This chapter is the hurt/comfort I promised in the beginning. It's also the conclusion of this story. More father/son feels coming, with Noct/Luna fluff. Bittersweet is the alternate title of this chapter. T_T Have a good time reading!
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We were meant to be…
Part III – Peace is just an illusion
"Noctis!"
"Your highness, Prompto, you have to call him his highness!" Ignis complained.
"Wake up and open the door!" Gladio cut in.
Multiple fists were drumming against the door, making both royals jumped out of their sleepy state. They had drifted off to sleep and now it seemed something was amiss.
Luna tried sitting up, unsure if she should hide herself or not. Noctis swore as the sheets tangled around his feet. His arms were clasped around her waist and she shivered as his breath reached her chest. Her back against his chest felt good, but not as good as the sight of her, disheveled and naked in his bed. If only the guys hadn't been hitting the door as though they wanted to burst into the room, he could have truly enjoyed being roused this early in the morning.
"Give us a minute!" he called.
They got up and covered themselves with what they could, Luna slipping on a dark nightgown while Noctis pulled up his pants after finding them on the other side of the room. He only had the time to shrug on his unbuttoned shirt when the door was forced open by Gladio's charged, Luna gasping at the side of his three friends barging in.
"Guys!"
"I know this is rude, but we need to get going right now. There's been an attack on Insomnia." His shield declared, talking fast enough to bit his tongue.
The couple's eyes widened and Noctis barely thought of putting his jacket on Luna's shoulders to safeguard her decency as he asked for an explanation.
"We'll explain as we get out. There's no time. I'm afraid they're coming for the both of you now."
It made little to no sense to wait until after the wedding, but maybe the empire had wanted to use their tragic tale to his own advantage. It was only thanks to Prompto's curiosity that the guys had realized something was wrong around the hotel and even Altissia. Noctis has always all his weapons on him, so they simply gave a few minutes for Luna to gather her stuff and rushed out. While she was further away, Gladio couldn't help himself but to give a knowing look to the prince.
"You finally got some, huh?"
Noctis shook his head, unable to believe the timing the man had for this kind of questions. He might have been flustered in other circumstances, but he was too busy worrying about all that this attack could mean for his king. His father. And their country.
"What happened?"
"We don't know much yet, Noct." Prompto interfered.
…
The rest was running through the dark city, five shadows in the night. They had offered to get Gentiana too, but Luna had sworn she'd be alright on her own and they barely made it out before the first MTs invaded the hotel. Altissia looked beautiful, but it was a treacherous place, the empire wanting to capture its oracle back. Maybe the chancellor thought it best to give a glimpse of hope and love to the prince, only to snatch it away. But the five of them escaped, although barely, their boat speeding away in the night. The radio was nothing but static and it was Cor who delivered the news on the prince's phone, speakers on.
"Crown-city has fallen. The king… is dead."
Luna paled and Noctis gritted his teeth, as the guys gaped in shock. It had to be wrong.
"Half the glaives rebelled. People are running for their lives. Steer clear of the empire. We'll regroup as soon as possible."
Cor hang up without one more word, leaving the group in disarray.
Prompto was pale, Ignis was so quiet and immobile, it felt as though he'd frozen right on the spot. Gladio had closed his eyes, thinking of his father and sister, still in the city. Probably gone. Luna held Noctis' hand, sitting next to him, cold in her light nightgown and his jacket, wearing unpractical shoes, her hair wild. He looked at her, trying to muster courage to stand strong. Trying to tell himself he shouldn't wonder how unfair it was that he'd been enjoying her arms and warm skin while his father…
But those two words only hurt and he couldn't hurt. Not now. Maybe never again. His phone buzzed on the floor and he picked it up, unsure who could be... It wasn't a call. The sender's address wasn't familiar. Frowning, he opened the file zipped in the mail, shocked to see the scanned image of a sheet of paper with words written on in cursive. He knew that handwriting and felt his heart sinking. Was it proof? Was this nightmare real?
"The bastard never got around to use technology and now…"
Noctis,
I hope this stays a last resort precaution and that you won't have to read this before a long, long time. If you do read this, I will have died and surely failed our people.
"Damn!"
Luna saw his shoulders tensing as he locked the phone and angrily got up, between pain and rage. The guys tried to remind him it was dangerous to move around too much. Their boat was on auto-pilot, Ignis ready to change their course at the first signal of danger, but they were mostly invisible in the night and the empire's ships were focused elsewhere, surrounding their home, miles and miles away.
"What…" Prompto started, only to meet his best friend's worst glare and look down.
Noctis wanted to let out the mix of anger and despair he felt, but he knew the timing was wrong. But this was too much. Going from the anxiousness of seeing Luna, to the wonder of being with her and now… At least she was with him, but he didn't know how to react. How to cheer or look at the guys. He was supposed to help Regis. Not to leave him alone to get killed.
"There was a cabin on this thing?"
"Down the stairs. It's small, but…" Ignis started, falling silent as their princ… as their young and brand new king stalked off.
Luna didn't lose an instant, rushing after him. The three guys exchanged shrugs, hoping the girl could fix their friend. Whatever was going on in his head, it couldn't be pretty.
The cabin was indeed small not to mention pretty dark, but Noctis didn't care. Black and darkness had always felt like home. His real home was gone and the idea scared him. He plopped down on the cot, thankful for the fact his father hadn't left too many belonging in here. He couldn't bear to see anything that could remind him of Regis. Luna gently pushed the door open, peeking her head in.
"Mind if I join you?"
Her voice was hesitant and as much as he wanted to be left alone, he had to admit she couldn't be comfortable, left with his friends pulling long faces. She knew the guys from their letters, but it was him she always talked to. Him she had married, for better or for worse. He'd just hope the worse wouldn't come this early.
"I don't think I'm good company right now."
"You don't have to be. I just don't want to know you're alone. After what you've learned…"
"Luna…"
He pushed her hands away, not wanting to break down. He was still too open, too raw. His throat was tight and he didn't know what he needed, or what he wanted. He'd known mere hours ago.
"What news did you receive?"
He bit his lips and shook his head, trusting his phone into her hands. After some gentle probing, he gave her his code and she could see the letter, reading aloud the "Noctis," before to gasp in shock.
"Oh my god…"
The expression in her mouth would have made him laugh in any other circumstances. Instead, he just pulled her into his lap, hiding his face in her neck and sighing against her skin.
"Maybe you need to read this. Even if it feels too soon... He wanted to tell you a lot of things."
"What does it say if he tells me more stuff once he's dead then when he was still…" His voice broke and she held back her tears.
"Just listen, okay? I'll stop if you ask me."
Since he didn't say anything against it, she read the first lines, and those that followed, trying to keep her voice steady.
I've been having a bad feeling about this treaty from the moment Izuna walked into the throne room. I had the same premonition around the time your mother died and was too blinded by my own hopes to prepare for the worst. I don't want to write my last words to you as a king, but as a father.
His arms held her closer and Luna doubted they could get through this entire letter. This was so hard. Bittersweet had never felt as appropriate a word. The small screen was their only source of light in the room and she shifted in his embrace, turning to her side, so she could snake one arm behind his back, her hand instinctively shuffling his dark locks. When she went on, her voice was shaky, but he didn't ask her to stop.
I know I wasn't the father you needed and that I missed a lot of things that mattered to you. I even missed your wedding and I'll never get to see you become a father. Believe me, I've wished for it.
Her voice caught and she couldn't go on right away. They had talked about the future, they had shared everything they could, but this sort of plans… She'd dream of it of course.
"Luna, don't… We're not having kids. Not yet at least."
And somehow, she knew... It might be never with what awaited them, but it hurt all the same. Looking up into his eyes, she tried to smile. To focus on what he needed from her. Noctis saw a new longing in her, something fragile. The idea of his father turning into a grandfather hurt because he could picture a lot of things with it. A blond girl giggling in Regis' lap. No cast on the king's leg, his crown askew in his white hair. His face honest, open, like when he was a child himself. He'd never see it again. Noctis kissed his wife, a little desperate now. She answered with the same urgency and pulled back only to ask him in a silent question if it was okay to finish the letter.
When you were born, I was afraid of the burdens I was putting you under. I bounded you to one hard life, with impossible choices at every corner. I wanted you to be happy Noctis. More than anything else, more than you being chosen by the crystal or getting perfect results at some test.
He tensed, but didn't stop her. Luna wondered if he would have had the nerve to read it entirely himself if it hadn't been for her. She wondered how she could see through her teary eyes as she felt him trembling around her.
You've always been a good son and you have turned out to be a fine young man. You would have made Aulea proud. I know you've made me proud, even before agreeing to marry Luna.
The shuddering breath he took almost broke her heart.
"I can stop here if…"
"There's more?!"
She nodded, her face rubbing against his chest, his hand gripping on her arm a bit too strongly.
"Well… At this rate, I'll cry either way." He admitted.
His voice was low and close to break, but he held it off. If he broke down, he wouldn't be able to hear anything and the words were giving him some sort of closure. They were words he'd wanted. Words he'd needed. It just felt wrong that they came with this sort of news. Luna felt the tears spilling down her cheeks with the next line.
Now I need you to be strong, Noctis. This is not about the Lucis line. This is not about our country. You are king now that I'm gone, and you're not any king. The crystal marked you when you passed its test. You can bring an end to the Starscourge and the empire's madness. The price will be heavy and the path might prove harsher than anything I've been through myself. Luna will help you do it.
"He's not… talking about…"
"It's okay," she told him. "We can talk over it and prepare in the morning. Or the day after tomorrow."
Now he couldn't control his breathing, his hands were holding on to her as if she was his only anchor in a mad sea. The boat's movements weren't exactly helping. But Luna read the few last words, taking comfort in the fact Regis hadn't vowed for Noctis to sacrifice everything.
Luna will help you do it. And if you'd rather take a few years to enjoy your life together, I'd understand. Whatever you decide, I'll have faith in you, son,
Walk tall,
Your old man.
Those were his last words. Regis' last thoughts. And Noctis couldn't help but remember what he'd told him as they'd parted. The anger and the venom for the doubts he seemed to keep about him. His father had trusted him. He might have never showed it, but he trusted him and now he was left with a country to save, his wife wrapping her arms around him as he tried to control the sobs threatening to burst from his throat. His shoulders were shaking, his eyes were blinded by salt, water and blond hair.
He was no king, but an orphan. Motherless and fatherless. Lunafreya whispered his name, one hand on the back of his neck, the other one in his hair. If he could have hidden himself into her, he would have. He couldn't run or take a year to himself. He had asked far too much before and Regis was dead.
He was supposed to walk tall but had no idea if he could even stand up on his feet. Since when could he stop an empire and save a dying world? Why hadn't his father told him before?
"I can't…" he choked out.
"You're not alone. Noct. Never alone."
But his family was gone and she was family now, which put her in such danger, he couldn't… The tears won and he stopped blinking them away, stop fighting against it. Since she clung to him, he laid her on the cot, hiding his face in her chest, against her stomach, pulling on her clothes, needing her skin, her warmth. When the sobs got too strong, he howled in pain, voice breaking, soul torn apart. And she cried with him, hoping the price wouldn't be too harsh, praying she could mend this kind of hurt.
The worst of that storm left them shivering in each other's arms. Noctis asked a promise from her.
"Don't ever leave me. Don't die before I do, Luna."
"Noct, you can't ask me…"
"I can. I'll do everything you ask, everything the gods want, but you have to swear you'll be with me."
"It's where I've always wanted to be. As long as you need me, I'll be there."
The kiss that followed was salty and not as sweet as the first they'd shared, less than 12 hours ago, before his world was tipped off its axis. But if the empire had any idea how strong they could be together, they'd never let them meet or unite. And Luna was ready to support Noctis through any hardship, as much as he was willing to help her in saving the blighted people of Eo and freeing her province from the Nifs.
But some things were simply meant to happen. And for once, the Lucis king and the Oracle of light were working more closely than they ever did in the past. The sword of the gods and their light, husband and wife, king and queen. Two souls with enough love to bring down mountains and travel through entire continents only to reach each other. If he was the night, she was the moon, reflecting the sun and holding the stars up in the sky. A bridge to heaven. An angel in his arms. They vowed to pay every price, to face every challenge. To keep the other standing if things seemed too hard. To erase the tears and reinvent their smiles if smiling felt impossible. They were together for better and for worse and there wouldn't only be worse.
They were meant to be.
The end.
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I finished writing this chapter on Sorrow and Solace from the FFXV soundtrack and Dream of Pain with a Grip -one of the best song to cry you heart out to that I know of-. It was really sad, I know. I did this because FFXV made me sad a lot more than most of the games I played in my life. And I played valkyria chronicles and every tales of I could get my hands on. Regis' letter was my try at mending what wasn't mended during the game between Noctis and his father. It's really hard for me to picture a world with Regis alive. And I needed his letter and the drama that followed.
This fic is complete like this, since I wanted to let you imagine what would happen afterwards. Will they run and have a few years of happy life? Will they rush into the fray and collect enough power to send the empire packing? Will they die, will they live… The choice is yours in here. At least, they're together right now.
I hope you've liked this. I'll be sure to focus on Unexpected now if I can keep myself from starting another story on this pairing right away. See you all soon!