in flagrante delicto
Ignis and Gladio argue a lot, Noct notes from his spot on the porch.
He watches them as they stand out of hearing range, only mildly relieved that it was a simple disagreement rather than a full-blown argument. Whatever Gladio says seems to make Ignis relent, and Noctis realizes he was asking for permission to leave.
Noctis hates the way his eyes betray his disappointment, because Gladio sees it as he leaves the shade of the trees to stand before Noct.
"Damn, Noct." Gladio rubs at the back of his neck, "Am I really that easy to read?"
Sighing, Noctis shakes his head, "It's okay, I understand. How long will you be gone for?"
Gladio seems to deflate at his words, "Sorry."
Eyes widening at Gladio's apology, Noct replies, "What for?"
"I shouldn't be gone too long. Just don't do anything crazy while I am away." Gladio says instead. His actions and words were less straight-forward than usual, his drive almost smothered into acceptance. Gladio wasn't angry with Noct, but knowing that brought no relief.
A change from the last timeline to this one was the new normalcy with Gladio, that simmering anger which had been his boon and his bane now replaced with something less fiery. It didn't change the fact that Gladio was still Gladio.
Eventually a line would be crossed, and they would be back where they were at the last timeline - the rift between them had never really healed, even ten years onward.
Of all the fights they had, the one on the train leaving Altissia had been the worst. Maybe Noctis hadn't hid those scars as well as he thought he had.
Or maybe Gladio had always been like that, and Noctis just never paid attention.
He had just been too focused on the fact that the anger had once been directed at him.
So he forces a chuckle, "Speak for yourself. We'll be fine, so take care of yourself too."
A relieved sigh escapes Gladio, and he claps his hands together.
"Who do you think you're talking too, of course!" Gladio smiles, taking a step before pausing. His smile dwindles away.
"Noct..."
Gladio doesn't need to say it, Noct can read it on his face.
If I leave, will you still be here when I come back?
"Next time you see me, I'll be strong. I'll be someone you won't hesitate to rely on."
"I know you will. Come back soon." Noctis swallows, Gladio's sincerity suddenly too much.
Gladio waves him farewell, "Thanks."
...
The nighttime breeze brings with it the scent of salt as it flows through the bedroom window.
Noctis lays in one of the beds, the cat from Galdin having followed him to Caem and now inside was curled up on him. He can hear Ignis showering, and from downstairs he can hear Prompto directing a photo-shoot with Talcott and Iris.
Fingers running through creamy fur, the cat purrs in contentment, the soothing rumble vibrating against Noct's own chest. Looking down at the cat, Noctis smiles, genuinely enjoying its company.
Ignis emerges from the bathroom, pausing in the doorway and letting a hand rest against its threshold. Noctis moves his hand from the cat's back to rub at its cheeks.
"What's with that look?" Noctis gently questions. Ignis startles at it, his gaze becoming less severe and his grip on the doorway falling away.
He blinks, pausing too long to be natural before huffing a laugh, "Looks like you two are destined to be fur-ends fur-ever."
The smile drops from Noct's face. This cat was likely a victim of his failure and had died with the many thousands of others before this timeline. It nudges its face against Noct's still hand, closed-eyed and still purring. It draws him out of his thoughts, and he continues stroking its fur.
Sensing that his expression change had been caught by Ignis, he replies with, "You can't just use 'fur' as a back-to-back pun like that."
Ignis strolls to the neighboring bed, sitting down on it and watching Noct pet the cat fondly.
"Hmm. You only say that because you can think of nothing better." Ignis smiles. Mouth pulling back in distaste, Noctis groans at the insult.
They sit in quiet for a while, listening to the racket Prompto and Talcott were causing from downstairs.
"You looked like you were expecting Gladio to leave." Ignis phrases it like it were an innocent statement. To Noct, it sounded more like an accusation.
He raises an eyebrow and angles his head to look at Ignis, confused at what point he was trying to make. The cat, upset that it was no longer Noct's sole focus, pats its paw against his face.
"I mean, I was hoping he wouldn't. Were you not expecting him to leave?" Noctis turns the question back around.
Ignis shifts uncomfortably, "Don't think that any of us want to leave, Noct. We aren't leaving you - Gladio will come back."
Noctis swallows, blue eyes blowing wide, "I- I know."
Gladio had left and returned the last time, and common sense told Noct he would return this time too. He had faith in Gladio, as well as in Ignis and in Prompto.
He was just used to being the one that left.
Not to mention, there was a certain sting at knowing he could have prevented it.
The cat gives up on anymore pets, instead standing with a stretch and jumping down from the bed. Noctis immediately misses its warmth.
"I understand, Ignis." Noctis lets his head drop back into the pillow, "Thanks."
Ignis smiles and nods, dropping the conversation. Prompto bursts in, grabbing the cat off the floor and ignoring how it groans at his rougher handling. Talcott rushes in beside him.
"Can we come play darts before bed?" Prompto asks. Noct couldn't care less, and leaves the decision up to Ignis.
"As long as you're not up too late. Don't forget we are planning on a drive to the Vesperpool tomorrow."
Talcott cheers and Prompto laughs, "Alright! Noct," he holds the cat out, "Here comes your little boi~"
Prompto sets the cat in Noct's extended arms. It turns to leave, but a few well-placed scritches has it settling back down.
A few more strokes and the cat falls asleep, the rumble off its purr lulling in Noct as well - his dreamless sleep a warm welcome.
...
There is no car parked on the trail towards Steyliff. There is no one standing among the ruins to guide them to Steyliff, and when they get to the entrance, there is no one there either.
Despite the humid cling of the swamp, his body feels cold. Noctis clenches his fists and swallows - having worked himself up so much in preparation of seeing Ardyn again, that he had wholly unprepared himself for the chance that the man himself didn't show.
It was terrifying.
A change like this - one he hadn't planned for, one that he could neither tell if it were for or against his favor - was decidedly unwelcome. He didn't know what to make of it.
Steyliff stands before him - entrance dark and empty.
Noctis turns his gaze upwards, checking the top of the ruins - and even the sky - for any sign of a trap.
He sees nothing.
"What's the matter, Noct?" Ignis pauses to ask.
Noctis swallows once again, slowly pulling his gaze back down to his friends, "Just... admiring the architecture."
Prompto pulls a face, taking a step up the stairs leading to the entrance, "Heh, just as long as there's no ghosts living here."
"Ghosts?" Noct asks, shaking the nervousness of the change from his body and joining Prompto on the stairs. They cross the threshold and turn on their lights. Shining his light down the stairs that greet them, Noctis can't see the bottom.
"No ghosts here. But I venture to guess that there are daemons." Ignis says as he takes the first step down. They fall quiet as they focus on the damp steps, but once they set an easy pace Prompto speaks up again.
"How can you know for sure?" He asks, the jitteriness from the dark taking its hold over him. Hopping the last step, Noctis turns to the hall he knew wouldn't lead to a dead end.
"It's dark, and it's creepy." Noctis says as they dart through the first rooms, "Of course there's going to be daemons here."
Sure enough, as they enter the next room, daemons sprout from the darkness.
"Ack!" Prompto cries, firing off his gun, "It's because you jinxed us!"
The daemons fall too quickly to his sword, so Noctis pulls back, letting Prompto and Ignis take most of the load. Ignis would likely notice, but it would be more obvious if Noctis slayed stronger daemons as if they were nothing.
At this time, reapers and lichs shouldn't be as easy to defeat as mere goblins.
They make their way to a balcony overlooking the main room, Noctis letting his eyes wander to the water's surface above them.
"It's like seeing a dream." He muses, focusing back on their surroundings while the other two continue to marvel.
"Gladio is seriously missing out." Prompto breathes. Noctis starts moving to the other end, pulling Prompto out of his stupor.
"This place is so huge, how do we know we won't get lost?" Prompto continues as they enter a hallway.
"I have a good sense of direction." Noctis replies, knowing that even though he's been through this place before, the risk of losing his way was still there.
"No you don't." Ignis bluntly replies.
"Hey, I haven't gotten us lost yet, have I?" Noct's brows pinch in irritation. The hallways they cross stretch long, with rooms littered along each one. If it weren't for the lights they carried, it would be abyssally dark.
Nocts guides them through, fortunate that he had neither gotten them lost nor run them into an ambush. Noct's glad for his friends' silence as he focuses on leading them through.
They reach the exit of a room, and his ears pick up the sound of groans. Noctis peeks around the corner, spotting a group of daemons at the end of the corridor.
"So," Prompto blurts, nearly sending Noct jumping out of his skin, "What do you call a dwarf psychic criminal?"
Noct pulls his head back around the corner, looking at Prompto with utter confusion, "Uh... I don't know?"
"A small medium at large." Prompto says, the cheer in his voice thickly false.
Noct raises a brow, wondering if this was really the time for jokes. The chittering of the daemons nearby rise as if in agreement.
"What do you call a regular psychic criminal?" Prompto's eyes glisten with keen intent. "Noctis."
"What?" Noctis asks, growing irritation turning him around to hear out Prompto's untimely jokes.
"No, I mea-"
"Prompto, this really isn't the time." Ignis interrupts. Prompto nervously laughs and steps back, the darkness of the corridor nearly swallowing him up as he relents.
Now that his interest was piqued, Noctis feels torn between figuring them out or paying attention to the daemons. Just as Noctis decides to end the conversation there, Prompto speaks up again, voice forcefully innocent.
"I mean, wouldn't it be nice to get a spoiler warning?"
Noctis shines his light at Prompto, tilting his head as he eyes his friend.
"Prompto, you're acting kinda strange -"
"Pfft."
"- are you okay?" Genuine confusion and concern leave Noctis disgruntled. Had Prompto been hit by a confusion spell along the way somewhere? He had certainly not acted like this last time.
"He's fine. We should continue." Ignis answers, arms crossed. Noctis turns his light on Ignis, eyes picking up how closed-off his adviser's expression had become.
Goosebumps raise along his body - he had missed something in that interaction just now. Ignis clears his throat and Prompto drops it for good, so Noctis turns to peek around the corner again. He doesn't miss the way their eyes track his every move.
There was no way Prompto had just been calling him out.
Noctis swallows down his apprehension and waves them forward, the three of them spring out and launch an attack on the unsuspecting daemons.
They fall too quickly to his blade, but Noctis just wants to get away. Ignis doesn't comment, even though Noctis knows he is being watched like a hawk.
Jogging out onto a bridge, he nearly plummets to the floor beneath as it collapses. Phasing back, he nearly misses the Iron Giant that appears.
With a swing of its sword, it collapses the rest of the bridge and sends them all falling. Standing to his feet, he shouts a warning and tosses a Blizzaga at the daemon.
It sends the daemon to its knees, and the three of them focus their efforts on bringing it down all the way. Just as it struggles back to its feet, a red and black lance drives through it.
Iron Giant fading away, the dragoon lance is joined by its owner.
"Aranea?" Noct nearly chokes, her sudden appearance catching him off-guard. He hears Prompto and Ignis shift behind him, weapons still drawn in caution.
With a twirl of her lance, she strides over to them, "That's me. Aranea Highwind at your service."
Seeing Aranea sheath her weapon, Ignis does the same and steps up beside Noct. "At our service?" He asks.
Prompto dismisses his own weapon before rushing to join Ignis and Noct. Aranea smirks at them and replies, "I assume so, seeing as I was told to help out three cadets, bumbling about Steyliff."
Eyes lazily wandering around the area, she continues, "And as far as I can tell, you are the only three here."
"Well, we would be glad to have your assistance if you are here to help." Noctis says, extending his hand. She takes it with no hesitation.
"Cadets, huh? Nice cover, runaway prince." She huffs good-naturedly.
"Tha-"
"How did you know to find us here anyway?" Noctis cuts Prompto off, moving them towards the exit of the room.
"You can thank the Chancellor. Sent me all the way out here to help back you up. Mythril, right?" She asks. Noctis nods, pausing to cut down a pair of daemons that spring out at them once they enter the next room.
"How did you know?" He asks. They cross back over the bridge, Prompto gasping in awe that it had rebuilt itself.
"Ask the Chancellor." She says, pausing in a doorway to check for daemons. Finding none, she gestures them onwards.
Noctis greatly appreciates her strength, the groups of daemons they come across suddenly significantly easier to deal with. Noctis falls silent, content to listen to her banter with Prompto and Ignis.
Through his tone of voice, Noct can already hear Prompto's puppy-dog crush developing.
With the help of Aranea, he is quick to lead them across the bridge crossing the main floor and through the remaining rooms. They enter the final room with little hindrance from the daemons.
"There is so going to be a big baddie here." Prompto says readying his gun.
The quetzalcoatl lands with a rumble before them, its screech like the thunder it was famous for.
"You're the one who jinxed it this time." Noctis jabs lightly.
The four dodge to the side as the monster fires off a bolt of lightening at them. Aranea, the first to recover, launches her spear at it. The weapon clips its wing, sending it jumping into the air.
With a roar, it pounces back down, spraying lightening in all directions. Noctis warps above it, driving his sword down and clinging to it as it takes flight.
A combined attack from Prompto and Ignis stun the beast mid-air, and sensing his chance Noctis jumps forward. A Firaga slips from his hand and into the beast's face, dropping it to the ground.
Aranea, Ignis, and Prompto are quick to strike it while it's down, giving Noctis the opportunity to rejoin them.
Staggering back to its feet, the quetzalcoatl roars, blood flicking from its royal blue feathers. Electric energy pulses towards its mouth, and before it can fire Noctis and Aranea deal the finishing blow to its exposed throat.
The energy dissipates with its dying gasp, and the beast crumples to the floor.
Prompto cheers out, cutting off as Aranea speaks up.
"Well, would you look at that." She points to the far end of the room, the Mythril ore sparkling there untouched, "Looks like you got what you came here for."
Jogging over to it, Prompto picks it up and hands it to Noct. Sending it to the armiger, Noctis turns back to Aranea.
"Thank you for your help."
Raising a brow, she waves him off, "My pleasure. Oh, and before I forget, the Chancellor had a message for you."
It's as if all the warmth drained from his body. A cold pit of dread pools in his stomach, whatever message she brought was unlikely to be good news.
Noctis swallows, meeting her eyes and asking, "News?"
She nods, her laid back attitude falling away in mild discomfort, "Yeah, whatever you did seems to have pissed him off. Even I know there's something creepy about that guy, and to have him focus in on you like that - well, I wish you luck."
An unreasonable fear creeps through him, to actually hear that confirmed put him on edge.
"What exactly did he have to say?"
"Something about seeing you at the altar." She gestures vaguely, "Anyway, I wouldn't think to much on it. It's not like he's the emperor or anything."
Noctis barely hides his tremble. The altar? Ardyn intended to meet him in Altissia.
Ignis steps forward, "No, but why hasn't he informed the emperor? He obviously knows information about us."
Shrugging, she turns for the exit, "You're asking the wrong gal."
In considerably less spirits, the four make it back to the outside. A dropship greets them, parked off to the side. Two men stand at the base of its ramp, and Noctis recognizes them as Biggs and Wedge.
"Lady Aranea!" Biggs calls out. She turns back to Noctis and his friends and introduces them.
"Biggs and Wedge, unnamed cadets. Unnamed cadets, meet Biggs and Wedge."
Wedge squints at them, jokingly saying, "Lady A, I don't know how to tell you this, but that's Prince Noctis and his crew!"
Aranea huffs and rolls her eyes. Noctis sees recognition cross Ignis's face, and he remains silent as his adviser shifts and looks away.
"Ain't you the guy Caligo was keeping in his closet?" Biggs asks curiously.
Ignis 'hmms' disgruntledly, crossing his arms and reluctantly answering, "Yes."
"Welp. It's good to see you back on yer feet. There's no bad blood for what happened to the Brigadier General." Biggs bluntly replies.
"Wha- really?" Prompto exclaims. Aranea nods, stepping up into the dropship.
"In fact, you probably made our work easier for us." She smiles and then sternly adds, "But don't tell anyone I said that."
Noctis smiles, "Very well, Aranea. Thanks for your help."
Wind whipping her hair as the dropship starts, she laughs back, "Anytime, cadets. If you ever need more 'training', feel free to give me a call."
With that, she waves them farewell - the sound of her dropship's engine as it ascends almost enough to drown out Prompto's love sigh.
Thank you guys for reading!
Sorry about the lateness (and any errors), I thought October was going to be waaayyyy less hectic than it really was. Unfortunately, it will be like that for the rest of the semester. :( Life is extra tough right now! As always, if you ever want a status update(or even talk about ffxv) hit me up at RoosaurusRin on tumblr!
Edit: I was alerted to something on Ao3 - In regards to Prompto's out-of-nowhere jokes: it is in reference to his previous discussion with Ignis about Noct seeing the future. He was trying to catch Noct off-guard to see if he would let anything slip. (Unfortunately, I don't think I did a good job at getting that across - so I may go back and change that if I have the time).
A little off-point, in-game, as anyone heard those signals? I've heard it before by Pepetouss(? - one of the forts we don't invade, by the stone arches) and then again recently when Prompto wanted to take a group photo overlooking Lestallum from across the gorge. Does anyone know what they are? They are super quiet ringing signals, that's all I get from them.
Anyway, sorry for any errors, life's been kinda crazy atm D:
I hope you enjoyed, thank you very much for reading! :D