To Be In Your Arms Again

Chapter 1: A Friendly Tip-Off

Noctis inhaled and exhaled nervously as he quietly entered the training room. Nyx had followed through on tipping him off that you would be training here by yourself tonight. The young prince made a mental note to give special thanks to the soldier. Most especially since it was clear that Nyx was interested in you.

"It's pretty obvious that you two have some unfinished business Your Highness. I'm only providing you with the opportunity to decide whether it stays that way or not,"

Nyx's words with an all-knowing smirk echoed in Noctis' mind, as he slowly made his way to the centre of the training room. And there you stood, blindfolded with a katana in your right hand. Your head jerked in the direction you sensed someone's presence - right in Noctis' direction. He smiled to himself seeing your brow furrow in concentration as he remained silent.

"Who's there?" You asked sternly, the grip on your katana tightening. Noctis chose to remain silent.

Just as you motioned to pull your blindfold down, Noctis warped to be in front of you, immediately stopping your hand with his own. The way your breath hitched and the slight tremble of your bottom lip; you knew it was him. A gentle smile on his face remained as you both stood in silence. He summoned his engine blade, tapping it lightly against your katana, watching a familiar intrigued smile from the blindfolded glaive. Noctis slowly backed away, holding up his engine blade, allowing it to glide against your katana, signaling he was creating distance between you both. You both assumed a fighting position.

"3... 2... 1..." Noctis could hear you say softly, excitement ringing in your tone. Your weapons clashed at lightning speed, with you anticipating his every move. The sounds of weapons colliding with no mercy excited you and made your adrenalin pump rapidly. Although the spar hadn't gone for long, Noctis could tell you had improved in the five years you've been working as part of the Kingslaive. It had been your dream for as long as you could remember, being born to parents who were both proudly in the Kingsglaive. You lost them both at a young age and lived with your Auntie for the remainder of your youth, yet you couldn't be any prouder of your parents' achievements. As a favor to an old family friend, you would spend your summers up in Hammerhead to help Cid in the garage or Takka in his diner. Cindy was very much like an older sister to you and you often worried that she worked too much of her youth away to truly enjoy it.

Enjoying your youth was one of the things Cid had pushed onto you ever since you began high school. He had long given up pushing Cindy, considering she inherited his stubborn nature. Cid was overly supportive of your dream. Offering to put in a good word to a close friend of his in Citadel for you, whereas you wanted to work hard and be noticed for your own efforts - like your parents. He only agreed to do so, if you would heed his request for you to travel outside of Insomnia and Hammerhead, explaining that knowing far lands and experiencing the rest that Eos had to offer, would prove beneficial when applying for the Kingslaive. It was obvious that Cid was also concerned you would turn out like Cindy and immerse yourself in work, rather than seeing the world for yourself.

Thus your fateful summer spent with the Crowned Prince of Lucis and his Royal Entourage came about. Cid, in haste to get you traveling, had caught wind of the Crowned Prince's plans from his good ol' friend, Regis, the King of Lucis. Regis saw this as an opportunity for Noctis to learn how to interact with women since he was likely to choose a candidate for the future of Lucis. Although Cid didn't exactly want to leave you in the care for four young males, he knew you weren't afraid to punch someone if necessary.

You actually went to the same high school as the Crowned Prince and Prompto. But never really properly met or spoke to them. You were the type of student who did exceptionally well academically but did well to remain well within the 'middle class' of the social spectrum. You may have always been book smart, but the boys soon learned from you assisting in several hunts for gil - you were born to be a warrior.

Noctis grew more intrigued by you as the summer continued. Two months of driving, hunting, and camping with each other was enough time for a strong bond to form. Whereas you didn't realize there was an undeniable attraction between the two of you.

Knowing what awaited you both once you returned to Insomnia, you both made the mature decision to put things on hold. Noctis knew he wouldn't be able to spend much time with you once he dove into his Royal duties. You also knew you're schedule would be just as hectic should you succeed in joining the Kingsglaive.

Despite countless offers from each of the boys, you explained to them clearly that you were going to join and climb the ranks with your own efforts. To which they respected your decision and celebrated your achievements. You both couldn't indulge in your new love and it pained you both not knowing whether there would be an 'us', 'we', or 'our' in your bright futures.

Within the blink of an eye, through distant but supportive communication, five years had passed and here you both were; 23 years old and well grounded in your roles. Noctis had shown promise over the years, using you as his inspiration to be the best that he could be.

Regis had spoken to him recently that he would soon have to consider marriage. Noctis strongly stated that he already had one candidate in mind and that if he were to marry, it would be because he loved her and she to him. After further explaining that although Lucis needed a strong Queen, he above all needed the love and support from a caring wife who knew him inside and out. Surprisingly Regis supported his decision with proud eyes. Only for Noctis to find out that Ignis had reported his fleeting romance with you during the summer of your high school graduation. Noctis couldn't look his father in the eyes properly for several days after this.

The spar ended in a stalemate. Noctis hadn't realized how hard he had been sparring with you until he wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He dispelled his engine blade, warping to be close to you again after you dispelled yours with a satisfied smile on your face. You remained still having felt Noctis' presence being closer to you now. Noctis slowly pulled down your blindfold, caressing your cheek lovingly as a pair of (eye color) eyes fluttered open, sparkling with warmth as they met with his.

"Hi," Noctis greeted softly, his heart beating rapidly as he placed his free hand on your hip. It only dawned on him that your tank top was a little short on your waist, having felt your soft skin.

"Hi," You replied. Your voice was so warm and soothing. Noctis couldn't help but relax a little, as he pulled you closer to his form. Cradling your face delicately, he couldn't control himself anymore and pressed his lips to yours.

He missed you terribly, and from the way you kissed him back, you felt just the same. You desperately clung to the neckline of his t-shirt, tugging a little when he tilted his face to deepen the kiss. He held your head firmly, not wanting you to pull away any time soon. Noctis could feel you smile against his lips when you slowed down a little, your hands traveling down his chest and abs, gripping the bottom of his shirt tightly as you pulled him close to you again. Noctis was more than happy to comply, wanting nothing more than to indulge in you all night.

Wrapped in each other's arms, you pressed your foreheads together smiling shyly after stopping to breathe. A few smaller kisses were exchanged, with Noctis practically showering your face and neck with lingering kisses, making you giggle whenever he touched a ticklish area.

"Dinner?" Noctis asked, enjoying the small laugh that escaped your lips.

"Sure," You replied, planting a sweet tender kiss on the corner of his mouth, before pulling away to grab your things in the far corner of the room. Noctis gazed at you with half-lidded eyes, his insides dancing for joy that nothing had changed. It had been a long, hard journey. Nyx had been right on the mark in encouraging him to visit you. Your love never wavered.

"When is His Highness available?" You asked, putting your sweat jacket on.

"How does Thursday next week sound?" Noctis asked.

"Perfect. It's my weekend Thursday and Friday," You replied with a smile, draping your dry towel around his neck and pressing one of the ends to the side of his face, "Take it for now. Wouldn't want to get sick again like in Vesperpool huh?" You teased, laughing at Noctis' disgruntled expression at the memory. He had been a complete 'Princess' at the time when he stayed out too long fishing and got sick. You and Ignis worked around the clock helping him recover while dealing with his whining. It wasn't his proudest moment, but when he thought back to how well he was cared for, it amused him thinking you would make an amazing mother and wife one day. He only just hoped he's was the lucky man to be your husband and the father to your children.