18Not Meant to Be...
There he was again. Right before her as he smiled and laughed with her. He treated her as a close friend, one that he trusted and cared for greatly. Secretly stealing stares at him her lips trembled as she knew he was the one man that she could never be with. Twiddling her thumbs Iris looks to the boy that she cares for more than just a friend. She sighs under her breath knowing the truth about Noctis, a harsh truth that reality forces upon her every day, after day. He may have gave her flowers,but she knew it was only because of her Brother's influence on Noctis.
He was royalty...and she wasn't. Iris's thoughts of love being unstoppable was nothing but a lie that she was told from an early age. A measly dream that her brother told her whenever she would feel lonely and scared. A simple fear of being alone. What was to keep Noctis visiting her when he will be married to someone as powerful and beautiful as his wife to be: Lunafreya.
Yet here he was beside her, her crush, the only boy she has ever felt anything for. His warm smile made her blush and his eyes that made her melt from the inside; feeling butterflies from deep within her stomach. Her eyes focuses on Noctis as she smiles back on the outside while simultaneously hiding her true feelings. Locking them deep inside her thoughts and heart, just like she forces herself to do every day. A never ending pain that will only become worse over time.
Adjusting her posture, crossing her legs and placing her palms into her lap Iris keeps her eyes on Noctis while he and Gladiolus trained. Swords in hand as they fearlessly swung towards each other. Crossing their paths with fierce force. Iris lowers her view to her lap as she starts to shake nervously. Tears drips down her cheeks, splashing onto her hands; She looks to her her hands as the tears reflects not just her image and looks, but her feelings too.
"C'Mon is that it?" Gladiolus taunts Noctis while spins his sword on one of his finger tips, stepping forward while Noctis stood slouched, breathing to catch his breath. He than stood straight and show off one of the smiles that melted Iris' heart every time with the same effect. She faces away from Gladiolus and Noctis. Her ears still heard the two's confrontation "I have been training all day, how about some rest? Better yet how about stopping for the day?" Noctis requests as he rubs his left shoulder while he shakes his head.
Placing her right hand over her chest she smiles at the cuteness of the boy, he sure was something special. Someone that she wanted to openly love. Someone that could love her back, but she knew it was never going to happen. He was already promised to someone, but it wasn't her. However her smile fades returning to her frown as she is certain the he does not share the same feelings fer her...even if he did he was bound to someone.
Gladiolus chuckles while he carries his sword behind his back, returning his look to Noctis "Hey I'm only doing my job, now do yours by following my training, unless you want me to tell your bride that you were slacking off from your duties" he grins while holding his blade, pointing it towards the Prince that stood before him. Noctis blew a strand of hair from her eyes as he took hold of his sword once more; griping it "You wouldn't?" Noctis questioned his bodyguard with a half sure tone.
Returning his blade to a battle stance he took pleasure with replying with one single word "Maybe" he grins while he slashed his sword through the air towards the Prince. Noctis breathed quickly as he warped away from the sword, but Gladiolus fails to stop his motions as he strikes a stand with a vase on it filled with the flowers gifted to Iris by the the man of her dreams. Iris's eyes tracks the vase as it crumbles from the stand as it breaks on the surface of the ground. The flowers scatter on the ground, bent and bruised from the fall.
Seeing the Vase break before her eyes breaking her remaining spirit. Iris rushed to the flowers as she lifted herself from her seat. She kneels beside the broken shards of the vase. Gladiolus and Noctis saw the distraught plaguing Iris' face. Her frail arms brushed through the shards as she lifted a single flower into her palms. Her eyes watched as the last petal dropped from the flower. Her last chance was now gone, perished to the winds of fate. The message was now clear...it wasn't meant to be.
"Iris?" Gladios placed a hand over his sister's shoulder "It was my fault I shouldn't have gotten carried away with the training. I know that that they mean a lot to you..." he comforted his sister while she ignores his words, placing her hands and scooping up the petals, accidentally forming into a heart shape. The petals were soon blown from her hands and into the winds. Noctis crossed his arms before looking to Gladios "What's the big deal? They were just the flowers that I got her?"
Iris slowly stood from the ground, placing her arms to her sides while she turns to Noctis "Just flowers? Is that what you think of them? They meant the world to me because they were from you! You are the only boy to ever bother with giving me flowers! And they gave me hope, but thanks to you they are now gone!" Iris stomped her foot with force while she pointed to Noctis.
"Fine if it calms you down I will go out and get you some new flowers if it helps" Noctis tapped his foot on the ground. Iris' eyes reflected her eternal struggle of conflicting emotions as she breathed heavily "Don't bother! They will be meaningless if you feel obligated to get them. I loved those flowers because you wanted to get them for me. I know my Brother gave you the idea, but you still went through with it...I thought that meant something more than just... Never Mind!" Iris storms off away from Gladiolus and Noctis with tears streaming from her eyes as she charged up the stairs "Wait Iris...I didn't mean to..." Noctis reached out to her before Gladiolus pushes his arm down.
"Noctis...give her some time...I know that you didn't mean it like that, but you have no clue of her feelings" Gladiolus tells Noctis. The Prince sighs before looking up to Gladiolus "What are you talking about?" he asked before Gladiolus turned away "Figure it out first then apologize to her" Gladiolus tells him before walking away from Noctis. Folding his arm he looked around the now void room "Damn. Don't tell me it was that simple" he commented as he looked to the flowers resting on the ground.
Iris cried as she slams her bedroom door open before closing it and jumping onto her best, resting on her front. Her eyes continued to tear, she rested her head under the shield of her arms; crying into her pillow. Soaking her bedding with her tears. She slowly looked to her side at a picture of her and Noctis smiling. Noctis sat above her as she smiled from in front of him "Not Meant to Be..." she cried as she took hold of the framed picture throwing it against the far wall of her bedroom; breaking the frame she finally felt alone.
"I thought she just liked me as a friend, I never though that she felt that way..." Noctis thought, looking towards the stairs that Iris ran up, placing his hands onto his hips "Does she want to be left alone or should I go check on her? Man it sucks when the person with the most experience with women you know is Prompto" Noctis folded his arms as he slowly headed towards the stairs. Before he could reach them Ignis barged through the entrance of the house "Noctis! We have situation; Cerberus has been sighted in the mountains, it's really causing havoc!" Ignis told the Prince. Noctis turned to Ignis "Fine, let' deal with it" he replied as he turned away from the staircase and headed out the house. Ignis nodded "Right then" he acknowledged, following after him.
