She shivered and had to look away for a moment. She took a breath and reminded herself that time was over. A voice beside her startled her back to the present before she drifted too far into the past.
“Ready to go fishing?”
Aranea glanced over at Ignis, nearly forgetting he was here with her. He was fully dressed, even in this weather, and he was awkwardly holding both fishing poles in one hand. Aranea felt a familiar blush of embarrassment in her cheeks and quickly looked away again.Â
“That’s a good look on you,” he whispered as he closed the bedroom door behind him.Â
She smirked over her shoulder and pushed the softening peppers and onions in the pan. “Couldn’t find my shirt. Didn’t want to wake any of you searching for it. You all looked so adorable. I’d have taken a picture if I could find my phone.”
Nyx came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, kissing her neck. “That was quite the birthday.”
Monica turned away, cheeks prickling with heat at the sight of tanned skin and bright blue eyes focused on her. Now that she looked more attentively, the rest of the customers were mostly families, groups of friends wearing matching caps bearing the logo of the festival, and only a few men alone with beers. She was sticking out in the crowd, she couldn’t deny it.
She sipped her wine as casually as she could. She couldn’t pretend to have family here. Another approach was needed, then.
She’d never been to the beach before. She only ever saw beaches from afar, in pictures and in her imagination when Crowe talked about old memories. She never experienced the sands for herself, never wrote her name or built a sand castle in them. She never went up to the shoreline and let the tide wash over her feet. She never let the water rise to her knees or splashed about with reckless abandon.
The closest Luna ever got to the beach was by pressing souvenir shells against her ear to mimic the sound of ocean waves.
When Noctis is presented with his guard’s replacement, however, he’s caught between laughing and gasping in surprise. Â
And just like he remembers from all those years ago, Nyx salutes, bows, and comes up with a sly little grin. “Your Majesty.”
Noctis looks to Ignis at his right, confused. The Chamberlain just clears his throat and gives a little shrug of his shoulders. “He was the best candidate available, in every aspect.” Â
The slow creak of the door to their room reached his ears, followed by the smell of coffee, then the dip of the bed beside him. A strong, large hand brushed the hair from his face and trailed down his cheek. Loqi couldn’t help but lean into it. Curse his touch-starved self.
“Is that for me?” he asked into Cor’s palm, skipping the morning pleasantries altogether.
“Nope,” Cor smirked and tipped the mug of coffee towards him before taking a long sip from the plain white mug. Asshole. “Yours is on the table if you want it.”
“I figured I would find you here.” Ignis’ voice could be heard from behind her, she turned to face him and returned the smile that he wore. “I suppose our Lucian flowers are quite splendid, seeing as how you have really taken a liking to them.”
“I have very few memories of Lucis from my childhood so you can't exactly blame me, yes?” She said as he reached for her hand, lifting it to press to his lips. “I am so very lucky to be spending such a beautiful evening with you, Ignis.”
“You’re only upset you don’t get to sleep in. Though I must say I am a bit sorry to drop this on you so suddenly, but you know...Crowe likes to do the same. I must think on my toes,” Luna laughed as she set a mug in front of Noctis. He pouted but circled his hands around his cup, grateful for the warmth and the smell of something sweet- not bitter. Tea was a better way to start the day he guessed.
“Yeah yeah, you and your girlfriend and your spontaneous dates and trips,” he pouted more into the mug, then looked up to Luna and grinned, “I’m just kidding, you know I’m happy to take Pryna so you guys can go be gross and in love somewhere far away from me.”
