#....admittedly i was beginning to worry about the characterization and then ignis saved me

[moonlight-at-dawn]

Glaive!Noct sent to protect Luna fic, scene 1, first draft

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Noctis double-checked his provision list against his packs, then checked again. He was ready to set out for his mission in the morning. Looking around his small room, he was grateful that he at least had quarters within the Citadel, so he didn't have to worry about leaving his apartment for an extended time. His father had cautioned against getting too involved in the Citadel, lest he accidentally stumble over a line set in blood and stone some two millenia ago. Now with this mission, he wondered if this were the sort of thing Regis had been worried about.

To be the guard of the Oracle's heir as she takes her first solo healing journey around the world. It was a big responsibility, and one that he couldn't believe had been entrusted to him. It wasn't a matter of his skill, but the politics. His ancestor had accidentally killed the first Oracle when trying to slay his own brother. His intent was a matter of debatable morality, given the Starscourge which still plagued the land, but the outcome was undeniable. Some thought that his family line should die out, but it had persisted stubbornly, and with the cautious support of the lineage that had taken over rule of Lucis in his family's stead.

It was that support that now had him on such a high profile mission. He shouldn't have made friends with the prince, that was the problem. But what was done was done, and he had to deal with it. He had to protect Lady Lunafreya no matter what, or he and his father may well be executed. That hadn't been said, of course, and perhaps he was being paranoid, but he had grown up in the slums because of what someone some 70 generations back had done, so he didn't find the fear irrational at all. Even if they weren't executed as part of a legal response to failure, the common people of all the world would surely hold them accountable.

"How many months of this stress will I have?" he muttered, glowering at his packs. A knock at his door made him jump, and he eyed the doorknob suspiciously, knowing his voice had been too low, but wondering if the person on the other side had heard his grumbling anyways. Shaking his head, he took the single step to open the door, and immediately put fist over heart, bowing, "Highness."

Prince Gladiolus snorted and gave him a friendly thump on the shoulder with a large and powerful hand. "What's the glum look for, Noct?" Noctis responded with a raised brow and a bemused expression. Laughing, Gladio strode past him and shut the door, and suddenly the room became crowded. It really wasn't meant for more than one person, especially not if the second person was as large as Gladio. His presence was as powerful as his body. "Look at it this way. You'll be spending months and months alone with a beautiful lady."

"Oh, yes," Noct responded with sarcasm, sitting on the corner of his bed so he could see Gladio on the one lone chair. "The world's least eligible bachelor traveling alone with the world's most beloved woman. I already see myself being threatened everywhere we go. How am I going to protect her when people hate me so much? I'll bring trouble to her!"

Gladio rolled his eyes and tossed something wrapped in cloth his way. "You give yourself too much credit. Most people don't know who the hell you are, and they don't give a shit. It's just 'cause you live in the capital that it's a problem. Getting out of the city will do you and that complex of yours some good."

Unfolding the cloth, Noct raised a brow at the pair of daggers inside. They were marked heavily with magic runes, and when he unsheathed them, he saw the material was of the type that daemons hated the most. He nodded in approval at them and looked up to Gladio. "A gift for the lady, or for me?"

"You. You never did get a decent set of daemon killing gear like I told you, did you?" The sheepish look was all the answer he needed. "Right. Well, take that. And, this," Gladio reached into his coat's inner pocket and drew out folded parchment.

The seal on it glowed with faint magic, and Noct looked it over. Official documents on such a mission weren't such a shock to hold, but still, it was his first time, and he couldn't help but to marvel at it. Of course, technically speaking, the magic involved was his own, from his family line, borrowed with the Ring and Crystal. It was the reason his family never left the capital, in spite of everything they faced. "What's this?"

"Open it up and read it."

That part was a surprise. He expected the orders to be something he had to hand to someone, like Lady Sylva. Not something for his own eyes. Opening it up, he browsed the words, and went pale when he finished. "I can't," he whispered.

"Well, you don't have to. But, shouldn't you be happy? Of all the Glaives, you're the only one who hasn't been allowed the magic, even though you're the only one who doesn't need to be connected to it."

"Yeah, but, that's because, it's different, when it's us," he stammered, looking up from the decree. "If I use magic, it'll be immediately obvious, who I am."

Gladio shook his head and stood up, slapping his friend's shoulder and then urging him towards the door. "Nonsense. People really don't know their lore that well. Now, c'mon. Ignis wants to see you before you leave."

"What about Prompto?"

"Gate duty, but he's your transport out tomorrow, so you'll get your goodbyes."

Noct nodded and grunted a soft understanding from his position a few respectful paces behind Gladio as they walked the halls. They didn't speak much when others were about. It wasn't unusual for his lineage to tag along behind the royalty, but the friendships happened behind doors. It didn't do for it to be public, even if everyone knew anyways. The charade was important. None of that made it easier to bear the scowls that focused on him the moment Gladio stepped past a bowing guard. Traditionally, the Caelums didn't join the glaives. They weren't explicitly barred from it however, and Noct had defied traditions when he had joined.

Gladio led him to Ignis' suite in the Citadel. Their friend was positioned to become Gladio's advisor upon his succession to the throne. The Scientias had served in the Citadel for a few hundred years now, and Ignis was the first to attain such a high position. He was incredibly intelligent and diligent, and Noctis couldn't understand how instead of advising Gladio against the friendship with Noct, he had instead taken to mothering Noct even more than he did his own prince. For all that Noct frequently complained about being held responsible for his ancestor's actions, he found it hard to believe when others actually agreed.

Not bothering to knock once they arrived at the right door, Gladio simply opened it up and let out the wonderful scents coming from the kitchen within. It seemed Ignis had prepared a going away dinner, and Noct wasn't about to complain about that, all his feelings of unworthiness vanishing immediately. Perhaps they should have been stronger then, but there was something in the overbearing way that Ignis cared for his friends that made it impossible to keep them up, at least in the moment. Gladio grinned as they stepped around the corner and into view of the kitchen and dining area.

"Damn Ig, you've outdone yourself," Gladio approved, picking up a bottle of beer and looking it over with a raised brow before popping off the cap with a summoned dagger instead of the tool set right on the counter for it. Ignis sighed with obvious exasperation at the show, but smiled at the compliment all the same.

Noct used the tool to open his, noting that it was one of the craft beers he preferred, rather than the simple cheap beer that the prince was more than happy to have. The jokes that it was obvious Noct was the one descended from a truly royal line because his tastes were so expensive hurt more than he let on, but they seemed absent that night, for which he was grateful. Peering over the counter, he tried to guess what Ignis was putting together, and realized there were far more things going on than he expected. He could at least determine the main course was an Insomnian style curry, the dark, sweet, and slightly spicy kind. Perhaps some of his tastes were rich, but when it came to food, he felt you just couldn't beat a large comfort meal of cheap cuts of meat and rice drenched in a flavorful sauce.

"Oh man, I'm starving," Noct's stomach rumbled as he spoke, and he looked ready to drool.

Gladio laughed and Ignis shooed him back to the table with a smug grin. "Well, you are here to eat, so it's a good thing you're hungry. Now go take a seat, this will be ready soon."

Noct let Gladio grab his shoulder and steer him to the table, and they took a seat, hesitating just a moment before pulling out their phones and loading up the game they all played together. "Hey Ignis," Noct called, thinking of something, "Y'think I'll have internet service on the other continent?"

"Doubtful. Perhaps in Gralea you would, but their technology is different from ours, so it may not be compatible."

"That's what I was afraid of," Noct grumbled, and Gladio laughed at the pout in his voice. "Guess I'll be giving Prompto my account while I'm gone. Don't let him do anything stupid."

"If you are worried he'll mess up your account, then perhaps you should give it to someone else."

Noct didn't reply, just frowned as he was taken more seriously than he had meant it. He knew his friend wouldn't do anything bad to his account, but he was sure to joke like he would. Sighing, he shook his head and looked over his phone at Gladio's smug expression. "What's that look for?"

Gladio turned his phone to display the new rare hero he had just drawn. Noct sat up and sputtered, indignant, and that just drew forth laughter. "Let me train her up then let's do a match. I want to see how she holds up."

"Fine," Noct muttered, pretending to be upset. He had wanted that hero, but he did have another one that would fight well against her, that Gladio didn't yet know he had pulled.

As they played, Ignis set out a tofu soup to start with, and Noct grinned at the sweet chili paste nearby, dumping perhaps a bit too much of it into his bowl before covering it with rice and mixing it all together.

“Save some room for the main dish.”

“Oh, I’ve got room,” Noct assured Gladio with a grin.

“Where do you fit it all?”

“It goes to my muscles.”

“What muscles?”

“The ones I used to kick your ass last week,” Noct smirked. Gladio was still smarting over that loss, and he grew sullen at the reminder.

Ignis interrupted the brotherly bickering, setting another dish in the center of the table, this one a plate of dumplings filled with pork and spicy, pickled cabbage. Noct’s stomach rumbled again, and he pushed his half finished soup aside to attack the dumplings. “I’m gonna miss the hell out of this. ...Oh god, the lady and I are going to be responsible for our own cooking half the time, won’t we? Ignis, any advice?”

“If her cooking skills are similar to your own, I suggest you invest in a stockpile of camp-ready meals.”

“Harsh,” Gladio laughed.

Noct pouted, knowing he wasn’t really that bad. “Igniiis,” he whined, looking to the man.

“I’m not sure what you want me to tell you,” was the reply. Ignis rejoined them, setting down the main dish and taking his own seat at last. “You know how to cook. You have a basic idea of how to compose a reasonably flavored meal. I’m not sure what kind of advice you want to hear.”

“I don’t know…,” Noct floundered. “But, well, you always manage to come up with meals from random ingredients, and we’ll probably travel light, so…?”

“So…?” Ignis asked, brow raised. Noct just stared at him, hopeful. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ignis leaned back and adjusted his glasses as they slid down his nose. “Learn the local food you can forage, and you’ll be able to add more flavors to your stock provisions. That alone should help with variety. And hunting, for fresh meat.”

“And fishing,” Noct suddenly said, dreamy eyed.

Gladio burst out laughing, “You better not gross Lady Lunafreya out with your fishing! You stink when you’ve been at it too long.”

“She shouldn’t mind the extra food,” Noct huffed.

“I agree,” Ignis nodded, and he motioned towards a small dish that sat untouched near Noct. “Put that in your curry.”

“Ignis, it’s a vegetable.”

“Vegetables are good for you. Now, mix it in. Pickled radish is sweet, anyway. You’ll be fine.”

“If you say so,” Noct grumbled, adding one small piece of the bright red vegetable strips to his curry.

“Make sure you don’t get the scurvy out there.”

“The scurvy?” Noct asked Gladio, snorting with laughter. “I’ll be fine. I passed all my health examinations, didn’t I?”

Ignis sighed heavily and shook his head, lamenting. “Only because of our painstaking efforts. Take better care of yourself, Noctis. No one will be looking out for you there.”

Noct bristled, but he fought back the impulse to snap back. Ignis was right, after all, and Noct’s habits did have a way of inspiring concern. Taking in a breath, he met Ignis’ eyes and nodded solemnly. “I will. I’ll be looking out for the lady, and we’ll be sharing meals, so that means looking after myself, right?”

“I suppose that will do,” Ignis agreed, returning the nod.

“You should probably get used to saying her name,” Gladio added, taking a swig of beer. “You can’t keep calling her ‘the lady.’”

Noct flushed slightly and glanced away. He knew that, but if Gladio ever found out about the little crush he’d harbored for the popular woman for years, he’d never hear the end of it. The prince meant well, and indeed he was one of Noct’s best friends and like a brother. Sometimes that ‘like a brother’ part could be a pain. “I’m not planning on insulting her.”

“I should hope not,” Gladio laughed. “You’ll be our representative, after all. You represent me, and Father, and all of Lucis when you’re with her. Do us proud.”

“No pressure,” Noct mumbled wryly.

“Oh, I do believe there is quite a lot of pressure. No one ever tried to pretend otherwise.” Ignis smiled even as he delivered that rather brutal blow. “But you can handle it, Noct. We give you a hard time because we want you to be your best. You’re good, you deserve this chance, and you will do us all proud.”

Noct flushed again, unused to the praise. His chest welled with warmth and pride though, even as he was embarrassed. Gladio nodded and chimed in, seeing the way Noct hung his head a bit and ducked away from the approval. “Ignis is right. I’m being too harsh. It’s the night before you head out, I shouldn’t be stressing you out more. You’ve got this, Noct. You’ve worked hard to prove this point, and I know you’ll be great out there.”

Having the royal approval, having Gladio speak honestly, it helped immensely. He picked up his chin with a hint of that Caelum pride and managed something of a smirk. “Thanks, guys. I won’t let you down.”