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ffxv-monstrosity · 6 years ago

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The Best Fisherman

You are super kind to take over and be doing this!! Could I maybe get like an octomer/merman noct with a fem reader?

Thank you so much for requesting, and for your patience. I really hope you enjoy this. I do need to apologize in advance, as I got carried away. This is a little long, so I hope you don’t mind. Thanks,

-M

Pairing: Noctis x reader

Rating: SFW

You listened to the crash of the waves as you sat, relaxing in the peace of the abandoned dock you had decided to rest at. You had spent the day at the beach, soaking up the sun, collecting shells, and taking a much needed break from the stresses of everyday life. You wound up spending much more time than you meant to at the beach and hunger had gotten the best of you, prompting you to set up a small fishing pole on the dock next to you.

A small tug on the fishing line caught your attention. You eagerly grasped the pole, trying to reel your catch in at an easy pace. Things seemed to be going well until your catch took off with your lure. You reeled your line back in with a sigh, before reaching to grab another lure for your line. Oddly enough almost as soon as your lure hit the water, you felt something tug the line again.

Excitedly you reeled it in, eager to see what you had caught. You had whatever was on the line coming exactly where you wanted it. A smile was forming on your lips as you brought your catch closer. You almost had it to the dock when the line suddenly went slack. You reeled it in dejectedly, once more noting a missing lure.

You sat for a moment deciding if you really wanted to chance another lure in your hunt for food. Whatever these fish were, they were quite the challenge to reel in. While you did have a small stash of fishing lures, you were not fond of the idea of losing them all to whatever was lurking in this part of the ocean. You were about to decide to give up when something blue caught your eye. A flash of blue splashed a small ways away from where your line had gone slack.

You eyed the spot suspiciously, contemplating whether or not to set another line. You wavered back and forth for a short while, before deciding to switch to a heavier line. You also made sure and double secured your fishing lure, determined to keep whatever was down there from stealing yet another lure. Finally satisfied with your work, you once more set your line.

In seconds, the line was being pulled again. This time you were even more determined with your reeling, you were going to make certain you caught whatever was stealing your lures. You seemed to be on the winning side, as you strained to pull in the line. You eagerly watched the flash of blue and black moving closer to you. Finally! You thought excitedly. Suddenly a face appeared where the blue and black had been. You couldn’t suppress the gasp that left your lips as you released your fishing pole and stared wide-eyed at the stranger.

He had beautiful blue eyes and dark black hair. He was shirtless, his skin coated in droplets of water. You found yourself even more surprised as you noticed what appeared to be blue scales running down the lower part of his abdomen, leading to what appeared to be tentacles like an octopus. With a slight bit of shock, you realized you were staring at an octomerman. He was quite the handsome one at that. He looked at you lazily, before deciding to engage you in conversation.

“You know it’s rude to stare,” he said with a smirk.

You found yourself struggling to form a coherent sentence as you processed the fact that your lures were being stolen by none other than an octomerman.

“I…I What?” you stuttered at a loss of how to respond.

The merman’s smirk grew wider at your obvious shock. He moved in closer to the dock, still holding your lure in his hand.

“I said it’s rude to stare. You’ve been staring at me since I came up here to ask you to kindly stop yanking on this.” He said smugly.

You blinked several times, before you finally processed everything he had said. As you sat there for a few seconds, you felt your initial surprise overcome by your frustration.

“Hey wait a minute, you were the one stealing all my good lures?!” you snapped.

He cocked his head to the side as he looked at you.

“What are lures?” he asked.

You turned back around, reaching for the remains of your fishing lures. You grabbed a few good ones, and held them out in front of you so he could see them. You couldn’t help but notice how his blue eyes lit up when he noticed the lures.

“Oh sweet, you’re giving me more!” he replied happily as he held out his hands for the lures.

Your brows scrunched, as you pulled the lures back towards yourself.

“I can’t give you more,” you cried. “You’ve taken some of my best lures, and I still haven’t caught any fish.”

He looked at you for a minute before laughing.

“Wait, you mean you were trying to fish?!” he said.

You looked at him indignantly, “Of course I was!”

He chuckled again, before resting his arms on the dock & fixing you with a smile. His eyes were full of mirth, and you couldn’t help the feeling that he knew something more than he was sharing.

“Afraid you’re not going to have much luck,” he replied.

You looked back at him with a frustrated huff, before responding.

“Why exactly is that?”

He looked at you, smugly, “because you are up against the best fisherman.”

You snorted in response.

“How does the best fisherman around not know what a fishing lure is?” you shot back.

He scoffed at you, replying, “That is not the right way to fish. You poor humans do more scaring than catching with all that.”

“Then how do you catch fish?” you asked curiously.

He regarded you for a moment, before shooting down into the water below. You were afraid you might have offended him, but before you could dwell too much on it, he returned. In his hands he held a sort of homemade fishing apparatus. It didn’t seem to be much more than a line with a bit of fish on it, but you couldn’t help but notice the pride he had in it. You smiled as he extended it towards you.

“This. Fish aren’t stupid you know. They can tell the difference between shiny things like this, and an actual fish,” he said.

You watched as he held up one of your lures in one hand, and his fish in the other. You couldn’t help but smile at the way he seemed to light up when talking about fish. While you may not have any proof of his best fisherman claim, you were rather certain that he was definitely the most interesting.

“Well how do I know that actually works?” you asked.

He grinned widely before diving down again, his brilliant blue tentacles propelling him down into the water. In seconds he had returned, hauling some sort of netted bag with him. He eagerly returned to the dock, dropping the bag on your lap. As you looked inside, you noted that it was full to the brim with fish.

“Wow, that is quite the haul,” you replied.

He seemed rather proud of his fish, and even more so upon hearing your praise. You looked back at your fishing supplies with a dry laugh.

“Yeah, you were definitely more successful than I was,” you said.

He looked around the dock, hunting for any sign of fish. Upon finding no fish to speak of, he turned back to look at you with a spark in his eyes.

“I have an idea. You give me your name, and I will give you some fish.” He said simply.

“What? No way. That’s not fair at all. You worked hard to gather all these fish. I can’t simply take them away. You need to eat too,” you replied.

He scoffed and shook his head, “I don’t actually need all of them. I just gathered that many to outdo Gladio.”

You looked back at him, uncertain on how to proceed. You were really hungry, but it felt wrong to just take the fish he had worked to catch. You sat there for a minute until you came up with an idea.

“How about I cook the fish for you, and you can share one with me,” you said.

He mulled your offer over for a bit before responding.

“I still don’t get to know your name though,” he said with a pout.

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his pout.

“Okay, best fisherman, how about I add to our deal. You tell me your name and I’ll give you mine. Then I’ll cook us dinner.”

He smiled and nodded brightly.

“I’m Noctis,” he said looking expectantly at you.

You smiled, extending your hand as you spoke. “I’m y/n.”

He took your hand, placing his prized bag of fish in it. While it wasn’t quite what you had in mind, you couldn’t help but find his actions charming just the same. You stood up, setting the fish to the side and walking back to your pack. You gathered some of your camping gear, and set about to finding a decent spot by the shore to start a fire. Noctis watched you eagerly.

“Are you okay moving over here Noctis?” you asked.

He nodded enthusiastically, enjoying the sound of his name passing over your lips. He watched as you set up a sort of camp, getting the fire going, filleting the fish, and getting them situated in the pan with some herbs you had collected. By the time you finally looked up from your work, he had joined you in your camp. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence as you tended to the fish and the fire, making sure everything looked alright. When the fish was done, you grabbed two plates, piling his high with fish. He sniffed the fish, licking his lips.

“This smells heavenly,” he said.

You watched somewhat nervously as he started eating, hoping your cooking was up to his standards. It seemed you had little to worry about as he polished off the first fish with a moan.

“Six! This is amazing! I’ve never had cooked fish before. I always just eat it raw.” He said.

You blushed slightly at his compliment, thankful that he seemed so impressed. Nerves relieved, you joined him in eating, the two of you making casual small talk about the beach as you ate. By the end of the meal, night was falling and you knew you needed to get home. You looked at him as he sat back, seemingly full from his feast.

“I really enjoyed getting to meet you Noctis,” you said.

He turned to look at you with a smile. “Me too.”

“I need to be getting home, but I really did have a great time with you,” you said earnestly.

He looked slightly sad at hearing your words. He looked up at you with a bit of a pout forming on his lips.

“You have to go? But we just met!”

You nodded. “I do, but that doesn’t mean I can’t come back. I just need to sleep.”

He looked slightly less upset at that thought. He continued to sit for a minute, before a smile spread once more across his face.

“I know! You come back tomorrow, and I’ll cook us dinner!” he said.

You found yourself agreeing before you had even fully considered it. His smile was much to charming to deny. With the deal struck, you had one more thought in mind. You reached to your pack, grabbing one of your better looking lures, and handing it to him. He looked at you curiously.

“For your collection,” you said with a laugh.

He smiled, placing the lure in the bag he had once had the fish in. Satisfied with your arrangement, he helped you collect your things, but hesitated before passing you your pack.

“You promise you’ll come back tomorrow?” he asked.

You nodded with a smile. “I promise.”

As you left the beach, you couldn’t help but find yourself grinning happily. This trip to the beach had definitely been much more than you bargained for, but somehow you were pretty okay with that.

#noctis x reader #noctis lucis caelum x reader #ffxv noctis #octomerman!noctis x reader #octomerman!noctis #merman!au #ffxv

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siren-dragon · 7 years ago

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Carnival Games (Ardyn Izunia x Reader) drabble

Here is a little fic I did for @rosecoloredkay, who wanted a fanfic fluff centered around the Chocobo-Moogle Carnival. Here you are my dear! :D

We’ll be arriving to Altissia shortly.”

“Woohoo, finally!”

You watched Prompto dance about in excitement on the deck of the ship, the exuberant blonde causing a laugh to bubble from your throat.

The Royal Retinue were a common sight within Hammerhead, especially at Takka’s diner where you worked. You still remembered when you first met the four boys; painstakingly pushing a dead car toward the garage before collapsing on the driveway in exhaustion. Curiosity got the better of you and so you decided to offer them four Jetty’s sodas to combat the sweltering heat of the Leide Desert. And after Prompto’s exaggerated words of thanks, alongside those of Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis; you had become a dear friend.

Currently you were joining them on a short trip to Altissia once more in celebration of the Chocobo-Moogle Carnival. It came only once a year and this year, Noctis had managed to procure tickets. Unfortunately, Cindy was too busy to attend, so it left just you and Cid joining the four. Well, more so you; since Cid was likely just heading to Maagho for a nice drink with Weskham.

“Is this your first time to Altissia, (f/n)?” Ignis asked.

“No, I’ve been once before with my parent’s years ago.”

Prompto grinned, 1′though this is your first time to the Carnival, right?”

“Uh huh. And I’m glad that you guys invited me, thank you.”

“No sweat. Plus, it’d be a shame to waste a ticket,” Noctis smiled.

Gladio smirked, “and we couldn’t very well say no to our lovely Culinary Goddess.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Ignis replied.

You laughed, “don’t worry Ignis; no one can compare to you.”

“You are too kind, (f/n). Though don’t sell yourself short, you are skilled in your own right; as is Takka.”

“Thank you Ignis.”

The boat shifted to the left, causing you to look up and watch as the Gates of Altissia came into view. Towering statues of angels loomed overhead like hooded judges, watching every arrival and departure from the Walls of Water. The yacht sailed past the checkpoint and into the main harbor, where the Moogle-Chocobo Carnival had completely undertaken Accordo’s capital.

Balloons filled the air as banners waved through the wind, confetti falling across the city like sprinkles upon a cake. All around people laughed and smiled, wearing silly costumes as they danced and cheered. You grinned brightly at the colorful sights while Prompto practically jumped off the boat to reach the festivities faster.

“This is amazing!” Prompto cheered, quickly pulling out his camera to snap photos of the newly decorated Altissia. “They even have a prize counter!”

“It says here that you must collect tokens to exchange them for rewards.”

“That doesn’t sound too difficult-" You paused, a trinket catching your eye enough to silence your train of thought.

It was a large chocobo doll that sat amongst the enormous pile of moogle, chocobo, and cactuar plushies that took up almost an entire shelf. However, this one was different from the standard canary yellow and was pitch black instead, with a small satchel of Gyshal Greens hooked over it’s body like the festival’s mascot: Chocobro. You grinned at the sight of the doll, knowing that you have already set your sights on the unique plushie.

“See something you like, (f/n)?” Prompto teased.

“Well whatever it is, we’ll need to scrounge up some tokens.” Noctis said, “let’s get a move on.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up later. Don’t do anything stupid.” Gladio answered before disappearing into the crowd with a lazy wave farewell.

“He’s probably going to hit on girls again.”

Noctis shrugged, “just Gladio being Gladio.”

“I suppose I shall take my leave as well. If we are to be staying the night, it would be best to have accommodations. Take care you three, and try not to cause a scene.”

“Alright, see ya later Specs.”

Prompto sighed as Ignis walked off toward the Leville, “I guess it’s just the three of us. You okay with that (f/n)?”

“It’s no trouble. Besides, I’m sure Gladio and Ignis would enjoy a small break.”

“Heh, guess you have us there. Now come on, let’s hunt down some tokens!”

Together the three of you traversed the entirety of the carnival, stopping to see every attraction and event that littered the streets (and canals) of Altissia. After having to drag Noctis away from the fishing minigame, where he was bragging about the giant grouper he had just caught, the three of you counted the tokens collected and made your way to the prize counter for a small reward. Noctis immediately picked up a new lure, while Prompto decided to grab the Choco-Mog Decal; eager to put it on the Regalia despite Noctis’ protests.

You laughed at the antics of your two friends before reaching for the black chocobo doll, only to have your hand encounter another.

“Excuse me, but I believe this is mine.” A smooth voice, almost like a fine silk, purred softly.

You followed the arm up and brought your gaze upon the man standing beside you. He was incredibly tall, clad in a dark grey trench coat that seemed to exasperate his height. Steel-toed boots and green pinstripe trousers led up to a ruffled dress-shirt, accented by the vest he wore. A dark-grey and black hood was draped across his shoulders with a red-orange scarf tied about his neck. Though the most curious features he had was his wine-colored hair and golden eyes; which were currently staring at you with a look of mild interest.

“I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid I claimed this prize first.” You replied boldly, unwilling to part with the doll you had worked so hard to get.

“If I recall, my dear, our hands met at the same time.” He chuckled, as if he found your words particularly humorous.

“Yet mine happens to be under yours, meaning I touched it first.”

The main smirked, “if that were true, you would already have the doll in your hands. And yet, here we are.”

“Oh, you smug, little-”

“Hey (f/n), did you find a- Wh-What the hell are you doing here?!”

“My, my, a pleasure as always your Majesty.” The man bowed politely to Noctis, causing the black-haired prince to fume in anger.

You frowned, “Noctis, do you know this man?”

“Tch, you could say that….”

“Really your Majesty, your words are quite hurtful.”

Prompto gulped nervously, “what are you doing here, Ardyn?”

You turned back to face the magenta-haired man. So, his name was Ardyn….

“Enjoying the festivities, of course! And I was just about to acquire a lovely prize too. Now, if I might have the doll, my dear.”

“How about you just leave us the hell alone, Chancellor,” Noctis snapped.

“It’s okay Noct, we don’t need to cause a scene.” You spoke calmly before turning to face Ardyn once more. “Alright, I can see you are not likely to be swayed so how about a deal.”

Ardyn quirked an amused eyebrow at the fuming prince before his golden gaze focused onto you. “How about we race on the track for the doll; first to the finish gets the prize. Also, you will have to promise not to bother Noctis and Prompto during the festival-”

“And if I win, you will accompany me for the remainder of the day Miss (f/n). Without the company of your…friends.” Ardyn finished with a sly smirk.

You blinked in surprise; not expecting him to wager such an offer. Behind you Prompto and Noctis seethed, ready to tell off the older male for even making such a suggestion. But then again, you really wanted that chocobo doll; and it would be nice to wipe that smug smirk off his face…no matter how cute it was.

“It’s a deal.” You replied, offering your hand.

Ardyn took hold of your hand gently, giving it a single shake before moving his lips to your hand and placing a chaste kiss upon your skin. “Shall we then?”

You shifted atop the chocobo you had chosen for your race, a simple yellow that reminded you of Prompto. Meanwhile Ardyn had decided to choose a bright magenta bird that seemed just as flamboyant as it’s rider. Wiz stood on the side with Prompto and Noctis, both of which were cheering you on quite loudly; much to Ardyn’s annoyance. You waved back to your friends before gripping the reins tightly, eyes focused ahead as Ardyn and you waited for the signal. The bell soon sounded, signaling the start of the race and off the two of you went.

Immediately you clicked your heels against your chocobo, urging the large bird to sprint faster. Ardyn frowned as you took the lead, snapping the reins to follow you. You grinned brightly as you guided the chocobo up the stair case and down across the floating platforms that dotted the entire harbor. A few feet away lay the finish line, with Prompto and Noctis cheering you on like a pair of mad men.

Just a bit more and then I’ll- what the?!

A shadow passed over head and you watched as Ardyn flew over head atop his magenta chocobo, landing right in front of you. He gave you a devious grin before cracking the reins in his hands and sending his own mount sprinting forward and over the finish line. You mumbled a curse under your breath as you crossed the finish line right after in second place.

“A good race you two, you sure know how to handle them birds.” Wiz complimented.

“Thank you, Wiz,” you answered back as you dismounted before turning toward your competitor.

Ardyn grinned like a coeurl that caught the chickatrice, “I believe a deal is a deal.”

If Noctis’ and Prompto’s glares were fatal, Ardyn would have been dead twice over.

“Do be careful Miss (f/n), or your ice cream will ruin your dress.”

You blinked in surprise and moved your hand away, saving your dress from a melted ice cream stain in the process. “Oh, thank you….”

“You seem distracted, my dear. I do hope I am not boring you.”

“Erm…..” you glanced at the large, black chocobo within Ardyn’s arms with a look of sorrow. It stung quite a bit to have lost the prize you wanted, but a deal was a deal. And while you were a bit nervous to be alone in the presence of the Chancellor of Niflheim, you decided to make the best of it. After all, you did come to the carnival to have fun; and a lost bet was not going to stand in the way of that.

“Not at all. Actually…I owe you an apology Chancellor.”

Ardyn blinked in surprise, “might I inquire why?”

“I promised to enjoy the Carnival with you, and I keep my word. I do not wish to ruin a joyous event for either of us because my pride was injured in a race. So…shall we get going? There is much to see” You beamed happily, offering him your hand.

He remained silent for a few seconds before a small smile tugged at his lips, “that sounds like a marvelous idea, my dear.”

Together the two of you journeyed through the rest of the attractions that Altissia had to offer. You laughed as a Moogle claimed Ardyn for him to dance with it, wishing you had a camera for a photo. Meanwhile Ardyn managed to show off at the Whack-A-Cactuar game within the coliseum, making you look rather silly having missed the elusive cactuar several times. But you did manage to wipe the smirk off his face when you tried your hand at the shooting range.

“Here you go, and enjoy the festival!” the prize attendant chirped happily, handing you a Choco-Mog hat; complete with a bobbing jewel on top.

You placed it atop your head and spun about, “what do you think?”

Ardyn bit his lip, as if he was trying to prevent himself from laughing. “A wonderful addition, my dear; but I’m afraid it does not match your wings.” He said, gesturing to the yellow chocobo wings you wore on your back.

“A good point…I guess you’ll just have to take it then.” You grinned, placing the hat over his wine-red hair.

He wrinkled his nose in distaste, flicking the plastic jewel. “Well played my dear.” Ardyn groaned as you begun to laugh.

As the sun began to set and evening came, you made your way out of the coliseum with Ardyn beside you as he hummed a cheerful tune. You stopped walking when the Leville was within view, causing Ardyn to stop a few feet away. The large stage that sat within the water was all alight, readying for the fireworks show to begin. “Chancellor Izunia, I-”

“There is no need to be so formal Miss (f/n); please, call me Ardyn.”

“Ardyn…thank you, I had a lovely time.”

He smiled, bowing deeply. “It was a pleasure, my dear.”

A whistle sounded through the air as the first firework was launched, sending showers of blue, orange, white, and yellow lights into the sky. You watched in awe as the evening sky was illuminated with various colors and shapes. Slowly you shifted your gaze to the man beside you, watching as he observed the show with rapt attention. Gently you allowed your hand to take hold of his own; the action causing him to tense. Yet as your hand settle within his grasp, you felt Ardyn’s hand tighten around your own, causing a dusting of crimson blush to brighten your cheeks….

Later that evening, as you exited the shower within your small suite, you heard a knock at the door. You hurried over and saw no one there, before looking down and gasping in surprise. Sitting upon the floor was the black chocobo doll you had lost that morning…with a note beside it. Quickly you pulled the plushie into the suite and placed it upon the bed and opened the note.

Upon the pristine, white stationary was a collection of numbers, and one simple phrase: Another time, perhaps?

You bit your lip to hide your giddy smile, wondering if the Chancellor would enjoy an Assassin’s Festival as much as a Chocobo-Moogle one.

#ffxv #fanfiction #my writing #ardyn izunia #ardyn izunia x reader #oneshot #chocobo-moogle #carnival #fluff

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angelic-guardienne · 7 years ago

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Birthday Ideas for Noct

This isn’t anything official but I literally don’t have the time or energy to do a full-fledged writing, so here are some ideas I considered writing out for Noct’s birthday.

And I’m sorry, Noctis, you deserve so much more but I literally couldn’t this year. Maybe next year, but this year (this week in particular) I’m completely drained and it’s only Wednesday. I’ll give what I have and only hope it’s enough.

Tagging: @alicemoonwonderland @neko-otaku13 @ponkita @prommyprom @for-lack-of-a-better-world @roses-and-oceans @kerrtrash @crazykruemel @raspberry--raindrops (if you want to be added to the tagging list, please let me know!)

Places to take Noctis on his birthday

The aquarium

he will love watching all the different species of fish swim around

points out all the colorful ol jellyfish

wants to pet one of the dolphins

childlike excitement, his eyes are sparkling

it’s the only thing that still involves aquatic life that’s comparable to fishing in his mind

Fishing

obviously

buy him a new fishing rod, some new line (dragon’s beard) and a new lure or two and he’ll be in heaven

will fish for hours and will enjoy not being interrupted for anything

brings back fish to eat so it’s a win-win for everyone

will not stop grinning the entire day, bouncing in place and eager to get back to the fishing spot

Just staying at the apartment and hanging out

will definitely enjoy just hanging out with the bros at home

like, drinks, cake, some fish for dinner, good times

they’ll play all kinds of card games. Noctis is really good at bs

Video game tournaments (and yes Iggy joins in whether he wants to or not, actually gets really into it)

passes out asleep on the couch, they’re all under one insanely huge blanket and kinda on top of each other and curled up together and noct couldn’t be happier

Getting to spend time with his dad

I don’t even know what they would do, just let him spend time with his father

he misses him for sure, even if he doesn’t say anything about it (it goes for both of them like... dude)

Regis tells all kind of dad jokes and Noctis just groans and it’s great

maybe they walk through the gardens together. Regis and Noct just exchange stories back and forth bc there’s so much to say

If an attendant comes and tries to collect Regis he tells them no, whoever is here can wait it’s my son’s birthday and noctis just beams

The arcade

Justice Monsters 5

They installed a huge King’s Knight based game and everyone is playing it and Noct caught wind and dragged literally everyone there

Spends the entire night between the two games

indulges in exactly one game of DDR and kicks ass, then promptly falls over bc his legs are jelly

gets a ton of tickets and gets this huge prize

The bed

no i don’t mean in a nsfw way

let him sleep for as long as he wants

don’t wake him up early

if he sleeps until like 3 pm, so be it, it’s his birthday

let the boy sleep. let him wake up on his own time.

A bakery

let him pick out any sweets he wants

I would say give him a budget but he’s cool, he won’t overspend

jokingly point him towards the carrot cake and watch him cringe

apologize by sending him over to the brownies

cupcakes/cookies that spell out his name

That’s all I’ve got. Happy birthday, Noctis! Love ya, bab <3

#noctis lucis caelum #noctis #ffxv #final fantasy xv #happy birthday noctis #writing #i'm sorry abt the formatting i'm just in a rush to get in the bed

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ignis-scientia-estrogen-brigade · 7 years ago

Link

For some reason Tumblr is being a buttmunch isn’t showing the proper chapter number in the link above, but I have tested it myself and can guarantee that it does, in fact, lead to the final chapter of my ongoing Blind!Ignis fic, Memory Lane and Pastries.

If you’ve been following along with the promises I’ve made thus far, then yOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS HUEHUEHUE ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[ISEB Author’s Note: It means Ignis gets nekkid. Very, very nekkid.]

I won’t bore you with the details of what was going through my mind when I wrote it, but I will say that it’s another long, rambling story, so feel free to skip ahead to the steamy bits if your eyes start glazing over. I meant to do this last time, but I’m going to go ahead and tag a few peeps who I know might be interested: @thirdstreetcettin, @fencrocks, @roses-and-oceans, @atarostarling why u no let me tag you (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`), @sweetchocobae, @emeraldlatias, @sailorwiggle, @saurgristiel, @diadyn wat u too (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`), @chocobroobsession, @jellybabiestomanual cmon now (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`), @ardorminerva wtf tumblr (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`), @lunar-magnolia, @herondalcarstairs Lastly, I just want to mention that although this is the last chapter of Memory Lane and Pastries, the whole reason I wrote it was to establish an OC in that time frame, so that I may revisit Ignis and Ophelia in future one-shots. I’m going to make a separate post about my plans for the next week, but I do look forward to entertaining people again with my longer fics in the future!

(Abso-fucking-lutely NSFW; Click on the link above or the cut below for the full text of Chapter 5.)

“Tell me more about that Karlabos.”

“Hm?”

“You know—the one that supposedly murdered your mother. Did you ever manage to take your revenge?”

“Ah.” A smile touches the strategist’s lips as they round the usual corner of the alleyway leading back to his apartment. “As a matter of fact, I did.”

“Well? Don’t leave me in suspense.”

Ophelia’s fingers find his and she squeezes his hand teasingly. “My friends and I confronted the colossal beast on a shore overlooking Cape Caem some years ago,” he says. “We’d been sent on a quest to dispose of a Dread Behemoth that had been terrorizing the locals, and there he was—hiding like a coward behind his fellow monstrosity and taunting me with those beady black eyes of his.”

“Did he give you any trouble?”

“Not nearly as much as the prince did. Noct evidently had worse eyesight than me, because I couldn’t take two steps without having my feet frozen to the ground, no thanks to his poorly aimed Blizzaga spells.”

“I presume you were victorious, seeing as how you’re still alive to tell the tale.”

“Indeed. Can’t say it was worth the effort, though—we couldn’t even enjoy a nice lobster meal afterward, since whatever the creature had gained it size, it had seemingly lost in flavor.”

His heart skips a wayward beat when her fingers slip from his hand and move to rest at the small of his back. “I saw a Karlabos, once,” she says, her voice thoughtful. “At the monster arena in Altissia. What was that place called?”

“Totomostro—also known as the gambling addiction I never knew I had. And before you ask, I’d rather not talk about it.”

Her laughs are carried by the breeze as they halt at the front steps of his apartment. “It’s likely your own fault for losing money. You should know you’re always supposed to bet on the Spiny Speedsters.”

“An error in judgment, to be sure,” he says, as her arms slowly encircle his waist. “Maybe my luck will start to look up from here on out.”

“I’d say it already has.”

He then feels her soft lips brush against his, just as he had felt them touching his own every night after work for the last three weeks; it was getting easier for him to show his affection for her in public, the anxiety of being spotted by perfect strangers growing less and less insistent with each passing day, and the weight of the pendant against his neck hadn’t bothered him in quite some time.

It’s a chaste kiss, nothing terribly overt or ambitious, and it’s over nearly as quickly as it had begun. But he can’t fully bring himself to let go of her this time, not tonight, not like he could before, because the warmth of her body beneath her cardigan pressing against his chest was as addicting as the lure of ten-to-one Totomostro odds, and Ignis had almost forgotten what it was like not to feel so completely and utterly alone.

“Would you care to come inside for a moment?” he asks, scrambling for any excuse that would stay her departure for even one minute more. “I wouldn’t dream of forcing a cup of Ebony on you, but I did make some pastries the other day that could use a proper taste test.”

“I’ll pass on the coffee,” she demurs, “but I suppose I am a bit curious to see how well your baking skills stack up to mine.”

So she drops her hands from his waist, and the strategist’s heart cries out only a little at the travesty before he returns his attention to fishing his keys from his pocket. When he’s managed to finally open the stubborn door—‘stubborn’ in the sense that it wouldn’t open under its own free will when his nervous fingers couldn’t seem to find the correct key—he climbs the narrow stairwell leading to the unit two floors up, Ophelia’s footfalls echoing lightly behind him.

Another ‘stubborn’ door later, and he is stepping into the foyer of his apartment and showing her in. The strategist had never actually seen what the inside of his own home looked like, but he’d signed the lease solely based on the layout; the custom built cabinetry was spacious enough to accommodate his extensive collection of cooking utensils, and the open design of the kitchen flowing into the living area helped him to avoid walking headfirst into any unnecessary walls.

He flips a light switch and hangs his keys on a hook he knows is eye-level and exactly eighteen inches to the right of the front door, listening intently as Ophelia strolls into the space. “This is nice,” she says. “Quite comfortable, all things considered.”

He then moves into the kitchen, frowning slightly as he reaches for a clean plate. “All things considered?”

“One generally doesn’t list ‘bright neon lights encroaching on the living room’ as a must-have when apartment hunting.”

Ignis had almost forgotten about the supposed view from his flat; he’d saved a fortune by renting out this particular unit rather than a west-facing one, since his landlord had struggled to find potential tenants who would be unbothered by the bright EXINERIS Industries sign that glowed annoyingly just beyond his easternmost window. “One of the few perks of being blind,” he comments. “It also helps to save money on electrical, since I don’t even have to use the overhead lights when I’m home alone.”

“I was wondering if I might ask you about that.” A gentle creak echoes from the living room as she makes herself comfortable on a leather sofa. “How long precisely did it take you to regain your mobility after you lost your sight? I’ve seen you prepare complex dishes that someone with four working eyes and six arms couldn’t even manage.”

He retrieves a set of tongs hanging above the sink and opens the refrigerator door. “A couple of years, I suppose. Never underestimate the power of a strategist with an obstinate streak.”

“That’s what they call you, right? I’ve seen it in the newspapers—‘Ignis Scientia, also known as The Strategist’.”

“That’s what they used to call me. About the only strategies I work out nowadays is how best to satisfy Cid’s sweet tooth without having to go out and harvest Ulwaat berries myself.” He selects a pastry off the upper shelf of the fridge, then strides into the living room and stops at the sofa. “Speaking of, give this a try.”

“What is it?”

“Memory Lane Pastry—a Tenebraen specialty.”

The plate in his hand disappears. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of it.”

“They were a favorite of the prince’s when he was recuperating there as a child,” he says, as he lowers himself onto the couch beside her. “I never could get the recipe quite to his liking, but he’s not exactly around to complain about it any longer.”

Either he is unable to entirely conceal the hint of sadness in his voice, or she is more perceptive than he initially gave her credit for; he hears her shift closer to him on the couch, followed by the sensation of her hand squeezing his knee. “I imagine you must miss him a great deal, considering the sacrifices you made for him.”

It was a different kind of pain, losing Noct; as he rests his arm along the back of the sofa, and his lips press together into a thin line, he concedes to himself that honor of serving the last king of Lucis in his final hours far outweighed the burden of sorrow he still carried on his shoulders. “I’ll spare you the grisly details of the time he drove the Regalia off the top of the Duscaean arches,” he says. “Go on—have a bite.”

She must have sensed his desire not to be bogged down by old memories, because she doesn’t press him for details, and instead removes her hand from his leg to focus on the dessert on her plate. It’s only when he hears her nibbling at the soft crust that he realizes he’d forgotten to set out some napkins; as he ruminates over the most polite and gentlemanly way of offering to lick any wayward crumbs off her lips with his tongue, his ears pick up on an audible gasp beside him.

“Are they to your liking?” he asks. “Or should I just set the contents of my kitchen on fire altogether?”

“These are delightful,” she breathes. “How on Eos have you been hiding these from me all this time?”

“They’re not particularly common in Lucis, although I did happen to learn my recipe from an establishment in Galdin Quay. Ulwaat berries inarguably make a superior filling, but they’re fairly hard to import unless you know exactly which merchant to talk to.”

He then hears her set the empty plate aside. “Really, Ignis—have you considered selling these for Mr. Tostwell? They’d certainly give my father’s Baklava pastry a run for its money.”

“I’m not really the competitive sort.” His nose wrinkles, and he pushes back on the lenses of his visor. “Besides, there’s something about capitalizing on nostalgia that doesn’t quite sit right with me. I suppose I’m getting a touch sentimental in my old age.”

“Come now, don’t be obtuse. You’re hardly old.”

“Maybe not, but these scars aren’t doing my features any favors.”

He suddenly feels her fingertips tracing over the lesion nestled above his right eyebrow. “I like your scars,” she says quietly. “More like marks of distinction, in service to the greater good.”

His spine begins to tingle under her gentle touch. “You are perhaps the only one who finds any measure of value in them.”

“Perhaps,” she echoes.

Her fingers then move to the bridge of his nose, pausing over the small scar there before drifting down his cheek. His mouth opens slightly when she glides a thumb across it; before he can sample the flavor of any powdered sugar still clinging to her skin, however, she removes her digit and replaces it with her soft lips.

He needn’t have worried about the sugar, he surmises, because she tastes like Ulwaat Berries and pastry crust and all the things that made her so delightfully sweet. His hand moves from its resting spot on the back of the sofa to sift through her hair and draw her in close, and he’s rewarded with the sensation of her tongue chasing after his. As the scent of her Sylleblossom perfume swirls in his nostrils and muddles his senses, the strategist yields to her playful probing and fronts his own sensual assault.

They’ve kissed before, but it was never like this; something about it was different, something wholly electrifying, and the nerve endings in his brain are firing impulses at light speed. He feels her palm slip under the collar of his dress shirt and caress the crook of his neck, but before he can reach up and entwine his fingers in hers, she ensnares his wrist and drags his hand down toward her thigh.

But a gentle leg caress evidently wasn’t what she was aiming for, because she doesn’t let go of his arm until she’s guided his hand several inches past the hem of her dress; an inkling of doubt worries away at the back of Ignis’ mind, and he withdraws from her slightly as he breaks their kiss.

The confusion in her voice is obvious. “Is this all right?”

He then retrieves his fingers from the edge of her undergarment and frowns. “Yes, of course.”

“So then, how long are you going to play the consummate gentlemen before you allow me to lead you into the bedroom?”

Her hand is still locked around his wrist; when she makes no move to release him, he gives up trying to extricate himself from her clutches and settles for resting it awkwardly on her knee. “I… don’t want you to think that’s why I invited you up here this evening.”

“I’m the one who’s offering, aren’t I?”

“Er—right.”

“Am I being too forward?”

She finally lets go of his arm, and he lets out a defeated sigh. “It’s not that. It’s just been a rather long time since I’ve been this intimate with anyone.”

“That makes no difference to me.”

“That’s kind of you to say, but, well—ah, you see—”

Scarcely anything was shameful enough to ruffle the strategist’s feathers and leave him at a total loss for words, but the matter of his own deficiencies was admittedly a source of embarrassment. “There is some lingering damage from the trauma I’ve sustained,” he says finally, pushing back on his visor again. “I couldn’t even tell you if the parts still worked properly.”

His remark isn’t precisely accurate, although there had been long stretches of years where Ignis had been unable to achieve anything remotely approaching rigidity between his legs. Just when he had begun to believe his impotence was yet another permanent reminder of the physical sacrifices he had made, however, he’d occasionally wake up in the middle of the night with an erection so painful and acute that the only source of relief he’d been able to find was by submerging himself in an icy cold shower and rubbing one out several times over. And while it had mercifully been several months since his last miserable episode, his body’s natural functions had proven to be more than a little erratic, to say the least.

Ophelia returns her hand to his arm, but it’s not to restrain him against his will, and instead she runs it gently across his shoulder. “There’s only one way to find out.”

He gnaws at the inside of his cheek and hesitates. “I would hate to leave you feeling disappointed, is all.”

“Ignis, you couldn’t disappoint me if you tried.” She then captures his face in her small hands, lowering her voice as she brushes her lips against his ear. “Now, are you going to follow me into your bedroom like a proper gentleman, or do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you in there myself?”

He feigns a smile, but doesn’t immediately stand up when he feels her rise from the sofa—partly because he hadn’t expected for things to move so quickly and he wasn’t sure whether he was prepared to bare his broken body to her fully just yet, but mostly because he didn’t want to draw attention to the obvious tenting in his trousers—and it’s only when she begins to tug gently on his wrist that he swallows his reticence and gathers himself to his feet.

But she doesn’t promptly tackle the buttons of his shirt the instant they step foot into the bedroom, nor does she launch herself at him like a rabid Voretooth as her insinuation might’ve suggested; if anything, she seems entirely unhurried in her plot to assess his virility, and simply asks him to remove his shoes while she briefly excuses herself from the room.

“I’m going to freshen up a tad,” she says. “I’ll be just a moment.”

And then she’s gone, and he’s left with nothing but bare feet and a testy groin to distract him from the fears that are currently plaguing his thoughts. Leaping out a window seemed like a disproportionate response to an unusual dilemma, but he can feel the bulging in his pants already starting to soften; when the silence in the bedroom grows increasingly deafening in his ears, and he’s spent five whole minutes calculating the odds of surviving a fall from the nearest fire escape, his mind slowly begins to registers the smell of newly applied Sylleblossom perfume.

He then feels her hands snake around his waist from behind, and when he turns to face her, he discovers she’s removed the cardigan she was wearing earlier; the skin on her arms is soft and velvety smooth, the scent of her floral fragrance both mild on his delicate senses and wholly seductive to the primal part of his brain, and his reservations ebb somewhat when he traces his fingers along her shoulders and collarbone.

But a flicker of panic returns when her own fingers move to his face and touch the sides of his visor, and he seizes her wrists before she is able to fully remove it. “You may want to consider turning out the lights first,” he says. “For your own benefit—I wouldn’t want you to have to stare at my bare face all night.”

“I look forward to staring at your bare face all night,” she teases, brushing his hands aside. “In fact, I’m counting on it.”

There was a deep-seeded insecurity buried somewhere in the depths of the strategist’s psyche, the origins of which could be traced back to long before he had ever lost his sight. Corrective lenses or frosted visor, the absence of the comforting weight across the bridge of his nose made him feel altogether more naked and vulnerable than even the worst torture he had endured during the Hydraean catastrophe. So when Ophelia does finally remove his visor, and he hears the sound of her setting it carefully on the nightstand behind him, Ignis is unable to entirely quell the distress poisoning his insides; he remains paralyzed in place when she caresses his disfigured left eyelid, and it’s only after her hands finally fall from his face that he lets out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

But one anxiety is quickly replaced by another as she fingers the top button of his shirt. “There’s something you ought to know,” he whispers, grasping her by the wrists again to slow her progress. “My injuries, they—well, they’re not limited to my face.”

The strategist is beginning to think she is either braver than Bahamut or more reckless than the Infernian, because her only response to his warning is to touch her lips lightly to his mouth before resuming her efforts. His heart beats hard against his ribcage with each inch of his torso she exposes to air, until there’s nothing left for him to hide behind and she’s pushing his shirt down around his elbows.

She then runs a hand tentatively across the gruesome laceration that bisects him from shoulder to navel. “Does it hurt?” she asks.

He shakes his head wordlessly, and at the back of his mind he wonders how on Eos she is able to stomach the view as he feels her rake her teeth across his pectorals. He doesn’t have time to ponder the enigma for very long, however, because her mouth soon drifts to his right nipple, and the tongue she is circling it with is working wonders to distract him from his own self loathing. He briefly considers staging one last protest—his occluded eye is sensitive enough to note she had not turned the bedroom lights off when she went to remove his visor—but he abandons all argument when her hands drop to the waistband of his trousers.

She hadn’t show the slightest hint of doubt in her resolve until now, and it’s only when several moments pass without hearing the audible whir of his zipper being released that he notices her struggling with the notches of his belt. “Sorry,” she laughs. “It seems you aren’t the only one who’s been through a bit of a dry spell as of late.”

The tension in his chest eases a tad and he offers a her small smile, running his fingertips lightly along her arms until goosebumps appear on the skin there. When she finally manages to discard the stubborn piece of equipment, he feels her grip him gently by the forearm to steady him; he acknowledges her silent signal and steps out of his trousers, kicking them far enough away so as not to be a walking hazard on the path toward the bed.

For a moment, he isn’t quite sure what to do with himself; the mental picture he conjures of standing blind and nearly naked before her doesn’t exactly recall to mind the dignity and decorum of his former self. But she offers up her own answer to his conundrum by wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into his embrace, and his cheeks warm slightly when he feels her hips pressing against the fabric of his briefs. The tightening there has resumed its arbitrary behavior and is now standing at embarrassingly full attention, but she doesn’t appear to care—the hands gliding down his buttocks being her only outward reaction to his uncontrollable prodding—so he simply enjoys the sensation of her small figure nestled comfortably against his torso before reaching around her back to finger the zipper of her dress.

It hadn’t felt like all that long ago when he was the one quieting the trembling hands of a nervous lover; the strategist of old had always been in control, his nerves seemingly tempered in steel, and there was a period in his life when he would’ve rather been publicly flogged than ever be caught dead showing the slightest sign of weakness. But Ignis Scientia isn’t the same man he was before, and its his own hands that are trembling now, and he bites back a curse as he fights with the leading hook that evidently required the use of an electron microscope to unfasten.

But then he does finally manage to unfasten it, and relief washes over him when the zipper mercifully comes undone without further issue. Ophelia steps away long enough for him to hear the sound of her dress pooling to the floor; he had tried never to get into the habit of resenting his circumstances, but he can’t quite help the bitterness he feels at being denied the rapture of gazing upon her figure with his own two eyes.

But he still has two hands, and she is seemingly well aware of this fact as well, because she guides him to sit on the edge of the bed before grasping his palms and placing them on either side of her waist. He flexes his fingers tentatively, only allowing them to make contact with parts that weren’t explicitly covered up by her undergarments—he finds the flesh of her belly is as delicate as silk and twice as smooth, while the taut muscles of her back ripple and yield as he draws his fingernails lightly down her spine—and he takes the opportunity to nuzzle his nose against the softest part of her neck when she moves to settle herself in his lap.

The wetness he can feel even even through her undergarment is positively tortuous against aching groin, but old habits die hard, and he chokes back the growl threatening to claw its way up his throat. He had always been a quiet lover, because he’d always preferred listening to melody of his partners’ ecstasy over the sound of his own ardor, and it was even more critical to him now that he relied so heavily on his hearing; as he grips her buttocks and angles his hips against her heat, he is rewarded with exactly the moan he was hoping to elicit from her.

So he allows her vocalizations to feed his inquisitiveness and finally lets his idle hands wander, teasing his fingers under the straps of her brassiere while his other hand circles around her torso to tackle the clasp at her back. His grip is steadier now, a little of his former confidence returning each time she presses her lips hungrily to his, and he feels her nails dig into the thickest part of his shoulders when he liberates her from the constricting garment; a moment later, and she’s arching her neck against his open mouth and drawing his hands to her chest to make her insistence known.

As much as he would’ve liked nothing more than to ravage her nipples with his tongue, however, her hips bucking hard against his erection is distracting him from the effort, so he shifts his weight and guides her to lay down on the bed beside him. A frustrated whine escapes her at not having her immediate desires fulfilled, but it’s soon replaced by a whispered gasp when he settles in between her legs and draws his teeth across her belly. His fingers slip under the waistband of the lace separating him from the last of her nakedness, but he doesn’t immediately tear them off in a fit of lust; stoking the flames of passion took time and patience, and although the strategist might’ve been a little out of practice, he had never forgotten the fundamentals of his basic training.

He can’t resist indulging in a smile when he feels her writhing beneath him, and he opens himself fully to the sensations his four other senses are currently experiencing all at once. The scent of her perfume swirls in the air around his nostrils each time he glides a hand across her breasts, his fingertips lingering at her nipples and pinching them lightly until they’ve grow hard against his unyielding touch, while her soft moans reverberate like an aria in his ears. It’s the way she tastes, however, that perhaps ignites his libido the most; the delectable flavor of her skin is a borderline aphrodisiac, and the hardening between his legs strengthens with every inch he comes to closer to stripping her of her panties.

But if he thought she’d immediately wrap her thighs around his neck like angry Malboro tentacles the instant he freed her from her underwear, he is sorely mistaken. “Ignis,” she says hoarsely, as he draws the lacy accoutrement down around her ankles. “Consider trading places with me for a moment. This was my idea, after all.”

He brushes his lips against the inside of her thighs before drawing them over each of his shoulders. “You wouldn’t deny a starving man a few bread crumbs, now would you?”

His desire to please her has less to do with wanting to oversee the direction of their activities, and more to do with logistics; the evening wouldn’t be a completely wasted effort if he could at the very least bring her to climax, in the likely event that his body eventually betrayed him. It helped that the single greatest joy the strategist generally took in life was the sampling of new, unexplored flavors, and he doesn’t waste any time burying his maimed face into the warmth of her flesh.

Every partner tasted a little different, but no more or less decadent than any other, and one of the perks of having a palate as sophisticated as his own was being able to distinguish the subtle nuances between each one. He feels her legs relax around his shoulders as he nuzzles her sensitive hood, and his mind picks apart the fragrances of her natural odors and Sylleblossom perfume much like he would if he were nosing a glass of fine wine. She flinches slightly when he presses a rough tongue against her folds, but he doesn’t yield or shy away; he probes onward instead, allowing her soft gasps to entice his exploration further.

Even if his better days were behind him, the strategist was always a man with a plan, and tonight is no different; as he settles into a measured pace with his tongue, and he feels her thighs finally begin to tighten around his shoulders, he moves to wrap a hand around the back of her knee; the artery there is close enough to the surface of the skin to detect the slightest fluctuations in her rising pulse—the human body surrendered all the knowledge a lover could possibly require in order activate a pleasurable release, if one were shrewd enough to know just how to decipher its secrets—and he slips his other hand between her legs and presses a finger inside of her, alternating the pressure on her nub between his thumb and his mouth.

His dedication to maintaining a methodical cadence quickly begins to yield positive results; he can hear her breath shortening in her lungs, the whimpers escaping her lips wavering in volume depending on the pressure he is bringing to bear against her hood. It may have been eons since his last intimate encounter with anyone, but the muscle memory is still there, and as she rakes her fingers through his tawny hair, he can feel her walls trembling with each of his deft caresses. He focuses most of his efforts on employing his tongue, but he can’t resist the urge to nibble gently at her hardening nub, and it takes all of his willpower not to ravage it altogether every time her gasps echo in his ears.

At the back of his mind, though, he knows he’s losing himself in the moment; he’d be of better service to her if he could rein himself in and extend her ecstasy for just a little longer, but the stalwart discipline that had defined the strategist in years past is in direct conflict with his selfish desire to hear his own name on her lips. Which is exactly what is on them right now, because his mouth is pressed hard against her sex, his tongue lashing back and forth against her quivering hood, and his fingers are buried to the knuckle in her warm and dripping fluids. The sharp tug of his hair being yanked on and the vice grip her legs now have over his neck seem only to heighten the fervor that is overtaking his senses, and he casts aside the last of his restraint in his unwavering mission to push her over the final edge.

“Ignis,” she whispers, her fingers nearly tearing his hair out. “Please, I—”

There was something wholly otherworldly about bringing a woman to orgasm; the way Ophelia’s body writhes beneath his touch without rhyme or reason and entirely of its own accord was a curious sight for any man to behold. But Ignis doesn’t immediately cease his ministrations the instant he feels her walls clench tightly around his fingers, and instead keeps his tongue pressed firmly against her nub as he carries her through each wave of her climax, until he feels the tension in his scalp and around his neck suddenly ease and her body grows still on the bed.

Only then does he grudgingly pry himself away from her warmth, running a cheek tenderly against her thigh before moving to rest beside her on the comforter. He feels her arms snake around his neck and draw him in close, and the only sound that can be heard for a long moment is her labored exhales and her heartbeat resuming a more measured pace inside her chest.

He then feels a finger brush the lock of hair that falls across his forehead. “If you ask me,” she says quietly, “I wouldn’t have said you were out of practice in the least.”

He smiles softly and runs a hand along her bare arm. “This retired strategist still has a few methods left at his disposal.”

“Care to let me show you some of my own methods?”

“Hm, maybe not. It’s getting rather late, and I’m feeling a bit tired.”

It’s a lie, and he knows it’s a lie, and he also knows that she knows it’s a lie; she guides him to roll over onto his back before pressing an open palm against the flesh that is still—mercifully—rigid between his legs. “Then perhaps you’d agree to lie back and let me do a bit of the legwork.”

She somehow manages to push his briefs down around his ankles before he even has time to object. “Really, Ophelia—it’s fine. You know how irritable Mr. Tostwell gets when any of his employees are late for wor—”

But his words are cut off by the sharp hiss that escapes his lungs when he feels the sensation of her tongue slowly circling the head of his shaft. It had been an eternity and a day since he’d exposed his manhood to anything other than ice water or his own calloused hand, and he bites down on the inside of his cheek so hard and so suddenly he can taste blood.

If he thought that would be the extent of her delightful torture, however, he quickly begins to realize the worst is yet to come; she was merely priming his equipment, evidently, because her mouth lingers on his aching cock only long enough to deposit a copious amount of saliva there before she is straddling his waist like an armored paladin and guiding him inside of her with a gentle hand.

The flavor of blood intensifies on his tongue as he bites down on the urge to scream; his eyes roll back against his closed eyelids and he arches himself against her heat, a warmth that is at once both comfortable and inviting yet so searingly hot it feels like he is quenching his flesh-and-blood sword in a vat of boiling liquid. His breath escapes him and he gasps for air, and it’s only when she presses a palm to his forehead that he is able to regain control over his senses—but only just a little, because she’s already beginning to rock her hips, and it takes everything in his power not to immediately fire his empty rounds inside of her right then and there. He gropes for her arms in an attempt to curtail her momentum—she isn’t even moving that fast, he concedes, but anything quicker than a snail’s pace would almost assuredly bring an abrupt and embarrassing end to the evening—and she responds to his flailing by leaning over his chest and pressing her mouth hard against his.

His fingers sift through her hair, and for a moment he forgets altogether that he is blind and broken and a bitter husk of his old self, because he can see her, somehow; maybe not with his eyes, but in his mind he can envision the lithe body that fits together with his like pieces of a puzzle, can hear the smile in her voice when she moans aloud, can feel the warmth and kindness emanating from every cell and fiber of her being, and Ignis doesn’t need the use of his sight to recognize it was undoubtedly the work of the Six that set her path on a collision course with his.

Heartwarming as the sentiments may be, however, they’re little help in the fight against the growing insistence in his loins; he doesn’t know how much longer he can hold fast against her jostling, and if he doesn’t take matters into his own hands soon, he might find out a little sooner than he prefers. So he slips a hand around her waist and takes firm hold, rolling her onto her back without disturbing the union of his cock buried deep within her cunt.

But being on top has its disadvantages, the strategist suddenly—and regretfully—surmises, because now she doesn’t have the annoying nuisance of the bed getting in the way of her legs. When he feels her ankles lock around his hips to accommodate his girth more fully, and the telltale sign of his own imminent climax pulses at the base of his pelvis, he forces himself to a halt.

“I’m sorry,” he pants, desperate to delay the inevitable. “I—give me just a moment, if you would.”

He feels her nose nuzzle his damp cheek, followed by the sensation of her lips pressing lightly against his own. He yields to her kiss in an effort to distract himself from his own hypersensitivity afflicting every inch of his flesh, but the fingernails she is dragging up his spine is causing the nerves in his lower back to tingle, and he lets out a frustrated growl as the carnal side of his brain wrenches free will away from the rational one.

His hips move without thinking, his thrusts growing more erratic as her hands find his fingers and entwine them with her own. There was a time in his life that being in control was the difference between life and death, and that losing firm grip over himself meant risking the safety and wellbeing of the people he loved; that time has long since passed, however, and not even the Knights of the Round could save him now, because the blood locked away in the hard tissues of his shaft have reached a saturation point, the hormones flooding his brain sending the appropriate signals to direct the proper flow of seminal fluid, and he is suddenly spilling his hot seed inside of a woman for the first time in over a decade.

But not even a whisper escapes his lips when he climaxes, because old habits really did die hard, and instead he simply allows his body to relay the messages he cannot adequately express vocally himself. She holds him tightly in her arms through his final throes, raking a gentle hand through his hair and brushing her lips across the light perspiration dotting his forehead, until the last of his strength fails him and his biceps begin to tremble under the strain of his own weight.

For a long moment, neither one of them moves; the stillness of the bedroom is in sharp contrast to his screaming pulse galloping throughout every vein and capillary of his body. Then he feels Ophelia push back on him slightly, followed by the sensation of her fingertips tracing the outline of his jaw. “So much for not being the touchy-feely sort.”

He finally finds enough strength to withdraw from her, and pushes himself upright on the edge of the bed. “Right.”

“You clearly had nothing to worry about. Seems to me all the parts work just fine, after all.”

He then rises from the bed and moves to open the nearest window; whether it was merely a coincidence of his namesake, Ignis wasn’t sure, but his skin always felt like it was on fire after making love, and suddenly the room feels rather asphyxiating. “I suppose not.”

The worry in her voice is evident. “Is everything all right?”

His feature crumple into a frown as he leans his head out the open window. The humid breeze of nighttime Lestallum is doing little to lower his internal body temperature, and he narrows his eyes against the glare of the neon EXINERIS sign he can sense off in the distance. “Yes, of course.”

But he’s not all right, not really, because as the chaos of the last few lustful minutes begins to clear from his mind, and his feet slowly return to this plane of existence, one singular thought turns over and over in his head: What have I done?

It’s her earnestness that defines her, and he knows it, which is why he isn’t surprised in the least at her next words. “I can’t very well put your mind at ease if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you. Spit it out.”

It wasn’t Ophelia’s fault; he’d always been like this, growing ever more aloof in the aftermath of intimate relations, even when he was younger and the only thing at stake was his reputation, and even—nay, especially—when he was with the one who visited him in his dreams, because while chaste kisses and benign handholding were relatively harmless in the grand scheme of things, there was something about consummating a relationship that put a spotlight on the harsher realities of life.

He gives up on his effort at cooling off and heaves a heavy sigh, retrieving his trousers from the floor as he makes his way back toward the edge of the bed. “I can’t give you what you want, Ophelia.”

“You don’t even know what I want.”

“I don’t think you are fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead. I’d rather not put someone in a position where they have to double as my caretaker.”

“You seem to be under the impression that I am unable to make my own decisions,” she snaps. “And besides—there isn’t a thing I can’t do that I haven’t seen you do twice as well.”

“I can’t read. I can’t drive. I can’t even father a bloody child.”

Her ire suddenly dissipates, and she pauses. “You can’t?”

He resorts to stepping into his pant legs to hide his scowl. “I told you, my injuries are not limited to my face.”

She grows quiet on the bed behind him for a long while; it’s only when he is sure his argument has likely spurred her to silently weep into a pillow that he feels her fingers reach out and touch his shoulder. “I’m not asking for a marriage proposal—I’m only asking you to take things one day at a time. Preferably with me.”

A younger, more prideful version of himself might’ve deflected her advances, letting her down gently with the same words he’d used on countless other lovers in the past. But the sincerity in her voice strikes an annoyingly sensitive chord inside of him, and he’s more tired than he used to be; tired of the aches and pains of his lingering injuries, tired of carrying the grief of losing Noct and the redhead and the hundreds of thousands of people he couldn’t save from the Empire and the starscourge, and—most of all—tired of maintaining the walls that still guarded his wounded heart.

So he swallows his dismay and turns to face her, covering the hand she has on his shoulder with his own. “I would hate to be the reason your prospects wind up so limited. You have such a bright future ahead of you, and I feel like I would serve only to weigh you down.”

Her fingers lace with his, and she leans to rest her head against his chest. “Are you happy being alone, Ignis?”

“Not particularly.”

“That makes two of us, then. And if I had to take an educated guess, I’d say there there’s scarcely a person who has ever crossed paths with you who didn’t think you deserved to be happy—not Noctis, not her, not anyone.”

He thinks back to what Cid had said to him, about something tying him down here in Lestallum; maybe there was and maybe there wasn’t, and maybe one day he would eventually return to Insomnia and resurrect his hopes and dreams that had died there all those years ago.

But maybe there was actually something worth staying here for, a seed worth planting, a relationship worth cultivating. The weight of his skull necklace feels as light as a feather now, and the scent of Ophelia’s Sylleblossom perfume is unlocking a long-forgotten door inside his heart. “Perhaps you’re right,” he says simply.

#ignis scientia #ffxv fanfiction #final fantasy xv #ffxv #ff15 #ignis #ignis stupeo scientia

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makikoigami · 7 years ago

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[Fic] Final Fantasy XV - Noctis Week Day 7

Title: “Optimistic negative thing” Day 7: Free choice / Happy Birthday Rating: PG Wordcount: 4929 Spoilers: Spoilers for brotherhood Warnings: Supportive Dad Regis. Disclaimer: I own nothing and I never played the game. Still, these guys happen to occupy my mind. Not my fault Summary: "Birthdays as a kid were great." Noctis' birthdays through the years and how he had always wished for just one thing. And the year that he got it, he almost ruined it. Promptis Notes&Comments: Written (also) for @noctisweek 2017. One afternoon. ^^;

Birthdays as a kid were great.

Everybody in the citadel wished him a happy birthday, he would get his favorite treats starting breakfast and his father, the king, would make time for him to the point where he spent most of the day with him.

Noctis loved his father, who was always kind and smiled at him, who had the warmest hugs and the scratchiest kisses thanks to his beard that tickled Noctis' soft skin whenever their cheeks rubbed against each other. He knew these days were special, because he knew that even though his father tried to do his best to see him as often as he could, sometimes he just couldn't. There was a kingdom to be ruled, the city of Insomnia to be protected and Noctis was just one person. But he missed nothing.

His fifth birthday was special. He had friends now, a tall boy called Ignis, who looked much older than the three years between them. He was bossy, but, well, Noctis guessed that came with his age and role as his advisor. Whatever that was supposed to mean. He had been three years old then and all that he cared about was playing outside in the citadel's garden with the toys he had collected over the years.

This year however, just after lunch, his father came to him and hugged him wordlessly.

"Why are you sad?" Noctis asked, trying to squirm away from that scratchy beard.

"Noct, my boy, you know that I love you more than anything on Eos?" Regis said, his voice shaking slightly.

"I know dad, you tell me every day!" Noctis replied, giggling, because that stupid beard was tickling him just too much.

"Good," Regis sighed, setting him down on his lap. "You know that I am the one making sure that no daemons or other dangerous things come into Insomnia thanks to the power of the Crystal at the heart of this Citadel, right? One day, that will be your duty, as the crown prince..."

"I know, but that's still a long time to go, right?" Noctis grinned. "You're going to be king for a long time still."

"That's right," Regis smiled, charmed by his son's youthful optimism. He ran a hand through his hair, looking like he would promise him the impossible so that he would never know a day of sadness.

Noctis smiled back at him and hugged him tight.

"Noct, what do you say about a day away from all of this? Dad will teach you how to fish," the king grinned boyishly and picked him up. A wide grin spread over Noctis' face. Everything with his father was fun and he was sure that even though Ignis seemed to be appalled by the idea, fishing sounded like fun.

Three years later, Noctis had been on his way back from a very fun trip when the convoy he was in was attacked by a vicious daemon. It had a snake tail and the body of a woman with six arms that wielded six swords that cut easily through everything. As he ended up on the ground, gravely wounded by cuts on his back, blood everywhere, all that he could think of was how he was glad that Ignis hadn't been there with him because he had been bedridden by something ridiculous like a cold.

The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was his father wielding his swords, fighting the monster.

The next time he woke up, his father was leaning over him with a worried expression. He didn't know how long he had slept, but something told him that it had been quite some time. But he was still exhausted. So he just fell asleep again a short while later.

He celebrated his next birthday with Luna in Tenebrae. Luna was fun, but he learned about the history of the Oracle - her mother - and the magic of the king. She taught him about the Starscrouge, the disease which he had caught as the daemon's blood touched his wounds. Luna's mother had done her best to heal him of that, but some of it seemed to have gotten him bad and that was why he was sleepy so often now. However, Luna was also three years older than him and a lot more dutiful than Noct thought he could ever be. Her brother Ravus was even worse and Noctis found himself missing Ignis every now and then.

However, they had these yummy pastries every day, and Noctis was happy.

That was until Niflheim attacked and annexed Tenebrae, killing Luna's mother in the process. His own dutiful part admired her for staying behind to be there for her people, but he couldn't help ask his father if she would be okay again and again on the ride home to Insomnia. He remembered how his father's face showed his frustration and anger, but also worry as he reassured Noctis again and again that she would be okay.

Somehow birthdays were less fun after that. Ignis did his best to recreate everything that he liked to eat, but kept bugging him with vegetables and greens that Noctis had no interest in. He found a friend in Gladio's little sister Iris, went to a public school in hopes that he could make a friend there. However, his classmates were more interested in his status rather than his person. There had been this heavy boy who had approached him one day with a camera in his hand, but alas, it didn't seem like they were in the same class.

His father was still celebrating his birthdays with him, but the world seemed a lot duller than it had been before the attack of that daemon.

Noctis directed his teenage tantrums at both Ignis and Gladio, both young men trying to shape them in the way they had been shaped. It was frustrating, because they were such know-it-alls and even if Gladio was open and honest with him after a good sparring round, he was still older and it frustrated Noctis that he didn't take his problems serious enough.

The only thing he had been looking for on his fourteenth birthday was to go fishing with his dad and he was more than a little delighted as they sat on their respective foldable chairs, fishing lines somewhere in the lake, listening to the sounds insects and animals made all around them. The crownsguard was there to keep them safe from any and all daemon attacks, Gladio and his father making sure that the king and his son were undisturbed and Noctis swore it was the most at peace he had felt in many years.

He told his father about school, how he had no problem at all with the topics, admitted that he was just lazy to do even better. But he was on top of his class anyway, no need to outdo himself and frustrate the others even more.

"You're very kind," Regis had laughed, making Noctis blush and almost miss the trout that had caught his lure. After he had pulled in the fish and put it into the container so that they could eat it later on, he found himself admitting that he missed only one thing in his life. Despite all the kids in his class, he had no one of his age with similar interests, no one he could call his friend.

His father smiled wistfully, turning to look out at the lake.

"Your mother was my best friend before she became my wife," Regis said, his voice growing heavy. "Losing her... broke my heart... But in return I got you and she lives on in you. You make living without her easier."

Noctis stared at his father. For all the time he had known his father, the king had never talked about his feelings for Noctis' mother and the prince had always thought that it hurt him just too much. He had learned that his mother was a beautiful woman, gentle and kind and that he had inherited most of her traits. Only his temper had been courtesy of his father, but alas, that was nothing that he couldn't keep in check.

"Dad..."

"I know I don't talk much about her... but there hasn't been a day when I haven't thought about her, when I haven't missed her. I'm sorry that you weren't allowed to meet her," Regis said, his face wearing the same expression he had worn 9 years ago, on Noctis' fifth birthday.

"It's okay... I... I don't really... I miss her, but it's... It's okay? That sounds cold, but..."

"You've never known your mother. Makes it hard to miss her as much as I miss her," Regis smiled, his features smoothing over. "Ah, I can't wait to see you fall in love. It's the most wonderful, the most painful feeling."

"Oh god, dad , please. I'm not interested in these kinds of things!"

"Are you sure? Ignis tells me some of your comics are pretty saucy," Regis teased, just to burst out laughing at Noctis' deep red face.

"That's... that's just... I-I mean... I'm supposed to look at these things, am I not?" Noctis tried to plead his case.

"I'm not judging you," Regis said. "You're young, you're a boy, you're probably bursting with hormones, so I guess I can be glad that you haven't tried to make a move on anyone yet. I would be very disappointed to learn about these things from the press."

"I... Dad, there isn't anyone I'm interested in. Even if, they wouldn't be interested in me because everybody just seems to want to know about the prince and not, well, me ."

"Mhm, that is indeed a problem... But trust me, son, eventually you will find the one who you will be head over heels for."

Noctis sighed and steered the conversation away from that sensitive topic to much safer things like math tests and history lessons. The young prince even humored his father by expressing an interest in the current politics and he learned that Lucis was in ongoing negotiations with Nifelheim and that they worked how not to let them escalate into a new war, even if Nifelheim seemed to be hiding many things from them.

It was only much later, when they were back at home that Noctis realized that his father hadn't been talking about a girl that Noctis might fall in love with. Since he hadn't really been leaning to either gender in his phantasies yet, he felt relieved that this wouldn't be a war that he had to fight. By then, he was aware that his father had been a very lucky man to be able to marry the woman that he loved and that Noctis might not be so lucky in the not so far future, but at least his father sounded supportive should he ever fall in love with whoever he fell in love.

Sleeping that night was easy.

Noctis' sixteenth birthday wasn't what he had expected the year before.

His fifteenth birthday had been the first he spent in his own apartment, a spacious place near the school he went to with a nice view on the citadel. But Noctis needed that distance to his upcoming duties and while moving during the summer break was a pain in the ass with the hot weather, he was happy where he was now. He had promised to spend most of the next months in the Citadel still, but as soon as high school started for him, he vowed to stay here and live his life before he had to live his life for the throne alone. Noctis wanted to go out, he wanted to find a friend, he wanted to find love, he wanted to live his life.

He had never said any of these things to his father. But Regis had encouraged him to live his life away from the palace, told him to live his life to the fullest in his youth. However, neither of them had expected these things to happen so quickly.

In April, on his first day of high school, he was approached by a lanky boy with a grin so wide and friendly that he was blinded for a second. Still, something had been familiar and it had taken Noctis a few seconds to realize that this was the heavy kid from back then. He learned that his name was Prompto, that he loved photography and animals, cute ones especially.

They just clicked off immediately and after a week, Noctis had invited Prompto over for the first time. After that it seemed that Prompto had just moved in with Noctis, going home sometimes, but most of the time he spent his time with his new friend, two lonely boys finding solace in each other.

Prompto's parents were hardly ever home, Noctis' apartment was closer to school anyway and if Ignis wasn't coming over, they spent most of their summer break playing video games, going out sometimes to have some fast food and for Prompto to take some photos.

Therefore, for his sixteenth birthday, he had his first proper birthday party. He had invited Ignis, Gladio and Iris along with Prompto, who had spent half the day decorating his apartment with balloons and garlands. Ignis had cooked, once more closer to the Tenebraen pastries that Noctis liked so much with his own creations. He got presents, so many of them! A letter from Luna, too, with a pair of pressed flowers, the blue ones that only grew in Tenebrae. Ignis gave him a notebook made of the finest leather, Gladio had wrapped one of his favorite romance novels and had handed it over with the words 'For your sweet sixteen... may it help you get laid, nerd.' Of course he had made sure that Iris hadn't heard that, the girl engrossed in the last final touches to her own present, a stuffed bunny with a red bow. Noctis had smiled, but he couldn't help but stare at Prompto eagerly. Over the months his friend had quickly become his best friend because for some reason, Prompto knew exactly what he liked at all times. So he was anxious to know what it was that he had always wanted for his birthday.

He wasn't even surprised when it turned out to be a large picture frame. It was cheap, but the photos inside were invaluable. They showed Noctis and his friends, smiling and happy and Noctis stared at himself, amazed that he was even capable of these expression.

Naturally, he thanked Prompto exuberantly, making this awkward for both of them until they laughed it off sheepishly.

They played games, they ate, they drank and had a lot of fun and Noctis realized that he was the happiest he had ever been. At night, after the party, they dropped Prompto off on their way to the Citadel, because Noctis had promised his father that they would go fishing together the following day.

As they sat there together, his father looking so much older than the two years that had passed since the last time they had done this, Noctis couldn't help but feel guilt tugging on his heart, because he couldn't stop thinking about how much Prompto would love this, taking pictures of this and that.

"You look happier, my son," Regis noted with a fond smile.

"Ah- I guess I am," Noctis replied, smiling wistfully down his fishing rod.

"How was your party yesterday? Did you have fun?"

"Mhm... it was great. I didn't... It was nice having a party with friends. It would have been nice if Luna had been there, too, but she sent a present with Umbra," Noctis said, feeling his cheeks heat up when he remembered how much Prompto had gushed over the intimidating looking dog. Once he learned that he and Pryna were siblings, he looked at Noctis with the most adorable surprised look and he found his heart missing a beat or two at that look.

"My son... I can see you're not quite here with your thoughts," Regis teased gently, glancing over with a knowing smile that Noctis hated as much as it made his face turn red.

"Y-yes... I... I've told you probably about him, but this... this guy at my school - Prompto - I've only known him for a few months, but he's already become my best friend and I... I don't know... didn't know what I've been missing," Noctis explained and bit his lip, glaring at the water that was suspiciously still, as if no fish wanted to disturb the conversation between father and son.

"Ah, I remember how that was. I'm glad you've found a friend, my son," Regis smiled and Noctis still hated how his smile hinted on how there were so many things that he thought but wouldn't say to his son so that he wouldn't upset him. "You've been wishing for one for the longest time."

"I... yeah," Noctis sighed, defeated. "It's... we like the same things and we finish each other's sentences sometimes and he says the dorkiest things like 'we finish each other's sandwiches' and he makes me laugh and just... He's a good guy. I want to make him happy. I want to see him smile every day," he admitted, blushing a little more.

"My boy..." Regis said, his voice thick with an emotion that Noctis couldn't quite decipher, but he thought he heard pity in it. "If you feel that way about him... don't hold back to tell him. One day it might be too late."

"...Are you talking about mom?" Noctis asked, feeling as if that was what his father was hinting at.

Regis nodded. "I've been thinking about her more often lately. Maybe it's the age," he shrugged, looking up at the blue sky with that look of melancholy that he seemed to wear more often lately. "In my experience... it's better to have loved once and lose it than to have never loved at all."

He turned to look at his son, grey eyes holding the gaze of much similar eyes. "Don't hesitate to voice your feelings, they might just be returned."

Noctis nodded, but he wondered if his father had really just encouraged him to confess to his best friend. He, they were just that, friends. There wasn't anything more! Or at least that's what Noctis thought there was, not wanting to ruin the first friendship he had ever built himself by confessing feelings like a lovesick puppy.

But maybe his father was right. If 'lovesick puppy' was a description for anyone, it was for Prompto. The touches, the looks and everything they shared did feel like a lot more than just being friends. Maybe there was more to them that they both saw.

"I'll give it a try when I feel like it," Noctis sighed, just to be saved by a rather large fish biting.

They repeated the birthday party almost two months later for Prompto's sixteenth birthday. The boy cried when he opened Noctis' present, a high-class DSLR camera, the one he had been saving money for for months now. He accused Noctis of being unfair and almost demanded that he'd give it back, but Noctis explained that he didn't care about how much the camera had cost. It was what Prompto had wanted and Noctis wanted Prompto to be happy, so the monetary worth of this camera was neglectable. Noctis stopped himself before he could say something he could regret in the company of Ignis and Gladio, but if Prompto had asked him for it, he would have given him the stars in the sky.

Maybe he was right. Maybe he should just face the fact that he felt more for his best friend than just friendship. Maybe he should just do as his father had suggested and confess.

Ignis gave Prompto a thick and heavy book about the mannerisms at the court of Lucii, and Gladio told Prompto that he would personally train him and introduce him to Cor Leonis, so that he would get some muscle on that scrawny body of his. He'd need it if he wanted to stay in the company of the crown prince longer.

Aside from all the very practical presence, Noctis could see that it mattered more to Prompto that his advisors and companions had accepted him in their inner circle and he smiled as he saw the blond wipe at his eyes more furiously.

On a whim, he asked him to stay the night. It was a Saturday after all. Ignis made them promise to use the guest bed of the couch, but as they sat and watched one of Prompto's favorite movies late at night, almost leaning against each other, they agreed wordlessly, that they would just share the bed like usual.

"Hey, Prom," Noctis said as the movie neared its climax. The heroine and her sidekick watched the lights from the castle fly and light up the sky and even Noctis, who had seen the movie many times but still couldn't feel as enthusiastic about it as Prompto, was moved by the image painted on the large screen of his TV.

"Hm?" the blond hummed, eyes glued to the screen as he hugged one of the couch cushions to his chest.

"I... I've been thinking," Noctis started, his throat suddenly dry and that didn't change, no matter how often he swallowed.

"That's a new one," Prompto said automatically, his voice a teasing tone, until he realized that Noctis wasn't in the mood for one of the jokes. "...What is it?" he asked, looking suddenly very worried and Noctis lost all will to change the status of their relationship. Things were good the way they were, he couldn't handle it if they changed for the worse.

"Hm, it's been a good day today... What do you think about going out for a photo tour tomorrow? I'll ask Ignis to drive us to that place I've told you about," he said then instead of confessing how much he wanted them to be more than friends, how he sometimes dreamed about kissing his best friend.

"Really?" Prompto's face lit up and somehow there was suddenly a herd of butterflies in Noctis' stomach. He swallowed dryly again. "Wait, you just want to go fishing!"

"What... no! I told you, it's a beautiful place and it's the perfect opportunity for you to try out your new camera!"

"And you can go fishing," Prompto smirked, making Noctis roll his eyes.

"Yeah. But that's not the point!"

"It's cool, man. I'm happy anyway. Besides you're right. I need to try out all the settings of this lady to find out how they work best. I'm game!"

"Great. Let me just... send a text to Ignis..."

"Mhm..."

Needless to say that Ignis wasn't too enthused to find them tangled in each other in Noctis' bed the following morning. Still, he said nothing as he drove them to the lake where Noctis and his father usually went to fish. Gladio teased them every now and then, but it felt more like he did it because he had to and to distract from the fact that he was still wearing the exact same clothes as the night before. If it hadn't been something very casual, Noctis might now have noticed, but he had never before seen that Chocobo shirt on Gladio. Still, he said nothing because to him it was more important to see Prompto's face light up at every new things.

Really, the beauty of the scenery wasn't completely lost on Noctis, otherwise he wouldn't have wanted to show it to Prompto, but the photographer pointed out details left and right that had Noctis look at the scene with new eyes. Prompto managed to paint a whole different picture than the one Noctis had seen so many times.

The herd of butterflies were back in his stomach and he didn't know how long he could stay friends with Prompto like this.

~*~

August 29th the following year ended up being the deadline. Prompto had fuzzed too long about wanting to making Noctis' seventeenth birthday even more awesome than his sixteenth and as he was hanging even more balloons and streamers and garlands everywhere, Noctis decided that he couldn't wait for another day. It was getting late anyway and once Prompto was done, he told him to sit down and watch that favorite movie of his again.

It was like a deja-vu, Noctis sitting on his couch, watching the heroine and her sidekick watch the lights rising from the castle with Prompto hugging the pillow to him, just like almost a year ago.

"Prom," he said, feeling much surer this time. This could have to do with the fact that the blond was pressed to his side, Noctis arm heavy on his shoulders. "Prom, I need to tell you something."

"Hm? What is it? Have you been thinking again?" Prompto teased and Noctis rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you dork, I've been thinking about you. Many, many times. I've been dreaming about you. Like, you've been on my mind every moment, every day, every night. Not just when I'm awake, but also when I'm asleep."

"Dude, that sounds like you're, what, in love with me?" Prompto said as he sat up straight to look into Noctis' eyes.

"...What if I were?" Noctis asked, holding that gaze, no matter how much he just wanted to run away.

"...I don't know," Prompto replied after a moment, averting his gaze, but there was a blush on his cheek. "I... I don't know. I-I mean, how can I know anything if you don't know yourself?"

"Well, it's the first time I've ever felt something like this, how am I supposed to know what this is?"

"...Good point. I guess there's just one way to find out," Prompto replied, looking back up.

Yep, his cheeks were red.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, uh, kiss? The prince's kiss, you know?" Prompto joked and they both cringed at how bad it was.

"I guess it's the only way to know for sure, if that's okay with you?" Noctis asked, suddenly feeling that army of butterflies in his stomach again. His arm shook as he raised it to put his suddenly numb and cold fingers on Prompto's cheek, tilting his head so that he had a better aim. "Promise me we'll still be friends if this doesn't turn out to be more... I don't want to lose you."

"Me neither," Prompto whispered, leaning forward just enough to give Noctis the sign to proceed.

"Good," Noctis whispered as he closed the last bit of distance between the two of them.

Their first kiss was clumsy, a simple thing of lips on lips that reminded Noctis of the kisses between his father and him. However, it was entirely different the moment he heard Prompto gasp.

He pulled away then, not trusting himself with anything then.

"I fear it's true," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I might just be in love with you. At least that's what it feels like..."

"Noct..." Prompto sighed, his eyes still closed, his lips slightly parted and wet.

"I'm s-," Noctis murmured because he just needed to kiss him again. And it didn't seem like Prompto returned his feelings.

"Me too."

"Huh?" Noctis blinked staring down into Prompto's violet blue eyes, crinkled up with a sheepish grin.

"Guess I'm in love with you, too. Stupid prince."

"Prom..."

"Happy birthday... I hope you can accept me as your present this year," Prompto grinned and Noctis glanced over his shoulder to see that the clock in the kitchen had just turned midnight.

"You know, if you say things like that, I'm gonna do more than just kiss you," Noctis said, his pupils widening as the implications of that sentence made his blood rush south.

"Oh, yeah? Tell me, I'm open to quite a few things," Prompto replied, having the audacity to smirk at him.

"Don't tempt me... didn't you want to watch this?" Noctis asked, nodding over his shoulder towards the TV.

"I know it by heart... Doesn't matter skipping the end once or twice," Prompto shrugged and gave Noctis his best puppy eyes and Astrals, Noctis was weak to those.

"Fine. Then I'll claim my present now," he said, a little dumbfounded, but so happy that he could burst before he kissed Prompto again. It was still clumsy and far from perfect, but they were getting there. The next day he told Luna about it and she congratulated him, wishing them all the luck.

On his eighteenth birthday, he took Prompto with him to the Citadel, introducing him to his father. They went fishing and Prompto took photos of the old king and his son that they framed and hung on his wall.

On his nineteenth birthday, Noctis took Prompto on a trip for just the two of them. They didn't see much of the ocean then. Instead they made their own vows and promised to stay together for the rest of their lives.

On his twentieth birthday, Noctis became king and set off to marry Luna to seal the treaty between Lucis and Nifelheim, unaware of the implications. But Prompto was by his side and he knew that Luna knew where his heart belonged already, so he wasn't scared to marry someone he didn't love, because he knew the one that he did love would be by his side forever.

Birthdays with Prompto were the best.

#noctisweek #noctis lucis caelum #prompto argentum #promptis #noctis x prompto #fanfiction #final fantasy xv #ffxv fanfiction #Makiko Igami's fanfiction

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tenshinokorin · 8 years ago

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Running Down a Dream: The Definitive Guide

So. Back in January of this year, when I was about eh, twenty hours into FFXV, I started a fanfic on Ao3. I thought it would just be a nice place to sock away little drabbles or short fics, here and there, that might be inspired by my playthough. I had no intentions of doing more than maybe ten of them, and I thought they'd all be too small to be stand-alone fics. So I made them chapters, though they weren't really meant to tell any kind of overarching story. I called it Running Down a Dream, because too many things were already called Life is a Highway, and I liked the Tom Petty song better. I didn't expect it to amount to much, really.

...The current collective word count for my FFXV works on Ao3 is 106,074 words. (My FFXV game save is about two hundred and thirty hours.) Slightly more output than I planned. Probably more than anyone expected when reading the first chapter of this five months ago! (The fact that this comes after two years of painful block following the publishing of my first novel is just the cherry on the sundae.)

So, I realize that some people might not have read RDD, because the main fic and the B-sides are marked as unfinished. That's because they're a collection of stand-alones and the whole thing probably won't be finished ever-- I want to leave it open so I can go in and write something whenever. Someday, I may go in and mark them as finished. Probably about thirty minutes before the Earth crashes into the Sun. But each 'chapter' of RDD and the B-sides is complete as is, and while there is some continuity from chapter to chapter--mostly in the form of in-jokes and relationship status--you can still go in and read any one of them, at random. But who wants to plunge into a thirty-chapter mess that's part of a series which also has multiple-chapter fics and some of them are marked finished and some aren't and there's a crossover?? and what? Especially since this Tenshi no Korin person never puts in summaries that actually tell you anything and it's always a song quote or obscure movie quote I mean, the hell?

Don't worry. I've got you covered. Because I'm here with the......

DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO TENSHI NO KORIN'S RUNNING DOWN A DREAM FFXV ARC SO FAR (as of 5/12/17). With links. Buckle in. Here we go.

Running Down a Dream: Ao3 Series Page

Running Down a Dream: Main Fic: The start of all this mess, as described above. Note: While this series is generally fun/funny, I take maudlin turns without warning. Here to help you avoid or seek out what you will is the following code:

(~) this fic is lighthearted (~~) this fic is somewhat serious (~~~) this fic is thoughtful and/or melancholy (!?) this fic is utter crackpanties; your neighbors may call the police.

1.Sunburn: Prompto wants to put the top down, but Ignis pays the price. (~) 2.Garnish: Ignis Scientia: Wild Edibles Expert (~) 3.Lure: Prompto asks Noct about fishing. It's a mistake. (~) 4.Arson: Gladio gets on like a house on fire. (~) (very short) 5.Rain: Insomnia falls. Noct grieves. Prompto offers what comfort he can. (~~~) 6.Ebony: Ignis' poison of choice. (~) 7.Knickers: There's a strange pair of underpants in the hotel bathroom. (~) 8.Plume: Prompto takes a bad hit in battle. (~~) 9.Shield: Gladio meditates on his role, and on bacon. Prompto lands a big catch. (~~/~) 10.Vacancy: Saving the world is messy work. Deciding who gets the shower first is messier. (~) 11.Neon: Prompto and Noct on the hotel roof. First kisses and confessions. (~~) Noct/Prompto 12.Gourmand: Ignis thoroughly enjoys his hobbies, to the dismay and delight of his companions. (~) 13.Ink: Prompto asks about Gladio's tattoo. (~~~) 14.Laundry: Ignis steals his quiet moments where he can. Gladio steals more than that. Noct wants to know where the hell his pants are. (~~/~) Gladio/Ignis 15.Delirium: Noct falls into some dubious mushrooms and finds himself in some even more dubious DLC. Utter crack with no apologies. This is the most popular chapter of this entire series by a country mile. (?!) 16.Manners: Ignis attempts to make his party behave while they escort Iris. It's a lost cause. (Sorry, Iris.) (~) 17.Balladeer: Tomb of the Rogue, without Gladio. Noct sings. Lucian history in verse. (~~~) 18.Trim: Noct gets a haircut and nobody enjoys it. Except maybe Gladio and Prompto. (~) 19.Quicksilver: Prompto saves the day. (~~) 20.Carnivore: Concerning the habits of Chocobos. (~) 21.Poet: Noct and Prompto are up too late and everything is funny. Especially Gladio's hobbies. (~) 22.Phobia: Ignis and his worst fear. No, not brown shoes with a blue suit. Leeches. (~~) 23.Valentine: The most original fic premise ever: It's raining. They don't have spare clothes. The hotel only has one room. It's the honeymoon suite. (!?) 24.Spelunker: Prompto has a panic attack in the caves under Daurel Springs. Gladio offers his jacket and his shoulder. (~~) 25.Specter: Putting relics of the old war to rest. Wondering who will bury their dead. (~~~^100) 26.Payday: Gladio explains what he was doing while he was gone. Noct spies an opportunity. TW: tequila, body glitter, ornamental spoons. (?!) 27.Rations: Gladio's protein bars are terrible. Ignis can do better. (~) 28.Storage: Noct attempts to carry everything in his Armiger. That's how you get ants. (!?) 29.Crimson: The story behind the red soles. (~~~) 30.Bubbly: Gladio takes a hit for Noct, Noct finds a suitable reward. (~) 31.Talent: Something Ignis isn't good at. (~)

Running Down a Dream: The B-Sides: For some reason I made RDD a T+ rating, and then I wanted to write things that were out of the loose timeline that was developing in RDD, and also I just wanted to write M-rated smut. This was meant to be a place for both! Instead it's just the latter. Stories run parallel to the main RDD fic, but! You don't have to read the RDD fics to read these. NSFW (i.e.: #2) to ///desperately/// NSFW (i.e.: #5) 1.Poolside: Noct/Prompto. The Leville's rooftop pool. First time. (~) 2.Adult: Pit stop at a roadside porn store. Gladio shops the sale. Prompto works up his nerve. Ignis offers advice. Noct wishes he were dead. (!?) 3.Turnabout: Prompto/Noct. The King of Lucis takes it like a man. (~) 4.Stealth: Gladio/Ignis. Gladio and Ignis try to get a little on the down-low. Ignis thinks about the first time. Then he thinks about his king. And that's a problem. A good one. 5.Lucky: OT4. The infamous lucky man conversation. Prompto makes a boast, and then makes good on it. Prompto/Everybody

Running Down a Dream: Tyrants & Kings: Okay, so I really need to write about the second half of the game, I thought. But I didn't want to bog down RDD with all that, plus, I want to still be able to write lighthearted road fics (and let people keep reading them), and avoid major game spoilers. Tyrants & Kings is where I deal with the events from Altissia onward to the end of the game (and after). It's also actually complete, unlike most of the rest of this. All fics (~~~) at least. 1.Departures: Leaving Altissia, on the train to Tenebrae. Prompto does what he can. Ignis is grateful. 2.Armistice: Ignis has had quite enough of everyone's bad behavior. Gladio and Noct work it out the only way they know how. 3.Princess: Prompto gets rescued; Noct apologizes. 4.Crystal: Noct dreams about his memories, including how Prompto got his beloved camera. 5.Retreat: Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto head back to Lucis, and try to come to terms with what to do now. (Prompto/Ignis/Gladio) * 6.Regroup: Prompto and Ignis talk about the future, their lives, and about Noct. Ignis gets a phone call. 7.Reunion: The boys are back in town. Noct asks Prompto for a favor. 8.Requiem: The Astrals and the Aftermath. Carbuncle lays down the law. The end of the road. 9.Sunrise: The end of this story, and the beginning of all the others.

* Running Down a Dream: Coming for to Carry Me Home: A stand-alone fic that chronologically slots between chapters 5&6 of Tyrants & Kings. Ignis worries about Prompto, who's having a hard time coping with the turn their lives have taken. And, as it turns out, the things that happened to him in Gralea. Hurt/Comfort. (Please note fic warnings.)

Running Down a Dream: One Other Year: Everything that takes place after the events of Tyrants & Kings. (Wait, I hear you say-- If T&K is the END of the game, how can you have a fic about what happens after? Well. You'll just have to read it and find out.) Unlike RDD & B-sides, his is actually one fic published chapter by chapter, NOT a collection of stand-alone fics, and also not finished, though I try to update it regularly. 1.Picnic: Luna admits something to Prompto. Gladio makes a discovery. 2.Lineage: Ignis tells a story about the Rogue Queen, and about the Kingsglaive, and Galahd, and Royal Magic. 3.Dreams: Noct and Gladio talk about Iris, and about Lucis. Luna makes do. Ignis makes breakfast. 4.Vantage: Noct tries to come to terms with this Prompto Argentum. (Noct/Prompto) 5.Recap: An unknown enemy, an unexpected reunion. Prompto barely avoids causing a cross-cultural incident.

Persistence of Memory: The FFXV/FFVIII Crossover, that doesn't take place in the same timeline as RDD (or DOES it?? :D). Though I will always hold up FFIV as my favorite (and the first one I played myself), FFVIII was a huge catalyst for a ton of fic that I wrote along with my wife, in a continuity that eventually came to be known as the Infamous FF8 ARC. (For approximately two months in the year 2000 I think I was a BNF, but back then it was both an easier rank to get to and also one that you really would never ever want.) Even though we probably wound up writing more for FFVII--and these days are probably more remembered for our Turkfic than for our FF8 stuff, I will always adore those idiots. Playing FF15 felt like playing FF8 in a lot of ways, and putting the two together just made more sense the more I thought about it. So I did. Like One Other Year, this fic is continuous in that it's telling a single story and the chapters are not stand-alone, and also it takes longer for me to write the chapters for it. So while it's unfinished now, it will actually be completed in the future (unlike the RDD fics), but if you don't want to get involved in something till it's done then this is the one that you'd probably want to wait on.

SO THAT'S IT SO FAR. Hopefully if you haven't read any of it yet, you'll find something to try! And if you have, maybe this'll make it easier for you to find old favorites. I love getting Ao3 comments and I promise I try to reply to all of them, though sometimes it does take me a while. Now I'm off to write another installment of RDD, because there's never enough counter space in the hotel bathrooms.

XOXOX - TnK

#final fantasy xv #FF15 #FFXV #noctis lucis caelum #prompto argentum #ignis scientia #gladiolus amicitia #running down a dream #tnk fic

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spacs · 8 years ago

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give me shelter

Archive of Our Own Link

Chapter Three: a wind in the shadow Rating: Teen+ Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Fandoms: Final Fantasy XV Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia Language: English

Summary: He looked at Ignis again. There was one conversation he could have now, but facing Leviathan was preferable to facing Ignis. Maybe if he warped from the balcony and into the sea, Leviathan would wake and swim to the surface to swallow him whole. That would make things easier.

Notes: a continuation of this. *further A/N at the end

Things felt different in the morning.

Ignis was awake, as usual, and the scent of the strongly brewed coffee filled the hotel room. Prompto and Gladio were perched on the bar stools, eating the breakfast Ignis had managed. Noctis rolled over, peering at his friends from the bed while he tried to pretend like he was still asleep. Gladio spotted him however, moving over to him to shake him fully awake.

The night had passed without incident, at least as far as he was aware. Once he’d fallen asleep he had slept through the night, unbothered by any dreams or nightmares. For those precious few hours, he’d been at peace – completely unaware of the troubles that were waiting for him in the waking world.

He watched Ignis carefully after he managed to pull himself from the bed. Ignis was in a decidedly better mood and was calmly sipping his coffee while he prepared a cold breakfast for Noct. Prompto gave up his stool in favor of moving to the balcony to take more pictures, and Noctis observed his advisor closer. Ignis didn’t move away from him and his voice had lost the tightness from the day before. He started up a conversation with Noct, albeit formally, about the upcoming events of the day. His fingers brushed Noct’s as he passed the bowl of oatmeal but he didn’t flinch or react at all.

Noct couldn’t decide if this was better or worse.

There was more physical distance between them today. Ignis seemed to carefully place himself furthest from Noct. On the ride to Maagho’s, Ignis rode at the front of the boat while Noct sat with Prompto in the back. Gladio and Ignis carried a pleasant conversation while he and Prompto discussed what kind of fish they were hoping for when they went down to the docks. It was clear that Ignis was avoiding eye contact with him, but not on the same level of awkwardness from before.

Today it felt like Ignis didn’t care about what happened. Noct decided this was worse.

There was a nice fishing spot near the restaurant that Weskham recommended after Noct asked. Prompto cheered as they took the gondola over, going through his camera to see if there were any disposable pictures. “I’m expecting a lot from you, Noct,” Prompto smirked, his eyes not leaving the display screen. “I want to see you reel in a monster like you did back home.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to catch another Devil,” he answered as he led the way off the gondola and towards the spot.

“Not with that attitude you won’t,” Prompto retorted.

“You did catch the Liege of the Lake,” Gladio chimed in.

“Yeah,” Prompto frowned, throwing a glare at Gladio. “That I missed because just the two of you went!”

Gladio nudged Prompto’s shoulder, grinning. “You got a picture of it after.”

“But not the epic struggle! I missed the best part! Noct gets this dorky grin every time he catches a fish,” Prompto complained.

“No I don’t,” Noctis shot back as his fishing rod materialized in his hand. “Now can you guys shut up so I can concentrate?”

Prompto’s camera went off with a click as the line was cast. “Yes you do,” the blond insisted.

“Yeah you should’ve seen him after he caught the Liege,” Gladio grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.

“If you guys want me to catch something, shut up.”

“Ignis back us up,” Prompto called.

Noct glanced over his shoulder. Ignis stood under the bridge, leaning against the pillar, occupied with his phone. He appeared not to have heard Prompto, or was ignoring his request. At the second call of his name, his eyes snapped up and connected with Noct’s. The awkwardness was apparently back as Ignis quickly looked elsewhere, addressing Prompto, “Sorry?”

Scowling, Noct turned back to the water, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the rod tightly. “Doesn’t Noct look like a dork whenever he catches a good fish?” Prompto continued, the camera going off again.

“Ah,” Ignis considered. “I suppose.”

“Three to one, man,” Prompto shrugged, declaring victory.

“Okay, I get it,” he replied, rolling his shoulders. “Now can you please be quiet?”

They finally stopped talking and the prince was able to concentrate on the water. He let himself get lost in his fishing, trying not to think about Ignis or Luna or the nightmares. He just wanted this peace and he almost regretted not going down to fish alone the night before. It wasn’t like Ignis was going to talk to him about what happened again anyway, so maybe he would take some time to himself tonight after they got back to the hotel.

Eventually, as always, Prompto got bored of watching Noct fish. He hadn’t caught anything major, just small fish that he’d thrown back after a quick inspection as Prompto took a picture and griped about wanting to see something epic. After turning to his phone, apparently playing King’s Knight wasn’t able to hold the blond’s attention either. He insisted that they go to the market or to get some food, disregarding Gladio’s insistence that they’d just eaten at Maagho’s. But the breeze blowing gently through Noct’s hair and the smell of the salt water was too tempting to leave.

“You should come with,” Prompto said, bouncing over to him. “Maybe we could find a place that makes those desserts you like so much. Ignis can figure out the recipe!” Even Ignis had to smile at the way Prompto tried to imitate Ignis’ accent.

“Those are in Tenebrae. Besides,” Noct shrugged, “I’m not done here.”

“Dunno if splitting up is a good idea here.” Gladio uncrossed his arms from over his chest, glancing around the area.

“I can stay,” Ignis offered.

Noct reeled in his line and turned around to the discussion. “It’s fine,” he replied, shaking his head. “Go with them. I’ll just stay here.”

“Not by yourself, you won’t,” Gladio told him.

“I can take care of myself, you know,” Noctis frowned. “It’s just fishing. I don’t think there’s an imperial spy holding their breath under the water.”

Prompto snorted at that but Gladio looked at him pointedly. “It’s not about you not being able to take care of yourself.”

“It’s alright, Gladio,” Ignis insisted, stepping forward. “I will stay behind with Noct. You two go on ahead. We will join you once Noct is finished.”

The prince opened his mouth to argue but Gladio cut him off. “Fine,” he conceded, motioning to Prompto. “Call if you need something,” he said, more to Ignis than to Noct. The advisor nodded in confirmation. Prompto looked like he wanted to try to convince both of them to come but didn’t say anything, following Gladio around the corner.

“You didn’t have—” Noct started.

“I recognize that you’d like to be alone, but right now it’s not possible,” Ignis interrupted. He gripped his phone as he took a few steps back. “I’ll leave you to it,” he gestured towards the water.

Ignis didn’t look at him after that, retreating back under the bridge. He was quietly involved with his phone and Noct watched him for a few moments. He wanted to say something now that it was just the two of them, but the words wouldn’t leave the tip of his tongue. His mouth clamped shut and he turned back around, casting his line once more.

The minutes passed by slowly without any stir at the top of the water. Noct cast and recast the line, changed his lure a few times, but nothing seemed to be biting. He was about to call it when he felt a tug. He reeled once, feeling the strong pull as the fish struggled beneath the surface. “Oh man,” he muttered, planting his feet as he turned the rod to release the stress on the line.

Ignis heard him, pushing himself off the pillar. His steps on the dock distracted Noct momentarily but the fish thrashed, bringing him back to attention. “My goodness,” Ignis’ voice came from behind him, closer than he thought Ignis would get to him right now.

Noct grit his teeth as he reeled, feeling the fish struggling against captivity. “I got this,” he grit out.

“Careful Noct,” Ignis cautioned.

“I got this,” Noct repeated, reeling again as the fish swam in the same direction as the line.

It took a full minute before Noct was able to bring the fish close to the dock. He glanced down and could see the fish, roughly the length of his arm, struggling at the end of his hook. “Watch the line,” Ignis brought him back. “Almost have it, Noct.”

At the end, the fish thrashed helplessly and Noct knew the line wouldn’t last if he tried to reel it in. He continued turning his rod in an attempt to tire it out. Once the fish had slowed, he quickly reeled and heard the splash of water as it breached the surface. “Yes!” he cheered, moving quickly to collect it. It had dark red scales and sharp, pointed teeth.

He turned around and beamed at Ignis, holding up his catch with both hands. “Excellent,” Ignis smiled back, moving to him and resting a hand on his shoulder. He bent slightly to inspect the fish. “We’ll have to find out what kind of fish it is,” he considered, his hand still resting on Noct. “Find the safest way to cook it.”

Noct chuckled, adjusting his grip. “Well I think something this big can feed all four of us.”

“Indeed,” Ignis agreed, rubbing his jaw with his free hand. Noct watched his advisor’s face and the way he appraised the fish with attentive eyes and an intent stare. Ignis seemed to have forgotten all tension between the two of them but Noctis became hyperaware of the closeness between them and the hand that still gripped his shoulder. Ignis was listing off traits of the fish that may identify the type, but Noctis was too busy watching the way his lips moved. “What do you think, Noct?” he asked.

Upon looking up, Ignis seemed to notice their proximity. His eyes lingered and he didn’t seem to miss the way that Noct couldn’t help but let his gaze flicker once more down to Ignis lips. The hand immediately left his shoulder as Ignis took a few steps back and cleared his throat. Noct couldn’t remember what was asked of him. “What do I think of what?” he asked dumbly.

Ignis was caught off guard. “I… Of the fish,” he repeated, finding his bearings.

“Oh. It’s, uh,” Noct looked down, finally feeling how tired his arms were. “Big.”

“That it is,” Ignis nodded in agreement.

An uneasy silence fell over them as Noct laid the fish down on the dock. They weren’t looking at each other, instead choosing to stare down at the feebly thrashing fish.

Noct was the one to break the silence. “I still think we should talk,” he mumbled.

Ignis sighed and glanced over his shoulder like he was looking for an escape. “We discussed this last night.”

“Not really,” Noct grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ignis winced at that, knowing exactly what Noctis meant. “Now is not the time, highness.”

Highness. There was the title again. Noct scoffed but didn’t answer. He let his fishing rod dissipate, pulled his phone from his pocket, firing a quick text to Prompto about the catch. He and Ignis didn’t speak while they waited on the other two to rejoin them. Gladio carried the fish since they’d made the mistake of leaving the rest of the fishing gear at the hotel and they headed back to their rooms.

On the way back, Ignis researched the fish and discovered a skewer he could make with the meat – something Gladio was overly happy about. They took the fish to his and Noct’s room where he began preparations using the camping supplies he’d had the sense to pull from the Regalia before leaving the boat. Still, he and Noct weren’t speaking. It wasn’t an angry silence and the tension between them had, so far, gone unnoticed by Gladio and Prompto, both of which seemed to be in high spirits. They were all smiles and playful shoves, and Noct found himself wishing he could go back to a time when he was younger and he and Ignis had a similar dynamic. It was before Ignis became a sort of guardian, before the king’s health had noticeable deteriorated. Back then, it had just been the two of them. Gladio had been around, but Noct was still too young to require training.

Over the past few days, his friendship with Ignis had felt tested. It wasn’t the first time they’d tiptoed a line, but it had certainly never been this line. When Ignis first got his appointment, there had been an adjustment period where they went from being just friends, to prince and retainer. Noctis often tested that distinction when he was younger, pulling Ignis out when he would sneak around or get in trouble. He’d made Ignis promise that they would always stay friends, no matter what professional relationship was required. Ignis had seemed very eager to agree to that promise. But recently, Noctis wasn’t so sure.

He watched Ignis fussing over the fish, legs crossed as he sat in the middle of the bed while Prompto sprawled out beside him and Gladio lingered in the kitchen waiting to be told to help or to leave. “Dude what’s up with you?” Prompto asked, low enough for it to just be addressed to Noct.

Shaking his head to bring himself from his thoughts, he looked down at the blond. “Nothing,” he lied. “Just tired.” It was a good blanket statement that was always applicable to Noct, whether it was to cover up a lie or not.

Prompto frowned, unconvinced. “Do you wanna go outside?” he asked, pointing over to the sliding door to the balcony. The addition of to talk was left unsaid.

Noctis looked over to the door, considering the offer, then shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Okay man, well… I’m… around,” Prompto stuttered. “Y’know. If you need me.”

That made Noct smile and he reached down, shoving at the blond’s cheek with the palm of his hand. “You’re such a sap,” he teased.

Prompto blew him a kiss as he brushed Noct’s hand out of the way. He sat up on the bed and held up his phone. “King’s Knight?”

Noct hesitated, glancing at Gladio and Ignis. Gladio had been needed after all and was busying himself with whatever task Ignis had set him on. They were talking in low voices as they worked. Ignis had unbuttoned the top of his shirt and the sleeves were rolled up above his elbows. Gladio had removed his jacket, wearing only the tank for particularly warm days instead. They looked almost domestic and moved around each other with ease, familiar and friendly. Ignis’ lips quirked up at something Gladio said, his demeanor natural and he was more comfortable than Noct had seen him in days. Something that felt worryingly close to jealousy flickered through Noct’s chest as he grimaced, looking back at Prompto. The blond had his head tilted to the side, his brow drawn in as he watched the prince.

“Sure,” Noct said belatedly.

The phone in Prompto’s hand fell to the bed, unattended. “Dude what’s up?”

“Nothing,” Noct insisted, rolling over the bed to grab his own phone from the table. “Let’s play.”

“Outside,” Prompto insisted, snatching his phone from the bed. Before Noct could protest, he slid off the mattress. “We’re gonna sit outside,” he announced, opening the door. “Let us know if you need help.”

Gladio chuckled. “We’ve got it,” he answered. “King’s Knight after dinner?” he asked, pausing with his work to look up at them.

“Duh,” Prompto grinned. Noct could swear he saw Gladio wink at the blond but maybe it was the light.

He was silent when they got outside, focusing on his phone as it loaded the screen for the game. Prompto sat on the edge of his chair, looking expectantly at him, which he pointedly ignored. “Dude,” Prompto deadpanned.

“I told you I’m fine.”

“Then why were you glaring at Gladio and Iggy?”

“I wasn’t.”

“You’ve been looking at Ignis funny since yesterday.”

“I have not.”

“Dude.”

Noct huffed and locked his phone, glaring at Prompto from the corner of his eyes. “Leave it alone, Prompto.”

“So there is something, then.”

“No,” Noct tried to cover then blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s not something. It’s nothing. It’s fine.”

“Are we, or are we not, best friends?” Noct rolled his eyes. “C’mon Noct, you can tell your buddy Prompto.”

Shaking his head Noct answered, “Just… something weird happened and now Ignis is being kind of dumb, that’s all.”

“Weird like how?”

“Just like…” Noct scratched his cheek awkwardly. Prompto knew he had nightmares – all three of them knew. Ignis was just he only one he went to about them because Ignis had always been the one he went to. But not even Noctis knew Ignis had nightmares, and it wasn’t really a moment he wanted to share. Even with Ignis acting the way he was about this, it was still a moment just between them that Prompto and Gladio wouldn’t understand – and not just the kiss. “Dream… stuff.”

Prompto didn’t immediately get Noct’s meaning. “Like… you had a dream about you and Ignis… doing stuff?”

“What?” Noct exclaimed, snapping his head to the side to stare at Prompto. “No!” He could feel his face heating up a little at implications that Prompto couldn’t understand.

“Oh. Oh, like bad dream stuff. Right. Uh. Sorry.” Prompto rubbed the back of his head and smiled innocently at Noctis. “Why is he being dumb? I mean… doesn’t that happen sometimes? Isn’t he used to it?”

Noct bit the inside of his cheek and gave Prompto almost a desperate look. “I mean it was… a little different,” he tried awkwardly. He was no good at this. Prompto knew he was no good at this.

There was no request for an elaboration. Prompto just nodded and leaned back, considering. “I mean that explains a few things. Me and Gladio talked about it last night – I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s asking Ignis right now.”

So they had noticed that there was some tension. “You guys are good at not giving yourselves away,” Noct complimented. “I didn’t think you’d noticed.”

Prompto huffed sarcastically. “Give us a little more credit than that, buddy.”

Noct couldn’t stop himself from glancing over his shoulder to look at the other two in the kitchen. Nothing seemed different. Ignis still seemed relaxed and Gladio was still making him smile. The frown on his face must have given him away again as he turned back around and saw Prompto raising his eyebrows at him. “Dude,” he said, amused.

“What?”

“You’ve got it for Ignis, don’t you?”

“What?”

Prompto shrugged, holding his hands up defensively. “I mean it makes sense. You guys have known each other for a long time. Like almost your whole life, right?”

“I don’t—” Noct started, stammering. “I mean, yeah since I was three, I think? But – Ignis… He’s great, I mean, but…” He didn’t know what he felt for Ignis. Up until two days ago he thought it was just friendship and a platonic love, but ever since they’d kissed he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He couldn’t stop watching Ignis’ lips or assessing the way his advisor acted strangely around him. Briefly he thought back to the moment on the docks when they’d momentarily forgotten their situation and everything felt normal again, but the way Ignis’ hand felt on his shoulder or the pride in his voice or the way he smiled made Noct’s stomach lurch in a way he didn’t know how to describe.

He bit the skin beneath his lower lip to stop himself from speaking. He couldn’t stop the way he glanced back at Gladio and Ignis in the kitchen. Ignis was standing close to Gladio, showing him something and the way they were touching so informally brought that flutter of jealousy back. He scowled and turned his gaze back out to the sea, trying not to notice Prompto’s knowing smirk next to him.

“Whatever,” Noct said, shrugging and trying to seem more casual than he felt.

“So you admit it then?”

“No,” Noct insisted. “Besides, him and Gladio seem cozy enough so… whatever.” He grumbled and slouched in his seat, crossing his arms.

Prompto’s eyebrows shot up and he leaned over into Noct’s space to get a look at them. “They look normal,” Prompto said, moving back into his own chair.

Noct jerked his arm as he lifted his shoulders up to touch his ears like he was hiding. “Looks like a thing to me,” muttered.

Prompto made a pffft sound at him. “It’s not.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Prompto’s cheeks puffed out with air and his ears turned red. “I dunno. I just am.”

Noctis looked over at his friend and squinted at him. “Prompto?” He drew the name out, arching his eyebrows.

“It’s not – we just… I…” Prompto stuttered, coughing and looked anywhere but Noct.

“We?”

Prompto dropped his face into his hands and started to laugh awkwardly. “I mean… I think so,” he admitted, unable to face Noct.

“When did that happen?”

“Like… I dunno. Maybe a month ago? A little less?”

“A month?” Noct almost shouted, shooting up in his chair.

Prompto brought his hands up at that, waving at Noct. “Keep it down!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were crushing on Iggy?”

“Because that just happened!” Noct snapped before he could stop himself.

“HA!” Prompto pointed at him triumphantly. “I knew it.”

Noctis felt his own face reddening this time. “You and Gladio?”

“You and Ignis?”

They stared at each other like a challenge, narrowing their eyes from their individual chairs before both sighing simultaneously in defeat. Prompto chuckled and fiddled with his fingers while Noct pushed a hand through his hair. “We are such a cliché,” he laughed.

Noctis didn’t disagree. “A month?”

“Give or take,” Prompto shrugged. “Or… I guess just take. It hasn’t been more than a month.”

“Well I guess that explains some things too.”

“You didn’t know?” Prompto asked, glancing at him.

“Not a clue,” Noct admitted.

Prompto laughed. “Gladio owes me 500 gil.” At Noct’s questioning look he elaborated, “I told him you didn’t know but he figured you did. We made a bet and now he owes me 500 gil.”

“Does Ignis know?”

“Think so,” Prompto nodded. “When’d you get the hots for Iggy?”

Noct glared at him. “That isn’t…” He shook his head, giving up the argument. “We just had a… thing… two days ago, the night before we left.” With a sigh he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Ignis doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“So…” Prompto started hesitantly. “Lunafreya…”

Another sigh. Noct ran his hands over his face, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I don’t know,” he confessed.

Prompto made an understanding noise, clearly unsure of how to respond. “I’m here for you, buddy.”

“Thanks.”

There was a beat. “Want to play King’s Knight now?”

They played with no discussion outside of the game. Noctis didn’t press Prompto with questions about his relationship with Gladio and, in turn, Prompto didn’t ask him about Ignis or Luna or whatever it was that was happening. They played until Gladio came to the door to tell them the food was ready.

Noctis couldn’t help but watch Prompto and Gladio interact now. They didn’t change anything, even though he knew, but he could see the way their relationship had developed. They smiled at each other and sat closer than they used to. Now that he’d been told, he thought back over the past few weeks and realized that they’d been getting closer and were more familiar with one another than they’d been before. Gladio had been teasing Prompto less and Prompto wasn’t complaining as much anymore. The innocent nudges and shoves had new meaning and Noct now understood that it was no mistake that he’d been paired with Ignis every time they’d split off.

The lingering stares, the smiles, the closeness – Noct wanted that. He looked down at his food and glancing up at Ignis through his hair, trying to be subtle. Ignis didn’t seem to notice, absorbed in something on his phone again, empty plate discarded in the sink. He briefly found himself wishing that he and Ignis could have a relationship like Prompto and Gladio, then he thought of Luna.

It was difficult for Noct to imagine being intimate with Luna. Watching the way Prompto and Gladio interacted, he tried to imagine behaving that way with Luna. Innocent touches and smiles, sitting near one another just to be together; lingering stares as they both admired the other for just being who they are. Noct didn’t even know what Luna looked like anymore. He tried to imagine kissing her, holding her hand, pulling her close as he woke from a nightmare, but the daydreams felt empty and hollow. Something felt like it was missing from their equation.

He met Luna when he was younger, after the daemon attacked him and left him changed, scarred. She gave him hope and he felt less alone with his destiny with her by his side because she had a great destiny awaiting her too as the Oracle. Of course she was pretty and he was certain the years hadn’t changed that, but it mattered little when he considered their connection to each other. He knew he cared deeply for her and that she cared for him. The support she provided him through just words and visits through Umbra had been invaluable, something he didn’t share with anyone. Except Ignis.

Ignis knew about the journal. He’d never actually read their private notes, but Noct would talk about Luna with Ignis and would occasionally discuss the contents of the journal for advice on what to send back. And only Ignis, out of all of his friends, knew him before the attack. Noct didn’t remember much before the daemon, but Ignis did. He would talk about how lively Noct used to be – he wouldn’t complain about having to go to sleep, something Noctis couldn’t imagine doing now. The fondness in Ignis’ voice as he talked about those days was undeniable, and sometimes he felt unsure that Ignis liked him as much anymore. But then Ignis would smile at him and those doubts would vanish.

Luna knew that Ignis was working to discover the recipe for the Tenebraen dessert. She offered to send it to him once, but Noct declined. Ignis seemed intent on discovering the secret himself and Noct had told her about how Ignis would spend time with him, looking for more details on what the dessert had tasted like as he tried to replicate it from Noct’s memory. When she replied, he could almost see the smile within her words as she told him she understood and was happy that he had someone as loyal and dedicated as Ignis.

He never told Ignis about Luna’s offer.

This was something that he would have to talk to Luna about after they summoned the Hydrean. At least the summoning would seem less frightening now, considering what he knew that discussion would follow. He looked at Ignis again. There was one conversation he could have now, but facing Leviathan was preferable to facing Ignis. Maybe if he warped from the balcony and into the sea, Leviathan would wake and swim to the surface to swallow him whole. That would make things easier.

After they’d eaten, Gladio and Prompto made the decision to go back out. Despite the fact that they invited both Noct and Ignis to come along, Noct turned it down claiming tiredness. With the newfound knowledge that Prompto and Gladio were some sort of item, it felt like he would be a bit of a third wheel since Ignis declined the offer as well.

“I believe I will head to the market for supplies,” he clarified when asked why.

“You guys sure you don’t want to go?” Prompto urged once more. “We wanted to go check out the Arena!”

“Quite sure,” Ignis nodded at the same time as Noct said, “Yeah it’s fine.”

“Don’t spend all the gil please,” Ignis continued, giving Prompto a look from over the tops of his spectacles.”

“I’ll keep him in line,” Gladio assured them, slinging an arm around Prompto’s shoulders.

“Call if you change your mind,” Prompto called as Gladio led the way out, his arm unmoved.

Noctis waved him off while Ignis began clearing away plates. He fiddled with one of his empty skewers, grinding it down on the plate until the point was in splinters. Chewing on his lip, he watched the crumbs of his food slide over the surface as he twisted the stick. “Stop playing with your food,” Ignis chastised him as he came over to remove the plate.

He dropped the skewer onto the plate, defeated, as Ignis gathered the last two plates in his hands. “Did you know about them two?” Noct asked, gesturing vaguely to the door.

Ignis lifted an eyebrow, looking down at him as he stacked two cups on top of the dishes he held. “I had my suspicions,” he relented.

Noctis put his head down on the bar, pressing his knees into barrier in front of him. “So I was last to know.”

Ignis made his way back around the counter, dropping the last of the dishes into the sink as he started the water. “I’m not sure I count because I didn’t know,” he replied, adjusting his sleeves once more so they wouldn’t fall as he washed.

“You and Gladio didn’t talk about it?”

“No.”

“Why did you suspect something then?”

“Observation,” he answered simply, looking briefly up at Noctis through his lashes. His glasses had slid down to the front of his nose and Noct fought the urge to lean over the counter to push them back up.

“Does it bother you?”

“Why would it?”

Noct bit his tongue as that jealousy returned. “I… don’t know,” he admitted. “I mean… you’ve… known Gladio for a while,” he trailed off, leaving the implications hanging between them. He watched Ignis through his bangs, trying to garner his reaction since he didn’t think he would get a straight answer.

“I have,” Ignis agreed but his lips were tight and his shoulders were tense.

“But it doesn’t bother you?” A beat. “That he’s with Prompto.” Another beat. “And not you?”

Ignis shut the water off with a little more force than necessary. “No,” he said flatly.

Noctis picked his head up from the bar and squinted at him. “I mean that would explain why you don’t want to talk about kissing me—”

“Noct,” Ignis deadpanned, his hands curling over the edge of the counter. “My feelings for Gladio are and have always been platonic. He is my friend and I have never desired any other relationship with him.” He let out an embarrassed breath through his nose as he returned his attention to the dishes. “Does that satisfy you?”

Noctis shrugged. “Sort of,” he replied stubbornly. But he felt warm and his lips were quirked up at the corners, any traces of jealousy fading fast.

“Sort of,” Ignis scoffed, shaking his head.

“You still won’t talk to me about the other night,” Noct pointed out. “So yeah. Sort of.”

Ignis frowned at him, pausing with a plate in his hand and a cloth to dry it in the other. “I don’t believe it requires discussion.”

“I disagree.”

Finally Ignis sighed and put the plate and cloth down. He dropped his head to his chest as he leaned against the counter. “Noct,” he said, sounding like he was forcing the words out. “I was… I acted inappropriately. You have my apologies.”

“I don’t want an apology,” Noct told him, leaning forward.

Ignis arched an eyebrow. “Then what do you want?”

To kiss you again, Noct thought. Which was irrational, he was sure. Ignis just apologized for the kiss ever happening. Clearly Ignis didn’t want to kiss him again. “You wouldn’t even look at me,” he said quietly.

“I… You caught me off guard,” he admitted.

That’s why Ignis had been more normal today, Noct realized. He still continued to distance himself, but he was more composed. His guard was back up. “Did you only kiss me because I’m the prince?” he blurted before he could stop himself.

They looked directly at one another. Ignis blinked at him, eyes wide and mouth set into a thin line. Noct watched him worriedly as Ignis’ eyes darted between his, searching for the right answer. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again – several times. Noct’s gaze started darting away and back to Ignis as the elongated silence lasts. Eventually Ignis removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s fine,” Noct lied, sliding off the bar stool.

“Noct,” Ignis started, but he held up a hand to stop him.

“Don’t worry about it, Ignis.”

Ignis looked at him hopelessly – his guard was down again. It was easier to recognize without the glasses there as a makeshift shield. “It isn’t that simple,” he tried.

Noctis shrugged and moved away from the kitchen. “I get it. Really. It’s fine.” The word sounded empty.

“It isn’t,” Ignis argued, looking like he wanted to move toward Noct. “Don’t misunderstand, Noct, you… mean a great deal to me.”

He hesitated, looking back at Ignis. The advisor looked practically desperate, leaning forward as he gripped the edge of the counter. He didn’t have any words to respond with so he just looked at Ignis, taking a tentative step back toward him.

“But you are the prince,” Ignis said, regret written plainly across his features.

They stared at each other for a long time, and Noct couldn’t decide how to take that answer. It hadn’t been a definitive yes or no and had done nothing to assuage his worry or guilt. Finally he sighed, and nodded in defeat, disconnecting their gazes and pulling his phone from his pocket to dial Prompto. The blond was giggling when he answered, and cheered when Noct said he would join them.

He spent the evening at the arena with Prompto and Gladio. Even though he knew, they didn’t drastically change their behavior in front of him. When he first arrived at the seats, he knew he’d interrupted something, but the way Prompto greeted him eased his discomfort. The blond poked him with questions when Gladio ducked out to grab a few snacks, but Noctis shook his head and didn’t answer. He’d had enough feelings discussion for one day.

“I’m just here to bet and lose gil,” Noct told him, trying to smile convincingly.

“Well how about we make you feel better by betting and winning gil?” Prompto suggested, clapping him on the shoulder.

Ignis didn’t join them.

It was late when they got back to the hotel. Prompto and Gladio said their goodnights before parting to their own room. Prompto offered once more to talk, but Noct insisted everything was fine. Fine. The word tasted bitter in his mouth and he scowled as he closed the door behind him.

Ignis was already sitting in bed, reading something on his phone. He looked up when Noct entered the room, swinging his legs over the bed stand. “Don’t get up,” Noct said, putting his hand up.

There was a moment’s hesitation before Ignis sank back down into the bed. “Did you have a nice time?” he asked stiffly.

He shrugged and headed to the bathroom, remembering to grab a change of clothes this time. Ignis didn’t miss that, his eyes flickering down as Noct rifled through his bag. “We won about 100 gil I think,” he replied.

“That’s good.”

Noctis hummed. “I’m going to shower then sleep.”

“Alright.” Ignis paused, shifting in place on the bed, like he wanted to say something. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Yeah,” Noct mumbled, turning his back and slipping into the bathroom.

He took a noticeably longer shower than the previous day. The words you are the prince rang in his head like a bad song that he couldn’t forget. He tried to clear his head, turning the cold water completely off, letting his skin turn bright red from the heat. The steam billowed around him and his breath was shallow in the warmth of the room. He leaned his forehead against the tiled wall and sighed, watching the steam move through the air.

This time he didn’t let his thoughts wonder. He didn’t overthink. Ignis made his position clear. There was nothing else to think about now. He was the prince, Ignis was his advisor. That was all.

The water ran cold before he got out of the shower. The steam had faded as the temperature of the water decreased and Noct methodically dried himself off and donned his new clothes. Ignis was still sitting up in bed, but he was no longer reading, his head was tilted back and eyes closed. He didn’t lift his head when Noctis came back in. He unceremoniously dropped the dirty clothing on the ground at the foot of his bed, but still Ignis said nothing.

“Can I turn the lights off?” he asked as he settled into bed. Ignis merely hummed in response, which Noct took as a yes and flipped the switch.

The darkness settled around them and the silence hung heavy. He could hear Ignis shifting as he moved under the sheets and settled against the pillows. There was a small clack as Ignis set his glasses down on the bedside table that seemed to echo through the quiet. They both shuffled around their beds, tossing and turning as they tried to find a comfortable position, neither seemingly able to lie still.

Noctis huffed, exasperated and stared up as he flipped onto his back. His eyes had adjusted to the dark and he squinted at the grainy ceiling, the light from the streets below their room illuminating the room. He turned his head to see Ignis’ lump in the other bed. The advisor had the sheets drawn up to his chin and he laid on his side, facing away from Noctis – odd considering his usual position was flat on his back, the sheets at the comfortable height of his chest. Noct always joked that he looked like he was in a hospital when he slept. But now he was curled on his side, hiding under the blankets.

Guilt churned in his stomach, reasons lost to him. He pursed his lips and directed his attention back to the ceiling. “What do you dream about?” he asked.

There was a long pause before he heard Ignis adjust his position. He glanced over, but Ignis’ back was still turned. The other man had uncurled and the blankets had slid down to the tops of his shoulders. He could hear Ignis let out a breath. “You,” he answered quietly.

“Me?” Noct’s voice was barely above a whisper. He knew Ignis was speaking of his nightmares and he swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. Did he dream about Noct betraying him? About Noctis forsaking his role of prince and king, leaving the country in ruins as Ignis desperately clawed at the pieces?

Ignis didn’t speak again for a few moments and he’d stopped adjusting his position. Noct bit back all the questions that leapt to the front of his mouth, and he almost gave up that Ignis would elaborate before he continued, “I dream that I fail you.”

This time Noct doesn’t say anything. Failure and Ignis didn’t seem like they would fit into the same sentence. He had never seen Ignis fail at anything he’d ever tried to do. He was funny, which some people found to be surprising; he was strong and agile, his skill in battle matching even Gladio’s who had trained for combat his entire life; his cooking was the best Noct ever had; he was kind and understanding, patient when he shouldn’t have been. Ignis had never and could never fail him.

“I dream that I lose you.”

Noct turned his head to look at Ignis. He could see Ignis’ shoulders, tense and drawn up to his neck. His advisor’s voice was thick and he tried to fight the urge to slide out of his bed and into Ignis’. Just as he gave in and began to move, Ignis’ voice interrupted him once more, “Goodnight, Noct.”

Feeling rejected, Noct hesitated for just a moment before sliding back down into the sheets. He didn’t reply, but he waited until he heard Ignis’ breathing steady with sleep before he was able to close his eyes.

I am so sorry this took me so long. Some personal things happened and I have been left with little time to write.

This chapter did not go the way I thought it was going to. I wrote the climax of this chapter before the build up thinking it might be easier to get where I needed it go. Not at all. Instead, the build up went a completely separate way. The climax of this chapter has been moved to chapter four, and the work itself has been extended by two chapters. Also this work is officially in the same world/universe/whatever as my Promptio fic, white lines.

There are a number of scenes removed from this chapter that may appear later in the work or in other works I've been developing. There will be some details about where exactly this work is going at the end of the fifth chapter. There is a plan, but know that this particular work will not go past Altissia. This explores a developing relationship between Ignis and Noctis during the events before Ignis loses his sight. More on this later.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Chapter four is already in process. Thank you all for your patience! :)

inspiration track Thank you for reading!

#ignoct #ignis scientia #noctis lucis caelum #final fantasy #ffxv #p: my writing #ff: ffxv #alright that took way longer to edit and post than i thought it would #i'm going to bed now!#night guys! enjoy! :)#you're all wonderful and i hope each and every one of you have great days #otp #(forgot my otp tag again damn)

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spacs · 8 years ago

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give me shelter (linked if you’d like to read the rest of the fic but haven’t yet) preview is ready. if anyone has any thoughts please leave a comment or send me an ask/message, whichever you’re more comfortable with. I really do welcome honest, constructive criticism and would love suggestions. If you think something could be added or taken out, please let me know so that when I’m reviewing it and while I finish writing the chapter, I have some things to go by. I want to improve and I can only do that through honest feedback. @neboou gonna tag you specifically :)

Things felt different in the morning.

Noct couldn’t decide if this was better or worse.

Today it felt like Ignis didn’t care about what happened. Noct decided this was worse.

There was a nice fishing spot near the restaurant that Weskham recommended after Noct asked. Prompto cheered as they took the gondola over, going through his pictures to see if there were any disposable pictures. “I’m expecting a lot from you, Noct,” Prompto smirked, his eyes not leaving the display screen. “I want to see you reel in a monster like you did back home.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to catch another Devil,” he answered as he led the way off the gondola and towards the spot.

“Not with that attitude you won’t,” Prompto retorted.

“You did catch the Liege of the Lake,” Gladio chimed in.

“Yeah,” Prompto frowned, throwing a glare at Gladio. “That I missed because just the two of you went!”

Gladio nudged Prompto’s shoulder, grinning. “You got a picture of it after.”

“But not the epic struggle! I missed the best part! Noct gets this dorky grin every time he catches a fish,” Prompto complained.

“No I don’t,” Noctis shot back as his fishing rod materialized in his hand. “Now can you guys shut up so I can concentrate?”

Prompto’s camera went off with a click as the line was cast. “Yes you do,” the blond insisted.

“Yeah you should’ve seen him after he caught the Liege,” Gladio grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.

“If you guys want me to catch something, shut up.”

“Ignis back us up,” Prompto called.

“Ah,” Ignis considered. “I suppose.”

“Three to one, Noct,” Prompto shrugged, declaring victory.

“Okay, I get it,” he replied, rolling his shoulders. “Now can you please be quiet?”

They finally stopped talking and the prince was able to concentrate on the water. He let himself get lost in his fishing, trying not to think about Ignis or Luna or the nightmares. He just wanted this peace and he almost regretted not going down to fish alone the night before. It wasn’t like Ignis was going to talk to him about everything that happened again anyway, so maybe he would take some time to himself tonight after they got back to the hotel.

Eventually, as always, Prompto got bored of watching Noct fish and playing King’s Knight apparently wasn’t able to hold his attention either. He insisted that they go to the market or to get some food, disregarding Gladio’s insistence that they’d just eaten. The breeze blowing gently through Noct’s hair and the smell of the salt water was too tempting to leave. Gladio offered to go with Prompto to walk through the city, apparently before Ignis could.

“Nah,” Noct shook his head. “I’m not done here.”

“Dunno if splitting up is a good idea here.” Gladio uncrossed his arms from over his chest, glancing around the area.

“I can stay,” Ignis offered.

Noct reeled in his line and turned around to the discussion. “It’s fine,” he replied, shaking his head. “Go with them. I’ll just stay here.”

“Not by yourself, you can’t,” Gladio told him.

“I can take care of myself, you know,” Noctis frowned. “It’s just fishing. I don’t think there’s an imperial spy holding their breath under the water.”

Prompto snorted at that but Gladio looked at him pointedly. “It’s not about you not being able to take care of yourself.”

“It’s alright, Gladio,” Ignis insisted, stepping forward. “I will stay behind with Noct. You two go on ahead. We will join you once Noct is finished.”

“You didn’t have—” Noct started.

Ignis didn’t look at him after that, retreating back under the bridge. He was quietly involved with his phone and Noct watched him for a few moments. He wanted to say something now that they were alone, but the words would leave the tip of his tongue. His mouth clamped shut and he turned back around, casting his line once more.

Noct grit his teeth as he reeled, feeling the fish struggling against captivity. “I got this,” he grit out.

“Careful Noct,” Ignis cautioned.

“I got this,” Noct repeated, reeling again as the fish swam in the same direction as the line.

At the end, the fish thrashed helplessly against the line and Noct knew the line wouldn’t last if he tried to reel it in. He continued turning his rod in an attempt to tire the fish out. Once the fish had slowed, he quickly reeled and heard the splash of water as it breached the surface. “Yes!” he cheered, quickly moving to collect the fish. It had dark red scales and sharp, pointed teeth.

He turned around and beamed at Ignis, holding up his catch with both hands. “Excellent,” Ignis smiled back, moving to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. He bent slightly to inspect the fish. “We’ll have to find out what kind of fish it is,” he considered, his hand still resting on Noct. “Find the safest way to cook it.”

Noct chuckled, adjusting his grip. “Well I think something this big can feed all four of us.”

“Indeed,” Ignis agreed, rubbing his jaw with his free hand. Noct watched his advisor’s face and the way he appraised the fish with attentive eyes and an intent stare. Ignis seemed to have forgotten all tension between the two of them but Noctis was hyperaware of the closeness between them and the hand that still gripped his shoulder. Ignis was listing off traits of the fish that may identify the type, but Noctis was too busy watching the way his lips moved. “What do you think, Noct?” he asked.

Ignis was caught off guard. “I… Of the fish,” he repeated, finding his bearings.

“Oh. It’s, uh,” Noct looked down, finally feeling how tired his arms were. “Big.”

“That it is,” Ignis nodded in agreement.

An uneasy silence fell over them as Noct laid the fish down on the dock. They weren’t looking at each other, instead choosing to stare down at the feebly thrashing fish.

Noct was the one to break the silence. “I still think we should talk,” he mumbled.

Ignis sighed and glanced over his shoulder like he was looking for an escape. “We discussed this last night.”

“Not really,” Noct grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ignis winced at that, knowing exactly what Noctis meant. “Now is not the time, highness.”

Highness. There was that title again. Noct scoffed but didn’t answer. He let his fishing rod dissipate, pulled his phone from his pocket, firing a quick text to Prompto about the catch. He and Ignis didn’t speak while they waited on the other two to rejoin them. Gladio carried the fish since they’d made the mistake of leaving the rest of the fishing gear at the hotel and they headed back to their rooms.

On the way back, Ignis researched the fish and discovered a skewer he could make with the meat – something Gladio was overly happy about. They took the fish to his and Noct’s room where he began preparations. Still, he and Noct weren’t speaking. It wasn’t an angry silence and the tension between them had, so far, gone unnoticed by Gladio and Prompto, both of which seemed to be in high spirits. They were all smiles and playful shoves, and Noct found himself wishing he could go back to a time when he was younger and he and Ignis had a similar dynamic. It was before Ignis became a sort of guardian, before the king’s health had noticeable deteriorated. Back then, it had just been the two of them. Gladio had been around, but Noct was still too young to require training.

He watched Ignis fussing over the fish from his bed, legs crossed and in the middle while Prompto sprawled out beside him and Gladio lingered in the kitchen waiting to be told to help or to leave. “Dude what’s up with you?” Prompto asked, low enough for it to just be addressed to Noct.

Prompto frowned, unconvinced. “Do you wanna go outside?” he asked, pointing over to the sliding door to the balcony. The addition of to talk was left unsaid.

Noctis looked over to the door, considering the offer, then shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Okay man, well… I’m… around,” Prompto stuttered. “Y’know. If you need me.”

That made Noct smile and he reached down, shoving at the blond’s cheek with the palm of his hand. “You’re such a sap,” he teased.

Prompto blew him a kiss as he brushed Noct’s hand out of the way. He sat up on the bed and held up his phone. “King’s Knight?”

Noct hesitated, glancing at Gladio and Ignis. Gladio had been need after all and was busying himself with whatever task Ignis had set him on. They were talking in low voices as they worked. Ignis had unbuttoned the top of his shirt and the sleeves were rolled up above his elbows. Gladio had removed his jacket, wearing only the tank he wore on particularly warm days instead. They looked almost domestic and moved around each other with ease, familiar and friendly. Ignis’ lips quirked up at something Gladio said, his demeanor natural and he was more comfortable than Noct had seen him in days. Something that felt worryingly close to jealousy flickered through Noct’s chest as he grimaced, looking back at Prompto. The blond had his head tilted to the side, his brow drawn in as he watched the prince.

“Sure,” Noct said belatedly.

The phone in Prompto’s hand fell to the bed, unattended. “Dude what’s up?”

“Nothing,” Noct insisted, rolling over the bed to grab his own phone from the table. “Let’s play.”

Gladio chuckled. “We’ve got it,” he answered. “King’s Knight after dinner?” he asked, pausing with his work to look up at them.

“Duh,” Prompto grinned. Noct could swear he saw Gladio wink at the blond but maybe it was the light.

“I told you I’m fine.”

“Then why were you glaring at Gladio and Iggy?”

“I wasn’t.”

“You’ve been looking at Ignis funny since yesterday.”

“I have not.”

“Dude.”

Noct huffed and locked his phone, glaring at Prompto from the corner of his eyes. “Leave it alone, Prompto.”

“So there is something, then.”

“No,” Noct tried to cover then blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s not something. It’s nothing. It’s fine.”

“Are we, or are we not, best friends?” Noct rolled his eyes. “C’mon Noct, you can tell your buddy Prompto.”

Shaking his head Noct answered, “Just… something weird happened and now Ignis is being kind of dumb, that’s all.”

“Weird like how?”

“Just like…” Noct scratched his cheek awkwardly. Prompto knew he had nightmares – all three of them knew. Ignis was just he only one he went to about them because Ignis had always been the one he went to. But not even Noctis knew Ignis had nightmares, and it wasn’t really a moment he wanted to share. Even with Ignis acting the way he was about his, it was still a moment just between them that Prompto and Gladio wouldn’t understand – and not just the kiss. “Dream… stuff.”

Prompto didn’t immediately get Noct’s meaning. “Like… you had a dream about you and Ignis… doing stuff?”

“What?” Noct exclaimed, snapping his head to the side to stare at Prompto. “No!” He could feel his face heating up a little at implications that Prompto couldn’t understand.

Noct bit the inside of his cheek and gave Prompto almost a desperate look. “I mean it was… a little different,” he tried awkwardly. He was no good at this. Prompto knew he was no good at this.

So they had noticed that there was some tension. “You guys are good at not giving yourselves away,” Noct complimented. “I didn’t think you’d noticed.”

Prompto scoffed sarcastically. “Give us a little more credit than that, buddy.”

“What?”

“You’ve got it for Ignis, don’t you?”

“What?”

Prompto shrugged, holding his hands up defensively. “I mean it makes sense. You guys have known each other for a while. Like almost your whole life, right?”

“Whatever,” Noct said, shrugging and trying to seem more casual than he felt.

“So you admit it then?”

“No,” Noct insisted. “Besides, him and Gladio seem cozy enough so… whatever.” He grumbled and slouched in his seat, crossing his arms.

Prompto’s eyes shot up and he leaned over into Noct’s space to get a look at them. “They look normal,” Prompto said, moving back into his own chair.

Noct jerked his arm as he lifted his shoulders up to touch his ears like he was hiding. “Looks like a thing to me,” muttered.

Prompto made a pffft sound at him. “It’s not.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Prompto’s cheeks puffed out with air and his ears turned red. “I dunno. I just am.”

Noctis looked over at his friend and squinted at him. “Prompto?” He drew the name out, arching his eyebrows.

“It’s not – we just… I…” Prompto stuttered, coughing and looked anywhere but Noct.

“We?”

Prompto dropped his face into his hands and started to laugh awkwardly. “I mean… I think so,” he admitted, unable to face Noct.

“When did that happen?”

“Like… I dunno. Maybe a month ago? A little less?”

“A month?” Noct almost shouted, shooting up in his chair.

Prompto brought his hands up at that, waving at Noct. “Keep it down!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were crushing on Iggy?”

“Because that just happened!” Noct snapped before he could stop himself.

“HA!” Prompto pointed at him triumphantly. “I knew it.”

Noctis felt his own face reddening this time. “You and Gladio?”

“You and Ignis?”

Noctis didn’t disagree. “A month?”

“Give or take,” Prompto shrugged. “Or… I guess just take. It hasn’t been more than a month.”

“Well I guess that explains some things too.”

“You didn’t know?” Prompto asked, glancing at him.

“Not a clue,” Noct admitted.

Prompto laughed. “Gladio owes me 500 gil.” At Noct’s questioning look he elaborated, “I told him you didn’t know but he figured you did. We made a bet and now he owes me 500 gil.”

“Does Ignis know?”

“Think so,” Prompto nodded. “When’d you get the hots for Iggy?”

“So…” Prompto started hesitantly. “Lunafreya…”

Another sigh. Noct ran his hands over his face, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I don’t know,” he confessed.

Prompto made an understanding noise, clearly unsure of how to respond. “I’m here for you, buddy.”

“Thanks.”

There was a beat. “Want to play King’s Knight now?”

#i have not read this back over at all #it is probably riddled with grammar errors that i will try to correct before it's posted #as for the content i am 100% unsure about it #like i said i haven't read it over yet this is just a preview #but this is the most i've gotten to write in almost two weeks #but yeah promptio found it's way into the ignoct whoops #it went from being implied if that's what you wanted to blatantly there #i wrote about six more paragraphs after the preview ends but i think those will have to wait for the complete chapter outside of any beta #i'll probably ask for a beta later this week from someone #lol if i'm being honest i'll probably specifically ask neboou #because you're wonderful and you always have amazing advice #(like i reread white lines the other day and i am so grateful for the advice you gave me because i think it made the fic better)#anyway thanks for reading if you did #and again i'd love some feedback if you guys have any #ff: preview

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