Soulmate AU
Everybody in school was chatting up a storm about earning their soulmate marks. It was a little uncomfortable to walk around the premises without a random guy leaping in front of you, holding your hand for five seconds before realizing you weren't the one. The male would go bounding towards another girl quietly standing beside a locker in a lame attempt to discover his lover. What was the rush? Finding your true other half took time and patience. But, too be honest most teenagers in school weren't the most patient out of most.
You couldn't resist glancing down at your right wrist, where the horrible calligraphy of the letter N was carved into the surface of your skin as a reminder. A reminder of the first letter of your destined lover's name. Nobody's name seemed to intertwine with your soulmate mark. Unfortunately, no one in your class inherited a name beginning with the letter N. It twisted with your thoughts constantly. It must have been a mistake since your birth. The scar was barely distinct to the eye when you were born. Perhaps a minor misperception. Maybe the scar was supposedly meant to be a letter M instead. Whoever he was, he was definitely never coming through the the classroom door anytime sooner.
"Class, settle down." Your teacher hollered from her desk, rising from her swivel chair. As usual, she wore her infamous pantsuit consisting of the color palette of grey.
"A new student will be introduced today. He originates from the Lucian palace and is the young son of our Majesty, King Regis." No, it couldn't possibly be...
"Prince Noctis, introduce yourself to everyone." A young man with the most exquisitely styled hair walked extremely slow through the classroom door, the natural brown suitcase for carrying books around the school grounds slung over his shoulder.
"Hi, name's Noctis." For someone born of the royal family, he had a unique way introducing himself to his future classmates and acquaintances. Yet, something mysterious buzzed through your veins. What was this feeling? Relief?
"Since you're a new student, it is only a natural privilege to allow you to choose your own seat in homeroom." His cerulean eyes barely twitched from their usual position, his eyelids fluttering closed as he strolled on passed the multitude of desks, half the girls already drooling and eyeballing the young teenage prince. Your shoulders twitched forward in their sockets, tilting your head rather hastily causing your silky tresses to arch neatly over your shoulders.
"Here." Noctis laid his right hand against the wooden surface of the barren desk, already settling his brown suitcase below the desk.
"Very well, Prince Noctis." Your teacher responded humbly, bowing towards him. Noctis barely acknowledged the sudden action, dragging his chair back before sliding into his new seat adjacent to your anxious figure.
The possibility of the prince of Lucis simply selecting from a vast amount of extra desks, then casually choosing the one right beside you caused your veins to throb beneath your skin. No time for error or awkward first impressions. Once the teacher turned her back towards the whiteboard, a quiet noise of tearing paper emitted from your notebook. Just one little note of greetings and introductions was in need to loosen this uncomfortable tension in between the sheets.
Noctis swore he sensed a slight tingle underneath the untouched flesh of his left wrist, grimacing a little before grabbing a ballpoint pen from the back pocket of his slacks. He flinched back, retracting his arms from their previous position atop the desk, feeling the smooth texture of the paper touch his arm. You smiled softly at his unfazed expression, gesturing with your eyes to pick up the ripped note. Hesitantly, he snatched it between his thumb and forefinger. You grinned, seeing the corners of his lips twitched into a small smile.
Name's f-n l-n, welcome to the most boring time of your lifetime princey.
Time Skip
Lockers slamming and shuffling of frantic feet echoed through all the hallways, every student pushing and shoving passed one another like a herd of wild chocobos. A relaxed sigh emitted from your lungs allowing the refreshing cool breeze of the afternoon sweep through your whole body. Your basic brown leather backpack was slung over your shoulder, not even bothering to wear the other loose strap dangling adjacent to it.
You shifted a little adjusting your backpack before progressing onward down the staircase, sauntering on the sidewalk towards the drop off school bus before feeling warm fingers curl securely around your wrist. Your eyelids squeezed shut over your hues, cringing at the sudden sensation of the mark embedded into your skin burn. It almost felt like molten lava was spraying across the surface, trailing between the cracks underneath passed the surface. 'Damnit, why the hell does it hurt so much?' You questioned internally.
"f-n." You reluctantly flung your head back, withdrawing your wrist back a little too harshly and fast, leaving the newcomer of a ravenette with a dumbfounded expression.
"S-Sorry, I didn't know it was you Noct." You confessed, subconsciously cupping your left hand over your right wrist. Curiosity got the best of Noctis as his cerulean orbs trailed down from your shoulder to the elbow to where your hand managed to cuff around. He immediately shook his head trying to ignore the mysterious feeling overwhelming his stomach. It was as if his insides were turning inside and out, his breaths already beginning to show signs of irregular breathing.
"Noct, you alright?" You asked, harmlessly taking a few footsteps closer to the visibly uncomfortable prince, placing a slender hand on top of his shoulder.
"Y-Yeah. No harm done." Noctis silently thanked himself for not losing consciousness from how much pain he was previously experiencing in his right arm.
"Great." You allowed your fingers to fiddle with the collar of his school blazer, lingering far too longer than normal, withdrawing it back to your side. "Why'd you call me?"
"Um, I just wanted to say thanks." He bashfully rubbed the nape of his neck with a hand, shifting his weight between his own two feet.
"For what?" You inquired, tilting your head with knit eyebrows.
"For actually not treating me as your so called prince of Lucis. It feels nice knowing that there's a girl out there who treats me normal, unlike the rest." Noctis answered, adjusting his glassy blue orbs towards your own. It was still mesmerizing to look at. Watching them similarly twinkle like the gorgeous stars scattering the night sky.
"No biggie. I just wanted to be friendly to the Highness." You said mockingly referred to his royal status, mildly shrugging your shoulders.
He chuckled quietly before speaking, "Well thank you Crown Citizen. I will take all your kind efforts into consideration." Noctis said, placing an arm over where his heart drummed repeatedly and the other directly behind his waistline. The toe of his right shoe tapped against the cobblestone sidewalk as he bowed politely tipping it behind his left foot, lowering his head; obscuring his eyes from your view with his dark bangs.
"As will I. I shall appreciate our meeting here in this boring old building, keeping the memory tucked away in my archives for centuries." You mustered the best polite accent you could fluently speak in, enjoying the natural reaction of Noctis. A bright smile etched his lips, his top row of pearly white teeth lightly hovering over his bottom lip. Noctis really should have smiled much more during his school day.
"Well, the bus driver hates late passengers. Later!" You said in goodbye, giving him a closed eye smile. You jogged off in the general direction of the yellow and black colored bus, already bounding the last few steps into the school bus before stopping. You twisted back towards the school grounds, waving frantically as if it was your last time being able to. Noctis barely managed to catch the little goodbye wave you sent him, smiling to himself as he waved in return. Once his arm fell back beside his torso, Noctis allowed his eyes to feast upon the letter carved into his left wrist, visible for all to examine. The first letter of his very own f-n.
Years Later
"Um Noct, you could show a bit of emotion." Prompto chimed, glancing up from his iPhone after finishing a quick battle in King's Knight.
"I could make a decent dinner with that." Ignis commented absent mindedly, his emerald gaze already focused on the breathtaking sunset on the glimmering ocean horizon line behind the line of gondola boats cruising across the glimmering surface.
"Call it night?" Gladiolus suggested, yawning into the palm of his hand blinking slowly in fatigue.
"Please do. We've been here watching Noct fish for an hour. I'm amazed my ass hasn't gone numb from lounging on this dock." You complained, hobbling back onto your feet. The only pro of this situation was seeing the dorky smile that would illuminate prince's features once he managed to haul from the waters a humongous or new species of fish.
"C'mon Noct, everyone here is in agreement to enter the hotel for a night." Ignis said, placing his animal hided glove over Noctis' shoulder.
Noctis craned his head over his shoulder before accepting defeat in a mild sigh. "Fine, you all win."
"Wohoo! Time to crash onto a comfy bed and get our King's Knight on." Prompto cheered, fist bumping the thin air.
"Where shall we be headed?" The gonalier inquired, his fingers already wrapped around the handle of the propeller of the floating boat.
"Maahgo, the Floating Market." Ignis answered, carefully crossing over the miniature gap between the dock and the gondola, settling himself onto one of the velvety seats.
"Very well, climb on board!" The gondalier enthusiastically recited, gazing at the remaining of you all standing on the dock.
"Goodbye Altissia Dock, see you next time." Noctis pretended to wave a sorrowful goodbye to the fishing spot, climbing aboard beside Prompto.
"Move it along. The pier can always be visited next time." You shoved him along by the shoulders, the prince nearly toppling into the crystalline waters itself. Gladiolus mercifully caught him by the arm, yanking him into his usual seat, despite the little voice previously discouraging him from aiding Noctis. You leapt onto the wooden boat taking a seat beside Noctis on the very right side, Prompto lounging with crossed legs on the other side.
"So why are we headed towards Weskham's Bar?" Prompto inquired, fiddling with his prized, old modeled camera in his hands.
"To purchase a quick dinner before we rest for the day." Ignis responded, casting his emerald gaze aside to study the distant architecture and gorgeous scenery.
"Too bad it'll have to be cheap." Prompto complained with a downcast expression, fully aware of the large cost of renting a room in the hotel would be.
"Guess no extra treatment or a discount since we're traveling with the prince?" You questioned the bespectacled man.
"Afraid not." He responded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger.
"Um Specs, once we arrive at the bar I'll take my own gondola." Noctis stated, leaning forward propping his elbows on his knees while intertwining his fingers.
"Why so?"
"Just need some quality time alone. Before the big day comes." He answered with an unpleasantly solemn tone.
"Right. We'll all be awaiting you in our hotel room." Ignis considerably responded. In the adviser's thoughts, he understood the situation the prince was forced to play out. All of you considered Noctis' position of having to accept Leviathan's mythical power. Even meeting the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, after such long years.
Time Skip
The immense statue towered over his shorter figure, tourists crossing left and right passed him. Noctis already dozed off into his own world of thoughts and mixed emotions. The most typical thought that pulsed through his brain was having to accept the overwhelming risks and consequences he'd have to take once the covenant with the goddess of the sea begins. This may have been the last time till he'd have the extra time to ponder over the mere fact of the letter indented into his left wrist.
His whole body shook underneath the sharp cut shadow of the arching creature as the sun set. Noctis did not not shake from the factor of the cool breeze fluttering over his skin. He couldn't defy destiny. No matter how much he craved to. Luna needed him in this, but something was wrong with this picture. The letter decorating his skin wasn't an L for his childhood friend Luna, but another representing his Crownsguard friend f-n.
Why now, why did his skin boil at the mere thought of her name? Just picturing her smile sent an unusual sensation through his body that caused his insides to warm. A childish laughter disturbed his thoughts, watching with cerulean hues a boy around ten years old leap as he launched the paper folded bird in his hand towards the statue above. It ricocheted off the metal wiring of the horn, gliding softly back towards the young boy like a boomerang.
Noctis approached the shorter boy, crouching down to equal height beside him. "Hey there, want me to throw it up there for you?" The boy furiously nodded his head, happily lending the paper bird into Noctis' awaiting hand. The raven haired rose from his crouched position, drawing his hand back over his shoulder before ejecting it forward watching it glide. The paper bird arched perfectly through the jaw of the towering statue, traveling down through its throat before skidding onto the bottom of the metal basin below.
"Jaime! There you are! I was worried sick, you know you shouldn't run off like that!" A middle aged woman came rushing to the boy's side, wrapping her arms securely around his head. Noctis' expression softened at the caring affection and worried behavior of the mother, almost resembling his very own father's strict personality towards him.
"Forgive me sir. My son is a troublemaker and never seems to understand the repercussions he faces." She confessed, nodding her head in forgiveness.
"No sweat. I'm just glad to help him throw one of those paper bird into the statue. He looked like he was struggling so I lent a hand." Noctis responded casually, shrugging his shoulders.
"You always were obsessed with that tradition, Jaime." She commented, running one of her hands through the boy's hair.
"Tradition?" Noctis said questionably, knitting his dark eyebrows together with a mild tilt of his head.
"That man over there at that stall explained earlier to us about the legend. He said that it is a special tradition specifically here in Altissia. You scribble a wish on a paper bird, then if you manage to throw the bird directly into its mouth, your wish will come true. My son has practically been begging the whole day for me to take him here. Here, I bought an extra one. I'd be happy to lend it to you." Noctis stared in bewilderment at the paper bird presented untouched and blank near his face.
"I couldn't. Afraid I don't have any Gil on me to pay for it." Noctis said, defensively raising his hands up in disapproval.
"Nonsense. You kindly helped my son so accept it as a token of my appreciation." She reassured, passing along the symbolic relation to wishing into Noctis' hands.
"Appreciate it." Noctis said, flashing a friendly smile.
"No worries." She quickly left with her son, sauntering along towards the nearest gondola station in the area.
'Grants wishes...' Noctis thought, curiously examining the paper machete bird. He always kept an extra pen in the compartments of his jacket because of the chance of Umbra crossing paths with him. Always prepped and ready for writing. He blindly wrote the first thought he had without a second glance, shoving the pen into its original hidden spot. He threw the bird over his head, sighing in relief as he watched it glide into its mouth down into the metal bowl below where other successfully thrown birds lingered.
'Hopefully, the tradition actually is real.' Noctis thought, beginning to back step away from the towering metal wired statue before twisting on his heel. But, the sight he saw swooped the very breath out of his lungs. You were standing casually on the staircase, particularly leaning against the steel railing with a mischievous glint flashing in your eyes.
"Never knew you were the type to believe in those categorized fairy tale myths." You spoke coyly, fluttering your eyelashes innocently without an end.
"I um, wanted to test if it actually is true." Noctis responded, allowing his eyes to feast upon other sites except you. His breaths already were increasing into ragged pant and shallower breaths at the stinging underneath his glove.
"Funny, you never did try anything new."
"Hey." Noctis responded sternly, narrowing his eyes dangerously in your general direction.
"Don't get your hair in a twist. I'm just kidding." You responded reluctantly, laughing softly. A gentle smile graced the prince's lips at the sound of your attractive laughter.
"So, what did you wish for?" You questioned with a hidden streak of curiosity, waltzing beside him.
"Oh nothing special really." He answered indirectly, smirking a little at the frown plastered on your lips instead of the previous smile.
"Gee, that really helps." You said sarcastically, crossing your arms with a huff.
He let out a sultry chuckle before pushing on forward, "Would you like to make wish?"
"Not really. I can't really think of any wishes at the moment." You said, fidgeting a little. You rocked back and forth between the heel and front of your laced ebony boots, keeping your hands interlaced behind your back. Spending too much time with the prince was the consequence of him becoming too knowledgeable of the self habits you inherited. Noctis could visibly notice the nervousness laced in your voice.
"Spill the beans f-n. What's the matter?" Noctis questioned, running his forefinger and thumb over your chin before tilting your head upwards meeting his calming aquamarine gaze.
"Nothing. It's nothing." The first word came out sternly and loud earning you both a few questionable stares from strolling tourists. The second softened into a more softer and tranquil tone. A sign of vulnerability.
"I know you too well." Noctis reminded, running his other hand through your hair allowing his fingertips to linger at the nape of your neck. The proximity shared between the two of you sent an awkward atmosphere around you. He's never decided to approach you in a more intimate reach before. Sure, those disturbing and uncomfortable moments with your limbs entangled in a tent were somewhat close. But, this felt the complete opposite. Altissia was a beautiful and romantic city in all aspects. Maybe because you were sharing it with the one man who sent your soulmate mark burning and tingling effortlessly without a moment to spare.
"I've been hiding something important from you all." Your eyes feasted on his distraught expression, watching his dark brows scrunch together forming creases between them.
"It's about having a soulmate mark." He continued onward.
You knit your eyebrows in confusion. Never has Noctis mentioned-maybe in years-about bearing that mark. It never occurred to you to ask him about that sensitive topic. Prompto of course was the first to introduce the ravenette to it, describing in depth about passionately meeting your destined lover. Noctis seemed obsolete to that matter and subject. The only girl he ever met at a young age was Lunafreya, nicknamed Luna since he struggled to pronounce her entire name correctly.
It was a cute sight indeed, watching the young immobilized prince in his wheelchair stutter her name before referring to the Oracle as Luna. Yet at birth, the letter never appeared to look like the letter L. Huh, what are the odds? All the Cosmology books and novels wrote about the Oracle and the Chosen King standing side by side. It never mentioned an extra anonymous figure in the picture.
"I thought you said you didn't have any mark." You whispered.
"I did, but I always did have one. I was afraid of how'd you react if I told you the truth." You watched him remove the ebony glove he always wore, inhaling sharply through your nose at the revelation.
The first letter of your name was indented into his flawless skin.
Before any words could be exchanged, Noctis slammed his lips against yours. He kept one of his wrapped around the nape of your neck preventing any inevitable escape. Though, you found it extremely easy not to resist the passionate action of the prince. It was as if time itself froze, leaving you whining and yearning for more afraid that time would resume again. Your arms curled around his neck, entangling your slender fingers into his messy black tresses. The texture was slightly frizzy, but had a nice mixture of smoothness between each thread of hair.
Your heart pounded through your ribcage, blushing deeply at the thought of Noctis actually sensing your racing heartbeat. His lips left yours with a quiet wet pop, your arms bobbing up and down along with his shoulders, already out of breath from the exhilarating kiss. You glanced at your right wrist, noticing how more letters were added on. It burned like the fires of Ifrit, but the relief glimmering in your hues when the letters finished indenting themselves into your scarred skin was enough.
Noctis, it read.
Who knew that Noctis' wishing bird came true...
Author's Notes
The wishing upon paper actually is a real tradition in Altissia in game. It's in the area before the Colosseum. You can talk to a stall vendor selling paper folded birds and it actually shows a mini cutscene of Noctis writing a quick wish on a paper bird before attempting to throw it. He even managed to glide it right into its mouth. I wonder what he wished for? That gave me inspiration to write this one-shot :)