#Prompto ran in a circle around him

[ahdenyadahling]

Final Fantasy XV - Fate & Destiny

note: mild violence/language

Chapter Six, Part Two

My throat tightened as my feet carried me toward the rear exit. I shielded my eyes with one hand as I stepped into the light of mid-afternoon, finding my four companions under the shade of a nearby tree, listening to the news on the radio.

A fifth man stepped into view, a living legend among his peers. Cor the Immortal, known for slaying hundreds of enemies with nary a scratch. Seeing the man in front of me now, extending his hand to me in greeting, he appeared disappointingly normal. I began to doubt these rumors. One’s expectations of an immortal being would make him seven feet tall with fire in his eyes, his bare chest three feet wide and a dozen weapons on his back. This man was none of those things. In fact, I was sure I had met him before, ten years or so ago, in my own home.

The pressure on my hand forced my eyes to his. Cold as stone were his eyes and his expression. “Ardenia, congratulations. Monica and Ignis have informed me of your situation. The boys here have a little errand to run for Dave, so I will instruct you to the best of my ability in the meantime.”

My heart fluttered at a name I recognized, “Dave? Dave Auburnbrie?”

Ignis nodded, “The very same.”

I smiled, recalling the times he and my father would sit around the kitchen table, talking about bounties and having a few drinks. “Tell him I said hello.”

“We should be back by sundown,” Noctis informed me with a nod, taking the lead and stepping away.

I reached out, grasping the closest arm and giving it a little tug. Gladio paused and looked down at me, forcing a smile and a nod. I nodded back. He would watch out for Prompto in my absence. While the four of them ran toward the car, Cor led me to a flat patch of desert, with no rocks or brush around for fifty feet or so.

“Never thought I’d be training you, Ardenia. What would Art say?”

“He would tell me to do my best.”

“The guys told me about your Scroll, your Debt. You could go about your… obligations the easy way,” Cor manifested his weapon nevertheless. The slim long sword flickered in the sunlight as he circled around me like a predator.

“I could,” I replied, quickly bringing my whip into my hand, “but I’m not forcing myself against his will.”

Cor smirked at my weapon of choice. “Huh, very old-fashioned, as are you and your morals. And secondary?” The forty-something man with the average yet toned build shook his head in disappointment as I brought forth my other weapon. “You intend to fight to the death using these? A whip and a handmade bo, versus swords, guns and Magitek?”

Now that I heard that aloud, my confidence faltered. I had thought I was doing well in my training with Gladio, but perhaps he was holding back because I’m a girl, and they still felt like I was the one who still needed protecting.

Cor brought his weapon down toward my neck, and I gasped as I jumped back, clumsily blocking the blow with my bo in my left hand. I took another step back, trying to get out of range of the sword as he advanced on me, then summoned my whip to my right hand. I lashed out, wrapping the weapon around Cor’s wrist, but to my dismay, he pulled it toward him, and me along with it. Off-balance from his movement, I stumbled forward, and his right fist connected with my cheek twice. My world went dark as I unwillingly released my weapons and clutched my injured face. Tears from the impact streamed down my cheeks as I lay prone in the sand, not recalling my fall. Blood dripped from my mouth or my nose, I’m not sure which.

A shadow loomed over me. “So you’ve never been punched before. How about this?”

He punted his boot straight into my stomach, and I wheezed as he knocked the wind out of me. I tried to cough the sand out of my mouth; I tried to inhale hot, painful air; I tried not to curl into a ball and cry over the pain and embarrassment I felt. He had proven in two moves how useless I was and what a mistake it would be to have me in Noctis’s group, and he didn’t even have to use a weapon.

“Second chance to do this the easy way.”

He didn’t want me to fight. He wanted me to fail, to see I was unworthy of the duty Noct bestowed onto me, that my only path was to marry the weakest member of Noct’s group and get him out of the way as well. Anger welled inside of me as I fought to breathe. How dare he underestimate me. It occurred to me that I had made my decision already, by taking up arms in the first place. I was going to fight. I was going to protect that young man who selflessly put himself in danger to help me. I was going to protect the young man who volunteered to set me on this course, to make me stronger, make me capable. I was going to protect the man who was our paragon, who kept us on track with his wisdom and diligence. I was going to protect the young man who had lost everything and still pushed forward, for he was the Chosen One. My Debt Scroll may have been written for one man, but now my life was meant for serving four. And the Marshal helped me realize this epiphany.

Still wheezing, eyes squeezed shut against the sand and pain, spitting blood, I crawled to my knees.

“You don’t learn, do you?”

I do learn, I thought with agitation, and I summoned my bo to block another kick. Cor let out an amused grunt, and I used that sound to determine where he stood. I regained my footing though my knees still shook, but brought up my bo quickly, angrily, aiming for the soft spot between his legs. He grunted again with the impact, and I twirled my bo to get a shorter grip; I hit him in the face as he fell forward. This Immortal fell to the ground in a fetal position, and as the water drained from my eyes and I was finally able to see, I set my bo on his shoulder and leaned lazily on it.

“I don’t want to do this the easy way.”

He smirked through the pain. “Perhaps you are your father’s daughter.”

After half an hour of recovery time, we resumed our training, though Cor wished to concentrate on my weak spot, hands-on fighting. He was only an inch or two taller than I, so we were basically eye to eye. Patiently, he instructed me to watch the opponents eyes, that a weak one will betray their movements by glancing at the place they were aiming. A more experienced fighter would try to feint, to get you to make an opening. I learned a lot from Cor that afternoon, and as the sun set on that day, we met up with Monica, who have me a minor healing potion to clear up my swollen face. I sat out back with the two of them, enjoying a drink and the cooling night air until I heard the Regalia pull up. I jumped to my feet and rushed to the front door, counting each man as he stepped away from the vehicle. I breathed a sigh of relief counting all four.

Noctis reached me first, a lopsided smile on his face, “Still standing after a training session?” He playfully made a punch for my arm, but I blocked it and murmured, “Barely.” He went on, “Dave said hi. We nearly got reamed out for not bringing you along, but… he was glad that you’re following in your dad’s footsteps. It really sounds like your dad was a great man.” He set a hand on my shoulder as if he wanted to say something else, but I had a feeling his thoughts went to his own father, and I stepped forward to give him a quick embrace. He held me awkwardly for a moment, then stepped into the rickety building on his way toward Cor. Prompto gave me a fist-bump on his way by, and Ignis nodded in greeting, his jaw stiffening at the sight of dried blood on my shirt. He also paused as if he wanted to say something, but he lowered his eyes and continued on. Gladio was last, and his smile faded as he approached, seeing me waiting under a lantern lit by the door.

Boldly, he reached out and lifted my chin so he could better inspect my face in the fading light. He ran his rough thumb over my lips, his expression concerned. The warmth of his fingers made me weak in the knees.

“You didn’t have this scar this morning,” his eyes were hard but his voice was quiet, and his expression softened. “I want to—” he pulled his hand away hastily, “I mean,” he smiled sheepishly as he stepped back, but he couldn’t hide the blush forming on his cheeks in the shadows in time. His amber eyes met mine as he whispered, “I like it.” He hurried past me to join the others.

I stood under the lantern light where a few large moths began to gather, and I was filled with a mix of shock and confusion. What did he mean by that? It seemed he was angry at Cor for fighting me to the point where a healing potion wasn’t enough to eradicate a scar, but he liked it? I brought my own finger to my lip, tracing the small vertical scar on the left side of my lower lip. I must have got this with the first punch Cor threw at me.

“Hey!” Prompto called from the back doorway, “You wanna join us? Cor’s got the greatest stories.”

“Yeah,” I turned toward him, my finger still on my lip where Gladio’s touch had left it tingling pleasantly. Why am I so giddy about this? Do I like him? I thought about those kind amber eyes and his gentle way with me, his graceful movements as he taught me how to fight, and I felt conflicted. Was it him my heart already loved? Why did my mother put that thought in my head?

Not wanting to intrude on their gathering, I pulled up a lawn chair roughly twenty feet from them and laid it all the way back. I was able to watch the sky turn from a lavender and pink to orange and deep blue, watching for sprinklings of stars and constellations. I wanted to occupy my mind with stories of the Six, folklore and legends rather than worry about my emotions and the constant flushing of my cheeks. I looked up two or three times to check on the boys, and each time, Gladio was watching me, but he quickly turned away and continued his conversation. Probably an hour later, as the crescent moon waxed along the sky, the entourage began to separate. Cor and Monica headed into the garage while Noctis, Prompto and Ignis started for the RV camper just beyond one of the traveling Hunter’s supply trucks.

I was not surprised when Gladio pulled up a chair beside mine, positioning it the same and laying back. He rested one hand behind his head, the other raised to the sky. He proceeded to point out specific stars and how he used them to guide the group. A smirk formed on my lips as I recalled that he was the one my mother tried to give the scroll to first. My situation would seem a lot easier if I had only listened to her. But I had to be truthful. No matter how much I daydreamed about sharing my first kiss with a man like Gladio, so strong and yet soft-hearted, or with someone like Ignis, refined and intelligent, it couldn’t stop me from realizing I had a responsibility to Prompto. I bit my scarred lip and my gaze turned from the starlight and my thoughts turned inward. My path wasn’t set in stone, as Ignis reminded me. I still had a choice on whether I wanted to die for that boy or not. It scared me to think of what kind of situation we would be in where I couldn’t rely on Noctis, Ignis or Gladiolus, and I would have to step up. What would my death be like? Would they grieve for me?

Or shall I live, putting my efforts into keeping him happy? I wouldn’t know how. I don’t know much more than his name and his unhealthy love of Chocobos. How was I supposed to convince him, who was blinded over beautiful Cindy Aurem, that to fulfill my duty, my destiny, I was to wed him?

My brow furrowed as I delved deeper into that context. Did that mean I had to bed him? For some odd reason, that thought hadn’t crossed my mind before now, and a shiver ran through my body. My mother had explained the basics of sex in one excruciatingly uncomfortable afternoon, but I still didn’t understand. I was nineteen and a virgin, and suddenly I had to think about giving myself to a stranger.

“Hey, are you okay?” Gladio must have seen my body jerk, and he reached over to touch my arm, but recoiled. “Damn, your skin is like ice. It’s true what they say about the desert at night. Let’s get you inside. I’m sure Specs is nearly finished cooking dinner, too.” He got to his feet first and extended his hand to me.

I hesitated, finally realizing what he was doing. All of these little touches, the glances, the smiles. He was achieving what I couldn’t with Prompto. I had to learn from this, I had to learn how to flirt. I gave him my hand and he lifted me to my feet as if I were light as a feather. In reality, I was taller and heavier than Noctis, certainly heavier than Prompto and Ignis. I frowned, casting my eyes down to the sand. I certainly didn’t have the feminine body like Cindy. I looked like a semi-sculpted brick with boobs. No wonder Prompto never looked in my direction. So I was somewhat baffled when Gladio pulled me closer to him and rubbed warmth into my bare arms as we walked toward the camper. He stepped away as we approached, to avoid being seen together in the light.

“Hey, Specs,” he greeted, breathing deeply, “Smells great, as always.”

“Hmm,” was the reply.

Noctis and Prompto were at a picnic table playing a game on their phones, barely looking up. Although my stomach rumbled at the scent of Ignis’s creation, I announced that I was going straight to bed, that Cor had wore me out. The two at the table seemed appeased by that excuse, but as I started for the door, Ignis stepped in front of me, a plate in his hand.

“You need to eat first, you need to retain your strength.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice confidentially, “Of your body and mind. Eat, sleep, and we’ll speak at dawn.”

Obediently, I nodded, taking my plate and entering the camper alone. I tried not to see the hurt expression on Gladio’s face, like I had brushed him aside, but he turned to join Noctis at the table. Inside, I sat on the couch to eat, and glancing around my surroundings, determined that was where I would sleep. There was a main bedroom on one end of the RV which held a bed for two, perhaps three people if they were slim. The other end had a bunk above the couch that could fit two. Neither Gladio nor I were slim, and I wasn’t comfortable sharing a bed alone with any of them. True to my word, I was asleep, curled in a blanket by the time they entered. I didn’t hear anything they said, or the dishes being washed, or how they used the sink to clean some of the road grime away. I was out cold until the early morning light shone through the small windows. I used the restroom and washed my hands, then opened the door into the hall/kitchen. In the main bedroom to my right, Ignis and Gladio slept back-to-back, one with all the sheets and the other with all the blankets.

On the other end of the room, Prompto had his arm draped over Noctis, protecting him even as he slept. I could only tell it was Prompto by the assortment of leather bracelets around his wrists.

Quietly, I slipped outside, enjoying the last moments of cool air before the blazing sun burned it away. I began my stretches and was nearing the end of my sit-ups when Ignis joined me outside.

[prodigyofthesky]

Did the new FFXV patch add new banter?

Like maybe it was just dumb luck but @amouress16 and I were playing FFXV last night and we heard a bunch of lines we've never heard before 😂

[prmptoargentum]

wow thats uhhhhhhh pretty gay

[nothing-but-dreamy]

DRUNK CONFESSION

Pairing: Gladio x Fem!Reader

Words: 1.367

Warnings: none, fluff

Synopsis: After a night in Lestallum's nightlife, yn makes an unplanned confession.

Laughing and swaying, Yn bumped into Gladio as they were on their way back to the hotel 'Leville'. She giggled as she bounced back from his solid body. Gladio held her steady with his hands on her small shoulders before she would trip over, "You belong into your bed, sweetheart.", he chuckled, amused how yn tried to get a clearer mind by shaking her head.

"No... I'm fine...", she mumbled and looked up at the huge King's Shield. Suddenly, she stopped giggling. She stared into Gladio's eyes and into his face, taking in every inch as if she saw him for the very first time, "Why are you so damn beautiful.", yn said low, sounding more sober than minutes ago.

Shaken with surprise, Gladio raised his brows, "W-what?"

"You're beautiful. Sure, you're also sexy, tall, handsome, all this but also so god damn beautiful with your amber eyes, your soft brown hair, your perfect lips."

Insecurely, Gladio chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. It was one thing to be confident about oneself but it was something different if someone else was so straight forward mostly when it was yn who wasn't known for such outbreaks, "Come on, you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying.", Gladio said laughing, trying to push yn softly into the right direction.

But she stopped and stemmed herself against his moves, "I'm serious, Gladio.", she slurred, "You're the most beautiful man I have ever seen. And then, you're also so nice and sweet and strong. You're the epitome of walking perfection."

"Thank you very much. We-"

"I understand why you're so successful with women. Although, if I think about it now, there were barely any new trophies by your side recently. Why's that? Why are you going out for drinks with me instead of having fun with some ladies?"

"Come, we bring you to bed."

"And my questions?", yn asked stubbornly.

"Here's the deal: if you go to bed now and you can still remember this weird conversation later, I will answer the questions. Alright?"

"Deal. And don't think you can escape me easily.", yn said serious, stumbling forward.

"Yeah, I fear I can't.", Gladio whispered concerned.

***

The next morning, yn sneaked out of her room she shared with Iris to go down the hallway in search of Gladio. The door of the boy's room was already open. Prompto sat on his bed with crossed legs and checked the pictures he had made the day before.

"Hey, Prompt. Where's Gladdy?"

"He said something about the panorama view spot. I guess he wants to see the meteor in the morning light. Would be a nice motive tho..."

"Thanks."

"Hey, uhm... Is everything alright between you and him?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't it be?", Yn asked confused.

"Well...", Prompto said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Prompt, spit it out."

"He was unusually quiet as he came back. And I guess, he had barely slept considering the dark circles and the grumpy mood."

"Oh... I'll go and check on him."

***

As yn found Gladio, he leant against the handrail, supporting himself with his arms and letting his eyes wander over the view. Slowly, she approached him and for the first time, she wasn't sure how things were between them, "Good morning.", she said softly and watched how Gladio stiffened by the sound of her voice.

"Morning.", he answered low.

She stopped next to him, copying his posture while looking over the scene. The view was indeed incredible. As he stayed silent, she knew she had to start, "Prompt said you haven't slept. Was it because of my ... confession last night?", she asked softly and watched how Gladio pressed his jaw together while he kneaded his hands.

"You still remember that, huh?", he asked low, avoiding her eyes.

"Yeah... I mean, I was the one who had said all these things and I... Even if I drink very, very much, I barely forget something. Boon and bane of me.", yn explained, "I also remember my questions about your ladies or rather ... the absence of ladies. I... Look, I want to apologize. I shouldn't have asked all these things about your private life."

"And all the other things? About my appearance?", Gladio asked, turning his head towards her but still not looking into yn's eyes.

"Sorry, big guy, I meant them. All of it. Maybe I wouldn't have blurted them out if I hadn't been drunk or... wouldn't have said them at all, but... I won't take them back. I really meant them. I guess, your ego can handle that because you're used to such compliments."

Gladio nodded but stayed silent.

"But like I said it's not me to judge whom you meet or not. So, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me.", Yn said and as he still stayed silent, she decided to leave him alone to give him some space and time.

"It's because of you.", Gladio said low.

"W-what?"

"That there aren't any 'ladies' around me.", Gladio said, copying her choice of words, "That's because of you. And no, no one called me beautiful before. At least, not as you did."

"Wait a sec! What do you mean with "it's because of me"? I haven't done anything!"

"You didn't have to. I developed feelings for you therefore, I already spend time with the lady I prefer the most."

"Gladio, I... I had no idea."

"And that's how it should be. You shouldn't feel obliged and I didn't want to make it awkward between us."

"You mean awkward like right now?"

"Yeah... I mean, I would lie if I say I wouldn't feel flattered about your compliments but...you were drunk-"

"You know what they say: children and fools tell the truth.", yn said and closed up on Gladio who looked at the ground. Never before, she had seen this big guy so intimidated and insecure, "Gladio, I really meant every single word. And I... I could imagine more between us than just a friendship. I just never thought I would be your type."

Gladio shook his head and chuckled while he stepped forward, taking one of her hands in his, drawing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, "So, we both want more and neither of us said something?"

"I did say something yesterday! Maybe we should have gone out earlier...", yn considered thoughtfully while tapping her lips with her index finger.

Gladio cupped her face with his free hand, craning her head up to meet his eyes, "And maybe we should just kiss?"

"Better idea, big guy.", Yn said with a bright smile. She got on her tiptoes to reach his lips while Gladio bent down to kiss her softly. Quickly, the kiss became stronger and yn flung her arms around his neck while Gladio embraced her waist to bring her closer and to cherish the moment that increased his heartbeat...

"Yes! Finally! Ahhh!"

Startled by the sudden turmoil, Gladio and yn separated and turned over to the source of the noise. They saw Prompto, Noctis and Ignis lying tangled together on the ground with Iris on top of them who smiled from ear to ear triumphantly, "I almost thought you two would never come together. It took you two ages!"

"What to the biting Sabertusk is going on here?", Yn called out, chuckling and watching how her friends got slowly back on their feet.

While Noctis and the others tried to clean their clothes from the dust, Iris ran towards yn and embraced her strongly, "Finally! You two are perfect together.", the small bubbly girl said giggling.

While yn embraced Iris back, she saw an exchange of Gil between the boys. Noctis and Ignis gave a small amount of money to Prompto. Prompto, grinning from ear to ear, counted the money while Noctis stood there with crossed arms, "One more month and I would have won.", the prince muttered.

"Don't worry, your highness, next time, I will ask you for permission.", Yn said chuckling.

Gladio stepped forward, placing his hand on yn's shoulder, "Next time?", he asked with one raised brow but with a smirk on his lips.

Yn looked up, "Just kidding.", she said with a wink.

[lune-hime]

Future (Chocobros x f!Reader)

“How did you imagine our future?” 

↞Noctis↠

The blossoms tickled your cheek as you turned to regard the prince. His question was asked with a tone as light as the crisp night air.

“Well, last I checked we were still getting married.” You chuckled, reaching out to idly caress a velvety petal between your fingertips. “It will be a grand wedding, no doubt.”

Noctis hummed contently next to you, your forms spread out in the vast field.

“We can expect nothing less from Specs.” He added. The two of you giggled at the image of a Ignis as a wedding planner.

“What should we do for the honeymoon?” You speculated to the starry sky, gaze getting lost in the endless maze of constellations.

“Sleep.” Noctis replied dreamily. You huffed and shook your head in disbelief, the movement causing petals to fall into your splayed locks.

“How about going fishing?” He proposed. The scowl you gave him caused an amused smile to settle on his smooth features.

“Altissia and a little sleeping and fishing on the side?” He offered in a last ditch attempt to fit his two favorite activities into the plans.

“That sounds more like it.” You sighed happily, letting the coolness of the midnight breeze delicately prickle your skin.

“Y/N.” Noctis cooed, the sound as smooth as the surface of the flowers. You turned back towards him, heart lighting up when you were met with his smile. The euphoria only lasted a moment, however, before the once pleasant chill of the night began giving you goosebumps.

“Promise me something.” He requested in a feigned upbeat tone. You could tell he was trying to mask the sadness in his voice.

You nodded once, watching the corners of his mouth quiver slightly.

“Anything.” You whispered. Noctis’ touch was temperate in contrast to the brisk air as he reached out to run his palm along your jawline.

“Promise me you won’t let me ruin your future."

Every physical aspect of reality had seemed to halt in that moment. You no longer had any sense of time nor of the itchy feeling of the blades of grass against your bare legs. You could no longer see the complex colors of the heavens and the moons seemed like dull street lights in the sky. The cold wind no longer bit at your skin. You felt completely numb to everything except Noctis.

“What?” You choked, suddenly feeling like a rock was lodged into your throat. Noctis’ shook his head, silently telling you not to cry, and flashed you another grin.

“Please do everything we just talked about, either for yourself or with someone who makes you happy.” His voice cracked at the second half of his phrase, but he retained his grin.

“I’m so sorry I’m not able to give you that future, goddess knows I would have given you the entirety of Eos.” His sapphire eyes reflected the dazzling lights in the sky and his gaze was filled with thousands of words he would never be able to say to you.

“Instead of living in my memory, live for my memory, okay?” His eyes softened into a smile of their own as he regarded you like it was the last time he ever would.

Suddenly, you felt the sudden urge to embrace him but before you could throw yourself into his arms, he had disappeared on the wind and you felt yourself being dragged out of the field with a swift tug.

“Rise and shine, Y/N. By the six, we need to find a new expression for that now. Time for another hunt.” Iris sang as she gingerly shook you awake. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you craned your neck to peek out the tent window to regard the dark world that awaited for you. Heaving yourself up from your sleeping back, you rubbed your eyes and cracked your back with a resounding pop before getting to your feet. After slipping on your boots, you gave the jewel around your left ring finger a loving twirl as you walked out to the campsite. Even in the shadows of Eos, the little gem still managed to shine.

“I promise, Noct.”

He was now your past, but you would forever be his future.  

↞Prompto↠

He was the personification of a wilting flower. His once bright eyes were now sunken and bordered by heavy bags. He barely showed his dazzling smile anymore, so you had said goodbye to the little dimple on his cheek weeks ago. Even his once vibrant golden locks had seemed to dim in hue along with the rest of the world. When Eos lost its sunlight, so did you.

You barely registered the question he posed into his lukewarm coffee. Your heart broke when you hear the hopelessness in his voice.

Turning towards him, you reached over only to brush past his arm to grab his camera lying on the diner counter. Prompto looked over to you with slight interest, still slumped weakly in his chair. You flipped through the photos, pressure bubbling behind your eyes at the happiness of your youth. He always kept old pictures on his camera to make sure he never forgot what life used to be like. Photos were physical and more tangible compared to memories, anyway. You blinked back the wetness in your eyes until you found it.

Wordlessly you slid the camera over to him, and he picked it up with gentle hands. Once his gaze met the screen, they starting shaking and the camera began to fall from his grasp. You placed your hands firmly over his, securly holding the device in place.

It was a selfie Prompto took of the two of you at Wiz’s Chocobo Post early on in your journey. Sandwiched in between the two of you was your own Chocobo, Blueberry, his periwinkle feathers bristling in excitement and his beak open in mid chirp. Happiness radiated off you and Prompto, your smiles overtook all the other features of your face and the afternoon sun casted a cheerful glow over the image.

Prompto sucked in a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

“This was our future.” You gestured towards the photo with a sad smile. You removed your hands from his and used them to cup his cheeks, turning him to face you. It was the first time in a while you had gotten him to directly look at you.

“And it still is.” You stated, voice unwavering. As you looked into his eyes, all the memories of your Prompto flashed through your mind like the title credits of a movie. A happy smile found it's way to your lips this time.

“You are forever my sunshine, even more now so that the world has grown dark. And we will find the light again.” You sealed your promise to him with a soft kiss, his arms immediately coming to cup your forearms gently. When you pulled away you saw a few stray tears had begun staining his cheeks but more importantly that dazzling smile that could drive the darkness away with one glance.  

↞Ignis↠

The soft puff of air that left your mouth tickled the corner of Ignis’ lips. Your hesitation caused his heart to sink. He bit his lip nervously, teeth worrying over the chapped skin. He didn't mean to sour the previously sweet and intimate moment but the question had become a chronic worry of his. The various fictional situations of his disability somehow ruining your constantly ran through his mind and were gnawing on his insides.

In the absence of a response, he felt his intrusive thoughts begin to manifest into reality. Before he could turn away, however, your hands on his chest rose to gingerly clasp onto his cheeks, forcing him to face you. Through his clouded vision, he could only see the shadow of your movements but he knew your features were contorted in the way they did when you were trying to articulate a particular feeling.

“I didn't picture it like this, but I know you didn't either.” You almost laughed, bringing his face closer and looking into those milky green orbs. Although seemingly lifeless, they still sparkled with the same vigor the man had expressed before the incident. Brushing his eyelids shut with gentle fingertips, you replaced your touch with a feather light kiss to both of them. When you pulled back, the look of adoration on Ignis’ face made your heart swell. Who knew such a simple thing like a kiss could calm the tidal waves of insecurity that resided within the man.

“But I wouldn't change a thing, because even though the world went to shit, I still have you. And you are still you no matter what happens.”

↞Gladiolus↠

Gladiolus’ question replaced the comfortable silence between the two of you as you maneuvered through the briarwood. The inquiry made you laugh and you almost slipped at the minor distraction, boots squelching against the muddy ground. Gladiolus, reflexes as nimble as ever, gripped your arm thus preventing you from coming into contact with a sizeable bramble bush.

“Well, our lives haven’t exactly been a fairytale now have they?” You replied sarcastically, the both of you chuckling as he lifted up a low hanging vine so you could step under.

“I mean, sure I obviously thought it would be a lot different than this-” You started, abruptly stopping in the middle of the path much to Gladiolus’ confusion.

“But look.” You smiled, pointing to the sky. Gladiolus followed your finger to the thick canopy of the woods. A clearing in the branches allowed for pale rays of sunlight to seep through the dense foliage, the sun warming his skin and causing him to squint. His eyes started to sting from it’s intensity, but it was a welcoming feeling. What wasn’t welcome, however, was the moisture that began collecting in his eyes.

“And we have this” You stated, taking his hand and guiding it to rest on the slight bump of your stomach. He splayed his palm and rubbed soothing circles against the fabric of your shirt. He regarded you with an adoration he never knew he would get to experience.

“Thank you, Noct, for giving us this future.” Gladiolus said to the sky, his voice thick with a menagerie of emotions. The sun had given back their ability to live, but it was the boy behind the sun that had given Eos a second chance to shine.

↞Bonus↠

“Noct for the thousandth time NO we are not spending our honeymoon at the recreational fishing area.” You retorted over your shoulder as you sped walked to keep up with a swift paced Ignis. Why did he have to have such long legs?

Ignis was simultaneously speed firing you questions regarding the shapes and materials of various dining wares and whether or not you wanted hydrangeas or lilies placed in the center of each table as the three of you maneuvered through the elaborate department store. Well, it was more like the two of you with how far back Noctis was straggling behind. While Ignis was like a worker bee buzzing from section to section, the prince on the other hand was taking a leisurely stroll; touching random items here and there but not regarding them with much enthusiasm. You had told him that it was fine if he didn’t come; you were enjoying planning out your wedding enough for the two of you. But Noctis protested, saying that even though it wasn’t his favorite thing to do, he wanted to be there because at the end of the day it was both your wedding.

Ignis abruptly stopped in front of a vast display of fabrics, carefully inspecting each one with fine detail. You patiently waited behind the advisor, giving Noctis some time to catch up.  

“On any other occasion a weekend fishing with you sounds heavenly, but I don’t want to spend our honeymoon smelling like trout and stinky worms.” You stated, grimacing at the thought of your cute outfits smelling like dead fish.

“Which one of these do you fancy would be suitable for the table cloths for the reception?” Ignis inquired, shoving a book of samples into your hands as he slowly moved down the line of textiles. A moment later, Noctis popped up behind you, idly looking at the samples from over your shoulder. Once you noticed his presence, you held them up so he could get a better view.

“Black obviously.” Noctis declared blandly. It was clear to everyone that he wasn’t that into the whole wedding planning process and was more excited for the actual event than having to be involved in everything that went into arranging it. It didn’t help that he had to get up two hours earlier than he normally did either.

“Of course, Noct, but which black.” Ignis exhaled, looking close to short circuiting. The cloth samples were indeed both a dark shade of cobalt, but they differed in pattern and sheen. Taking matters into your own hands you pointed to the silk cloth with intricate silver embroidering.  

“This one is pretty, Iggy.” You chimed in, wanting to keep Ignis’ sanity intact and let Noctis be done with the whole process as soon as possible.

“Couldn’t agree more, Y/N. You always have had the better sense of aesthetics out of the two of you.” Ignis praised before immediately moving onto the next item on the list, leaving behind an annoyed Noctis. You choked back a laugh and turned to face him, poking his puffed cheeks until his pout turned into a smile.

“How about we go to Altissia, with some fishing on the side?” He proposed, grasping your hands and lowering them from his face to intertwine his fingers with yours.

“It’s a deal!” You beamed, bouncing on your heels. The excitement on your features set off sparks in Noctis’ chest.

“If I receive some persuasion, maybe we can throw in a few naps in there too.” You added playfully, swaying your entangled hands from side to side.

“Oh, we can do more than just nap.” Noctis grinned, taking his hands out of yours and fluidly moving to lightly tickle your sides, offering an animated shriek from you. Just as you were getting into a small tickle fight, the buzzing of the store’s intercom system activated.

“Stop dilly-dallying lovebirds and lets get a move on, we still have to go to the caterer’s office after this. I am in isle 24, the silverware section.” Ignis’ unamused voice echoed off every surface of the building.

The two of you exchanged a look of disbelief before breaking out into hysterical laughter.

“Better not keep him waiting.” You patted his chest and broke away from his embrace. Noctis rolled his eyes and placed a kiss to your forehead before the two of you ran hand in hand to your lovely wedding planner.

[mehbzz]

Home

I had the sudden urge to try and write some hurt/comfort TLC with our A/B/O chocobros.  An impulsive bit of writing that probably needs some editing but it fulfilled my itch! SFW, maybe 2 lines of mild suggestiveness. Just some snuggles and love. 

You had dreamt about home. You had woken with an odd mix of guilt and sadness that had eventually dissipated and left you feeling muted and distant. You were aware you were bringing up the idea of getting home less often, and thinking about it even less so and whether by design or by accident your pack were also rather quiet on the subject. The fact that you had started internally thinking of them as your pack added another burst of guilt to your already fraught emotions. You knew the sadness was there, but you couldn’t feel it, couldn’t feel much of anything that morning except a hazy cloud of brooding disinterest. Of course the boys had noticed immediately, the lack of privacy for your own feelings souring your mood further and after your fifth snapped response to their pestering they had quietly backed off. The day had passed in a majority of uncomfortable silence, you being dragged along with one alpha or another as they finished up whatever business they had in town.  

You were all now sat in the diner around the corner from the hotel. You were staring blankly out the window at nothing, fiddling absentmindedly with your napkin. Gladio had ordered for you, after you had shaken your head silently at the waitress.  Not really caring what he had asked for but the plate that was put in front of you had been a pleasant surprise. You weren’t aware Gladio paid that much attention to your eating habits but seeing your favourite food in front of you sent a small wave of grateful happiness through your low mood. “Thank you” your words are quiet and you offered him a small smile when he locked eyes with you. “You need to eat it all” his words are gruff and if you didn’t know better you’d think there was a light pink tinge to his cheeks. Before you can muster up the energy to tease him Prompto is pushing into your side. “You gotta try this” Holding up what looks like a fry dipped in his milkshake you eye it warily. “No thanks?” “Come on! Trust me it’s -”, a cough from Ignis has him lowering his offering in disappointment. “Aw man, you don’t know what you’re missing out on” He remains close to your side as you go back to your own food. You don’t feel particularly hungry but you can feel Gladio and Ignis watching you and you don’t have the energy to argue. You must have zoned out again as Ignis soft call of your name startles you. “Noctis is having trouble with his back this evening”, he repeats, “We were discussing delaying our trip for a day” You glance at Noct and you know immediately that’s it’s a lie but you don’t care enough to point it out or to wonder what they are up to this time. You shrug. “Ok” “A day off will do us all good” Ignis continues, watching you intently as he speaks but you just nod and give another quiet ok in response.

“It’ll be fun!” Prompto swivels back to you “I can show you some of the cool shots I got yesterday, there’s a couple of really funny ones of Noct when he – “ Noctis cuts him off with a low warning growl and you can’t help but smile at the playful threat. Prompto raises his hands in mock surrender before turning back to you. “First photos I’ll show you” he whispers before he continues his plan for the day. “Just chillin with some trashy TV and a pile of junk food,” he pauses and glances at Ignis, “uh, right Iggy?” Ignis stares at him before sighing “I will pick something up on the way back to the hotel” “Great!” Prompto’s enthusiasm is infectious and you find yourself nodding along as he continues his ideas for the day. Leaving Ignis to sort out the bill the rest of you start a slow walk back to the hotel. With Prompto and Noctis walking in front of you still arguing over whatever embarrassing pictures he had on his camera, you feel a little happier than you did before your meal but you still feel tense and oddly exposed, even with Gladio walking next to you. He steps closer, wrapping an arm round your waist to bring you tight into his side. He doesn’t say anything, which you are incredibly grateful for, just leans down to press a lingering kiss to your temple. Smothered into his side makes all your senses scream ‘safe’ and relaxing into his hold you are back at your hotel room before you know it. With another kiss he pushes you through the door with a sharp smack to your backside. He laughs at your reaction and lets his hand linger on your ass as he guides you in to the middle of the room. “Shoes off” The way he kneels down in front of you sends a mild buzz of arousal through you, which he notices, because of course he does, and he winks at you as you place your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself. “I think you like me down here” With your shoes off his hands glide up your legs to the button of your jeans and you roll your eyes in mock annoyance. “I can take my own jeans off” he ignores your comment and instead places a quick kiss to your stomach as he yanks the fabric down your legs.

Your protest turns into a yelp as Gladio hoists you up over his shoulder to deposit you unceremoniously on his bed. “Get comfy” your disappointment as you watch him walk into the bathroom is short lived as Noctis and Prompto instantly try to snuggle you down into the mattress with them. Your hiss of annoyance is half-hearted and they both ignore it. Noct slipping straight into his favourite position at your side, head resting against your chest while Prompto grabs the remote to the TV before laying his head in your lap. Noct’s usual technique at comforting you was an unusual method of ‘bothering you until you pet him’ rather than outright affection but the way he was purring softly as you ran your fingers through his hair was actually calming, you had to admit. And the knowledge of the little huff he would have afterwards when he noticed the state of his hair added a small boost of amusement to your mood. Although the way he noses at your nipple through your shirt has you groaning in slight annoyance. “Not now Noct.” You can practically hear the whine building up in his throat but he doesn’t push you further, just shifts until his head is resting comfortably on your chest.

The sound of the TV and Noct’s gentle purring lulls you in to a drowsy peaceful state. Prompto quiet murmur of your name has your attention drawn back to him. He wants to say something or ask you something, you can tell from the sudden flux of nervousness in his scent and you brace yourself.  Instead he presses a quick kiss to your thigh that surprises a giggle out of you so he does it again. “I’m glad you’re here” his words are quiet, whispered against your skin in-between his kisses but the sincerity in them is obvious and you bite your lip to stop yourself from crying. “You are too, right?” His question hurts, and your thoughts from the morning come rushing back to you. You were glad, but the guilt at feeling like that was overpowering at times.  You hum noncommittally in response, not trusting yourself to answer. Noct obviously notices your distress and his hand squeezes your hip briefly before reaching down to smack Prompt lightly on the head “noisy” he grumbles “I’m trying to watch this” Gladio’s emergence from the bathroom and rumbled demand of ‘move’ distracts Prompto from making whatever snappy reply he had, and instead he moves with a pout, clambering over you to sit behind Noct. As you move from under Noctis’ weight, Gladio is not even completely down before you are curling up into his side. “Where’s Ignis?” you can’t stop your hand from trailing over his bare chest, tracing over the edge of his tattoo lightly. “Probably talking to the hotel clerk, he'll be here soon.” Gladio’s hand slips up under your t-shirt to rest on your ribs and you shiver, trying to push yourself closer. His fingers tracing small circles into your skin “Relax baby, daddy’s got you” the word is new, and you do your best to ignore the way it makes your stomach flutter. He doesn’t complain as you hook your leg over his, content to let you wriggle and shift until you are comfortable, half lying on top of him. “Better?” You nod against his chest and he raises his hand to start stroking through your hair, mimicking your earlier position with Noct. “You’re allowed be happy“ Gladio’s words whispered into your hair take you by surprise  and you bury your face further into his chest to try and hide your sudden rush of tears. He says nothing further and the quiet as he continues to stroke your hair is surprisingly soothing, the only noise over your quiet sniffles is the slight creak of the bed as Noctis and Prompto try to subtly move closer to you, offering you comfort and warmth against your back without saying a word. You must have dozed off after a while as the next thing you are aware of is the soft press of Ignis lips against your forehead. He sits on the edge of the bed next to Gladio’s quietly snoring form and the concern in his expression makes tears prick at your eyes again. He moves slightly, his hand brushing away a stray tear from your cheek. "Talk to me?" he asks softly. You’re silent for a few long seconds, not sure if you can explain your mess of thoughts and emotions well enough for him to understand

"I don’t…” your breath hitches and you try to swallow around the lump in your throat, “I don’t think about it much anymore” Its vague, and you don’t say any more, don’t clarify what you mean but Ignis seems to understand you. “Whether you do or don’t, it’s Ok, we still love you“ He brushes away another tear. He cups your face gently, and you turn into his touch with a shaky sigh. The outright acceptance of your jumbled emotions that you receive from the four of them is unsettling in the best way. You feel loved, and the tears begin anew at the realisation. In your own world, with your own family, you had never felt this level of belonging and acceptance. The guilt that maybe you didn’t actually want to return there was still prevalent, but felt less sharp than it had done.   The look of alarm across Ignis face at your fresh tears makes you smile in faint amusement. “I’m ok” he looks doubtful at your claim and you fight back the mild hysterical urge to laugh  “I am, Ignis, truly I am”. You swallow, wrestling your emotions back under some semblance of control and kiss his palm. “It’s just,” you hesitate “a lot. I’m not used to,” you gesture loosely between you “this” you give him a genuine smile this time, “but it’s getting easier” ‘This’ was a poor descriptor for describing the bond you felt as part of the pack. But Ignis seemed to know what you meant. He stills looks a little concerned but he leans down to kiss you, “You’re our omega” he reminds you. The possessive lilt to his words sends a happy shiver through you and you hum into his kiss in agreement.

Feeling vulnerable but a lot more stable, the adrenaline from the whiplash of emotions over the day has left you feeling restless and fills you with the sudden childish desire to annoy the man sleeping beneath you. You flick your finger sharply across Gladio’s nipple, snickering quietly at his sleepy annoyed grunt and at Ignis’ look of bemusement. He stands with an almost audible roll of his eyes just as you are considering biting down on the nipple closest to you. “I won’t protect you from the consequences of whatever foolish action you are thinking of taking” He watches as you bite your lip in thought before he turns away with a small huff of amusement “Those two are a bad influence on you”

“Hey,” as if summoned by the promise of trouble Prompto stirs behind you, poking you in your side. You twist in Gladio’s tight hold to try and look at him. “Noct is asleep” he gives you a mischievous grin and you respond automatically with a smile of your own even though you don’t know what he’s planning “wanna see those photos now?”

[kkourinn-blog]

Excerpt from Replica of Night

“So Ramuh’s next,” said Astra, standing next to her brother. She watched as the deathly lightning struck the ground from afar and how the roaring thunder echoed into her ears. “I hate lightning.”

“It’s okay,” smiled Noctis innocently; that was enough to raise Astra’s suspicion. “I’ll protect you.”

Astra pushed Noctis away from her and glared, “Don’t you even think about touching me.”

For her pride as an older sister, there was no way she would cower behind Noctis just because there was lightning. No way. She would never allow it. She’d rather die. Astra left Noctis and the rest of the guys and walked back to the caravan with an upset pep in her step. It was obvious that the news from Luna put Noctis in a good mood— good enough a mood to tease Astra, and that was a line she wouldn’t tolerate him crossing.

“I still remember little you sneaking into my bed whenever there was lightning and thunder,” yelled Noctis loud enough for Astra to hear from a distance. “Did you ever get over it?”

Astra only shook her head and covered her ears. She wasn’t going to listen to his taunts. Determined to continue teasing his sister, Noctis ran after her and circled around her, attempting to get her to read his lips at the very least. Still covering her ears, Astra closed her eyes and twirled around to avoid her brother. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto watched the sibling’s spectacle. There was an odd feeling of pleasant disbelief.

“There goes the Royal lineage of Lucis,” said Ignis with a nostalgic smile.

“Still, with all that’s changed so far,” began Gladio. “You gotta appreciate the small things that don’t.”

Prompto felt warmth, observing the siblings. There was once a time he would spend his youthful days with the two. The two would argue and tease each other just as they did now. He could see the image of the younger versions of both Astra and Noctis overlap with their current bodies. Gladio was right. Many things had changed, but the relationship between the twins remained as strong as ever. The struggles they traversed through would only strengthen their bond. No god or daemon could stand between them.

--Author’s Note--

This excerpt is from an unpublished chapter, so it’s kind of like an insider look for what’s to come. This excerpt highlights their sibling dynamic because that is the basis of my story: the bond found amongst family (specifically siblings). 

[secret-engima]

Snippet from Blood of My Blood verse

(Tagging @a-world-in-grey for this because Noctis is interacting primarily with her Council/Council successor OCs in this scene and I want to see if I’ve done them okay.)

...

     Noctis could feel people watching him with varying levels of discretion as the first course was brought out. Some of them did an admirable job of masking it behind conversation with the person seated next to them, while others —like Aedes Memini, the future Lord of Education a few seats to Noctis’s right— stared at him without even trying to hide it. The first course was brought out, something very light and small, which was good, because Noctis’s stomach wasn’t up to eating full, heavy portions yet and he was going to have to survive the traditional six course meal without getting sick or obviously ignoring his food. The soup was light and mild, and Noctis was grateful that his father had clearly taken his needs into account when having the chefs plan the dinner.

     Everyone took the requisite number of spoonfuls to prove they were “eating” and then the conversation started up again. Mostly about politics, or current affairs in the high social circles, or congratulations on Noctis’s eighteenth birthday —even though technically that was tomorrow and not tonight—, “We are all very relieved over your safe return.” Lord Veteris —Lord of Foreign Affairs on his father’s council, a cautious man but not unwise— said, “We feared at one point that you would never be found.”

     “It was a long road home,” Noctis replied neutrally, “but I am glad to be back.”

     Lady Operis, the future successor to the seat of Lord of Health, interrupted with all the characteristic tactlessness of her family, “How has your health been since your return? You are recovering well?”

     Ignis smoothly inserted himself into the conversation with a prim, “The Citadel doctors are the finest of the country, and they have deemed His Highness to be in fine health.” Lady Operis and her father, the current Lord of Health, both looked unsatisfied with the vague answer. They were both very dedicated to the medical field and he didn’t doubt that they, like everyone else, wanted to know the details of his health and recovery —if for far more sincere reasons than most—. But they could hardly press further without casting doubts on the doctors Lord Operis himself had approved for the Citadel, so for the moment they let it slide. Noctis didn’t bother to add any comments. No one here needed to know that the while doctors had declared his health to be “vastly improved” that hardly made him “fine”. He was still struggling to get back all his lost weight, he had far more scars than they would like, and Ignis was making it a personal crusade to slowly work Noctis’s appetite back up to full meals.

     And none of that was touching on his mental health.

     Aedes Memini leaned forward slightly to see around Noctis’s Retinue, “It must have been so difficult for you out there. All the monsters and daemons. How did you make it to the outpost Marshal Leonis found you in?”

     Cor stiffened faintly, but Noctis just took another slow sip of his soup and said, “There was a lot of walking involved.”

     “The citizens of Lucis refused to help you?” The question came from Lord Egestas of Finance, a very faint frown on his face that Noctis thought came more from the thought of someone of Noctis’s status being “denied” aid by those of a lesser class than out of concern —Noctis did not have a good view of Lord Egestas and he knew it, he had been … not friends, but well-acquainted with his daughter Copia and she had opinions on her father—.

     Noctis chose to take a sip of his drink rather than risk filling up too much on soup, “They were very helpful when I asked for it. But hitchhiking will only get you so far.”

     There was a ripple across the table, a faltering in the conversations that others were pretending to have as they all registered their Crown Prince admitting to hitchhiking. Noctis wanted to laugh at their hidden surprise and disdain, like accepting a ride from a stranger passing by was somehow demeaning. Dangerous, yeah sometimes, but demeaning? Hardly. Everyone fell on hard times at some point out there and most people were understanding of it. Instead of laughing, he nudged the topic of his own health and circumstances aside for the moment by addressing Lady Aequum, the Lord of Justice, “I have heard that there is a new case being brought before the high courts that has caught your personal attention. Markos versus Elpenor?”

     Lady Aequum nodded, brisk and emphatic, and was more than happy to discuss some of the details. Not many, since talking about criminal cases was not generally considered “polite conversation”, but the woman had more than earned her title over the years with her passion for seeing justice done and it showed. Topic drifted again, thankfully steering away from him as the second course came and went.

     They were on the third course when the topic finally came back to something Noctis personally cared about, “Prompto Argentum, wasn’t it?” Speravi Veteris asked with a faint flick of her elaborate braids, “I’m afraid I am unfamiliar with the name Argentum. Is your father a … viscount?”

     Prompto grinned at her and while on the surface it was another one of his sunshine smiles, Noctis could tell it was actually all teeth, “Oh no, my family aren’t nobility. I live in one of the middle class residential districts.”

     Several nearby conversations stopped and Noctis felt his magic start to bristle at the brief look of disdain that crossed Lord Egestas’s face. His daughter, Copia, seemed to catch the look too, because she immediately leaned forward with a too-sharp smile, “Truly? How interesting. This must all seem rather extravagant to you then.”

     Prompto’s actually seemed to perk up at addressing Copia, something old-remembering-grudgingly-fond flickering in his eyes and Noctis wondered if Copia had survived at least part of the Long Night and gotten to know Prompto, “A little bit, yeah. Mostly just the cutlery through, Ignis has been teaching me all about events like this, but I’m still not sold on the necessity of six forks just for one meal.”

     Several of the younger members at the table smothered laughter, and Noctis saw Cor hide a smile behind his wine glass. Aedes spoke up again, “How did you meet His Highness?”

     Prompto shrugged, easy and seemingly totally relaxed, “I got lost while on a tour of the Citadel. I ran into Prince Noctis while I was trying to find my way back and we hit it off.”

     “Just like that? And you went on to become the Heart of his Retinue?” Noctis suppressed a growl at the incredulity of the younger Lord Patriori.

     Prompto kept his smile in place as the third course was finally taken away and the fourth brought out —only two more after this to go, Noctis could do this … maybe—, “Kinda!”

[chocobroness]

Pack

Don’t ask how this came to be. I started and the words flowed out.

(For setting: let’s say Regis found a way to break the prophecy when Noctis was 12. Thanks to some planning, he managed to bring Lunafreya to Lucis soon after.  Ravus, who faught and lost his arm assisting Regis get his sister out of imperial hands, vanished after the battle.  Noctis was still injured as a result of being the chosen king. Regis and everyone else became overprotective of him, so he didn't meet Prompto until senior year of high school, which caused Prompto to revert back to being quiet and shy. and by then, Noctis wanted nothing to do with his dad or the rest of the citadel.)

enjoy!

---

Ravus is like a Coeurl.

And a Coeurl is a hunter, an alpha one might say.

A Coeurl defends its territory with life and limb, at it’s strongest and at it’s weakest, its last breath one of defiance and strength.

It’s pack and territory are important. And it gains strength in order to protect them.

Ravus is a Coeurl with a broken pack and stolen territory.

A Coeurl with a broken pack and stolen territory will step back and adjust to their lost swiftly before stepping forward once more.

A Coeurl does not show weakness.

Even in its injured state.

Even in the face of death.

Even when it must harm their broken pack and territory to further protect them. But most people forget that, despite all of this, Coeurls were still felines. It’s distance did not translate to chosen isolation.

It’s growls and bearing of teeth did not always belay anger and warning. The spark of destructive magic through their whiskers does not always mean death to unknowns.

A Coeurl communicates in such actions for their pack’s safety.

It is content if the pack, though distant, is fine.

But when the pack takes their ways of communicating as a threat and demand for isolation and silence, a Coeurl may become confused.

Perhaps hurt.

But a Coeurl, who is confused and hurt will never stop protecting pack and territory.

Ravus is like a Coeurl. ... ...Ravus has been very lonely. —- Noctis is like a kitten.

Not a grown cat, but a young kitten.

A kitten enjoys sleeping beneath the sun’s gentle and warm rays.

A kitten is pleased to hunt for its fish and to play with it’s fledgling pack.

To find comfort in their parents.

But a kitten can easily become hurt when away from safety.

Noctis is like a hurt kitten.

Weary of the world but accepting of it as well.

A weakness, that was not their choice, now settling upon their fragile form.

But despite being hurt, a kitten will always seek out its fledgling pack for comfort and strength.

But when a fledgling pack becomes distant, the kitten may become confused and scared.

Noctis is like  a confused and scared kitten.

A kitten that needs its parent and fledgling pack yet is forced at a distance.

A kitten who no longer finds comfort in the sun’s rays and the comfort of their pack’s territory.

A kitten despite it’s youth, can acknowledge that it craves such comfort and will seek it out.

But when they are burnt many times, they accept isolation.

They become lonely and bitter.

Noctis is like a kitten who is lonely and bitter.

A kitten who tries to stand on its own when even they know they are not ready.

That tries to do its part in the pack but it gently forced to the side, deemed too young still.

A kitten will try to behave, but will step further away from the kitten it once was.

Noctis is a very lonely kitten.

---

Prompto is like a puppy.

Easily emotional in some ways but emotionally aware in many others.

A puppy is young and energetic and adores to be surrounded by its pack.

But when the pack does not wish to stay with the puppy.

The puppy becomes confused and lonely.

Prompto is like a confused and lonely puppy.

A puppy that is confused and lonely will try to behave so it’s pack can come back.

A puppy whose pack does not come back turns the puppy into a heartbroken and hurt puppy.

Prompto is like a heartbroken and hurt puppy. A heartbroken and hurt puppy will adjust terribly to isolation.

They become quiet and, in a way, scared.

They wish for a pack but can not seek one for fear of renewed isolation. They try to be good.

A puppy always tries to be good.

Prompto is a very lonely puppy.

— When the kitten and puppy meet, they are unaccustomed to the lack of distance.

To look over their shoulder and spot the other closely behind.

It takes longer than they wished to slowly grow used to such closeness.

The kitten and puppy are silent in their tears of relief as they submerge themselves within the warmth of pack provided by the other.

The kitten and the puppy are different in their ways. Many things strange to one that the other finds normal.

It is strange and new and different.

But so very, very warm.

— It was only by chance, a literal droplet in the sea of possibilities and circumstances, that the puppy and kitten found the Coeurl.

The Coeurl, unused to the closeness of pack, lashed out at them fiercely, the isolation crazed predator unsure of what a pack was anymore.

Had the kitten found the Coeurl on its own, their near similar yet distinctively different ways would had caused them to part in anger and hurt.

Had the puppy found the Coeurl on its own, the Coeurl’s way to communicate would have caused the puppy to feel unwanted and scared.

But they found the Coeurl together.

The kitten quietly properly communicating the Coeurl’s words to the puppy.

While the puppy gently soothed the Kitten’s many unintended faux pas.

The Coeurl, had the puppy and kitten not found them together, would have simply lashed out and left. Returning to their shattered home and pack.

Yet the kitten gave the Coeurl the distance it need. And the puppy gave the Coeurl the closeness it desperately craved.

Soon, the distance closed.

And soon, the Coeurl was gently submerged in the warmth that only a pack could provide.

The kitten and puppy were silent as the Coeurl took in their warmth.

—

Noctis was like a kitten.

Prompto was like a puppy.

Ravus was like a Coeurl.

They were similar to each of them that it was simple to associate them with those creatures.

Noctis adored napping in the sun’s gentle rays, Ravus always complained to a laughing Prompto when the young prince latched on to him during those times. Ravus complained further when Prompto would join in.

(Yet no matter how much he complained, he always drifted off alongside them, every time.)

Noctis likes to hunt for his fish. To sit by the water and listen to the gentle noise around him.

Prompto enjoying taking photos of each catch.

Ravus is quiet but content as Noctis explains facts of each catch.

Noctis loves to be near his pack, to feel their presence even at a distance. —- When Ravus and Noctis needed to rest, Prompto offered them his empty home.

Any pack he had before was a distant memory.

His home hollow and cold.

Photos of barely remembered parents and images they placed up there.

Photo albums barely showing him, always empty.

Ravus and Noctis were very territorial.

They circle the territory Prompto provides them. Eye everything that enters their sight.

They do not like it, and so they tell him that and leave.

Prompto is heartbroken for all but a moment before he is called after by Ravus and Noctis, gently tugged along.

The three return to the cold home hours later with many warm and colorful things.

(Prompto sleeps surrounded by his pack that very night. )

—-

Prompto adores being close to his pack, to play and simply continue life by their side. 

He adores watching Noctis and Ravus carry on with each day. To capture the moments that only he was gifted to see through the lens of his camera. 

He loved all of his photos, but he had favorites as well. 

He captures the moment Noctis beats Ravus in chess.

The smugness on the Lucian’s face and the annoyed expression on The Tenebraen’s.

(He can see the playfulness in their eyes, the small almost unnoticeable smile on Ravus’ lips, the laughter in each of their voices. )

He captures the different ways Ravus puts up his hair.

Noctis was fond of the way his hair swished as it grew longer.

Ravus always said he would cut it.

(He never did. )

How Ravus would have an soft smile on his face as he cared for the plants he brought from his kingdom. 

The way his eyes grew gentle as he explained to Prompto facts about each flower. Prompto opened his cold house to Ravus and Noctis when they needed to rest. 

Prompto was left with a home that was full of warmth and pictures that he looked at with love and fondness. 

(Prompto’s heart was always on the verge of bursting when he ran out of photo albums and picture frames. A smile on his face when he needed to buy more.) — Ravus does not know when he grew close to the two. 

It has been very long since he was close to anyone. 

He remembered, vaguely, of times when he was close to his pack and home. 

But when he attempted to reach those memories, he felt hollow. 

Ravus was very much (not) truthful of his feelings. 

He was irritated when Noctis would not let go of him during his naps, especially when Prompto decided to play along. (Because he would eventually drift off to sleep surrounded by their warmth.) 

He was frustrated when Prompto or Noctis asked him facts about the plants he kept. (Because while he was fond of those plants, he knew he could show them better plants, more beautiful flowers because while these were fine, they both deserve to be amazed by ones more worthy of being presented to pack-) 

He couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation when he saw more photos on the walls in Prompto’s home. (Especially the ones of Prompto’s parents. because how dare they hurt his pack member, have they no shame-) 

He honestly considered cutting his hair but would forget every time. (Not because his pack would be sad,and he enjoys when they play with it, no, of course not-) 

Ravus does not know why he grew close to them. (Why he and Noctis had enough of Prompto’s sadness when his parents called and came together and ‘convinced’ Prompto’s parents to never bother the young soul again because how DARE they hurt-) 

But he supposed it wasn’t all too bad. (It was wonderful) 

It was pleasant enough that he could stick around for a moment longer. (For as long as they wish for him to stay.)

—-

A Coeurl, a kitten, and a puppy became a pack of three when their former packs turned them away.

Eventually those packs would realize what they did and try to reach out to them, hoping for forgiveness.

(But the small pack of three would not be burnt again.)

Their pack was not big, nor prestigious.

Nor was it always perfect.

But they took the time to settle gently into the life their pack provided.

Their territory consisted of a decent sized home with photos and plants and occasional fishing tool covering every available space. 

With blankets draped along every large piece of furniture that was directly warmed by sunlight. 

Smells of cuisines from their walks of life always drifting from the kitchen. 

Every step taken into the house was filled with a sense of home and comfort and warmth.

A Coeurl, a kitten, and a puppy became a pack of three when their former packs turned them away. 

(And they can genuinely say they were very happy) 

--

reblog!

[milkacchan]

Request for anon: 1/2 Hi! ^_^ Can I request a Noctis x Reader fic, where Noctis is in love with the reader & he will protect her at any cost? like, Noct sees that she's about to get shot/stabbed & the only way he can save her is by shielding her with his body. So he does that. & he nearly dies. After trying so hard the bros & the reader manages to save him. From the bros she learns about his feelings & when Noct wakes up she tells him that she loves him too, she always has

2/2 Tumblr won't let me write more than 500 words, that's why I chose to write my Ask in two parts. I'm sorry this got so long. I just wanted to say Thank you. & I hope you're doing well. Please stay safe & take care :)

"Noct-" you breathed, staring at him with wide eyes. "Noct!" Your body sprinted foward on it own. Adrenaline ran through your veins and yourr mind thought of one thing. Saving him.

You growled, swinging your hand, the droids head came off clean. Thank your powers, they never failed to amaze. You fell to your knees by his side, pressing ypur hands on the wound in his stomach.

"Noct- Noct look at me." Worry and panic laced youe face.

His eyes were lidded and he was pale (paler than usual that is). He looked at you, mouth open, blood dribbling out of the corner. "You're gonna be okay- We'll get you out of this."

He smiled softly. He didn't care about the pain in his stomach- or the fact that he was bleeding out. He didn't care about his surroundings or where he was, why he was there even. He wasn't sure he even completely knew why, too shocked to really think.

But you were there. That's all he really wanted. You.

He lifted a bloody hand to your cheek because damn, if he died, he wanted to at least touch your face once before he left. He wanted to express some sort of gratitude.

You leaned into his touch lightly. The words coming from your mouth no longer registering in his head. It was all blurry everything was blurry. The sound, the vibrations, the world around him. He was loosing blood, fast and he knew that.

He'd been harboring these stupid feelings for god knows how long. Since you started officially training? Since he was a kid? He didn't know exactly when, nor did he care at this particular juncture.

"You're so beautiful." He coughed, smiling slightly. "You know that? You always have been."

"Noct, save your breath." You panicked, your hands pressing further into his stomach.

This was it. He had to tell her. He had to tell her now- he wouldn't be at peace, he couldnt be at peace if he didn't tell her. "And I love you." He whispered. "I love you so much."

And that was it. The world started to go. Anything she was saying was going in one ear and out the other because he couldn't hear anything she was saying. The world blurred and his hand dropped and he finally closed his eyes.

He wasnt expecting to open his eyes again. He'd accepted that, so when he heard voices- the voices of his companions no less, he was confused. He slowly opened his eyes, gaze aimed for the tent ceiling. He slowly turned his head to the side, his gaze this time met with you.

Your eyes were closed, you were snoring softly. From the looks of it, this is the first sleep you'd gotten in some time.

"She hasn't left, you know." Gladiolus mumbled, sitting down. Noctis turned his attention to the giant. "Three days and she hasn't left. Refused to eat, refused to sleep. Only left to go to the bathroom."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Iggy slipped something into the tea he made her a couple of hours ago. So she finally would sleep."

"Three days, huh."

"Three days. Took us almost 4 hours to get you where you needed to be. You'll be fine though now."

"I'm sorry. I just- she was going to be- and I had to-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it. We're glad you're okay, prince Noctis."

Noctis scrunched his know, Gladio knew how much he hated that. "Really."

"Don't get yourself almost killed next time, I'll save you from the embarrassment."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He mumbled, watching as gladio got up, flashing him a smile before leave.

He gently took your hand, running small circles on your knuckle with his thumb. He'd told you. He'd told you- finally after so long, he'd told you how he felt. Granted, if he hadn't been dying, he wouldn't have, but he did. It didn't look like it had scared you off, given that you were sitting next to him.

He sighed, wincing slightly at the pain in his side. He wasn't sure how long he laid there, waiting for you. But he did it quietly, enjoying the peace.

There was a small groan and he looked over.

It took you a minute for you to process what was in front of you, he could see the gears turning in your mind as your eyes focused on him. Finally, they widened and you gasped.

"Oh gods you're awake!" You quickly sat up. "Are you feeling okay? Does anything hurt? Do you want me to go get Ignis or Prompto? I mean prompto wont be able to do anything but he's your best friend so-"

"I'm fine," he smiled gently. "Really, I am."

"I mean are you sure? I can-" you started to move and he instinctively grabbed your wrist.

"Please don't go," he mumbled, "I don't want you to leave."

You slowly sat down. His eyes scanned your face, trying to read what you might be thinking.

"Okay," you nod slightly. "I'll stay." You moved closer to the prince, laying back down.

He mumbled a small thank you, moving his hand from your wrist to intertwine your fingers.

He wasn't sure if he was over stepping boundaries. He wasn't sure what he was really doing, if he was honest. Maybe he should let go- maybe he should just pretend that nothing happened and-

"Noct? You okay?" There was a gentle hand on his cheek. He looked up from where he was staring.

"Did I zone out?"

"Yeah, you zoned out. What goin on in the small brain of yours?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just thinking." How was he supposed to bring this up?

"How much do you remember?" You settled against him again.

"Uh.. well I got shot? Stabbed? I don't know- I got hurt," he frowned. "And then-"

"And then?"

His face flushed. "I told you I loved you, I think. Did I?"

"Yeah," you smiled softly. "You did."

"Oh,"

You took a deep breath. "Did um...did you mean it? Like for real?"

His gaze traced back to you. He scanned your face. The red in your cheeks, the way your gaze wavered under his, your lips puffed in a pout. "Yes, I did. I meant every word."

"Promise me, promise me you do."

His thumb moved gently over your cheek. "I promise." He whispered.

He watched you take a deep breath, hand moving up to hold his against your cheek.

"I um..I think I love you too. I know I like you- at least- a lot. I've never been in love- but whenever I feel calm and okay and like I'm the luckiest person ever, to just be by your side." You bit the inside of your cheek. "When we were younger, I used to panic and my heart would like, doe- but now I'm just calm and happy," you finally look up at him. "I think that's love."

He smiles softly, pulling you into his chest. "I'm glad," he squeezes you gently.

Thank gods.

[nightowlfandom]

Prompto Argentum- Valentine’s Day Special

“Surprise!”

To say you were shocked was an understatement, you didn’t expect him to go all out. Especially not for you.

Your entire apartment was littered in black and red, but not in the cliche ‘hearts’ everywhere type of thing. There was a trails of flower petals leading around the room. Lanterns hung off the walls, all displaying different hues of red lights. You could only stare in amazement as Prompto rocked on the balls of his feet, waiting for you to respond to his hard day’s work.

“Prompto, did you do all this?” was your first question. You slowly took off your shoes, circling around to inspect every inch of your decorated abode.

“Y-yeah. Do you like it?” Prompto’s face fell a little. Oh No, what if you hated it! What if you laughed in his face and called him pathetic!? What if-

“Do I like it? I love it!” you began hoping up and down like a child. “This is so amazing!” You ran into his arms, hugging him as tight as you could.

“Oh Thank goodness! Er! I mean- Pfft it was nothing. Wait till you see the other surprise I have for you!” He smiled deviously. He had to remember to thank Gladio for not being so busy to help him with the light fixtures and everything. Also to rub in it Noctis’s face for saying you would hate it.“Your job for the rest of the day is to let the Prompt-Man take care of you.”

“Yes, sir.” you giggled, throwing down your purse. “Just as long as you never ever refer to yourself as Prompt-Man ever again.” you joked.

“Right.” he rolled his eyes. “Come on, everything should almost be done.” he abruptly grabbed your hand and led you to the kitchen.

“And you actually cooked something?” you were shocked. “Are you sure you’re the real Prompto?” you asked in a serious tone. “Woah. It smells amazing in here.” you couldn’t even joke after taking in the strong aroma of something obviously good. You watched him walk over to the oven, clicking it off and grabbing the oven glove in the process.

“It looks about done.” he whispered, opening the oven-door. The good smell got even stronger as he pulled out the baking pan. “I made your favorite deep dish pasta.” he set the hot pan on the stove. “I had to go to three different stores to find all the ingredients.”

“I can see that!” you stared amazed at the work he had put in. “The only thing that could make this better would be my favorite dessert...”

“Funny you should mention that.” Prompt trailed off, a sly grin on his face.

“You didn’t.” you shook your head. “The only bakery that makes the right it is so far from here!” you rambled.

“Nothing is too far for my lady’s happiness!” he said triumphantly. “I had to make sure everything was perfect for you.”

“You didn’t have to do all this for me.” you suddenly became very shy.

“I know...I wanted to.” he winked. “Now no more talking, it’s time to enjoy yourself.” he wrapped his arms around you, leading you back into the living room. “You sit down, relax and let me do all the work.”

“That could end in disaster.” you joked. “But okay.”

“Good!”

...

After dinner, you and Prompto were left to play a short game of tag around the house. Which was just him trying to chase you down for putting frosting on his nose.

“You get back here!” he called after you.

“NO!” you laughed. “GET AWAY!” you screamed. Running around the couch you bolted for the bedroom. You ran through the door, only to stop when you saw how the bedroom was decorated. Rose petals were everywhere. The bedsheets had been replaced by black and red blankets. There was dimly lit lighting that made the energy feel all the more intense. The breeze from the window made chills run up your spine.

Prompto stopped running too, just to see your reaction. He walked up to stand right behind you. His chest was flush against your back. With his arms sliding around your waist, you didn’t know whether he was in a mood or in the mood. You turned to face him. His cheeks were flushed a deep pink color. He walked you backwards, leading you to the bed. Once the back of your knees was touching the bed, he sat you down only to begin crawling over you. You couldn’t help but crawl backwards and he creeped his way towards you, still not saying a word.

His face was only centimeters away from yours. His breath was shallow as if he was unprepared for what was happening. You were the one to initiate the first kiss. Prompto wasted no time in tangling his hands in your hair. He was definitely in that type of mood. You had done it with Prompto before, but none of those times were as intense as this. They were soft and slow. With delicated caresses here and there. Which was the way you two liked it. However this was on a completely different level beyond your comprehension. You could feel the vibrations of the growls that slowly erupted from the back of his throat. You didn’t even know such a sensitive guy was capable of growling like a literal beast.

You ran your hands underneath his shirt, yanking at the hem. You wanted that shirt off and you wanted it off quickly. Prompto followed your lead and broke the kiss just to tear his shirt from his body. Under the glare of the red and yellow hues of light, Prompto almost looked like he was glowing, or maybe he really was. Almost like an angel. The primal, hunter vs prey energy was quickly replaced by a shy and needy Prompto. He grabbed your hands and pinned them above your head. Maybe it was just the dimly lit room, but he looked even more red than before.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Y/N.”

“H-happy Valentine’s Day Prompto”

(Was this short? Yes...but Tumblr kepts bugging on me so i had no choice.)

[bramblepeltao3]

Woooaaaahhhhh Part 4!

After a very long hot shower (And the water here smelled different. Not bad just...different) Del was slightly less full of jumpy angry anxiety. She did as she was asked. She kept quiet about what happened, went with Aranea’s story, and kept herself from screaming at every person who she saw between the crownsguard station and the shower.

At least she had her own room. Right next to Prompto of course, in case he needed her. It was large, and had a lovely bed with soft blankets, and everything smelled like lavender. So at least she had this, she thought, as she wrapped herself in the very plush fancy towel and opened the door, walking into her room through a cloud of steam.

“P...Princess…”

“LOQI!” Del screamed, noticing the man standing right in the middle of her room. “What the FUCK are y- I AM NOT A PRINCESS!”

“This came for you, I only wanted to make sure it was delivered dire-”

“I’m naked, get out!”

“And I wanted to apologize for the trouble you experienced this afternoon. If I were there-”

“We’d be dead if you were there, now please, GET OUT!” She took the package from him and retreated back into the bathroom.

She waited for the sound of the door to open and close again, but it never came. She was going to amass a body count before this trip was over, she could just feel it.

“Lady Delphia. I wanted you to know...His Highness showed me the photos he took on the train. And, well, with both of you so close together...I don’t know why no one else seems to notice.”

And then there was that blessed door clicking sound.

Just breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale! It’s easy. Just. Breathe.

She didn’t know which was worse: that Tumult was observant enough to see the obvious or that he was taking the completely wrong point from it.

She walked back into the sleeping area and, satisfied no perverted shitheads were hanging out, opened the package. It was exactly what she expected: the dress promised by Marigold. There was a small handwritten note on top of the blue, floral print dress.

‘You seem like the practical type. This one has pockets!’ She pulled out the dress which had a bit more flair to it than she would’ve liked. But the blue was pretty, and the floral print was subtle, and fuck if it didn’t indeed have pockets.

Del carefully got dressed, but found herself unable to really get that zipper up, and resigned herself to asking someone for their assistance. This was a palace. There were people here to do that. That was fine, right? Like, it was their job to pull the zippers up on idiot doctor’s dresses for them.

“Knock knock!” She heard a voice call from the door accompanied by an actual door knock.

“What is it, Aranea?” Del asked as the woman helped herself into the room anyway.

It appeared she also received her new dress. A very lovely, very glittery black gown that hugged all of her curves. Paired with matching opera length gloves, her hair tied back in a very elegant bun, and incredible chandelier earrings, Aranea looked like she belonged in this world. She looked beautiful.

She whistled. “Now that is more your style, Doc. Here, turn around.”

Del pulled her hair over her shoulder while Aranea zipped and clasped the dress. “A-line definitely works for you, especially with this sweetheart neckline. You look like an adorable college co-ed looking for the perfect Jimmy or Henry to dance three feet apart from and have you home by eight.”

“I really don't get you.” Del sighed. “Like, was that a compliment? Was it an insult? What-” She turned around, arms dropping heavily at her side. “Can you just say you think I look stupid?”

Aranea blinked, placing her hands on her hips. “Why would I say that? I think you look cute.”

Del immediately shot her eyes to the floor, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Hey. We went through some rough shit back there. And I know the last thing a grumpy introvert like you wants to do is get back out there and put herself on display. But I need every pair of eyes I can get tonight.” Aranea said before taking a lock of Del’s hair in her hand. “You weren’t seriously planning to go with wet hair, were you?”

“I-” Del grabbed her hair, hands clamping it all against her neck. “It’ll air dry. It’s fine.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen how your hair looks normally. Come on, Lemon Tart, let’s have a few minutes of girl time.” Aranea took her by the hand and led her out of her room, down the hall, and into her own. Del let her, reluctantly.

And that’s how she found herself sitting in the other woman’s bathroom, letting her meaneuver her hair into a braid and put some weird smelling lotion on her face.

“Alright, what color do you usually wear?” She asked, opening a small bag packed full of cosmetics.

“I...I don’t kno-...I don’t wear makeup and frankly I think it looks...really stupid. On me. It looks bad-”

“You’ve never had someone who knows what she’s doing before. Here.” She fished out a few small bottles and brushes and placed her ungloved hand gently under Del’s chin. “This will make those green eyes pop.”

Del closed her eyes and hoped this would be over quickly. She hated makeup. She hated jewelry. She hated putting things in her hair. She hated anything that caused the act of getting ready to take longer than absolutely necessary.

But there was something so...gentle about the way Aranea ran that brush over her eyelids. The absolute trust she had to put in her when she applied that liquid eyeliner, and the blush. She rubbed it in with her thumb and it felt...intimate. Weirdly, comfortably intimate.

“Alright, now the final touch. Too much red would flush your skin, so let’s do something a little more pink.”

She placed a small brush into a glass container and started to slowly, purposely paint Del’s lips. Finally, she placed everything back in the bag and grabbed a hand mirror. 

“Look at you, you’re going to have those Lucian boys flocking to your side.”

“I can’t think of a worse scenario.” Del sighed. But damn...she did look kinda hot. Aranea was right, she just needed someone who knew what the fuck they were doing.

“Let me put this into a better perspective. We both need to be attracting attention in there. The Marshal assured me they were taking the highest precautions at this thing, and I believe he believes that. But we need to have our own guards up. So while we’ve got all eyes on us, our eyes are on Shortcake.”

Del frowned. “So we’re...drawing the focus away from him?”

“Less people hanging around him and keeping attention on him, the easier it’ll be for me to spot if anyone is a little too interested in him. Make sense?” Aranea asked with a smirk.

Right. Draw the attention of people who otherwise wouldn’t care about Prompto save for social climbing or networking. Make it easier for the shield to keep tabs on who really wanted to be within his circle.

“Yeah. Alright I guess I can...be...this,” she gestured at herself, “for one night. For Prompto.”

“Knew you’d say that.” Aranea stood up straight, pulling Del to her feet as well. “I’ll be the sultry seductress dream girl, you play the girl next door fantasy, we’ll have plenty of tall dark and rich hanging around.” 

They made their way into the sleeping area, where Del caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror. Funny. She’d always hated the idea of herself looking like this. Painted up, dressed up, it felt too much like the life she was almost doomed to live a long time ago. But this...this felt kinda...nice?

“One more thing.” Aranea took her hand and slipped something onto her wrist. “Pretty, right? There’s a tracking device in it. Shortcake’s got one too. They let me keep track of you two wherever you are.”

Del frowned at it. “Ok, Prompto I get. But why me?”

“Those gunmen were after you. That was made very clear based on where they were aiming. That’s another reason I want you surrounded by hungry suitors all night. Less opportunity for someone to pull something. But don’t worry, between myself, the Marshal, and poor little love struck Loqi I think you’ll be safe.”

“Eugh.” Del shuddered. “Can we maybe not acknowledge that weirdness going on?”

Aranea let out a laugh as they crossed to leave the room. “Not exactly returning those affections, I guess?”

“I have known that dipshit for a very long time. His delusions of self grandeur are only surpassed by his creepy level of nationalism. I’m good, thanks.”

“Hm.” Aranea hummed as she began to open the door. “So what I’m hearing is I still have a shot?”

Del’s eyes went wide.

Aranea made a gun shape with her hand, finger barrel pointing at Del’s head, and made a mock motion of pulling the trigger. She smirked and walked out into the hallway.

Why. Don't. People. Just. Say. What. They. Mean?!

“Prompto! Time to head out, are you ready?” Aranea asked, standing in front of the door next to hers. She frowned when there was no response.

“Are you sure he didn’t already leave?” Del asked, a little hopefully.

“The tracker says he’s in there. Bet he’s having trouble getting all those buttons done right. Prompto! Doc and I are coming in.” She announced before opening the door.

Inside, there was no one.

“Shit.” Aranea whispered, walking to the nightstand where a matching bracelet to Del’s was sitting.

Del felt her throat begin to close up as she looked out towards the balcony door, wide open, and no one in sight.

---

Prompto was sure something was very, very wrong with him. Maybe he was having some kind of reaction to his medication or the water here had something weird in it. That had to be the explanation for why he agreed to just climb on to the back of the Prince of Lucis and fly.

Like, actually fly. The Prince of Lucis could fly, in a weird indirect way.

He’d just shown up on the balcony outside his room, seven stories up, like it wasn’t a big deal at all, sparkling with the remnants of magic.

“Wanted to say hi, you know, outside of the whole ceremony and everything.” He’d said. And Prompto, completely not used to being alone with people his own age, just kind of stumbled out to stand with him.

“How did you-”

“I warped.” He said with a smile, like it was obvious.

So they stood there, in the warm afternoon air, talking about magic and warping and -somehow- the conversation turned to his favorite topic.

“No way, you like Assassin’s Creed too?” Noctis asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah! It’s only like the best franchise in modern gaming!” Prompto couldn’t believe his luck. He’d never met anyone else who played video games. It was his favorite hobby, and not just because for a handful of years it was the only thing he could bring himself to do. “It would be so cool to be an assassin. Uh, not like, a really real one. Heh. Just like, getting to climb or jump or glide anywhere you want? So cool.” Prompto said wistfully. To sneak out of his room back home and see anything he wanted was an ongoing dream of his.

And this trip was the closest thing he had to fulfilling it so far.

“So why don’t you?” Noctis asked, leaning against the balcony railing.

“Well, for starters, I can’t exactly zip through the air like you can.” Prompto laughed. 

He straightened back up. “Do you want to?”

And that was how Prince Prompto, heir to the vast Empire of Niflheim, found himself losing his lunch in the bushes outside the Lucian Citadel.

“Shit, sorry Prompto. Guess I should’ve warned you it takes some getting used to.” Noctis said, stifling a laugh.

“No way! That was so much fun!” He smiled despite how green his face must have been. “Should probably just take the elevator on the way back, though.” As much as he wanted to do that again he wasn’t sure his stomach would approve. Or his doctor.

Noct pulled out his phone and made a distressed sound. “Well, we’re both about to be late. Ignis is going to kill me.” He held his hand out to Prompto to help him back up. “I’m sure if we stroll in together it’ll be no big deal.”

Prompto took it, and after making sure his evening attire did not betray their activity, agreed with Noct’s plan.

“So…” Prompto started as they began their walk through the courtyard. “Who’s Ignis?”

“My advisor. I’ve known him since I can remember. He means well, and I know he’s just looking out for me and my future but his nagging can get really annoying.” Noctis huffed, stretching his arms behind his head.

“Oh, I totally get that. My doctor is super overprotective. At first it was really nice having someone care that much, but sometimes it’s like I breathe a little wrong and she wants to run a whole diagnostic to make sure I’m not dying!”

Noctis laughed, and it sounded so nice to Prompto’s ears.

“What about your shield? She looks pretty tough. She come from a family line?” Noct asked.

“Nah. She’s been in the military since she was super young, and then one day she just told my father, ‘I’m Prompto’s shield.’ Like, no question! She just made that claim and that was it! I’m really glad though, she’s always been like a sister to me.”

“Sounds nice. Mine is a huge ass who can’t seem to keep a shirt on.”

Prompto snort laughed.

“His whole family has been my family’s shields going way back. So, not much of a choice for any of us. He’s cool, though.” Noct’s face fell into something more neutral as they approached the stairs leading back into the palace. “Man. This is going to be so boring. Wanna ditch and go play video games?”

He did, more than anything else ever in his life he wanted to hang out alone with Prince Noctis. But slightly more than that, he wanted to not be the cause of an issue that might lead to all out war between their dads.

“We should probably at least make an appearance.” Prompto said carefully.

“Yeah…” Noctis sighed. “Bet we can find a way to make it more interesting, at least.” He said with a wicked little gleam in his eyes.

Prompto was completely out of his element. And it felt so cool!

---

“What do you mean, Prince Noctis is missing?” Cor said, actually feeling a few more years being cut from his lifespan.

“As I said, he simply left his room without alerting or informing anyone of his intentions. This isn’t the first time he’s done this but it’s certainly the worst possible time that he could.” Ignis, poor long suffering Ignis, rubbed his eyes under his glasses.

“Has Gladiolus been informed?” Cor asked, hoping beyond hope that at least his very responsible student might have a handle on this.

“Indeed, and his response was, ‘I told you so’.” Ignis punctuated the statement with little quotation marks by his head. “I had hoped beyond all hope he would actually take these proceedings seriously.”

Amazing. After everything that already happened that day, now Noct decided whatever arcade cabinet or fishing pond he felt most like visiting was more important than ensuring a lifelong peace with their biggest enemy.

“He’s probably just asleep in a tree somewhere.” The Prince could seemingly sleep anywhere, at any time. It was a life skill that Cor envied. “Inform the Glaive we have a code Stray Cat. Level Calico for now, unless we have evidence it’s something more serious.” Calico stray cat: Noctis is missing but he’s probably just dicking around somewhere. Find him but don’t panic. Black stray cat: Noct is missing and assumed in danger. Orange stray cat: Noct is most definitely in danger.

Again. Regis’ idea.

“I will do so at once, Marshal.” Ignis gave a slight bow and ran off to deliver the message. He was a good kid, both him and Gladio. Wonderfully dedicated crownsguards and the exact sort of responsible needed to ensure Noctis made it to his reign alive. And still, still he managed to get himself into trouble.

“Gladio.” Cor said into his switched on ear piece. 

“I’ve got the crownsguard sweeping the perimeter. Glaive are searching outside the Citadel. We’ll catch that cat, Sir.”

“Nice choice of words. I’m going to check in with our guests.” No one else should have to deal with that headache. Cor made his way to the seventh floor, right where he left them. Prince Prompto’s door was ajar, with no one inside, but the balcony door was also wide open.

Not good.

“Gladio, bad news-”

“Good news Sir, the cat’s in the bag. And he brought a little yellow puppy with him.” 

Cor laughed, shaking his head with his hands on his hips.

Teenagers. Of course they’d sneak off to get into trouble together. At least it implied they were getting along, which really was the whole point of this thing. He could only be so mad about it all. He turned to head back to the ballroom, ready to take his post for the evening.

Until he was struck with the realization that Prompto’s attendants probably realized he had gone missing. And they didn’t have the benefit of knowing he was okay.

“...shit.”

---

“This place is a FUCKING maze!” Del screamed as the two made their way down yet another hallway. Everywhere they walked service staff seemed to flee from their presence. Of course they did. Everyone here hated their guts and everything about them so why would anyone try and help?

Fine! She had thought. We’ll just find Cor. Whatever. This is his problem now. Her ego meant nothing compared to Prompto’s safety. So off they went, ready to find the Marshal and make sure her brother was safe. There was only one problem.

Neither of them understood enough of the Lucian language.

They all spoke the same common language, sure, but each Kingdom still had their own stupid written language because neither wanted to go through the hassle of changing out hundreds of years’ worth of fixtures and Del hadn’t thought to stick that piece of academia into her mind because in what world would she have to know the difference between a bathroom and a library in the Lucian Ciatdel?

Well...apparently this one!

“You know what’s a universal language? Pictures. Just...put a little picture of a toilet on the sign. Then there’s no confusion! What’s in there? Oh! A bathroom! OBVIOUSLY!” Del was quickly losing her mind, and Aranea’s silence was just making it worse.

“Doc.” She finally said, grabbing her arm. She turned to Del, put a finger to her lips, and carefully walked them both through a door and into...the kitchen. After a quick scan of the perimeter she set her sights on a supply closet and somehow, maneuvered both of them into it, closing the door behind them.

“What-” Del tried to ask but Aranea put a hand over her mouth.

“Listen.” She whispered.

After a few very quiet minutes passed, Del was ready to tell the shield exactly what she thought about being shoved in a closet while Prompto was still missing, when they heard a door open., and several pairs of footsteps.

“I can’t hear shit in there, so what the fuck is with this?”

“You tell him what you told me.”

“I got strict orders, directly from the kid’s doctor. She said this needs to go in his meal. It’s medicine, you know their Prince is sickly and all. We’re doing it in here so as not to cause a scene. It is absolutely vital he gets it. Understood?”

Del’s eyes went wide. Aranea was narrowing hers in suspicion. Del shook her head. No, she hadn’t told anyone jack shit about medicine. And he certainly didn’t have any medication that needed to be dropped into his dinner.

This was poison. They were trying to poison Prompto.

“Alright. I’ll mark it special, make sure it gets to the right seat.”

After some shuffling and footsteps, the two carefully left the closet and quietly made their way out to the hallway.

“Listen, Doc-”

“I didn’t tell anyone shit about putting medicine in food.”

“I know. So either you’re being set up, or Insomnia is. Either way, the search for Shortcake just got a lot more urgent.”

A quiet ding grabbed their attention, and the two realized there was an elevator around the corner. Finally. They took off sprinting to catch it, barely managing to do so, and simply selecting the ground floor.

“How big of a scene do we need, here? Who are we going to tell?” Del asked. Aranea seemed to know exactly how to approach every scenario, and Del was about to mentally collapse so she was more than happy to let her take control.

“Tumult will see it as the Lucians attempting an assassination. If we call out the kitchen workers they’re going to set you up for the fall, and no one here has any reason to trust you wouldn’t.” Aranea said carefully.

“Cor knows, he’d vouch for me. He knows I’d never do anything to hurt Prompto.” Del said, trying to resist the urge to bite at her still nicely painted lip.

“Why?” Aranea snapped.

“Huh?” Del looked at her frustrated features.

“Why does the Marshal know that?” She asked.

Shit. SHIT. “Because...well like, I’m a doctor! Come on, I’m a doctor and a great one, I’d never hurt any of my patients!”

Aranea opened her mouth to respond but before she could make a sound, the elevator doors opened and there he was. Standing next to the Lucian Prince. 

“Oh thank the Gods.” Del sighed, abandoning any amount of professionalism and rushing over to hug the Prince. “Don’t scare us like that, dude, we thought something terrible happened!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean- Wow you guys look really pretty.” Prompto nervously said with a smile.

“I’m guessing you're the shield?” Aranea stated, looking up and down the teenager standing behind the princes.

“That would be me, yeah. And these two thought it’d be great fun to goof off and get every glaive and guard in the city looking for them.”

Prompto looked at the ground in embarrassment. Noctis seemed pleased. 

“Prom here wanted to have some fun. I thought I’d be a good host and show him some.”

Noctis laughed. Prompto’s face turned very red.

“So are we going to this borefest now, or what?” Prince Noctis asked his shield.

“I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.” Aranea nodded her head towards Gladiolus. He nodded back at her.

“That dress looks really good on you, Del!” Prompto said, trying to change the subject from his sudden irresponsible disappearance.

“Thanks,” Del smiled down at him as they began to follow the Lucians, “it has pockets.” She demonstrated by sticking her hands in them. She felt something in the left pocket. A piece of paper. She carefully retrieved it, no bigger than the palm of her hand, and quickly read the message scribbled on it.

‘Del-We need to talk. Meet me at the bar. C.L.’

C.L. Cor Leonis. We need to talk. Yes. Yes they did. And she already had a well practiced script of exactly what she planned to say to his stupid moron face.

[randomfandomimagine]

Fever (Final Fantasy XV Fic)

Requested by @sylleblossomstar:

Request: fanfiction (without reader insert) Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Characters: Gladio, Prompto,Ignis & Noctis. The idea is about the boys overworking themselfs, they are tired, angry or frustrated and obviously Gladio and Noct, fight. Noct decides to not cause more trouble and shuts about his physical health. But after a battle his body gives up and falls badly ill (dangerously high fever) they worry and cant travel, take care of him until he is strong enough to travel and they make peace.

Noctis was tired and dizzy. The humid heat and trudging for hours wasn’t helping. The Regalia was also far away, left behind as they were working hard hunting to earn some more money.

The prince sighed in annoyance to his unwell. Someone suddenly bumped his shoulder with so much force that it made him totter. It could only be Gladio.

“Step it up, Noct!” The Shield indeed told him. Noctis produced a groan of complaint.

Ignis and Prompto stopped walking when the other two did. They exchanged a look of helpless resignation as their friends inevitably argued again. 

“What was that?” Gladio asked him, shoving Noctis a little again.

“Get off my case!” The prince muttered, scowling and grimacing.

Gladio continued walking, angrily muttering to himself. The other two approached him, taking notice of how pale he looked.

“You okay?” Prompto put a hand on Noctis’ shoulder.

Although gently, he pushed him away. The blond frowned, but he knew it was better to leave him alone when he got stubborn like that.

The world, however, was spinning around Noctis. He was out of breath. Nauseous, tired and sweaty. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by darkness.

“Noct!” Ignis exclaimed when Noctis fell, not being fast enough to catch him. The prince landed on the ground with a thud. 

Gladio and Prompto rushed to his side when they saw, but Ignis was already kneeling down and checking Noctis’ pulse. It was faint and weak.

“Iggy?” Prompto’s voice shook. “What’s wrong, is he okay?” 

Ignis pressed his hand against the prince’s forehead. He was burning up.

“He has a fever” He explained, trying to remain calm. “Hopefully, he is only fatigued”

To serene himself, Ignis tried to think logically. They had been trudging under the hot sun for hours, spending days of endless hunting. They were all tired, but it seemed like Noctis had pushed himself further than the rest.

Glancing up, he saw Prompto and Gladio watching them. The latter was frozen in place, his amber eyes fixed on the unconscious Noctis. 

“W-What do we do?” The blond piped up, fidgeting to make up for Gladio’s stillness.

“Uh, well...” Ignis’ fingers trembled as he went to adjust his glasses. “Let’s see...”

“Will he be okay?” Gladio suddenly mumbled, snapping Ignis out of his daze as well as himself.

Ignis nodded his head, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves. 

“Prompto, get the car” He tossed him the keys and then turned to the other man. “Gladio, pick him up. We need to get him somewhere shaded and cool”

Without a word, the three men worked to look after their friend. They had to get his fever down. Prompto ran at top speed, causing the keys to jingle in his hand. Gladio carefully propped Noctis up and carried him over his shoulder. 

In the meantime, following Gladio to the car that Prompto would bring to them, Ignis quickly went over his first aid knowledge. They had a kit in the trunk of the car. There was a cold compress there that they could use to get his temperature down. Then they would take him somewhere safe where he could rest. Where they could look after him. Heaving a trembling sigh, he nodded to himself. He knew what to do.

-

Noctis woke up, feeling like a long time had passed. His head was spinning. He felt weak, tired and heavy. Slow, confused. Something cold was pressed against his burning forehead. It helped.

When he slowly opened his eyes, a voice immediately received him.

“Noct!” Prompto exclaimed, quickly standing from his chair beside the bed.

“Prompto...” His friend muttered, feeling disoriented as he looked around the room. “What... what happened?” 

Last thing he remembered, they were hunting. Running under the burning sun. He remembered feeling very sick, and nothing more after that.

“Guys!” Prompto called out, then facing his friend once more. “You scared us so much, Noct! You were really sick, Iggy said you were exhausted” 

“Where are we?” 

“Oh, we brought you to this hotel, you needed to rest”

“And where’s everyone?” 

“They’re around, we were all so worried about you...”

Uncomfortable with Prompto’s urgent staring, the prince averted his gaze. He had noticed the dark circle under his friend’s eyes, noticed how his hands trembled slightly. Noctis didn’t know how long he was unconscsious for, but it had to be serious for them to be so scared for him.

Just as he thought about it, two restless figures erupted into the room. Watching with the corner of his eye, Noctis saw Ignis approaching his bed. Gladio stood at the threshold, with his arms closed over his chest.

“Noct, you’re awake” Ignis sighed in releif. “How are you feeling, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Specs,,,” He replied, still not making eye contact with anyone.

“You scared the crap out of us” Gladio said behind them. His tone was neutral.

Noctis finally looked up. His Shield lingered in that spot, watching him carefully. Nonetheless, he could read the concern wash out and turn into relief, all hidden beneath his apparent annoyance.

“You were quite sick” Ignis rested a hand on the prince’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you say anything?” 

“Everyone was grumpy and tired” He shrugged a little. “I didn’t want to give more trouble”

“Well, you did” Gladio replied from the door. “We haven’t moved from this place in two days because of you”

Noctis stared at him. He knew that dangerous edge in Gladio’s voice, but this time it was different. This time it felt forced, like he wanted to stay mad but couldn’t. Like he was too happy to see Noctis was okay to be annoyed that he pushed himself on the first place.

“The important thing is Noct is okay!” Prompto cheerfully said, breaking the tension that hung in the air. 

“Yes” Ignis kindly patted the prince before dropping his hand. “But you need to take it easy, you are still convalescent”

“Sure...” Noctis awkwardly stirred in the bed. “Thanks for looking after me”

Prompto muttered something about being friends as he went to hug him tight, laughing playfully yet in utter glee that Noctis was alright. 

Gladio rolled his eyes, insisting that it was their job. Despite his deadpan voice, there was a small smile on his lips. His shoulders relaxed as well.

Ignis, on turn, reminded him that it was their duty. Yet as well, their pleasure.

Noctis sighed, and although he still felt a bit sick, he wasn’t worried. He smiled a little. His friends were there for him, to take care of him. Always had, always would be.

Tag list: @anxiouslyreckless / @xionroxas / @dancewaterdance02 / @blossattic / @little-faerie-artist / @x-joie-x / @snowfire71 / @goodmorningawfulbye / @daggerheartilly / @legallyblindgamer727 // If you want to be added or taken off the tag list for these fandoms or characters, let me know!! // Reblogs and comments are appreciated!

[archonssun]

Really?! Now?!

Really?! Now?!

You never did have the best timing...

For context reasons, this is the eighth year in the Ten years of Darkness. I’m also using ‘day’ and ‘night’ pretty loosely here. Also, (M/n) = (Male/name).

WC: 1592

You were giddy, that much was clear to those at Hammerhead. More than usual, anyway. In the past few years, the hunters that knew you had gotten used to your rowdy personality. Especially when it came to a certain blond.

No, not Cindy. It was the king’s ever loyal best friend, Prompto Argentum, that you had the hots for. And everyone knew it, even the man in question. But he was too deep in Cindy hell to give you the time of day, and you settled for being his friend.

But you never stopped hoping that one day, you might be more than a friend to the gunman.

Currently, you were skipping around the outpost, a smile on your face as your thoughts ran a mile a minute.

“Hey, wait up!” Prompto’s indignant shout wasn’t enough to stop you. You held fast to his wrist and dragged him over to the garage, where Cindy was working on one of the few remaining cars during these times.

This was a normal occurrence. Every day, you would drag the poor blond over to the garage, and force him to speak with the beautiful mechanic, trying to banish the shyness he had. And every day he would sputter nervously, even though he had known her for the better part of a decade already. But not as much as he used to when you had started doing this five years ago.

“Heya, Cindy!” you chirped, pulling the gunman in front of you before pushing him at the woman.

“(Y/n)!” he hissed, glaring at you out of the corner of his eye. But you just gave him a smile.

“Heya, (Y/n), Prompto!” the mechanic replied, wiping the grease from her face. You couldn’t blame Prompto for lusting after her; she was beautiful. And the fact that you had agreed with him on that front made it a little easier when he had rejected you. That, and something else. “What’re y’all up to today?”

Prom finally getting somewhere with talking to you, you thought to yourself. You held no anger towards either of the blonds, but you were tired of watching Prompto getting nowhere with his crush. At least, when you had confessed, you had been upfront about it. And you wanted that for him, oh so badly.

“I was wondering, do you maybe want to watch a movie with us later?” you asked. You didn’t give Prompto the chance to question you as you asked.

“I don’t know,” Cindy began, but you were quick to jump in.

“Please, Cindy? We haven’t really had time to just relax in a while,” you pout, causing the woman to freeze slightly before sighing.

“Okay, I’ll join y’all. Just let me finish,” she said, shaking her head. She knew you; had known you for a majority of your life. And she knew you wouldn’t let it drop until she agreed.

“Great!” you beamed. “We’ll meet up once Prompto and I finish our hunt!”

***

Prompto just stared at you, unsure what just happened. You began dragging him again, this time towards the waiting vehicle that would take you two to your target.

“Wait, (Y/n)! What did you just do?!” he screeched as you pulled him into the truck.

“Getting you a date, that’s what,” you replied, the smile directed at him enough to make his face flush. More than your words.

“But I thought you--”

“I don’t care about it anymore, Prom,” you muttered, a tinge of sadness touching your voice. “That was years ago. I’ve gotten over it. Besides, I’d be lying if I said Cindy wasn’t hot.”

***

After you and Prompto had finished the hunt, you had ditched on the movie with him and Cindy, leaving the two alone. But Prompto wasn’t nervous, not like he used to be when he was around Cindy.

“Hey, sorry (Y/n) roped you into this,” the blond chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m pretty sure she did it for me.”

“I know,” the mechanic said. “You haven’t exactly been subtle about your crush, Prompto.”

Gods, when she would say his name... Prompto bit his lip, eyes cast to the ground.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” The rest of the movie was spent in a comfortable silence.

***

The next time you saw Prompto, you were coming back from a long hunt, battered and bruised. Blood had soaked into your clothes and hair and dirt coated your exposed skin. Usually after a tough hunt, you’d go up to either Prompto or Cindy and just hug them, and this was what each blond thought you were going to do as soon as they saw you.

To say they were surprised and a little scared when you instead climbed into the trailer without so much as giving them a smile was an understatement.

It wasn’t supposed to be that hard, you thought to yourself, curling into a ball in one corner of the caravan. Hugging your knees to your chest, you tried to keep the sobs from bubbling out, ultimately failing.

He wasn’t supposed to be there! Why was he there?!

Your sobs were loud enough to echo throughout the outpost, and almost immediately two blonds were at your side.

“(Y/n)?!” Prompto was the first to reach you and he began rubbing circles on you back. Or at least, he tried. As soon as his hand touched you, you were standing and watching him with wide, teary eyes.

Frankly, it was something Prompto would be happy to never see again, your face with tears streaming from your eyes.

“Don’t,” you choked, hugging yourself tightly as you watched him. Your eyes met for a fraction of a second before you were moving once more; this time out the door.

***

Ever since that night, you avoided Prompto. You were no longer his hunting partner, preferring to go it alone or not at all. It would be easier that way, after what happened.

But Prompto didn’t think the same. Every time he would see you, he would try his damnedest to talk with you, to get you to tell him what went wrong. But you always fled, whether it was to the caravan or outside Hammerhead. You hoped that he’d get the hint, but that was like hoping for him to stop loving chocobos.

“(Y/n),” Prompto started, caging you between himself and one of the tables inside Takka’s old diner. You didn’t meet his eyes, instead staring at the grimy floor. “What happened?”

Flashes split your vision. Red, warmth, pain. You took in a sharp breath, a hand coming to clutch at your chest. Your breathing kicked up a notch, making you feel lightheaded. Your free hand reached for the nearest thing: Prompto’s arm. Your grip was iron against him and grew ever tighter as your vision blurred.

“(M-M/n),” you stuttered, barely feeling Prompto’s arms wind around your middle as your knees gave out. You both were sent to the floor and the blond tried his hardest to calm you.

“Hey, it’s alright. You’re with me,” he muttered, pulling you into his chest. He held you firmly as tears slipped from your eyes and your sobs filled the old diner.

***

It took awhile for Prompto to feel you were ready for a hunt again, and even then he was adamant on going with you. It was nearly a year and a half later that you finally went on a hunt near Hammerhead. It was easy.

It was supposed to be easy back then.

Your thoughts had you stopping mid-battle, unseeing eyes wide with fear.

Prompto watched as you stopped moving, his body freezing much like yours. But he saw the daemons coming for you and reacted.

In a single moment, he was at your side, pulling you away from the daemons as the other hunters took care of them. He pulled you behind a large rock, holstering his gun as he met your eyes.

“What are you doing?!” He whisper-yelled, shaking your shoulders. It was enough to break you from your daze, and your (e/c) cleared. “I thought you said you were fine!”

You rarely saw the man angry. It was such a rare sight that in the nine years you knew him, you had only seen him mad once before this. Tears unwillingly welled in your eyes and dripped onto the ground.

“Shit.” The gunman was quick to pull you to his chest as his arms encased you in his warmth. It was slow, but you moved to return the hug. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, (Y/n). But, fuck, when I saw you freeze, I-I thought I had lost you again.”

***

It was only after that hunt that you realized something. Prompto had stopped talking about Cindy; not completely, but enough that it was noticeable. And that this had been going on for the past three years.

“Hey, Prom?” you whispered, sitting on the couch with your legs tucked to your chest. “You don’t talk about Cindy as much as you used to. Why? I thought you had a crush on her.”

Your question had the blond freezing, his hand inches from his face as the piece of popcorn fell from his fingers. His blue eyes were wide as he turned to face you, and you almost swore you saw him blush.

“I-I must’ve talked with her so much that gushing felt kind of weird,” he chuckled nervously. You frowned, but decided not to push him. You were just glad that he was finally getting somewhere with your oldest friend.

[ficswithrimi]

Mine (Chapter 12)

Title: Mine

Pairing: Noctis Lucis Caelum x Reader

Genre: Angst, Romance

Trigger Warning: Mentions of blood, violence, depression, suicide attempt, and minor sexual content

Synopsis: Daughter of a Niflheim soldier, you were sent out to Tenebrae to spy on the Nox Fleuret family and their involvement with the Lucis Caelum family. However, after learning the truth about Niflheim, you betray them. Your journey of revenge begins after learning of the death of your adoptive sister, Lunafreya, and your childhood friend Noctis Lucis Caelum.

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

A/N: Hi, darlings! Sorry for the extremely long wait but here is chapter 12! Things will really start heating up now because we’re about a chapter away from Altissia! And if you’ve played FFXV... well, get your tissues. I plan to make you all suffer in ways the game didn’t. Muahaha. Anyways, enjoy! 

                                                   _____________

           Church bells rung tauntingly above you as you dashed inside the building, worried that you would be late for the grand event. Though you were running as fast as you could towards the chapel, the weight from your heart felt as if it were slowing your entire body down. Finally, you threw open the chapel doors where you could feel unfamiliar eyes immediately turn to burn into your soul. However, you didn’t care to notice them. Your eyes stared at the end of the room where the backs of those you loved most faced you. To the left was your sister. Her long, white veil covered the entirety of her back, but you could make out the wedding dress she wore through the veil’s sheerness. The feeling of your sinking heart intensified as your eyes traveled to the right where the man you were in love with – but wasn’t supposed to be – stood. He was in a pinstripe suit, from what you could tell, and a crown sat upon his unruly raven-black hair.

           “Do you, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, take Noctis Lucis Caelum to be your lawfully wedded-“

           Your ears perked up as the voice of the invisible priest filled your head. The voice seemed to echo against the walls of the chapel and surround you. Lunafreya… was marrying Noctis? And she didn’t wait for you to start the ceremony? You’d always imagine you’d stand right next to your sister ever since you found out she was supposed to marry the prince. Why would she… start without you? Carefully, you trudged towards the front of the chapel as the priest continued.

           “I do,” At Lunafreya’s unhesitant words, your eyes widened as your feet came to a halt. You started to tremble as the unknown priest began to repeat the vow, this time directed towards Noctis.

           “And do you, Noctis Lucis Caelum-“

           “No…” You whispered to yourself as you desperately tried to communicate with your feet to move again. The urge to stand beside your sister on her wedding day suddenly turned into the want to stop the wedding. However, your feet were cemented to the white floor. You blinked back tears as you jerked your body forward to no avail. Looking up, you gasped as you noticed you were no longer in the chapel. The guests’ eyes that had been staring at you from the beginning had disappeared and only Lunafreya and Noctis stood up front, staring into a white abyss.

           “I…d-“

           “No!” You shouted, your voice echoing throughout the space. Finally, your feet began to run towards them. As you reached them, you expected to reach out and grab ahold of Lunafreya, however, you took hold of the back of Noctis’s suit jacket instead. “Please… don’t get married…”

           Suddenly, the white walls of the room melted to the floor to reveal pitch black ones. Your eyes widened in horror as the white completely drained from the room, leaving everything completely black. You gripped onto Noctis’s jacket for protection as it became harder to see anything from the darkness.

           “A traitor has no right to be at our wedding,” Lunafreya’s cold voice filled your ears. Your head whipped towards her to see her in her usual white dress, now tattered and bloodstained. Her blonde hair that was usually in a updo, was now blowing wildly around her shoulders. Pryna and Umbra stood beside her snarling at you as their eyes glowed a dark ember – something you’ve never witnessed from the mystical dogs.

           “I’m…”

           “You are the cause of this. It’s your fault my mother is dead, why Tenebrae fell, why I was locked up for years in the manor. Why I threw away my life to become oracle. You took away all the happiness I had. The only one left to save me from my misery was,” Lunafreya paused briefly as her eyes flickered over to Noctis then to your hand that still held tightly onto him, “Him… and you even managed to take him away from me.”

           “Lunafreya, I’m-“

           “Didn’t you listen to my stories as a child, Y/N? The oracle ends up with the Chosen King, not the Imperial soldier’s daughter, as foretold by the Gods,” At her words she began to fade into the darkness. Immediately, you let go of Noctis’s jacket and attempted to reach out towards her. Umbra and Pryna simultaneously began to growl and bark viciously at you, causing you to draw your arm back as they and Lunafreya faded.

           “You just destroy the lives of everyone around you, huh?” You turned to Noctis who was now facing you. His once azure eyes were now glowing red as they burned into you. “Because of your selfishness, my country and father have fallen. Do you actually think I don’t know the truth about you? How you’re Imperial scum? You’re just like your mother – a traitor. Glauca should’ve finished you off when he had the chan-“

           “That’s enough, Y/N,” Tears streamed down your face as the voice of Gentiana echoed throughout the room. You turned your head briefly to try to spot the woman within the darkness before turning back to Noctis to only find him gone.

           “Y/N!” Your eyes shot open as the fierce voice of an unfamiliar woman’s voice awoken you from your sleep. Your chest was heaving as your eyes frantically searched around the darkened tent. Iris was curled up asleep beside you with Prompto on your other side. When did you come back inside the tent? More importantly, why did you have that dream? Was it… predicting the future?

~!~

Noctis’s POV

           Sleep was one of the things the prince cherished the most. If there was enough time in the day that he could get a chance to doze off, he’d take it every time. Every day, he looked forward to when he could close his eyes and drift off into a peaceful slumber. Well, as peaceful as it’d get with the threat of daemons and Imperials lurking around. Point is, he took sleeping as serious as Prompto took the chocobos. When he didn’t get his much-needed rest, he’d wake up cranky much to his friends’ dismay. The prince was already a slight grouch, but he was almost a hundred times worst when he didn’t sleep.

           So, imagine Ignis’s surprise – and slight annoyance - to see the prince wide awake, sitting in his chair around the extinguished firepit. To see Noctis up before the sun was an extremely rare sight and Ignis knew that only meant one thing – he didn’t sleep the night before. After noticing the prince, the older man mentally prepared himself for any stark remarks from him. Ignis knew it was going to be a long day. However, to his surprise again, when he greeted Noctis, the prince responded distantly instead of with a grunt or just ignoring him. Ignis noted there was something off with the 20-year-old, but he decided to leave the situation alone. He figured it had something to do with Y/N as the ex-princess was wide awake as well. She, however, didn’t acknowledge the adviser – something Ignis expected from the woman.

           Yes, sleep was the last thing on the prince’s mind. His mind kept repeating the previous night’s events. Throughout the night, Noctis questioned whether it happened or not. Did he dream it? But he couldn’t have had, right? He clearly felt Y/N’s soft lips pressed against his. He clearly felt the spark that ignited from her touch and the lingering presence of her when she pulled away. Noctis found himself touching his lips ever so often throughout the night as if trying to recreate the too short moment. It wasn’t the prince’s first kiss but the feeling that came with this one was new. He wanted to feel it again. He wanted to kiss Y/N again.

           How could he, though? The terrified look in her hazel eyes she gave him when she pulled away struck a fear in his own heart. Noctis knew she instantly regretted the kiss. She felt guilty for kissing the man her sister, who she loved more than anything in Eos, was in love with. Noctis had to admit, he felt a bit guilty as well as Y/N did practically tell him that Luna was in love with him. However, it wasn’t Luna that Noctis was in love with. And, though it was selfish, he was happy that the one he did hold feelings for possibly returned them – whether she’d admit it or not.

           “Ah, good morning, Lady Y/N,” Noctis was snapped from his thoughts as Ignis greeted Y/N as she emerged from the tent. Her eyes were bloodshot and dark circles were present under her eyes. Noctis’s heart dropped at the sight of her. He could tell she didn’t sleep much either, however, she seemed to be worse off than what he was. Y/N didn’t say anything to Ignis as she walked to the cooler to fetch a bottle of water. As she passed Noctis, her eyes glanced over to him, briefly meeting his cerulean ones. Noctis didn’t know why he was expecting a smile or a nod from the girl, but his heart sank further when the corners of her lips turned into a frown at the sight of him. She swiftly looked away from him as she grabbed the bottle and returned to the tent.

           Noctis let out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his messy black hair. The elatedness he had felt throughout the night disappeared. Y/N regretted everything and now she probably hated the prince because of the kiss. Though she gave him permission to kiss her, Noctis shouldn’t have had asked when she was in such a vulnerable state. Finally, Noctis could feel the lack of sleep and the irritation rising in him.

           “Since you and Lady Y/N are up, how about we wake the others as well and finish our journey to Caem?” Ignis proposed as he plopped down in the chair next to Noctis with a mug of instant coffee in his hand.

           “Do whatever you want,” Noctis snarled under his breath as he got up from the chair and began to walk away from the campsite towards the beach. Ignis arched a brow before letting out a sigh. There was the cranky, sleep-deprived prince he’d known for over half his life.

~!~

Your POV

           Your head pounded as you constantly replayed the events of your dream – nightmare – in your head. From the way Noctis and Lunafreya glared, to the way Umbra growled in disgust, and to the unknown woman’s voice who awakened you. Whose voice was that? You had recognized Gentiana’s but not the other? Was it a God? Why would a God contact you through your dreams, though? They hated you as much as you hated them. If anything, they would’ve tried to make your dream worse than what it already was. Clutching your head in pain, you looked towards the front seat of the Regalia where Gladiolus sat and Ignis drove. Prompto had decided to sit in the back to make more room for Noctis, Iris, and you. However, because he oversaw the music, the blond man demanded to squeeze in the middle of the backseat to easily control the radio from his phone.

           His music blared out the speakers as Ignis zipped down the highway towards Cape Caem. Iris, who was sitting the closest to the prince, was bickering with her brother about something while Noctis was staring at the endless ocean that passed by.

           “Can’t you turn that down some?” You frowned at Prompto who was searching for the next song to play on his phone.

           “Huh?” He looked over to you. It was the first time you’ve really spoken to anyone all morning. Apparently, Noctis and you were giving everyone the silent treatment – especially towards each other. However, it was more so you were ignoring Noctis than he was you. You went out of your way all morning to avoid the prince. Every time you looked at him, you just remembered his red glaring eyes. That, and the kiss of course. Before you had fallen asleep, your fingertips had kept unconsciously grazing across your bottom lip. The tingling sensation you had felt didn’t vanish until your eyes became heavy with sleep.

           “Turn the music down.”

           “It’s my favorite song though,” Prompto pouted at you. In response, your frown deepened at the man. Prompto let out another pout as he turned the volume down on his phone. “What’s wrong with you today?”

           “Nothing.”

           “Are you sure-“

           “I said nothing!” You sharply said to him, causing both Gladiolus and Ignis to throw you a look through the rearview mirror. Everyone knew something had happened between you and the prince as you were both in bad moods, but they didn’t know what. And you wanted to keep it that way. Even though you considered Prompto as someone you could trust, you didn’t want to tell him about your dream or what caused the dream. You were aware everyone in the car knew about your feelings for Noctis, however, no one knew you guys kissed and it was embarrassing to bring it up. That and… Lunafreya…

           You clutched your head again as your thoughts traveled to her. What were you going to do when you see her? She could read you like an open book. She’d know something was up with you if you kept acting the way you did. Would you be able to tell her that you kissed the love of her life – or that you were also in love with him? Lunafreya has forgiven you about a lot of things but you doubt she’d forgive you for taking Noctis away. He was her last hope for happiness. You glanced over at the prince who didn’t seem to acknowledge the tension between you and everyone else in the car. He was meant for Lunafreya. Not you. It was as the dream version of your sister had said: the oracle marries the chosen king – not the Imperial soldier’s daughter.

           And unfortunately, that’s all you’d ever be in this lifetime.

~!~

           “Well, it’s bout’ damn time you got your asses o’er here,” Cid, the owner of Hammerhead, scrunched his nose as you and the others trudged up the hill at Cape Caem towards the house. The gray-haired man was sitting in a wooden chair on the porch of the medium-sized cottage, gnawing on a toothpick he balanced on the left side of his mouth. You’ve only seen him a couple of times but never really interacted with him. Mostly, you talked with his granddaughter, Cindy. She was the one who had bandaged up your bullet wound when you arrived in Hammerhead for the first time.

           “We got here as fast as we could, sir,” Ignis said as he pushed up his glasses. “Is the boat prepared for departure?”

           “Ah, about that…” Cid stopped chewing on the toothpick and looked at Noctis. “There’s some parts missin’ that Cindy and I were hoppin’ ya’ll could fetch for us…”

           “What kind of parts?” Noctis arched a brow at the elderly man.

           “Myrill? Methrill? Somethin’ like that. That little fella from the city said he knew where ya’ll could get some. Ask him. The faster ya get it, the sooner ya’ll can leave. I say about three days tops.”

           “Three days?!” You asked in disbelief. “My sister is waiting for me. I need to be leaving tomorrow to get to her. Who knows what the Empire is doing to her-“

           “You wanna repair a vessel over 20 years old? Be my guest. Let me see if you can get ‘er done any sooner,” Cid frowned at you. You returned the look to the elderly man as he turned his attention away from you and back to Noctis and the guys. “As I said, three days. The faster we get the material, the better.”

           “Thank you, Cid. We’ll ask Talcott right away,” Ignis thanked the man. Meanwhile, you still held your glare at the man until you felt Prompto gently grab your arm and lead you towards the lighthouse. You assumed that’s where Talcott was.

           You looked up towards the lighthouse and the frown gradually faded away. It was your first time seeing a lighthouse in person. Living in Tenebrae, you were constantly surrounded by the forest and a manmade river close by the city. There wasn’t a need for a lighthouse as no one traveled along the lake late at night. It was beautiful as the setting sun’s rays gave the illusion that it was glowing. You bet you could get a clear view of the setting sun if you climbed to the top. It would feel like something out of a romance novel.

           Your eyes glanced to Noctis at this thought and felt your heart beat just a bit faster. He was getting information from Talcott with Ignis and Gladiolus as they stood closer towards the lighthouse. You studied how his arms were crossed over his chest and his muscles slightly poked out from his biceps. Just last night, those arms were wrapped around you. Just last night, you had opened a bit to him and let him become closer to you. And just last night, you had the nightmare that made you want to avoid him and close yourself off from him. For the sake of his feelings – for the sake of Lunafreya’s feelings. You couldn’t imagine what would hurt more. Losing the trust of the man you were in love with or the trust of your sister who’ve you shared so many memories with. The thought of losing both nearly killed you inside. You just wanted things to go back to normal. You wanted the dreams and visions to stop. You wanted to achieve your goal of reuniting Noctis and Lunafreya as originally planned, as well as, seek revenge on the Empire for making your family’s life a living hell. It’s all you wanted. So why… why was this journey harder than you expected?

Why were you continuously the root cause for everything that is happening?

“Comin’ along, princess, or are you just gonna stare at the light house all day?” Gladiolus smirked as he bumped his arm into yours. Snapping out of your thoughts, you threw him an irritated look before turning on your heel and follow the others as they walked back towards the house.

~!~

Lunafreya’s POV

           Awaiting your and Noctis’s arrival. Noctis, I hope my blessing has been received. -Luna

                                   It’s been a week since Lunafreya has heard back from Noctis or Y/N. She was a bit worried as since Umbra located them, the messages had been coming in constantly. It usually only took the messenger about three days to find the group and return to her. Endless thoughts coursed through the oracle’s mind such as if the group was hurt or if Umbra had injured himself along the way. However, she tried to put those thoughts to rest as Pryna didn’t show any signs of distress and she knew that at least Umbra was okay. However, the first thought? She wouldn’t be sure of until Umbra appeared.

           Not only was she worried because of Umbra’s lateness, but the Empire was up to something. They had been watching her more closely and banned her from now leaving her room inside of the estate. Servants would bring food to the blonde woman and imperials would accompany her to and from the restroom. It reminded Lunafreya of the first few years after her mother’s death and the Empire acquired Tenebrae. Her and Y/N were escorted everywhere in the manor and under close watch by Imperials with guns, ready to shoot at even one mishap. Though, Lunafreya knew deep down the guns were more to scare Y/N. However, the younger woman stopped showing fear of the weapons and Imperials by the time she was 12. It was something Lunafreya admired about her sister. She didn’t easily show her fear.

           Sighing, Lunafreya stared solemnly out of her bedroom window in case she happened to see Umbra prancing around. However, her ears perked up immediately as she heard the door opening. Umbra didn’t really need to use doors to enter and leave areas, but maybe a servant had noticed the canine and decided to open the door for him. Lunafreya turned around with hopeful eyes only for them to darken seconds later as an Imperial stood in her doorway. They weren’t accompanied with anyone else which confused the woman as usually they stuck in pairs.

           “Lunafreya Nox Fleuret…” the voice of a matured man filled her ears. The way he said her name caused her skin to crawl. It wasn’t the mischievousness or hatred it was laced with that scared her but, the monotone that accompanied it. This soldier… Lunafreya could tell has had enough experiences in his lifetime to lack empathy for anyone. He was the type to kill without second thought. And though he frightened the oracle, Lunafreya couldn’t help but feel a familiarity with him as he entered the room and shut the door behind him.

           “What is it that you want?” Lunafreya put her fear of the man behind her and held a straight face.

           “My, you’ve grown since the last time I saw you,” she could hear the smirk under his helmet. It sickened her.

           “Do you know me?”

           “Why, of course. Who wouldn’t know you? You’re Lady Lunafreya. Ex-princess of Tenebrae. The last oracle,” The man sarcastically said in a happy tone. Lunafreya shifted her eyes down to Pryna who was snarling at the man.

           “May I ask why you are here?” Lunafreya asked again. She wanted this man to leave as soon as possible.

           “You know when she’ll come, right?” The man asked as he roamed freely around the room, stopping to take notice of some of the things in the room. He stopped in front of the mannequin that wore what would’ve been Lunafreya’s wedding dress. They planned to move the dress to the store window of its designer as tribute to the “deceased” oracle. The man let out a low whistle as he eyed the gown. “What a beautiful dress. Would’ve made a gorgeous bride to the brat…”

           Ignoring the man’s disrespect for Noctis, Lunafreya’s mind focused on his question. “Who is this she?”

           The man ignored her question as he continued to examine the dress. “Heard you weren’t even gonna invite your own sister to your wedding. I understand, though. Can’t trust someone who’s betrayed you and your family before-“

           “If you’re talking about Y/N-“

           “Now look at her. Off traveling with your fiancé. The man you love. Who knows what that little traitor is doing now with him? Probably fuc-“

           “Please refrain from speaking of my sister in that manner! I don’t know who you are but to even think you know her better than I do-“

           The man let out a hearty laugh as Lunafreya balled her hands in a fist. Lunafreya wasn’t a great fighter and it’d be dangerous to take on a man who could probably shoot her dead before she reached him, but she wasn’t going to let anyone talk nonsense about Y/N. Especially an Imperial.

           “You know her better than me? Ha, no one alive knows that little wench better than me,” The man snorted as Lunafreya’s eyes widened at his words. This man… he couldn’t be? Why would he… appear here suddenly? And looking for Y/N? It didn’t make sense. What was the Empire planning on doing…? Why were they after Y/N again after all these years? Why did they send him to find her? What… what had Y/N done?

           The man stopped laughing to look at Lunafreya’s look of recognition on her face. Taking in a deep breath, the soldier removed his helmet as he stepped into the sun’s shining rays from the window and closer to Lunafreya, who in return, took a step back only to bump into the window. She let out a quiet gasp as she examined the man’s smirking face and Pryna began to angrily bark at the man. The man’s dark brown hair appeared nearly black and his light brown eyes were almost hazel from the light that bounced off them. However, it was the playful smirk that gave him away. Lunafreya had seen it many times before and had learned to love but also despise that look on… Y/N.

           “You know me, oracle?” The smirk grew on the man’s face as a small fire began to burn in his eyes. Another thing Lunafreya had seen in Y/N whenever she talked about seeking revenge on the Empire or the Gods.

           “Jeno Y/L/N…” Lunafreya said the man’s name. Y/N’s father.

           “Ah, so she’s told you about me,” he chuckled darkly before removing his gun from its holder. Aiming it at Lunafreya, the smirk fell into a look full of pure hatred. “Now, I’ll ask again, Lady Lunafreya, when will my daughter arrive?”

 ~!~

           Your POV

           “Why can’t I go with you?” You frowned at Gladiolus as you watched him pack some his things in a bag. After getting information from Talcott and Iris earlier in the day about where and how to obtain mythril, everyone decided to stay at Caem to prepare for a day or two as the lake it could be found at was heavily infiltrated with Imperial soldiers. However, Gladiolus had other plans that he didn’t seem to plan on telling you guys what they were. Now, the royal guard was in the boys’ shared room packing his things as the others were having dinner downstairs with Monica and everyone else. You had excused yourself from dinner as your thoughts ruined your appetite. After hearing of Gladiolus’s leaving, you thought it’d be a great excuse to escape the group – escape Noctis – for a bit until you could sort out everything.

           “Too dangerous for you, princess. Gotta get you to Lady Lunafreya in one piece, right? Besides, this is the first time you’ve really talked to anyone all day and it’s about you wanting to leave the others. What’s up with that?” Gladiolus said as he threw in one last item before zipping up the bag.

           Ignoring the second half of what he said, you sucked your teeth at the man. “Please. I can handle myself. You and I both know that. “

           “What are you avoiding, Y/N?” Gladiolus asked again as he plopped down on the bed.

           “Nothing.” You immediately said, “Just wanna tag along so you won’t be alone.”

           “Hm, I won’t be alone. Cor will be with me. So… you stay here with Noct.”

           You let out a frustrated sigh as he said Noctis’s nickname. Just hearing his name caused your stomach to do a tiny flip. You hated the feeling. It was still unknown to everyone about the kiss you shared with the prince and you wanted it to stay that way. So far, you were doing well with keeping your distance from the prince. It was even easier with Iris and Talcott around as they occupied most of Noctis’s time since you guys arrived. Still, you wanted to be as far away as possible from him right now to put your feelings back in check. You couldn’t be friends with him, and you definitely couldn’t be in love with him. Though, you were.

           “I don’t get you, Y/N,” Gladiolus shook his head. “One moment you seem to get along with us and the next, you want to run away. It’s annoying…”

           “Well, if you haven’t noticed, Gladiolus, I’ve been trying to leave since day one. And I-“

           “Then leave,” Gladiolus simply said as he stood up and grabbed his bag. “The others may beg you to stay, but I won’t anymore. You’ll be fine. Like you said, you can handle yourself.”

           You blinked at the muscular man in front of you in shock as his words registered in your mind. You’d been so used to the men trying to make sure you didn’t sneak off in the middle of the night. A few weeks ago, you would’ve loved to hear Gladiolus give you permission to leave and you would’ve left within the blink of an eye. But… hearing it now… it made your stomach twist in knots – and not the kind that you felt when you saw Noctis. No, this was more like… regret.

           “Cat got your tongue?” Gladiolus laughed. “Well, whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best, princess. Hope you get your revenge on the Empire and see your sister in case you’re not here when I get back.”

           Still frozen in your spot, Gladiolus placed a hand on your shoulder and gently squeezed it. Removing it, he walked out the door and let it slam behind him. His words circled your mind. You could run away right now. At this very moment and find a way to Altissia to see Lunafreya. Or, you could make a stop to Gralea and seek revenge on those who hurt you and everyone you loved. No one would be able to stop you. No one would take your picture without your consent or hold their camera above their head as you desperately tried to reach it. No one would irk your last nerve because of their matter-of-factly personality and strong loyalty towards making sure the prince became king. No one would wake you up at the crack of dawn to train you in areas you were already skilled in thanks to previous training from your brother. And lastly… you wouldn’t have to worry about a certain pair of ocean blue eyes staring at you when you “weren’t” paying attention. Or scold you when you were supposedly putting yourself in danger. Or experiencing goosebumps and chills from his casual brushes to your arm and other simple touches. You could leave now and not worry about it.

           It wouldn’t be the first time you contemplated leaving. You’ve thought about it several times before but there was always something – someone ­– holding you back. You were tired of being held back from doing what you wanted to do. Since you were kid, you’ve always been held back – always told what to do. From the Empire, your estranged father, your duties as a princess of Tenebrae to Lunafreya stopping you from defending yourself and now the men you were traveling with stopping you from taking off every time you considered it. You were tired of it. You wanted to find your sister. You wanted to destroy Aldercapt, Ardyn, and whoever else brainwashed you as a child. You wanted…

           You wanted to leave.

~!~

 Noctis’s POV

           Dinner was a little too quiet for Noctis’s liking. Yeah, there was Talcott who was rambling on about some cactus figures or something he wanted him to collect and Iris sighing -and hinting to the prince – how dreamy and romantic it would be to watch the sunset from the light house. Then there was Prompto who was showing Monica, who was uninterested, all the photos he’d taken so far. Ignis was discussing with another Crownsguard member about the flavors of the meal they were having. Gladiolus had packed his things and left during the meal to go off to wherever. He didn’t tell the group where he was going but just that he needed some “me time” or whatever. No, it was quite a lively dinner, but it was missing one snarky, sarcastic ex-princess who’d kick your ass with one wrong blink.

           Granted, Noctis was avoiding the woman but that was only because she seemed to distance herself from him as well. He planned on making some kind – any kind – of conversation with her at dinner. However, she was absent. Noctis knew he messed up with the kiss and he just wanted things to go back to normal between them. If she wanted to pretend that it never happened, then it’d be no problem. It never happened. Or if she wanted to cuss him out or hit him for kissing her, then that’d be okay. The prince just couldn’t take her ignoring him. He was finally getting through to her and now he was back at square one. No, worse than square one. Noctis felt like he was back to being 8 years old  and the 9-year-old Y/N wouldn’t even give him the time of day.

           Noctis let out a sigh as he shook the water from his raven locks with his towel after his shower. As he passed the room Y/N was occupying, he stopped in front of it as he thought about what to say to her if he were to knock. He could pretend he was at the wrong room. Or, one of his items got mixed up with hers from the last time they camped together. However, either way, he knew she wouldn’t believe him. Still, he wanted to talk to her. To apologize. To tell her it wouldn’t happen again no matter how much he’d give to feel her close to him.

           Taking in a deep breath after deciding that talking to the woman would be best, he quietly knocked on the door. Of course, it was no surprise to him when she didn’t answer. Still, the prince stood there for a while in case she decided to. Maybe she was asleep? Or downstairs getting food since she missed dinner? Hesitantly, he knocked a bit louder this time with more force. Since the cabin they were staying at was pretty old, it didn’t take much for the doors to open easily. The door creaked open just enough for Noctis to peek inside. Briefly deciding if he should or not, he knocked once more before pushing the door open a bit more. His eyes scanned what he could see of the room to see it was dark and… empty?

           Noctis immediately opened the door fully to confirm that Y/N was not in there. In fact, nothing that belonged to the princess was in there. Her backpack she used to travel with wasn’t there, her shoes, nothing. However, as Noctis scanned the room, his eyes settled on the jacket hanging on the back of a wooden chair. He instantly recognized the blue behemoth embroidery on the back of the leather jacket. Y/N always wore his jacket that he let her use. The woman didn’t even take it off when it would be blazing outside; instead, she’d tie the sleeves around her waist. Noctis knew she wasn’t in the shower as there was only one and he had just left it not too long ago. Could she have…? Panic set in his heart as he ran out of the room, dashing down the stairs towards the front door.

           “Your highness? What’s wrong?” Monica asked worriedly as she and a few other Crownsguard soldiers stood up from the dining table. Noctis ignored them and rushed out the door.

           “Y/N?!” Noctis shouted as he tried to see around the darkened area. The only light came from the light house, the full moon above, and some fireflies flying about. Monica and the others came rushing out the house as Noctis took off towards the lighthouse.

           “Go get the others,” Monica commanded two of the soldiers. They nodded at her before returning to the house to get Prompto and Ignis. Meanwhile, Noctis warped to the top of the lighthouse in case the woman had taken off there. He did see her amazed by the structure earlier in the day. Noctis silently prayed to the Gods she was up there. However, to his dismay, she wasn’t.

           “Noct! What’s wrong?” Noctis heard Prompto yell up to him. Noctis let out a frustrated sigh as he warped himself back down to his friends. They knew something was wrong as Noctis had a frantic look on his face – an expression the prince rarely gave.

           “Y/N. She’s gone.”

           “Nonsense, Noct. She’s probably just asleep in her room or-“

           “No, Iggy, she’s gone. Her things are gone. She only left the jacket I gave her,” Noctis gripped his hair with his hands as endless thoughts about where she could have gone rushed through his mind. That and what if she was gets hurt? How would he get to her in time? He barely got to her that one time she decided to take on an entire Imperial base. Could she have gone to try and find a way to Altissia to see Lunafreya? All the ports were closed. This was the only way. Did she think she could find another way? Did he really mess things up by kissing her? Noctis would take it all back if that mean he knew she was safe. He would’ve never tried to grow closer to her. He would’ve taken her words – we can’t be friends Prince Noctis – seriously when she said it.

           “Noct, calm down,” Prompto said to his best friend. Years of knowing the prince and the blond has never seen Noctis freak out over someone like this before. He didn’t even behave like this after the reports of King Regis and Lunafreya’s deaths. “Maybe Y/N went with Gladio?”

           “Impossible,” Ignis shook his head as he turned to look at Monica and the Crownsguard behind them who held exchanged worried glances with one another. “Monica, let the others know of the situation. We need everyone on the lookout for Y/N.”

           “Yes, sir,” Monica nodded her head in acknowledgement. She then turned to face Noctis. “We will notify you as soon as there’s info on the whereabouts of Lady Y/N, Your Highness.”

           Noctis watched as Monica and the rest of the Crownsguard began to scatter around Caem, preparing the search party. He jumped when he felt Prompto grip his shoulder. Noctis looked in his best friend’s eyes and could clearly see the worry he held in them as well. Still, the 20-year-old tried to smile reassuringly at the man.

           “Hey, for all we know, she just went for a nightly stroll and will return later.”

           “Prompto is right, Noct. We don’t know the situation behind Y/N’s sudden leaving, but we will look for her. However, if Y/N has decided to leave and find her own way to Altissia, then it’s best we still prepare for our trip as well. We’ll go to the lake tomorrow instead so Cid and Cindy can finish the boat-“

           “I’m not leaving until I know Y/N is safe,” Noctis turned to Ignis.

           “You still have a duty to fulfil as the Cho-“

           “Chosen King. Yeah, Ignis, I know,” Noctis grumbled. Gods, was he tired of everyone reminding him of this duty he had that he never even asked for. Being a king was the last thing on his mind right now. The woman he was in love with was possibly in danger and he couldn’t help but feel that it was his fault.

~!~

Your POV

           When you decided to leave, you didn’t really think about where exactly you’d go or how you’d get there. You just knew you had to leave that house before things worsened – before someone other than Prompto knew about who you really are. Maybe by now they’ve noticed you’re gone and Prompto decided to tell them who you truly were. You scoffed at the thought. If he told them about you then he’d have to tell them about himself being from Niflheim as well. You doubt Prompto would betray you like that, but anything was possible.

           It was eerily dark out besides the streetlamps that past by every couple of feet. You could hear the snarls, moans, and groans of the lurking daemons as they hunted for their next victim. Luckily, you’ve traveled with the boys long enough to know how to stealthily avoid being seen. You thought that by not being near Noctis and his powers then you couldn’t summon your daggers anymore, however, they still seemed to work. You weren’t well equipped for wherever you were going. The backpack you took along only held some clothing items, a toothbrush, and about three healing potions you swiped from the Regalia before setting off.

           You thought that now you were on your own, you’d feel free again – as you did on your train ride to Insomnia a month ago. However, you felt… lonely. You hadn’t even been gone a full two hours and you could feel your heart aching for the boys. However, you couldn’t go back. If anything, that dream was telling you what would happen if you stayed. What you were would work out for everyone. You would find a way to Niflheim – to Gralea – and destroy the Empire. If you fell, you’d fall knowing they fell with you. Lunafreya wouldn’t have to live her life in fear by them and could regain control over Tenebrae. Ravus was the rightful heir to the throne after Queen Sylva’s death, but you doubt the people of Tenebrae would want someone who served the Empire as a king. Not only that, but Noctis could be reunited with his true queen – the one he was meant to be with. They could go on with their marriage and rule over Lucis and Tenebrae together. He’d go on to fulfil whatever his responsibilities Ignis was obsessed with as the chosen king. Gladiolus would serve as shield and Prompto would probably become a royal photographer or something. Everyone would live happily without ever knowing the truth about you.

           It hurt you that you chose your unavoidable death before seeing Lunafreya one last time. But you knew she would always be with you. You lifted your right ring finger up to the light of the full moon where your ring shone brightly. This was the best for everyone. At least you’d die knowing you tried to correct your mistakes – for serving the Empire – for loving Noctis.

           As your thoughts consumed you, you blocked out the heavy footsteps of a large daemon approaching. The feeling of the vibrating ground underneath you snapped you out of your thoughts. Dropping your hand and summoning your daggers, you turned around just in time to see an Iron Giant preparing its sword that was about as big as the Regalia to swing at you. Without a second thought, you dodge rolled out the way as the sword slammed into the ground with a deafening cracking sound. You’ve faced Iron Giants before but usually you had the help of the boys – never on you own. It was called a giant for a reason. Any physical contact from the daemon could kill you on impact. You aimed one of your daggers at its midriff just as it raised its sword again. The dagger made contact but with little to no damage to the monster. Usually when you fought Iron Giants, you depended on Noctis and Gladiolus’s larger swords to get the job done while Ignis, Prompto, and you distracted the daemon from the others’ attack. This time, you were all alone. However, you wouldn’t give up here. You had a mission to fulfil.

           Summoning the dagger back, you aimed again at it, this time for its muscular arm that held his sword. Maybe you could inflict enough pain that it could drop the sword and give you an opening. You threw the dagger with all your strength at its arm. You smirked a bit as it slammed into its upper bicep, causing it to drop the sword as you had planned. The ground shook violently from the drop of the metal and the silent night was filled with the screams of the daemon. Quickly, you dashed towards the giant as it struggled to remove your dagger from its arm. Stabbing one of his feet with your other dagger, causing it to bend over in more pain, you jumped up onto the monster. Summoning the dagger in his arm back, you went to attack its face.

           However, before you could get the chance, the beast came back to its senses and roughly ripped you from it.

           “Ah!” You yelled in pain as it began to squeeze the life out of your body. Your arms went limp in its grip as tears formed in your eyes from the pain. The daggers dissipated as you could no longer focus on keeping them. You couldn’t die here. Not yet. Trying to regain feeling back in your arms, you tried to get your mind off the immense, increasing pain to that of your daggers. However, as black spots began to fill your eyesight and the cracking of your own bones, it was difficult to focus.

           Just as the thoughts of giving up crossed your mind, you widened your eyes as a large sword came hurdling straight from the sky, right into the daemon’s head. It immediately let you go as you fell to the ground, sucking in as much air as possible as you landed. Whose sword was that? Had Noctis… found you? Your head was spinning as your vision continued to worsen. You were too weak to stand up to assist whoever saved you. The sound of the daemon dying soon filled your ears and the light crunching of the ground from footsteps.

           You looked up to your savior and saw long blonde hair of a woman. The last thing you saw before falling unconscious was her smirking at you.

~!~

           “Wakey wakey, princess,” the sound of a woman’s voice filled your ears. “You can’t die yet. We still need you.”

           “W-what…?” You stuttered as you came to your senses. The pain you expected to feel wasn’t there meaning that a healing potion had probably been used on you. You were laying on a row of chairs in some sort of aircraft. A dim light lit up the small room. You blinked as you looked towards the woman and eyes widened immediately. It was the same woman who tried to kill you and Noctis before. Quickly, you jumped up, ready to attack, but immediately fell back down from the sudden rush.

           “Take it easy. We’ll be there soon enough,” She chuckled at you as she stood up. “I have to admit, you were doing pretty well at first. Daemons like though, they take a team. Speaking of which, where’s princey boy?”

           “W-what do you want?” You managed to spit out at the woman – a glare deep in your hazel eyes.

           “Me? To get paid,” she shrugged.

           “I meant with me,” You slowly sat up. Silently, you summoned your daggers just in case you had to end this woman. However, the flash of the blue light that accompanied your summoning gave you away.

           “No need to get defensive, princess. If I wanted you to die, I would’ve let that giant crush you to death. I need you alive to get my moola,” She rubbed the tips of her fingers together to represent money. After not receiving a response from you, she frowned and dropped her hand. “Listen, believe it or not but I’m on your side-“

           “Bullshit. You tried to murder-“

           “Things have changed since then. Like you, I want the Empire to fall, too,” she shrugged as she plopped down beside you. You continued to frown at the woman. Did she really expect you to believe her bullshit? She was probably leading you to your death for all you know. She felt your intense stare as she turned to you with an arch brow and let out a chuckle.

           “What’s so fucking funny?” You deepened your frown.

           “She gave me that same look one time! When she didn’t believe me when I said I hadn’t joined the Empire. Of course, I was lying then,” the woman continued to laugh to herself.

           “Who is she?!” You asked.

           “Ah… that’s right. You wouldn’t know her…” she looked at you with a bit of pity on her face. This angered you as you didn’t like strangers – especially those who tried to kill you – take pity on you.

           “Marina Y/L/N. Ring a bell?”

           Your daggers flashed away as an audible gasp escaped your mouth. “My… my-“

           “Your mom,” the woman stretched casually as she stood up before turning to you with a smirk on her face.

“Aranea Highwind. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Y/N.”

[amarabliss]

Oath and Hearts... - 3 (Ignis Scientia/Reader)

So this is a crossover between FFXV and Dragon Age Inquisition.

You fell through a rift into the fade fighting the demons you swore to protect your world from. When you popped out you were no longer in the lands of Ferelden instead trapped in Insomnia. The gracious king allowed you to say recognizing power when he saw it. One thing led to another and now you were part of the procession of the prince to his wedding years later. Before the final battle, after years of fighting, losses, and love…your friend…your king…Noctis has asked you to change it all…

Part 1 Part 2

“I can’t do this again.” You spoke quietly as you stared up at the ceiling. You pulled the sheet up around yourself as you heard rustling next to you.

Nyx hoisted himself on his elbow and looked down to you, “Does this mean you have accepted an invitation to a date with someone you actually find yourself attracted to?”

“I have.” You smiled at him brushing your hand through your hair.

“Oh…do I know this gentleman and or lady?” You laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows smiling at you.

“You do.” You weren’t going to make this easy for him and he knew it.

“Is it a Glaive?” You shook your head and saw a bit of relief fill him, “Hmm…is it… oh! It’s Laval, isn’t it? He’s always fancied you since I brought you to his food truck all those years ago.”

You laughed sitting up pulling your knees to your chest, “No, this gentleman works in the Citadel.”

“Is he a paper pusher?” Nyx sat next to you rubbing his chin.

You thought about it for a moment, “He can be, but that’s not what he does.”

“Is he a guard guard or Crowns Guard?” He prodded more.

“The latter…” You could feel your anxiety beginning to build. Nyx was really your only friend who stood by you this entire time and you knew how he felt about this specific gentleman.

“Gladio!” He snapped his fingers at you smirking.

Rolling your eyes, you stood up looking for your clothes, “No…”

“Come on! He’s a nice guy, good name behind him too.” He defended, “Gladiolus Amicitia, it has a very nice ring to it.”

“Yes, but…” You found your trousers and began pulling them on “isn’t he a bit…boorish?”

“Boorish!…Shiva you your ladyship is showing again, and I for one would not call him boorish…a flirt maybe…” He smirked at you as you swept up your hair, “Well if it’s not Gladio, who you deem boorish…is it the young stallion named Prompto?”

“Heavens no!” You watched him laugh a little, “Are you done guessing?”

“Maybe Cor? If you like them a bit older…” This was too far. You grabbed a discarded pillow and threw it at him, “You’re no fun…fine, who is this gentleman caller?”

You froze and swallowed as you began to turn from him, “Ignis…”

“Scientia?” The pitch in his voice rose.

“Well I don’t know any other Ignis.” You mumbled picking up your shirt.

“Really? That cold bastard asked you out?” Nyx stood up from the bed a look of disdain plastered on his face.

“Dinner, yes.” You pulled your shirt over your head.

“And you like him?” Nyx cocked his jaw a little.

“I do. We have good conversation…” You explained as you sat down on your bed, “He’s not that bad…”

“He is that bad…” Nyx sat down frowning a little, “He practically oozes disgust when he sees us…”

‘Us’ meaning anyone from Galahd. You sighed looking at him, “You give him very little credit. He is more in your corner then you think. He doesn’t hate your people.”

“So, you’ve talked about this?” Nyx looked at you seriously.

“Yes…Nyx you’re my best friend and the only one besides the King who trusted me without a doubt when I landed here.” You took his hand in yours squeezing it tightly, “I wouldn’t want anyone in my life who didn’t accept you.”

He smiled a lot before it transformed into smirk, “So…when is this encounter happening?”

“This weekend.” You took in a deep breath staring at him, “I was actually really surprised he asked.”

“You shouldn’t be, you’re an amazing catch.” Nyx ended up pulling you in close for a hug. He  ran a hand through your hair a kissed your forehead, “And if he does anything to insult your ladyship’s honor, just tell me and I’ll set him straight post haste.”

You smiled letting your eyes trace over Ignis’ sleeping form. It had been a very long time since you thought of your good friend Nyx. When you had found out about the Insomnia attack you had tried for days to get in touch with him…you never did.

God you missed him…

But when you saw Ignis relaxed next you, you could hear Nyx in the back of your mind picking fun at you for your happiness. It made you both sad and glad.

Your relationship with Nyx wasn’t a complicated one. You both didn’t belong in Insomnia and everyone reminded you of it. You both were good at what you did, protect others at any cost, and you found companionship because of it. So…when you fell into each other arms one night after drinking an entire fifth of bootleg Galahd whiskey, it wasn’t too surprising. It became a thing you two had with one another, and you both had agreed it would stop if you had interest in someone.

You hummed a little as moved closer to the man in your bed placing your hands on his chest as you leaned in kissing his neck. You were greeted with pleased noises before his warm hands found your sides.

You paused looking up seeing his green eyes peering down to you as he spoke, “Don’t stop on my account.”

You giggled before laying your head against his chest listening to his heartbeat. It pulsed through you reverberating through every vein, “We’re going to be late if we don’t get up soon.”

He took a deep breath in letting his chest rise and fall, “You’re quite right…”

You waited for him to release you, but it never came. You felt a knot tighten in your throat suddenly overwhelmed in his presence. You tried desperately to get yourself under control.

“Are you alright? You’re absolutely shivering.” He reached down pulling the blanket up around the both of you.

“Yes…I’m alright. I’m right where I need to be.” You replied as you began tracing circles on his chest.

“You say that as if you should in fact be somewhere else…” His hand fell over yours getting you to stop, “Is there something on your mind?”

You sat up looking down at him, “What makes you think that?”

Ignis let his eyes look you over calculating his response, “You’ve been rather distant lately…as if something is weighing you down. I’ve noticed it since we’ve left Lestallum, since you fell ill.”

“I assure you I am fine.” You smiled at him, “But I get the sense that you’re not going to let this go…is there some way I can ease your mind?”

“Hmm…” He reached up touching your cheek gently stroking it with his thumb, “Let us forego out dinner plans with the group and instead spend in evening alone in Altissia.”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” You quirked an eyebrow.

“I know we agreed to keep things more business like on this trip…but…with our little liaison…” He began.

“Oh, I wouldn’t call anything little about our liaison…” You smirked seeing a blush come to his cheeks.

He cleared his throat continuing, “…while that may be… it seems silly to let our presence in such a lovely city go to waste. We never had much time to go out again. It seems so very long ago…”

It was, so long ago…You had to think really hard about it. It had nearly been six months since he’d last taken you out. You remembered it slowly, but it came back to you.

“You took me to that awful opera.” You smirked at him.

“In my defense, it said nothing about being in the archaic language of Tenebrae…nor did it mention being three hours long before intermission.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Well I do recall enjoying the aftermath…finding that little Galahd café where we had the best spice tea I’ve had in ages…” You grabbed onto his hand that hand absently kept stroking your cheek.

“I remember how your face lit up.” You listened to him intently as he described the event, “I had never seen your smile so bright before when you took that first sip. You said it tasted like home. You stared into that cup for a long time before your smile faded again. You tried so hard to keep your spirits up after that, and you did well.”

“But I could see how much you missed home. So from that night on I vowed to do everything I could to make you see home here again.” He smiled at you bringing your hand to his lips kissing your fingers, “Through cooking, since it’s the one thing I can do well…”

You didn’t know that. He never told you. Suddenly so many encounters made since. The stop in Lestallum, his insistence that he needed your help purchasing supplies, and the constant pester of smelling herbs and spices. This man…this wonderful, intelligent being, did everything in his power to make you feel comfortable when he didn’t need to.

“You sell yourself short.” You smiled leaning down kissing him, “You have many qualities that you do well. Shall I name them?”

“I wish wouldn’t.” He sat up resting his forehead against yours, “It will waste precious daylight if you list them all.”

You laughed as he boasted. You loved this side of him. He would put up this very large protective wall when out in the world, but with you he became relaxed and foolish at times, “Oh…I love you.”

You felt your chest tighten after the words past your lips. It wasn’t a lie… he would be able to tell…but you knew it would change everything.

His head tilted slightly as his eyes met yours. You were afraid. You knew eventually, years from now, that he would tell you the same…but…it was so different from now. There was no light…he couldn’t see you…yet you laid next him letting him trace your face with his fingers…

It startled when he reached up tracing your lips with his thumb. It burned and sent everything inside you on fire. You expected some sort of answer from him, but instead he kissed you. Over and over again until he pushed you back into the bed.

Finally he pulled away nuzzling your face as he spoke, “I’ve longed to hear you say those words…and they are sweeter then I could have imagined.”

Your breath caught in your throat when he bit your earlobe continuing in a whisper, “I love you.”

Every kiss after he whispered the three words burning them into every inch of your skin. All plans of leaving the hotel vanished as you melted in his grasp. Not even the constant vibration of your phones didn’t coax  you out.

You could practically hear Nyx dripping with sarcasm, “So, highborn Amicitia isn’t your type, bad boy immigrants aren’t your type…you go for beanpole librarians? You’re definitely from a different world…you and Scientia are perfect for each other…”