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Both of you wonder who’s to blame here.
You were promised a nice, two bedroom apartment, but apparently so was he, and now both of you stand in the middle of the mostly bare place, both of your stuff ready for unpacking.
And it’s not like either of you have the heart to kick the other out when you both just want to start getting everything ready in time for college, which starts in a few days.
So, for now, despite your worries and whatnot, you raise your hand as you introduce yourself to the raven-haired man with a smile.
“Noctis Lucis Caelum.” He muses, holding your hand and shaking it back, offering you a small smile. “Hope we get along.”
For a moment, you didn’t wanna let go of his hand, but you do despite the slight, sudden ache in your heart from doing so, which confuses you because why would you feel this way about a stranger?
But he’s not one.
Getting to know Noctis and just being with him in general is weird.
That’s meant in the best way, of course. It’s very comfortable and relaxing hanging out with him, despite not knowing the guy for that long. But it feels like you do.
Knowing each other’s likes or dislikes even when you two haven’t talked about it, or figuring out each other’s habits as if you’ve seen them do it long enough what it means. There’s always this intense gut feeling that tells you something about him, and somehow, it’s right.
Sometimes you both wonder that maybe you two actually know one another for a very long time but had your memories erased because Ignis didn’t approve of the friendship, a joke said man usually frowns at, but it makes you both laugh nonetheless.
And wonder.
Why do you know each other so much without meaning to? Did you truly just forget about one another, maybe when you two were children? Or maybe once shared a life together?
Both of you can’t feel like asking the question, only quietly pondering about this.
Sometimes you’d have wonderful dreams about the man you’re slowly starting to like. Ones where you’re both happily traveling the world together, watching all the sights as his closest friends tease the two of you for being so sappy and so in love with one another that you’re willing to show it off to them.
Sometimes, they’re the worst nightmares. One that showed a war-torn city, so much casualties from whatever transpired in it, but running and getting away from it all. And just constantly fighting against all odds, no matter what, just knowing to not give in and give up.
And all of it, for naught in the end.
Both the dreams and nightmares scare you; can you be that happy with someone you’re only getting to know, and can someone really go through all of that and come out unscathe? And why even dream of it? Why now?
At least, though, when it’s the latter, you know everything’s gonna be okay when you feel him come and check on you, his arms bringing so much comfort in your rapidly beating heart as he holds you and reassures you you’re okay, knowing you can fully believe him despite how real they can be sometimes.
While you’re shocked with his confession, you realize something: it feels like this happened before.
Under the shade on a sunny, bright day, his face flushed both from the heat and his embarrassment, him playing with his hands nervously...
...it feels like a familiar sight. And it is; it happened once, a very long time ago.
You can’t help but laugh, your heart fluttering as you take both of his hands in yours, holding them gently and firmly as you smile at him.
“I like you, too, Noct.” Murmuring those words quietly, your smile widens seeing him look shocked but very ecstatic as well as he pulls you to him, separating his hands from yours in order to wrap his arms around you in a loving embrace.
It feels so natural to hug back and just nuzzle up to his neck as you both start to laugh from the joy of knowing your feelings are one.
And they are. They always have been.
You quietly laugh as you watch him get killed on the screen, an annoyed look starting to form on his face as he watches the killcam.
“Ugh, I swear, it’s always the same guy...” He murmurs to himself, and you only hug him briefly, kissing his cheek.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get them next time.” When he looks at you, you pinch his cheeks to form a smile, before letting go with a laugh. “You got this, grumpy.”
“Hey, I’m not.” He protests with a laugh, nuzzling up to your neck, pressing a few kisses there before pulling back to continue playing.
You focus back on watching along, calling out to him what you see in corners once in a while as he and his team slowly keep pushing.
“Yes!” Both of you cheer, hi-fiving one another when he kills the same guy that killed him multiple times, just before getting to the end, granting them their victory.
Seeing him grin and laugh over something so simple makes you warm, the sight so pure and wonderful to you. You haven’t been together that long, but your gut tells you he doesn’t do this too often—or maybe couldn’t—and you’re glad he’s enjoying himself right now, then.
And you enjoy the moment too, as he pulls you for a kiss, letting him push you down to the couch as you two get lost in one another again, willing away the flash of one of your nightmares where he kisses you like this, but with tears running down your faces, as you both murmur broken ‘I love yous’ in a way that feels like it’s goodbye.
Something about napping together like this is so wonderful.
Just, under the shade, using one of his arms as a pillow while the other one is wrapped around you comfortably and protectively.
Sometimes it feels like this kind of moment is something you should wholeheartedly cherish, no matter how many times you two do this everyday.
Like it feels like you should be lucky to be able to do this.
Maybe it’s the little glimpses of nightmares you remember that make you think so. Ones that show a reality where neither of you lived happy, torn by a world set on giving him so much pain and grief and ultimately dying for what seems nothing and leaving you alone in a dark world that’s slowly turning bright like how it should’ve been in the first place.
Every time you remember these nightmares, it brings immense pain, especially when you remember his seemingly peaceful place as he sits on the throne, as if only sleeping when he’s not.
But, the warmth of his body and the beat of his heart dissuade you from those thoughts, reminding you that they’re nothing to worry about. That they’re simply conjured up by your mind to scare you. Although they’re not simple conjurations.
Nuzzling up to him, you let yourself be at ease as you murmur your love for him, at ease when you hear him murmur the same words back.
None of it is real when you live in a world where you always feel your lover’s love and warmth, even when you’re not in each other’s arms. This warm, sunny place is your reality.
Not the one full of pain and darkness. Not anymore.