Stars in the Night Sky [NOCTIS X READER]

CHAPTER 18 - IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

It was an odd feeling to realize that you were in love.

You couldn't remember the last time you had felt like this. Hell, it must have been back in high school, before you swore off dating, and had met and easily befriended a boy in your class. The feelings had taken time to blossom then, too, and you remembered lying in bed, texting him, when they'd hit you.

You just didn't remember them hitting this hard.

You and your high school boyfriend had broken up not long after you'd gotten together. The strain between your activities as a member of the Kingsglaive and your regular duties to school was too difficult to balance their relationship with and they'd parted amiably and had eventually fallen out of touch. But this, whatever was happening with Noctis, was so much more intense than it had ever been with him.

Grappling with the realization that, somehow, Noctis had wormed his way into your heart, you could only sit there numbly on the floor of the train. Unable to fully look him in the eye until you came to terms with it, you accepted his hand to help you to your feet. The world spun a little around you as Gladiolus and Autumn reappeared from behind the automatic door.

"Everyone's fine," Gladiolus said before Noctis could ask. "Biggs and Wedge took a bit of a beating when Ardyn knocked them unconscious, but they're still good enough. Give it a few minutes and we'll be on our way again."

Noctis nodded. "Good."

"You alright?" Autumn directed the question at you, who glanced at her. You made a very conscious effort not to meet Noctis' stare that was burning holes into your face. You weren't sure how to react when the sparks that danced in your abdomen made you feel giddy rather than uncomfortable.

Oh, Six, you'd really fallen hard for him, hadn't you?

"Yeah," you said quietly, realizing Autumn was still waiting for an answer. "Yeah, I'm okay. Still...a bit dizzy."

"We should sit down then," Noctis suggested. "Bet whatever Ardyn did to you guys wasn't pretty."

Gently, he squeezed your hand, prompting you to finally look at him. You felt your breath catch in your throat as Noctis gave you a soft smile. Had he always been so unreasonably handsome? Especially while he was smiling because...wow. It made his whole expression light up, made his electric-blue eyes seem all the lighter, all the more beautiful. Just looking at him took your breath away. The weight of his hand was warm and grounding in your own, his fingers threaded easily through yours. You were shocked by how well you simply seemed to fit. Like two puzzle pieces finally clicking together.

Briefly, you saw his eyes shoot to your lips and then back to your face. You wondered if you'd imagined it.

Beside you, Gladiolus huffed loudly, breaking the trance. "Ramuh's bustling beard, if I have to keep watching the two of you flirt silently, I'm gonna go find the nearest bathroom to barf in," he threatened.

Both of you turned an equal shade of red.

But neither of you denied it.

Autumn's smile was knowing and even a little coy. "C'mon, you guys."

She led the way back to the dining car. Awkwardly, you slid into a booth by the bar with Noctis quick to follow. He still was holding your hand, warm and solid in your own. He sat close enough for your thighs to brush in the booth, enjoined hands lying between. Autumn slid across from you, tucking one of her legs beneath her while Gladiolus crossed his arms, leaning against a bar.

With a screech of metal-on-metal and a quiet groan, the train lurched into motion again. It took a little bit to press through the ice that had accumulated on the wheels, but before long you were pressing forward regardless.