Title: Not a fairytale
Genre: Friendship, angst, romance
Summary: Noctis learns more about his wife through Gentiana and attempts to win Luna's affections with mixed results.
Chapter 3
Noctis woke up to a gentle shake. Blearily he opened one eye and instantly closed it when the bright daylight momentarily blinded him.
"Ngh." He covered his eyes with an arm.
"Not the most comfortable position to sleep in", a pleasant female voice commented. He ignored her and allowed his foggy brain fall back asleep. Another, more insistent shake on his shoulder chased away the remaining sleep. "Lady Lunafreya did mention you were difficult to wake up, but I thought she might've been exaggerating."
The prince raised his arm and let it hover over his eyes before carefully opening them. He saw Gentiana's black robes pillowing in the mild sea breeze.
"Good morning, Your Highness", she greeted.
"'morning."
He was still seated in the balcony swing that he and Luna had been occupying the previous night. With a startle he stood up rigid. His wife was nowhere to be seen. He keenly felt the absence of her body heat.
"Has she left already?"
Gentiana smiled sympathetically. "I'm afraid so. She tried to wake you up, but deemed it futile. Unfortunately she has a schedule to keep and couldn't tarry."
Damn it.
He rubbed his face and stood up with a heavy sigh. If today was to be anything like yesterday he'd have to wait another twelve hours before he'd even catch a glimpse of her blond head. He already missed her. It sounded pathetic even to his own ear. He had been on cloud nine holding her and having her snugly pressed against him. It had felt so right, like she belonged there.
"Tell me she at least had something to eat before she left."
"I had prepared her a fruit shake. She's not one to loiter even when it comes to her body's most basic needs."
He gathered his blanket and pillows from the swing and followed the dark-clad attendant inside. "Do you know her exact location? Maybe I could bring her lunch or something."
Gentiana seemed pleased with his idea. "She will be praying and meditating at the church around midday. You could visit her then." He glanced at the bedroom's grandfather clock. Still two hours for that.
"Best I call Ignis over", he muttered.
After washing and dressing, Noctis headed downstairs to the dining room. Breakfast had already been set. He settled down next to Luna's usual seat.
"I am told you enjoy an omelet along with orange juice in the morning", Gentiana stated.
"Was it Ignis?" his advisor seemed to have taken a liking to the older woman. He suspected his friend found more things in common with her than just their similar roles to their charges. Both were well-spoken, highly educated and far from their homeland. But while they were similar they were also the exact opposites. Ignis had a permanent frown and seemed oblivious to humour and sarcasm while Gentiana always sported a pleasant smile and had a well-hidden mischievous side to her. He had learnt that the other day when they had planned the ambush on Luna. It was good to know Ignis had someone to turn to when the three men got too much for him to handle.
"No. Lady Lunafreya has memorized it from your letters."
"Oh." Noctis couldn't deny he was elated to hear that she deemed such an insignificant detail important enough to commit to memory. "Hey, Gentiana?" he hesitantly began. The attendant merely smiled encouragingly and motioned for him to continue. "Me and Luna have exchanged letters for twelve years, but I don't feel like I know her very well. Her letters weren't exactly short, but they were never very personal, either." He lowered his gaze to his food, but made no move to pick up his utensils.
"She has been very reserved after Niflheim invaded. Lord Ravus and Lady Lunafreya rarely agreed on anything and he highly scorned your persistent friendship. She had to walk on eggshells when in his company. Lord Ravus has held a grudge towards the King for many years. He blames His Majesty's presence in Tenebrae for losing his mother and birthright."
His appetite completely gone, Noctis set his napkin aside. "But that wasn't his fault. I was injured and dad took me there to heal up. If anything, Ravus should be bitter at me, not my old man."
Gentiana's ever present smile softened. The pressure of her gloved hand on his shoulder was comforting. "On the contrary, Highness, it is neither of your or any Lucian's fault. The Empire is ruthless. It was only a matter of time before Tenebrae was taken over. Your presence only hastened the inevitable." She squeezed his shoulder before letting go. "Now enough of bleak words. Your food is getting cold."
Dutifully the prince picked his utensils and ate. Gentiana sat down opposite of him to keep him company.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to know concerning your wife, then, Highness?" she returned them to the original conversation.
He chewed on his food thoughtfully. He wanted to know everything about her from mundane to relevant, but where to begin? He recalled Prompto suggesting finding similarities between himself and his wife. Before they could move on to the heavy stuff, they would have to be able to have small talk. Weather was out of the question, so what better than to discuss their hobbies and what they enjoyed on their past time?
"Does she have other hobbies besides making flower arrangements?"
"Several. Concerning flowers, she likes to make floral bracelets out of the sylleblossoms she has planted in her private garden. She then gives them to the ailing families' children as a symbol of consolation and letting the families know she remembers them in her prayers." Noctis instantly thought of the pressed sylleblossom in his red leather bound journal where he had collected all of her letters and dog mail. She had told him he was always in her thoughts and that she prayed for his health and for the prosperity of his country every day. That was a long time ago, however. He wondered if she still did so.
"When she has the time she's most often found in the sitting room reading. She has loved adventure stories the best ever since she was a child." Gentiana's faint smile was nostalgic. Her eyes glazed over as she remembered a spirited child who wanted to see the world and write a book about it. When Ravus had asked her why write a book when she could just tell him about her experiences, she had said it wasn't for Ravus; it was to help Noctis with his studies. Needless to say the former Prince hadn't been very happy with the revelation and forbid her from ever mentioning the Crown Prince of Lucis in his presence again.
Noctis and his three friends all liked to read. Sort of. Ignis tended to read historical documents and autobiographies while Prompto and Noctis preferred comics. The prince had spotted Gladiolus once or twice with a novel while driving from Leide to Galdin Quay. Maybe his bodyguard could help him find a nice book from the city's main library. Noctis didn't have the concentration to read stories himself, but he never declined if someone offered to read out loud to him. This could be the perfect arrangement between him and Luna. He badly wanted to find some sort of activity to share with his wife.
"Does she have any preferences when it comes to men?" He averted his gaze and poked at the remains of his omelet with his fork.
Gentiana crossed her legs and folded her hands over her knees. "Let's see. So far she has only dated men who are at least a head taller than her." Noctis' heart fell. She had dated men. Plural. On top of that he was barely taller than her when she wore heels. "They've all had dark hair and have been older than her." Well, at least he had one thing in common with them. So far his chances at wooing her didn't appear very high.
The attendant's tone took a sly turn. "I also know she finds 5 o'clock shadow highly attractive."
"Really?" He rubbed his smooth freshly shaved chin. That was something he could work on. "What else? What were the men like?"
Gentiana tapped her chin in thought. "They were all quite different. Her first crush was on a meek gardener's son while her latest was a confident man with superb skills in combat. The relationships never lasted longer than few months, however. The men had trouble sharing her and her time with people in need of her services as an Oracle."
He wasn't sure if his odds had increased or decreased. "Do you think I have any chance with her?"
One of Gentiana's slim brows rose up in disbelief. "You have every chance of winning her over, Highness. Just give it time. She still thinks of you as that cute little eight-year-old boy." Noctis ducked his head in embarrassment. His bangs hid his eyes, but Gentiana could clearly see the rosy flush tinting his cheeks. "She's still adjusting to seeing you as a handsome young man", she continued to tease.
Noctis was spared from further humiliation when a servant came to retrieve his dishes.
"Now, I believe you mentioned something about surprising your wife with a homemade hand-delivered meal."
The prince fished his phone from his pocket and checked the time. "Yeah. Specs should be arriving at any minute now."
The moment Ignis set his foot in the kitchen it became clear he was in his element. Noctis watched the older man work. Pans, pots, bowls and plates piled on the counter top.
"Did you secretly check this place already?" the prince joked.
"No. They've been clearly marked." His advisor pointed at the small labels taped over the drawers.
Noctis sat down next to Prompto who was looking through yesterday's photos.
"Got any good ones?"
"Was hoping to find a good spot to take a picture of those big statues at the city gate, but haven't found one yet", the blond easily replied as his finger tapped the forward button. Noctis leaned over his best friend's shoulder to peer at the pictures. Altissian architecture, cheery cafés, stray animals – Altissia had a lot of stray dogs and cats – pictures of the other three men in various places and poses and surprisingly many pictures of his wife. Most were taken during the wedding ceremony and after-party. Some more recent ones were taken during her speech and he had even sneakily taken one photo while Noctis had been arguing with her.
"Prompto, you better not be developing a crush on my wife", the prince quipped.
"Wouldn't dream of it! I just happen to know a certain prince who's been collecting pictures of a certain Oracle over the past decade."
Noctis clamped his hand over the freckled man's mouth and roughly pulled him away from the kitchen. "How did you know?" he hissed while eyeing back into the kitchen. Ignis' attention was on cooking while Gladio was casually eyeing a passing maid.
Prompto licked the prince's hand. With a yelp Noctis removed his hand and wiped it on his pant leg. "Ignis once told me you had a whole collection of news articles about Luna. I might've checked under your bed during one of our movie nights after you had passed out." The blond grinned while Noctis covered his burning face. "So think of this as another wedding gift. Luna will have a whole photoset from childhood to senescence thanks to you."
"I've had enough of your wedding gifts, thank you very much", the prince grunted.
Prompto smirked and put his camera away. "Speaking of, how's married life been treating you?"
"You do realize we've been apart for less than a day. And of that I spent barely two hours in my wife's company."
"Wow, what kept her so late? Did she and that Nyx fellow have some sort of longwinded reunion between friends?"
Something unpleasant gnawed at him. He wasn't sure how to identify it, but the mere thought of the glaive – clearly more experienced and more appealing in age compared to him – made him uncomfortable. "No, he was long gone before then." He wondered why Luna had acted so strangely when he had first mentioned the elite soldier. Maybe they had parted on bad terms? He'd have to ask her once she returned from her duties and they had some privacy. "The meeting just took longer than expected."
Gladio joined the two younger men. "You might have to start following her around to make sure she doesn't forget her home address. She's awfully busy for a newlywed", he jested.
"Yeah." Sometimes he entertained the thought that she was avoiding him on purpose, but Gentiana had mentioned Luna had tried to wake him up before leaving. He pushed the unwanted insecure thoughts away.
When Gentiana had said Luna would be praying at the church he had expected one of those old grand churches with impressive statues of Astrals and stained glass windows. Instead he and Gladio were directed to a small remote stone building which curiously enough was only one story high – unlike most of Altissian buildings – and with a ground floor. It looked like a repurposed bomb shelter instead of anything Noctis would categorize as a church. The two men descended the concrete stairs to the inner sanctum. The room was dimly lit with mildly scented candles. The only window in the humble room was below the sea surface. Faint daylight cast blue hues through the sea water to the altar where Luna was kneeling. Her knees rested on a comfortable cushion, her hands were lightly holding the Oracle's trident. She wore a long hemmed white sleeveless dress. To his slight disappointment her neck was bare. He had rather liked the moon pendant on her. It had given him hope that she harbored some feelings for him other than friendship.
She didn't appear to hear them even as their red soled boots made no effort to silence their heavy footsteps. Noctis put the food basket next to the doorway and walked to his wife. Her eyes were closed and her lips moved silently. He sat down next to her and waited. After thirty minutes of waiting Gladio got impatient and went back upstairs, muttering something about getting a cup of Ebony. Noctis took a more relaxed stance and leaned back on his elbows. He closed his eyes and listened to Luna's slow breathing. She smelled a little different today. She had left out her usual perfume in favour of a more natural scent.
Her breath hitched. He opened his eyes in time to see her slowly open hers, fog clearing from her dazed gaze.
"Noct", she greeted him. The way she softly uttered his moniker made his heart skip a beat and butterflies flutter in his stomach.
"Hey. Hope I didn't disturb you."
"Not at all." He stood up and helped her on her feet. She smoothened wrinkles from her dress and smiled faintly. Suddenly his mouth felt dry. The formfitting dress did little to hide her pleasantly round hips and shapely legs. The dress's tastefully cut neckline gave him an ample view of her small breasts that filled her bodice. He wasn't sure how she could appear so desirable and so hallow all at once. He wouldn't have been surprised had Ramuh fried him and his impure thoughts with Judgment Bolt then and there.
"What brings you here?" Luna pleasantly inquired.
"I know you get a little absentminded when it comes to yourself and your wellbeing", he teased her, "so I prepared you lunch." He retrieved the basket and lifted its linen cover to reveal Ignis' latest creations; homemade sandwiches, creamy tomato soup and a small bowl filled with several fruits.
A warm grateful smile lit up Luna's weary features. "You shouldn't have. Really."
"It's my duty as your husband to look after you", he replied seriously.
Footsteps echoed from the staircase. Gladiolus entered the inner sanctum having satisfied his need for caffeine. "G'day, Highness."
"Luna", she corrected. "And to you." She demurely wrapped her free arm around her husband's. "Will you help me eat all this? I do not think I have the stomach to empty even a third of it alone."
"You needn't ask", the prince grinned. They left the building and walked to a nearby park. They settled down on a bench and quietly enjoyed their first lunch together.
"Where are you heading next?"
"I'm going to visit the lower levels where the less privileged live. There are many families that require me to pray for the spirits of those who have suffered an unclean death at the jaws of daemons. There have been many sightings of restless spirits in the form of willow-of-the-wisps after nightfall. People are worried their loved ones won't find their way to the Gate without guidance." She poured kukuru tea from a thermos flask into her mug and daintily sipped it. Gentiana had helpfully pointed out Luna's favourite tea flavor and how she liked it: a drop of garula milk, honey and no sugar.
"When will you come home?" His voice was carefully neutral not to betray his eagerness to spend more time with her.
"Shouldn't take as long as yesterday", she assured. "I thank you for your company and your thoughtful gift. Send my regards to the chef." She placed her empty mug to the basket and stood up trident in hand. "But I really must not tarry."
Noctis chuckled as he got up. "What did I say about the formality yesterday?"
"In my defense we're in public and neither of us is exactly incognito in these clothes."
"Fair enough." He gently grabbed her by the shoulders. She flinched and instinctively tightened her hold on her trident. She reminded him of an arba caught in headlights. "I'll see you later?" His voice was quiet. She glanced over his shoulder before returning her cerulean gaze back to him.
"Yes." She stood completely still as he leaned down to place a kiss on one of her pale cheeks.
"Public", she murmured uneasily under her breath. Noctis saw a group of elders sitting further away on another bench looking at them with mild interest. Normally he would've been just as uncomfortable by their attention as his wife was, but he couldn't bring himself to care when he knew he'd have to wait another who-knew-how-many-hours before he'd get a moment alone with her.
"Married", he countered. He slid his arms down from her shoulders to her bare arms. Goosebumps decorated her skin under his touch. She removed his hands off her and held them loosely in hers.
"I will let you know when I'll head back", she promised and bid them farewell. He picked up the basket and watched her gracefully walk towards the lower levels, his eyes involuntarily falling to her captivating hips.
"Better wipe that silly grin off your face before someone catches it on camera", Gladio smirked and smacked the prince's back.
"Psh." With a roll of his eyes he walked to the opposite direction of her.
"Come on, that's not the prince I know", Gladio chastised as he pulled Noctis to his feet.
"Spaced out for a second", he grunted and dusted himself off.
Ignis and Prompto had gone to check out the art museum which held the photo gallery Prompto had wanted to see. Meanwhile Noctis and Gladiolus had decided to practice for the tournament held in the coliseum. Tomorrow would be their last day together. Prompto, Ignis and Gladio would return to Insomnia. After the two older men finished their training they would rejoin their prince as an official King's Shield and Royal Advisor. Unfortunately his best friend had no such titles under his belt. Prompto would most likely stay in Insomnia. He had mentioned getting a job and scoring his own wheels as an excuse to visit certain head mechanic in Hammerhead.
"What's eating you?" The tattooed man dismissed his greatsword. He would miss borrowing Noctis' powers. It certainly lessened his back pains that he occasionally got from carrying his heavy weapon around the clock.
"Gonna miss having you guys around. Especially Prompto", the younger man admitted.
Gladio pulled the slight prince to a side hug. "We'll be back before you know it. I'm sure you'll want to take the time to catch up with Luna without us revealing all the embarrassing stuff to her."
"When you put it like that", Noctis trailed off and returned the affectionate gesture with a smirk.
"Besides, I'm sure you can persuade Luna to take Prompto as her dog sitter. She personally thanked him for taking care of that white mutt."
"Pryna."
"Yeah, that one." Gladiolus released the prince and lifted his chin with a surprisingly gentle hand for its size. "So don't worry yourself over nothing. Woo that pretty girl of yours and live to tell the tale when we come back."
"I'll keep a phoenix down in my pocket, just in case."
The two friends resummoned their weapons and continued their exercise, now with clearer heads and lighter hearts.
Noctis sighed. It was 8 pm. His friends had returned to their hotel room and Luna had yet to call him or Gentiana to let them know she was on her way home. He had sent her five text messages and had received no reply. Gentiana had assured him that it was normal. She most likely had her phone on mute and was busy. He recalled Luna mentioning the restless spirits coming after nightfall. She might take a while yet.
Bored, he put his phone away and looked around the sitting room. A lone book sat on the reading desk that he had borrowed from the main library. It was a newly published fantasy book in Lucis which had apparently received good reviews. The back cover's summary had been decent enough to raise the prince's interest as well. If Luna liked it enough he might have to ask his friends to get a copy for him with the author's signature. With a sigh he picked the book and considered reading it on his own while waiting in favour of being patient. Heck, he had a long way ahead before he had any hopes of Luna returning his affections. Might as well start practicing patience now. He set the book down.
With Umbra in tow he went to Luna's desk and looked through its drawers hoping to find something to distract his restless mind with and perhaps find something about his wife in the process. A photo album caught his eye. Gingerly he took it and settled down on an armchair. Pryna had curled next to the fireplace, her eyes shut and nose wiggling as she followed her imaginary prey's scent within her dream world. Noctis absently rubbed Umbra's side with his foot as he browsed through the album.
The first photo was of a younger Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret in casual clothes holding a tiny bundle in her arms. Underneath the picture read 'Mother and I (1yr)'. The next photos were of Luna as a small child accompanied by a young Ravus. They were chasing each other, climbing trees, swimming in streams and holding Luna's two newborn puppies. They looked every bit as happy and innocent as Noctis recalled before Niflheim's invasion. He turned page. He saw a photo of himself in a wheelchair with Luna next to him, her hand resting on his backrest. He was shyly smiling up at her while she was beaming sunnily at the camera. Ravus had taken that picture. With a lump in his throat he turned to look at the next picture. He mentally compared her to how he had seen her over the years on the news. She must've been around fourteen. She was sitting on a garden bench, hand-in-hand with a lanky dark haired boy. The boy looked like he wanted to flee the scene. Must be the meek boy Gentiana mentioned.
Her album changed tone in the next spread. Gone were happy family and friend pictures. Instead there were pictures of flowers from what he presumed to be her private garden in Tenebrae and her flower arrangements. She even had a picture of Pryna with a small cloth wrapping around her leg, clearly ready to depart to Insomnia. There were occasional photos of her serious face among the several dozen landscapes, flowers and her canine companions. She was alone in all of them. Most were formal pictures taken after she was appointed as an Oracle.
On the last spread she had a photo of her and Gentiana sitting by a bar counter. At first Noctis didn't recognize his wife as she wore a brown wig, fake glasses and uncharacteristically colourful clothes. Her heavy makeup disguised her even further. Underneath the picture read 'Celebrating my 18th birthday with Gen'. She had told him about that night in one of her letters, how Gentiana had smuggled her out of the manor from under Niflheim soldiers' noses and taken her out to celebrate and unwind.
Noctis turned to eye the last two photos in the album. He blinked twice, not quite believing his eyes. The first photo was of Luna and two members of the Kingsglaive. The three of them were in the very same bar Noctis and his friends had found under the bridge. He recognized the other glaive as Nyx Ulric who had delivered him his father's ring. Both glaives had similar hairstyles with shaved sides and small braids. He distantly recalled Ignis commenting that it was a common fashion in Galahd. The heavier Galahdan had a pint raised in toast, his mouth open in a jolly laugh. Nyx wore a smug smirk, his other arm casually around the Tenebraean while the other held a similar pint. Luna had a colourful cocktail raised. Her eyes were lit with joy, her lips curved in a genuine smile as she faced towards the camera. 'Libertus, Nyx and I in Altissia', it read. He recalled how Luna's voice had trembled when he had mentioned the glaive visiting and sending his regards. They must've been closer than he realized.
He turned his attention to the last photo. Blood drained from his face.
It was a picture of Nyx and Luna, both with arms around the other. Luna's head rested against the glaive's chest, her eyes out of focus and sad. The moon pendant hung from her pale neck. The glaive's arrogant smirk was replaced with an unhappy frown as he stared into the distance. There was no description written for the photo, but it was clearly their final goodbye before her wedding.
Noctis closed the album and stood up in such a hurry that he nearly kicked Umbra. Pryna's ears perked and turned towards the noise. The prince put the album back in its drawer. He wasn't sure what to think. Gentiana had hinted that Luna's last relationship was still fresh on her mind. She had also mentioned how Luna's ex had been confident and a skillful fighter. He should've seen this coming. The image of the glaive and the Tenebraean in a tender embrace refused to leave his head. How was he to compete with his father's most elite for his wife's affections?
He went to the balcony and sat down on the swing. He focused on the memory of her warm body pressed against his, her breath tickling his face and her sweet floral scent invading his nostrils. When that wasn't enough to wipe out the unpleasant photo from his mind he turned his thoughts to the memory of her embracing him while he had wept. She had initiated the contact on her own and had refused to let go of him. It was the only time he felt she really let him in.
He knew she didn't see him as he saw her. Yet he kept hoping that he'd somehow manage to win her over. She barely gave him any time to have a chance to prove himself. It wasn't fair. With a frustrated sigh the prince stood up and walked to the end of the balcony and warped to the roof. He always felt a little better closer to the sky. The full moon above taunted him. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his forehead against his knees. He shut his eyes and concentrated on listening to the distant lapping of waves and sounds of night time city life.
One moment he was a bundle of nerves and aware of Luna's smallest movements and the next he was soaring and drunk on her close proximity. Then his flight ended and he fell into depression and second guessing his self-worth. It was a wild rollercoaster ride of feelings and he absolutely hated it.
His phone buzzed. Quickly he pulled it out of his pocket and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Noct. I'm on my way home. I have a guard with me, but I'd much prefer your company."
"I'll be there." He pocketed his phone and warp struck from rooftop to rooftop. In his haste he failed to pay attention to his magical reserves. By the time he reached Luna's location he was stumbling as a stabbing pain behind his eyes messed with his senses. He could just about make out her blurry white figure in the dark followed by a soldier holding her trident.
"Noct!" She rushed to his side and helped him upright. "What happened to you?"
"Too many continuous warp strikes", he groaned.
Luna smiled faintly. "I suppose I will have to keep my bodyguard around for a while longer. You're in no condition to fight should the need arise." It wasn't uncommon for cutthroats and thieves to come out after dark in the lower levels to prey on drunken tourists.
"'m fine", the stubborn prince insisted and waved her off as she attempted to support him. "You can let your bodyguard have the night off." Luna shot him a dubious look, but let him walk on his own. He managed nine feet before another stabbing pain reduced him to his knees. He silently cursed and wished he had had the foresight to buy ethers from the pharmacy.
"Really, Noct. You don't need to pretend." She stroked his back and knelt beside him. "I'm just glad for your company. Let me help you." Giving up the prince let his wife help him back to his feet and put her bare arm under his shoulder to keep him upright. He bitterly thought Nyx Ulric wouldn't have made the same mistake.
"I'm really sorry I took so long", Luna said, her voice was low enough to exclude her mechanical bodyguard from their conversation. On a closer inspection Noctis realized it was an Imperial rifleman, a former all-purpose model. It was most likely sent by Ravus to keep an eye on her as well as keep her safe. It had seen better days; Noctis suspected it was ready to be thrown to scrap metal. "I'm afraid I don't share your gifted eyes and it took me some time to find the lost wandering souls."
"You could've just called me over. I'd gladly help." The couple stumbled underneath the dim street lights, ironclad machine feet clanking behind them.
"I will keep that in mind." She gave his arm a light pat. Slowly he began to feel better about himself again.
"So, how long have you had mr. Bucket head over there?" he asked conversationally.
"I mostly keep it locked away. It is more of a hindrance than help, because it makes the citizens uneasy. My brother insists I use it, because I am now an Imperial myself as well as important for upholding the peace. He doesn't want anything to happen to me. We managed to come into agreement that I would have Gentiana release it only if I stay outside past daylight hours. I am not allowed to switch it off at any given moment. It is being monitored."
"How does it find you, then?"
"There's a tracker on my trident."
He brought his hand to rub his temple. Slowly the pain was fading, but his skin still prickled uncomfortably. So far he had done a poor job at impressing his wife. But he was hopeful that his Sight would prove helpful to her cause and she'd want to keep him around.
Once they reached their suite Luna took her trident from 'mr. Bucket head' and ordered it back to the store room.
"Does it have actual bullets in that rifle?"
"No. Rubber bullets. Enough to make noise and scare most people into fleeing. Mind you, I had to change the bullets myself. Ravus doesn't always think things through till the end." She locked the door.
The first thing Noctis did was get an aspirin once they were back in their room. He fetched the fantasy book from the sitting room and waited politely with his back towards the screen as Luna changed into something more comfortable. He fingered the book's covers impatiently. A light touch on his back sent a shiver down his spine.
"What do you have there?"
He turned to face her, but held the book behind his back. She raised her brow at his antics and placed her hands on her hips.
"Guess which hand", he teased. She huffed and without warning lunged at him, her arms wrapping around his middle as she reached behind his back. He lost his balance. His arms instinctively wrapped around Luna and pulled her with him as he fell to the floor with a heavy thud. "Oww", he moaned softly.
She was up in an instant chanting apologies, the book in her hands forgotten. He winced as he hauled himself up to his elbows. She looked so beside herself that he couldn't help but snicker. Her apologizing came to an abrupt stop. "I thought I seriously hurt you!" she seethed.
"Not going down quite that easily", he grinned. He slowly straightened himself to sitting position. Luna dropped her gaze to the book.
"The Wild Rose?" She studied its cover that depicted four warriors; three men and one woman and behind them a haughty man wearing a crown and dressed in fancy clothing. She turned her inquiring gaze to his.
"I got it for you. Thought you might like it."
She read the back cover, her interest clearly piqued. "How did you know-?"
"A little dog told me." She elbowed him.
"While I highly doubt Gentiana would approve such a nickname, I will have to consider separating you and Umbra if you keep teaming up against me."
"Don't be like that", he pouted. "Us males have to look out for each other. Right, Umbra?" he called and heard an affirmative bark from the next room. Luna rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back a light giggle.
And again he was soaring.
Jubilant, he stood up and gathered his wife in his arms. Her eyes widened in panic and her hands clutched the book tightly to her chest. He carried her to the sitting room where they were greeted by Pryna and Umbra. He gently set her down on the couch and sat down next to her.
"What was that about?" She sounded out of breath. Her hand rested over her franticly beating heart.
"Thought you'd favour reading here." He leaned back and lifted his right arm to rest on the backrest behind her. "I can take you to bed, if you prefer", he cheekily added.
She uneasily cleared her throat. "And you intend to just sit there while I read?"
His confident stance instantly changed to bashful, his arm falling to his lap. "I was hoping you'd read out loud so I could enjoy the story as well."
"I don't know. I'm not quite on par with audiobook readers." His heart fell. She was trying to come up with an excuse to be alone. He must've unsettled her by being too forward with his feelings. He needed to clear up things between them before he scared her away.
"Luna." He took her left hand in his, both because he wanted to feel her soft warm skin as well as to make sure she wouldn't run out on him. "I just wanted to find something we could both enjoy."
She eyed at their clasped hands. "I know", she admitted with a shuddering breath.
"I...", he gulped and repeated Gladio's pep talks in his head to muster courage. "I know you don't return my feelings." He stared at his lap, not daring to meet her cerulean gaze. "But at least give me a chance."
She withdrew her hand from his. That's it. He screwed up. He turned away from her to stare at the door, his eyes burning with unshed tears.
Something faintly brushed against his jaw. He jumped back as if burnt. A tender hand turned his head to face a pair of blue eyes full of pity and guilt. She leaned up and softly kissed his upper lip. His brain short-circuited and all thoughts of self-pity dissolved. He could only concentrate on her lips gently massaging his and her hand caressing his cheek sending tingles all over his body. His arms wrapped around her waist as he clumsily returned her kiss.
With an audible smack their lips parted. He was fairly certain it wasn't supposed to go quite like that. But oh Reaper did that feel amazing. He couldn't even bring himself to think how much better Nyx Ulric would've performed. He was too flabbergasted with the unexpected turn of events.
She turned around in his arms and picked the discarded book. She leaned her back against his chest and began to read aloud.
"A long, long peace is at an end. The emperor of Palamecia calls forth monsters from the underworld and launches his campaign for world conquest. A rebel army rises up in the Kingdom of Fynn to thwart the emperor's plans. But the rebels' castle falls to a full-scale assault by the empire. The rebels have no choice but to withdraw to the remote town of Altair. Four youths from Fynn also find themselves fleeing the imperial forces…"
Her voice didn't betray any emotion. If it weren't for the heat in his belly and the faint taste of kukuru tea on his lips he would've thought he had imagined their kiss. Noctis absently drew circles on her stomach with his thumb and buried his nose in her blond locks. She stiffened, but forced herself to gradually relax.
He could hardly believe it. She was actually giving him a chance.
A/N: Lemme know what you think of this chapter. :)
(No, I'm not shipping Ignis/Gentiana even if it might seem like it. I just think they'd get along fine and share some frustrating stories concerning their wards over a cup of Ebony. That'd probably apply to Cor and Gentiana, too. XD)
The part with Luna and Gentiana celebrating Luna's birthday was a nod to my other story Tattoo.
The 'Wild Rose' is a password the rebel army uses in Final Fantasy II. The part Luna reads from the book is the game's actual prologue-text.