#ravnyx

“This is yourgoddamn fault, Nyx Ulric.”

“My fault?” The brown-haired man seemed almost shockedand baffled by the other man’s accusations. Green eyes narrowed for a moment ashis wrist flicked upwards as if gesturing for the white-haired man to offersome sort of explanation. “How was I supposed to know that this would happen,Ravus? Wasn’t she on the pill or something?”

Ravus’s eyes narrowed at Nyx, but soon took themselvesaway from the hero of the hour as the high commander began to beat the milkinto his tea to mix it. “She was, but she outright told you that she needed tocease taking them. Her health was more important than those pills, and you knewit.”

“I didn’t think she’d be off them that soon! Thinks justhappened, and things got sexy that night, and what do you know? It’s themorning after.” Nyx let out a heavy sigh, slouching into his place as hepropped his head up with his arm. It was hard to try keeping everything in aloud whisper as the two men sat in the café together. Having to wait for theirpartner was unbearable with this kind of tension, especially when both werestill trying to cope with the sudden news that their partner was pregnant. Yes,they had heard that right. Pregnant.Meaning that there would be a kid coming soon. That wasn’t something either ofthem could handle, and yet here they were. Nyx’s eyes were left wide as hefound his mind wandering. Oh god… It was going to happen. That kid was going tocome out into this world and see what a bad father he would be.

Though he suddenly stopped as he looked up at thedisgruntled Ravus, who stared off as he absent-mindedly stirred his tea withsuch aggression that he threatened to shatter the cup. Nyx’s eyes narrowedbefore he leaned forward with his arms on the table. “How come it’s my faultanyways? Didn’t you sleep with her too?”

Ravus’s grip tightened on the tea cup, knuckles turningwhite as his lips pressed themselves together as tight as they could. “…I didnothing of the sorts.”

“You’re a really shitty liar, Ravus. I’m pretty sure shetold me that you two had sex before she had sex with me.”

“And last I recall, it was you and I who made love rightafterwards.”

“Hey. Don’t question the mood, Ravus. It happens.” Nyxlet out another sigh, hand running itself along his undercut as his eyebrowsfurrowed. “Shit, man… I’m not ready for a kid. I can’t even pay my bills ontime – or cook for myself some nights. How the hell are we going to raise a kidtogether?”

Before Ravus could reply, it was a little old lady whochimed into the conversation, overhearing the two bickering as she stood inline for her venti frappe. “Oh, you two are having a baby? Congratulations, youtwo! I’m sure the surrogate mother will make your baby look so cute!”

Nyx and Ravus froze, staring at the woman before staringat each other. Ravus had to clear his throat as the silence settled in afterthe awkward statement. “Regardless… If this is what she wants, then we mustabide and show our dedication to her wishes. Raising a child will not becomplicated, so long as you are willing to learn how to act like the father youwere chosen to be.”

“…You’re acting as if you’restill not the father, Ravus. I actually keep condoms in my wallet, just incase. What do you do?”

Ravus looked directly at Nyx, staring at him as he raisedhis teacup and looked at him over the edge of his teacup. Why was Ravus soconfident that it wasn’t him? Nyx took a moment to register Ravus’s gaze andbody language as he heard metal tapping against the wooden table. The heroended up letting out a groan, rubbing his hand over his face as he grumbledunder his breath. “Oh, goddamnit. Ravus.”

“The miracles of this so-called ‘doggy style.’” Ravus scoffedto himself as he took as sip of his tea. He set it down soon afterwards, reachingout and taking the hero’s hand into his own and shaking it just enough to bringNyx’s attention to him. “Nevertheless, Nyx Ulric, you will be a fine father – regardlessof whether or not you think you are ready for the task. Because in the moment,no one is every truly ready. But as time passes and you begin to learn, theexperiences along the way will help you become the father you were meant to be.”

Nyx found his eyes wandering down, taking in Ravus’swords with a small nod as he let out a sigh. “For a geek like you, you can saysome pretty profound things, Ravus.”

“As they say, ‘geeks’ shall inherit the world.” Ravusgave a small nod in response, bring Nyx’s knuckles up to his lips and placing asmall kiss in them. But he soon rose from his place, adjusting his coat andpushing his bangs out his face. “Now then, if you will excuse me, I will betaking my leave now.”

“What? But she said she was going to meet us and-“

“Last I heard, it was youthat was the father. Not I. I have to cater to my work in order to supply theboth of you a suitable place to live. And now, to raise your child.”

“It’ll be your kid too!”

“Not until it becomes capable enough to hold a decentconversation. Then I shall claim ownership.”

Nyx frowned at Ravus, standing up as well as if to goafter the commander. “Ravus! You can’t just leave me here. This wasn’t theplan, Ravus! This conversation’s going to be so awkward!”

“You are the hero, Nyx.” The high commander leanedforward, placing a mocking little kiss on the guard’s lips before he stood uprightagain and made his way to the door. “Since when did heroes ever need plans?”

“What?”

Noctis blinked back at him, eyes as misty as the blue dawns of Tenebrae. He had an almost supernatural sense for people looking at him; a product of his position, learning how to be acutely aware of the watchful eyes on him at any given moment. Ravus was familiar with the feeling. He was more familiar with making finely crafted denials. Sometimes his best ones were silent.

“Did you want to…?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?” Noctis asked, his voice hoarse in the darkness.

“Nothing.”

Usually, that was enough to silence Noctis. Ravus had taught him to take commands like that quite nicely. But then, usually Ravus never left himself open for him to ask questions in the first place. Noctis winced as he rolled over to face him. The ache always looked so attractive on him, furrowing the fine lines of his brow and pressing the flushed pink of his lips together as he moved. Ravus liked him that way, proud of himself for being able to rend the unruly Prince of Lucis so raw.

Tonight, he didn’t like it so much. He liked the perceptive tug of Noctis’ gaze even less.

“You’re worried about him,” he said, as if Ravus were so easy for him to read.

Ravus should find the strength to correct that. He should dismiss these callow reflections on Nyx Ulric – as if he were so sentimental – and take advantage of his absence to properly school Noctis against thinking he could ever have the upper hand. That he would ever dare let him think that there was something to see past his frosty veneer. It would be simple enough to do after he’d already taken Noctis apart so thoroughly. It might even be cathartic for Ravus, to drive out the shade of Nyx through the prince’s shuddering pleas.

Try as he may to summon his enthusiasm for disciplining Noctis though, Ravus still felt himself sinking beneath the empty space. Nyx was an adequate lover, though a churlish companion. He didn’t miss his company, nor Noctis’, when he returned to Niflheim. It wasn’t even that often that all three of them ended up in the same place together at once. It wasn’t as if he was accustomed to feeling Ulric’s presence in whatever bed they landed in. His pleasure in the arrangement had more to do with having power over Noctis than it ever did with Nyx having a share.

But there was a certain security from Nyx’s side that Ravus didn’t expect he would miss. There was safety in knowing he couldn’t truly hurt Noctis, that there was someone that could heal any pains Ravus might inflict on him that he didn’t know how to heal himself. With Nyx, it was safe for him to be at his worst with Noctis.

Ravus wasn’t used to feeling safe. He didn’t know that had been what he felt until it was gone.

“He’ll be back,” Noctis said, softly, hand caressing the cold sheets between them. “You get used to it… eventually.”

It was clear to Ravus then that “eventually” had yet to come for Noctis. He could see it in the faint crease of his forehead, hidden beneath the debauched fall of his hair, in how the smooth slope of his shoulder tensed as his fingers clasped the wrinkles of the bedsheets.

Maybe it was because Ravus knew what was out there on the frontlines that Nyx was facing. Maybe it was because he’d seen himself what the Empire was making in their mad scientists’ labs. Maybe he did feel a little guilty, literally sleeping with his enemies only to send one out to be slaughtered by his own side.

He didn’t cross the space between him and Noctis. That would be too much like pretending Nyx wouldn’t be back to claim it for himself. Instead, he set his hand next to his, the one that wasn’t cold and unfeeling and only capable of inflicting pain. He didn’t hold Noctis’ hand and tell him it was all going to be okay, because he wasn’t a silly boy that believed in lies and that everything would come up daisies. He didn’t want Noctis’ comfort either, but the prince’s little finger still brushed against the side of his hand, like he was asking permission to hold it.

Just this once, Ravus let him.

---

The Kingsglaive returned the very next day. Ravus could never accuse Nyx of having bad timing.

Ravus only had an hour before he was set to make his flight back to Gralea, and he hadn’t planned on taking that hour to say goodbye to Nyx, but Noctis insisted. Noctis was more willful when Nyx was nearby, thinking he could be the one making demands of Ravus. Another reason not to miss Ulric when he was away.

Watching Noctis tackle him with kisses once they found a place to be alone, even more of a reason. Ravus lingered by the door, arms crossed, thoroughly disgusted by the wanton urgency of the prince’s kisses, and Nyx’s endeared smirk between each one. They were disgusting. Always had been. Whereas Ravus could constraint Noctis’ passion when they were alone, Nyx encouraged boundless affection.

It made Ravus feel sick. Sicker when Nyx came up for air just to turn that wicked smirk on him.

“Did you miss me too?” he asked.

Ravus scowled. His stomach felt warm. Must have been his lunch.

If anyone ever told Nyx that Noctis was not a good diplomat, he wished he could film moments just like this was to present as evidence. Because there was no greater test of his diplomatic patience than wrangling Ravus to release control. It was a Astralian task some times, and it made it hard to understand why Noct loved him so much – or why Nyx did for that matter, despite his better judgment.

Noctis managed to coax his princely counter-part to his comfy couch. It was a trap, Nyx knew, because once one sat on that couch it was hard to get up off it again. If not in part of how comfortable it was, then in part of how Noctis tended to use his relaxing victim as a part of the furniture himself. There was no escaping his clutches once he stretched out on the sofa and rested his head in Ravus’s lap. It was for the Commander’s own good, lest Nyx take the nearest meat skewer and poke it in his eyes.

“We’re royalty, Ravus,” Noctis pointed out. “We should be the ones served, not serving.”

The prince flitted a wink at Nyx as the glaive rolled his eyes, returning to the empty kitchen to resume his work. Speaking to Ravus’s ego was another sure-fire way to keep him clear of all the kitchen utensils Nyx could use as murder weapons.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m your humble servant, Your Highnesses,” Nyx said, feeding into the façade (he wore the pants in this relationship and they all knew it – though Ravus was still in denial).

“Nyx will make us something fit for two kings,” Noctis promised before Ravus could open his mouth to suggest otherwise. “Just relax.”

That was a tall order for the high-strung High Commander, but with Noct planted on his lap and Ravus too polite – though prickly about it – to make him move, he wasn’t going anywhere. Unfortunately, not moving from the couch didn’t mean he couldn’t move his lips.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t have double regicide in mind, then.”

“Only single regicide,” Nyx countered. “Extra hot peppers in your portion, got it.”

When Ravus rolled his eyes, Nyx could practically hear it without looking at him. Ravus was a man who’s derision dripped off of him like an acid waterfall, barreling down on Nyx’s shoulders until they burned. But he’d survived far worse fires than the scorn of a spoiled, sanctimonious sovereign that thought he was a chef.

Granted, Nyx didn’t know the first thing about Tenebrae cuisine, which was the object of today’s endeavor, but he was sure he could do it better than a man who had never touched a daggerquil breast in his life. One day, if he ever developed the patience, Nyx would love to educate Ravus on the cathartic qualities of a cooking a meal for oneself. Bread-making, that would be good for Ravus. Lots of punching dough, Nyx thought he might enjoy that.

But not today. Today, he was not a saint prepared to sacrifice his own self-worth for the sake of suffering the countless barbs against his character in an effort to enlighten him. Nyx could sacrifice a lot for love, but not that much.

“Sure you don’t need help?” Noctis asked, though he made no move to get up from his sprawl.

“You just want to make sure I don’t add arsenic to his.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“It’s a valid concern,” Ravus growled.

Noctis reached up and batted at his mouth in a lazy effort to make him be quiet. Nyx didn’t need any more encouragement to sabotage their dinner. In the end, Nyx had enough self-restraint to keep all three plates poison-free, and managed to salvage whatever monstrosity Ravus had originally been attempting into something edible – although, it would have been hilarious if Ravus killed himself with his own cooking, with no help from Nyx.

“For my royal leiges,” he announced with all the gravitas of a subservient pion to the throne. “Grilled daggerquil breast with roasted sweet pepper pasta.”

Noctis sat up and dug into his portion eagerly. Ravus watched him from the corner of his eye, as if he were waiting for his face to turn purple and prove that it was in face poison in the pasta sauce. Nyx was about ready to pin him down and force it down his throat. Once Noctis purred with approval around his mouthful of linguine, Ravus chanced a taste of his own. He met Nyx’s gaze, eyes narrowed, and did not let it go until he finished chewing.

“Adequate,” he said, simply. “And I’m not dead.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was the best compliment Nyx was ever going to hear from him. He’d just have to take it. If not for his own sake, then for Noct’s, who was looking at him with the most earnest, hopeful, apologetic stare he could sneak past while Ravus was distracted. There was a lot that they didn’t agree on, but one thing they’d always agreed to set their differences aside for was Noct.