The night had settled into something slow, something fevered, something inevitable.
The weight of Elaris's body against mine, the way her lavender eyes darkened, how her breath hitched against my skin—none of it felt real. And yet, at the same time, it felt like the only thing that ever had.
She had snuck into my room, her movements soft and uncertain at first, but the moment our eyes met, the hesitation vanished.
We had spent weeks skirting around this, pretending it wasn't there, pretending it didn't burn beneath every glance, every touch, every time she pulled me back from the edge when the Rift threatened to consume me.
But tonight, there were no questions.
No interruptions.
Just her.
Just us.
And by the time the lanterns flickered low, by the time dawn was a distant thing that didn't matter yet—
I knew.
I was hers.
And she was mine.
The Morning After
The Golden Hearth was a mess of bodies and groans when I made my way downstairs the next morning.
Lucian was face down on the table, a tankard still clutched in his hand, muttering curses at the gods.
Callen was half-draped over a chair, one boot missing, his head resting against the table like he had just accepted death.
Gareth was seated stiffly, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at absolutely nothing, like he was mentally reevaluating every life choice that had led him to this moment.
And Alaria—
Alaria was barely conscious, slumped over the bench with an empty bottle of something wickedly strong still clutched in her grasp. Her crimson hair was a tangled mess, and when I took a step toward her, she let out a pained groan.
"Noctis, if you so much as breathe near me, I will stab you."
I smirked. "You don't even have the energy to stand."
Her hand weakly patted her hip, trying to reach for a dagger that wasn't even there. "Watch me."
Lucian let out a muffled groan, lifting his head just enough to glare at me with bloodshot eyes. "Why the hell do you look so fine?"
I shrugged, pouring myself a cup of water. "Must've handled my drinks better."
Alaria snorted, cracking one eye open. "No. No, that's not it." She squinted at me, her brows furrowing, then—her eyes widened slightly.
A slow, wicked grin stretched across her face.
"You got laid."
The entire room went still.
Lucian snapped his head up so fast he nearly knocked over his drink.
Gareth, who had been silent up until now, suddenly looked far too interested in the conversation.
Callen, half-dead and barely functioning, let out a muffled, "Wait, what?"
Elaris chose that exact moment to step downstairs.
Her hair was still slightly tousled, her clothes just a little too wrinkled, and she had that specific look of someone who had woken up in the wrong bed and was trying very hard to act normal.
Alaria grinned wider, propping her chin up on her hand. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Elaris froze mid-step, her lavender eyes going wide, and I could see the exact moment she realized that Alaria had figured it out.
Lucian burst out laughing, clapping his hands together. "You son of a bitch!"
Callen let out a loud groan, rubbing his hands over his face. "You two?! Last night?! Are you kidding me?!"
Gareth just sighed, shaking his head. "I hate this group."
Alaria, absolutely loving the chaos, turned to Elaris with a mockingly sweet tone. "So, how was it, princess?"
Elaris, completely red now, threw a piece of bread at her face.
Alaria dodged effortlessly, cackling.
Lucian raised his tankard. "Noctis, my friend, you are officially the biggest bastard here."
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair, regretting everything.
"Can we not do this at breakfast?"
"No, actually, we absolutely have to do this at breakfast," Alaria said, smirking like the menace she was.
Elaris muttered something in Elvish under her breath, grabbed a cup of tea, and promptly sat as far away from Alaria as possible.
Rowan, who had apparently been here the whole time, looked up from his own drink, staring at the entire disaster unfolding before him.
He blinked.
Then, finally, he sighed.
"Why did I even come along with you guy."
The laughter around the table hadn't settled yet, and Alaria was still smirking like a fox who had just uncovered the greatest piece of blackmail in existence.
Lucian was still grinning like an idiot, Callen was groaning into his hands, and Gareth just looked like he regretted every life choice that had led him to this exact moment.
Elaris was furiously drinking her tea, pretending none of this was happening.
And then, before Alaria could launch into another round of teasing, I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms, and smirked.
"It wasn't the first time."
Silence.
Alaria blinked. "…What?"
Lucian, halfway to taking another drink, froze mid-motion.
Callen, who had just accepted his fate, looked up like he had been struck by lightning.
Gareth raised a brow, suddenly much more interested.
Elaris immediately choked on her tea.
I glanced at Alaria, watching as her smug expression shifted into something far more intrigued. "You remember Sundermere?"
The second I said it, I saw realization dawn in her emerald eyes.
And then—
"NO."
Alaria suddenly burst out laughing, slamming her hand on the table. "No, no, no, you do not mean to tell me that I—" She stopped, covering her mouth as she tried (and failed) to contain her absolute delight.
Lucian, catching on, immediately set his cup down and leaned forward, grinning. "Oh, this is getting good."
Callen looked between us, completely lost. "What the hell happened in Sundermere?"
I smirked. "Alaria, you don't remember?"
She was still laughing, but now it was turning into realization. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh. My. Gods."
Elaris, who had recovered just enough from choking on her tea, glared daggers at me. "Noctis."
I ignored her.
"You burst into the room the next morning, yelling at us for being too loud."
Alaria's jaw dropped.
"I DID!"
Lucian practically howled with laughter, grabbing the edge of the table as he shook his head. "Alaria caught you two?!"
Callen looked at me, then at Elaris, then back at me, his expression shifting between horrified and entertained. "You mean to tell me you two—before all this?" He gestured around the table wildly.
Gareth just sighed. "I knew something felt off between them back then."
Alaria, still caught between laughter and absolute betrayal, pointed an accusing finger at Elaris. "And you let me think this was your first time with him?!"
Elaris slammed her cup down, her face burning red, and glared at me. "Why would you say that?!"
I shrugged. "I figured it was about time they knew."
Alaria groaned, leaning back in her chair. "I should've known. I should've known. I thought you two were just flirting idiots with no self-control, but no—you've been secretly sleeping together this whole time?!"
Lucian shook his head. "No wonder there was so much tension between you two. It all makes sense now."
Elaris looked like she wanted to die.
I just smirked.
Alaria rubbed her temples, clearly replaying the memory of that morning in Sundermere. "I literally kicked open the door and yelled at you two to shut up."
Lucian let out another howling laugh. "Wait—was that the morning you were furious but wouldn't tell us why?"
Alaria nodded, eyes wide. "Because I had just spent the entire night listening to them through the damn wall!"
Elaris groaned, hiding her face in her hands.
Lucian clapped me on the back. "Noctis, you absolute legend."
Alaria kicked my shin under the table.
"You could've at least warned me back then, you bastard!"
I grinned. "Would it have made a difference?"
Alaria opened her mouth, then closed it, realizing that, no, it wouldn't have.
Elaris let out a suffering sigh, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "I hate all of you."
Callen, finally catching his breath, shook his head. "I just—I don't even know how to process this information. You two?! I thought you were—" He gestured vaguely between us.
Gareth, still the only one who hadn't laughed yet, sighed. "I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore."
Rowan, who had been sitting quietly this entire time, finally took a slow sip of his drink, looking entirely unbothered.
Then, in the same deadpan voice as always, he muttered, "I should've stayed in the carriage."
That was it.
That was what finally broke me.
I burst into laughter, shaking my head as the entire tavern continued spiraling into absolute chaos.