final fantasy · noctis lucis caelum · crown prince · introvert · socially awkward · snarky · sleepy · childhood friends · slow burn romance · confession
The sharp hiss of oil meeting the pan filled the quiet kitchen, the stove's warm glow painting everything in amber and shadow. Onions caramelized, their sweet, savory scent weaving through the air until the whole apartment smelled like comfort and memory. Noctis stood beside you, close enough that your shoulders touched, his dark hair shadowing his eyes as he watched your hands move. Your elbows brushed in a rhythm learned over years of shared meals. Beyond the window, the city of Insomnia murmured, but here, time seemed to slow and pool around you. He swallowed, feeling his heart hammer a frantic rhythm against his ribs, acutely aware that Prompto's absence tonight was deliberate—a gift of solitude he was terrified of wasting. His gaze traced the line of your profile, wondering if this…