Dedicated to: Gkwnsgh5, Eel Nivek, M, sunflowerspot, Cam277 and nie261

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters...though I wish I did...I really do

A is for Awkward

Noctis had a hobby; it was a strange one at that but a hobby nonetheless. The first thing that comes to mind is probably sleeping (since he was notorious for napping through meetings) but surprisingly no. He eventually had to grow out of that habit (big shot businessmen didn't appreciate it much) and had to find other ways to keep himself entertained during those endless hours of presentations.

So he began to watch people. (In a tasteful manner of course). If one had to simply glance at him, it would seem as if he was staring mindlessly into space. (The businessmen were still not very pleased but accepted that it was an improvement.) Little did they know Noctis was in fact studying them in his peripheral vision. All his combat training in the past enhanced his ability to be aware of his surroundings; so it required minimal effort on his part. Most of the time he caught a few of them dozing off…hypocrites. There was something amusing about blissfully unaware people though. It became quite entertaining that he ended up expanding it outside the boardroom walls.

Taejin Tower was a monster of a building, situated in the heart of Cocoon, headquarters to many famous corporations. Hundreds of people entered and left the building every day which meant plenty of available people to be studied. Many seemed quite intimidated by him, especially the men, most likely due to the fact he was the heir to the Caelum Industry. He could see some shrink away, clearly terrified of him while others straightened their postures in attempt to protect their pride. Women on the other hand would glance nervously, seemingly infatuated with his good looks. They would whisper in groups and throw longing looks at him; hoping that one day he would talk to them. Unfortunately for them, there was only one person that really caught his eye…literally.

It was the very first time he physically turned his head to look at somebody and was met with that expression. Complete and utter indifference, like the person had no emotion at all. It really confused him as to why someone like her would pull such a face.

People are capable of a wide variety of facial expressions reflecting their constant changing emotions. It was an indication of the daily mood they were in. Happy, or sad, or angry, or sometimes even all at once. So when he saw the same person, with the same facial expression, every single day, it baffled him.

So he watched her.

He didn't consider himself a stalker…not at all. He was simply observant…and just plain curious. The fact that he passed that particular corridor at precisely 9 am every morning, (the same time as her) was completely coincidental. Even if he wasn't needed in that early, he would insist on coming in right on time. (Many just brushed it off; admiring his hard work and dedication.)

Sometimes he would wonder why he put in so much effort for those 3 seconds he got to see her.

He figured she was part of the Guardian Corps, who also shared the same building; the uniform was a dead giveaway. He would always catch her exiting the office before passing him and disappearing around the corner. They never spoke or acknowledged each other…at least she didn't. Noctis tried his best to seem inconspicuous but he would always glance back to her retreating figure. Once, when she had gone he read the sign on the door: Commander Amador; he figured that she was part of his division and was there to report to him.

He never stopped trying to figure her out, no matter how many times he passed her, she always looked straight forward. A part of him wanted her to notice him, to show some sign of acknowledgement but it was hypocritical since he didn't either.

He was told he had the same problem. His often neutral face closed him off from other people. His friends suggested he tried smiling at others once in a while (which only ended up as a grimace). Gladiolus laughed and claimed that his blank expression is what attracted girls to him, it was proven they found unapproachable, brooding guys attractive. (Of course Prompto brightened at the sound of that and attempted it….with failed results…he was just too cheerful)

It wasn't as if he was brooding or moody…he was just wary. Throughout his upbringing he was told not to trust anybody, the world was fickle place and once you're at the top, everyone will want to bring you down. The best way to show you were unaffected was to show nothing, but lately, he had been loosening up…he had his friends to thank for that.

Maybe it was because of his suspicious horoscope reading the day before, but when he woke up this morning, it felt different. Noctis found horoscopes to be nonsense. He didn't believe his fate was written in the stars, but he read them anyway. (They amused him.) As he walked through his usual routine there was just something off about today but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was the feeling something was going to happen, good or bad, he didn't know. He felt wary again and decided to be extra cautious. The possibilities filled his mind as he stepped out the elevator and into the corridor. He sighed and shut his eyes to clear his head. When he opened them again his steps faltered.

She was standing there, outside Amador's office. Despite the chairs placed courteously along the corridor for waiting clients, she simply stood against the wall, arms folded.

Obviously with the same emotionless expression staring at absolutely nothing.

A mixture of feelings formed at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't distinguish what he felt. Excitement? Anxiety? Fear? It was all so closely linked that it became a blur. A part of him wanted to confront her, say something to her; the other part told him to just ignore her and walk away. He wished he didn't think so much.

Suddenly he was conscious that he had stopped idly in the middle of the corridor, not wanting to attract any questionable stares he forced himself to walk.

He was getting closer now and his heart began to beat faster. He didn't know what to do.

Talk to her

Ignore her

Say hi

Keep walking

Why was he so indecisive? What in the name of Etro should he do? Even with all this inner debate he didn't get to decide…in the end apparently his legs had the final say as they automatically stopped in front of her. His breath hitched. She was literally an arm's length away. The stronger portion of his mind told him to man up, be brave, and be the one to take the lead.

Aware that someone was invading her personal space, she looked up.

All the courage he had built up died when her eyes met his. He had never seen anything so blue.Those were the kind of eyes that could pierce someone's soul, ones that could hypnotise you with their intensity, and the ones that could express everything…the keyword was "could". They had so much potential yet they were expressionless. He didn't know why but it hurt to see such potential go to waste.

He continued to stare at her, unmoving, unblinking, calculating. He wanted to see some sort of emotion, some sort of sign to prove that she was not just a walking zombie. This neutrality was unnerving; it didn't do justice to her...her…her attractive face. (He inwardly blushed) He was probably going about the wrong way to do this; Prompto would most likely joke about her being able to win the worldwide poker championship. He doubted that she would appreciate the joke though.

It must have been an odd sight to witness, the two of them engaging in what seemed like a staring contest. Neither one wavering.

This unexplainable urge to see her express something was overpowering, but he was losing hope. What did he expect? If he was her he wouldn't just randomly open up to a stranger…yet he wouldn't just stand there unresponsive either. He realised he couldn't hold this up forever, clearly they were at a stalemate and she was not about to make the first move.

So he did.

"Hi."

He wished a behemoth would swallow him whole. He wished the floor beneath him would collapse and he along with it. He wished he had the strength to teleport away right then and there. He wished he was as eloquent as Prompto when it came to girls.

He had never been in a more awkward situation in his life. His entire cool demeanour was crumbling away…if only he had just walked passed like every other day.

He refused to meet her eyes again and averted them to the ground. He felt like such an idiot it was painful. He contemplated leaving without another word, it was obvious she wasn't about to answer…he might as well find a different route to his office now...

"Finally."

His head shot up in shock. Not quite believing what he heard mere milliseconds ago he was met with something that made everything but the both of them in the world halt. Her emotionless eyes now held what he identified as amusement and a mischievous smirk was evident on her face. He struggled to fight down a blush as it crept up his neck, for some reason he felt flustered.

He was saved when the door beside them opened and another soldier stepped out. The girl in front of him stood up straight and with that smirk still in place, she gave him a nod and entered the office. The click of the door broke Noctis out of his trance and he stood frozen; trying to come to terms on what just happened. He was relieved yet disappointed at the same time. He sighed and adjusted his collar, still recovering from the embarrassment. Who knew when he would get another opportunity like that again…

He found her waiting for him every day.

END

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed my other oneshot Routine, although this seems it could almost be a prequel...it's not.

So yeah, this is going to be a series of one shots ( Oh Gkwnsgh5 how you must love me now) based on the letters of the alphabet.

Not necessarily related to each other though I am trying