Title: Of Eavesdropping and Sleep

Pairing(s): Hints of Firion/Lightning but it can be seen as platonic

Rating: K

Author's Notes: The waking up thing is based on my experience. I'm not kidding. Also its almost 3 AM. I don't really know why I wrote this and the title, ignore it. Kudos if this fic has no errors and whatsoever (I actually haven't wrote anything for a long time)

Disclaimer: I don't own Dissidia but I do have the game in my drawer

As cliché as it sounds, Noctis Lucis Caelum woke up in the middle of the night. A groan escaped from his lips, his neck stiff from sleeping in a sitting position against a fallen pillar. He must have fallen asleep while the Warrior of Light was explaining their situation to the others. He didn't need to listen anyway since he was there when it happened.

Noctis removed his jacket, folding it in to a makeshift pillow and shifted his sleeping position, getting as comfortable as he can get. He closed his eyes and tried to continue his precious sleep when he heard voices – a female and a male to be more specific. He paid them no heed but it was weird since he woke up in the middle of his sleep just to hear a conversation.

It wasn't the first time that happened to him. It happened quite a few times back in Insomnia. Ever since he was a kid he would wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason and would listen to the conversation going on near him, no matter how tired he was that day. Usually the conversation is important and doesn't always revolve around him. The weird thing is whenever the conversation ended, he would fall asleep immediately. And he would wake up the next day wondering if the conversation was just a dream – it wasn't.

The prince opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly to see whose conversation he was eavesdropping – unwillingly, really. From his angle, he could only see their backs since they were sitting on the stone steps, overlooking the battlefield and beyond that, Spiritus' tower. He immediately recognize the two, it was Firion and Lightning. The former had discarded his armour and none of his weapons on his body, even the headgear he wore was gone. The latter had removed her cape and her crimson blade was nowhere near her. Judging by their body language, they seemed content and relaxed as if they weren't going to face a huge dragon in a few more days. They were to set out to find the other four summons before facing the planesgorger – for what reason, he wasn't sure because he was dead to the world before Terra had the chance to mention it.

"You look different from the last time we met," he heard Firion's comment.

"You don't look much different," was what Lightning replied. There was a long silence before she continued. "I didn't ask to wear this when I came here. I know its drawing attention and I don't like it."

Noctis mentally agreed with her. Her clothes are drawing attention to the others especially to the guys – though most of them directed their gaze away from her attire.

Admittedly, Noctis actually stared – he wasn't blind and she wasn't unattractive but in his defence he didn't stare that long – and wondered how on Earth she's comfortable wearing those clothes. Who the hell designed those clothes anyway?

Zidane actually commented on her clothing, according to Vaan during their travel back to Materia's Tower, and had received a swift punch. Last he heard, he was still nursing the bruise and none of them commented on her clothes after that. They didn't want be the receiving end of her blade.

"I'm not talking about your clothes, Lightning," the silver haired explained. "I meant you, Lightning, you look different."

"A lot of things happened. Its – " She let out a tired sigh. "It's a long story."

Firion didn't press on the subject and both were quiet for a while; even Noctis was holding his breath! An eternity would have passed until the prince saw a glowing object appeared on Firion's hand and turned towards her, offering her the object. It looked like a flower but he wasn't sure since he couldn't really see clearly what the object was due to his position. He was sure that it was important to them. Probably Lightning forgot to take the object back to her homeworld?

The rosette angled her head towards him, the corner of her lips turned upwards slightly and her eyes warmed as the sight. It was the first time since Noctis arrived that Lightning had shown any other emotion other than a frown. What next? Squall laughing? Terra being angry at one of them? The world was coming to an end, he knew it.

"As promised," Firion started, a smile mirroring hers. "Although, it is a bit too late to give you this now. Seeing how in the end we defeated Chaos and returned home with our memories intact."

Lightning took the item from him, gazing at it. "I guess," she shrugged. "I'll hold on to it for you until you return. Wouldn't want it to get crushed under your weight."

Noctis saw her standing up, her right hand still holding the object – a flower – and placed a hand on shoulder, a gesture of affection, whispering something under her breath. The moment he felt like the conversation was over; he rolled over to his side and closed his eyes and almost instantly he fell asleep.