Work Text:
Insomnia Daily
BREAKING NEWS
Crown Prince And Royal Advisor, Together in Secret Love Affair!
INSOMNIA, Lucis- 9:32 AM- Sources confirm that His Highness Noctis Lucis Caelum and his Royal Advisor, Ignis Scientia, are in a committed relationship together—and have been for some time. An independent photographer caught the two on a picturesque walk through the royal gardens yesterday evening, holding hands and exchanging kisses, and posted the photos on social media in the early hours of the morning. An anonymous source close to the crown confirmed the relationship when we reached out for commentary this morning.
Having just celebrated his twenty-first birthday, the fate of His Highness’ marriage and eventual ascension to the throne has been a hot topic as of late. Political analysts were unsure if His Highness would take to a man or a woman, but it seems the question has been answered for us. Public curiosity now turns to Mr. Ignis Scientia—will he become His Highness’ Prince Consort, or will the two split when the Prince marries?
The Office of His Highness and His Majesty has not responded to our requests for commentary. We’ll keep you updated as the story progresses.
While Noctis and Regis had people—PR people, agents, channels that had to be used before the media could speak to them directly—Ignis did not.
Often enough, he was that person on Noctis’ behalf.
And now, standing on the train on the way to work, amongst dozens of other Citadel staffers and business people, Ignis had no line of defense.
He glanced at his watch. 9:40AM. He would be right on time to the Citadel at 10. It was likely that the story already spread to other local media outlets and gossip mags. Half a dozen reporters lurking outside the Citadel was common on a normal day. Today he’d be shocked if there were less than twenty.
He looked at his watch again. 9:42AM—he shook his head, bringing up a hand to massage his temples. There was no use worrying over the reporters today. They would be there, hell or high water, and Ignis would get through. Somehow. Surely the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard would be on heightened alert, with media swarming the Citadel and Noctis back at his apartment.
As usual, his mind screeched to a halt at the thought of Noctis. He was taking a day off and relaxing at home. Prompto was coming over to hang out with him after work, if he recalled correctly.
Ignis couldn’t stop his fists from shaking, clenched at his side, as he shut his eyes from the typical scenes of the morning commute.
He missed Noctis already.
He couldn't stop thinking about him--he hoped with all his heart the two of them could stay safe today.
The train doors slid open.
“This is,” a mechanical female voice ground out, “Downtown-Citadel Station. The next stop is King Street. Stand clear of closing doors, please.”
The familiar sound startled Ignis into action. He strode forward, shoes clicking over the dingy, off-white tile of the station. Through the exit turnstiles and up the stairs that led to the street. The Citadel was only two blocks away. Maybe he could sneak through some of the lesser known streets, enter through the service entrance on the side of the west tower—
“Mr. Scientia! Any comments on your romance with the Prince?”
“How long have you and His Highness been together?”
“Is it true that you’re only one of the men in the Prince’s harem? How many others are there?”
Microphones and cameras overtook Ignis’ line of sight the moment he stepped out of the subway. Someone knew his morning commute schedule very well, and shared it with the other media. Most of the questions shouted at him were ridiculous or predictable, or both. He shouldered his way through the crowd as much as he could, not saying more than the occasional “Excuse me” or “Pardon” as he did his best to ignore the cacophony of noise and voices.
“Mr. Scientia, does it bother you that the Prince is actually—”
Ah, and he thought that none of them would actually go there.
Not waiting for the reporter to finish, he whipped around and braced a hand against the man’s large, padded microphone. He would regret this later, a voice in the back of his mind told him, but he couldn’t fight the raw anger roiling up inside of him.
He pushed back as hard as he could, sending the reporter and his equipment tumbling to the ground. There were cameras on him, Ignis knew, but he didn’t have an ounce of sympathy. The crowd, shocked by his sudden display of force, parted like a flock of chocobos chicks.
Ignis took the opportunity and strode through the open path towards the Citadel. Behind him he heard the clatter of plastic and metal against the pavement. Oh, he’d probably be paying for that in the near future.
No matter, Ignis thought. They’d put he and Noct through so much more than a simple fall, Noctis in particular. They deserved it--that and every other scrap of anger Ignis could throw at them.
...but, it was best if he at least tried to keep a level head. It wouldn’t help Noctis or the King or himself if he ended up accused of assault.
Those first two minutes after Ignis stepped off the train foreshadowed the vast majority of his day. The harassment continued from the moment he stepped into the Citadel to the moment he left that afternoon. Between questioning looks from coworkers, requests to speak publicly, emails, phone calls, and the feeling that everyone was staring at him the moment he stepped into a room, Ignis didn’t catch a moment of peace all day.
Leaving the Citadel and his evening commute were filled with similar events, his phone ringing so often that he gave up and shut it off completely. He didn't even check for a message from Noctis, he lamented as the device in his palm shut down.
Ignis arrived back at Noctis’ apartment to, at long last, find some order in the chaos of his day. Some of the highest ranking Kingsglaive members were stationed outside. More were stationed in surrounding buildings, in cars on the street and on rooftops, no doubt. He had to show proof of residency to get in the building, and his Citadel staff ID to gain access to Noctis’ exclusive floor.
In the hallway leading to Noctis’ door—another Kingsglaive soldier was stationed outside, standing silent and stock still—Ignis finally found peace.
Despite everything, he was home.
He was safe.
And Noctis was just on the other side of the door.
He swiped his entry card, relishing in the familiar beep and click of the door unlocking. The silent Kingsglaive soldier nodded to him as he passed and Ignis finally entered the apartment.
In contrast to all the chaos outside, it was dark and quiet inside Noctis’ apartment. That was no surprise—the only noise usually filling their living space was the ambient music of a video game or the occasional movie. Other than that, their apartment was a haven of peace and quiet away from their lives as Prince and Advisor.
Ignis slipped his shoes off in the entryway and hung his coat on the rack near the door, easily falling into his normal afternoon routine. His briefcase was left abandoned by the door—he certainly wasn’t looking through any of his extra work on this, a more stressful day than most.
His heartbeat sped up as he stepped through the familiar hall, straining his ears for any little sound that might signal that Noctis was home. He wasn’t in the kitchen, nor in his bedroom, so that only left the living room, Ignis thought.
Rounding the corner to the living room, his eyes fell upon Noctis and all the stresses of the day melted away. The whole room—Noctis included—exuded an air of calm that Ignis found himself soaking in like a sponge. The only light came from the open curtains that led out to the balcony, dim sunlight filtering through the clouds to cast a bluish glow over the room. The object of his affection and longing was curled up on the couch, clad in a pair of dark boxers and one of Ignis’ old cotton t-shirts, his chest unbound, and playing a game on his phone.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t more important than Ignis’ appearance. “You look stressed,” Noctis stated in his usual monotone, setting his phone aside. It wasn’t for lack of caring, Ignis knew; Noct just wasn’t the type to exclaim, despite the drama.
“That is to say the least,” Ignis found a smile creeping onto his face despite the memories of the media outside. He unbuckled his belt and shed himself of his slacks and dress shirt, leaving him similarly dressed in boxers and an undershirt. His work clothes fell into a in a messy pile over the back of an armchair. He just couldn’t find the energy to care today—not with Noctis lying there, looking all soft and inviting. The shirt and pants, and an iron, would be there in the morning.
“I’m guessing you’ve heard the news,” Ignis said, collapsing on the couch corner opposite of Noctis and letting his legs splay open.
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “it’s been rough. Prom and I were gonna go walk around the park today, but that didn’t happen. They barely let him up here in the first place.”
Ignis hummed. He mourned Noctis’ day off, but would much rather see him safe then out and in danger. “What did you do instead?”
“We just played video games,” he yawned, stretching his arms above his head before curling back in on himself. “And I made Nyx go get us a pizza when we got hungry,” he nodded to the empty box on the kitchen island.
A laugh broke through their comfortable atmosphere as Ignis let himself go, laughing until he leaned forward and flopped into Noctis’ personal space, setting his glasses aside on the table. Noct let out a surprised ‘oof!’ when Ignis pillowed his head on his belly, but then settled into the position.
“What, did you want me to see if a delivery guy could make it all the way up here? It was all we could do,” he huffed, but smirked at how absurd it all was. He carded a hand through Ignis’ hair as long arms wrapped around his waist. “What about your day?”
“Oh, I’m sure you can imagine,” he sighed, pressing his cheek into Noct’s scent, “absolutely terrible.” Noctis’ hand slowed to a stop, gripping the back of Ignis’ head like he wanted to make it all better. “But—” Ignis propped himself up on his elbows and lifted his head, “—now that I’m here with you, it’s wonderful.”
Noctis couldn’t help the blush and smile the crept onto his face. Dumb Ignis and his dumb endearments…but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love it.
It wasn’t even a question when their lips met in the middle, falling into relaxation and quiet passion with ease. A soft giggle escaped Noctis’ lips as they parted and Ignis buried his nose into his boyfriend’s belly to keep them coming.
After their laughter died down Ignis returned to his previous position, his eyes falling shut as he gave in to mental exhaustion from the day.
“I’m...so sorry, ruining your day off like this. The Royal Gardens aren’t even public…I’m sure we’ll find whatever scum trespassed to get those photos.” He took Noctis’ hand in his.
“ ‘s okay,” Noct murmured, his head falling back onto the arm of the couch. Well, no, it wasn’t okay, but neither of them could do anything to change it. “They’ll get over it. What do they care if I’m with you?” he vented, stroking the back of Ignis’ hand with his thumb, “I can still take the throne, still have an heir. That’s all they really care about, anyway.”
“Noctis…” Ignis bemoaned his bleak outlook, “they didn’t say anything that upset you, did they?”
He was answered with a shrug. “Nothing in particular. But I know they’re about to.”
He gripped his prince’s hand tighter. “All this drama, the day before your surgery no less. I’m so sorry, Noct.”
Noctis didn’t answer for a few long moments, mulling over in his head how to express what he felt. “It’s not even that, you know,” he admitted, “I’m just…nervous. I’m scared. I just want it to be over with.” All the steps of the process ran through Noctis’ head; the surgery, the bandages, the recovery time, the check ups...he was still a long way from it being ‘over’.
But…” he twirled his hair between his fingers for a moment, “I can’t wait for it at the same time. I’m…really excited.” He didn’t hide his smile from Ignis, who let it wash over him like sunshine on this particularly cloudy day.
“It’s alright to be excited,” Ignis smiled in return, “you’ve been waiting for this for ages. And for your nerves, I’ll be right there with you the entire time.”
Try as he might, Noctis couldn’t chase the smile off his lips. He squeezed Ignis’ hand tighter and leaned down for another kiss.
This breaking news comes on the eve of the Prince’s gender affirming surgery. Since coming out to the public at the age of 14, His Highness has faced many ups and downs on his journey to transition. Conservative media outlets and political advisors called for his removal as heir to the throne, but His Majesty the King put down his foot on the matter when he publicly proclaimed that Noctis would remain a Prince and heir to Lucis.
Despite initial opposition, the Prince received significant support from the LGBT+ community of Insomnia. He often works with transgender youth organizations to raise money and awareness, and has appeared in Insomnia’s Pride Parade for two years in a row. Several media outlets have also expressed support for the Prince and his transition.
In the week leading up to his planned date of surgery, an outpouring of positive messages have appeared on social media in support of Prince Noctis. His supporters, including many young people who are transgender themselves, have popularized the hashtag #supportNoctis. The hashtag aims to highlight that the Prince is more than his title and deserves support as a person, not just a figure head.