Disclaimer: Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.
Rating: T
As the disclaimer said, this takes place after my semi-retelling of FFXV, and it's somewhat-altered events. Now, we'll see how Noctis and Iris go about things post-eternal night
Insomnia
The house tour had been quite interesting.
Outside the structure, parts of the ground nearby were still large stretches of dug-up soil; it'd take time for those batches of grass to grow, as the seeds had only recently been planted. The house itself had all utilities installed, but was currently empty of furniture and needed to be painted, among a few other things like carpeting, and more personal touches. Size-wise, it was definitely somewhere between modest and big, if perhaps leaning more toward the former - as he'd been told, that was partly on the insistence of the people who helped build it. A reputed Daemon Slayer should have the best, or so was the sentiment... and for the most part, Iris hadn't turned them down, other than saying not to go overboard.
Leaning on/over the railing for now, Noctis took a moment to take in that salty sea air again. Even with the 'small' lack of grass in places, this place is still quite beautiful, and don't get him started on the view... he always enjoyed getting to come here, and today was no exception, e-even with what he had planned.
Then he looked at Iris, who was standing near the railing just beside him.
"It's really something, Iris" he admired, lip curved. "Looks like a good place to call home. Maybe too big for a single person, but even still."
Iris hummed, looking over the house again; her look was really soft. "It sure is a great place, and in a few days or a week, it should be good to actually live in full-time" she assured. "I can't wait to start filling up these rooms."
Before, he would've agreed without a second thought... though now was a bit of a different story.
"Since that's some time away, maybe we should go down to the dock then" Noctis outwardly mused. "You thought I wouldn't notice?"
When Iris looked back, it was with a mischievous smile. "I expected you would, Noct" she teased, if gentle as she giggled once. "Just surprised it took you this long to speak up about it. After all, it's all about the fishing for you."
"Sure, exaggerate me out of proportion" he drew out, slightly played up-
-they soon shared a little laugh, during which time, Iris slipped closer to him; she began to brush her fingers over his hand.
"Well, it's not like you don't enjoy it" she breathed, softer. "And it's been awhile since I last got to do that, or it feels like it. These last few weeks, you always seemed so distracted, like your mind was elsewhere... I just thought you were busy, but I'm glad that you're getting over it, Noct."
Noctis took a moment, then half-turned toward her. "...I am sorry about that, Iris" he assured, if not as easily as he'd have liked - he did appreciate her giving him some space though. "But work wasn't why. Or I mean, the physical part; it was more about thinking about important stuff, that needed to be considered."
During that last part, Iris seemed to briefly pause in surprise, though she soon gave a little smile.
"I can understand that" she admitted, looking at his hand. "You are our King; if you need to consider something, it's not like you can just put it off. In fact, that's a lesson I've been slowly learning as-of-late too..."
Part of him wondered, but also felt that as far as putting stuff off, she had no idea... not yet at least...
He shifted, feeling his heart beat a little faster, but he held onto his composure; it's important that he do so. "'Course not" Noctis agreed, before motioning with his free hand. "So how about we actually go down to the dock, and continue our talk there."
Iris's smile became a little mischievous. "And catch some fishing while we're at it?"
"Heh; well, maybe. You said you had all day to yourself earlier, right?"
"Something like that. So we'll probably be spending hours down there, if I know you at all... hehehehe."
...
The walk down from the cliffs to the shoreline took five minutes, and it was pretty nice, particularly since Iris held his hand the whole way. Noctis didn't mind, but he had a small 'fear' that his hand was sweaty... which wouldn't be unwarranted, but he still put the thought out of his mind; if he thought about that, it could actually happen.
As for the dock itself, it was pretty solid work, and painted a very dark-blue so you couldn't miss it - and for nighttime ventures, there was a portable light sitting next to it. He definitely approved, and Iris knew it just from the way he smiled; ever since his first visit to Galdin Quay, way back when, the seaside had definitely made a good impression on him.
Because of this, they took their time looking at the horizon and the lapping waves.
"It's always so beautiful" she whispered, content.
Noctis gave a little 'mmh'. "Well, it's always a great view" he admitted, sincere. "I almost wish this sight will never become normal."
Still looking out over the water, the way the sun reflected off the waves, Iris hummed softly in return. "Same here. Plus after riding around in wooded areas all day yesterday, it's a nice change of scenery for me" she continued. "Chocobos sure know how to cut through the land, for the most part. I only wish you could've been there, Noct; it was really fun."
"Me too."
In response, she squeezed his hand a bit; when he glanced at her, her smile was reassuring.
"Still, we're here now" Iris assured, half-turning toward him. "And at the moment, I'm curious to know what you were thinking about, Noct. That important Kingly stuff, I mean."
His heart started to beat faster; it thought it lucky that he isn't showing his 'struggles' much (hopefully), even as he took a moment to steel himself. He knew this would be it, with no turning back... and he'll be awkward, but to hell with that right now; he's as ready as he'll ever be.
"Very well" Noctis answered, half-turning as well. "It was mostly official business, but- but one thing wasn't. I've been feeling something for months now, and it took me awhile, before I finally realized what it was..."
As he spoke, Iris grew curious, if seeming to wonder about the effort in his voice.
"I... mmh, I- I love you, Iris."
Even as blood rushed into his cheeks, Iris' breath hitched and stared at him for a little, as if to make sure she'd heard right. It took a slight effort to hold her gaze, but he did it anyway, trying to show how he felt without saying a word... which was partly to help keep his composure; if he started mumbling now, he'd never get through the rest of this.
Then Iris stirred, blinking twice.
"You do?" she whispered, as if in wonder. "Really?"
"I- I've enjoyed our time together, I like a bunch of things about you, and... and I feel pretty happy when- when I'm with you" Noctis managed to say, giving a small smile - even those details were hard to say, and it certainly wasn't the full list. "It may not be at the same strength as yours Iris, not yet, b-but it's all true. Is that not the- the definition of love?"
Barely a second passed before she returned the smile, except her's was far more soft and gentle, enough that it gave him a small rush of warmth. Her hand tightened against his as she stepped closer, and next thing he knew, she'd kissed him - not opposed, he held her back with his other hand, doing his best to return the favor. The warm sensations of her lips did their best to distract him, though he did enjoy it, but he still unconsciously kept his grip on his feelings. His heart was beating fast, not just with relief that he'd managed to say all that, but also with anticipation of what's still to come... but he'd be okay, no matter what.
It's important that he stayed that way, as much as possible.
"I certainly think so, Noct" Iris breathed against him, fingers curled in his hair. "I feel the exact same way... and I'm so happy to hear you say it."
"Yeah" he breathed back, drawing her into a full-out hug; she rested her head against the crook-of-his-neck. "I knew you would be. But Iris, it's also... um, more than that."
"Hmm?"
"I- I want to be with you, and you want that too, right?"
She moved once, almost as if cuddling against him. "More than anything."
Noctis felt his mouth twitch, as this was it; he all-but-knew her answer deep down, yet still had to ask. For the umpteenth time, his mind told him this was crazy, and that he should think this out more - problem was, he'd already done that for weeks now, a-and he still wanted this.
"Then would you... would you stay by my side, forever?"
Iris let out a small, almost-inaudible gasp, and she went very still in his arms...
"Would you be my wife, a-and Queen, Iris?" he whispered, half-mumbling despite his struggles not to. "A-At least, whenever we both feel ready?"
Time seemed to stretch, seconds turning into minutes as they stood there, but Iris didn't make a sound nor move in that time (except for slow breathes). It began to worry him after awhile, as he'd been prepared for her to be surprised, even stunned, but not silent like this... then he suddenly felt his collar getting wet in a particular spot; she was crying. Iris seemed to hiccup, and then she unfroze; her hands began moving again over his back, her grip still tight, and her head stirred against his collar. His worry began to abate, as judging by the sound of her hiccup, she was (mostly) okay; he just hadn't expected it to happen like this, where he couldn't tell her reaction at first...
Then again, he probably wouldn't have spoken for minutes either, i-if their roles had been reversed...
"Is- is this really happening?"
Hearing the warm mix of emotions in her voice - all with a quiet, 'dazed' quality - Noctis gave a small, partly-relieved smile, one hand slowly, almost hesitantly moving into her hair. He spent a moment registering it's softness, as well as the fact that it'd grown a bit over the past two months, nearly at shoulder-length now... he guessed a haircut wasn't long in coming; the thought helped keep him from shaking.
Not that it did anything for his heart-rate; it's practically beating against his rib-cage.
"It is, Iris" he whispered to her, gentle and with only a small hitch, though his breathing was heavier. "It's crazy, a-and kinda out of the blue, but I- I have my reasons."
"...I'm sure you do, Noct" Iris whispered, slowly pulling back, enough that they could look at each other. Up-close, her cheeks were still semi-streaked with tears (and a bit red), but her smile was far from sad; the way her fingers caressed his cheeks proved that beyond a doubt. "But you're kinda past those things now."
He said nothing, hoping his expression would do that instead - she's not wrong.
"Even still" she breathed gently, eyes shining. "Yes."
...
Iris felt completely dazed, like she's dreaming... her emotions were so strong that she felt like she'd 'explode', with only an instinctive reaction holding that back for now. At the same time, Noct jolted at her answer, with a lot of things in his expression... his arms briefly shook over her back, looking like he'd expected her answer, but hearing her say it had still been something else. Then it looked like he was trying to find the right words - or any words - but in the end, Noct pulled her back into the tight hug; as his hands settled against her back, they were shaking a little. Feeling warmer, she returned the favor without thinking, his words ringing inside her head... as was her heartbeat against her ribcage.
And at the same time, she could feel another steady beat against her chest: Noct's heartbeat.
He was so warm, almost literally... and she wanted to kiss him sooo badly right now...
"I-" Iris breathed after awhile, very soft. "I think I knew deep down, that being with you... might have this happen. Yet I've avoided thinking about it all, because I'd spent so long thinking we could never be... and also, that it'd be inappropriate and make things harder for you."
As she spoke, Iris could hear/feel his breathing gradually slow, using her voice to help steady him (even if he's still full of emotion, like her).
Eventually:
"It's... understandable, Iris" Noct whispered, low and tinged with relief. "T-Thank you, for considering my feelings. Still, I... oh man."
The small change in his tone made her stir, as he'd sounded more worried.
"Noct?"
"I was so focused on- on asking, that I didn't remember to actually... offer this, when I-I should've."
Her brain subtly clicked at those words, especially when she felt his hand moving near his waist (rather jerkily at first). Heart beating faster, Iris felt exactly what this meant... she pulled back from the hug, just enough so that she could look down...
In his palm lay a ring, colored silver for the most part, yet with red highlights in it's patterns.
She spent a moment just registering this, before:
"Oh- oh it's beautiful" Iris whispered softly, slowly moving her finger over it's. "...Wow. You asked me, a-and I said yes, all before I even saw it. That's even crazier, right?"
"...very" Noct breathed, clearly feeling awkward about that 'mess-up'. "B- But it's certainly unique."
By the time he finished, her warmth suddenly reached a fever peak; Iris moved her hands onto his cheeks, and she kissed him deeply. He made a sound in surprise, but then instinctively tried to return it as best he could - the awkwardness remained in his bearing, as did the small shakiness in his hands, but otherwise it didn't stop him. After a minute, her hands moved up into his hair, yet Noct's only reaction was to pull her against his chest; she felt slightly squished, but otherwise she only liked it. Soon her tongue slipped into his mouth, which got a very interesting sound out of Noct- not quite a groan, but not quite a gasp either. He still tried to return the favor, making her absolutely thrilled... actually, not even that came close to describing how she felt.
It seemed like it ended way too soon, but they were both panting afterward... then his arms instinctively pulled her close again. She didn't mind, and just tried to enjoy his warmth - they stayed like that for awhile, before Iris slowly lifted her head, finding Noct looking at her too.
His breath was heavier, and Noct seemed somewhat dazed, as his cheeks were reddish... despite all that, his expression was warm, and more open than usual. She could imagine being the same way, full of warmth and love, and her smile was practically radiant.
"So" Iris gently ventured, without thinking. "About this ring..."
He blinked once, brow furrowing slightly as he glanced down, before jolting as he realized her meaning.
"Oh" Noct breathed, trying his hardest not to sound awkward (again), but it happened anyway. "Right, uh- y-yeah."
Were she not so happy, Iris would've been giggling by now - as it was, she just felt a thrill when Noct lifted her hand. He did linger for a moment, caught up by everything he's feeling, but then he visibly used his Kingly confidence and delicately slipped the ring onto her finger.
She spent a good few moments just looking at it, taking this moment in...
"You're right" she whispered then, feeling happy tears fall again. "This certainly was unique."
He let out an inarticulate sound, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"And- and not even because I planned it that way" Noct slowly admitted, his other fingers staying near her hand. "Even after the time I spent preparing, thinking about everything, I-I still messed it up a little."
So he'd given his full attention to the thought of proposing... not just what it'd mean for their lives going forward, but that it would make her Queen, among other things. That explained why he'd been so distracted for awhile, given that he was thinking about this, and yet also tried to act like everything's normal.
Or so she consciously realized much later...
"Oh wow" she breathed, gentle - her gaze kept shifting between his expression, and the ring on her finger. "You wanted to make sure you really did love me."
A moment where Noct let out a breath, before slowly moving onto the dock, no longer looking at her - she noticed after a second, and began to follow after getting the idea.
"Yeah. I had to be sure about everything, Iris" Noct breathed, slowly sitting down on the dock's edge near the end, his motions semi-shaky. Moreover, he was heavily leaning on that Kingly confidence to get the words out, even as his tone remained (nervously) sincere. "I realized that I didn't mind the thought of- of being with you f-forever, and I realized that I... honestly couldn't see things turning out differently, even if I chose to wait longer. I also- mmh, I didn't want to things turn out differently between us, nor waste time just because I-I'd be more prepared later. Doing so this early isn't really proper, and it's sudden, and crazy... b-but I thought it'd still be alright with you."
At this rate, the warmth wasn't gonna end, and she couldn't disagree with a word he said.
It didn't take her long to sit down and join him, slipping her hand into his, and leaning against his side. He moved a little, glancing at her face and her (unconscious) little smile, before he gained one of his own - soon he added his other hand, while also leaning his head against hers.
"It was sudden, and crazy" Iris whispered, liking how his fingers moved. "Any moment now, I feel like I might explode."
He made a little sound, hinting at so much underneath. "And I feel a lot more shaky than I'm letting on. M-My mind is racing right now... as is my heartbeat."
"Mine too, Noct. So much."
"Mmm."
A little silence... then she began to shake, which Noct quickly noticed.
"I don't even know what I want to do" Iris breathed, hiccupping once. "Kiss you over and over, literally leap into your arms, push you off this dock and then join you in the water... I just feel so happy, Noct. I can't even believe this just happened, n-not yet..."
While he shifted, Noct didn't seem shocked - one hand slipped out of hers, but only to come around her back, holding her closer to him. She didn't waste any time in wrapping her arms around him, still shaking, and she nearly buried her head in the crook-of-his-neck, or his collarbone; wherever would fit.
She really liked that little rub he was doing too.
"Take your time, Iris" Noct breathed after a moment, more gentle (if still nervous) - his free hand threaded through her hair now, if subtly shaky. "There were many days where I felt clammy at the thought of... y-you know. Mmh, it's a wonder I didn't show it most of the time. So uh, if you need to act out your feelings, go ahead... heh, even if it means pushing me off this dock."
A giggle escaped her mouth, along with a tear or two from her eyes.
"...Thanks, Noct."
In the space of a second, Iris pushed him straight off the dock, and Noct fell with a big splash and a yelp. He soon surfaced, spluttering a little and seeming half-offended that she actually did it-
-practically grinning, she then jumped in herself, only increasing his shock at her sudden actions.
Not that he protested, but still.
Nighttime
Noctis drew a hand over his chin, feeling the recently-trimmed stubble of his beard, which felt satisfactory - looking at the mirror then, he could see a definite visual resemblance between himself and dad, and this made him feel a lot. Dad had gone through so much to let him live his life normally, before he'd take up his duty, yet had always been burdened by the knowledge of what would happen to him and Luna, for so many years.
"...And then, Luna blindsided all of us at the last minute" he thought, both rueful and content. "I can only imagine how you handled learning that, dad. I- I still hope you took it well. And I promise I'm making the most of this second chance, to make you proud."
Of course, there was no answer.
Letting out a breath, he splashed his face with water, drawing himself out of his self-reflection; the cold helped quite a lot there.
Part of him still felt dazed about today, about everything, and he had to take a moment to let it sink in that yes, he'd actually popped the question and Iris had said yes. His mind went over several things as well, including her somewhat-delayed-explosive reaction... she's always been full of energy, even after everything she's been through, but that had been something else. Hell, after pushing him into the water, she'd kissed so many times that it bordered on ridiculous - it'd been quite the experience, and he's still digesting how he felt about the whole thing. For the most part, Noctis thought that he had liked it and wouldn't mind if it happened again (if in shorter bursts, and only on occasion), yet easily preferred the more simple affections.
Yet after all that, about as quickly as she 'exploded', Iris soon began acting like the opposite, sorta... and remained so, even now. He had a few theories as to why, partly involving what she'd said before, but it didn't stop him from worrying about what she's thinking; maybe he should ask when she comes inside.
He paused a moment, before letting out a breath and turning away from the mirror.
Exiting the bathroom, he only took two steps before unconsciously slowing, hovering inside the bedroom- or rather, what would be such, once it was filled with the right furniture. The nervous, jittery sensations he'd felt earlier resurfaced... suppressing a gulp, he slowly looked around the empty room, just trying to realize that this room was where he'd sleep from now on.
This - the whole house - was his home now.
Home...
A small, familiar longing built up in his chest at the thought, then his eyes slowly closed, remembering how anguished he'd been when Niflheim had attacked: he'd lost his father, and his home in one fell swoop. Since then, he'd made do sleeping wherever he could but they'd only been temporary arrangements; adequate, but they weren't the same as being home.
Now he had one again... in this house Iris had built for herself, which he'll share with her now.
Without thinking, his finger brushed over his own ring, which was a near-duplicate of the one he'd slipped onto Iris's hand.
Both of them were sitting near the dock, her head almost planted against his chest, and she wasn't moving except for breathing. Having dried themselves off with towels, they hadn't moved nor spoken for an hour, or it felt like that long... part of him worried that they might suddenly develop colds from their little dip, but he pushed that to the side, focusing on the weight of Iris against his chest...
Then a thought occurred to him, and his mouth briefly twitched - despite being a little nervous, he still felt pretty warm; that's a good sign.
"Iris?"
She stirred once, briefly.
"If you- if you don't mind, c-can I move in with you?"
"...how is that even a question, Noct. You're so silly."
Noctis slowly stirred, before digging his hand into his pocket - because of that unintended dip, while his clothes were mostly-dry by now, the inside was still pretty wet. Thankfully, what was inside wouldn't have been affected by that, so he wasn't too worried about it; good thing too, as he's still 'reeling' from the whole thing.
"Well I just... w-wanted to hear you say it, Iris. Plus I'm uh, still pretty shaky."
Iris didn't answer, but after a second, she slowly adjusted her head against her chest, and he could see her eyes half-open - she was looking at his moving arm, which had just come out of his pocket. When she caught sight of the ring, held in his open palm and nearly identical to her own ring, her breathing went up a little as she looked... before he could even consider saying a word, her fingers slowly reached for it.
She hesitated a lot, especially when she was a few inches away... but she delicately took it from him.
Despite being glad for it, he felt nervous when she gently took his hand - still, he looked down at how Iris slid the ring onto his finger, making them matching now.
Noctis felt a little smile appear, half-opening his eyes, thinking that he couldn't have predicted all this happening to him.
As they'd said, it's crazy... but it'll stay with him for a long time.
"I hope it's the same with Iris too" he breathed to himself, before gently closing his hand.
After a moment, he moved to the center of the room, where his bag sat - he dug around inside, but just before he got to the bedroll, he stumbled across something else. It was the picture that he'd taken with him, and later gotten framed: himself, Iris, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio posing in front of/on the Regalia. His little smile became fond, knowing that was ten-and-a-half-years ago now, with them looking so happy and carefree, which they had been. Even though he'd slept through most of eternal night, it still felt like that long ago to him, thanks to everything that's happened, including all the work gone into rebuilding the kingdom of Lucis.
Just as he was about to put it back, Noctis heard footsteps nearby; it was Iris, her own bedroll under one arm. Even as he registered her presence, her expression, she tilted her head to see what he's holding... and then wordlessly, her free hand moved along one corner, lingering there.
Not opposed, he gently pushed the frame into her hand - she held it for awhile, having her own little smile as she traced a finger over the middle.
For his part, he mainly looked at her face, seeing how she still seems affected by what's going on... not without reason, but still.
"I'm glad you kept this, Noct" Iris whispered, slowly handing it back to him.
"I had to" Noctis breathed, carefully stowing it - then he pulled out his own bedroll. "I'll never forget that trip, nor how you were there with us in the beginning."
"Mmh."
He had a brief reaction, feeling it's weirdly reversed now (sometimes): he talking the 'most', and Iris sometimes giving a sound as the sole response... heh, maybe that's what it was like to deal with him, before. Then Noctis stood up, slowly drawing Iris into a hug - while there wasn't a vocal reaction, she physically responded like normal(-if-slowly), just holding him back; this made her bedroll fall with a muffled thump, though they barely noticed.
"I gotta say, Iris" he said, more gentle and assuring. "I think I understand why you're so quiet. But it still bothers me, a little."
A moment or two passed, and she stirred.
"I guess it's part of this habit of mine" Iris breathed, half-to-herself and slower than usual - he said nothing, just listening. "Because of the way things were before, I knew that I didn't have a chance to be with you, even with my feelings. So... I always tried to make sure I didn't get my hopes up."
Looking back at things, he could easily understand why... it must've been hard for her though.
"Even now, it's still there" she continued, faint. "When I tagged along, when I confessed to you, during eternal night, and when we were dating... I never made myself start to believe that it could be this way. And nowadays, I never thought about what things would be like for us,in the future; I just handled it all as it came. And now I'm keeping myself too restrained after I 'exploded' earlier, as if to stop me from really thinking about what's next, or if this is a dream I'm having... or something like that, I guess."
Noctis slowly brought a hand up, brushing against the tips of her hair at first, before gradually getting 'deeper' about it.
It's not unlike how he'd acted, when he was younger... he was reluctant to think about taking up the throne, because he knew that meant dad would have to step down. Add in the fact that he preferred being treated like an equal, rather than the attention being King would give, and it's no wonder he'd purposefully stayed out of the spotlight, even intentionally not bringing Lucis' currency on their trip, so he could blend in with the locals better.
"...I'm sorry if I worried you, Noct" Iris whispered, sniffling once. "About being too quiet, I mean."
He gave a little smile. "It's alright, Iris; I understand where you're coming from. And I'm glad too, that you shared that with me."
"Good. And I think that- that tomorrow, I should be back to normal. Or closer to it anyway."
For a moment, he moved his hands over her back. "Well don't force anything" Noctis breathed, sincere. "Even if it bothers me a little, if you still need time to get it out of your system, I can handle it. Coming to terms with something like that takes time, but I'll help you any way I can."
After a moment, Iris pulled back somewhat - her breath was heavier, and she had a slight film of tears, but there was underlying softness in her expression.
"Thank you" she whispered, a finger moving up and idly tracing his lower lip for several seconds, which he let her do after an initial reaction. "Just one thing, before we rest."
"Yeah?"
She paused. "When you said you thought about everything" Iris whispered, her cheeks reddening. "Did you really mean everything?"
His heart-rate went up, and his lip twitched, but outwardly he only let out a breath - despite the nervousness, the awkwardness, he was un-surprised that she's asking about this. He slipped a hand behind her head, and gently leaned her into a kiss after a few moments, as a way to show everything he felt; she didn't resist, returning the affection instinctively.
"...Yes I did, Iris" Noctis said with effort. "You being Queen, us living together, being intimate... h-having kids-"
Iris shivered, which wasn't unlike how he felt inside.
"-everything" he continued, managing to stay composed (enough). "But as I said, I want things b-between us to happen naturally. So, um, we don't have to talk about those things... not until we're ready."
After two seconds, her eyes half-opened, and for a moment he saw that she was nervous... understandable; he felt the same way, because he knew all this wasn't going to be easy. It didn't last long though, for as she looked at him, her gaze gradually grew to become equal parts soft and intent; it's a look he found himself liking, as he did her ability to handle her own feelings.
She gave him another little kiss.
"That's good to know" Iris whispered, very soft. "Still, the thought of discussing everything with m-my husband... is really something, Noct."
Noctis actually shivered a bit that way, but felt considerably warmer... a-and happy too, in a sheepish, nervous way. In the back of his mind, he knew it's technically 'fiancee', but Iris knew that anyway and is probably saying it on purpose - plus he didn't wanna point this out, as it'd ruin the moment.
His fingers briefly twitched, but he managed to move them to her cheeks.
"It really is" he breathed, more reassuring. "But it's getting late, Iris. Come on."
"Okay."
The next two minutes were silent as they went about settling in, most of which was them unfolding their survival bedspreads, among several other details. By the end, they were laying next to each other, virtually side-by-side yet still dressed in their normal clothes - he was on his back, while Iris was on her side, if without the covers pulled up yet. After a moment, Iris moved closer and rested her head upon his chest, which initially made him a little nervous (even now), but still brought on a little smile as he began tracing her arm with his finger.
They stayed like that for about a minute, with Iris stirring once, but it felt pretty good.
"Tomorrow, you'll probably have to tell me I'm not dreaming."
He gave a little 'mmh'.
"You can tell me the same thing, Iris" Noctis whispered, more gentle. "I prepared myself for this, but- but it still hasn't fully sunk in yet, that I really did it. I'm sure I'll have plenty of reactions too, just as you will."
One moment passed, then she adjusted her head, enough to look at him. "I wouldn't be surprised" she breathed, really soft. "Still, you know what this is reminding me of?"
It didn't take long for him to recognize what she meant, just from her tone: he still vividly remembered when Iris saw him, how she'd jumped into his arms, and all that followed. He briefly glanced at the ceiling as he remembered, recalling the way she'd looked at him inside the tent, teased him, and then finally settled against him.
"That night in Hammerhead."
"Yes. Yes, exactly."
Immediately after, Iris lifted her head and moved closer - the kiss was simple, but had a lot of passion behind it, and he returned it the way she liked.
When she finally pulled back, her lips moved to his ear.
"I love you, Noct."
For a moment, he lay there with some slightly-heavier breathing, before he pulled Iris into another little kiss.
"I-I love you too, Iris."
Ah Noctis, doing what needs to be done sooner rather than later as King, especially if he sees it happening anyway- but least he's had weeks to think things through, whereas Iris is still 'reeling' :P Luckily, there's still more to come.
Still, I was waiting to release this chapter, hehe.