Who: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret and Nyx Ulric What: Nyx has acid burns and Luna patches him up, and more. Where: Nyx's apartment When: Right after Nyx and Kitty meet the alien
Nyx was hurt. Barely bandaged from Kitty’s robot or whatever doctor, but he was hurt. His whole right side burned, luckily was warping when the acid blood started splashing, so he was able to avoid most of the contact - really thankful because he wasn’t sure if he’d have the limbs or even be staggering home to Lunafreya at this point if he took the full brunt of the acid blood to his body. Walking up to the front door, he saw Snorlax snoozing away by the front porch, as comfortable as could be. Poor guy, too big to come inside. Nyx was going to have to build him a nice warm place to be, since it was getting quite cooler fairly quickly. Later, things for later.
Pushing through the door, Nyx almost fell over. The clothes he wore burned away, some of the fabric likely fusing with his body from the acid burns. Those would be painful removing. Leaning his left side along the wall by the door, he used his boot covered foot to kick the door closed, when he saw BB-15 start rolling up, and see him and instantly start freaking out in a barrage of beeps and boops. Welp, the cat was out of the bag.
“Princess..” Nyx called out the pain probably evident in his voice. “I need you and please don’t freak out.” Of course, he always told her he’d be careful and normally he was - just this time it wasn’t enough. Just proof that he himself wasn’t infallible to getting caught in something that he couldn’t avoid. When she arrived, and expecting her to be in a panic he spoke. “Before you lecture me or lose your mind..” Nyx winced. “We gotta get me taken care of.” He expressed painfully. “With the first aid kit, there are like four or five bottles of medical alcohol. Get all of them.” Nyx started moving towards the bathroom where the tub was, almost throwing himself in it. When Lunafreya returned to him he spoke. “All of them. Pour all of them on the burns.” He wasn’t sure what the acid blood was closest too, but he would start here.
—-
Lunafreya hadn’t been far; reading intently in the other room, she at first didn’t notice the opening of the door. As soon as she heard Nyx’s voice, she cursed her own inattention and closed the book, getting up just as his tone and his following words registered.
I need you and don’t freak out.
In her lifetime, the princess had seen a lot; far too much, by most people’s standards. She’d healed grievous wounds and the darkness that tried to claim lives. But this was different. This was Nyx, who had become precious to her even in the single day they’d had together in Insomnia. Nyx, whom she never wanted to lose again like she had before.
Sucking in her breath as she caught sight of him, her steps quickening, Lunafreya only allowed her eyes to widen, even as she savagely bit her lip against the words that wanted to tumble out. What happened, what were you doing, where have you been. None useful, none soothing. “Nyx,” she breathed out, both worried and chiding, the distance between them closed in two steps, as she took his less-damaged arm and helped him to the bathroom.
The medical alcohol fetched with haste, she hesitated as she knelt next to the tub, her arms setting down the whole of the medical kit. Better to have it all ready, because it looked like they would need it. “It’s…” Her hands fluttered a moment, before closing into impotent fists, frustration and need warring on her face. If she’d had her powers, she could have eased this. Maybe not healed him completely, but…something. “This is going to hurt,” she managed instead, her voice rough and uneven. She grabbed the first bottle, uncapped it, and her eyes scanned him for the worst spot. His chest, she started, knowing from experience that starting closest to the vital organs was most important. Slowly, forcing out the sigh of his skin contracting painfully under the onslaught, she poured the alcohol. It sluiced over the burns, carrying away the vestiges of the acid, cleaning the wounds. Tears glistened in her eyes, but they didn’t overspill, her jaw set with determination.
—-
Being in the bathtub, and Lunafreya being as good as she was about everything was also good. There was a lot of emotion there for Nyx to read on her face. His Princess was hurting for him, and he could see it in her eyes. There was no doubt about what she was feeling, and Nyx would take time to acknowledge that - later. In the now, he was much more interested in not dying, not going into shock, and - Holy gods did this hurt! Her words of it was going to hurt was acknowledged immediately with a scream of pain from Nyx. One hand clutching the tub, the other trying to grasp at the wall with his nothing to grab, but for all that was happening, she stayed steady with one bottle after the next, which thankfully eased the pain fairly quickly. The acid remnants being washed away easily enough.
Breathing heavily, Nyx sighed. “Okay. That hurt.” He finally agreed with Lunafreya.
This was the next part of discomfort. Shifting his weight, Nyx grabbed his very tattered shirt and pulled up, and peeled the disintegrating fabric away from his body throwing it away towards the corner of the room. “Help me.” Nyx muttered softly holding his good arm out so Luna could help him up and out of the bathtub. Once out, he took another deep breath. The tingling was weird, mostly along the edges of the wound. It was a vague memory of his battle in Insomnia, and the magic burning him from the inside out. Though this, left him numb in most areas. Probably because his nerve endings were fried and severely damaged. That was going to be terrible when they started healing. If they started healing.
Despite all of his injuries, Nyx remained standing tall. He refused to be battered and beaten down by this, and of course he was going to make it home to his princess. Which, he saw the tears demanding to be released, and just held back. She was trying to be strong on his behalf, once again, like the time she had found his uniform. It broke his heart. “See.” He encouraged weakly. “I’ll make it.” Then with his good arm, the Glaive reached out and pulled Lunafreya to him in the lopsided hug he could provide. It was the best he could do in the moment. “I will always fight to come back. Not even aliens dripping acid blood can stop me.” Yup, that was an experience to remember for sure.
---
“You’re comforting me?” Lunafreya laughed a little, although it was quiet and laced through with worry. “And you had better make it. This is supposed to be our time.” She wanted the hug, needed it, but she only let it last a moment before she was steering him towards the bed. I will always fight to come back. She didn’t know how she had ever engendered that level of loyalty, what she had done or said, but she cherished it, grateful. Somedays, she struggled with the guilt, as well. He always sacrificed and suffered to come back to her. She just wanted him to be happy and not struggle anymore.
“I’m so sorry I can’t heal you,” she said, sadly, helping him to his bed. “It’s not….It’s frustrating. I should be able to.” She left him there for a moment as she fetched the first aid kit. There had to be burn salves, bandages, and she brought the whole thing back. “What happened? Were you trapped behind one of the doors? Nebula and I had the same thing happen.”
----
“Yup.” It was just that simple really. Nyx was comforting her, for he was her Glaive, and her rock - the support she would need. The support that she would have at any point in time that she might desire. When she was in danger, he would come running. When she was hurting, he would be there to help her. When some strange pocket dimension turned her into a child, and she felt displaced and not like other children? Well, he’d be there with ice cream to make it better. In this place, they were each other’s one way or another, and that was a fact.
He would always make it back. Just more hurt at times than others.
“Princess.” Nyx reassured her while she pushed him towards his bed. When she vanished, he changed from his pants with his one good arm. The belt with his weapons instantly weighing down the durable fabric of his pants. He was tugging up the simple pajama pants when she returned, granting her more view than she was probably expecting. With her and the first aid kit now back, Nyx sat himself down on the bed to allow his nurse to work him over, but then she had to say it.
“Excuse me?” Nyx looked to her with a frown. “You went through the doors..” His gaze narrowed. “Alone?” He said alone, but it was more of a statement that screamed Without me?! “Princess, you can’t do that.” He pointed to his own wounds for his reasoning why. “Princess..” He started before sighing, knowing she would do as she would. Which was whatever she wanted. “I wish you would be more careful..”
---
“I went through the doors. While you were gone.” A small admittance, as she pulled burn salve from the medic kit. Her eyes had betrayed her when she came in, traveling over him a bit more than was probably decorous, but she would chalk it up to being worried about further wounds. Sure, that was it. Kneeling on the bed, she added, stubbornly, “I told you before, I have traveled on my own for a long time. It’s hard to get out of the habit. This time, I found someone else as soon as I went through.” She unrolled the bandages, her eyes remaining on his chest. She knew what censure she would see in his eyes, after all.
Putting some of the salve on her fingers, she rubbed her fingertips together to warm it before gingerly touching his chest. Her touch was light as a feather at first, and while that kept the pain to a minimum, it wouldn’t help heal. Not unless she was more thorough. Swallowing against her own caution, she pressed a little more firmly, soothing it over the burned skin.
-----
“Break the habit, Princess.” Nyx muttered obviously very disapproving of her little adventure through the door, especially with getting trapped, because that happened immediately to him and it ended very poorly for him obviously. “Well, I am grateful for Nebula being available to ensure your safety.” He would admit. “Even if you weren’t to be through the doors without me.” And of course she would not look him in the eyes. Despite how upset he was about the whole situation of her traveling when she shouldn’t have, Nyx touched her leg softly with his fingers. “I’m just happy you’re safe.” He admitted.
Looking from her to allow her to treat his wounds, it was fine at first. Just a little hiss to acknowledge she was touching tenderness of his body. “This isn’t so,” Then the added pressure and just like in the tub, brought a new noise from him. Not one as loud, but something closer to feeling that pain at a much higher degree. “Geeentle.” Nyx whined at Lunafreya. “It’s tender.” He reminded, despite he shifting his body to allow her better access to what she was doing.
---
“It looks tender.” Both chiding and sympathetic, but she didn’t stop. “It won’t be very effective if I don’t get your skin to absorb it. But…” Her eyes flicked up to him, luminous with concern, “I’ll be as careful as I can, I promise.” She was good to her word, her fingers as light as she could manage while still being thorough. She didn’t want to say out loud that she was worried. That she hadn’t seen him before his death the first time, but she’d known what it would look like, how the fire from the ring would consume him, no matter how strong. And the way the burns covered him now, it brought back that terrible image in her mind, when she’d walked out of Insomnia with the other refugees and looked up at the sky, knowing he couldn’t see it anymore.
“Is this what it was like?” The question slipped out, before she could catch it, and she was instantly angry with herself. Why did she keep bringing it up? Maybe because she still regretted so bitterly that she’d led him to his death, more or less. That her greater plan had brought it all about. “I’m sorry, you should be recovering. Is this helping?”
-----
“It’s tender.” Nyx confirmed, but he shut his yap and powered through the treatment that Lunafreya was putting him through. Just to keep him from getting infected and dying. There was so much that really could go wrong with this, that he’d let her do her thing as much as she needed. Of course, the center parts were more tender being the most exposed.
Then her question. He laughed. Nyx laughed a real laugh at the very serious question regarding his demise. The guilt that the women held for him, was immeasurable that Nyx couldn’t even start to fathom what she was feeling. Probably something vaguely similar to what he felt regarding the death of Crowe. “Nothing like this.” Nyx said flatly, but a smile on his face. “This is worse.” Watching as she applied the cream, Nyx continued. “This pain is immeasurable. That was a pain with a cause, pain with a purpose, and honestly not a pain really. It was more like of overflowing power putting strain on my body at the time. I could feel the marks of my body framenting, but in the end,” Nyx took his good hand and made Lunafreya look up at him, right in his blues.
“I felt peace, and price.” A crooked smile pulled at his mouth. “Not pain.”
---
Her eyes searched his, slightly disbelieving but wanting to believe. Wanting to know that perhaps when she’d left him, he hadn’t been about to die in agony. Her mouth quirked up, just a little, matching his smile. “Alright,” she said, quietly. “I don’t like it and I never will. But…..okay. I can never stop you from doing what you need to, can I?” She eased over to sit next to him, rather than kneel. Up close, she could see the variations in his eyes, the shades of color. And this close, she couldn’t see the terrible wounds criss-crossing his body. It was easy to forget everything else, for that long moment. And all she could think of was how grateful she was that he remained here, that he wasn’t dead in her past.
“I need to wrap this,” she said quietly, her hand bringing up the bandages, but she paused there with her hand holding it. His skin couldn’t be left exposed, but she just wanted to touch the unblemished parts. Careful, she warned herself. But she rested her hand on undamaged skin on his chest anyway, knowing somehow that he wouldn’t stop her.
“I wish you would be more careful,” she finally said, before she leaned over and kissed his cheek, very gently. “I don’t want to be without you.”
------
Nyx shrugged, but immediately winced in a small amount of pain. Yeah. It hurt still. If he was going to guess, it was going to hurt a lot for a long while. “Well, those who need help deserve help, and if no one is going to do it - I’m going to do it.” Nyx proclaimed. Honestly, would he be the same man, if he hadn’t done the things he did. Throwing himself in harm's way to protect another? Sure Kitty was an exception to the rule being capable, but even she could miss someone coming at her from behind, just as he did.
“Then, my princess, do wrap me up.” Nyx maneuvered himself around to allow her to wrap his wounds much more easily. This was his life now. When getting hurt, he’d come back to Lunafreya, who was going to worry and lecture him about not being careful enough or needing to be more careful. Feeling her fingers on the undamaged part of his chest. His gaze looked to her hand and her lips were brought to his cheek.
A rush of blood through his body made him hot. Just from the simple touch. It wasn’t like he hadn’t gotten close to anyone. After all, he was close to Carol and hell, there was Madison. This was different. This was the feelings that was being driven back from the depths of his chest, from back in Insomnia. The one he told himself couldn’t happen. The one where the woman before him was not his to be with. Destined and fated to be with the Prince. A person like Nyx was to fight and die alone for a greater purpose. But this wasn’t Eos or that lone rubble pile.
I don’t want to be without you. Nyx was heard the words, and he wasn’t able to stop himself this time. He leaned to her and pressed his lips to hers gently. It was a tender soft few seconds, before his brain engaged again and he pulled from her. Even a little wide eyed at his action. “I apologize, Princess.” Followed with a subtle little scoot from her to give her space. “That was brash, and inappropriate..” What the hells was he thinking?
---
Lunafreya had smiled, almost to herself, at his words, at his declaration, when he said, if no one is going to do it, I’m going to do it. He always would. Just as he’d done back on Eos. She hadn’t known him, when he first greeted her at the gates of the city, took over and drove her to the castle, to King Regis. Her attention had been so wholly consumed with what she’d worried was coming, how much she feared for Insomnia and the royal family, she’d not at first noted the Kingsglaive who accompanied her. And yet from that moment, she had unconsciously trusted him, counted on him, even knew somehow that he would follow her into the castle when she jumped from that ship. Had wanted him to, wanted him to be there when she needed him most. And never had he failed in that.
Her fingers were still splayed over his undamaged skin when he leaned in and kissed her, a scant touch of his lips. Instantly, her skin grew hot, her senses suddenly alive and tingling. It was over in the briefest span of time, but Lunafreya felt like every nerve ending had woken up in those seconds. She’d never felt that quickening before, both perplexed and wanting as she blinked in surprise. He moved back, enough that her fingers lost touch with his skin, her hand still hovering there where she had stroked her fingers over his skin.
Brash. Inappropriate. The apology registered and she felt a flush color her skin, heat blossoming over her cheeks. Had he meant her own actions, or his? No, she knew Nyx, and he would chide her for going through doors on her own, or putting herself in danger, but not for taking care of him. She thought, anyway. Swallowing, she managed, “No matter what you say, I’m not truly a princess here, so I don’t think it’s inappropriate for that.” The knowledge that he was thinking of Noctis never occurred to her. The prince had never made her feel like this.
-----
She was imagining that it was because she was a princess, and well, that was also part of the case. Someone as he, refugee, soldier, Glaive - had no place thinking or acting on such actions to remotely kiss Lunafreya as he just had. Though, what he was truly thinking was the treason in which he just kissed his king’s betrothed wife. Well, she was that, so was she now? That was the complicated thing with it. She had died, but betrothed to Noctis, and he was forever loyal to the royal crown, as their sworn protectors and sword. Cut down their enemies, or defend them from attacks.
A lot of good that did ultimately, when King Regis had died.
Nyx shook his head. “No.” He was etched with shame, but he could feel her softness still on his lips. “You are always the princess, and you are not mine to have.” He managed to choke out. Saying it outloud killed him. “I am just a Glaive, and now sworn to you in this world as I was sworn to Regis, and then Noctis.” If looked carefully, the man was obviously torn. Act on his feelings, and fall into dishonor to who and what he swore fealty too - or chase the woman he so madly fell head over heels for. Nyx looked to Lunafreya, his eyes fierce - not in the manner of combative but in passion. His blues laid on her. Her own eyes, tracing over her neck line and lower checking her out as a woman and not the princess, but his gaze fell on her face trying to find his resolve.
“It’s wrong. A princess and a Glaive.” He told her, like the status held here just as it had in Eos.
---
Her lips had parted as he explained, words of protest on her lips as she listened. Only the mention of Noctis stayed her response at first. Sworn to Noctis. He was king now, in their land that she suspected would always be lost to them. Or she hoped, she realized. She didn’t want to go back, not anymore. Here, Nyx lived.
And she couldn’t go back to end her bethrothal to Noctis. Whatever happened, she would have to accept that. “You are not worth less than a king,” she said, the words coming almost harsh, and not what she had expected to start with. “You proved that, when you put on that ring. You served the king, but that doesn’t mean you are any less.” Her brows drew together, her eyes looking over him much the same, as Nyx, someone she’d literally fought alongside and the one she’d stood in front of when Glauca tried to kill them. Even knowing she was the Oracle and she needed to live to save Eos, she’d still put herself between him and that deadly sword. How could he think he wasn’t worthy enough?
“I’m mine to have,” she said, quieter but with no less resolve. “And I can decide, as a princess or an Oracle or a woman, what I want.” Even as she said that last, her fierceness yielded to uncertainty. She was about to say, I want you but what if that wasn’t what he offered? He’d apologized for kissing her, was drawing away and saying that it was because she was a princess. But what if he simply was looking for a reason to push her away gently, save her feelings? Had she been too forward. Swallowing, she searched for way to express her jumbled thoughts.
-----
This was the impasse that was the difficult thing for Nyx to get past. For she would tell him these things, that he wasn’t as low as he thought. He deserved the respect of a king, and he was worth and wore the ring. BUT, Nyx didn’t believe he was worthy enough for the love of Lunafreya. The princess, the Oracle, the woman. He was caught in the hard place of desire, and the fact of honor towards those he swore to.
But, her words were also harsh, which was something a man as thick headed as he was needed from someone. She just seemed to do that part so well. Call him on all of his bullshit. Though, he still didn’t feel her words internally.
“Yes, Princess.” Nyx commented. She was right, and he spoke out incorrectly. “I misspoke, and you are your own woman, and you belong to no one.” He meant it. “I did not mean my words in such a distasteful manner.” He sighed looking away from her, and gods did he just want to grab onto her. His fingers on his good hand touched his lips lightly as if to try and regain the feeling of the kiss gone. Her words though. She could decide what she wanted. Could she want a man such as him. Low. Nothing to his name. Soldier.
Looking up, Nyx stared right at Lunafreya, and for the first time he said it. “Lunafreya, what is it you want then?”
---
When he first looked away, Lunafreya felt a pang of both regret and embarrassment. That wasn’t what she meant, but she could see how he would take her words that way. She hated the reserved look, the belief so clearly etched on his face that he was nothing more than a soldier, as if a soldier wasn’t just as much a person deserving respect as a king. More than a king, she thought. Because of how much soldiers gave of their own lives. She thought of Crowe, of Libertus. Yes, more than a king, as much as she had loved both Regis and Noctis as part of her family.
And then he said her name. The simple, straightforward utterance stole her breath, and brought a radiant smile to her face. “You called me by my name,” she said, quiet, but happily. And it was enough to push her to just lean forward, close that space between them and press her lips to his in a gentle, insistent kiss. It lasted no longer than the first, just a soft touch there and gone, but Lunafreya’s breath was gone, as if she’d just come up for air after being underwater for so long.
Carefully, she pressed her fingers to the skin at the edge of his bandages. “I want you to heal,” she murmured, firmly, with feeling. “I want you to not be in pain any longer. So that I can touch you without worrying.”
-----
The kiss was quick, and that wasn’t enough for him. Not in this moment. Nope. In fact. “No..” Nyx told her, but before she could question his response, he leaned to press his mouth to hers. Something so simple, but so pleasing. The way it felt, really just sent a pulse of pleasure through his entire body, despite the pain he was in. The good absolutely outweighed the bad here. The two quick kisses didn’t measure up to this one though. This one, had passion behind it - something deep seeded that hadn’t been spoken yet and had to be said. Letting that kiss linger that precious moment, Nyx broke it with a content and happy sigh. “That… that’s better.” He almost purred at her. It was like an itch that was finally scratched.
Now she was pressing on him, and he winced lightly. “Yes, Princess.” He told her. “I will heal in time, we just have to let the body do it’s thing.” Shifting further up onto the bed, he leaned back on his pillows gently, to not shift his body too much to cause more pain than needed.
“I promise, that this isn’t going to end me.” Nyx told her while gripping her hand with his one good hand. “This isn’t enough to keep me from you. Not now.” He told her while closing his eyes trying to focus on what she was going to tell him. “Soon enough, I will be healed and you can touch me all you want.” He promised while scooting over in his bed to allow her ample room to stay with him if she wanted.
---
She thought about chiding him about slipping back into that habit, of still calling her princess but she only let it go with a soft smile. Her lips still tingled from the last kiss, the insistent, assured touch of his mouth on hers. That’s better. Her fingers tightened on his, as much to keep herself from reaching and touching more of him than she should. He was in pain, so much pain, and she was too aware of it. Strange, how she could be so elated and so worried at the same time, so torn by watching him suffer.
“Heal before you start making promises, my Glaive,” she answered, half teasing and half serious. She leaned forward to adjust the pillows, her eyes critical over her handiwork. As he said, there wasn’t much more they could do; his body needed to heal the damage. She’d wrapped the burns as best she could. But she knew his determination rivaled anyone else. He’d heal himself out of sheer willpower, she suspected.
Setting down the rest of the bandages, she stretched out to lie down next to him, reassured by his even breathing as his eyes closed. She needed to be close, just in case he took a turn for the worse. Yes, that’s the only reason, she thought, faintly humored. Resting her head on the pillow beside his, she reached out so she could just rest her hand on the unblemished skin on his chest.
“Sleep,” she said, barely above a whisper. “I will be here when you wake up.” Always.