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She had to have known, by now.
It’s not like he hadn’t slept with Ignis again, and again… and again. It was becoming a problem: after ten years of abstaining, everything was breaking loose and it was terrible.
But great.
But also, terrible.
The looks she gave him over the dinner table, especially when Ignis was dining with them, were nothing short of “knowing.” Ignis didn’t think so, but how well did he know Luna? Not as well as Noct did, that’s for sure.
She had to have known something, at the very least.
He almost wanted to ask, but, well, how do you explain that you think your wife might know about your infidelity and you want to know if she knows without giving yourself away? You don’t, that’s how. You wait for her to ask you, and then you lie your ass off, because if she sent Ignis away because she was hurt - something Noct doubted she’d do, but people were also unpredictable - it was game over. He’d have to like, arrange to meet him in the woods and then Noct would get grass stains on his back, or something.
So, he was not going to do that.
Oh, well.
He’d figure it out. Hopefully before all his hair went grey from the stress.
“Prompto is coming over tonight for dinner. I hope that’s alright.”
“I didn’t know you and Prompto got on?”
“Your friends are all very charming, Noctis, in their own ways. Of course we do.”
“That’s good. Maybe you can finally lure him away from Cindy - he has a thing for pretty blondes.”
“ Noctis!”
Noct was, apparently, a lot more intuitive than he gave himself credit for.
It was kind of funny, actually - he’d been scouting out his bedroom for himself and Ignis, making sure Luna wasn’t around, when, well.
Let’s just say he’d never wanted to see that much of Prompto.
“ Dude!!” He didn’t notice the shower running in the background, “why the hell are you naked in my bedroom? How did you even get in here?”
Prompto had to take a moment to recover from his fit of choking upon his own saliva before he could reply. “Just… relaxin’,” he laughed nervously, tugging the sheets on Noct’s bed up to his neck to cover his shame. “What are you doing here?”
He was white as a ghost and Noct only just now noticed that the sheets were disheveled, more so than he’d left them earlier.
And then, the shower stopped.
“Are you-”
Then, Prompto, looking very much like he was about to cry, cut him off: “ Please don’t have me executed, or hanged, or - I’m your best friend!”
“ What?!”
“I am so sorry, dude. So, so, so, so sorry! You have to believe me, I didn’t want to do this, we wanted to tell you- ”
The bathroom door opened, and then there was a gasp from behind him.
He was starting to put together what had happened. He was pretty sure Prompto didn’t just have sex in his bed for the hell of it.
“Noctis!”
“Luna?” Yep.
Noct looked between them both, turned on his heel, and left.
Of course, the first place he went was to the room of the person he was having an affair with.
To talk about his wife’s affair.
At least he was consistent.
“When I told her to lure him away from Cindy, I didn’t mean like this!” He waved his arms around as he spoke, while Ignis followed his hands with his eyes. “I mean, good for them? And I can’t get mad ‘cause we’re doing this, but…” He thumped both of his palms into his forehead, looking towards the ceiling, “I’m so... ”
“I’m sure Lady Lunafreya wouldn’t appreciate knowing about us, either.” Ignis looked just as shellshocked as he did, which was of small comfort. “Noct, you need to speak with her.”
“But I don’t want to. ” He laid back on Ignis’ bed, his feet propped up on the trunk before his bed. “I mean, I gotta, but… should I tell her about, uh.” He gestured in between them, “y’know?”
“That may help, yes.” Ignis put his hand on Noct’s thigh, turning to face him. “Try not to ruin your marriage, Noct.”
“Gee, thanks.” He rolled his eyes and covered Ignis’ hand with his own, squeezing it. “Good luck kiss?”
“This is too important to be fooling around.”
“Just one? ” Gods, he needed the motivation. The promise that maybe she’d let him stay with Ignis - the promise that they’d still be together, whether they were forced into friendship or allowed to be something more.
“I suppose I can allow that much. Only one, ” He leaned down so he was hovering over Noct, bracing himself on his forearm beside Noct’s head. Slotting their lips together, he kissed him once, twice, three times before pulling back.
“I thought it was only one good luck kiss?” He smiled against Ignis’ mouth, even though the guilt of doing this while Luna was somewhere in the castle worrying herself to death was eating away at him.
“You seemed too nervous for just one to work.” Stopping to press their lips together again, he sat up and patted Noct’s thigh. “Now, go and finish what you’ve started.”
“What I started?”
“Knocking on doors before entrance is considered customary in most places.”
Noct groaned, sat up, and pushed Ignis’ arm.
“I’m sure Lady Lunafreya would allow you the same luxury.” He smiled - it would be a grin, but Noct knew this was weighing on him, too - down at him, mussing Noct’s hair.
“Yeah, okay, sure,” he sighed, “what do I say? ”
“If you love her, tell her as much. It should be simple after that.” Ignis took on a serious demeanor, rolling his shoulders back.
“ Not helpful. ” He leaned on his knees, “Come on, you’re good at talking to people.”
“This is quite the sticky situation we’ve gotten ourselves into, Noct,” he put his palm flat against Noct’s upper back, “I truly don’t know what to tell you.”
“Should I just…” he ran his fingers through his bangs, holding them back before letting them drop back in front of his eye. “Tell her it’s okay? I mean… it should be, right? Since we’re together?”
“If that’s the arrangement you want to make.” He rubbed Noct’s back, careful to avoid his scar, “that’s up to her as well, though. She may not want that.”
“But why wouldn’t she?” Looking over at Ignis, he was sure he looked as anxious as he felt. “I mean, she’s got Prompto, right?”
“People don’t always act logically.” Ignis appeared sympathetic, which helped to ease some of his anxiety. He knew he’d take it all away if he could. “Your wife isn’t excluded from this.”
They sat in silence for a long time after that, and Noct had to ignore the urge to curl into his chest and fall asleep there. That’d probably be inappropriate, considering the circumstances.
“I should probably go now,” he said hesitantly, as though Ignis was going to offer to have the conversation for him.
“Good luck.”
“Prompto gone home?” Noct sat down next to Luna on the front staircase, where she sat looking like she was about to drop dead.
She looked up at him as though she was surprised he was even there, and he supposed that under different circumstances he wouldn’t have had any problem jumping out the window and running away for a while.
Of course, he had Ignis, so he didn’t have to do that.
Often.
“Yes, and I think… I think we need to talk.” She moved so she was turned his way, and took one of Noct’s hands in between hers. “I apologize, Noctis. Truly.”
“As am I.” She was sad enough for the both of them right then, he wasn’t about to allow himself to break down into the shakes he knew were coming. “I do love you, Luna.” Noct tried to smile at her, but he was sure it came out as more of a grimace, “as a friend .”
“You do?” He was borderline offended by how hopeful she sounded.
“If the things Ignis and I have been doing are any indication…” He smiled again, for real this time, sheepish as it was.
“Ignis? I had a feeling, but,” Oh Gods, she was laughing. But also looked like she wanted to cry? What? He hoped it was out of relief, or happiness, or anything other than sadness.
“Yeah, I… is that okay?” He interlocked their fingers, giving her a pleading look. He hoped it was okay. Maybe if he hoped hard enough the Gods would tell her it was okay, and then he and Ignis could be together.
“I’d be a hypocrite if I said anything otherwise, wouldn’t I?” She dabbed at her eyes with the hand Noct wasn’t holding, careful for her makeup not to run any worse than it already had. “You could have told me.”
“ You could have told me. ”
She laughed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I suppose that’s true.” Luna sat up, squared her shoulders, and looked down at him solemnly, “what do you suppose we do?”
“Keep going and don’t let anyone know?” He shrugged, “I… don’t know, Luna.”
“Well, that sounds like a good enough plan to me.” She nodded to herself, assured, “as long as you tell me all the gory details.”
“I am not doing that,” Noct leaned into her side, “you cannot be serious.”
“Oh, but I am. ” She grinned toothily at him, “you’ve been keeping it from me all this time! I deserve to know, Noctis. It’s only fair.”
“Well, if you insist. ” He said playfully, “I get to sleep in Ignis’ room tonight, though.”
“As long as Prompto can stay over.” She leaned in, whispering at him excitedly, “we can swap stories in the morning.”
Noct pulled a face, “I’ll pass.”
“Fair enough. I’ll just ask Ignis.” She went to stand and Noct rubbed at his eyes, heaving a breath.
“Like he’d tell you.”
“I’ll have you know,” She stomped one foot on the ground, standing up straight, “I can be terribly persuasive. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Raising his eyebrows, Noct held his arms out dismissively, “be my guest, then.”
“Oh! Just one more thing,” she said, then hugged him, leaving Noct standing shocked in her arms. “Thank you, Noctis.”
“You really like him, huh?” He cupped the back of her neck, where her hair pulled up into her signature ponytail.
“I really do.”
“Well, we should probably let him know he’s not next on the chopping block, then.”
She pulled back from the hug and looked up at him wildly, “ after I ask Ignis for details.”
Noct sighed.
“As you wish.”