lost all memory of the time before you, home is a foreign land [ffxv au]

[voidblue]

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum was a moody teenager at best.

Everyone knew that.

Of course the tabloids enjoyed spinning it with such phrases as "stoically aloof" or whatever nonsense they were feeding to the public at large, but really he was just. A teenager. One that had actually dealt with more hardships than most realized, as well, which certainly didn't help his outward demeanor, but he was still mostly a child trying to navigate his way through a difficult world that refused to slow down for anyone, least of all him, and the unique burdens of being the next in line for the throne.

But there was a difference between his usual quiet, reserved moods and whatever he had been in the last few days. Any time he got to spend with his father outside of mind numbingly boring meetings and other royal responsibilities was usually a cause for at least a few light, corner-of-the-lips smiles and bright eyes that betrayed how much he actually enjoyed it, but the last dinner they'd managed to squeeze in had him distant at best.

It took a good week to finally hear from Clarus who had overheard from Gladio that there had actually been someone in Noctis' life that wasn't his skinny, overly excited blonde best friend. The way it was told, as these games of telephone tended to do, was that he had befriended the adopted family of a former Kingsglaive, specifically the woman's two teenaged daughters, and while everyone around them could see that Noctis was absolutely smitten with the eldest daughter and she clearly had feelings for him in return, neither of them had acted on it.

And when Gladio had tried to give him (and Prompto, in regards to the youngest daughter) a push in his gruff and probably less than tactful way, he'd gotten a strange reaction from Noctis. A mix of upset and anger that he didn't usually display before stomping off. That very night had also been dinner with his father, and the entire time he was absolutely dour, barely responsive, dodging questions about school and worryingly distant.

The pieces were somewhat there to understand what may have been going on in his son's head, but something was still missing. Namely the 'why'.

Regis wasn't the best with emotions, either (Noctis had to get it from somewhere, after all) but this was something he actually felt couldn't just be regulated to letting Ignis try and pry it out of him. He wanted to address it directly, or as direct as he could, and see if maybe he could offer some legitimate fatherly advice.

Or if he would somehow make things worse.

Either way he felt for his son, truly wanted him to live his best life, and it worried him that he wasn't going for something so easily within his grasp.

Hence why he had asked Noctis to his office during a rare bit of down time in between meetings that afternoon, sitting comfortably in one of the plush chairs off to the side of his large heavy wooden table. Once Noctis entered quietly he motioned with his hand to the other empty chair.

"Thank you for coming, Noctis."

Comments

[chosenkingoflucis]

Noctis enters with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, and feet slightly dragging on the ground as he walks. He looks from his father to the offered chair and blinks, then nods and takes a seat.

"No problem-" he looks around to make sure there isn't an audience, and therefore the need to be formal, before finishing. "Dad."

He rests one leg on his knee and drops his hands in his lap, but still slouches.

"If this is about the mice, I can explain..."

[voidblue]

There was a slight smile at how he was addressed but it was quickly dashed by... whatever that comment was. He blinked, resisting the urge to utter a very discombobulated "what?", simply shaking his head instead.

"Whatever that is, we can discuss that later."

Maybe.

He might 'accidentally' forget to bring it back up again.

"No, I was merely concerned about your... ah... mood as of late. You seem a bit despondent and I was. Well. I was young once, Noctis. I'm certain you think whatever is I won't understand but I want you to know I am here to, at the very least, lend a listening ear."

Of course he's not gonna crack right away!

[chosenkingoflucis]

Noctis clears his throat and lets that one go, hopefully for good. As for the real reason he was called he's actually a little surprised, the shock visible in his expression.

"You called me, because you're worried about me?" Noctis averts his eyes feeling a guilty for taking his father's attention away from more important things. "It's nothing."

Noctiiiis talk to your daaaaad

[voidblue]

You're his son, Noctis. Your well being is important.

The deflection only served to deepen the worry lines on Regis' face.

"I'm disinclined to agree with you this time, Noctis. It seems to be quite the opposite. You were barely responsive at dinner last week, and I've heard from Clarus that Gladiolus is concerned about you."

There was a slight tilt to his then.

"That you had something of an unexpected reaction when he tried to discuss something with you."

Another pause.

"Something to do with a young lady from school?"

[chosenkingoflucis]

Oh. So that's it. Noctis swears internally.

Gladio... so help him!

Even though he hasn't looked back at the king, Noctis can feel his father's eyes on him.

At length he cracks. After all, it's not every day his dad sucessfully manages time for him. It's the least he can do; even if nothing will come of it. Noctis fidgets a little before speaking, his expression brightening as he starts to describe Rinka.

"Yeah, there's this girl. She's a Junior. She's short and cute with raven-black hair, and her eyes are gorgeous. One's blue and one's gray, it's pretty badass." And then he remembers who he's talking to, meets his father's gaze and gapes for a second before clamming up. "Gah! What's it matter?! I don't get that luxury. And that's what I tried to tell Gladio, so kindly tell him to butt out."

[voidblue]

And Regis, to his credit, listens to the whole ramble, quietly amused. So his son had found someone he was smitten with after all. A great deal, it seemed. While he reserved any visible outward expression there was a warmth in his eyes and a slight crinkle to the edges of them.

Up until Noctis says that line.

I don't get that luxury.

The rest of it goes ignored because he's far less concerned about whatever squabble he and his shield were having about it.

"Whatever do you mean? Are you concerned she might not feel the same way? Or that she takes issue with your status?"

[chosenkingoflucis]

"What? No! That's another reason why I like her, she doesn't care about status! She likes me for me." Noctis sighs, "It's Luna. I can't just string Rinka along when we both know I'm already engaged..." he trails off dejected, then shakes his head and continues, "I know, I know, responsibility to the Crown, blah, blah, blah. It just really sucks sometimes."

[voidblue]

Both eyebrows were up now.

Was there a memo that Regis missed somewhere? Buried under piles of papers on his desk?

Luna? Engaged?

"I'm... sorry, I don't quite follow," he started hesitantly, "Since when have you been engaged fo anyone? And why wasn't I informed of this?"

[chosenkingoflucis]

"Huh?"

The family resemblance is clear when Noctis also wears a confused expression, his eyebrows arched just as high.

"I thought that the Kings of Lucis and the Oracle had to..."

[voidblue]

"... have you thought that all this time?"

No wonder he was so dour lately! Someone special had come into his life and he had to continually deny himself even a sliver of happiness with this seemingly amazing girl...

Because of a misconception about kings and oracles.

It was all he could do to keep from bursting out laughing at his poor distraught son.

As it was Regis was struggling to maintain his composure enough to speak again.

"That's never been the case, son. Your mother certainly wasn't an Oracle and Lunafreya's mother was absolutely married to someone else. Their relationship is one of coexistence but it has never strictly been romantic or one of arranged marriages.

Your friendship with Lunafreya as children was mainly for the benefit of your recovery but beyond that anything further would have come about naturally should the two of you wanted it, and seeing as you two aren't even able to see each other right now..."

It was something of a foregone conclusion that they wouldn't be anything more than friends.

Regis stared at his son somewhat torn between incredulous and utterly amused at the clearly gigantic misunderstanding.

"I can't say I have any good advice for a situation such as this aside from hoping this girl has a good enough head on her shoulders to be understanding of this whole mess."

[chosenkingoflucis]

"Uh, yeah!?" Noctis replies regarding his thoughts, his face set in a scowl. "Don't you think I woulda gone for it?"

A pause as everything clicks into place.

"So... I do have a shot?" He asks seriously, just to make sure he's not imagining things or dreaming.

The 'advice' is all he has to hear before it's like a weight is lifted.

"I gotta tell her. I GOTTA TELL HER!"

Noctis hops up from his chair, a wide smile on his face as he hugs his dad and just about skips to the exit.

"Thanks dad, I'll let you know how it goes!"

though in his hurry, he stumbles over the chair he was sitting in on his way, recovers with a sheepish smile, and dashes from the room.

[voidblue]

The sudden burst of energy was unexpected but pleasantly so. Noctis' behavior as of late had been worrying enough that Regis half expected him to feel worse after that reveal and begin bemoaning a chance already lost.

Thankfully for all involved that didn't seem to be the case at all, and Noctis was out of his seat, stumbling as he headed for the door in all his excitement. It warmed Regis' heart to see him so full of energy now, as well as relief that Noctis was clearly feeling better.

"Do take care not to startle the poor girl!" he called out after Noctis, though he was past the doorway by the time he managed to get it out. He sat back with a deep chuckle. A short conversation, but a successful one. He hoped to hear from Noctis again soon.

[chosenkingoflucis]

"I'll be on my best behavior, Your Majesty," he yells back, just as he almost runs into a Citadel attendant, but nails the rebalance, continues to fly through the halls, out the doors and down the steps on trajectory straight for Rinka, Aurene, and their mom's place.

When he reaches the door, he knocks, waits a second, knocks again, waits a second, knocks again, and so on, while trying to catch his breath.

[voidblue]

Rinka actually understood Prompto's nervous energy for once. She couldn't stop fidgeting as she sat in the back of that fancy ass car Ignis used to drive Noctis around. It wasn't her first time in it but this was the first time she was ever going to the Citadel. The short, pale girl of dubious origin with heterochromia and so many other markers that made her "other" in the eyes of so many, allowed on that hallowed ground all because those were the very same things Prince Noctis apparently adored about her.

The clothes she had chosen with Ignis' help were of a style that she should have felt comfortable in but they were ridiculously expensive and she was painfully aware of that fact.

Truthfully she would have preferred one of their usual haunts that they'd gone to a ton of times before as just friends, but she knew this was also for his sake. To show her that he believed she belonged at his side wherever that happened to be. That he wasn't stringing her along.

Ignis' green eyes briefly met hers in the rear view mirror as the car was turned.

"I'm afraid I can do little to calm your nerves, but I'm certain it will be a wonderful dinner."

Rinka let out a pent up breath.

"You're right. It's... it's still Noct. Coming here doesn't make him any different than the Noct I've been friends with."

Ignis nodded with a light smile.

"You're absolutely correct."

Noctis really did put himself out there to the sisters as a normal student who just wanted friends first, and the aloof prince second.

The car pulled to a stop in the round about driveway leading up to those intimidating stairs and Ignis fired off a message to Noctis that they had arrived.

[chosenkingoflucis]

Oh he didn't even need to fire off that message, as Noctis was there waiting at the foot of the stairs already, dressed not too casual but not too fancy either.

His own stomach had felt queasy the entire day, even though he kept telling himself it wouldn't be any different than before.

But that was a lie.

Because now he could actually act on the feelings he's had since clear near when they first met. Now he just had to keep from messing it up.

The car pulls up and Noctis has to force himself to still his hands behind his back, as he waits for Ignis to exit the vehicle and Noctis gives him a look of appreciation as his retainer moves to pull the door for Rinka.

[voidblue]

Distantly, Rinka remembered one of the very first jokes Noctis had ever teased her with.

Worried you can't handle the high life?

Apparently the answer to that was actually a resounding yes.

Seeing him approach put her in a strange homeostasis where she was both calmed by his familiarity but reminded all over again that this was really happening. Like she couldn't get any more or less nervous because her brain refused to settle on which direction it wanted to go in.

She still managed to smile as the door was opened for her, though, and gave Ignis a quiet "Thank you" after she got out.

And then there she was, head having to crane back to sew not even the top of the vitadel but just the upper levels, the massive tower looming overhead. Something she had only seen from a distance until that moment.

"Wow..." She found herself breathing out before she could stop the single word of awe from escaping.

[chosenkingoflucis]

"Wow is right." Noctis replies, staring straight at her with his eyes wide.

He closes the distance between them and pulls his hands from behind his back, presenting to her a simple bouquet with two white lilies, tied with a blue bow. He clears his throat.

"Um. These are for you."

[voidblue]

Rinka's head snapped over to Noctis, face going redder than the light blush she'd put on. He wasn't talking about the Citadel, obviously. She took the flowers carefully, smiling at them warmly.

"Do... do I look alright?" she asked nervously, tugging the side of her light jacket out slightly. She had seen him dressed up before but it had always been at a distance, and she had to admit when he wasn't in his uniform or casual clothes he looked every part the prince.

[chosenkingoflucis]

"You look," he starts realizing he forgot to breathe, so the second word comes out extremely breathy, "like a dream."

He moves to her side and offers his arm for her to take and escort her up the long staircase.

[voidblue]

It was rare for Rinka to get flustered, but considering how long she'd been genuinely pining for the prince, being able to elicit that sort of reaction from him had her ears tingling in heat. She held the flowers to her chest gently and took his arm.

"Ignis helped me pick it out..." she admitted, still feeling like her face was burning even though the evening sun was already low and the shadow of the Citadel had them covered in shade. "I think my closet comes to maybe half of what this costs..."

That was going to take some getting used to. She wasn't opposed to expensive gifts from him, but it was hard to not be aware of the price tags when she'd spent so much of her life with her mother scrimping and saving every coin she could.

"You uhm. You look really nice, too," she managed to say, watching as the doors with the guards came into view.

No wonder Prompto often talked about Noct's life like it was 'a different world'. It really did feel like she'd taken a portal to somewhere entirely new and foreign to her. She wasn't uncomfortable, but she knew it was going to take some getting used to.

[chosenkingoflucis]

"Oh, um... thanks." Now it's his turn is it to be flustered, the light pink dusting his cheeks as they approach the guards. Sure people compliment him all the time, but are they complimenting him or his status? He knows Rinka is being genuine as she's never tried anything like that.

Noctis nods to the guards and they salute, and then the magnificent doors open for them. Once inside, Noctis smiles back at Rinka.

"The Grand Tour would take all night, so I'll just show you the highlights."

That and there are places even he's restricted from going.

In any case, no matter how long it took her to get used to it, he would be there with her, every step of the way, as long as she'd have him.

[voidblue]

"I'm fine with that," Rinka said with a slightly nervous note to her voice as they passed the guards. They were so serious looking, but given that she was on the prince's arm they didn't focus on her with any sort of malice that she could see. Obviously she had to behave herself - and she absolutely intended to! - but boy did it make her feel weird. Any scrutiny she got her in day to day life had to do with her physical appearance so it was weird to have that actually be a non-issue this time around. They were quite literally just doing their job.

This place was already overwhelming. She didn't have Aurene's level of social anxiety but boy was she understanding her sister more in this place.

Obviously if they stayed together she would have to get used to this place becoming a part of her life in some capacity so she'd get used to it eventually, but right then she was absolutely feeling like a baby fawn trying to get her legs under her.

A feeling that was, unfortunately, about to get worse for a moment. As Noctis was showing her the quote-unquote "highlights" two black-clad figures exited a room and turned down the cavernous hallway towards the two teens.

Rinka recognized them immediately, and how could she not? The king and his shield made more than enough appearances on TV for her to know their faces. Her hand tightened on Noctis' arm as their gazes fell on Rinka and Noctis and they approached, both of their faces deceptively serious but Regis with a notable twinkle in his blue eyes.

"I was hoping to catch the two of you," he said, voice actually quite jovial for his expression.

"Y-your majesty," Rinka managed to stammer through her nerves, movements uncertain for a second as she finally decided to just bow as she wasn't exactly dressed for a curtsy. Nor did she know how to do one properly.

Regis actually smiled at her, light but warm.

"It's wonderful to meet you at last, Miss Pickheart. Welcome to the Citadel. I do hope you'll find your time here to be pleasant. I promise we won't be underfoot while you two are having dinner," he said to her. Her heart was racing but his presence was actually a lot more calming than she had expected it to be. He seemed pleased by her presence. Almost relieved that she was here at all.

"Thank you, your majesty. A-and thank you for letting me come here!" she sputtered out as an afterthought, cheeks darkening behind her blush.

"Of course. Thank you for accepting. Noctis is quite taken with you, after all, and I feared his ill informed hesitation might have become a missed opportunity."

[chosenkingoflucis]

"Hm?" Noctis turns to see what has Rinka so suddenly tense and puts his hand over hers to hopefully reassure her as the King and his Shield approach.

"Your Majesty." he says in surprise, then bows. Had it been just the three of them, he might have considered being less formal to ease Rinka's nerves more, but with his father's Shield there...

Noctis flashes Rinka an apologetic smile and he's quiet throughout the exchange, until that last part and he grimaces then scowls at the teasing.

[voidblue]

His had over hers does calm her some, and Regis being so cordial with her helps. Clarus looks... well, rather indifferent to the whole thing, which is expected. He didn't exactly have much reason to be that interested in whatever the prince is up to.

"I'm honored to be here," Rinka admitted with a smile, turning a bit redder at the teasing because really, even if it was meant to haze Noctis more, she was still going to get caught in the crossfire considering her involvement in the whole thing.

Clarus tugged on Regis' elbow.

"Well, I'm only sorry we couldn't speak more, but perhaps in the future? I hope you two have a wonderful evening."

Rinka bowed again.

"Thank you, your highness."

And with that Clarus and Regis left the area, Rinka all but deflating on Noctis' arm.

"Holy hells I think that took about five years off my life just then..."

[chosenkingoflucis]

"Yes. Thank you. Your Majesty." Noctis replies formally with another bow as the king and his Shield depart, leaving Noctis and Rinka to their own devices.

He still can't help but snicker the second they're out of range.

"I guess I'll have to find a way to breathe that life back in then."

Noctis smirks, then sobers and smiles lightly, bringing her hand to his lips for a quick, soothing kiss, before starting to lead her towards the residential section of the Citadel. "I think he likes you though. He doesn't tease like that in front of just anyone."

He's about to say more when a loud gurgle, originating from his stomach erupts and Noctis looks sheepish.

"Ah- Whadya say we finish the tour later. I'm starved!"

He might have been too nervous to eat much that day, despite the best efforts of his retainer.