#ffxv fic

[sanjismywhore]

Breaking The Bed

Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader

Warnings: nsfw, rough sex, afab reader

Gladio is a giga chad and breaks the bed

Re-upload because something glitched

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Gladio’s hips rutted against yours. His palm perched up on the swell of your ass while his other hand pressed into the curve of your spine. He used his strength to keep you pinned flush against him, chest to chest, while you rocked back and forth on his lap; kissing him softly.

The softest sigh escaped your lips as a low moan echoed through his mouth. He felt the vibration course through him, causing him to smirk and suck gently on your lower lip. His mouth slid down your neck. The gentle kiss was followed by his tongue licking at the sensitive spot under your jaw.

He moved lower to nip at your throat, making sure to cover every inch of skin with his kisses. You hands tangled in his hair as his fingers trailed down your front. Teasing the skin along stomach before settling over your clit, rubbing circles around it as he kissed you hungrily.

Your legs wrapped tighter around his waist, squeezing his length, letting a whimper slip smooth off your tongue like silk to his ears. “Gladdy…”

A moan ripped deep within his throat, pushing himself harder against your center. His hands moved from your clit back up to cup your ass.

As if sensing your need, Gladiolus lifted his hips upwards, burying himself deeper within you. His thick cock stretching you out even more, “You drive me crazy, y’know that?” He grunted with pleasure as your walls hugged him tight.

You could feel every thrust, every slight movement of his cock perfectly. Moaning his name once again, you tried to bury your face into his chest. His chuckle, as boisterous as it was, gave you goosebumps.

Gladio brought one of his rough hands up to cup your face. As he stroked your cheek with his calloused fingers, he mumbled. “Eyes on me sweetheart.”

Your gaze shifted upwards so fast it almost made you dizzy, but it never left his face. You didn’t think you would ever get tired of watching him; the way the darkness in his amber eyes bored into your soul with hunger and desire. Or how he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth when his gaze drifted towards your lips.

“Just look at me.” He grunted. You could feel his other hand press harder into the small of your back, forcing your hips to roll against the movement of his thrusts.

Your breath hitched with each one, feeling the burn in your core build. Gladio leaned forward to capture your lips again. Moaning softly in the entanglement of your lips, you wrapped your arms around his neck.

Your hands ran through his locks, pulling him closer. Gladio let out a deep moan in against your lips deepening the kiss even further. As you began rocking more urgently into his body, he squeezed your ass. You gasped against his mouth.

He chuckled under you, “You want more?”

You swallowed thicky, nodding vigorously. Your hands fisted the fabric of his tank-top, tugging him closer to you until his head dipped into the crook of your shoulder. Thanks to his sturdy build, you could lean all your weight against him as he hugged your smaller form.

Enveloping your body into a tight embrace, Gladiolus grunted against your skin as he worked to increase the tempo of your movements. You moaned louder to which he snickered against your lips. With his firm grip never falterting, he leaned backwards with you in his arms until his back hit the plush mattress. You yelped in surprise.

The springs groaned, the wood creaked, and the bedframe knocked against the wall. His cock throbbed within you as he bent his knees, planting his feel firmly on the bed with you still in his lap.

Gladio’s laugh sent a chill down your spine. He covered the side of your face with wet kisses, tickling the skin with his facial hair. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were begging for it, princess.” With his lips close by your ear, you could practically hear the smirk plastered on his face.

His movments slowed momentarily, giving you a moment to catch your breath and adjust to the change in gravity.

With every slow thrust, Gladio whispered sweet nothings in your ear, encouraging you to get lost in your own rapture. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.” He kissed the top of your head. His words filled your entire world, wrapping you in an intoxicating cloud of lust.

And suddenly he pistoned his hips hard, thrusting up into your soaked cunt with exertion. The loud smacking of his hips became drilled in your head as he drove into you repeatedly.

You laid on his chest helplessly as he held you down with his own brute strength. His grip was tight on your body as he buried his face into the space between your shoulder and neck.

He slammed his cock into you relentlessly, balls smacking against your ass with each thrust. He pounded into you as if he was trying to fuck himself through every inch of your body. ”Fuck me,” You huffed as the wind got knocked out of you.

It was an order, not a request. Gladio didn’t hesitate to comply. Grinding his cock into you, he thrusted his pelvis hard against yours as if that would help you find release faster. He just kept fucking into you harder and harder. Your pussy clenched around his throbbing cock, soaking the entire length. And he still fucked you with everything he had.

His hands gripped your hips tightly, holding you down as he pounded into you. His breathing was heavy, labored. His chest heaved with each thrust. His eyes were closed, his face contorted in ecstasy.

He moaned as he felt you clench around him, your wetness dripping down your thighs.

As he kept thrusting, he realized that he would only continue to get lost in you. No matter how far he could climb to chase his high, his desire remained insatiable.

Even now, hours later, dawn was approaching. After what had felt like a lifetime to Gladio, his dick still throbbed, desperate for more.

Straddling your figure as you laid on your stomach, he ground his hips down into you. Either of his hands rested on your hips as he fucked you mercilessly from behind.

The sheets were wrinkled in your grasp, pillows scattered around. Both of your bodies were drenched in sweat, hair disheveled. Your clothes were no where to be found. Presumably somewhere scattered on the floor, but you paid no mind.

He was still pounding into you, stretching you open so that you could take him, and only him. Every time his hips made contact with your ass, it jiggled—to which he found amusing.

Gladiolus smiled slightly, running his finger down your spine. A shiver of delight rippled through your body. His smile grew into a full fledged grin. Sitting up straight, he continued to pound into you. “Beautiful.” His purred to himself.

He knew he had you completely enthralled by his cock. “Gladdy,” You moaned his name, arching your back against him. He smirked as he watched you writhe beneath him, continuing to pump himself into you as your thighs shook, clenching around his cock.

Occasionally he would hold your waist tight and push your face down into the pillows below, whispering the most vulgar obscenities to your ear.

“Shit, babygirl.” “Yeah, you like that?” “Fuck yeah, take that cock.” “So fuckin tight.”

He would slam into you over and over again, abusing your swollen pussy with such ferocity that it caused a sharp pang of pleasure to shoot through youe core. Then he’d shealth himself deep inside, growling through clenched teeth. “You’re takin me so well.”

Every second you spent with him felt like forever. But it couldn't have been any more satisfying. He was make love to you until you shattered from his lips; his touch; his words, his cock.

His fingers dug into your hips; nails scraping against your skin, creating small trails of bruises. “You’re mine, y’know that?”

You could only respond in moans or whimpers. Your speech barely comprehensable to him, but he didn’t care. Every sound or movement you made told him all that he needed to know.

It was a wonder how no one knocked on your door to complain about all the noise. Not Prompto or Ignis, or the other motel quests. Not even Noctis. In the back of your mind, you wondered if the others had been listening throughout the night, but the thought was soon drowned out by your own moans.

The bed croaked in response to your passionate lovemaking. The wooden frame beat the wall over and over and over again in sync with Gladio’s thrusts, scratching off the paint.

You felt his bare chest make contact with your back as he leaned down, mixing his sweat with yours. His lips ghosted over the shell of your ear, gently nibbling on your skin. Your name fell from his lips with a grunt. The sound was music to your ears.

You swore to the Astrals that you could’ve fallen apart right then and there.

You let out a soft cry into the pillow, shuddering from every overhwelming sensation.

“Fuck (Name),” He kissed your shoulder blade, leaving light trails of teeth marks as he slowed the ferocity of his thrusts while still making sure to reach the most peasureable depths inside you

Gladiolus growled against the crook of your neck, feeling your cunt flutter around him. “Oh shit…” He grunted, grinding into you harder. His breathing grew heavier as he wrapped his arms tight around you. Your body was practially buried beneath his weight.

You bit down on the pillow, muffling out a moan into it. His large hand caressed your lower abdomen as he pulled you tighter to his body. The bed squeaked under him as his hips rolled along with yours.

Your back arched against his hard chest, your legs trembling from both the excitement and exhaustion. Your muscles tightened in an instinctual reaction whenever he took you this far. “Please.” You whimpered just loud enough for him to register, aching for relief.

Picking up speed yet again, Gladio shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. Sweat beaded his forehead, dampening the strands of hair that hung onto his forehead. His muscular thighs tensed and flexed as he continued his relentless pounding.

You whimpered weakly, burying your face deeper into the pillow. Every thrust caused your clit to sting from overstimulation.

Coincidentally, every hard thrust caused the bed to croak louder and louder behind the lewd sounds.

Gladiolus let out a loud grunt, slamming into you with renewed vigor. Your breath caught in your throat, you couldn’t believe that this was happening. He continued to thrust with an intensity that left you trembling, unable to stop yourself from cumming right away.

A faint cracking could be heard coming from somehwhere in the room, but you didn’t pay any mind to it. As a final thrust brought forth your orgasm, it felt as if the walls came crumbling down. You emitted a loud cry of ecstasy.

And with yet another orgasm for the night, the bed finally gave out one last croak before collapsing in on itself.

CRACK

The bed’s legs cracked first, then the entire bedframe gave in and fell flat to the ground.

There was a pause that lasted way too long, leaving you both dead silent. It was like the world had stopped. Neither of you moved, almost too scared to break the bed further.

It took a few seconds to register what happened. Thankfully the mattress didn’t slide off during the event, so neither of you got hurt. Both emitting soft gasps, Gladio was the first to lift himself up to check out the damage.

You whined as he pulled out of you, leaving you empty and still trembling from your orgasm. And while his cock was still standing proud, still leaking with want, he ignored it entirely.

He got off of you. Rubbing the back of his neck as he grimaced at the state of the bed.

“Shit…” He cursed, reaching for the broken bed frame.

“Is it bad?” You weakly sat up, cheeks flushed and eyes puffy. “It’s gonna cost us a couple thousand Gil...” Gladio shrugged, glancing back at you.

Groaning, you pushed yourself up from the pile of pillows. Your legs wobbled as you stood, letting the blood rush to your limbs once you regained your balance. “You think Iggy’ll lecture us later?” You chuckled softly, leaning forward to grab onto Gladio’s forearm, using it to steady yourself.

“I bet he’ll make us cook for a week.” He laughed, assuring you with a soft peck to your cheek. “I’m gonna have a great time explaining this to the owner...” He grunted, briefly leaving your side.

Walking around the room, he picked up the clothes scattered all over the foor. “We really outdid ourselves didn’t we?” Gladio added with a small grin, looking down at you with amusement.

You laughed softly to yourself and pulled yourself together. “Yeah, definitely did.” You glanced at the mess of the bed again, then looked at him.

“Never expected you to be so… passionate.” You smiled sheepishly.

Gladiolus scoffed, sliding his boxers back on. “Well you weren’t expecting a gentle giant, were ya?” He teased. Walking over to where you stood, he pulled you towards him and kissed your temple.

“Nah, never.” You grinned up at him, resting your hand over his chest. “You made it worth my while.” You whispered, giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

He let out a satisfied hum, “That’s not all I got in store for you, babe.” Playfully squeezing your ass, Gladio pulled you in for a kiss. After a couple more minutes he broke the kiss and turned away from you, grabbing his phone.

“Get yourself dressed and go see Iggy. He’ll probably let you sleep in his room.” He uttered as he put his pants back on.

As you picked up your clothes and shuffled towards the bathroom, you turned back to look at him momentairly. “And what about you?” You asked.

“I’ll stay here and call the front desk.” He answered as he grabbed his shirt from the floor and put it back on. “Don’t tell Ignis just yet. Wouldn’t want him getting pissed at you for my mistake.”

#x reader #ffxv fic #ao3 fanfic #final fantasy x reader #final fantasy xv #final fantasy gladiolus #gladiolus x reader #ffxv gladio #gladiolus amicitia #ff15 gladio #ffxv gladiolus #gladiolus amicitia smut #gladiolus amiticia #gladio x reader #smut #ffxv #ff15 x reader #tumblr writers #writing #fanfic #final fantasy fanfiction #gladiolus smut

[mysteriousbean5]

Hello! I couldn’t help myself but be inspired by the latest chapter of Penumbral by @saltymog with some intense feels and breakdowns😭❤️ Please if you haven’t read this fic it is SO GOOD and will make you want to give up everything for these boys! And give them hugs. Lots of hugs.

#ffxv #noctis lucis caelum #gladiolus amiticia #ffxv fic #it’s so good #I love these boys #the fic is amazing

[glaivenoct]

NyxNoct prompt! “Do you ever think about us?”

Across This Life & The Next Rating: T Words: 2,234 Tags: Mindless Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Late Night Convos, Existentialism

Summary: “Ignore what I said. About other universes and all that. I’m just restless.”

“You are the most honest when you’re restless usually.” Nyx says, running a thumb over the knuckle of Noct’s pointer finger. “I don’t think it’s all that crazy, though.”

“You don’t?” Noct tilts his head on Nyx’s shoulder to look up at him.

Between the ocean and the stars, Noctis and Nyx ponder the concept of lifetimes beyond their current one.

(Notes: This prompt has been collecting dust for actual YEARS, but better late than never right?)

--

“Do you ever think about us?”

Nyx pauses in his steps, tilting his head to one side and blinking curiously at Noctis’ back. The Prince sits near the edge of the lighthouse’s balcony, comfortably bundled by a large blanket around his shoulders, legs slipped through the metal bars so his slippered feet dangle casually through the brisk night breeze. He stares out at the gentle flutter of the Cygillian’s ocean waves as though he’s mesmerized by the constant push and pull, or perhaps the way the moonlight speckles across the surface like a treasure trove of diamonds. 

Nyx stands a mere few steps from Noctis’ side, eyes stuck on his back and the sway of the ends of his dark hair in the wind. It’s far beyond a suitable bedtime for either of them, but Nyx can’t seem to find the will to bother trying to urge Noctis back to bed with him. Not on a night like this where he can take in the captivating view with an equally captivating Prince. 

“About us?” Nyx repeats, pulling his hands from his hoodie pockets as he takes those last few steps. He sits down next to Noctis, crossing his legs under himself. “Not sure if I’m following you, Noct.”

Noctis purses his lips and makes a contemplative hum. His head tilts slightly back, eyes following the horizon, to the stars, and then the moon. 

“Like...” There’s a subtle pinch between his brows. “Do you think there’s other universes out there… and that we’re in them together?”

Nyx’s lips part as he processes Noctis’ questions in his head. There are few things or people that are occasionally capable of leaving Nyx speechless and lacking some form of sharp wit in a relatively quick manner. Of course, Noctis is one of those people and he’s just done it again. Nyx finds himself stuck between two different gut reactions: a soft but fond laugh or simply asking Noctis if he’s okay. 

He smiles fondly instead, bumping Noct’s shoulder with his. 

“What kind of comics have you been reading lately?”

(The rest on ao3) (Reblogs would be really, really appreciated <3)

#nyxnoct #author entries: fics #noctis lucis caleum #nyx ulric #ffxv fic #i wrote this in two days idk how #it's also not what I was supposed to be working on but im not complaining #aithilin probably doesn't even remember sending me this prompt and that's valid bc I can't say for sure how many years its sat in my inbox #also pls note this is hella self indulgent

[smallest-turtle]

Sometimes you write a line and you just have to go "well that's This fic's summary entry done"

#*dusts off hands but smears pink ink everywhere instead* #fic wip #ffxv #ffxv fic #writers room #my post #photo #text #hey regis hey clarus remember how this dude literally five and ten years younger than you. hey rember. how hes a teenager #*hurts him deviously* #hey what if cor was taking care of a younger sibling at home and never told either of you. what then

[flowr24602]

“Prompto…” Noctis repeats, trying the name on his tongue, finding that he likes the sound of it. “What happened to him?”

Cor is quiet for a long time. Then...

We dreamed a dream. An ffxv fic by LuckyLectio.

#prompto argentum #flowr24602 art ffxv #cor leonis #ffxv #ffxv fic #chocobros #noctis lucis caelum #another dad!Cor fic?????? #and it's sad af 😭 #i cry #ignore the details... i hv no idea what i am doing

[seradyn]

A Dream Come True (Chp. 12)

Chapter 12/35: A King's Garden

Another date with Ardyn; this time he has chosen to show you around the Emperor's gardens.

Link to work masterlist

Word count: 11,588

TW: None

Tags: @savage-rhi @blossom-adventures @ticklemycucumber

Lmk if you'd like to be tagged in updates

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>> What do you mean you won’t be able to play games with me today >:((((((

>> Satus, I do have a life, you know.

>> Life shmife! You always play games with me on Saturday!

You sighed down at the little device, your breath coming out as a wispy cloud under winter’s crisp sun. You were standing outside your apartment, waiting for Ardyn’s attendant to come pick you up, the glow of your phone illuminating your face. A restless crowd shuffled around you, the city alight with the excitement of a freedom the weekend promised.

Your own excitement swirled within you like a happy cloud when you awoke that morning, but it came to a screeching halt, when you remembered your little tradition with your friend. Satus had been the one to suggest it back in college; to de-stress from homework and the like, and neither of you saw a reason to stop when you’d graduated. It was part of your little slice of normal. You always looked forward to it.

You felt guilty for having to cancel with such short notice, but, in all fairness, Ardyn hadn’t given you much notice himself. He’d asked you out again barely twelve hours ahead of time. And on your happiness high, you’d agreed to it without remembering your obligation to your friend. You didn’t mean to leave him hanging like that, it just sort of happened.

>> You know how computers work. Just play something else!

>> Instructions unclear. I keep texting you.

>> Put down the phone then, ya goofy goober.

>> Well, see now, my friend isn’t online yet.

>> Goddamn it Satus! I have to go soon!

>> Alright alright. Do I at least get to know what you’re doing?

>> I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.

>> >:(((((((((((((((((((((((((((

You shook your head at his antics, yet you laughed lightly at them too. He always loved to kid around, and being overly dramatic in situations like this was one of his favorite bits. He was probably already over it, giggling to himself about giving you a hard time. You’d have to remind yourself to reschedule your gaming session, as thanks for being a good sport.

The time was nearing 11:55, so you shoved your phone back in your pocket, bouncing on your heels as you waited to be picked up. Unfortunately, Ardyn hadn’t told you what kind of car they were going to drive, so you were left guessing with every vehicle that parked nearby. Your eyes tracked each one like a trained hawk, only to be disappointed when some unimportant businessman or woman got out.

A bell tolled off in the distance, signaling the turn of the hour. Its last chimes were still reverberating through the streets when a sleek, black car pulled up to your apartment building. You watched as a man in a pressed suit stepped out of it, the imperial emblem embroidered on his breast, and your heart skipped a hopeful beat. A bushy mustache of coppery brown hairs sat under his pointed nose, eyes a porcelain pool of rich chocolate as he scanned the bustling streets.

You raised a brow at him, your gazes meeting through the throng of bodies. He looked you up and down once, then nodded gently. Your cue to approach, and you followed it, though you maintained an air of caution.

“Miss,” the man said your name clearly as you came before him, his voice authorative and confident.

“That’s me,” you said, clutching the straps of your purse tightly for comfort.

The man placed his hand over his heart, bowing deeply to you. “The chancellor is expecting you. His Excellency has instructed me to escort you to his location.”

“T-thank you,” you said awkwardly, a bit flustered by the formality of his address. He didn’t seem to mind though, and quickly straightened, opening the car door for you. You thanked him again as you tucked yourself into the leather seat, the door slamming closed after you. You’d been put in the back, behind the front passenger seat, allowing you a clear view out the windshield. The inside smelled of cleaning supplies, and you wrinkled your nose. Ardyn’s car smelled much better.

The driver didn’t say anything as he got in, the vehicle coming to life with a gentle purr. Thankfully, as soon as he’d gotten onto the road, he turned on the radio, saving you from uncomfortable silence as you stared out the window.

…Investigators are still hesitant to rule out foul play in the disappearance of a small family, discovered earlier this morning…

Gralea, while still impressive in the light of day, was a city whose true beauty shined at night. Your date on the town had proven such. The neon lights and the glowing signs flickered under the overwhelming brightness of the sun, unable to compete with the rays that broke through the clouds.

…Witnesses say a strange man was seen visiting the victims just before they were discovered, yet the scene inside would suggest a daemon attack…

The radio crackled as the reporter babbled on, your eyes glued to the outside and your driver remaining silent. At intersections, you could gaze down the corridor of endless skyscrapers, which stretched for many blocks before another wall of glass and concrete blocked your view. Between the buildings, you were able to glimpse where the sky was dominated by an enormous cover of steel and blinking lights. Zegnautus Keep. That was where Satus worked.

And Ardyn, you realized with a squint.

…The frequency and intensity of daemon attacks has grown over the last few weeks. We caution listeners to stay inside and lock their doors at night in these uncertain times…

The driver turned away from the Keep, and it disappeared behind you in a sea of spires. It took you a long time to finally glimpse the marbled walls of the imperial palace, separating the emperor from the rest of the city. It was in a secluded district, across town from where you resided. The buildings gradually thinned, until the car rolled to a stop in front of wide, ornate gates. Seemingly on their own, their hinges shrilling, they creaked open and you entered the palace grounds.

Said building was massive, sprawling with ivory tendrils that stretched to the very edges of its protective wall, like creeping vines of ivy. Unlike the castles you’d seen in storybooks, this one was flater, sturdier, looking more like a fortress than an emperor’s dwelling. What few towers stretched into the grey sky were topped in gold, ornamental buttresses supporting their clawing reach. You could faintly see the main doors, which were dark and inlaid with more gold, a wide set of stairs leading down to the road before it.

In front of the palace, the road stretched out into an O shape, almost like the emperor wanted his guests to admire the palace before he met with them. Patches of green were dotted all around the grounds, grass enclosed by pruned shrubs and sliced by walking paths. In the center of this circular road was a neatly trimmed lawn, which framed a massive statue of the Hexathon. It caught your attention, and you found yourself studying it as the palace loomed closer.

Titan sat at the bottom, heaving a crude chunk of earth over his head. Ramuh, Shiva, and Ifrit were above him, the deities of ice and fire swirling around the middle of the statue in a silent ballet. Ramuh stood between them, his staff thrust importantly into Titan’s stone. Leviathan snaked her serpentine body around all of them, her waves lapping at their heels and her reptilian maw open in a mute roar. Above all the gods, looking down on them as if in subjugation, was Bahamut, his bladed wings spread proudly, his armored talons clutching a detailed sword.

You squinted at him as you began to round the bend. Something about the Draconian…was making you feel strange. A worm of unease wiggled restlessly in your gut as you stared at the god’s soulless eyes. You’d never had much of an opinion on any of the gods, but now, something about them just seemed…off.

It wasn’t as bad as Ifrit’s affect on you, though. His marbled eyes locked forward, his face absent of expression. But you could see it; the anger that burned in his irises, how his nose wrinkled with his hatred for man. You could remember it so clearly, the dream like a thorn in your side, reminding you what it felt like to be on the receiving end of his flames.You blanched, your arm tingling with phantom pain, and you rubbed it instinctively, trying to make the sensation go away.

Stop being weird. Stop letting those stupid dreams get to you.

You let out a slow breath, forcing your gaze away from the statue, and the images out of your head.

That was just as well, as the car began to slow, the stairs leading up to the palace reaching down to you. Now that you were closer, you noticed two soldiers standing on either side of it, their weapons held smartly and heads held high. You stared at them, feeling they seemed odd somehow, but quickly averted your gaze. You didn’t want to be rude.

As soon as the car’s engine died, the attendant nearly leapt out of the vehicle to open your door for you. You smiled at him, and thanked him again as he helped you out. He only nodded in response, gesturing up at the palace doors.

“Please, follow me,” he said, striding ahead of you and starting up the stairs. You didn’t hesitate to obey; you didn’t want to know what those soldiers would do if they found you without a chaperone. Something about them irked you.

When you could see them clearly, you understood why; they were no simple foot soldiers, they were Magitek Troopers. You’d never seen any up close, but you immediately felt off put by them. Apathetic expressions set in steel, unblinking red eyes peering through slits in their visors. You had to wonder why they were given human faces; to unsettle the enemy, or to keep the regular infantry in line?

Either way, they gave you the creeps. You walked closer to the attendant, eyes trained on the soldiers warily. They gave no regard to you or your escort, staying stiffly in place as you walked between them. The attendant seemed unperturbed, giving them as much acknowledgement as they offered, wordlessly pulling one of the ornate doors open for you. You quickly darted inside, breathing a sigh of relief when you could no longer see their blank stares.

While he was busy closing the undoubtedly heavy slab of stone, your eyes widened, taking in the grand foyer. You’d expected the palace to be extravagant, but this almost felt excessive. The ceilings were so high, you had to crane your neck to spot the bejeweled chandeliers hanging from it, intricate designs carved into every inch of the architecture. The palace looked entirely made from white marble, your footfalls echoing hollowly on the polished tiles. The walls were trimmed in gold, and useless artifacts dotted the corners; statues and vases set in all manner of gems. Twin hallways stretched deeper into the palace on either side, undoubtedly filled to the brim with more priceless nick knacks. Your parent’s estate was a slum in comparison.

“Please, right this way.” The attendant strode past you, veering off to the left with the assumption you would follow. And you would be a fool not to, the echoing clop of your footsteps on the tile fading from the lobby as you journeyed deeper into the winding maze. Twists and turns too many to count, past countless sealed doors with more Magitek guards standing watch, your walk was a silent one. You were too busy eyeing the soldiers for conversation, like they may suddenly come to life at the scent of an outsider amongst them. Of course, no such things came to pass, and the halls remained deserted of any other human presence but that of you both. It was…eerie. Almost lifeless. The ridiculous opulence displayed in how much gold was slapped into everything only added to its oppressiveness.

Eventually, after you were sure there was no chance of you remembering the way back, the hallway came to an end, a set of polished wood doors on the farthest wall, flanked by, what else, two more Magitek Troopers. You tensed at seeing them, staying close to the attendant as he walked up to them, turning to you with purpose.

“The Chancellor shall be waiting for you through these doors,” he said, gesturing at them. “You need not worry, the soldiers stationed here have been instructed to treat you with the utmost respect. Though I caution you not to go exploring without his Excellency; they may mistake you for an intruder.”

“Oh, thank you,” you said, looking at them up and down at his obvious warning. They gave no reaction to either of you, set like statues with lights for eyes.

The attendant bowed to you in parting, and you gave him a grateful nod. When he hesitated to take his leave, it dawned on you that perhaps you should tip him. You didn’t mind the prospect; he’d been nothing but kind to you thus far, and you didn’t want to come off as rude. Slinging your purse in front of you, you began digging through it, searching for a bill or coin you could offer him. Because of this, you failed to notice the confusion that donned his face.

“Ma’am, is everything alright?” He asked cautiously, the tonelessness of his voice fading for a moment in puzzlement.

You huffed down at yourself in response, your search coming up fruitless. “I’m sorry,” you said, keeping your gaze down to hide a wave of shame that lapped at your mood. “I don’t have any cash on me.”

The attendant looked you up and down, before giving you a wide smile.

“I assure you, that won’t be necessary,” he said with obvious amusement. “The Chancellor ensures I am well compensated.”

You gave him a pointed, unbelieving look. “Really?” You questioned. Ardyn didn’t strike you as someone who cared much for making sure servants were well paid. He hadn’t even bothered to tip your server from the night before.

With an affirming nod that assuaged your worries, you smiled back at him. “Good,” you stated firmly. “I won’t stand for anything less.”

The man chuckled lightly. “I can see why the chancellor is fond of you.”

Your cheeks flamed at that, and you turned away from him. “T-thanks,” You stuttered, unsure what else you could say. The man gave you a final approving look before he departed, disappearing around the corner on light feet. It wasn’t long until his footsteps had faded completely, and you smiled in his direction before turning back to the doors.

Wearily, eyeing the troopers, you reached out and swung the door outward on silent hinges. Rays of light struck your face, forcing your eyes closed as you stepped through the threshold. You jumped when you heard the door close behind you, but then you relaxed. At least you were separated from the MTs now.

Shielding your face with your hand, your eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of the outside, a warm breeze combing through your hair. Even overcast, there was so much more light out here than there was inside the palace. When it didn’t hurt so much to open your eyes, you took in the scene before you, and a breath caught in your throat.

It was green. So wonderfully, organically green. The white tiles gave way to a neat path of cobblestones, weaving in and out of a lush field of grass, whose neatly trimmed blades were left just tall enough to tickle your ankles.

And there were flowers. Rows upon rows of flowers, organized by species and all in full bloom. In winter, no less. Orchids, tulips, roses, sylleblossoms, in more colors than there were in a rainbow. There were hundreds - no, thousands, it must have been. Some with blossoms that hung like bells, and others whose petals were spread wide, reaching upward towards an absent sun. Butterflies and bees obliged their welcoming blooms, gorging themselves on their nectar.

Trees, too, there were trees. Cherry blossoms and hanging willows, their thin branches gently swaying in the breeze. The wind caught on their leaves, singing a soothing lullaby to the birds that wistfully sung back. The stone pathways stretched deeper into the garden, twisting out of sight beneath archways of woven rose bushes. You could hear the faint gurgling of a fountain, hidden behind a wall of vines and brush.

It was like falling into a storybook; too perfect to be real.

And yet it was. You stood there for a long time, just admiring it. Gralea had become so industrial, barely any fauna had survived within its walls. They’d been slashed and burned to make way for imperial bases, for palaces, for office buildings that no one liked. It was so primally joyous to be surrounded by life, in every sense of the word. Like you could feel Eos sigh as her children flourished on her soil.

You were transfixed by the feeling, breathing deeply to catch that organic scent on your nose. So much so, that you jumped slightly when you felt a sudden weight upon your head, a black rim on the outskirts of your vision. Reaching a tentative hand up, you traced the outline of a hat.

“Now I dare say that looks much better on you than it does me,” a silky voice teased from behind you, announcing his presence before he stepped into view. Turning, you saw Ardyn was smirking as he eyed you up and down, but that was nothing new. It was when you noticed him without his beloved headwear that you realized he’d placed it upon your head instead.

Carefully, you traced the rim with a finger, noting the craftsmanship of the little thing. It was definitely designer, yet it looked so silly, combined with the rest of Ardyn’s ensemble. The thought had you smiling softly to yourself.

“Guess you’ve got good taste,” you said, your smile widening into a grin as you glanced at him. He’d walked a few paces ahead, but now he stopped to turn back to you.

“Ah ah ah!” Ardyn wagged a finger at you. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Now, come along. I’ve had a small luncheon prepared for us, and it would be a shame to let it spoil.”

You flashed him a bright smile. “Sounds wonderful,” you chirped, taking your place next to him as he began to lead you through the maze of flowers. Bright purples and deep blues, peach pinks and blushing reds, you reached out your hand to let your fingers glide gently across their petals. Their touch was like feathers, their aroma like the finest perfumes.

It was enchanting, especially for a city kid like you. You darted from bush to bush, inhaling their dreamy scent before trotting after Ardyn, who ventured off ahead of you. When you stopped for what must have been the tenth time, a merry chuckle chimed in your ears, and you turned, finding Ardyn’s golden eyes on you. His smirk had been twisted with an amused fondness, watching how you enjoyed the flowers with a near childlike innocence. You beamed brightly at him, a wordless thanks for bringing you there. It was gorgeous, and your heart soared with how perfect everything was.

And secluded, you thought, hiding a smirk by sticking your nose into more flowers. No one here to ogle at you this time, thank the gods. Perhaps Ardyn had been paying attention.

As you went to smell more of the flowers, a branch caught your head on something, startling you a little. Right - you were still wearing Ardyn’s hat. Glancing at him, he’d walked a few steps ahead of you again, unaware that you’d fallen behind. A playful smirk pulled at your lips, watching him blissfully saunter on without a care in the world.

Perhaps you should repay him for how he greeted you at the entrance…

You waited until he got a little further away, close to the end of long flowerbeds you walked between. As soon as he did, you quickly darted forward, almost jumping to swiftly place his hat back on his own head. You giggled when it fell over his eyes, his steps faltering in bewilderment as you scurried away, innocently burying yourself in the beautiful flora while he fumbled with the offending accessory. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him lift it, revealing his own signature smirk that was equal parts amused and conniving.

Oh, he was so going to get you back for that.

“Best be careful,” Ardyn warned as he walked up to you, admiring the flowers you were using to hide your face. “One might say I’m a reigning champion at such games.”

You inhaled deeply, closing your eyes briefly to enjoy the sweetness of the flowers.

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you said, making a show of ignoring him, cupping another flower and bringing it closer, its amber petals almost seeming to glow in the afternoon rays that broke through the cloud cover.

Ardyn let out a laugh, making you smile widely to yourself. Even if you lost whatever game this was, hearing him laugh was prize enough for you.

“Oh, I knew there was a reason I took a liking to you!” He said delightfully. Warmth coated your neck at his remark, and a lock of hair found itself between your fingers.

Gods, him and his assistant?

“Come along now, darling,” Ardyn said, waiting to continue until you joined him. “We’re almost there.”

You shook yourself mentally, willing your blush to subside so you could smile at him. “Coming!” 

The path from there diverged in several directions, and once you were at Arryn’s side, he led you deeper into the garden, the shrubs growing larger here. These bushes boasted thick branches and fat leaves, obscuring the rest of the garden with their grasping tendrils. The flowers before had been tall, to be sure, but now they stretched into the sky, as if they desired to be free of the soil that nourished them. It almost felt like those corn mazes you’d heard Satus mention sometimes, but you had no doubt this was infinitely more luxurious than stocks of corn. The flowers popped even more brightly against the darker background, drawing your eyes every which way as you tried to take all of them in.

“Here we are,” Ardyn breathed, coming to a stop at the end of the path. You halted at his side, looking up from the hydrangeas to see where he’d taken you.

Your eyes went wide, a tiny gasp escaping through your half parted lips.

The rows of flower beds gave way to a small clearing, in the center of which stood a proud cherry tree in full blossom. Bright pink tufts of petals coated its elegant branches, which would’ve provided ample shade, if the sun had been out. The ground was covered in the soft down of its buds, like a blanket of strawberry snow. Directly beneath the tree, a towel had been laid out, decorated with the twin dragons of the imperial emblem, who twined themselves down its middle. Atop the fabric was a large circular dish, filled to bursting with all manner of fruits and sweet berries, whose bright colors betrayed a taste of the tropics. To your right, another path spilled into an ornate gazebo, fit with blooming vines that hung down off its domed roof. Butterflies and bees hopped merrily from flower to flower, while birds playfully swooped between the branches, each frolicking in their own little slice of paradise.

“Ardyn…this is beautiful,” you said with unconcealed awe. The fairytale comparison felt even more fitting now, every detail lovingly crafted, like a painter over their latest work.

Ardyn hummed a soft laugh. “I’m pleased it’s to your liking,” he purred, again enjoying how impressed you were. He quite liked that look of amazement you wore.

“I mean…how can this place even exist?” You said, looking around at the peonies that framed the clearing like a halo. “It’s the beginning of winter.”

Ardyn hummed again, as if pondering your question, before wordlessly pointing upward. You followed the gesture, staring up at the gloomy sky with confusion. You squinted, unsure what you were looking for, before your eyes finally caught on what appeared to be a dark line cutting through the sky.

“A greenhouse,” Ardyn answered your unspoken question. “His Radiance had it installed many years ago. Said the palace had grown ‘stuffy’.”

The thought of the emperor having distaste for his own palace made you chortle quietly to yourself, your gaze fixed on the outline of the glass panels in the sky. “Can’t say I disagree with him.”

“I’ll be sure to inform him of your disapproval,” Ardyn teased. “Now, come. Let us enjoy the bounty I’ve had prepared.”

His boots crunched on the crisp lawn, the cobblestones fading to pebbles at the end of the path. The damp soil squished beneath your feet as you stepped to follow him, your restless eyes trying in vain to take in all the scenery. It wasn’t long before you reached the tarp, though you hesitated before it, unsure if you should take your shoes off to keep from tracking mud over it. Although, a glance at Ardyn told you he hadn’t deigned to do so, so you figured it was alright. He was already settling at the base of the tree, his back supported by its wide trunk and his legs stretched out in front of him. You seated yourself on his right, staying close but giving enough space so you wouldn’t touch each other accidentally. The fabric was unbelievably soft, yet kept the prick of the grass blades from stabbing you. Petals rained down gently from the tree above, but they were easy enough to brush aside.

“Please, help yourself,” Ardyn said, pulling the platter of fruit between the two of you. Upon further inspection, it contained more than just fruit, though. Squares of a pale cheese were stacked neatly on one side, with plain crackers butting up against them. Thin slices of a freckled meat were farthest from you, folded neatly over each other.

Ardyn gravitated towards the latter, taking a slice between his fingers and popping it into his mouth. You watched him chew for a moment before eyeing the cheese, hesitantly taking a square. You were a picky eater after all, and again, you worried over liking anything. Although, you spied ulwaat berries amongst the pile of fruit, one of your favorites, so at least you wouldn’t go hungry.

Cautiously, you nibbled off a corner, letting its taste flood your mouth. It was creamy with a light saltiness, becoming smoother as it melted in your mouth, and you let out a contented hum, eating the rest of the square in one bite. The pile of snacks dwindled as you both munched happily, a quiet calm spreading between you.

“I don’t believe we finished getting to know each other,” Ardyn said after he finished, his golden eyes falling to you. You met them with a nod, reaching for some of the blueberries you saw. Their vibrant sweetness exploded on your tongue as you bit through their supple skin.

“Tell me, have you gotten the chance to travel much?”

You shook your head as you gulped down your snack, looking back out at the bordering flower beds. “My parents never cared much to take me when they went on trips. And after I was kicked out, I never had the money.”

Ardyn let out a soft sigh, his gaze fixing ahead of himself. “A shame, really. Though, I suppose that means I’ll just have to show you around.”

You paused, glancing at him quizzically. “Like…show me around the world?”

“Where else?” Ardyn smirked at you, raising a brow challengingly. Your heart skipped a beat, and you looked away, unwilling to hold his gaze as a wave of heat washed down your shoulders.

He wants to take me around the world? The thought was sweet, yet it almost felt too good to be true. Why would he want to spoil you so much?

“Fear not,” Ardyn chuckled at your rising bashfulness. “I’ll ensure we don’t visit any wineries.”

You huffed a laugh at that, the tension leaving your muscles at his gentle jest. Truthfully, you were quite enchanted with the prospect. You’d been cooped up in the city since birth, and you longed to see what lay beyond those dreary walls. Sure, you’d been to a few places that boarded the city limits; small towns and rest stops when your parents visited their orchard, but aside from that, the outside was a complete mystery to you.

“I’d like that,” you said, a soft smile on your face.

Ardyn smirked. “Music to my ears!” He exclaimed, munching on a piece of cheese. You reached for a cracker, loudly crunching down on its dry saltiness.

“I have been wondering about your culinary tastes as well, though I suppose I should’ve inquired sooner,” Ardyn said. “I take it everything is to your liking so far?”

You nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah,” you said, swallowing the last of your cracker. “It’s all lovely, thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He plucked some grapes from their bunch, rolling them around in his palm. “So, what is your favorite dish?”

“Hold on,” you said, your smile fading as a slight nervousness invaded your heart. “Last night, you got to ask all the questions. Today, I want to get to know you.”

You met his eyes as you said your piece. You didn’t want to seem pushy, or ungrateful for the dates, but you still didn’t know much about him. If someone asked you to describe him, you would be reduced to mostly talking about his choice of clothing, proving how little he’d revealed to you. Granted, it was only your second time sitting down with him, but you’d done your best to be honest the night before, and you felt you deserved the same courtesy. Though you hoped this wasn’t some invisible line you were stepping over; perhaps there was a reason he wasn’t able to discuss such things.

Ardyn met your questioning glare with a smile, instantly making the unease ebbe away.

“Very well,” he said. “You must forgive me if I seemed recluse; one can never be too cautious in my position. Though it is for that reason I cannot promise I can be entirely forthcoming with you.”

You shook your head with a smile of your own. “That’s okay, I understand. I just want to get to know you better.”

Ardyn gave you an understanding nod. “A reasonable request,” he assured. “Ask away.” He ate his grapes while he waited for your first question, grinding the rinds between his teeth.

Here’s your chance to learn more about him. Where to start… You figured you should start small, ease him into opening up.

“Sooo…what’s your favorite color?”

There was a pause, long enough you thought he may not have heard you, until Ardyn snorted out a disbelieving laugh. “That is what you wished so badly to know about me?”

The tips of your ears burned with self consciousness, and you looked away from him. “It’s just a question,” you said defensively. It was the first one that came to mind, and you figured it was good enough. “I didn’t think it was some big secret.”

Ardyn hummed, staring out at the expanse of flowers around you. Guess it is a secret, you thought glumly as the silence stretched, and he offered no answer. You let out a sigh through your nose, grabbing a slice of meat and eating it. The spices immediately exploded on your tongue, a piercing hotness mixed with a hint of salt and garlic.

“Green.”

You looked up at Ardyn, puzzled. “What?”

“My favorite color,” he met your eyes again, signature smirk in place. “Is green.”

The sourness you felt dissipated, and you brightened. “Yeah? Got a favorite shade?”

“Hmm. Tough one, that,” he mused. “I must say though, the deeper shades often catch my eye. They are incredibly rich colors, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I would. I love a good phthalo green.”

“You really know your stuff! Pray tell, what is your favorite color, then?”

“Navy blue,” You said, layering a piece of cheese and meat onto a cracker.

“A most noble choice,” Ardyn cooed. “You certainly have fine tastes.”

“Didn’t used to like it,” You admitted, biting down on your little makeshift toast. The cheese and meat complimented each other quite well, with the cracker adding a light crunch. “It’s grown on me over the years.”

“I can certainly see why,” Ardyn said, smiling to himself. The conversation died down for a spell while you both ate, enjoying the simple pleasure of being in each other's company.

At least, that’s what you hoped was happening. You were certainly starting to enjoy being around him.

“What’s your favorite animal?” You broached, once you finished your cracker.

“Oh, I’m afraid I’m not really one to care for fauna.” Ardyn laced his fingers in his lap, looking quite relaxed as he reclined against the tree.

“Well, what’s one animal you like, then?” Ardyn raised a brow at your insistence, and you flashed him a smile. He let out a sigh, knowing you wouldn’t let him get out of answering in some capacity.

“I have a slight fondness for our yellow-feathered friends,” he admitted.

Your eyes widened, and you gasped dramatically, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “So you are a chocobo person!”

“Noticed that, did you?” He chuckled, seeing the twinkle in your eyes. His answer had excited you a great deal.

“How could I not? Everyone knows that song.”

“Then it shouldn’t be so shocking I’m familiar with it.”

“That’s not the shocking part,” you shook your head. “More shocking that you happen to like that song.”

“What can I say?” He shrugged. “Something to listen to while I fill out paperwork.”

You hummed an agreement at that, chewing on some of the ulwaat berries, their bright sweetness a nice contrast to the saltiness of everything else.

“Might I ask what animal you find yourself fond of?”

“Hmm.” You pondered that as you popped the last of the berries in your mouth. “I also like chocobos, I always thought they were cute. And snakes too, I like snakes.”

“It seems we’re more alike than I thought, in regard to the former. Have you had a chance to ride one before, a chocobo?”

Your smile faded sadly. “No,” you sighed, your childhood dreams of doing so long since fizzled out. “My parents would be mortified by the thought. Always said it was ‘beneath’ us.”

He smirked smugly at the flower beds before himself. “Well, you’ll not have to worry about them any longer,” he said. “Perhaps our first destination should be one of the many ranches that lay to the west. I've heard some have quite remarkable flocks, with your pick of plumage.”

Your lips parted in shock. “You’d take me to see chocobos?” Your parents hadn’t even wanted you near the things, and here was the chancellor, offering to take you?

“But of course!” He flashed you a grin. “When I am not bound by my obligations here, it’ll be a day on my gil.”

You blinked at him, dumbfounded for a moment, before a smile began to tug at your cheeks. “That’s sweet Ardyn, I -…Thank you.” You thought about telling him he didn’t have to, that he didn’t need to spend his money on you, but the look on his face told you he would only insist. It was obvious to anyone this was one of his ways of flirting, and yet…it made your insides feel tangled with a warm fuzziness you couldn’t name.

Although, the former half of his sentence brought up something you’d been wondering about. It was decidedly more intimate than your previous questions though, and you hoped he wouldn’t take offense. But you had been curious.

“What’s it like…being chancellor?”

Ardyn scoffed playfully. “Got tired of small talk, did you?”

“You seemed rather disappointed I started small,” you countered.

“I suppose you have me there,” he said with a chuckle. “Well, to be perfectly honest, being chancellor isn’t as luxurious as one may be led to believe. I could be mistaken for a common accountant, given how often I am tasked with balancing budgets these days.”

“Not a numbers person?” You snickered.

“Oh, quite the contrary.” He waved his hand, swatting away the idea. “My fluency in numeracy is without question; it is the sheer boredom I feel from filling out such paperwork that makes some days drag on.”

“Do you like it? Being chancellor?”

Ardyn nodded. “Indeed I do. It is an honor to serve my country, paperwork and all.”

The way he said ‘my country’ told you there was more to that story, but you decided not to probe. After all, he’d already told you more about his position than you would’ve expected. You smiled though, instead remembering something he’d said the previous night.

“Coworkers and all?” You teased, flashing him a smirk of your own. He scoffed again at that, shaking his head.

“Yes, coworkers and all. Though calling them anything more than imbeciles is being generous.”

You laughed, hearing the clear annoyance in his tone. He didn’t bother trying to hide it.

“Why don’t you just fire them?” You questioned. “You’re like second in charge, right?”

Ardyn smiled, you supposed at your naivety. “That I am, though I am not in charge of his Radiance’s cabinet. I’m afraid I’m stuck with whomever the Emperor chooses.”

“Bummer,” you said, and Ardyn nodded. Would that he could get rid of those fools, but it was as he said; he was powerless in that regard.

“I trust what I’ve told you shall stay between us?” He asked, glancing at you. After all, he had to play nice with them, at least for the most part.

“Of course. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“How relieving,” he sighed contentedly. “Have my answers satisfied you enough to permit me an inquiry?”

“Alright, go ahead,” you said with a wave of your hand. He’d earned it. “You wanted to know my favorite food?”

“Actually I had something else in mind,” he said, turning to you. “Have any of the flowers here caught your eye?”

“O-oh,” his question caught you off guard, and you tried to remember all the different kinds you’d seen. There were so many, it was hard to settle on just one. “I liked the orchids we passed, I’ve always been fond of those. But really, everything here has been beautiful.”

“Orchids, hm?” He echoed, considering that for a moment. Without another word, he abruptly stood up, shaking the tiredness from his limbs and stretching a little. You looked up at him with bewilderment, wondering if you’d said something wrong.

“Worry not, I’ll be just a moment.” He smiled down at you. “Please, help yourself to anything you see. What’s mine is yours.”

With that, he left you under the tree, disappearing into the thicket of roses and thorns. You stared at his back as he left, wondering where he was going, but given his sudden interest in your flower preferences, you figured he may be gathering a bouquet for you. Not exactly subtle, though given his manner of dress, you supposed subtly wasn’t his strong suit. Still, the thought had you blushing, it was quite sweet, if that was indeed what he was doing. The man wasn’t kidding when he said he enjoyed chivalry.

While you waited for him to return, you scooted to the edge of the blanket, admiring the pink and yellow blooms all around you. Some leaned over the raised beds in which they resided, beckoning you to sample their luscious scents. You could hardly refuse them, smiling as their gentle petals caressed your face.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, but you were soon startled out of your blissful indulgence when, again, something was placed on your head. This was definitely not a hat though, more of a circlet, and when you reached up to touch it, you felt flowers beneath your fingers.

Turning around, you were surprised to find Ardyn kneeling behind you, a wide, satisfied grin on his face. You hadn’t even heard him return, nor felt the blanket dip from the addition of his weight. The man was like a ninja when he wanted to be.

Carefully, you removed the circlet from your head so you could look at it. Your breath caught as you held it out in front of yourself, staring in stunned awe. Ardyn hadn’t simply gotten you a bouquet, no, the man had made you a flower crown. Comprised of the flowers you told him were your favorite, the craftsmanship was breathtakingly immaculate. Each of their stems were woven together at the perfect length, leaving just enough room for the flowers to create a stunning halo. Not a leaf was out of place, each of the dozen or so blooms he’d used pointing outward and on full display. You held it with the utmost care, afraid you might undo the stems should you treat it wrong.

“Do you like it?” Ardyn asked proudly, sitting on his shins and watching while you turned over the delicate crown.

“Like it?” You gaped at him, looking into his honied irises. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

“I thought you might,” he snickered. You continued to admire his handiwork, turning the little thing over and feeling the petals between your fingers, which grew sticky from their yellow pollen. Ardyn simply watched you examine it, before he decided to gently cup your hands in his, guiding you to place it back on your head. You could feel the callouses on the tips of his fingers, and the warmth that sent a tingle down your arm, your heart skipping a beat.

“After all, it suits you…花の姫.” (Hana no hime; flower princess).

He let go as your eyes went wide, part of you unsure if you were hearing correctly. But no, he’d definitely just called you flower princess in ancient Lucian. The sweetness in his voice had a mad heat trickle down the tips of your ears, a blush spreading across your fair cheeks.

“I don’t know about ‘princess’,” you said shyly. “But you’re definitely かっこいいです.” (Kakkoii desu; handsome).

“Oh my!” Ardyn quipped. “Feeling bold today, are we?”

“You make me so,” you said, giggling at his prideful smirk. Even if he didn’t say it out loud, the compliment had certainly stroked his ego.

“I really am a bad influence, aren’t I?”

You both shared a laugh at the thought, though you couldn’t help but think it wasn’t entirely inaccurate. His own eccentricities made you feel more comfortable being yourself, which meant you could match his playful energy. Honestly, you were thankful for it, even if you weren’t sure why you felt the way you did.

When your laughs had been swallowed by the garden, Ardyn returned to his place under the tree, settling with his back against it. You watched him, waiting until he was comfortable before following him. You hesitated when you got back to where you were sitting before, debating with yourself if you should get closer to him, and you ultimately decided you did. You liked being near him. So you shoved the platter of food aside, causing Ardyn to raise a brow, but he made no protest. You plopped down next to him, only a few inches of space between you two, close enough you could smell his cologne.

“Might I ask you another question?” Ardyn said, once you’d settled in beside him.

“Sure,” you nodded to him.

“What is your greatest desire in life?”

“Oh,” you hadn’t expected that one from him; it was a bit of a deviation from where you’d left off. “You’re asking me about philosophy?”

He looked over at you, a knowing smile on his face. “It’s just a question,” he teased dramatically, and you scoffed.

“Alright alright,” you said with a wave of your hand. You didn’t mind the question, though you took a moment to really ponder it, a thousand different suitable answers coming and going, yet none feeling quite right. Sure, there were lots of things you desired, but none feeling worthy enough to say your life was dedicated to it. Not until you found something that really spoke to you.

“To make people happy,” you said truthfully. “I know what it feels like to be hated by people who are supposed to love you, and I don’t want anyone to have to face that alone. So I try my best to be kind. I don’t always succeed, but I try. If it means it can make someone a little happier, if my dumb joke made someone laugh, I think that makes it all worth it.”

“Hmm,” Ardyn stared ahead at the flowers, his eyes half lidded. “Spoken like a true altruist.”

You shook your head with a smile. You weren’t sure about that, but you wouldn’t argue. “What’s yours?”

Ardyn’s gaze traveled upward, watching the pink petals float down from the tree, swaying gently in the artificial wind.

“To bring justice to those who have wronged me,” he breathed. There was a dreaminess in his voice, and he seemed lost in thought as he said it. You stared at him, watching as unnameable emotions swirled in the depths of his eyes, and you felt a pang of sadness pierce your own heart. It sounded like whatever it was had been haunting him for a long time. You wanted to ask for details, but you knew it wasn’t your place to pry, especially in that moment.

Instead, you tentatively reached over, taking one of his hands into yours and giving it a gentle squeeze, the leather of his gloves creaking slightly. Ardyn blinked away his thoughts, returning to the present as he slowly met your eyes.

“I hope you succeed,” you said, giving his hand another squeeze, accompanied with a reassuring smile. He seemed startled by your words for a breath, before he regained his composure and matched your warm expression.

“Thank you,” he said, and you knew he was being sincere. The playful lilt that ever flavored his speech was noticeably absent.

You nodded to him as you let his hand go. The two of you allowed the silence to stretch, listening to the leaves rustle and the birds chirp. Both of you leaned your backs against the great tree, her bark smooth and welcoming. It was nice, just experiencing all that with him, and your heart soared with how well everything had gone so far. You wouldn’t mind spending many days like this, enjoying the quiet serenity of each other.

And then an idea popped into your head. You straightened slightly, glancing over at Ardyn. He looked quite relaxed, happily gazing at the bees that hopped from flower to flower. You could hear your heartbeat in your ears, suddenly nervous about what you wished to ask him. His earlier words echoed in your head while you tried to sum up what little courage you had.

Feeling bold today, are we?

Why yes, yes I am, you thought, deciding to go through with it.

“Hey Ardyn?”

“Yes?”

“Can I…cuddle you?”

There was a pause. Ardyn’s brow furrowed, and he looked at you, puzzled.

“I beg your pardon?” He wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Like, snuggle,” you said, wringing your hands while you felt another blush coming on. “You know; like holding each other.”

Ardyn seemed to think on the idea, like it was foreign to him. Then, an amused smile touched his lips.

“You’re certainly welcome to try,” he said with a shrug.

Challenge accepted.

You scooted closer, watching his face to make sure he was okay with what you were doing. He seemed indifferent so far, though he watched you out of the corner of his eye. Just before your bodies met, that’s when you made your move. Quickly, you crawled into his lap, making sure to be gentle as you settled into him. Ardyn made a startled sound, but did not protest your actions. You made yourself comfortable right under his chin, burying yourself in his many layers of fabric, his scent all around you. You closed your eyes in bliss, resting your head against his chest as your body soaked up his warmth.

“Is this okay?” You asked, looking up at him. His eyes were slightly wide, and his hands hovered at your sides, like he wanted to hold you, but was afraid of doing so.

“…Yes,” he said, but you could hear uncertainty in his tone.

“It’s okay if it’s not,” you said. “I’m just a cuddle bug.” It was true; ever since you were a child you’d loved cuddling. It felt so nice. It felt like love.

Ardyn took a moment to shed his doubts, but once he did, he chuckled softly, his arms finally wrapping around you, holding you to himself. One cupped the small of your back, while the other held your arms, his thumb carding across your skin. He brought his knees up, cradling you in his lap, which brought a smile to your face, knowing he had accepted this. You felt so comfortable, so safe being held in his arms.

“It’s quite alright, dear,” Ardyn said, and you could feel the words in his chest, next to his heartbeat. The vibrations felt so oddly familiar. “It’s simply…been a long time.”

You shook your head at that, another pang of sadness zipping through your chest. “Next time, I’m holding you.”

He let out a laugh, and you smiled.

“What a sight that would be,” he said, resting his chin atop your head. You could feel his sharp stubble prick your scalp, and you couldn’t help but think it felt nice. You sighed deeply as the conversation died down, Ardyn beginning to massage your skin with the pads of his fingers. His breaths were long and deep, and you enjoyed how they felt against your own.

When your eyes drooped close for a second time, a wave of drowsiness wafted down your shoulders. Don’t fall asleep, you warned yourself, but your body had other plans. Surrounded by Ardyn’s warmth, snuggly tucked into the gentle fabric of his scarves, the soft thumping of his heart began to lull you to sleep. You tried to keep yourself from succumbing, shaking yourself and blinking the sleepiness from your eyes, but you soon lost the strength to do so. You felt your body relax into Ardyn as you were pulled into the void of blissful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He wasn’t used to feeling like this.

Not anymore.

Though, he could remember a time when it wasn’t uncommon. Where if some lucky interloper had claimed to have seen him basking in the gift of life, of love, it wouldn’t have seemed so outlandish. When he often found himself in the royal gardens, with the most wonderous woman on Eos in his arms, or him in hers…

But those warm memories had long faded to empty, darkened coals.

Yet, holding you, a parallel to those lost memories, he found himself reminiscing. As he nuzzled his face into your hair, pushing gentle kisses into the top of your head, he could see it. See her. The smell of flowers lingered from the crown he’d made you, and he was transported back to a time before he’d lost all he’d loved. He could smell the field of wheat they both adored, the sylleblossoms they traded, the fragrant wood of that old willow tree. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine it was Aera cradled in his lap, Aera whom he held like his most precious treasure.

But when he looked down…what he found was not his beloved. He saw you instead, sleeping like a babe, unaware of the turbulence that twisted his innards.

And part of him hated that. Was enraged that you made him feel the way she did.

He was filled with the sudden urge to shove you off himself. To yell and scream and even slay you for trying to usurp his heart.

His hardened gaze glared at your unconscious form at the thought.

He could kill you. The daemons hummed with glee at the prospect.

It would be so easy. Like trimming fussy, overgrown rose bushes…

…but he didn’t.

He couldn’t.

Some part of him liked this. Your warmth. Relished in it, cherished it. It had been too long since someone truly cared for him, wanted what was best for him. It had been even longer since someone held him, ran their fingers across his skin with unconditional reverence. Those notions had died with Aera, when he became the Gods’ perfect monster.

Though despite his misgivings, you’d opened your own heart to him. It had taken some prying, to be sure, but you’d offered him something he hadn’t experienced in centuries. A connection that ran deeper than surface level, down to the very core of his being. What shriveled up, broken and blacked pieces of it that remained. He could see it when he looked into your eyes, the sheer amount of empathy they held, even from what little he’d told you. Somehow, you already cared for him.

And that fact was utterly terrifying.

Ardyn let out a frustrated sigh, watching the way it disturbed your hair. He brushed a stray lock of it out of your face, delighting in the softness of your skin beneath the pads of his fingers. Savoring how your lungs pushed on him with every breath. The feeling of your body relaxing into his.

Someone in this time cared for him. Trusted him.

He pulled you further into his chest, holding you tightly.

He wanted that. He needed that.

“Well played…” he murmured, a smirk blooming on his face. The Gods had certainly given him an apt challenge.

You stirred in his grasp, startling him out of his thoughts. He loosened his grip so you could move, watching as you sleepily crawled upwards, nuzzling the side of his face before placing a kiss on his jawline.

He blinked at the sudden affection, unsure how to respond, but you didn’t seem bothered by that. You immediately fell back asleep, settling into his form and breathing deeply.

He remained unmoving for a moment, before a sly chuckle left his lips.

“Quite the minx you are,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around you once more.

“You seemed tense,” you surprised him with your voice, thick with a dreamy fog.

He huffed a small laugh at that. Perhaps you weren’t as oblivious as he thought.

“Not untrue, my dear,” he purred. “…Not untrue.”

He could feel his own eyelids begin to grow heavy. Ardyn rested his face against yours, breathing in deeply your scent as they drooped closed. His last words hung in the air as he succumbed to the temptation, a peaceful darkness welcoming him as he drifted away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ardyn wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but he felt his consciousness slowly return. His eyes stuttered open, a groggy groan parting his lips as sleep slipped through his fingers. Much to his pleasure, it had been a dreamless rest.

“Your Excellency?”

He met the eyes of the meek attendant who’d awoken him, allowing his displeasure to frolic on his face. At least your own sleep hadn’t been ruined by the intrusion.

“I hope for your sake this is something important,” Ardyn warned, satisfied when the poor fellow visibly began to sweat.

“M-my apologies sir,” he stuttered. “But his Radiance has requested an audience with you.”

Ardyn let out an exasperated sigh, looking down at your sleeping form regretfully. “I suppose I’ll have to go see him then,” he said, barely containing his annoyance.

“My apologies, sir.”

Ardyn waved his hand, and the attendant scurried away immediately, happy to have escaped with his job intact.

Peering down at you, Ardyn let out a sorrowful sigh. Nuzzling his cheek against your forehead, he wondered how he was going to wake you. Part of him wanted to say to hell with the emperor, but he had too much left to do for that just yet. Still, he was quite sad what little peace he’d found that day was already coming to an end. Moments like that were so rare, he wanted to prolong it for as long as he could. Alas, the emperor was not a patient man.

“Darling…” Ardyn whispered, nudging you with his cheek. When you gave no response, he said your name, a little louder now. You roused slightly at hearing it, whimpering as you began to regain consciousness. Stubbornly, you burrowed yourself deeper into the folds of his clothes, hiding your face from the setting Sun. Ardyn smiled at your defiance, but he knew you couldn’t stay there forever.

“I’m afraid our time for naps has come to an end,” he said gently. You groaned, clutching onto him like he may disappear without a moments notice.

“Don’t wanna,” you said into his chest. Your voice was muffled by his coat and scarves, but he could still hear how the words were slurred through half-conscious lips.

Ardyn narrowed his eyes at you, then smiled. He let out a dramatic sigh, allowing his arms to fall limp at his sides.

“Whatever am I going to tell The Emperor?” He lamented, lacing his voice with facetious despair. “I fear he would not be so forgiving, were he to discover the fault for my tardiness was yours. I am only looking out for your safety.”

That got you moving. You sat up immediately, your eyes wide as you looked at him in shock. “The Emperor? Gods Ardyn, I’m sorry!” You started scrambling to become presentable, leaning out of his lap to brush crumbs off the blanket, adjusting the hem of your shirt, and frantically combing your fingers through your disheveled hair.

“Darling…darling,” Ardyn said, the urgency in his voice giving you pause.

“There’s no need to be so nervous!” He spoke between laughs. “His Radiance isn’t coming here, he has simply requested an audience with me.”

You stared at him for a moment, before you let your shoulders sag, sighing in relief. “Jeez Ardyn, don’t scare me like that. Still, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry.”

“Come now, there’s no need for that,” he rubbed circles into your back with his thumb to reassure you. “It’s not often I have the luxury of a midday nap.”

A wide smile spread across your face. Ardyn almost wanted to reach out and pinch your adorable cheeks, but he resisted the urge.

“Yeah? Did you like it?”

He nodded. “That I did. ‘Twas nice to feel relaxed, if only for a little while.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” you said, and the warmth in your eyes almost made Ardyn feel lightheaded.

When was the last time someone looked at him like that?

“But I don’t want to get you in trouble.” Just as quickly, your face darkened again with guilt. Undeserved guilt, but Ardyn could see it nonetheless, and something inside him didn’t like it. Gently, he cupped your face in his hand, bringing your eyes back to him and tracing shapes into your cheek.

“You’re much too hard on yourself,” he said softly. “No such thing shall come to pass. And even should it, the blame would not rest on your shoulders.”

You held his gaze for a long moment, worry etched into your features, before you sighed loudly. “Okay,” you said, yet the worry didn’t fade. “If you say so.”

Arden flashed you a reassuring grin. You remained stoic as you looked at him, until your eyes absentmindedly flicked up, and you abruptly started giggling. Ardyn raised a brow at you, puzzled by the sudden change in demeanor.

“Something amusing?” He asked.

You smirked at him. “Yeah,” you said through another bout of snickers. “You have petals on your hat…and in your hair.”

Ardyn blinked at you, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. “Do I, now?”

“Yeah,” you giggled. “You look cute like that.”

“Cute?” Ardyn huffed indignantly. “You insult me.”

“Oh come on,” you leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek with your nose. His lips parted in surprise from the affection, and you smiled big at him. “You’re adorable.”

Ardyn scoffed, making you laugh. He shook his head at you, before his smirk returned at full force.

“Well…I suppose it’s not as bad as having petals running down the front of my shirt.”

Your eyes went wide, smile gone as you looked down to find, indeed, there were petals going down your chest. Some had settled on your breasts, a few even found their way into your bra.

“Ugh, Ardyn!” You cried, flinching away from him to frantically swat away the petals. He laughed loudly while your ears burned a bright red, pulling your shirt up to hide your modesty. Ardyn couldn’t help but enjoy the irony of this situation, given how eager you’d been the other night, but he supposed this was his doing. Besides, you were technically ‘in public’, at least more so than you’d been at your apartment.

“Come now darling!” Ardyn said through bouts. “I have enough respect for you not to stare. At least…not much.”

You glared at him, giving his shoulder a playful shove. “You’re bad.”

“Never claimed to not be,” he said with a shrug. You shook your head at him, even as a chuckle bubbled up from your throat.

“Guess that’s why I like you.” You grinned at him.

His own smirk grew at that. His heart skipped a beat, and he told himself that’s because of how perfectly his plans were unfolding. You would be much easier to keep an eye on now.

“You’ve no idea how delighted I am to hear that,” he purred, grasping your hand and bringing it to his lips, placing a light kiss on your knuckles. It was cute how you tried to hide your blush by looking away, but Ardyn was far too keen for such things.

“I’m glad,” you spoke shyly, even while a happy grin remained on your lips. “So, when can I see you again?”

“Yes, about that,” Ardyn gave your hand a light squeeze before releasing it. “I had hoped you would join me for a little celebration the Emperor is putting together in half a fortnight. It will be a grand ball filled with all his Radiences greatest luxuries. Would you do me the honor of being my guest for the evening?”

“Oh gosh, Ardyn,” you said, wringing your hands nervously. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for that kind of thing, I’ve never spoken to any nobles besides you. I don’t even have anything nice to wear.”

“Nonsense!” Ardyn boasted. “It would be a privilege to have you at my side for the night. And you needn’t worry about attire nor your manners; I shall provide you with both.”

The look you gave him was full of doubt. “That’s sweet Ardyn, a-and I’m flattered, really, but…are you sure you want to be seen with me? What if I embarrass you or say something stupid?”

He supposed he couldn’t be surprised by your shyness, but seeing you like that nearly made him feel pity for you. Your self doubt was a plague, much like the rage of his own daemons, the both of you silent puppets to their whims. He almost felt sorry for you.

Almost.

“You needn’t worry,” Ardyn said softly, grasping your chin in his fingers to force your eyes back to himself. “I’m sure the noble houses will be too busy with their own jealousy, courtesy of the beautiful maiden at my side.”

That got a laugh out of you. He grinned as he let go of your face, the sound like a gentle wind chime, coaxed into singing by a soothing breeze. He found himself liking the sound, as odd as it was to acknowledge that.

“What happened to ‘flattery will get you nowhere’?” You asked with a knowing smirk. Ardyn returned the sentiment with his own signature smugness.

“Well…if you’d rather I didn’t call you such…”

“No no,” you said quickly, placing your head in the open palm he offered. You hummed happily as his thumb carded across your supple cheek. “I like it when you call me that.”

“I figured you would,” he said. “Now, I’m afraid we must be going, dearest. The emperor will only wait so long.”

You nodded. “Right.” Reluctantly, you crawled out of his lap, standing so you could stretch out a little. Ardyn found himself feeling cold now that you were gone, but he ignored that, rising to begin the trek back through the garden. You followed along behind him, taking one last look at all the flowers as you went.

“Oh, shouldn’t we bring the plate in?” You asked just as his boots touched the cobblestone pathway. He turned to see you looking at the platter of forgotten food, and he had to chuckle at your question.

“You’ve no reason to fret; a servant shall come and retrieve it for us,” he said.

“Oh…right.” You hurried after him, shoes crunching on the pebbles of the walkway. The journey back to the entrance was peaceful, and Ardyn enjoyed once again watching you bounce from flower to flower, gently caressing their delicate petals before darting to the next. You were more excitable than he would’ve guessed from your previous encounters.

Of course, Ardyn insisted on seeing you to the palace gates, which you were more than happy to agree to. He led you through the winding hallways, and you remained respectfully quiet, even while a soft smile still adorned your face. It wasn’t long before the palace’s grand doors came into view, with his most senior servant waiting obediently next to them.

“Justin will show you home,” Ardyn said, gesturing at said man. He bowed respectfully to the both of you as you approached, posture picture perfect.

“Of course Your Excellency. I will bring around the car.”

“See that you do,” Ardyn dismissed him, and he was out the door with a trained swiftness. He turned back to you, and you smiled at each other.

“Thank you, Ardyn,” you said. “It was all so wonderful. I’m glad you brought me here.”

He placed a hand over his heart, feigning that he was touched. “You’re very welcome dear,” he cooed. “I shall see you on the evening of the gala. In the meantime, I shall have suitable attire sent to your abode. You can expect it on Friday.”

You beamed at him. “Thank you Ardyn. I-I really don’t know what to say, that’s very sweet of you. You know you don’t have too.”

“Oh, but it’s been so long since I’ve had the chance to spoil someone. All I ask is that you join me for the festivities.” He raised his arms theatrically, indicating the decadent palace around you.

You giggled at his dramatics, your eyes full of warmth as you gave him one last smile. “Alright, I’ll see you then.” You waved at him as you turned, beginning to follow after the attendant. Just as you came to the door, you glanced over your shoulder, meeting his eyes. Ardyn titled his head inquisitively, watching indecision contort your expression. He thought it rather amusing, how you often seemed to struggle with internal debates.

Finally, you made up your mind. Without warning, you darted back to his side, standing on your tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his left cheek. Ardyn’s eyes widened, and you smirked proudly back at him.

“I’ll see you next week,” you said merrily. With that, you were gone, out through the double doors before Ardyn could respond. He stared after you for a moment before letting out a light laugh. You’d surprised him more than once today, and for that he was grateful, even if he knew the palace hands would doubtless be busy, spreading rumors of the chancellor’s newest toy. Perhaps that would get the obnoxious suitors that try to court him off his back for a little while.

He could muse about all that later though. He made his way back through the endless halls, the scarce servants scattered about bowing to him deeply as he walked by them, descending into the lower bowels to retrieve his beloved automobile. All the while, much of his thoughts were taken up by you. Reliving those soft moments you shared, analyzing the feelings that accompanied them. It was fascinating, for someone like him. The fluttering in his chest…he couldn’t tell if he despised it or adored it.

He wondered if you remembered the flower crown still perched on your head. You looked so heavenly with it…part of him hoped you would keep it. Would smell the blooms and think of him.

Even if the rest of him was swathed with rage. For none of this would matter, in the end. All that mattered, was that he got his revenge…

------------------------------------------------------

Can you tell my love language is physical touch? 🤣🤣

I want to thank everyone that included me in those tag/ask games, even though I didn’t have time to do them. Thank you for thinking of me 💕💕

Next chapter is gala time!

#ardyn #ardyn izunia #ardyn lucis caelum #ardyn x reader #ardyn izunia x reader #ardyn x you #a dream come true #ffxv fic #ffxv fanfic

[rose-madder-gaze]

Besmirched - A Gladiolus/Noctis fic

The stories say that it was once wielded by a king of old to turn the tide of a great battle - that it could fell dragons with a single sweep of its blade that shone like daybreak - that it could rally the hearts of men, even when all hope had been lost. While the name of the king and the place of the battle have been forgotten, and dragons now only roam in legend, the storied Sword of Light has always been a part of Noct's life and the lives of the people who love him.

Besmirched is an Irish folklore AU originally written for the Gladnoct Big Bang. Rated Teen for swearing and non-explicit sexuality. Ships: Gladiolus/Noctis, Prompto/Ignis, Background Lunafreya/Crowe and Cindy/Aranea. Additional Tags: Older Chocobros, Slow Burn, Friends to Strangers to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Puns, Medieval Minutiae, Anachronisms Abound, POV Multiple.

Read on AO3!

The art in this post is by @omnificent-orion.

#FFXV #Final Fantasy XV #Gladnoct #Promnis #FFXV fic #fanfic #my fic #I rarely post about fic but Orion peer-pressured me into making this promo :( #the fic is unfinished as of me posting this btw #(I'm promoing so Orion can link it in their art) #but I was procrastinating making this post literally by working on the fic so #it's getting done slowly but most assuredly

[ffxvficrec]

2022 FFXV REVERSE BANG ROUND UP 3

You can also check out the collection here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FFXVReverseBang2022/works

We’ve listed pairings, archive warnings, and ratings, but please remember to mind the tags!

The Road at Night by Amarilly (Tookbaggins)

General Rating

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Ignis-centric

The fire burned low. With dinner long since finished and the glow of the campsite’s protective barrier casting a soft blue over them, Gladio didn’t bother to feed any more wood into the flames. There was no need - the night was warm and balmy. Noct and Prompto were huddled into each other across from him, shoulders pressed together as they scrolled through something on Noct’s phone. The little screen lit their faces with a light that felt harsh compared to that of the wards. Ignis was finishing up what little cleanup their dinner required. It was peaceful and familiar. Until Gladio broke the silence. “Too bad we had to stop here…”

The Dread Sagefire by Thuri

Mature Rating

No Archive Warnings Apply

Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia

A pirate they call him. So be it. He’ll take the title as he takes everything else he can from them. He’ll take it all, every last coin and jewel and dagger. Never will it equal what King Mors has taken from him.

Princeling of Power by LadyNightingGaleofMilvania

Teen Rating

No Archive Warnings Apply

Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia

“Sometimes you’re my advisor, and then other times you’re more like my mother! Why the hell can’t you just be my boyfriend?!” Noctis yelled, angry tears streaming from his eyes. “Because more often than not, I’m far more than just your boyfriend! Noctis, I love you, but my job goes beyond our companionship or relationship! At the end of the day, you knew I would have to not only be your partner, but your advisor still!” Ignis threw back, gritting his teeth as he, too, fought against the tears that burned his eyes. “Can’t you just be my boyfriend for two minutes without being my advisor at the same time? Are you even capable of that?! Six, sometimes I wish those stories my dad read us as kids were real and the fae could just take you away and bring someone else!” Ignis, whose mouth was open to throw back a retort, shut quickly as his jaw set tight. There were wet spots on his glasses to go with the tear tracks that now shone on his face. “Sometimes I wish the same thing, if only to see you happier.”

What's A Brother For? by WhoStarLocked

General Rating

No Archive Warnings Apply

Aera Mirus Fleuret/Ardyn Izunia

Gilgamesh/Somnus Lucis Caelum

Ardyn is enjoying his and Aera’s engagement party when he notices Somnus looking rather down in the dumps. Will Ardyn be able to help his brother out of his mood, and what will happen if he does?

A Shield's Future by Marlingrl

Mature Rating

Graphic Depictions of Violence

Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum

Noctis has brought back the dawn, but his sacrifice sends ripples throughout Eos. His Shield, Gladiolus Amacita struggles to determine what's next.

In A Sea Of Starflowers by KatrinaEagle

General Rating

No Archive Warnings Apply

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum

Noctis Lucis Caelum & Regis Lucis Caelum

He opens his eyes. Bright yellow stars dance in his vision, winking in the soft glow of the sun. The sky is a perfect shade of dusk, the washes of blue and pink and orange dotted with wispy clouds. The breeze is fresh and cool on his skin, ruffling his long fringe out of his face. This is how Noctis Lucis Caelum knows that he is dead.

It always starts from somewhere by Redfoxline

Teen Rating

Graphic Depictions of Violence

Ravus Nox Fleuret/Ignis Scientia

To Ignis' surprise, Ravus snorted loudly. "Really? Didn't you spend a year on the road after Insomnia's fall?" “Well," Ignis admitted, feeling like the city boy he had been in front of the brazen wildness of Leide all those years ago," we were lucky to have a mechanic helping us.” If Ignis had been asked to pinpoint the moment he had started to understand Ravus, it wouldn't have been when the man had reached Tent City for the first time, a wave of refugees in tow, nor when he had fought along Ignis' side for the first time. It would have been the moment when they had stood together in front of that open trunk. If Ravus was to say when he had first started to fancy Ignis - although never aloud - he would have chosen that moment too.

Paranoid Android by Bramblepelt

Mature Rating

Graphic Depictions of Violence

Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum

Prompto has many regrets. By the end of this story, he'll have a lot more.

The stars incline us, they do not bind us by farbsturz

General Rating

No Archive Warnings Apply

Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum

After the restoration of light and Noctis’ survival, Lucis was safe. Prompto, bothered by a letter that promised him answers to the secret imprinted on his wrist, left his home to investigate an abandoned facility in the depths of Niflheim. He couldn’t have guessed what would await him. Or who.

The Choice of What is Right by allihearisradiogaga

Teen Rating

No Archive Warnings Apply

Ardyn Izunia & Somnus Lucis Caelum

Ardyn Izunia & Noctis Lucis Caelum

Ardyn, Somnus, and Noctis each face a series of expectations, duties, and destinies associated with the Caelum line. As each of their lives is shaped by the lives of the others, they work to create the futures they believe to be right.

#2022 ffxv reverse bang #ffxv #final fantasy xv #ffxv fic #ffxv reverse bang

[omgfloofy]

From my notes in dal segno al coda. No progress text or anything. Just notes.

And I think I finally get the fandom’s needs to put Cor and Nyx into scenes together.

#wip wednesday #ffxv fic #segno progress #cor leonis #nyx ulric #final fantasy xv #ffxv #ff15

[darealkatastrophe]

WARNING: This is an NSFW post, please don’t read if you’re underage or don’t like this content. May have possessive, derogatory terms, and inappropriate behavior to some. These thoughts are completely random, probably not grammatically correct, and are chaotic! Please and Thank you!

Ffxv random NSFW thoughts!

If there was a kingdom of sass, Noctis would obviously be the king. Noctis being smug, and being slick with his words, makes me feel some type of way. His voice is literally my favorite! That chuckle after he gets knocked down and is in danger, is literally the best at making me super excited. For sure Noctis is a tease, and he will make his partner squirm for him until they go to the hotel or camp (He’s a freak in bed for sure). I have a HC that Noctis may not be a good flirt but since he’s a prince he’s used to saying what he wants directly, as if he said nothing at all. For instance, “So face down, ass up when we get to the hotel? JK, unless,” he purrs while pretending to put a hair behind his ear, giving you one of his famous smug smirks. Noctis would whisper the dirtiest line ever said, then blink as if he didn’t say such a thing.

However Noctis gets jealous easily, especially since his childhood was heavily guarded, even though he went to public school because King Regis wanted him to have a normal life before Noctis had to heed the prophecy’s call. Noctis watching his s/o like a hawk, not because he doesn’t trust his s/o, it’s because some men not all, tend to give unwarranted attention towards his s/o. Noctis wants to protect his s/o from creeps. When he does get jealous, his mood changes from his normal dorky behavior to a more sensual possessive manner. Noctis grabs his s/o by their arm and pull them away whoever is making him jealous. Then Noctis will do something that may think that is out of his character, just to find out that it’s not. He takes his s/o to a dead end alleyway or a closed off area where people don’t really have access to. He will asks s/o if they have feelings for the person who was “flirting” with s/o. Noctis doesn’t want to lose you, since his whole childhood was full of near experiences of death or seeing others death. Noctis deeply growls in his husky voice “ They can flirt with you all they want, but we both know you belong to me, and you love belonging to me,” as he kisses your forehead down to your neck, slowly sucking after every kiss and peck. He whispers sweet and dirty nothings as he does so. “Nobody is going to see how my good girl is such a good slut for me,” Noctis chuckles darkly in a seductive tone. “Look how my kitten mewls go well for me when I pet her here,” he smugly states, “Look how wet she is, slowly trickling down her slick to her ass and thighs,” he growls “No one could make you feel like this only me!” No matter what he is considerate with his darling, helping clean, dress and walk home from the spicy events that occurred not long before. He apologizes if he was too rough or if he hurt his s/o feelings, and will comfort them if needed be.

#ffxv x reader #ffxv noctis #ffxv #ffxv fic #Ffxv random thoughts

[sanjismywhore]

Brain and Heart

Ignis Scientia x reader

Warnings: Fluff, rejection

Requested by @batsandbirdsposts

Tysm for making this request! I hope you like it!!! (I’m sorry it took so long 😭)

————————————————————————

Stepping outside, you stared out at the sky full of stars above. Even if they couldn’t deliver any comfort tonight, you needed this moment to clear your head.

Then you heard the soft crackle of the fire. When you turned your head, A small luminescent campfire glowed at the center of camp. Ignis was sitting next to the flame.

His features were softened by the glow of the fire. A soft streak of light highlighted his face. His hair was disheveled, contrasting with his usual spiked pompadour.

He looked content… almost ethereal, like some sort of celestial being. You approached slowly, to not startle him, “Hey there, Specs.”

He didn’t look surprised when he caught sight of you and simply said, “Care to join me?”

As he gestured towards the ground, you walked towards him and sat next to the small patch of grass he was patting.

Ignis shifted into a more comfortable pose before breaking the silence with his eloquence. “It’s not like you to be up so late…” Looking directly at the embers of the campfire, he continued. “Is something troubling you?”

“I could ask the same,” You tried to give him a smile despite the abrupt awkwardness in the silence.

For a short moment, Ignis said nothing. He kept his gaze firmly planted on the embers as they rose into the air. “It’s been difficult to fall asleep lately…” His voice softened, then so did his eyes as he looked at the sky.

A sigh left your lips as you ran a hand through your hair. “Same here… Something’s been on my mind.” You swallowed hard, almost too afraid to admit it.

You fiddled with your hands in your lap, staring at the fire alongside him.

His gaze drifted from the stars, towards you, and settled on your face. It seemed as though he wanted to say something else but he refrained. He merely kept his eyes on you, a silent plea for you to continue.

So you did, “It’s about Noct…” you paused, taking a deep breath. “How much I care about him.”

Ignis observed your face, his eyes boring into yours, which somehow brought you comfort. He sighed quietly, “I think we all feel that way…” He glanced at the flames dancing in front of him.

After a few moments, his voice returned to normal, sounding distant. “Perhaps you shouldn’t dwell on your feelings… But don’t forget who you are. We will never lose Noctis, but we should not hold onto him so tightly.” A faint hint of concern shone briefly in his eyes. “We all love him…” Then he added in a softer tone, “even if he has trouble showing it in return.”

That statement gave you pause.

“That’s not what I meant-“ You said, trying to explain your point of view to him. But then you realized that you weren’t even sure what you meant. “I just… wish things were different.”

“You wish he would’ve chosen you instead of Lunafreya? You have feelings for him, do you not?” He interjected with utmost speed and punctuation.

You shook your head vehemently. “Not really. I mean, yes. Of course, I do. But that’s not the point.” Iggy’s glass fogged up with surprise, but it was only faint. “What exactly is the point of this talk, (Name)?”

“I don’t know…” You replied truthfully, looking anywhere but at him. Silence descended on the two of you again. You leaned backward until you were laying flat on your back, staring up at the black sky. You felt yellow all over, going stiff from the anxiousness.

Neither of you spoke until Ignis broke the silence once again. “Do you love Noct?” His emerald gaze fell upon you once more. The question caught you off guard not because of its nature, but because of his tone when he asked. He sounded anxious.

It sent a shiver down your spine, making you want to curl into yourself even further. You wondered if you should lie. “Well… I… uh…” Words wouldn’t come to you. Cottonmouthed, all you could manage was a defeated sigh. “Yes, I love him…”

At that simple answer, Ignis visibly relaxed, although you could tell the tension in his shoulders wasn’t entirely gone. “I see,” he muttered softly.

The fire was beginning to die out, getting dimmer and dimmer. “And yet, you do not pursue anything. What happens to the relationship between you and him if you keep waiting?” The fire cast eerie shadows over both of you; the flickering light made it seem like the two of you were facing each other.

You slowly rose back into a sitting position. “I want to tell him, I do. But…” You paused again. The words stuck in your throat.

“But I don’t think it would go well.” You balled up your fists against your leg, looking at the ground sheepishly.

Ignis draped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you close to him. “A confession isn’t guaranteed to change the circumstances. All one can do is hope. That hope may be futile, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be attempted.”

You leaned your head against his shoulder, shrouding yourself in silence for yet another long moment. “How do you get to be so wise, Iggy?”

As expected, a warm chuckle escaped his lips. “Human nature I suppose.” He squeezed your shoulder gently before releasing his grip, “Though I’m not as knowledgeable as I seem.”

He turned his head slightly and looked at you. Although it might have looked innocent, it held the slightest trace of worry within it. “There are times when people need encouragement to make their way forward. And I am always here to assist.”

His expression softened, turning gentle.

You smiled weakly in response. Just after a while, he stood up from the ground, looking down at you and offering his hand. “Get some rest. Tomorrow might bring with it many chances for you.”

The next day, you woke up with a heavy feeling inside your chest. The sun shone brightly through the tent flap, painting everything orange and yellow.

It was a new day, and you were brimming with confidence thanks you Iggy’s encouragement.

Leaving the tent, you immediately searched for Noctis. Though he wasn’t at the camp when you searched around.

Noctis was sitting near the lake’s shore, holding a sword in the palm of his hand as he watched the water. He looked like he was roughed up pretty well; no doubt he was training with Gladio all morning.

Seemingly lost in thought, the prince had a vacant look on his face as though he was thinking deeply about something. Every so often his hand would run over the blunt end of the blade before looking at the lake once again.

His features were hardened by the reflection of the lake on his skin, shielding the scenery around him in a soft blue dye. His eyes were narrowed with a cold expression that gave you butterflies just by looking into them.

Hair disheveled, and skin covered in bruises, Noct managed to look as majestic as ever.

After a few moments of watching him silently, you took a deep breath and decided enough was enough. “Hey, Noct.” You greeted him in a cheery tone as you approached him.

At hearing your voice, Noctis looked up and blinked. “Hey,” he managed in an exhausted tone. There were dark rings under his eyes; not having gotten enough rest either. And didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk.

“Gladio beat your ass again?” You chuckled softly with an amused smile tugging at your lips as you crossed your arms.

Noct only scoffed and rolled his eyes at the comment, planting his sword on the ground. “Only cause he’s a monster. All about ‘power’ and ‘strength’… Stuff like that…” He groaned as he stood up, rubbing the hell out of his sore neck.

Stepping away from the rock you were just leaning on, you moved closer—leaving enough space between the two of you. “I could give you some pointers if you wanna try again-“ At the utterance of your suggestion, he cut your words short.

“Yeah right. I’m done.” He interjected almost comically, sitting on the grass and then falling onto his back. “I don’t think I can take any more of this.” He threw his arms out, causing the grass under his arms to rustle.

A small laugh escaped you as you sat beside him, looking up at the clouds in the sky, which appeared to be forming a perfect circle. “It’s only for a little while longer,” You turned to him with a hopeful look in your eyes.

“Once you get married…“

Suddenly the air was taken from your lungs. Your body went rigid as the words registered in your brain. “Married…” You repeated much quieter; your mood turned sour.

Noctis seemed to sense your sudden shift, as his gaze shifted towards you, softening as he studied your reaction.

For a brief moment, you saw confusion and uncertainty flash across his face before he completed your statement. “Yeah… Once I marry Luna, we’ll have an advantage over the empire.” He raised a brow at you as if you weren’t already aware of the fact.

You swallowed hard, trying not to grimace from the embarrassment you felt at the moment. “Right…” You managed to breathe out, clearing your throat. “Then you’ll be leaving… With her?”

Noctis raised both brows and leaned in your direction. “Of course not. Where did you get that idea?” Even though he didn’t sound annoyed, but rather curious, it still caused you to shrink down a bit inside.

You looked away, avoiding his curious gaze. “Nothing... just wondering…” An intense amount of heat flowed to your face, making you sweat.

Silence engulfed the pair of you again, and tension continued to grow stronger by the minute. It didn’t help that tears were beginning to spill from your eyes, yet you didn’t know why.

“What’s wrong?” He prodded, scooting closer to examine you. However, you were afraid of what might happen if you looked back at him.

You sniffled, “Because…”

Your head hung low from the embarrassment you felt. Taking a moment to wipe your eyes until they turned dark and puffy, you sucked up every ounce of courage you had left, forcing out:

“Because I love you.”

Noct’s hitching breath was uncomfortably audible, “What?” He was taken aback by your words. His body went stiff as he sat there wide-eyed and genuinely surprised,

“You love me?” He repeated a soft utterance of your words, leaning back on his palms and continuing to look at you. “Like, really love me?”

You only managed to nod your head. A few more minutes of silence passed before you began to curl up into a ball.

“I know it makes no difference when I tell you,” Your eyes stayed fixed on the grass in front of you. You couldn’t stand to even imagine the look in his eyes anymore. “But I wanted to.”

He sighed, running his fingers over the grass as he stared straight at the lake, “I always saw us as just friends. You, me, and the guys…”

Visibly uncomfortable with his choice of wording, Noct searched for a better term for his feelings. “I like you all the same.”

“As friends…” You returned in a gloomy tone.

“No, more than that…” He shook his head and waves his hand out in front of him like he was denying your statement. With a frustrated grunt, he forced out the only thing he would think of:

“I love you as a family!”

It didn’t hurt as much as you thought it would. The word “family” hit you right in the feels and almost brought fresh tears to your eyes, but the heartache was soon replaced with a wave of relief.

“That’s the only way I can say it,” Noctis showed a hint of remorse for making you feel upset. “Sorry…” His apology was genuine, though I necessary since he wasn’t at fault for anything.

“I’m sorry for getting all mopey…” You uttered in a quiet tone, calming yourself down until your breathing was even again. “I knew what to expect and shot for it anyway,” You laughed softly, wiping your tears on your sleeve.

You felt pathetic crying over something like this, but Noct was surprisingly understanding.

He stood up from the grass, offering a hand to you. You accepted it, allowing him to pull you up off the ground.

After brushing yourself off a bit, you glanced back up at Noct and saw that his arms were outstretched. An invitation for a hug—something he rarely ever did.

You took the chance, hugging him tight. Closing your eyes, you used the time to lean into him and let your bodies sync in both pulse and movement. You sighed,

“Thank you for listening.” You mumbled into his shoulder, holding him tighter with a tender embrace. He patted your back gently, saying nothing before pulling away.

You could tell by the expression on his face that he probably wanted to say something else but decided against it in the end. “You gonna be okay?” He asked awkwardly.

You nodded, “I think so.”

Walking back uphill to the haven, you noticed Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis packing up the camp as they prepared for the next voyage.

As they spotted you walking toward them, they waved excitedly, “Yo! You’ve been gone for a while now. Did something happen?” Prompto inquired, dropping everything as he faced you.

“Was just talking to Noct over there…” You pointed behind yourself, continuing to walk towards them.

As Ignis stepped away from his makeshift kitchen space, he stepped towards you cautiously. “How did It go?” He whispered, placing his arm on your back and leading you away from the earshot of the others.

“Guess.” You groaned, leaning into his touch; eventually pressing your forehead on the upper part of his shoulder.

“You knew what would happen and told me to talk to him anyway. You set me up.”

Though your tone was more playful than hurt, a small part of you regretted even confessing to Noct in the first place. If only Iggy never talked you into it.

You felt his hand travel up your back, slowly making its way to your head—where he stroked your hair softly. “My apologies… it is simply impossible for someone to predict what will happen in a situation such as this.”

His eyes seemed to smile at you, yet you could hardly tell through the tinted lens of his glasses.

Sighing, you closed your eyes tightly, feeling your stomach churning... “I knew how it would turn out, and still told him like an idiot…” You felt nauseous.

Ignis gave a soft chuckle, “Well… I’m sure he won’t hold it against you.” His tone was hopeful and gentle as he squeezed your shoulders lightly. He always tried his best to make you feel better.

You nodded absentmindedly. “Still sucks though.”

Ignis, still holding you close, brought you to his cooking space—he hadn’t finished packing it all up just yet. “It will get easier once you get used to it. If you need to talk, you know I’m always here.”

Your lips curved up a bit as you felt a warm feeling enveloping your chest. “Thanks.” You mouthed, stepping away from Ignis and taking a seat on a log.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw you sit down, anticipating your next action behind a blank stare.

“Gonna join me, Specs?” Tapping the space on the log beside yourself, you gestured at him expectantly. Ignis looked over at where the others stood, who were doing well on their own, before nodding and following your instruction.

As soon as he was seated, you reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. When you released it again, he looked down at his fingers and smiled faintly. The two of you sat together without saying anything, just enjoying a platonic moment of intimacy in silence.

The calm breeze gently blew through your hair, bringing with it a cool feeling, making you sigh content.

Once again you leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder. It did feel like Ignis was the only one in the group who truly understood you. You could tell him anything so easily and he would listen with or without reply.

He would just listen with patience and understanding. That alone made you believe he cared about you, which made it easy for you to trust him more and more.

With his hand wrapped around yours, Ignis continued to rub soothing circles on your wrist, hoping that it would calm your nerves a little more.

You closed your eyes, humming softly under your breath and letting out a long breath.

The two of you remained in silent comfort and warmth, enjoying each other’s company while being able to do nothing but enjoy it.

When the others started to make their way back to join you at the camp, neither of you made any move to get up.

Instead, Ignis kept looking at you and smiling fondly as he watched you relax further into him. His hand squeezed yours again as he turned his head to look up at the sky.

Your breathing was growing softer and eventually, you fell asleep right on his shoulder. With a soft chuckle, Ignis continued to hold you against him while uttering quietly to himself:

“I love you, (name).”

#x reader #fanfic #ffxv fic #ffvx #final fantasy ignis #ignis scientia #ignis #ff15 ignis #ffxv x reader #final fantasy x reader #final fantasy xv #ao3 author #ignis x reader #ignis scientia x reader #final fantasy #fluff #noctis caelum #noctis x reader #ffxv noctis #final fantasy noctis #ff15 noctis #noctis lucis caelum #fanfic writing

[diejager]

Together, yet World's Apart

Cw: angst, fluff, implied smut, war, bad family relationships, hate towards refugees.

Note: not proofread, was simping for Nyx Ulric-

Wc: 2394

His touches were gentle, feathery soft as he ran his thumb over the curve of your lips, almost hesitant in fear of hurting you. Blue eyes peering down at you with pure adoration, lips curving into a content smile. His other hand came around the waist, tugging you towards his uniform-clad chest - a mark of who he worked for and who he was - fingers deftly massaging you over your own shirt. His character oozed of softness, light and adoring, it clashed with his gruff appearance, hair buzz-cut on both sides and locks braided in the traditional galahdian style, with his stubbled chin that tickled your cheek and neck whenever he would nuzzle into you. He was the softest lover you could ask for, protective and caring of you even if he was miles away fighting for a Niff-free kingdom.

"Nyx," you sighed, mouth moving to kiss his thumb with the loveliest face you could pull to show how much you missed and worried about him. "I missed you."

Nyx Ulric, the man you promised yourself to as he did to you, not yet married, but your hearts pounded for each other, wanting, needing only one another. He, a galahdian refugee that fled from Galahd after the Empire took over, and you, an Insomnian native, born and bred into nobility that had promised riches since childhood. A refugee turned glaive, truly something he should be proud of, along with his moniker of hero - he is - but it came with glares, hateful words that pointed at all refugees who sought peace in the crown city.

"A refugee?! Are you out of your mind, (Name)?!" your mother screeched, flinging her arm out to show how repulsed she was. "You're from the (L/n)! You shouldn't be with a dirty rat! I didn't raise you to have such low standards!"

You cried out in defence of Nyx, telling her all that he had shown you - what other men never showed you - he gave you his time, his heart, his love. Other men you met through your mom only cared for the fame and luxury your name gave, not you. You despised greedy men and women, heartless with eyes only for what they could get from nobility.

You lashed out at your mom with the same aggression she had, cursing her for calling Nyx derogative names, and slandering his selfless character.

"I don't care what you raised me with! I love him as he does with me, he likes me for me, not the money marrying me could give! Everyone you showed me were pigs!"

"How DARE you say that to me! I raised no daughter of mine like you!"

"You didn't raise me for shit, mother. Madeleine did! You didn't even see me at my graduation, you didn't care for me at all until I turned 18! So don't come at me with your 'I raised no daughter like you' bullshit!"

"I thought of you whenever I was out of battle, you're the face I wish of seeing, " he mumbled, smoothing his calloused thumb on your puckered lips before meeting them with his own.

They were dry from his time in war, thickened from exposure to all sorts of dangers. He kissed with desperation, a deep and hungry kiss filled with want. You reciprocated with the same vigour, nails digging into his leathery coat and pushed your chest closer to his warm body, standing on your toes to push back. Your nose bumped his as you pulled away to breathe, gasping for the few seconds he gave before searching for your lips once more. His fingers ran through your hair and pulled lightly, letting you breathe between heated kisses and tilted your head to deepen every kiss, his tongue running against yours as you lapped each other up.

Words were spoken between gasping and kissing, lost to the moment that hazed your minds, too occupied with your makeout. Pulling and pushing until your back met the wall of your shared apartment, Nyx laid his forehead on yours, both panting after minutes of senseless kissing. Heaving heavy breaths, you peered into each other's eyes, filled with an undying love.

"Fuck- I missed this- missed you," he closed his piercing blues with complete ease, nuzzling into your neck. "Missed you so, so much."

You could smell him the musk and sweat that rolled off him in waves made you melt within his hold, his stubble familiarly scratching your naked skin.

You stormed into your father's office, frown twisting into a scowl as his bored expression greeted you. Your loud and overdramatic entrance left a boom echoing through the halls of your house, you left them open, you didn't bother keeping this conversation a secret.

"You told Nyx to stop seeing me," your tone was deathly quiet - the calm before the storm. "How could you? Isn't keeping me here enough for you?"

He hadn't stopped his work, he prioritized his work over family - he always did without a single hesitation - it was naive of you to think that he would let you do as you pleased.

"I did as I saw fit, (Name). For you and your future," his reply was curt, short and inexpensive as he was with you and every one of your siblings.

Most of you had grown to despise your parents, growing to cherish your refugee nannies like a child loving their parents. Most of you had grown distant and rejected the idea of being a normal family, you knew you did.

"For me? HA! don't make me laugh, father. All you did was for your own good," you spat, still standing near the open entrance, feeling the worried stares you got from the workers.

"Be respectful when you talk to your father, girl. I did it because I know what's good for you and what is not. Am I understood?" he didn't look at you once, from start to bottom, his eyes never met your face.

Your blood boiled inside your veins, and a snarky remark almost slipped from your tongue at that moment, but you knew rage would be wasted on your dad, calm and thought-through words would shake him from his stoic stupor.

"Respect is earned, not given, father."

You saw him stop whatever he was doing, millimetres away from the paper.

"You have done nothing to earn such high regard from us, your children, in all our lives."

His hand shook, pen creaking under the pressure placed on it. He was trying to hold back his rage beneath his cold facade, and you wouldn't let him, you would shake him to his core before you left this household for good.

"Our nannies, all refugees, have earned more respect from us than you and mother. It would be wise to rethink your ways if you ever wish to have an ounce of respect from me."

His expensive pen broke, splintering in pieces as he slammed his hands over the desk's surface, abruptly standing up. His (e/c) burned with wrath, glaring at you through his lashes. You almost chuckled at his face. You turned and walked off, ignoring his angry shouts with a smirk. Workers bowed and showed their admiration for your actions through their small smiles, careful to hide it from your screaming father.

You hid your face further into his jacket, closing your eyes to have a clearer smell of him. You could feel and smell him, nothing was holding you back from touching him, from smiling at him, from kissing him and from loving him.

"Just the two of us here, "he hushed, walking backwards until his feet met the sofa and fell back into the soft cushions. "Together, nothing else matters."

You hummed, curling into him with the intent of sticking to him for the rest of the day. You gazed up, fingers carding through his long locks with swollen lips perked in a smile.

"Just us, Nyx."

Those words had sealed the deal. You embraced him that evening until the sun gave place to the moon, his warm touch lighting fires across your skin, tracing lines written in his confession of love to you with his lips and hands. He went over your face, down your neck and shoulders until they wrapped your hips and finally your thighs. Clothes strewn messily around the bed during the heated exchange, mind numb to all outside your apartment.

The night was young by the time you laid still, legs hooked under the covers and arms around each other. Hushed words were shared in the tired daze, memories uttered that made you laugh and the reassuring scratch of Nyx's stubble. His tone chest, littered with scars felt soft beneath the pads of your fingers, tracing the tattoos that painted his cheek, neck, arms, back and fingers, none were left unattended by you.

"You have a new scar, Nyx," you peppered his shoulder with a kiss, over the new mark. "When?"

"An accident, but if it means getting kisses from you, I might have to rethink my strategy," he laughed, pressing his nose to your hairline. "Months ago. Six, it sounds so long ago. Reminds me that I've been gone for half a year, missed you, huh?"

"I'm flattered, but I prefer having you return to me in one piece," you couldn't help but smirk at his little joke.

Nyx snickered, hearts filled with enough love to drown the world in it. You were all he could ask for, having you made him the happiest man alive.

He had his back turned to you, shoulders down and head lowered in submission, defeat painted his face with a frown. He wouldn't listen to you, he couldn't bring himself to do this to you. What if something happened to him during one of his expeditions, if he died, you'd probably get the news months after, whenever the glaive returned to Insomnia. He could see how heartbroken you'd be, crying with snot and red, puffy eyes - you would still be pretty to him even if you had snot everywhere. He couldn't face you with the knowledge that you needed someone who could care for you at all times, to be able to care for you without having to leave for weeks on end without any news, to be able to build a family with you and help you nurture your children. You needed someone who wasn't him . It broke him in pieces knowing how much you deserved and how much he couldn't be able to give you.

"Nyx... is this- is this about what father told you?"

His silence only affirmed your fears. You knew him as strong and selfless, always putting others before himself - in this instance, your future over his heart - he could be brave and powerful, but people often forget that he was but a man. He would let his insecurities take the best of him, made him distance himself from those he cared for and ignore his needs.

You reached out to him, palm flat against his back. You urged him to face you, he complied with the slight tilt of his head. How painful it was to look at him. His blue eyes - the ones you loved staring at for hours upon hours without getting sick of it - shone with unshed tears, darkened with sadness that showed you just how mu h he put you before himself.

"Nyx, I don't care what he says. You make me feel whole, you feel like home," you confessed, tears brimming from your eyes, ready to fall from your lashes like dripping rain. "My place is by your side, nowhere else. 'You're mine as I am yours', isn't that what we used to tell ourselves?"

"(Name), I- us, glaives, could die any day, and you'd never know how or have a body to bury. I can't imagine giving you this pain, you need someone who's always here, not me-"

"I don't need a goddamn leech, Nyx! I need you! You're all I've ever wanted and all that I want."

You grasped his arm, forcing Nyx to face you. You saw how his hands were clenched, his visage contorted in pain, sadness and want, a devastated state of a great man. Your hands felt his cheeks, rubbing the tattoo under his right eye with tearful words. You didn't want him to push you away because he feared you'd cry or be heartbroken from his passing - you would, naturally - you trusted him far too much to think he'd curve over and die from the Niffs. You had confidence that he would always return to you, either wounded or sick, he'll always be back where you needed him to be.

"Do you have no faith in yourself, hero? You're the Nyx Ulric! The one all glaives, refugees and I look up to. I don't care if you're rarely home or can't build a family with me, none of those matter. What does, is you. You, Nyx Ulric, are the one I am ready to die for," you mumbled, lips inches from his frowning mouth.

He gulped, lips twitching slightly as his breath hitched, it looked like he would cry. You pecked him, trailing from his lips to his eyes, kissing his pain away like he would do to you. It seemed to work, his arms wrapped tightly around you, pulling you as close as he could without hurting you. His trembling lips pressed hastily on yours, a messy and urgent kiss that led his tear to fall; finally, the facade of a hero fell and his weakness as a man surfaced. You'd take care of him, and you'd share the pain and sorrow like lovers do.

You cried with him, hands grasping his back and face, pulling him in with the intent of never letting go of the man you gave your heart to. He didn't complain, only succumbing to the torrent of emotions between you two.

"Don't ever leave me, Nyx," you wailed, fingers intertwining with his, nose and forehead pressed together to gaze into your eyes.

"Never, I promise."

"I know you'll always come back to me."

"And I know you'll always be here waiting for me."

#nyx ulric #ffxv #ffxv fanfic #ffxv nyx #Nyx Ulric x reader #ffxv x reader #ffxv fic #angst #kingsglaive #Kingsglaive : final fantasy XV #Final fantasy #final fantasy xv #ff15

[glaivenoct]

the only one

Rating: M Pairing: NyxNoct Words: 1,772 Tags: Developing Relationship, Secret Relationship, Confessions, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Sex

Summary: Nyx and Noctis come to the realization that their "casual" agreement hasn't been so casual for a while now.

Notes: Rewritten/worked from an old prompt request here on tumblr. A little surprised at myself that I managed to bang this out in a few hours, but I'm not complaining. are there any NyxNoct peeps still out here? ;u;

---

“You’re the only one I want!”

The outburst stops Nyx in what was meant to be resolute footsteps across the garden’s stone path. He looks over his shoulder first, allowing the pale moonlight to cast itself upon him and highlight his sharp, stubbled jaw, and then the rest of him as he turns to face an enchanting Prince. 

Noctis stands veiled from the moonlight beneath the garden’s swaying cherry blossom tree. The wind picks up around him as if the adamancy of his shout alone summoned it for emphasis. It shakes soft pink petals free from their branches, wafting around the Prince like decorative confetti. Framing him, almost. Accentuating the black and gold scheme of his royal raiment, and the allure that never failed to magnetize Nyx right back to him. 

Except, Nyx’s own captivated gaze seems to make Noctis lose confidence in his own words. He presses his lips together, swallowing as his attention falls down to the grass. He fiddles with the straps of his raiment that overlay his waist, clearly trying to think of what to say next.

Nyx knows if they stay here any longer, the guests at the ball will soon question where the Prince has wandered off to.

Nyx also knows he can never deny Noctis a chance to speak his mind. So he waits, patiently, taking one small step back in Noctis’ direction.

“I…” Noctis looks up, freezing at the sight of Nyx coming closer. Nyx refrains from taking another step and gives him a single, gentle nod of encouragement. “I know we said we were going to keep it casual. No strings and all that.”

“Think we miscalculated a little on both those fronts, Noct.”

(the rest on ao3) ((Reblogs would Very Helpful and Extremely Appreciated!!))

#nyxnoct #author entries: fics #ffxv fic #noctis lucis caelum #nyx ulric #did you guys know I graduate on Tuesday #happy graduation to brina sincerely brina lets celebrate by indulging in the best boys as a treat

[bibright]

shadow of the kings

It is said that a Temple stands in the eastern reaches of Galahd, where, if one should wish it, one can bring back the souls of the dead. After Noctis fulfills his prophecy, Ignis travels east with desperate hope. A Shadow of the Colossus au, written for the @ffxvreversebang2024 in collaboration with @ageofzeroart

#ffxv #ignoct #ignis scientia #noctis lucis caelum #ffxv fic #my writing #ffxv rbb

[flowr24602]

Drew this many moons ago. Agdhsjska i forgot about them silly me.

It's Prompto Argentum (Poor Wayfaring Stranger) and Prompto Leonis (Palindrome).

#prompto argentum #ffxv #flowr24602 art ffxv #cor leonis #ffxv fic #poor wayfaring stranger #love these two prompto fics!

[sata-kas]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia Characters: Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum Additional Tags: Pining, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Other: See Story Notes, (mostly)cannon compliant, seriously please read the notes, Eventual Smut, Miscommunication, prompto thinks he's straight, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, we're gonna hit a lot of different beats i dont know buckle up i guess, everyone is experiencing gay panic Series: Part 1 of We'll Meet Again Summary:

Insomnia Falls

 It hits him like a tidal wave, over and over as if reading it five more times will change the words in print. Only a few moments pass before he is still, but damage lurks beneath the calm waters, trapped bodies and debris. His hand is moving without his permission, reaching into a pocket for his phone.

It’s the same everywhere else. Insomnia is gone. The King is dead.

#dug up a 6 year old hyperfixation #ffxv #ffxv fic #ignis scientia #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicitia #noctis lucis caelum #chocobros