Prompt: #30 Contain

Summary: Exposure was something that needed to be avoided.

A/N: This would be considered a companion piece to the Sarcastic prompt. The message in here is subtle, yet obvious if you look between the lines.

Termino is Latin for "set a limit to".

Termino

Something was obviously dreadfully wrong. Why else would they be stuck together for so long? No matter how she reasoned, that was the only thing that made sense. Stranded for an hour is one thing. It had to have been hours now since they had sought shelter in this cave. As advanced as Nihilsomno was, could they not have come with an airship to pick them up long ago? When her rune had involuntarily flashed earlier, she had completely overlooked the fact that her rapier had not appeared in her hand as it usually did. Noctis had not even bothered to use his powers at all since they had come into the cave. Actually, he had not used any of his powers since the storm had begun. These factors should have come to her earlier, she mentally berated herself. She had allowed herself to become so distracted with trying to control her temper towards the prince that she had not noticed all these vital details before. Only now that he was not within the immediate vicinity. This left her with her own thoughts with no distraction from him and she is not sure she liked this. As all this sank in, she gave way to nervousness. What was going on?

Her blue eyes wandered towards the blazing storm still raging outside. From what she could make out, it did not look as if it were ready to abate in the least. They might have to stay here all night at this rate. She had never been in a storm like this before. Flash floods were one thing. It could not be considered a "flash" if it lasted hours at a time, did it? She tries to think about the moments just before she and Noctis had been separated from the rest of their group. Dawn had barely risen when they had set out to go on this hiking excursion. Being more of a night creature, she had not really been able to focus properly at being up so early in the morning. Which was most likely the reason her memory seemed to shoddy. She hardly remembered how she had gotten out of bed, let alone fully aware of the vivid display of nature that had been around her as they hiked. Half of her mind had still been asleep. So, her lapse in memory was not a surprise. It had not helped that she had not had anything resembling rest either. The prospect of spending an entire day out of doors and in the company of the prince had not been appealing to her. The predictable barrage of unflattering comments that Noctis usually threw her way had kept her up.

Despite her better judgment she could not help but feel the anxiety rise within her as the minutes ticked by. She had no way to gauge how long Noctis had been gone but it has been longer than she would have guessed. Not that she liked his company. It was just that, after realizing how perilous their current situation was, she really did desire company. Even if it had to be his company. At least when he was here he could distract her from her distressing thoughts. She reminded herself of the thoughtfulness he had displayed in giving her as much privacy that could be provided when she had been in desperate need to relieve herself. At least he had shown that he was not completely immature about things. He had called it a mundane thing. It sounded so mature for a man who pointed out every vain flaw on her person. The remark was almost a contradiction to his general behavior. If anything, she had expected him to capitalize on the opportunity to torment her further. Instead he had managed to lift that heavy boulder over to an even darker spot for her. Then had promptly left with the promise of food. As pale as he was, she had not pegged him for an outdoorsy type of man. Appearances were definitely deceiving in that regard. How did one stay so unnaturally pale when one was out of doors for such long periods of time? Did he only go out at night or during cloudy days?

It was easy to resent Noctis. No, it was easier to resent him. She knows she should be glad that he turned out to be such a cad. His being such made it easier for her not to like him. She would be a liar if she denied ever finding him attractive. Not only did he have an illogically handsome face, he exuded an aura of power. From the firm set of his shoulders to the fierce concentrated intent of his eyes, she could not help but be attracted to him. It was only when he opened his mouth that he was not so appealing.

During her visit she had, had ample opportunity to observe him with others. For the majority, he stayed to himself. She noticed he conversed more easily when one of his three companions were with him. When not, he was all cool aloofness. The very image of the self assured, conceited prince that everyone knew him as. There was always an abundance of ladies who vied for his attentions too, which really came as no surprise. Though he did not seem to have a favorite, he clearly preferred some over others. His shoulders shifted from varying degrees of stiffness at the approach of certain ladies. Since he never smiled, it was hard to say what causes these ladies to laugh so boisterously when in his company. Especially when he never seemed to even have a humored look on his face when they did. If they heard the infuriating things that came out of his mouth she hardly thought they would laugh like that.

The blatant altogether insulting fact was that he never spoken unkindly to any of them, no matter how stiff his shoulders became in their presence. His mockery and his double innuendoes were solely reserved for her. No matter how nonchalant he seemed towards them, he was keenly conscious of her. Not conscious of her in a good way either. He seemed to enjoy ruffling her feathers. Almost as if he considered it a highlight of his day, when he managed to get her cheeks to flush and her eyes to flash with anger. Most men would know to retreat at such a sight but he seemed to revel in it. She was beginning to wonder if he was a sadist. Nobody should look that smug in the face of someone else's barely contained rage. The cad!

A spiky shadow loomed from the entrance of the cave then and her head shoots up to look at the very focus of her thoughts. It should have bristled that his presence made her feel relief instead of dread. It was darker outside now so that his face was partially concealed in shadow. There was very little else to notice anyway when his eye was glowing such a vibrant hue of red. It reminded her of a sniper's beam just before the bullet impacted with the target's skull. There is rainwater dripping all over him and off the spiky tips of his hair. A few drops slide down the side of his face, drawing her attention. She was enthralled by the picture he made standing there as he was. A dripping menace of pure predatory masculinity was a rare thing to behold.

"I do not have a handkerchief," he says with a tone that should have warned her.

"What?" she asks blankly, blinking her eyes in confusion.

"For the drool coming out of your mouth," he answers with that mocking glint she was so familiar with.

To her utter horror she realizes he was right! She was staring at him with her mouth open like an idiot!

"Shall I be seeing your membership application to my fan club now?" he inquires, drawing closer toward her.

"Figures you would actually endorse one," she manages to sniff back at him with a lift of her chin. She folds her arms against her chest to keep from taking a swing at him.

The sounds of two stones striking against each other catch her attention before small sparks of yellowish orange flicker in her eyes. Had that pit and flint always been there? She hopes not! She would never hear the end of it from him. The sparks catch on the dry leaves already gathered before Noctis begins to add small twigs to strengthen the flames. When there is enough light she can see, to her shame, that there was, indeed, a pile of wood inside for a fire. She is sure she could not feel anymore useless.

"Being afraid of the dark is counterproductive in times of survival," Noctis comments as he adds larger twigs to the slowly building fire. "We are not the first to seek this cave for shelter." That statement does not make her feel the least bit better.

Not that he was trying to make her feel better anyway.

"I was never trained on how to survive in the wilderness," she says defensively.

"That is obvious," he remarks and she is not sure if he is mocking her again or not. He does not look at her as he strokes the flames a bit more.

There is enough light now to notice that he had brought something with him. She can feel her stomach garble at the sight.

"You went fishing in the middle of a storm?" she asks in surprise. She really did not mean to sound insulting with the question. It had been a shock to see him with fish.

"You would prefer I brought in a wild boar for you to gut and skin?" he asks and it is clear he has been insulted.

"I did not mean it the way it sounded. I am sorry," she explains, trying to nullify him. "I would have thought it more of a challenge to catch one given the weather."

He looks up at her with those searching red eyes of his. It should have alarmed her but seemed to be oddly comforting instead. Her petulance must be visible because he does not look as annoyed when he looks back down to the fire. She watches him closely as he uses a knife to scrape the loose bark from a branch.

"It is not so difficult when the river is over flooded," he comments with a shrug.

She takes the time to look over his outfit and wonders how he could go hiking in black leather. Not to mention going out in the rain and braving a raging river to catch fish. It seemed a shame to ruin such remarkable skin. The natural smell of the leather is also comforting as she feels the warmth of the fire and wonders why he has not made to take at least his jacket off. She would absolutely, positively keep her mouth shut up against even suggesting that. There was no end to the amount of things he could use as a response to such a suggestion. If he did not care about staying in his drenched clothes, she did not either.

"Sashimi would be easier to fix up but the lack of soy sauce lowers the appeal," he says out of the blue.

The statement is said so casually that the giggle that escapes her is completely involuntary and she is just as shocked as he is when it comes out. His eyes fly to hers in surprise. Maybe more confused than surprised. It was probably the first time he had ever heard her laugh before. She hoped he did not think it sounded like the fake insincere laughs that the other women at court let out in front of him.

"If you had caught a salmon I might not have agreed, but I definitely have to agree if that is a trout in your hand," she adds nodding towards the fish in his hands, before he can comment on her giggling.

He looks at her a moment too long, but she can see that the pause was not from indecision.

"I have always hated the tiny bones that get stuck in your throat," he confesses at last. He frowns down at the poor thing as if it was directly responsible for that.

She almost lets out another giggle but sobers herself this time.

"Maybe sashimi is the safest way to avoid that?" she suggests with a smile.

He looks at her again with another unreadable expression before answering.

"I am not a chef so it would either be pan seared or very well done," he admits.

She lets out a low chuckle.

"At least we do not have to worry about freshness," she comments, holding out her hand for one of the two that he has with him. She has a brief moment of pause wondering if he will deny her one but he hands one over without a word. Before she can ask him if he can spare a knife, he hands her a small dagger as well. Bringing it closer to her face, she can see the ornate markings within the hilt and along the blade itself. Trust him to have a dagger that was nothing short of exquisite.

"Careful," he chides without looking up from his cleaning. "Human blood does not substitute for soy sauce."

She manages a smile before turning back to scaling hers.

"Why are you not worried about us being stranded for so long?" she finally has the courage to ask.

"These storms interfere with Crystal energy," he explains.

She pauses to look at him.

"Which is why our powers do not work," she states, more for herself than for him. "They cannot be natural then."

"Many would argue that the Crystals are not exactly natural either," he replies. Then he gives her a pointed look. "Nor are we exactly natural for that matter."

"Is that why you looked so calm when my rune activated?" she asks. "You knew it would be useless?"

He stops to look at her pointedly again. "Princess, you would not have hurt me either way."

There was that mocking tone again. Just when he was beginning to act so decently. Did he really have to say things that should be considered a compliment as an insult? Not that she was insulted that he thought his powers superior to hers. She knew she was not as powerful as he was regardless. Yet, there was something about the way he had said it that gives her pause. There had been a note that had not sounded completely insulting.

"I have been told that I have a very good jab," she says and she knows it is obvious that she is reaching.

"I am surprised you even know what a jab is," he snorts.

"I am not above handing out punches if I have to," she says with a glare at him that lacks the same heat as it usually did.

"Which I am sure does wonders for your manicure," he retorts.

"Are you implying that I do not get my hands dirty?" she demands.

"More a statement of fact, actually," he answers.

She puts the dagger and the trout on her knee to glare at him. Her glare is heated now.

"What is stopping me from smacking you right now?"

"Knowing that I would retaliate," he counters easily, but he puts down his own dagger and trout to look at her evenly.

"I can take a hit," she challenges him.

He smirks at her again and she really does want to slap him.

"I can think of many other ways to respond in kind, Princess," he tells hers with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She is not going to acknowledge that it makes her feel tingly! She rolls her eyes instead.

"Careful, Your Highness," she says just as mockingly as he does. "I might actually think that you are coming on to me."

The frown that he responds with is not what she was expecting. Neither is the intense glare he sends to her lips that makes her feel almost lightheaded. For one moment she has this incredibly insane notion that he wants to kiss her. That the rest reason behind his ever present resentment was because...

"Projecting your own desires onto me is unseemly," he counters with a dismissive shrug and returns his attention to his trout. "Are you not a Princess?"

She nearly stabs her finger when she puts a little too much pressure on the dagger in response. At least they were back on the comforting ground of grating on each other's last nerve.