Stunned to silence, he noted. He remembered that being something normal for them before things had gone to the wind so suddenly. If he was perfectly honest with himself, he missed it, missed the banter, missed the almost playful comradery they had developed. It was nearest to what he maintained between himself and Zidane, worlds away from what he had been pushed into among the warriors for Chaos.

If he had a choice between the three, he would have taken what he had right here.

He waited quietly, head tilting, watching Noctis squirm and try to come up with a response, bemused. Like slipping back into well worn boots that he never wanted to get rid of.

"Noct? If that is what you wish." Nothing to do with the royalty side of things. In a way, he could understand. Nobility could be exhausting at times.

"How did you like the performance? It wasn't my idea, but it made for a nice way to pass the time."