My Last Night Tear With You (F I N A L F A N T A S Y X V)

P A R T I I

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A L T I S S I A

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"You alright?" I'm met with the crystal royal blue orbs of the crown prince.

"Huh?"

He bumps his shoulder against mine, "You're spacing again Luna."He jokes dryly. "Been like that since your speech." He pauses, seeming to turn my words from then over in his head. "The Hydraean... You... That covenant..." He shakes his head, sending his hair billowing around his sharp features. "Nevermind...Just don't do anything reckless--"

I don't know what to make of that uncertain look in his eyes.

That boyish light and naivety in his face-- it's a familiarity that has transcended time to this instant-- It's the same... but different than before too. There's a weight to the way he carries himself and a knowing reflected in the depth of his ocean blue eyes that hadn't been there before. His journey here was one that changed him... The subtle lines of tire that collect around his smile and the softness that's replaced the stubbornness when he furrows his eyebrows...

The world falls away at that moment as he looks to me, waiting for my response. The chatter of the market and the bustle of the Altissian streets all but fall silent as I pull him towards me. I wind my arms around his waist and feel the solidarity in the warmth of his back beneath my fingers.

"Noctis..." I burrow my face into his chest, not caring who sees.

I feel his muscles tense in surprise for an instant, but before long the warmth of his fingers gently rakes through my hair. "You're alright... I've got you..."

I can't make anything of substance come out of my mouth. "I'm sorry, Noctis... I'm so sorry."

His chest deflates as he lets out his breath. In his voice I can hear hints of a smile, "Hey, come on, you've got nothing to be sorry for."

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T H E   L E V I L L E

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"Never thought I'd be eating Cup Noodle in Altissia!" A wide grin washes over his face as he sets his chopsticks and cup down while letting out a satisfied exhale. "Good thing Gladio brought extra, right? haha!"

I nod. I hold the bowl to my mouth, slurping up the last of the chicken broth, its warmth seeming to melt away the coldness of this whole trip.

"Ah come on Luna, nothing to say? I'm practically the master chef of Cup Noodle~" he says standing up. He walks around to my side and wraps his arms around me from behind my chair. "Come on~ You know I'm right~"

I give in as he blows softly at my ear making me giggle.

"Yes, I must agree I didn't expect to feast on Cup Noodle while in Altissia of all places."

"Coming to you all the way from Lestallum~" he retorts.

"Thanks for sharing, Masterchef." I look up at him.

That solemn smile fades and the worry from earlier in the day seems to seep in. "Soooo, feel like telling me why you apologized to me back then...?" He pauses thinking something over before continuing, "Not that I don't like your hugs, but... I'm stumped, can't figure out why you did it."

I knew this is where the day was headed ever since those words had left my mouth, but had tactfully dodged the conversation until now.

"You promised you wouldn't hold back..." his breath warms my neck as he burrows into it.

I turn into him, meeting those crystal eyes. I run my fingers through his fringe, that familiar, feathery texture gliding beneath my touch. Tracing the scars of shallow scratches across his face healed only by the passing of recent weeks, I frown. His eyebrows raise by a fraction, his lips mimicking the curvature of mine.