#nightseeing

It’s a good thing Altissia is beautiful and easy on the eyes, because Noctis can’t sleep.

He lingers now on the balcony of the Leville’s luxury suite, looking out over the winding streets with their twinkling lights and the canals and the dark, sleek gondolas gliding through the water. It’s now about two in the morning—or at least it was close to that last time Noct checked his phone. He’s been watching long enough for many of the gondoliers to hop off their rides and head home, for the shopkeepers to drag their carts away, and for plenty of young couples to share one last lingering kiss before they part for the night.

That last makes Noctis scowl.

With very little left to watch, he turns his attention to Camelia Claustra’s estate, the building that’s actually occupied most of his thoughts tonight. The Secretary’s property is not too terribly far from the hotel, but for the past three days it’s felt a million miles away. Regardless, Noct finds himself scanning every window he can see. Finding the conference room he spoke with Secretary Claustra in was easy; it’s almost directly across from the luxury suite, give or take hundreds of feet. An easy warp when he’s fully rested.

No, what’s difficult is trying to guess how far away her room is from that conference room. Which of the many windows might have her behind it. Whether the curtains or the decorations or lights might show him the way to who he wants to see most.

Something manic in Noctis has him checking the position of the guards who patrol just inside and outside the gates to the estate and—they’re gone.

Why aren’t they out? Are they switching shifts?

Even the idea is like a tree of lightning down Noct’s back. In less than a second he pulls his Rune Saber from the Armiger and brings his arm up to throw…

“I hope you aren’t meaning to warp at two in the morning.”

“Shit!” Noctis loses his grip on his sword. Luckily, a quick wrist movement banishes the blade before it goes over the balcony and possibly stabs an innocent night owl. When he gets control of his heart, breathing and blush, he turns to face his company. “Ignis, you couldn’t have knocked on the window?”

“I did,” Ignis says, with no small level of amusement. “Twice.”

Oh.

“Well—” he starts off, and then shakes his head, looking back out at quiet, mocking Altissia. He has no idea what excuse he was going to try and make anyway.

Ignis doesn’t push; he’s never been the type. He joins Noctis at the balcony, and they look at the stars together for some minutes. The environment and the lack of judgment about his insomnia makes him relax. It almost feels like when they’d stargaze as kids, spending hours outside making up new constellations, before Noct got older and Iggy got busier and Noct started dreaming about sharing the night with someone else.

Eventually Ignis does venture a few words. “You’ve slept either poorly or not at all since we arrived in Altissia one week past, Noct.”

“I’ve… had a lot on my mind.”

“I have no doubt. But as your right hand, and as your friend, I hope you are comfortable sharing whatever’s on your mind with me. Preferably before warping off gods-know-where in the middle of the night.”

Noct’s blush deepens. “It’s not… I trust you, Iggy, you know that. But this… isn’t so much on my mind as…”

…as on my heart.

Not words he’d ever be caught dead saying. Not even to his first friend. Not even to the empty air.

Ignis’ gaze follows Noct’s. When his green eyes alight on a certain window with white curtains he murmurs, “Ah.”

“It’s been a week since we got here, and three days since I spoke to Secretary Claustra. Three days since I swallowed my tongue and kept quiet about her having Luna in the same building without offering us the chance to meet. I thought she’d at least tell Luna where we were staying, so maybe she could meet us here, but…”

“But there’s been no sightings of her from any of the citizens of Altissia outside of brief press conferences. I know.”

He doesn’t have to say, Prompto and Gladio and I have checked, because Noct hears it in his voice anyway. It makes him feel warm, that they checked around town for him, that they have tried as hard as he has to bring himself and Lunafreya Nox Fleuret together.

It just hurts, too, because none of them has had any luck, and at this point it feels like the gods themselves are giving Noctis the finger.

“The notebook was good. Is good. But I haven’t been saying much lately and neither has she. I think it’s because we both expected to be together by now.”

“Nothing would please us more than that, Noct. But you mustn’t rush into danger in the name of seeing Lady Lunafreya. Altissia is still under the Empire’s watchful eye, and we’ve already heard whispers about the High Commander’s presence. He may be at his sister’s side now.”

“I know!” Noctis exclaims, then curses under his breath and clenches his fists, repeating his words more quietly. “I know.”

“Yet you’re still ready to choke down an ether and go the distance,” Ignis notes with disapproval.

“It’s not as easy as nodding my head and going back to bed, Iggy! I can’t keep wandering around town and pretending I’m more interested in gambling or seeing Luna’s dress than I am in seeing her.”

His hands are sweating. He rubs them over his pants to dry them off, and doesn’t give in to the urge to pace.

“I don’t know how much time is left before the Rite—all I know is that it’s not right now, and there’s no guards out there for once. Why shouldn’t I at least try and see her tonight?”

His adviser purses his lips. “I’m not averse to a nighttime adventure. But there’s too much information we don’t have. It is unlikely, but what if Secretary Claustra is arranging a meeting between yourself and Lady Lunafreya now, and your action derails that meeting?”

Noct shakes his head. “That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

“And this can’t wait until you’ve gotten some rest?”

“No, it can’t wait!” Noct declares. “Iggy—please. I’ve waited twelve years to speak to her face-to-face. I’ve waited five years to tell her that she’s the most important woman in my life. I can’t wait any longer. I can’t sleep knowing she’s a few buildings away. I can’t keep pretending she’s not important to me. My heart won’t let go—not when she’s so close.”

His whole face is red when he finishes speaking. It’s the most he’s talked about his feelings in years; especially his feelings for her. Perhaps it’s that naked honesty which causes Ignis to sigh and remove his glasses, pointedly polishing them for much longer than they need.

“We can discuss this more once my glasses have been properly cleaned. It may take some time; I can barely see you as it is out here.”

Noctis wrinkles his nose at first—but his confusion quickly wears off as Iggy takes slower and slower swipes with his handkerchief. “…Gotcha.”

He has the Rune Saber back out and aimed at the estate windows two seconds later. One… two…

He warps.

 His landing isn’t the best.

To his credit, he doesn’t miss and fall to his death, but it’s not a silent point-warp either. No, Noct ends up smacking his shoulder hard against the white-curtained window and muffling swear words as a shadow in the room darts up and turns on the lights.

Or—one light, in a spherical shape around what looks like a hand.

Is that a spell? Light magic?

Noctis’ heart starts racing. He knows he should hide, but he stands stock still on the very edge of the window as the curtain gets pushed aside, and—

—it’s worth it. Luna’s bewildered but beautiful face peers out at him.

They have an identical moment of quiet surprise: Noct at correctly guessing which guest window out of dozens might be hers, Luna at seeing Noctis at all, much less outside her window at close to three o’clock in the morning. Then Noct grins, because even though his shoulder is throbbing he feels light and warm and untouchable.

I made it. I made it.

“Noctis?” Luna mouths. She bends down to unlatch the window, and he looks away quickly, blushing hotly at the flash of cleavage and thigh he unintentionally gets. Her nightgown is very… daring.

Of course she was asleep. Why didn’t I wait like Iggy said…?

Then the window’s open, and there’s no more time for panicked thoughts or lusty thoughts or any thoughts that aren’t tell her why you’re here at 3 AM, you idiot.

“Luna…” He fumbles for words beyond her name. “I… I’m so happy to see you.”

She blinks at him for a moment, then smiles so brightly he feels even warmer than before.

“Noctis! I don’t know how you found me, but it is a joy to see your face.”

A jolt of bravery leads Noct to reach for her closest hand. Yes, he can see her now, but he wants to touch her, take her somewhere quiet where they can catch up for a few hours, just like any other engaged couple could.

Luna nearly duplicates the gesture, but hesitates with her hand halfway out. “What has brought you here this evening…?”

“I wanted to see you,” he replies instantly. “I wanted to talk to you. Well, and…”

She slips her hand in his and urges him to go on with one lifted blonde eyebrow. In exchange for her bravery, Noctis brings his lips down to brush her hand, and gestures to the roof with his free hand.

“I wondered if… did you want… would you like to come up to the roof with me? Just to talk, a-and to look at the stars and the city.”

While blushing, Luna glances between Noct and the ground, and then between the ground and the twinkling stars in the quiet summer sky. Noctis doesn’t dare breathe too loudly in case she politely declines his offer and closes her window in his face—but seeing the way her blue eyes sparkle just like those stars, he should’ve known that was unlikely.

“I would love that,” she says. “Just let me grab some robes for the chill.”

“Sounds good,” Noctis agrees. He’s pretending to be casual, but his insides shiver and leap with excitement—and, he abruptly realizes, with his own chill. He forgot to put on proper clothes over his nightclothes before warping across the city.