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Noctis loves his friends more than anyone, but sometimes he needs space, time to think without the shadow of their concerned eyes.
He sits on the edge of the jetty, his feet dangling over the edge and almost dipped into the water. It sparkles in the moonlight, and he feels at peace for the first time in days.
The news about his father's death and the attack on Insomnia shook him to his core. The naive young boy who set out with his father's blessing filled with confidence has disappeared. He feels heavier, as though there's a darkness he's carrying around with him.
There's so much pressure weighing him down. He wants to forget about it, even just for a few moments.
"Hey!"
Oh, gods. He knows that voice, that accent. He doesn't have the strength to twist around and level Dino with an unimpressed glare, so he keeps his gaze resolutely forward. The reporter seems to hesitate, before he hears footsteps on the wooden slats and Dino is standing beside him.
There's a pause where Noct realises that if he looked up at Dino right now, he'd be gaping like a fish. Funny how it took his father's death for some respect. For once, Dino doesn't have a smart quip about the situation.
"Sit down," Noct sighs.
Dino obliges, shifting himself to mirror Noct's position before settling down beside him.
He turns his head to study Noct, uncharacteristically silent. He fidgets restlessly with his hands in his lap, twisting his bracelet around his wrist, but still, he doesn't try to make any stupid joke or callous comment.
Noct finally looks back at him. He finds it hard to project serenity when he's so conflicted inside, but there's no way he's gonna break down in front of this greaseball. He shouldn't even be allowing Dino to sit with him, knowing he'll just see it as an opportunity to get the inside line on the war.
Dino looks uncertain. Without the permanent smirk, he looks younger, and weirdly pretty. Noct forces himself out of that train of thought, because his attraction to men is another problem he doesn't want to deal with.
"I'm sorry about your father," Dino offers. He takes a softer tone, and his voice actually manages to sound less grating.
"Are you?" Noctis asks, hating himself for how childish he sounds. He turns away again to look out at the quay.
Dino is vibrating with this restless energy that's almost funny. He's being kind of cruel, messing with Dino like this. He must be so confused- but it's not intentional. Noct is desperate for company, for someone who'll make him feel normal. He allows Dino to try.
"I'm a crook, not a monster, Prince Noctis," Dino says. "I mean, you're a nice guy, always doin' me favours. Of course I'm sorry."
Noctis nods slowly. He swallows back the choking feeling he gets whenever he thinks about his father, the anger and the grief. He wants to let go of all his pressing obligations, jump into the sea, swim away to a life where the resolution of a war doesn't rest on him.
And he wants a damn hug. He wants his friends to stop treating him like he's going to break if they touch him; their easy intimacy slipping away as they try to give him more and more space. I want space, he thinks, from my duty. I still need you with me.
Dino, with his silk tongue and capacity to get Noct into all kinds of trouble, is exactly the kind of guy his father wouldn't want him to get involved with. In his grieving, bitter mind, that's his motivation for doing it.
"You want to return a favour?" he asks, swinging his legs a little.
"Sure," Dino answers promptly, but there's a note of uncertainty to his voice. He wouldn't dare refuse the Crown Prince, but he must worry about what Noct's going to ask of him.
Noct is too embarrassed to ask outright, so he just lays his head against Dino's shoulder, closes his eyes, and prays he'll figure out the rest. Sure enough, Dino's arm comes blessedly quickly to wrap around him, pulling him close.
"It's gonna be okay," Dino says uselessly. It still makes Noct exhale and press closer into his hold. Warmth floods him over finally getting some human contact. Dino's hand rubs gently at his back and even slides up to brush the hair at the nape of his neck, and Noct feels like doing something really stupid, like kissing him.
"Prince Noctis?"
"Noct."
"Uh... Noct?"
"What?" Noctis snaps impatiently, regretting it and curling further up against Dino in silent apology. He just doesn't want to ruin the moment. He closes his eyes, savours the warmth and security of closeness, before Dino turns him down.
"What are we doin' right now? I'm just kinda confused-"
Noct meant to apologise and pull away. Instead, he opens his eyes, takes Dino's face in his hands and kisses him.
It's not his first kiss, but he hasn't had many. His inexperience shows woefully in the desperate press of his lips against Dino's, not knowing where to go from there, no response. He pulls back, flushed red with shame, but gritting his teeth through it.
"I don't know," he quietly admits. "I'm a little lost."
Dino blinks back at him, and Noct is distracted by the dusting of freckles across his cheeks, and the blue of his eyes mirroring the sea. He has to come to terms with the fact that he might only like guys. He doubted that a forced marriage could ever work, let alone if he wasn't even attracted to his wife- as beautiful as he remembers her.
"I'm sorry I kissed you. I don't know what I'm doing," Noct frowns. He realises that Dino must be feel obligated to give Noct whatever he wants, even if he's not gay, even if he doesn't want to be here. He selfishly wants to wring all the comfort he can get out of a stranger like Dino, but he doesn't think he's trusting the right person, and he doesn't want to use his reputation to force it.
"Don't be sorry," Dino gives him a crooked grin, sending relief swooping through Noct's stomach. "I know how it is. Teenage hormones an' all that."
"I'm twenty years old."
"My mistake," Dino smiles, without a hint of remorse. Noct wants to kiss him again, but he knows the moment's passed, and Dino was just letting him down gently.
"Am I going to read about this in the paper tomorrow? 'Prince Noctis Alive and Gay'?"
Dino starts laughing. Noct feels himself smiling for the first time in a few days.
"No," the reporter shakes his head, exhaling to sober his expression. "No. I promise. I'm a man of my word, Pr-" he stops himself. "Noct."
It would be so easy to stay like this, safe and cared for. To run from all his responsibilities until people realised he isn't fucking ready. But he can see the fear in Dino's eyes- his friends, civilians- all of them terrified of what's going to happen. Everyone's hopes are resting on him, and he can't trap himself in a bubble of ignorance and denial.
"I have to face up to everything," Noct whispers, and it carries on the sea breeze. "And I will. But please stay here with me, just for a while longer."
Dino pulls him close again. His lips brush Noct's hair, and his irritating accent has morphed into comforting. "No problem. I'm not goin' anywhere."
Noct is exhausted. He falls asleep tucked into his embrace, until Dino wakes him up gently with the sunrise, and they walk back to the restaurant together in companionable silence. His friends give him strange looks when he gets back to their hired room, wondering where he's been, why he smells of someone else's cologne and he clearly hasn't slept.
"What's going on, Noct?" Ignis asks, just this side of accusatory.
"I had to take some time," Noct answers apologetically. "I'm sorry I've been weird, guys. I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to find out what happened."
He can't hide from his duty. It doesn't matter what his preferences are; he'll have to live with them.
Dino surreptitiously waves them off, pressing a list of gems he's after into Noct's hand with a wink, 'just in case'. Noct rolls his eyes, fighting the exasperated, fond smile off his face.
Ignis fixes him with a pensive, calculating glance, but Noct plays innocent. He wonders if he'll be seeing the jeweller-reporter any time soon. They meet a lot of people on this journey that they end up having to leave behind, but he carries their memories with him, and the comfort they bring.