~Moonstruck~

"Stop fidgeting! What are you worried about? You look great."

"I don't care about how I look. I care about how I feel. How do you move in these things?"

Lightning was not a dress person. She never really had been. The soldier girl in her did not condone such formal attire. When you were on the battlefield, looks didn't matter when all you had to wear was blood, sweat, and medical gauze. She was uncomfortable enough just being in this situation. Being dressed like some over-priced window mannequin was not making her any less on edge. Thank God this restaurant's platinum feature was its infinite collection of imported wines.

Serah worked her into the most ridiculous of scenarios. After all those years, Lightning thought she was smart enough to avoid her sister's devious plots. She was unstoppable when it came to her older sibling's love life though. No amount of battle simulations and rigorous problem-solving training could match her sister's persistence over matters of the heart.

It still wouldn't click with Lightning that she was here. One second, she was on the couch, drinking an ice cold beer in her sweat-drenched security uniform. The next, she was in a sexy black cocktail dress, sipping freakishly expensive wine at the most prestigious restaurant in town. Serah was a master of setting her up.

"You can thank your date for that by the way," Serah aid, inclining her head at the glass in her sister's hand. "He's paying for most of this."

"Serah!"

She almost spat her drink across the room. It was bad enough she was on her first date in years, meeting someone for the first time, with her sister and Snow – yeah, he was coming as her date's wing-man or something. Now she had the weight of guilt piling on her.

"Relax," Serah reassured her. "He offered and I couldn't convince him otherwise. Trust me, it'll barely put a dent in his pocket."

"What, did you set me up with the friggin Primarch? Serah, have you even met this guy?"

"Sure I did! Once…from a distance…"

"Oh my God, Serah."

"Claire, don't worry – "

"Don't call me that."

"Fine. Light, don't worry. I promise, you're going to like him. He's super-cute and super sweet."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Well, no, but…"

"How do you even know him?"

"He's a friend of one of Snow's friends."

"Oh. Fabulous."

Lightning felt her stomach drop. Leaning her elbows on the pristine white tablecloth, the soldier dragged her fingers through her immaculately done hair – courtesy of Serah Farron. She had enough reservations about Snow in general. She didn't want to even try comprehending his friends…or friends of friends, according to Serah.

As she had anticipated, this night was a disaster before it had begun. All the things that could go wrong were going wrong. Her blind date was paying for all of this – how did that reflect on her? Her blind date was friends with Snow Villiers, the greatest disappointment to society of the present generation. She was on a double date with Serah and Snow next to her – she couldn't stomach their constant flirting, and couldn't predict if Serah would rant about her past embarrassments to supply "interesting conversation."

She hadn't been on a date in a long time. She didn't know how to move in a dress and heels, or how to act with her hair smelling like some weird citrus thing. There was a very specific reason she quit dating. She wasn't any good at it. All men wanted was some damsel they could show off too, not someone that could make them cry like a baby by drop-kicking them flat on their backs.

"Smile," Serah whispered, nudging her arm gently. "For me."

A cross between a grunt and a groan responded. She was completely defenseless against her sister's pleas; she had always been a sucker for those big blue eyes. But, her sister was far from innocent nowadays, and was completely aware of her sibling's weak spot and how to manipulate it.

"Oh! That's Snow," Serah exclaimed, waving excitedly across the room. "Come on Light. I promise you'll like him. Trust me."

Body rigid, Lightning leaned back, thrumming her fingers against the table. Okay, okay, she coached herself. Serah knows your tastes. She knows how much you hate Snow. She wouldn't set you up with a duplicate. Try to be optimistic.

An obnoxious greeting trumpeted from the restaurant entrance. Lightning glanced up once and glimpsed her soon-to-be brother-in-law and all her positivity plummeted. Screw it, she thought, swiping up her wine glass. I'm not getting through this night sober.

Serah rose to greet her fiancé, who galloped over and scooped her up in a big bear hug. Lightning suppressed a snarl at the nearby contact. Snow smelled like aftershave and man-sweat. No flashy tuxedo could cover that up – not that it was very flashy to begin with (no tie, shirt un-tucked, pants baggy…typical NORA flare). She listened to their lips smack together and took a huge gulp of her drink to drown out her revile.

"Hey Light!" the blond greeted, waving at her like she was ten miles away (if only).

She grunted unhappily, keeping her gaze fixed on the full moon framed in the window beside her. Lightning began to tune them out as they started the "How are you"s. No one Snow knew could possibly be for her. Sophistication was a quality his rag-tag group was completely alien to. There was no way in Hell her date would possess an ounce of it if he associated himself with people like Snow.

The chairs moaned mutely on the carpeted floor and if not for the movement across from her, Lightning never would have known Snow didn't come alone. Placing the glass to her lips and bracing herself for the absolute worst, Lightning suffered a glance towards her date.

Okay, double-take. That was her date? The dark-haired one with the neat, lavish black suit, was hers? How could he be a friend of Snow's? He was the polar opposite of the boisterous, animated disgrace to modern society beside him. His hair was midnight black and organized in chaotic spikes. His skin was marble pale and he had eyes the color of sapphires. His frame was slighter than Snow's; more agile than bulky but, muscular nonetheless.

His most appealing feature, Lightning noted, was his silence. Much unlike his babbling partner, this one's mouth was shut. He was also working overtime to try and feel settled, and Lightning suddenly realized he was mirroring her own feelings; he was just as uncomfortable in that suit as she was in her dress.

"So," Serah piped into her sister's observations. "Noctis, this is my sister, Lightning. Lightning, Noctis."

Lightning glanced at her sister and glared at the self-pride brimming around her face. Well, she hadn't lied about the super cute part. Looks didn't really matter to her though. It all came down to the personality. She returned her perceptive gaze back on her date. A half-smile twitched on his lips as his greeting. She nodded once in reply.

"Wine?" Serah offered the boys, taking the bottle left beside her sister and serving them both a glass.

"Thanks!" Snow said, enthusiastically sweeping the drink up to be consumed.

Noctis managed another smile to convey his thanks before accepting. His movements were careful and refined, something Lightning found completely unexpected in contrast to his companion. However, the glass didn't leave his hand afterwords. Again, Lightning couldn't help but observe how similar the two of them were acting that night.

He didn't seem at all interested in being there, which Lightning could completely relate to and wasn't taking personally. She could see he felt just as out of place as she did. His gaze drifted away from the table and to the moon outside, taking up Lightning's former position.

Serah considerately untangled herself from Snow's unstoppable word flow to try and light a spark between the other couple.

"So Noctis, what do you do for a living?"

You couldn't find that out before you set me up? Lightning thought, bitterly. Noctis glanced at the girl hesitantly, covering up his answer with a quick drink. Luckily – or not – Snow answered for him.

"You don't have to do much when you're a prince, right bud?" he chuckled, slapping Noctis on the shoulder.

The contact was much unwelcomed, Lightning could tell, as her date glanced reproachfully at the hand on his shoulder. Lightning could also tell the subject of his occupation was something he did not want brought up.

"Ooh, a prince," Serah enthused, glancing at her sister with glee – Lightning didn't care one way or another. "Of what?"

"The Caelum dynasty," Snow answered for him again, bursting at the seams with some shpeel he was prepared to spill about it.

Noctis started sinking deeper into his chair, as if he could hide between that and the wine glass pressed against his face. Lightning pitied the guy. Snow was pulling exactly what she had feared Serah would. Deciding to do something sympathetic for once, Lightning cleared her throat and attempted to change the subject.

"So how's Lebreau doing after you crashed into that tree the other day?"

"Eheh…you heard about that huh?" the man in question laughed, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Heard about it? I helped clean it up. Or was your concussion so bad you don't remember?"

"Come on Light. That wasn't my fault."

"What were you doing again?"

There was a pause where Snow turned red in embarrassment before admitting it.

"Alright, I was texting but, it was an emergency though! I swear!"

"I'm sure," Lightning muttered, turning back to her drink as Serah started asking him about Lebreau.

She caught Noctis's eyes, overflowing with cerulean gratitude for managing to redirect the attention away from him. She tilted her glass towards him as acknowledgment. Thankfully, Snow's short attention span quickly shoved aside the accident story and he moved onto something that didn't concern her or Noctis. They both sank into their respective seats and melted into the background of Snow and Serah's chatter. Lightning was just finishing her third glass of wine when Serah stood up with Snow.

"We're going to go see what's taking our food so long," Serah said but, the look she gave her fiancé said completely otherwise.

Lightning was convinced her heart stopped for a second. She stared at Serah in horror. She was ditching her! She was leaving her completely alone and defenseless! She knew that move. Her sister thought leaving her alone with her date would help them bond or something. She was barely holding it together with a partner! How was leaving her to fend for herself a good idea?

"Don't worry, we'll be back in a second," Serah tried to convince her at seeing the panic in her eyes.

"No you won't," Lightning hissed.

"You'll be fine. Just talk."

"Don't you dare leave me here."

"Just relax."

"Serah – "

"Gotta go!"

"No, Serah!"

She slipped through her fingers like mist through tree branches. Heart racing, Lightning watched her dastardly little sister skip away, hand-in-hand with her reckless love (Lightning prayed they wouldn't be the next air bike accident she had to deal with). Lightning was at a loss; what did she do now? Making a break for it was sounding like a pretty good idea but, she didn't know how far she'd get without tripping over her ridiculous heels. Her dress started constricting around her the more she panicked and she was convinced it would squeeze the very life out of her.

"At least they left us this."

The soldier was startled back to attention at the sound of wine being poured and the melodious voice of her date. She was shocked by the sound – it was the first time he'd spoken. It was a more appealing tone than she'd been prepared for. His face leaned on his knuckles as he refilled both their glasses, and he watched the trickle of wine absently. Lightning instantly felt even guiltier.

"It's not you," she said, and grimaced. "And I'm not just saying that to be politely cliché."

He smiled at that and leaned back in his chair. Lightning was on fire with humiliation. She didn't want to be rude to him – he seemed nice enough. When she talked though, she sounded like a scared toddler lost in a department store. She couldn't win.

"It's just…I don't date. I used to but I…All my dates end badly."

"I understand," he murmured, nodding resignedly.

"…Really?"

She met his deep blue eyes and realized there was genuine understanding there. He nodded to confirm her question.

"I'm forced into too many dates, all with vain, shallow girls that are all after money. It's not too easy to have an intelligent conversation, or get along."

"I know what you mean."

Struggling to get a proper breath past her constricted lungs, Lightning mimicked his posture, hugging the glass to her mouth as her new lifeline – since the other one betrayed her. Her dress continued to bother her – how did regular women cope? Was it always like this and they were just pros at hiding it? Was she just dress-retarded? …Yeah, it was just her.

She glanced up at Noctis upon feeling his gaze on her. There was a question in his eyes aimed at the discomfort radiating off of her but, he was polite enough not to ask it. She appreciated the restraint but, ended up confessing anyway.

"I don't wear dresses," she mumbled, hiding in her drink.

"I don't wear suits."

He tilted his glass at her in a half-toast for the mutual distaste for formal-wear. She analyzed him, skeptically; a prince that didn't wear suits? How could that be? Then again, she had acknowledged how he had seemed just as disdainful towards his attire as she was towards hers.

They fell into silence, which Lightning was thankful for. It gave her an opportunity to collect herself. Lips on the glass and eyes on the moon, she took a deep breath, fighting the oxygen down to her lungs. She was halfway to hyperventilating and needed to rein herself in. Optimism wasn't a quality that came easily for her but, she knew she had to start trying it. Serah was the epitome of optimism and she made these social endeavors seem easy. Why couldn't she?

The silence stretched on and Lightning soaked it up. She managed to find a passage of air flow and began to cool down. This was good: soothing moonlight and music, cool wine, and silence; much better. She came close to calling it her own little world until her glass fell on empty and she was forced to turn back to the table and search for the bottle. Noctis had just finished pouring himself another glass and offered to refill hers when he saw her looking.

"Thanks," she muttered, sliding the glass his way.

"Pleasure."

Lightning eyed him, warily. How many drinks had she had now? And he was pleased to be supplying her with more alcohol?

"I hope you don't think I'll get drunk and you'll get lucky."

He glanced up at the bristled tone in her voice, prepared to resume his moon-gazing. An amused smile tickled his features and he laughed softly.

"Far from it. I just thought you needed that as much as I did."

Lightning weighed his words, nails tapping around the foot of her glass excessively. God, what was she doing? The poor guy had been just as freaked out about tonight as she was. He was generous enough to pay for all of this and the few words she actually spoke to him were laced with accusations and hysteria.

"I'm sorry," she groaned, setting her elbows on the table and pulling her hands through her hair, not caring if she messed it up at this point. "I'm a wreck at this."

"Don't worry about it," he murmured, leaning forward a little bit at her distress. "I get it. Dating just doesn't come naturally to some people. Trust me, I know. Don't beat yourself up about it."

She dropped one hand to the table and leaned her face on the other, her fingers tangled in the strawberry tendrils. She looked at him, finding it hard to believe he was so understanding. Any other guy probably would have been like, "Yeah, you're romantically-challenged. No way am I getting anything out of you. Where's the nearest strip club?" …Well, that was Lightning's hypothesis anyway.

Noctis edged her abandoned glass towards her hand and she smiled gratefully.

"A prince that doesn't wear suits, and a mind-reader to boot," she commented, humorously.

Thankfully, he didn't take any offense to her words – Lightning often feared her comments would be taken the wrong way. She liked the sound of his laugh, she discovered. It was like velvet wrapped in silk…or the alcohol was making stuff up for her. How much had she had to drink already?

"What's your usual style, if you're not a suit person?" she asked after another sip of wine – she knew going into this she wasn't ending the night sober anyway.

He seemed to second her plan, taking another graceful gulp from his glass before responding.

"Combat boots and black leather coats. You?"

"Uniform 24/7 – tonight being a clear exception."

"What's your job?" he chuckled at her comment.

"I work for the Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment."

"That's interesting. I wouldn't have pegged you as a Bodhum girl."

"How so?"

"You're not stained tan."

Lightning laughed at that. It was true; Bodhum was famous for its never-ending sun and tanning salons.

"Thankfully, being a soldier restricts you to the shaded areas. Tan would not look good on me."

"Definitely not."

She glanced up at him and his face turned pink when he realized what he said.

"I-I mean…I didn't mean that as an insult! I-I meant it like…you look…fine the way you are – I mean…um…"

A smile quirked at Lightning's lips and she struggled to hold in her laughter. Aw, he was cute when he was flustered. He scratched the back of his head, as if that would give him an idea of how to save his verbal blunder.

"Relax," she chuckled. "I know what you meant."

"You do?" he sighed, deflating from his distress.

"Yes, and thanks. That was sweet of you to say."

She blushed as she let his hidden compliment sink in. She sought refuge in her wine glass the same time he did. His intake was much greater than hers.

"I'm sorry," he said after he finished. "The last time I said something that was taken the wrong way, I got a face full of champagne."

"Yum."

He laughed that pretty, mysterious sound she was starting to like so much. This wasn't so bad, she realized. Things were starting to look up a bit. She felt a little more at ease; he understood her, and she understood him. They were able to laugh at their awkwardness. That was always good – at least she thought it was. It was becoming easier to not take herself so seriously with him. They had a lot in common – especially they're shared love of that wine.

"So how did your last date go, if you don't mind me asking?" he inquired.

Lightning closed her eyes and shook her head, smiling at her own stupidity in the memory.

"He was a charming flirt, on vacation from work. His pick-up lines were atrocious but, they made me laugh. I figured, why not? I could use a summer fling to lighten myself up. When we went to dinner, he got a call and answered in a different language, not knowing I was fluent in, like, twelve. Turns out he was a hit-man for this big organization in the west. I had to arrest him on the spot."

A soft volley of laughs came from her date and she joined in with him. Oh wow, that felt nice. She hadn't been able to laugh at that event in a while. Most other guys would have been too freaked out and scared she might cuff them next. She had discovered though that Noctis really wasn't most other guys. He had no expectations for her and no judgments. He took her for who she was and nothing more. She owed Serah a huge debt of gratitude if this worked out in her favor.

"You're finances aren't illegally obtained are they?" she asked him, half-joking.

"God, I hope not. So you stopped dating after that?" he asked, intrigued by her story.

"Yeah. He was so surprised when I took him in, like he expected I would turn the other way. All men seem to want is an accessory that they can flaunt but, have full control over. I could never be that so, I stopped looking for someone who would respect my independence. I don't even think someone like that exists."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

She looked at him incredulously, attentive on his words. He finished the remainder of his drink and placed the empty glass on the table. His gaze remained on the object and she understood why. It was easier to talk to something without a face. Or, maybe he was speaking to his image on the transparent surface, for his next words sounded very much like they reflected himself.

"Some men need a person to tell them their flaws, to keep their egos in check. Some men want a person that parallels them – that stands on equal ground – instead of bowing to their feet. They need someone that respects them more for their imperfections over everything else, instead of being painted as a god. How else can we remember we're only human?"

"Are you one of those men?"

Her words seemed to echo in the air, weaving with the gentle background music. She hadn't meant to say anything – especially not something so desperate-sounding. She knew she was in the early-mid phases of intoxication so maybe she could excuse herself that one time. He was far from going on the defensive, anyway. Instead, he met her hopeful gaze with a thoughtful one of his own, wondering as much about her as she did of him.

Something connected between their searching eyes, something Lightning was unfamiliar with. It was a little something like trust, like she trusted he was the type of man she'd been looking for and he trusted she was the type of woman he was looking for – although Lightning wasn't about to flatter herself. At any rate, there was one thing the soldier was definitely clear on in that moment – there was no way in Hell she wasn't going to give this thing a chance.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her into the silence.

"Absolutely."

He smiled, just as relieved as she was to escape the opulent suffocation of the over-priced restaurant. He stood, fishing through his coat for payment while she quickly downed her last drink. Bracing herself against the table edge, Lightning struggled to get on her feet. Maybe walking wasn't such a great idea after all, since her balance on heels had much to be desired. She managed to get herself standing but the platform sandal straps were strangling her feet.

She contemplated how she would take her first step while Noctis dropped a few bills on the table. He started walking, glancing at her curiously when she hesitated. Taking a deep breath, Lightning nudged away from the table and started with one foot in front of the other. She'd been trained to walk narrow edges without support and was pretty good at it. This was the same principle, right?

He smiled sympathetically at her efforts, patiently waiting until she was at his side before moving, considerately matching her meticulous pace. She was embarrassed to be acting so foolishly. Regardless of his disastrous dating record, she was sure all his girlfriends had been more appealingly graceful than she was.

The night air was a breath of heaven. Lightning automatically felt refreshed and more like herself. However, that didn't help her balance much and she still had to throw her undivided attention upon where her feet were placed. She also found the sound of her heels on the sidewalk to be just as obnoxiously loud as Snow's voice; so much for a peaceful, quiet walk.

"Beautiful isn't it?" she heard him say, eyes on her feet.

"What?"

"The moon. I've never seen one so bright, or so many stars."

"You an early sleeper or something?"

"Quite the opposite actually. It's just that the city lights always blot them out. It's hard to find beauty in such a place."

"You don't travel often? Get away from it?"

"Not really. This past week I've only been out on orders. I should be working right now but, I didn't want to miss out on such a lovely night."

"Wait, you're a prince," Lightning said, looking at him in confusion. "Since when does royalty take orders?"

"I'm afraid things work a little more complexly in my family," he laughed with a touch of bitterness.

Lightning didn't ask anything more. The family name had been a touchy subject when Snow had brought it up. She wasn't about to dig into his personal life – especially when they'd just met. Whatever distaste that was about to twist his features quickly dissipated as he returned his gaze to the moon. A look of content washed away any simmering resentfulness and the moon lit up his pale face. Lightning caught herself staring but, couldn't look away. That face was like something out of a dream. He said the moon was beautiful but, she thought it was even more beautiful when it was reflecting off his face.

Lightning's distraction cost her somewhat dearly. Her foot caught on some random crease in the sidewalk and she lost whatever balance she'd been able to maintain. She fell and instinctively reached out for something to catch herself on. Crap, she thought when she was clinging to Noctis's arm. Her eyes shut and her teeth grit together in frustration. How the hell did she just let that happen? Why was it such a challenge for her to walk in a straight line? Her face was on fire as she cracked her eyes open to glance up at him. He must have thought she was such a dumbass – not that she would blame him. There were plenty of other names she was calling herself at that moment.

"This would happen," she muttered before meeting his gaze.

"Can't walk in heels?" he teased, gently.

"How did you guess?"

Trying not to weigh so heavily on him, Lightning hastened back to her feet, attempting to regain her composure with much difficulty.

"I didn't mean to do that," she mumbled, unnecessarily.

"I kind of figured," he chuckled, good-naturedly. "I have an idea. Come with me."

He held his arm out for her, anticipating she might not want to move again on her own. The fact that she agreed with him grated on Lightning's pride and wouldn't let her accept the support immediately. He was patient with her though, understanding her chokehold on her self-expectations. She studied his moon-licked eyes and didn't take long to deduct that he really didn't mind. Tentatively, she held onto his arm and let him lead her off.

It was a thousand times easier to walk, she found, if she matched his longer, more languid stride and kept a rhythm in the back of her head; it almost became effortless. Maybe that was the trick that kept women upright. She glanced over at him the same time he glanced at her, surprise flickering across his expression at the ocular contact.

It was kind of ironic, Lightning thought. The one date she hadn't been looking forward to in the least bit, was turning out to be the best date she'd ever been on. How did her sister do it? Was it luck or fate that made her glance over and catch Snow talking with this guy? And how could she tell just from one faraway look that this was the guy for Lightning? The further the night when on, the more certain Lightning became that Noctis was more perfect for her than she had ever thought.

"Ah. Here we are."

He looked away upon reaching their destination and Lightning wondered what he'd been thinking while she was silently thanking the gods for him. She followed his eyes and found them standing beneath a wrought-iron archway that served as an entrance to a park; more importantly though, it was an entranceway to grass.

"Yes," she sighed in massive relief, leaning a hand on his shoulder and reaching down with the other to dispose of the death-traps on her feet. "Grass is good."

"I had a feeling."

She sighed again when her feet came into contact with the cool, spongy earth. This was the highlight of her night; it was absolute bliss.

"You sure know the way to a girl's heart," she said, patting the shoulder she was leaning on, appraisingly.

"That would be a first."

Slinging the stylish medieval torture devices over her shoulder, Lightning ventured further into the park. He was ghostly silent when he moved and if she wasn't trained to pinpoint silent movement, she would have never known he was following her. She liked that though; it added to the tranquility of the night surrounding her. Finally, she felt normal; natural. She was at her happiest when she was in nature, absorbing the organic breezes in the air and minerals at her feet. If her date had started out right here, no amount of make-up and stilettos would have kept her from enjoying herself.

She liked how Noctis was letting her lead the way. She liked a lot of things about Noctis. He was her equivalent in everything: nerves, tastes, preferences, opinions. He was quiet and respectful, easy to relate to and easy for her to understand. He had a subtle sense of humor and didn't read into her insecurities as insults to him. He got her and she got him, she thought. It was the first time she was actually on the same page with someone – the same ink, font, and everything.

Lightning found a clear area, painted with moonlight and perfect for sitting down and watching the sky. She collapsed on the grass, adoring the way it cushioned her head and soothed her stressed body. Noctis followed her example a content sigh breezing past his lips, like that of a cat finally settling down to sleep. His arms folded behind his head. Her hands clasped over her belly. In quiet contentment, they watched the sky's starry splendor.

This was perfect: fresh air, beautiful night, and a great guy. Lightning was almost afraid it was too perfect. She often destroyed her own happiness with her pessimism. She didn't want to hear the soldier part of her mind right now though. She just wanted to revel in the feeling of the grass on her back, the moon on her face, and the body beside her. She was sick of doubting everything all the time.

"Thank you," she said into the lull of quiet, turning her head away from the stars to look at Noctis. "This night turned out way better than I had hoped."

"Likewise."

He smiled and turned to her, eyes filled with stars. What a lovely sight, she thought.

"You feeling alright after all that wine?" she laughed a little.

"Thankfully, yes. It's a good thing we left when we did. Any more and I would have had a mean hangover in the morning. Plus, hangovers tend to give me amnesia, and I really don't want to forget tonight."

Her heart fluttered a little bit at his words and the way his eyes intensified a little bit as they looked at her. She didn't know what to say at first. She hadn't thought he would be enjoying her company as much as she was enjoying his. His words from before still tantalized her thoughts – the ones about a man looking for someone that paralleled him. She could be that for him if he could be that for her – of which she had no doubts.

He shifted to lean on his elbow so he was facing her fully and she was entranced by those calm, contemplative eyes. He watched her like he was afraid she'd disappear if he looked away (she felt similarly). Carefully, he reached over to her, his pale fingers whispering against the side of her face, afraid of being too intrusive.

She didn't mind; far from it actually. She hadn't let someone in that close in so long, it almost felt like she was feeling it for the first time. Gently, his fingers flowed down her face, tracing her jaw-line before settling on her chin. There was hesitation in his eyes and he looked at her like he was asking for her permission to advance. She heartily obliged, leaning towards him until he made the final move and let their lips connect.

It was the softest thing she'd ever felt; the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted. She'd never been kissed like this, so gently and yet, still so passionately. She'd never been kissed with such reserve and yet, so much connection. He didn't push past her boundaries or try anything sleazy. He stayed at a respectful distance while still conveying the feelings he sought to share. It made her feel lighter than air, like gravity didn't exist and she was being lifted into the sky.

Then he broke away, leaving her breathless in the tiny amount of space still between them. She stared at him, all walls she usually put around her nonexistent at this point. Even the walls that kept her rational mind from over-analyzing the night were down, thus letting that pragmatic voice play with her tongue.

"I might be a little drunk," it made her say.

"I might be too," he agreed.

…She kissed him again, seeking that beautiful feeling that made her feel like she was floating through clouds. No excuses; no way in hell was she getting in her own way and ruining this. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so peaceful; she didn't know if she'd ever felt that way before. She wanted to keep this feeling. She wanted to keep him.

"When do you have to go back home?" she gasped, remembering how he was traveling on business.

"Whenever the hell I want," he breathed. "Since when does royalty take orders anyway?"

"Good answer."

The night stretched on. They kissed a lot. He never asked anything more of her. He didn't treat her like a prize or a toy. She didn't treat him as anything more than human. They connected like puzzle pieces and Lightning kept thinking, with the moon on her hair and the stars in his kiss, that this night was the most perfect of her imperfections.

Author's Note: This is proof of how randomly my mind really works. We were watching the movie "Moonstruck" (with Cher and Nicolas Cage) the other day and I was just starting to drift a little bit, being distracted with my main Nocting plotbunny, when all of a sudden I heard the line "…as beautiful as moonlight in a martini." Ding! Plotbunny. The title was originally going to be "Moonlight Martinis" but, I realized they were actually drinking martinis so that wouldn't make sense (and let's face it, "Moonlight Wine" does not sound as good). "Moonstruck" fit a little bit better and it's kind of my shout-out to the movie for inspiring me – it was a good movie by the way.

So yeah. This wasn't as good as the other oneshot I posted and yeah, I know it's freakishly long for a oneshot – I get carried away alright! Regardless, I wanted to play with this kind of Noctis character and figure out which personality I do better for him – and I like messing with Lightning. Please leave reviews – and I'm not just asking because I'm greedy for story attention. Pros, cons, advice, criticism: I want them all! No story is perfect and I aim to improve so leave me some words of wisdom for me to comprehend and work on. I'd uberly appreciate it. Thanks all! Happy writing!:)