. You know her, her heart's too big and she couldn't keep it to herself. Her brother nearly died from that abject staging."
Noctis darkened and Ignis bit his tongue as his best friend pressed his face into his shirt.
"That's on me. I was seeing something else, but…"
"No, Noctis, that's on Ravus and Ardyn. You mustn't blame yourself, you told everyone the truth, you stopped as soon as the illusion wore off."
"But I still…"
His voice broke a little and Ignis hugged him fully, something he'd done only three of four times in their lives. The first time had been as kids, when Noctis had been half delirious with a fever induced by the crystal rejecting him. The second time had been when Ignis finally came back from the empire, his cold mask cracking when Noctis ran up to him as best as he could with his bad leg, giving him the one and only notion that he'd actually been missed. The other time might have been when they'd gotten drunk together on Mother's Day, since they both felt like orphans despite having one parent left. Or maybe had it been because of Noctis planning those weeks off with Aranea for his friend.
"I should have supported you better," Ignis apologized once more. "I'm so sorry, Noct."
They both needed some time, simply holding onto each other as the violent wave of emotions ran through them, Noctis's breathing rough while Ignis tried calming down the shaking in his shoulders.
"Why did Rave even…?" Noctis managed
Ignis pulled away, while making sure his friend could stand on his own once more. He hadn't fully regained his own composure, but he gave Noctis a questioning look to ascertain he was fine enough to hear the rest. The exiled prince nodded slowly.
"I believe he was… about to get intimate with Iris and couldn't bear the secret anymore."
"That bastard," he groaned, his right hand turning into a trembling fist. "And poor Iris. What happened then?"
Ignis suggested that he sit back for a moment and Noctis wondered if his heart could find a normal rhythm once more.
"Iris went to your father," the former advisor explained, crossing his arms in front of him to prevent any wild gesturing as his blood grew too warm. "I called her the other day to get her full version of the events, so before I go any further, I need you to promise me you won't rush over to Lucis as soon as this conversation is over."
"Lunafreya is headed to Lucis as soon as my rehab is over, so I won't guarantee anything, Iggy."
Ignis sighed, holding back on asking the many questions he had about the princess. Noctis was going to get the truth from him first.
"Let me backtrack a little. Your brother is on his pilgrimage, to try and collect royal arms. Gladio is with him of course and so is Iris, as a member of the crownsguards."
"Why would the pilgrimage even take place if my father..? Oh shit, Ignis, don't tell me…!"
"Your father knows you are innocent. He knows and if we're to believe Iris, which I do, he's alive. But Ardyn didn't appreciate to have his secret out in the open. He must have been spying on the throne room. He stabbed the king and blackmailed Iris into keeping things a secret, otherwise, he'd kill the king."
Noctis was so pale, Luna would have looked tanned next to him. Both of his hands were shaking on the armrests of his chair and he blinked too quickly.
"My father was… How can you be here when…? I'm sorry, I know he failed your family, I just… How can we be sure my dad's alive?" His voice came out higher than intended, but Ignis crouched in front of him, looking him straight in the eyes.
"If Ardyn wanted Regis dead, he would have done it before. I don't know why, but that monster needs him alive. He assumed his appearance, as you know he can make very convincing illusions. Iris tried to bear the secret as we left he capital, but she was worried for Clarus, since the actual King's Shield has no idea what he's truly defending."
"By the gods. I knew Ardyn was shady, but… Ravus aligned himself with that maniac and now… No one in Insomnia knows?"
Ignis nodded, his shoulders sagging.
"I had to let you know how things were. And I pretty much gave my resignation and stole the Regalia in my rage. So there's a car waiting for you back home," he explained.
Noctis ran one hand through his dark hair, trying to accept what he'd just learned.
"My brother knew my father would get…"
"No. Far from it. It's safe to say Ravus regrets most of his decisions regarding the counsellor."
"Ha! That will get him far," Noctis grumbled. "If I could just break his nose and…!"
"Oh, Gladio beat you to it. And I'd say he's earned himself more than just a broken nose. I'll hold him for you when the times comes." Ignis said.
"I'm not gonna kill him, just rough him up until someone tells me to stop I guess. I'd need a steady fist first… Godsdamn, I can't even keep a sword up for half a minute right now. The only thing I have going for me is my magic."
Ignis's eyes widened at that.
"Your magic's working? Did it start with fire?"
Noctis frowned, "Why would…?"
"Ravus started burning himself again a few months ago. He can't draw thunder from crystal shards."
The biggest shock for the prince was that his first thought echoed with past fears. I'm stealing his magic again. It was so deeply ingrained, he couldn't fight it, he merely tried not to fall too deep in self-loathing. Ravus wasn't worth it.
"And now he's trying to collect the royal arms, huh? I've gathered at least… 6 of them before you caught up to me."
It had been quite cathartic to know his ancestors were with him when the rest of the world wasn't.
"Well done," Ignis commented. "He was a wreck coming out of that tomb."
Noctis wondered why the notion pained him. His brother should hurt after he'd done to him, and yet…
"Ignis, Luna and I were already planning to go over to Insomnia at some point. With Ardyn pretending to be my father, I know it will be harder, but we can surely get in through the sewers."
"Luna, huh?" Ignis asked.
"She likes the nickname and my work is to keep her happy. Do you know your way through the sewers, Ig?"
"I'll get you in if you'll have my help. I'm pretty certain Gladio will want to help too."
The whiplash of being treated as a murderer to suddenly hear his old friends were ready to support him like they used to made his head turn.
"This is a lot to process all at once. And I'm not making decisions on my own anymore. How about you sit down, Ignis, I'm not going to crumble if I toughed it so far."
Ignis obeyed, while still raising one brow.
"Lady Lunafreya? I thought you were her bodyguard, not her happiness charm."
Noctis nodded, holding back on a sigh.
"It's true that I don't simply work for her. I know I can trust in your discretion. I love her. And we're getting married."
Both of Ignis's brows lifted even higher on his forehead at that.
"My, well… Congratulations. I never thought I'd see the day where you'd want to get married."
"I did a lot of things wrong with her, but she owns my heart. I'm not even kidding."
"A bodyguard romance for our Noctis. Gladiolus will seethe. He'd always wished you boys had a sister."
Noctis tried to smile, but his nerves were too raw and shot.
"Very funny. Like he can't have all the girls he wants already. But wait, we'll joke around later. There's more about Luna. She's…" He swallowed, realizing that he wanted to smile while his face heat up despite the fact there wasn't anything wrong with having a pregnant girlfriend, was there? "I'm still getting my head around it," he defended himself for getting so flustered. "She's pregnant, Iggy. My dad could be dead, I might be a father in a few months if I can keep this princess alive and she's hellbent on making pacts with every Astral Ravus should be meeting… And my right hand looks like this!"
To say he was overwhelmed would be an understatement, and Ignis felt just as overwhelmed, staring at Noctis with his eyes rounder than saucers.
"Wow. You're cut lose upon the world for a few months and you certainly don't lose an occasion, do you?"
"Ignis!"
"I mean, the longest relationship you ever had was… 3 months long?"
"Oh please, don't remind me of her."
"And now you're all grown up, independent, decided to get married to the Oracle, no less, starting a family, and fighting against the whole world. You can't take everything on at once, you know that?"
"Well, if we have you on our team, we might pull it off. Unless you're too busy with your lady."
Ignis coughed.
"Don't give me that look."
"You're blushing, Iggy. You did meet up with her. How long have you been in Altissia?"
The strategist had to count because he had lost track of time for once.
"About… five days?"
Noctis's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open as he raised himself in his seat in mocked outrage.
"And you only visit me now? Have you been naked with her the whole time?"
Ignis cleared his throat, massaging his forehead as he summoned all his patience.
"I haven't seen her in years, Noct."
"So you've been having mind-blowing catching up sex, haven't you?"
"As a matter of fact, I did. Now wipe that smirk off your face before I ask to know how planned this pregnancy was."
Noctis's smile did fade at first, but he couldn't help himself.
"Seeing you uncomfortable never gets old, Ignis."
They talked for hours, having a lot of catching up to do, Ignis promising to visit again and come over to the suite so Noctis could introduce him to Luna. Both men kept teasing each other, finding in their laughs the reprieve they needed from the worries plaguing their hearts.
To be continued…
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In next chapter, Noctis might very well look for comfort in Luna's arms, because the poor guy needs it, Prompto will meet Ignis and I might do a little time skip so we can look at Lucis with Noctis's gang and not only Ravus and co. Reviews are always welcome, but you can keep the flames to yourself. Constructive criticisms is the best way to see my stories progress 😉