#nctrnel

&. @nctrnel

It’s a little too funny to her, how he can look so soundly & comfortably asleep---and yet NOT be.

Sarah has barely moved - using any and all of the stealth she has at her disposal. The quietness of how she pushes herself off the mattress, and the slowness of her movements apparently doesn’t matter.

Noctis, despite how comfortable in his ‘ sleep ‘ he may be, still somehow manages to hold her firmly in place the moment his arm wraps around her waist.

The smile that tugs at her lips comes in an instant, and she dips her head slightly in an attempt to stifle a chuckle - silver tresses draping over her shoulder as she does. The next moment, she turns her head to look at her beloved.

He’s so... Graceful, the way his head is almost entirely buried into the pillow - no doubt to block out the sunlight, as well as the general idea of being AWAKE. His bedhead only makes it all more hilarious to look at.

Another giggle.

Sarah halfway turns her body, and she reaches for Noctis’s face to brush back those dark strands of hair. The sight of his darling features - his eyelashes, long and pretty---it’s all enough to make her succumb to him.

And she curls back into place, once more glued to his body, head tucked by his arm.

Her hand creeps up his torso, eventually reaching the back of his head - and Sarah’s fingers are now toying with his hair - all while she buries her nose against his neck - her kisses being laid gently against his skin.

❝Alright, a while longer,❞ she murmurs, although his warmth is so inviting, despite how Sarah can FEEL the on-coming headache from oversleeping.

❝... Don’t let me go, okay, Noct? I like it when you hug me like this,❞ she mutters, as her hand now moves down to dance along the skin of his arm. And she tilts her head down only to verify that, yes, her sleeping shirt ( previously HIS casual-wear shirt ) still smells like him.

She lays there with him for a few moments longer, legs tangled with his, and she’s utterly relaxed with her body pressed to his.

Soon enough, her eyes open up, wide and awake - and she sits up slightly again, only to lean into his ear.

&. @nctrnel​

Sarah laughs instantly, head tilting back as her hand comes up to her mouth.

❝Oh? I’ve hardly ever heard you say ANYTHING with that much optimism…❞ She observes, with obvious humour laced into her tone.

❝Not that I’m complaining… I like to hear you sounding positive every now and then. Preferably most-often.❞ Sarah adds, clasping her hands behind her back as she leans a little closer to him.

&. @nctrnel

The lecture she’d been giving him was very… Unlike-Sarah.

Realistically, she’d be telling him about being his own person—to fight the gods if he must, and twist their arms into letting him take charge of his destiny.

—The opposite of what she’d done, years ago, on the day she first encountered death.

Resigning to one’s foreseeable fate is a bleak thing, she sees now.

❝Don’t take this the wrong way,❞

They come from two different worlds. Figuratively and literally. 

❝I completely get WHY you get frustrated with Ignis telling you what’s what, but...❞

She has no place, encouraging his little ideas. His wonderful, innocent, freedom-yearning ideas.

❝You’re... Special. You’re so important to your people. He’s just... Being---what’s the word I’m looking for? ... Preemptive? I’m sure he wouldn’t be such a mother-hen if you wer---❞

Whatever bitter taste was left in her mouth by the reasoning she absolutely did not want to give is taken away in an instant, and is replaced with the candy-sweet warmth of his kiss.

Sarah just barely jerks in surprise. Gently. They’ve done this once, twice---maybe three times before.

Yeah. Three times tops.

And they’d acknowledged then, that it’s wrong. They can’t. It’s hopeless, and it will hurt them---and it would also be a huge dishonesty to act like they DON’T want to be more than friends.

At the very least, when they’re alone.

Frankly, Sarah doesn’t care that she can’t have ‘ forever ‘ with him.

A faint gasp can be heard from her, and she blinks up at Noctis, eyes wide in surprise.

She still isn’t used to the overwhelming tenderness that comes with his kiss.

Her eyebrows knit together, and she glares disapprovingly---for barely five seconds.

❝You ruined my entire speech!❞ She scolds; or whines. ---It’s a mix between the two things, as she steps forward, hands coming up to gently take hold of his face, and she’s kissing him again. She was never going to be able to hold up that angered façade.

They shouldn’t. SHE absolutely should not be doing this---not while they’re out in the open.

Even if they are alone, it’s not wise to take the risk.

She knows it. It’d be worth it, were it HER risk to take.

But it isn’t.

She withdraws, hesitantly lowering her hands, though she continues to stare up at him, longingly.

❝And now the rodents in this area know I’m a hypocrite.❞ She jests, doing her best to keep from grinning as wide as she wants to.

&. @nctrnel

His words are what make her stop in her tracks. It’s impossible to walk away when he isn’t done talking, and when she’s still attempting to appear barely-affected. ❝—No, Noct… It’s alright. Really.❞ Despite the weak smile she presents, Sarah’s finding it a little hard to keep her eyes on him---and even harder to keep her gaze averted. 

Brows knitted together just barely, she forces herself to look him in the eyes, and she tries her damndest to appear as though everything is normal. Like she doesn’t feel an invisible fist squeezing at her heart. Like adrenaline isn’t twisting her guts as the feeling of sheer stupidity has her stunned.

She’d been foolish to say anything. Why DID she say a thing at all? ---And of all the things the Hiso aliens had discovered about Noctis, they couldn’t have mentioned that one VERY important detail?

No, why would they?

He’s the crown-prince. The sole-heir to the throne. Why, pray tell, would she ever think he WASN’T already promised to another?

Sarah had entertained the idea momentarily a few times, and she’d promptly shoved it right out of mind as quickly as it came. 

Now that she’s made it uncomfortable---now that she’s made a damned FOOL of herself---and no doubt made HIM feel awful, she’s able to see that it is illogical to tell a man of his status that she likes him... And to have the nerve to hope for a positive response...

She should have first asked him if he was engaged. This entire situation could have been avoided with just a tad more foresight.

Sarah had told herself plenty of times that even IF she chose to confess to him, she wouldn’t do so in hopes that her feelings were mutual.

She’d still dared to hope.

❝It’s not like I had any intentions, I just... Figured I was being a little obvious, so I thought it might be best to clear things up. Don’t feel bad, please,❞ she manages a nervous chuckle, and a weak shrug of a shoulder. ❝It’s all good. Honestly. I’ll get over your cutesy-awkward charm eventually.~❞

Sickness meme || @nctrnel

For what time did Lunafreya spare to allow herself a moment of rest? Hardly, given the circumstance. It had been a good idea to get much deserved rest, with her busy schedule and lack of a decent sleep cycle, with her running fever and dizzying spells. Except Lunafreya had always been stubborn, putting the well being of others before hers, the weight of the people wore her down, for she was still young, but refused to let an ounce of that show. She didn’t need anyone else belittling her due to a simple fever. That’s all it had to be. It would pass. 

holy shit those ar elovely shots