Chapter Text
The final bell of the day went off, signally the end of the school day, and the fifteen year old Prince wasted no time leaving his classroom. Noctis didn’t get more than three steps before he was ambushed by a girl in the same year as him.
“Noctis!” Phila called, quickly pulling the Prince into a hug, “How did your exam go?” she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet, whether it was excitement or nerves neither of them could tell.
Noct shrugged, “I don’t think I failed at least.”
“That’s good.” Phila was still bouncing, a giant smile on her face as strands of her long dark burgundy hair slipped from her braid halo and into her face. Noct rolled his eyes as a small grin came to his face and he exaggerated a sigh.
“Alright, I’ll bite. What?” Noct finally asked and Phila giggled, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the school grounds.
“I wanna show you something.” Phila announced vaguely, not particularly caring if he had something else to do.
“Don’t you have a patrol or something today?” Noct asked, trying to conceal the blush dusting his cheeks as he was once again met with a giggle and insistent tugging.
“Nah, the Captain gave me the week off for exams. Come on, we’re burning daylight!” Phila laughed as Noct gave her a playful scowl but let her drag him off anyway.
The childhood friends spent the next half hour intentionally ditching the rest of the prince’s guards, considering Phila herself was one of his personal bodyguards on the regular, it wasn’t that hard. It wasn’t long until the pair found themselves sitting on the roof of an old abandoned building and watching the sun dropping behind the horizon.
“It’s so pretty isn’t it?” Phila hummed as she leaned back on her hands while her legs dangled over the edge.
“Yeah.” Truth be told, Noctis wasn’t looking at the sunset. Phila didn’t notice as she grinned and turned to look at her old friend, green eyes practically sparkling in the dying light.
“This place is really special to me y’know.” She said, “Cor brought me here just after my parents died.”
“Why?” Noct couldn’t help himself, he had to ask but regretted it almost instantly when his childhood friend’s smile took on a sad edge.
“He asked me what I saw from up here.” Phila explained, naturally confusing the poor prince.
“What’d you say?” Again he couldn’t help the question and again Phila was happy to answer.
“I gave him the usual eight year old answer: I saw buildings and streets and cars and lights.” The young guard laughed and dropped onto her back with her arms behind her head, “As you could imagine Cor called me idiot and then told me what he saw.”
“Are you gonna keep leaving me hanging for this entire conversation?” Noctis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while his friend laughed at him again.
“Probably. Anyway Cor told me that he saw lives that my parents sacrifice saved. I didn’t get why he asked me that at the time but it got me thinking-“
“About how you want take his job by the time you’re twenty five?”
“About how my parents always did what they thought was right without a care for what would happen to them.” Phila huffed playfully when Noctis laughed and lightly kicked his leg. “The Crowns-Guard have always inspired me and when I actually became a part of that-“
“You screamed and bounced off the walls until Cor literally dragged you away?” Noctis suggested with another laugh.
“Are you gonna keep interrupting me for this entire conversation?” Phila huffed, sending Noct an ‘evil eye’.
“Probably. Anyway where are you going with this?” Noctis was starting to worry, this sounded like the sort of conversation best friends have when one is about to leave or do something really stupid that’s going to get them killed.
“Where I’m going with this, Noctis” Cue another playful scowl, “Is that I want you to know whatever I do it’s because I know it’s right. So if I ever do something stupid please know that I have a reason.” Phila smiled as her gaze turned to the, now dark, sky.
Silence fell for a moment and Noct decided to join his friend and lay down as well to watch the stars. This was one of the reasons their friendship lasted so long, Phila never treated him like a prince, hell she didn’t even realize he was a prince until they were ten and that significance just never sunk in for her. As such to her he was just another person. No that was a lie, he wasn’t just another person he was her best friend and she was his. The fact that she wound up being his personal bodyguard was a bonus.
“Hey Noct?” Phila finally broke the silence but she didn’t look over at him, “You know, I’ve never actually brought anyone else up here.”
“Why not?” Noct leaned up on his elbows to try and see his friend’s face as she spoke.
“I told you before, it’s special to me but I wanted to share it with you because, well, you’re special to me too.” Phila admitted, a blush flooding her face. Noctis said nothing to that so Phila used it as a chance to continue. “We’re friends right Noct?”
“Yeah, of course we are! Why? Has someone said something again?” Noctis was met with a giggle and a shake of Phila’s head.
“Nah, I think it’s finally sunk in for everyone that we’re friends because we actually get along.” Phila sighed in thought, if she hesitated now she’d never say it, “But I was wondering, how do you actually feel about me?” Now it was Noctis’ turn to blush and he coughed into his hand.
“W-well we’re really good friends. Um, why-“Noct coughed again, “Why do you ask?” Phila nearly giggled at how cute Noct was when he was stumbling over words and frankly she took it as a good sign.
“I ask because I’m curious, do you think we could ever be more than friends?” Phila asked, trying to play it cool despite the blush threatening to give her heat stroke. Noctis actually had to process what he just heard for a moment, there was no way this was real. Actually there was no way this was a dream. It was just like Phila to get sick of waiting and ask him how he felt.
“I can’t believe this. Are you serious right now?” Noct asked, refusing to look at his childhood friend in case there was that mischievous glimmer she has when she’s about to say ‘I got you’.
“I’m dead serious. Noct, I-“now it was Phila’s turn to stumble over her words as she looked the other way when the blood rushed to her cheeks. “I really like you. Way more than I should as a friend.”
“Then how about dinner? Saturday at seven?” Noct asked and Phila shot up to stare at him wide eyed. He had that damn smug little smirk he got whenever he successfully caught her off guard.
“I’ll make a reservation at a nice restaurant.” Phila smiled as she sat and brought Noctis into a tight hug.
“Nope. You did the asking so now it’s my turn to put in the effort. Don’t worry about a thing.” Noct returned her hug in full force as they laughed together. Unfortunately the moment was disturbed when someone’s phone went off.
“Oh, that’s me.” Phila muttered, pulling her phone from her pocket and checking the number.
“Cor?” Noctis snickered, just going off the look on her face he’d bet she missed curfew and her godfather is now pissed beyond belief.
“Yep. I’m not answering this otherwise he’ll kill me.” Phila sent him to voicemail as she stood up and hauled Noct to his feet as well. “Come on I’ll walk you home.”
“Isn’t that my line?” Noct asked as he followed his friend down the stairs of the old building.
“Since when have I let you have the good lines?” Phila giggled as she led the way back to Noctis’ house, excuse me palace.
When they made it back to the palace Phila kissed Noctis’ cheek goodbye before heading home to get the lecture of a lifetime for the third time in her lifetime. Noctis wasn’t surprised when he saw Gladiolus standing in the foyer of the palace smirking.
“What?” Noctis groaned, walking past his friend.
“You finally got the courage to ask her then?” Gladio teased, punching Noct’s shoulder.
Noct blushed, “Yeah totally.” Gladio didn’t buy it for a second and he started laughing.
“She asked you didn’t she?” The big guy nearly doubled over at the look on the prince’s face when he tried to shush the giant.
“Yes! Shut up!”