#his second ascension outfit slaps so hard;

[darabeatha]

HELLO ??????

HE’S WITH TANGERINES-

[rainbowserenity]

*sends pigeon w/ note* royal au and/or #18 on the sappy line prompt if that gives you inspiration ;)

18. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

(royal!AU tag) this isn’t a continuation to the last part I did forever ago, and tbh I’m not sure if this is the direction things will go in, but I’ve been stuck on the next part for months and months so please enjoy this random blurb that may or may not eventually become part of that universe 8D;;;;

There were things about being the crown princess of the most populated kingdom into the world that Lightning would never get used to, even after all this time - maybe her roots steeped in poverty and working hard for nothing was just too ingrained in her.

Though people knew an accepted her past - within reason; Sazh still looked like he was going to blow a blood vessel every time she veered off-script and mentioned it - it was still ridiculously weird to her that everything was celebrated with such grandeur.

“All righty,” Sazh muttered under his breath, going through some lists. “First through sixth course are done, dessert’s nearly made, place settings are down, orchestra’s tuning up, got that one guy to clean the chandeliers - “

Gods forbid they celebrate her second year of ascension with a barbecue or whatever.

“Sazh,” Lightning said her in usual no-nonsense tone. “Stop it.”

“Like hell.”

She rolled her eyes. From the start, Sazh had been her most trusted advisor, but seriously, enough was enough. “Can’t you talk to yourself somewhere away from me, then?”

He barked out a laugh, but then glanced up at a clock and did a double take. “Looks like you’re gettin’ your wish. Go get dressed or you’ll be late.”

“I thought royalty was never late. Everyone else was just early.”

“Stop quoting at me.” Sazh smirked and gestured in the general direction of Lightning’s walk-in closet. They’d been sitting in her receiving room, but now he stood up to leave, hopefully to pester someone else.

She shook her head and headed to the closet, pressing the button to call one of her maids on the way. Typically she didn’t need them for day-to-day dressing, but gowns were always a pain in the ass to put on by herself.

This one, though, she wouldn’t mind wearing. Serah had actually picked it out for her, and Lightning had to admit that her sister knew her taste. It was a flowing purple gown with a sweetheart neckline, embellished with floral designs and tasteful ruffles.

Of course, since this was an official function, the gown had been modified to show off the symbol of Phoenix, Eden’s fal’cie - it was studded in diamonds on the back of the dress. Since a tiara was required, she’d chosen a bandeau covered with diamonds and amethysts.

Once she’d unlocked the tiara from the vault - stored there only for this evening, so she could have access to it - and pulled the gown from the garment bag, she heard the closet door open. She turned, expecting to see one or two of her maids, but her eyes widened when she instead was greeted with -

“Hope?”

“Good evening, Your Highness.” Hope Estheim, her....personal bodyguard, stood with his hands behind his back. It would have all been very official if not for the glint in his eyes and the tiny smile curving the end of his lips. “I hope I didn’t startle you.”

“Maybe a little.” She smirked, stepping forward to close the door behind him. “I was expecting Yeul or someone.”

“Should I go get her?”

“Don’t you dare.”

As soon as the door closed, Hope’s hands were immediately on her waist. They surged forward at the same time, their lips meeting as they kissed hungrily, desperately. Crazy how one touch could drive her so much.

It had been nearly a day since she’d seen him, though.

When they paused for breath, they were both smiling. The glint of her tiara managed to remind her of why, exactly, she’d called someone up here and she lightly slapped his chest. “Don’t distract me. I need to get dressed for this dinner.”

“So I noticed.” Hope’s eyes raked over her now-disheveled outfit, which was a skirt and a blouse. Designer brands, yeah, but not exactly official royal function material. “It’s why I came up here.”

She quirked a brow. “You came to help me get dressed?”

“Among other things,” he admitted.

She smiled again, unable to resist tugging him close for another kiss, this one much sweeter. It was always so difficult to find privacy when she was surrounded by people at every moment, but - as ridiculous as it sounded - it make the moments they did get all the better.

How long they stood there in her closet, surrounded by very expensive clothing and jewels but only wrapped up in each other, was anyone’s guess, but eventually she forced herself to pull away and flicked his forehead affectionately. “I still need to get dressed.”

“Oh.” He looked dazed, but so happy. Kinda like how she felt, really. “Right.”

Luckily, the gown was easy enough to slip into after she’d put on the proper underthings - those she managed without him, though she’d admit to nobody, ever, that she wished she’d needed help with those. Ahem.

However, once she’d carefully pulled on the gown, there was a complicated mess of closures and laces that needed to be done just right, lest something poke her in the back for the rest of the night. Why these things couldn’t just have a zipper was beyond her.

Lightning turned her back to Hope. “Are you sure you won’t need help?”

She heard rather than saw him smile. “I think I can handle it.”

A shiver went down her spine as he gathered her hair and brushed it over her shoulder, his fingers lingering over her bare skin. Though the clock was ticking, Hope took his sweet time doing up all the hooks and laces. It took all of her self-control not to keep shivering every time she felt his fingers on her back, but she couldn’t hide the way her breath kept catching in her throat. By the time he’d gotten the dress all the way on, her skin was burning and Lightning wondered how the hell she was supposed to get through this function now.

He put his hands on her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Need help with the headpiece?”

She let out a breath, ignoring his little chuckle. “If you don’t mind.” Putting them on herself was always a pain.

There was a little area in the closet with a chair and a mirror, with hairpins and whatnot set on a desk for this very situation, so Lightning sat down, trying to ignore how it felt with Hope’s fingers in her hair. Even though his motions were professional and gentle, it was a thousand times more sensual than when one of her maids did it.

No amount of gentle touches could help her escape from all the inevitable hairpins, though.

She carefully nodded when he finished and asked if she liked the placement. Serah had done her hair earlier; she’d simply curled the longer pieces so that the tiara would be the focus. Hope, of course, had positioned it perfectly on her head and managed to hide all the pins anchoring it down.

He insisted on on getting her shoes - purple heels that had been dyed to match the gown - and knelt down to slip them on her feet. When he was finished, he stood and stared at her, his expression soft but otherwise unreadable.

She carefully got to her feet, mindful of the gown, and smoothed down the fabric. “What is it?”

Hope stared some more, his expression morphing into one of awe. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Lightning hoped her blush wasn’t totally obvious.

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he murmured, his eyes meeting hers again.

And now the blush was obvious. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

He grinned. “You’re supposed to thank someone when they compliment you.”

“Yes, unless they’re speaking nonsense.”

“I would never.” He dropped his arm but didn’t let go of her hand. The look on his face was making her heart pound. Had he ever stared at her like that before? “Shall we? Any longer and you’ll be late.”

One day, maybe, she’d figure it out. There was a part of her that almost didn’t want to, like knowing would unravel a carefully sewn thread.

Or maybe it would just unravel the dress she was strapped into.

Lightning took Hope’s arm, willing her heart to slow. Maybe the answers would come in time.

“I’m never late. Everyone else is just early.”