private to Noctis

[treno_nobleman]

Something had come over him, and for the life of him, he couldn't put a name to the feeling. All he knew was that it was uncomfortable, it hurt, and he didn't like it. It had started while Noctis was gone, beginning in a small, dull space in him, and only gotten progressively worse over the hours. Reading didn't make the feeling go away; he couldn't concentrate on the words on the page. Cleaning didn't help; his hands were active, but his mind wandered. The tea he brewed went cold long before he could finish it, he'd been so lost in his mind.

He had almost resigned himself to the sensation, hoping it would go away on its own the same way it had come to haunt him. Before long, he found himself wandering outside, he told himself to enjoy the breeze and to listen to the sounds of the wind and birds, but his gaze kept wandering to the road leading up to the house.

Watching. Waiting.

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[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis had been feeling pretty restless. He'd gone home because he was afraid he'd overstayed his welcome. But he'd be absolutely damned if he hadn't wanted to say some things that would only wind him in hot water and that was how he saw it.

He tried to fall asleep because that helped him deal with things at times, just to try and give his mind a break and nerve wracked body a rest too. The nap only served to help for an hour at best. So he got up and tried reading a few of the books he kept swearing he'd read whenever he had time. Well that reading exercise lasted about half an hour.

The king then tried to go out on the back porch and looked up at the sky. A full moon hung overhead and he sighed, folding his arms over his chest. Everything in him wished he had Iggy here with him to give him advice as to what he should do. He wasn't as good at this thinking stuff as his advisor was and it irked him.

With something akin to a growl, Noctis decided that he was going to go back to see Kuja on the pretense of dinner which..really wasn't much of a pretense anyway. It gave him the perfect excuse to see the man who continually occupied his thoughts and he could even play it off as a trip to the grocery store.

Fortunately they didn't live far from each other at all, and the king nervously made his way down the hill from his house to Kuja's. And to his surprise, the other was outside. So he hurried down and shook his head, nervously reaching a hand into his dark hair. "So..I was going to order dinner...but then I thought that you might be hungry too."

[treno_nobleman]

The instant his ears caught onto the sounds of footsteps over the dusty path, Kuja's attention narrowed down to the source of their creation, though his eyes and the rest of him seemed to be occupied elsewhere, across the lake to the darkness of the forest bordering the opposite shore. Habit held him like this, as he had been made to wait so many times before among Gaia's nobility. Always appear aloof, never let them know how eager you are for their presence or the dealer may become smug with the control he holds over the situation and all can go wrong in the blink of an eye.

Their reunion was far from a business negotiation, but the rules were the same. He didn't want Noctis to think him a wilting rose, brightened only by the man's presence... and yet his eyes turned to greet the king even before Noctis had come to the final bend in the road. Kuja tried to suppress the smile on his face. He only just barely managed it, but it was there in his eyes no matter how hard he tried.

Tail shifting in a graceful sweep under his coat, Kuja stood and moved to greet the man properly. "So very thoughtful of you to walk all this way to offer me a meal. If you'd like the truth, my appetite seems to be lacking this evening, but I won't make your efforts wasted. What manner of dinner did you have in mind?"

[fatedsacrifice]

The man's grace and beauty always struck Noctis as ethereal. Why he wanted to be friends so badly with this man no matter how much risk was in being pushed away, it didn't matter. He recalled them being on opposite sides of a senseless conflict, not one of their own making. But he'd noticed the beautiful man and though he never had cause to talk to him, he found himself drawn in anyway and always wanted to.

"You're..not hungry?" Noctis asked, not even trying to hide how disappointed he was. Maybe he should learn how to do that, but this man wore his heart on his sleeve to his men and had found no real reason to try and pull a poker face in front of Kuja.

But then it seemed like the other was trying to meet him at least half way so the dark head shook at trying to come up with an answer. "I was..going to suggest steak. But if you're not hungry, I can't force you to eat."

Right?

And he may or may not be trying to catch his breath a bit and not look like that was something he was doing.

[treno_nobleman]

If nothing else, Noctis was so very truly and wonderfully adorable. Even now, Kuja would never be able to deny that to himself, whatever else he might tell the world he felt. The way he seemed to have the wind blown out of his sails upon hearing that his friend wasn't about to devour an entire meal there along with him, and even the manner of dish itself. He had never been a fan of red meats himself, but there was something so amusing about how Noctis could put back any meat and seemed to prefer to do so at every opportunity.

He tilted his head, smile hiding nothing, a faint chuckle rolling from his throat. One hand raised to let a long, perfectly painted purple fingernail lightly tap the king's nose. "No need to try and force anything on me. I could eat a little something." Though he had a feeling Noctis hadn't come here only to offer him out to dinner. "Come now. Lead the way, my king. Let's make an outing of it."

[fatedsacrifice]

For a moment the king was convinced Kuja was going to touch under his chin, but found himself disappointed when it didn't happen. Still, his eyes shifted to the other man and held himself still just in case that action did in fact become reality.

However, an almost relieved sort of laugh came out and Noct found himself smiling. So Kuja was going to eat with him and that was a good thing. So when the offer was accepted he wished he had the smoothness of Ignis, versus the hammering heart and more than likely really disheveled look he was more than sure that he had going on now. And even though he was addressed as a king, he never really had time to feel like one. A poker face and more serious mien had come over him of course, but inside he still felt as if he shook.

"I've got a driver to take us to the place." Because he wasn't going to make them walk. And..should he reach out for a hand or something?

[treno_nobleman]

It occurred to him then, once again, why it was that he found himself so very fond of the man standing before him, and it was in what he beheld at this very moment. Lovers had no meaning to Kuja, and so he never entertained the thought of allowing anyone on his arm. Few had been bold enough to try, of course. Arrogance knew no bounds, least all within the walls of Treno and the castle of Alexandria, but Kuja had his resolve and never would be broken.

Outside of the upper class life, none had dared to approach him, either too intimidated by him or too shy to make the attempt. But Noctis? Noctis was something of a mystery in himself. A king, to be sure, to his people and his world, but when Kuja first met him on the battlefield, he knew no different. Another warrior, staring him down from the other side of the line. Then, when they had been given the chance to get to know each other, the warrior became an uncertain boy in a man's body, a white knight masquerading as a king, making an effort at something they didn't know could be without knowing how to navigate those grounds.

Romance had only ever touched Kuja's heart through stage performances, where the actors gave life to a story their audiences, such life and conviction in their words that the audience soon shared their sentiments. Once, it had been the only way he knew what it was to feel at all, beyond the call of duty and the fire of his own desires, out of hate, for revenge, and then out of fury and terror. But Noctis was a performer all on his own, his stage the ground on which he walked, only this time, the story was real.

Kuja couldn't help but believe him, and it said much that he did, so accustomed to flowering pretty words all over the lies and intentions behind his meaning. The man, this king, made him feel something he could put no words to, and he found that as much as it baffled him, he rather liked it.

"A driver? So you had this planned all along." There was no true accusation behind the words. He couldn't help but to tease, all to see that flustered look on Noctis a little longer. "What would have happened had I declined your generous offer? Would you then whisk me away anyway, take me to your desired location for a night of delicious food and whatever else? Would you perhaps make me eat, a fork in my face if I said I didn't want it?"

He'd gotten carried away with the fantasy, he knew. But he also knew what it would provoke, and the grin on him did nothing to hide how much he was enjoying himself.

[fatedsacrifice]

The dark head went down and a nervous hand went through it. "Uh..well I was hoping you'd go with me. It wasn't like..I could really plan it." This was because Kuja could be wild and unpredictable like the weather. But just as he knew a storm wouldn't hurt him and it simply made loud sounds and could shake the ground, this man wouldn't harm him either. Sure like a storm, Kuja could summon things that could hurt and Six knew how badly he shook inside at thinking this beautiful man wouldn't want him. But then there was a gentler side, something in the other's eyes would change, and it would soften.

How Noct longed to see more of that.

But his dark blue eyes looked up into the other's now he smiled. "No..I..I couldn't do any of that." He found himself laughing self consciously at the thought of even trying to tear this man away from anything at all. The king while being a king and having power was an absolute squish which Kuja no doubt saw plenty of. He wasn't a forceful guy when it came to people. Now Six help anyone who threatened this gorgeous man. Anyone who dared wouldn't see a squish and would see how very badass this particular son of the Lucis line was. But there was no need for force otherwise.

Noct did see the smile and heard the mirth, but he couldn't just let this challenge of sorts go unanswered. "But hey if that's your idea of a good night, I could totally be talked into it."

[treno_nobleman]

What a delight Noctis made when he wanted to, but as much as he wanted to carry this on a little longer, they had all evening. But Noctis had come here for a reason, and it wasn't because he was hungry. He would give the king and his notorious appetite their due, knowing good and well they were going to need to feed the man at some point. Better sooner than later, he thought, and then allowed himself to muse on that. The possibilities might be even more endless than he first thought.

That brought out a grin. Oh, they were going to have fun with this.

"You should know my thoughts on how to enjoy an evening change by the minute." For now, anyway. "But let's not keep you starving. That was such a long walk to get here, I worry you may be famished. Look at you, near about to collapse."

Only too dramatic, but he was done dragging it out for the time being. The teasing, however, had become necessary. With Noctis loosening up enough to join in on it, Kuja decided he would like to keep that going. Perhaps he was only too thrilled to see his restlessness put away with the king's return. Patience had its place in his world, but of late, he had been lacking in it without the man around. How strange, unexpected. And somehow a delight in itself.

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis turned a lovely shade of red at Kuja's good-natured teasing. He knew the other cared and that much had been established early on in their interactions which he loved. It made the king wonder how much there was, but that was rude and if Ignis had lectured him enough on one thing, it was about being polite. He loved the other's grin though and really tried hard not to try to figure out other ways to bring it on though that proved to be impossible at times. He really did want to make the man smile a lot, especially with the way those beautiful blue eyes lit up.

"Ya well..there is that." Noctis knew enough that he was still blushing but it really didn't seem to matter, this man was just pure magic and he loved every minute of it.

"I got..a carriage waiting. But give me a minute.."

His voice trailed off and he pulled out his phone to text for the driver to come down. After he did that, he looked at Kuja. "I don't have reservations, but I know they'll take good care of us." And of course Noctis would make sure that the other didn't want for anything.

[treno_nobleman]

There it was again, that rose tint on the king's cheeks. How easy that was to bring out now and then when he put a little effort into it. The temptation to continue his teasing, now based on the fact that Noctis had thought ahead enough to request transportation, came on strong, but Kuja set it aside to watch the man play with his phone.

Strange technology, that, but he couldn't deny it intrigued him, given how much could be done with something so small.

"I wouldn't worry about it so much, my dear. Reservations mean we're busy people, and I see no obligations for either of us." He tilted his head, one brow raised just so slightly. "Unless I missed something in the time you were away. Have I?"

[fatedsacrifice]

Dear? Did Kuja just use a term of endearment, affection? Noct looked up from his phone a little shyly. "I..just want to make sure there's a place there for us." And he noted too that they were both using 'us' in their sentences.

What did it mean? What did it mean?

Of course, the other's question threw him off and it was so damn hard to concentrate on anything. He always felt like such a schoolboy with his first crush and it killed him inside as to how hard it hit him at times like now.

"Uh..no. I just.." Damn it he was faltering here because of those beautiful blue eyes and he wanted to just run his fingers through that beautiful silky silver hair.

Finally he just gave up. "Uh..no."

[treno_nobleman]

He tilted his head to give Noctis a look and stepped closer to peer at the man's phone, because he could. By a name, he knew what the technology was and some few of its functions, but as far as to use one himself, he would be better off trying to convince himself to wear a ragged and torn sweater in the middle of summer. What an interesting world the king had come from.

"Just how much of this plan of yours was concocted before you found me on my doorstep?" He couldn't help but tease. The more Noctis gave him that look, the more he loved it. Something about a king brought to his most sheepish times by a bit of simple conversation. He'd be lying to say he wasn't thoroughly enjoying having this much power simply with a smile and a word or two, especially with this man in particular, but the truth of the thing was that it went both ways.

Not that he'd admit as much for the life of him.

"Shall I try to help you with this?"

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis had to laugh a little self-consciously. "Well, I had the dinner part planned and the ride. But..somehow it got tangled." And it was of course because the man's effect on him had always been the same. The king by nature was a nervous guy though he always tried to appear calm and in control and unruffled. But Kuja just somehow could magically press buttons as smoothly as he'd wielded those damn balls on the battlefield.

And the other of course came nearer to him and Noctis could literally feel himself shaking from the proximity. Was this some sort of fever thing that was never going to go away any time the silver-haired man got near him? If so, Noctis was definitely going to have to come up with some sort of counter measure because sooner or later Kuja was going to figure it out, if he hadn't already.

[treno_nobleman]

Kuja managed a sympathetic look, something of a pitying frown, and a quiet "Aww" to accompany it. One step closer though and the smile returned, amusement commanding his mood. Whatever was he going to do with this man, this king among men in his world? What did that look like, where Noctis came from, where the name and title held so much more weight than it did in this strange place?

He might like to see it, he thought, were it even possible.

"Tangled? What a word. In what way? You've gone to so much trouble to see this through, I may as well help you if I can." He grinned and reached to brush a bit of invisible dirt off of Noctis's shoulder for no other reason than to do so. "Unless you would rather handle this yourself."

[fatedsacrifice]

The blush on his face deepened and he always somehow managed to feel like a little kid. "Well it's just a matter of coordinating everything." And then his dark blue eyes looked up at Kuja when the hand went to his shoulder. Touch was something he always craved and never really got a lot of growing up. Even with the boys, it was always careful and casual. And even if this was supposed to be that way, it was very welcomed.

He just wouldn't be able to put it into words.

"I just need to figure it out." This was said as he looked down at his phone as if it was an oracle of sorts to hold all of the answers to his questions. For some reason, the unexpected touch just grabbed his heart and wasn't letting go. And he kept trying to push off the whole feeling of wanting to cry at the unbidden memories of wanting to be held and cuddled suddenly flooded his brain at this unwelcome moment.

[treno_nobleman]

A few extra sweeps of his fingers more than are necessary, that being not at all, and he peers back up at the king, noting his attention shifting to the phone again. He hummed softly in acknowledgement, then turned his own attention to the other shoulder, brushing at more invisible dust there until he was satisfied with the outcome.

At last, he let Noctis be and stepped back to admire his work, letting Noctis handle what was necessary. Something seemed to shift on the man's face, something uncertain. Kuja didn't question it, put it in the back of his mind for later, if he needed it. His patience came in waves, and for the evening, he found himself pleasantly generous with it while he waited, still smiling in that way of his, letting Noctis do as he would.

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis picked up on that humming. And for whatever reason it was soothing to him, and brought him some small amount of comfort. So finally he looked up at the other after working the bad juju out of his system and he wasn't sure how to tell Kuja that he'd really helped with that humming thing that he did.

"So the car's coming in about two minutes. We'll go out to dinner and then I'll bring you home." Because that's what gentlemen did. But still, he had to wonder if Kuja would like the place or if he'd think it was terrible. And of course the gorgeous silver haired man's thoughts and opinions mattered.

Maybe way more than they should.

"Sorry for the delay, I didn't mean to have that happen."

[treno_nobleman]

Whatever Noctis had been thinking himself through, it seemed to take a little time, more than he was politely willing to allow, but he did so anyway, trying to remember that Noctis was not used to this manner of... of whatever they had here. In a way, it was a disappointment, but he hoped beyond hope that this was a beginning, a start to something far better than he deserved, something the king had every claim to if only he would ask.

And Kuja, for the life of him, didn't know where to begin with it. He could tease, he could pretend every day of the week. But this wasn't the same. This wasn't just some banter between them, some tease that would have been fun before they parted ways if only it didn't linger in his mind.

How he hated it. Nothing made him feel like this before, nothing ever could. He had been born an adult, well past the emotional adjustment period of a child where one worked through the nuances of life and what it meant to come into their own. He never had known that. He never would. It was what failed him as an experiment, what made him the disgrace that he was. Because he could not know what emotion led to what, or how to handle such a thing, he had struggled to achieve Trance, his ultimate power, and with it, the devastation that would wipe a world off the map in his fury and terror.

But no more. He had lived that life once, learned to regret it. Now, he struggled with something so small, so monumental. There were no words, no guides, no reassurances. There was only him, lost in his feelings, left to wonder at what to do as the evening progressed.

"That sounds lovely, your highness. There are no delays where your commands are concerned. I had assumed that you did everything on purpose."

Really? That was his societal teachings? He could have done better. So much better. But the smile on his face gave nothing away.

[fatedsacrifice]

The dark head lifted at the 'highness' thing. He slightly blushed and shook his head. "That title really doesn't hold a lot of weight here." True Noctis was a king and had a kingdom.

Had.

But there were people that were nice to him here and that's all he'd been looking for. He wished that Kuja could be..whatever rank it was that he would be seen as if they got that far. King Consort maybe? He didn't know enough about royal protocol since it was only expected that he would marry Luna. Well, that hadn't happened and Noct had shut that part of himself off.

Until Kuja happened which wasn't a planned thing at all, much like the whole political marriage thing he never saw coming either. True he had feelings for Luna which were more like a sister or a good friend, and maybe that was more than enough in his father's eyes besides the whole political alliance thing.

But that was about as good as a dumpster fire now as it had been all along.

However, the arrival of the car rescued him and he smiled, holding out his hand. "So..you're going to join me for dinner, right?"

[treno_nobleman]

True enough, their titles meant nothing in this world. Royalty, homeless, nobility, middle class. The were all well and truly one and the same in this place, picked apart from the crowds by their mannerisms and speech and nothing more, but even that afforded them nothing. He had long been used to working with whatever shoddy hand he had been given, confident in his own abilities, but it wasn't necessary anymore.

And the look on Noctis's face said it all. To give the man a little breathing room, he said nothing about it, and then he didn't need to. A familiar rumbling sound over the hill caught his attention and soon resolved itself into their ride away for the evening.

The hand, offered in so gentleman-like a fashion, Kuja took his time in accepting. Only because he could. "That was the plan, was it not? Might be that my appetite has returned after all."

[fatedsacrifice]

"I hope so." Noctis smiled. And it seemed like forever but eventually Kuja took his hand and had him get into the car as he reluctantly let go of Kuja's pale hand. Shutting the car door behind the other, Noctis then got in the other side and closed his door.

"Is everything in order?" asked the driver. The king nodded solemnly. "Ya onto dinner."

It was a reminder to him though that he should always try and treat the other in a kind manner because aggression could be unwanted and Ignis would mentally kill him from wherever he was after he got all of those lessons about how to be a kind and noble person.

The car started moving and Noctis of course felt nervous. But he looked over at Kuja. "Do they have cars in your world?" He didn't think so, but it was good to find out.

[treno_nobleman]

Their transportation had a certain charm to it, he couldn't deny. After being so long used to vehicles such as airships and carts and his own devices to move himself around, he couldn't help but envy the technological advancements of the world he found himself in. How nice it was, to have the convenience of a car around, and so widely available at that.

He glanced around the interior, delighting to himself in the comforts it offered him and his partner now over what would have been in an airship or a carriage in his own world. The nobility in him thrilled in the luxury, but he kept his thoughts on it quiet, and mostly to himself. How he would love to have seen Noctis's world, if this was only all too common.

"We do, but nothing quite so extravagant as this. The seating is much firmer, made of rougher materials, and the interior..." He gestured in the empty space before him, looking for the right word. "... less lovingly designed." In his world, after all, it was more about the spaciousness of the thing, not necessarily about the comfort. Room meant luxury in his world, after all. The bigger the space, the more high class it was, but that didn't always equate to quality.

A moment more, lingering in his awe, and he looked over to Noctis, some slight envy in his gaze. "You know this as a casual luxury in your world, yes?"

[fatedsacrifice]

"So..what kind of transport do you have?" For some reason, he couldn't imagine a huge difference in their worlds since Kuja wasn't freaking out over the car. And being enclosed might make someone nervous. And only now as they were talking about it did he wonder. "They have chocobos where you are right? Do they pull anything or.." Here Noctis admonished himself for sounding like he was babbling. But really he was just worried he'd somehow been remiss to ask about the other's comfort level before they did something like this.

But of course Kuja locked eyes with him and Noctis wondered how he remembered anything when that happened. The words took a moment or so to register and finally it felt like he could think. "Ya, a lot of people have cars where I'm from, but not everyone." And he couldn't imagine that everyone got a nice new shiny black sports car for their coming of age day.

It was really weird to think that the gorgeous man next to him didn't have cars or something along those lines. Because he sure seemed used to the finer things in life if his clothes and mannerisms were anything to go by.

[treno_nobleman]

Now that he had taken in what he wanted of the vehicle's interior without making a fool of himself - he was always careful not to seem too terribly amazed with anything by habit - Kuja redirected his focus back on Noctis for their ride. No sense in seeming rude to someone who had done him a kindly favor, after all. One more shift back into the plush seating, considering his words, and began his reply.

"Chocobos, yes, for a start. They were once our primary means of transport, and still are in some areas. Here and there, in the more rural areas, you see them pulling carts, a favorite of the tradesmen to help move their goods and services. Then, technology came about and was developed and improved upon and we knew ships that carried people across the seas. Not to be outdone, someone got it in his head to make those ships fly, and now we have airships. These airships have been my preferred mode of transportation between the main cities I frequented on Gaia."

There, he turned his eyes to Noctis, wondering if what he would say next would or could impress the man. A king in his own realm, knower of steel comforts and conveniences. Alexandria had gone that way as well, and Kuja thought the whole world would one day. Those who were smart knew there was work in it, profit to be made. Still, when the people beheld his favorite transport, his only true companion, their eyes grew in amazement and awe. Truly, who among them could boast of having tamed a silver dragon?

"Given my choices, I would have and often did pick the one air bound method that no other had. A silver dragon. We found each other in our youth, hesitant and wary of each other as we were, naturally. I imagine she had been abandoned by her mother, for one day, she followed me home. None of my efforts to chase her back to the wilds worked, and so I took advantage of her situation and began caring for her."

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis just turned to listen to Kuja as he spoke. Somehow any time the silver haired man talked, the king half expected him to utter something magical, much like the man was himself. But instead he just reigned in his grin, feeling like a little boy getting to hear a really cool story. His dark head cocked to the side as he listened and nodded. This world that the other was from sounded pretty fascinating and wished he could see it or some day visit with this gorgeous man on his arm as a sort of tour guide. That would be a treat.

But then he heard the word dragon. His blue eyes widened of course and was quite surprised and impressed all at the same time. "You own a silver dragon? What's her name?" That knocked his socks off so to speak and he wasn't even sure what to say to something like that. And of course he didn't doubt Kuja's words for a moment because that wasn't anywhere in the cards for him. Nor would it ever be really. But he still sat there, feeling spellbound. Well the silver dragon matched the silver hair and it really did seem to fit Kuja to have such a mount.

He couldn't help it, that was just the most awesome thing he heard. And to hear how she wouldn't go back to the wild and insisted on sticking by the man's side even if she didn't really know him. That spoke silent volumes in Noct's eyes and it definitely gave him a new point of view of a man who seemed pretty particular about a lot of things in his life.

Come to find out there was a soft heart beneath it all. Fancy that.