Work Text:
You Make Me a Burning Mess (Nokto Klein X Reader)
{---Pre-relationship Phase}
Written by: Missing-Nins
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“Was the information source that woman I saw you with last night?”
“Yep. Isn’t she excellent? A pretty good woman, not bad to sleep with either”
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Memories from yesterday’s were still vivid as day. At that time, you were simply making your way down the palace’s corridor. But as you passed by Chevalier’s office, you happened to overhear a conversation you wished you didn’t. You could hear Chevalier’s and Nokto’s voices from the door, but of all things, those two sentences were what reached your ears. You had known better than to fall for--- to quote Yves, “a frivolous prince who's an extreme slut”, sadly your heart thought otherwise. By the time you realized, the lewd prince clad in the presence of a night already had you caught up in his traps.
You didn’t want to acknowledge it. Be it how deep you have fallen, or this unexplainable pain burning you up from inside, so excruciating to the point where you felt like countless knives were stabbing and twisting your heart out. You had walked away from there as fast as you could, not bothering to listen to the rest of the conversation. Eavesdropping wasn’t what you intended to do anyway.
With the hope to just avoid him, you had sought out Rio and asked him to help you sneak out of the palace just for the night. You knew Sariel would most certainly have a long menacing lecture waiting for you if he were to find out, but concerns about that were the last thing on your mind. All you wanted for the moment was simply to stay away from the man who’s making your mentality a mess for as far and as long as you can while you clear up your mind from all these distracting mental images that keep flashing through against your will.
At such times, you thought books would help to distract you. Unfortunately, the solitude of being alone just made everything all the more worse. So instead of spending the night indulged in the books at the bookstore you used to work at or heading back to your home, you had dropped by at a bar your friend owns and spent the night in his consolation.
By the time you returned to the palace, it was very early in the morning and the sun was already rising. With your face still stained with tears, you tried to swiftly make your way back to your room. But just as you were making a turn along the hallway, you collided into Leon.
“....______?” Leon placed his hand on your shoulder to help you balance yourself from the impact, but the obvious signs on your face that you had been crying filled him with a different kind of concern. “What’s wrong?”
“..............” Apparently the consolations you received last night had done little to wash away the turmoil within you. The storm of emotions going havoc since yesterday were all still present and as fierce as when it had hit you earlier.
“Want to talk about it?”
“....Yes. Not here though....” The corridor early in the morning was too much of a risky spot where you could run into Nokto at any moment, and it was even more of a risk given how coming back in the morning is his forte.
“How about the library?”
“...That would be the first place someone decides to look for me so… No.” Especially since it’s Nokto. The sly fox prince seems to have a knack of figuring out what goes through my head.
Thus, the two of you ended up outdoors at the garden in the area decorated with sofas and a tea table. However, before you could begin to recap what had made you this way, memories from not just yesterday but similar events from days earlier had flashed through your mind once more. It made you a mess and all you could do to remain sane in such a state was to give Leon a sudden embrace as you cried into his chest.
“...Did Nokto do something?” Leon patted your head to comfort you as he inquired.
‘Did Nokto do something?’ The question came out so naturally as it wasn't just Leon, but all the other princes were also aware of the 7th Prince’s unabating attempts to seduce you and they had all noticed the attraction you felt toward the man.
You told Leon about the conversation you overheard Nokto talking to Chevalier. About him ‘sleeping’ with another woman and how it totally doesn’t sound like just a one time thing. And that wasn’t the only occurrence. Accidentally overhearing that just made you feel all the more worse since the other day while talking to Nokto, you had also spotted a red lipstick mark on his neck as well. It was such an obvious indicator of what he had been doing prior and it gave you such a heartache to find out. Not to mention that other time when you found out he was away all night at another girl’s house too. As if all those events have not made you miserable enough, hearing him talking about--- that--- yesterday just made you feel even more torn apart. It was just so unbearable that you kinda ran away to spend the night somewhere that he won’t find you, and you won’t end up running into him. That was just how much it had hurted you and made you such a burning mess.
“I may have been out and about, spending the night with my friend in town before just coming back and running into you this morning, but I didn’t let anyone do as they please to me alright?” Because no, you’re not like that. Even in such a state, you still have your self-dignity. “I simply just wanted to be embraced and comforted and soothed to sleep... Anyway, my point is... I don’t really know what’s going on in my mind, but... it's like... I don't even understand myself anymore and I’m just... an utter mess. ...I don’t even know how to describe this... emotion.”
“______. What you’re feeling is just jealousy. The pain you felt is simply how much you love him.” Leon explained as he returned your embrace.
“Leon... What should I---” You were cut off mid-sentence as you felt a hand grabbing your shoulder from behind.
It was Nokto. With a very angry expression on his face. During the brief moment your eyes met, you felt like you could see his anger being replaced by a shocked expression but you didn't bother trying to figure that out because just the sight of him made you cry harder so you decided to just closed your eyes and let the tears you were unable to hold back spilled out more.
“______. Look at me.”
You heard him, but you didn’t do as he asked. Why would you sound so angry anyway? When it’s you who made me feel this way.
Nokto noticed your lack of response and attempted to pull you away with him. But you grabbed hold of Leon, as if to beg him for help.
“I was looking for you all night, but here you are, being all flirty with Leon and cuddling each other in the gar-” The tension was prominent in his voice, but he was interrupted before he could finish what he was in the middle of saying.
“Nokto.”
“..........”
“She's like this because of you. If that's what you're going to say to her then I'm not going to just let you walk off with her.”
“..........”
With your eyes still closed, you tried to turn away from the direction of his voice but just as you were about to do so, you felt Nokto's hand on top of yours which was holding onto Leon. Compared to earlier, his touch was much gentler this time as he tried to make you let go of the other man. .....Much gentler but you could still feel the seductive edge in the way his hand caressed yours.
“.....Can we talk for a moment?”
You opened your eyes still full of tears and turned back to face him.
“I’m not in the mood for it.” As soon as you said that, you let go of Leon and pulled your hand away from Nokto’s. Taking advantage of his mild surprise from your unforeseen response, you quickly made your way away from him and ran further into the garden, leaving the two princes behind.
You didn't make it far though as you were suddenly stopped by a huge figure jumping down from the tree. Luke who had been sleeping at his usual spot on one of the trees in the garden had jumped down from it the moment he noticed you running through with a distressful expression.
“______? What happened? Why are you crying so badly like this?”
“....Nokto--”
“______.” It was right at that moment that he had caught up to you. And that was all Luke needed to put two and two together.
“Nokto, I warned you about this before. I’m not going to forgive you if you make ______ feel troubled. But that's exactly what I see is happening right now.”
“Which is why I’m trying to patch things up if you would just let me talk to her.” Nokto gripped your wrist firmly to prevent you from escaping again. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. Just in terms of physical strength alone he was already much stronger than you and pushing his hand away wasn’t a possibility.
Luke’s eyes met yours before he turned back to look at Nokto and it felt like a stare down was occurring between the two as Luke tried to gauge what action his half-brother was about to take.
“I’m keeping my words. So you better be careful of what you decide to do.”
Unfazed by the youngest brother’s warning, Nokto replied back casually, “That warning won’t be put to action since what you're worrying about isn’t going to happen.” Right at the instant, Nokto lifted you up in a princess carry.
“Nokto! Let go of me--”
“No.”
“Let me down, this is just going to attract unnecessary attention!”
“Let you down so you can run away again after I finally caught you? Not happening. If you don’t want to cause a scene then just close your eyes and pretend to be asleep for now. ...Just trust me.”
“...................”
Having calmed down ever so slightly, you did as told and Luke sighed as he watched the fox prince carry you back inside the palace.
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Finally let down, you opened your eyes to find that you had ended up in Nokto’s bedroom. You noticed how his bed was still neat and graceful as if untouched the whole night before. But you were pulled back from your thoughts when you heard the sound of the door locking. Quickly turning around, you saw how the prince had his back toward the door, effectively blocking your sole mean of escape.
“______, can we just talk?”
“................”
“......Please?
You turned your back toward him and faced away, but in that moment, he had closed the distance between the two of you and wrapped his arm around your figure from behind.
“..........You're good at guessing my thoughts aren't you? Then do it.”
“.............”
A moment of silence enveloped you both for a while before Nokto finally broke the silence.
“.........You're je-” Feeling you tensed up under his touch, he decided to rephrase his sentence. “.....You're not feeling secure aren't you?”
“................”
As more tears ran down your cheeks, you wondered if your tear duct would be drying up soon with how much tears you had been spilling. While you were pondering that, you felt Nokto tightening his embrace around you and whispered into your ear.
“........I'm sorry.”
Perhaps those were the words you were waiting for. Or perhaps not. You weren’t so sure about it yourself, but what you do know was that... It did ease you up even if it was just a little. Turning around in his hold, you faced him properly this time. But words were still a lost clause to you.
Nokto wiped away your tear with his finger and gave a gentle kiss where the remnants of the tear were still staining your face.
“.......Why” You started, still unsure of how to continue the sentence.
“............?”
“............Why are you doing this even though you don't actually like them?”
“..............”
“I know you're not like Jin. You don't actually like all these women you're doing 'things' with. So...... why.........?”
Instead of giving a proper answer, Nokto simply gave you a kiss to the top of your head as if to try and distract you.
“.........Don't distract me from the topic.”
“Which means it's working isn't it?”
“.............”
Once again, he picked you up and carried you over to his bed where he sat you down.
“Do you realize that you're making me a mess too?” Nokto spoke up as he stared into your eyes.
“........?”
“I couldn't find you last night, but then I heard that you were spending the night with a guy in town.”
“.....And what does that have to do with you?”
As if you had pressed the wrong button with that response, Nokto had your back pressed into his mattress as he pinned you down.
“We didn't do anything if that's what you're thinking.”
“Doesn't matter. ....And you were hugging Leon when I finally found you earlier.”
“Nokto.” You couldn’t help but let out an exasperated sigh. “Compared to the stuff you did with--- I’m not even gonna bother saying who---, that was just a hug.”
“......What I’m saying is, you make me feel jealous too.”
“..........!”
Nokto pressed his thumb along your lower lips, parting your mouth ever so slightly.
“You're not the only one who's feeling this... jealousy... burning you up from inside.... Making you a total mess...”
Leaning in close, Nokto was about to give you a kiss but you stopped him with your index finger just before your lips touched.
“...........Don't you feel the same?”
“......I do. But I'll not give you my body until you give me your heart.”
You managed to ensnare my heart within your sweet trap and you’re so willing to give your body away without a care.... But until you completely hand over your heart to me, I’m not going to yield my body over to you.
“....You still haven't opened up to me, Nokto. Even now, you're still avoiding to answer my questions. You keep dodging the question when the answer isn’t something you want to give, be it by distracting me or changing the topic to something else that works in your way.”
“.............”
Keeping your ground, you did your best to not break eye contact with him to let him know you were being serious here.
“.........Can I at least kiss you...?”
You weren’t going to let him have your body until he let you into his heart. That was what you intended.
…...But a simple kiss shouldn’t hurt, …....right?
“..............”
You bit down on your lips as you hesitated, but you let go of your finger that was keeping his lips from touching yours. Seeing your lack of dissent, Nokto took your silence as a yes, and pressed his lips on yours. It wasn't a heated nor a needy kiss that one would be expecting the lewd and dangerous prince to give. It was just a simple touch of your lips. A touch full of affections .
Upon breaking the kiss, Nokto dropped down to your right and lay next to you on the bed. He pulled you into an embrace.
“I haven't slept all night. …....Accompany me?”
You simply nodded and cuddled up against his chest. Nokto gave you a kiss on your forehead and entangled his finger in your hair as he cradled you closer against his body. The sound of his heartbeat and his rhythmic breathing was like an entrancing melody to your ears.
It doesn’t matter what he has been doing or has done. As long as I can be his end game, his last love, then that’s all that matters....
Soothed by his touches, you eventually succumbed to slumber by his side despite the sunlight shining into the room illuminating it in a morning glow…
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