Chapter Text
“What the hell?” Noctis said aloud to himself. “Where am I?”
He found himself to be in a dark and old warehouse. It was full of rusty old tools and saws from what Noctis could see. Where was he and how did he end up here? He had no reconciliation of how he had gotten here. He had just been asleep in his bed with Prompto.
‘Oh, no.’ Noctis was panicking in his own head. Prompto wasn’t there with him. ‘Where’s Prom?’
“Ow!” Noctis shouted in in pain almost instantly as he walked into a heavy chain that had almost managed to knock him down.
“Careful Noct, you wouldn’t want to get hurt. Would you know?” That same voice he had grown to hate came from the darkness. “Especially, when your little blonde boy toy is in danger.”
Noctis heard a scream within the warehouse but couldn’t pin point where the sound had come from.
“W-what?” Noctis was gritting his teeth and balling up his fists in anger. “It’s more than just that!” he had said the words before he had even registered what they meant. “And you know what?” Noctis was shouting so loud his voice would echo at times. “Stop being a coward and show yourself! I swear if you’ve hurt him…”
“Aha! So, you do love the boy?” the man spoke in an almost sing-song like voice but refused to come out from the shadows when Noctis insisted him to. “A shame he’ll have to die then but he has just been a terrible nuisance to me and my daughter.”
“Why you!” Noctis growled as he summoned his sword to swing at the darkness the voice had come from. There had been no one for him to make contact with and so he just fell to the ground with a thud. “Where are you!? What are you even talking about!? Prompto wouldn’t hurt anyone!”
Another scream erupted from the distance but still close enough Noctis knew it came from within the building.
“Oh no! You should really check on him and see if he’s still breathing.” The man chuckled until his voice trailed off and it was enough to make Noctis sick. Who would even want to hurt someone as innocent as Prompto? And Noctis couldn’t wrap his head around the man saying Prompto had been bothering his daughter. That just wasn’t Prompto.
Noctis shook himself from his thoughts and stood up to brush the debris off his clothes. ‘Gotta find Prompto!’
As Noctis started walking, he heard a faint voice “Noct.” It was Prompto’s and it was softer than his normal tone.
Noctis still couldn’t find where Prompto’s voice had been coming from, so he stumbled through the darkness. Hoping, just hoping to see that blonde hair and those happy violet-blue eyes and just squeeze him in a hug that he wants to last forever.
“Noct!” he had heard Prompto’s voice louder and clearer this time, so he believed he had to be getting closer to finding him and he began to run at a speed he never knew he had.
“Noctis! Wake up dude, you’re squeezing me to death!”
Noctis was confused. How was he squeezing Prompto? He didn’t even see him, but his friend’s voice sounded like he was right there and in fact, being squeezed. The room faded to complete darkness and he felt warmth under his arm that he was clinging tighter to now.
“Ugh! You seriously sleep like a brick!” he heard Prompto grumble. “Sorry Noct, you leave me no choice.” Prompto warned in a playful tone hoping that that would stir the sleeping prince but nothing and then he pinched Noctis’ arm.
Noctis’ eyes shot open as he yelped at the unexpected pain in his arm. He noticed he was clinging tightly to Prompto, clearly causing his friend some discomfort. He decided to loosen his grip but didn’t let go entirely.
Prompto now had enough room to roll over so he could face Noctis “Sorry man, but you wouldn’t let go and you were literally squeezing the life from me!”
“S- sorry.” Noctis said shyly. He noticed his arm was still draped over his best friend and he pulled it away quickly, his cheeks turning a bright red. “Sorry. Again.”
Prompto shrugged “It’s fine.” and did he look a little sadder now that Noct’s arm was no longer wrapped around him. Noctis must be seeing things. “Another nightmare?” Prompto asked in concern. Noctis’ nightmares were a common thing now, but it still worried him.
Noctis just nodded with a strange expression on his face that Prompto couldn’t read.
Prompto nudged a bit closer without really thinking about it. Noctis could practically feel his breath from their newly found closeness. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Nah.” Noctis responded as he shook his head. “It’s your birthday, so don’t worry about it. Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday Prom.” Noctis said smiling before he sat up but Prompto could see the distress behind his friend’s smile.
“You shouldn’t bottle things up though.” Prompto moved to sit next to Noctis at the end of the bed, their legs brushing against each other and the friction was enough to make Noctis stomach do flips that he could understand. “Even if it hurts me,” Prompto continued. “I can handle it. It helps to talk sometimes ya know. I’m always here, ever at your side.”
Noctis shook his head “I’ll be fine.” He stood up to walk over to stand in the doorway of his bathroom. “It’s like you said, they’re just nightmares.” He slips through the doorway, so he can brush his teeth.
Prompto followed him in and grabbed the spare toothbrush Ignis had placed in the bathroom since his overnight stays had become pretty common at times. He even stayed a full week a couple of weeks ago. “I guess so.” He said with a sound of shame that Noct took that personally. “but you have some pretty messed up ones and that looked like one of them. Please, tell me I didn’t die this time?”
Noctis shook his head in response to the question “They’ll pass, eventually. They did when I was younger.”
Prompto wanted to press on but he knew Noctis. His best friend wasn’t going to talk to him about it until he was ready, but he still found it strange how Noctis had been so open about the others and now he didn’t share a single detail. His nightmares had calmed some over the past few weeks but they all had the same focus in some way when he mentioned them. They involved the strange man, darkness, and Prompto. Prompto never understood why he was always in them but frankly, he didn’t want to find out if there was an answer.
Prompto shrugged his thoughts away and joined Noctis in brushing their teeth.
Noctis looked over at Prompto’s reflection and noticed his brand. The brand the blonde usually hid with a wristband or with various bracelets when they weren’t in school. He had never asked him about his brand nor had he ever asked to see it, he just knew they both got there’s at the same time. Noctis had to squint to try and read it through Prompto’s movements but he managed to make out “octis” and swore he could see a faded N like it hadn’t quite made an indention in his skin yet. A part of him felt happy if he did see an N but another part cursed him for even thinking that. There was no way it was his name.
‘So, you do love the boy?’ played in his head in the man’s exact voice that he’d grown to hate so much.
‘I do, but in a total friend way.’ He told himself. ‘Right?’ he remembered his own brand and how he thought the spelling had been strangely familiar to Prompto’s name. He started questioning if there could be anything more. ‘No, there’s no way. Besides, Prompto’s never shown any interest. He just jokes a lot. Yea, jokes.’
Noctis felt Prompto’s arm that wasn’t using the toothbrush brush against his. He spit his toothpaste out at the sudden rush that he felt from the touch, splattering it all over his sink and some on his mirror. He felt like his cheeks were actually going to burst into flames.
Prompto had jumped a bit at Noct’s behavior and spit his own toothpaste into the sink before looking at his friend. “What was that about?”
“Nothing.” Noctis said sharply after wiping his face off with a towel and leaving the bathroom to get dressed, leaving Prompto completely confused at what had just happened.
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Noctis was glad Ignis kept his promise to keeping Prompto’s party small because not only would Prompto feel uncomfortable with many people but Noctis could barely handle being around the amount of people who were already there. It was only Prompto’s parents who kept smiling at Noctis when he was with Prompto which he totally didn’t understand, Noctis’ father Regis who adored talking with Dave and Monica as it seemed, Gladio and Iris which they had been giggling over something again in Noctis and Prompto’s direction, and of course, Ignis himself when he wasn’t in the kitchen. They had already done most of the celebration, the dinner, gifts, and the cake. Everyone was now off to themselves, having small conversations of their own and enjoying Ignis’ delicious chocobo themed cake.
Noctis and Prompto were sitting down at the table while Prompto kept stealing icing from the back side of the cake. He knew he was going to have to run a marathon to burn off these calories and he may just drag Noctis along, so he would suffer too.
He looked over to Noctis who had barely even touched his own cake and was just picking at it. “Hey, buddy. Everything okay?” the concern in his voice had been overpowered by nerves. What was with Noctis? Surely, Prompto hadn’t done anything wrong, that he knows of. “You love sweets, especially cake but you’ve barely touched yours. That’s an offense to Iggy’s cooking.”
Noctis didn’t respond. Instead, he was off in his own thoughts. ‘Prompto’s actually really cute, I bet everyone feels this way around him. Yea, cute people do that to people. I definitely don’t like him other than as a friend.’
“Noct! Helloo!” Prompto waved his hand in front of Noctis’ face finally getting his attention.
“Huh?” Noctis looked up at Prompto a little startled and blushed slightly. “Oh, yea I’m fine.”
“Liar. Come on.” Prompto got up from his seat and grabbed Noctis by his arm to practically drag him across the room.
“Wha!” Noctis had been taken off guard by the sudden movement. “Where are we going?”
“To talk.” Prompto said looking back at Noctis but still dragging him by the wrist now. He waved over at Iris who was getting more punch and she bounded over as soon as Prompto had got her attention.
“What’s up guys?” She asked in her usual energetic tone.
“If Iggy asks, can you tell him I took Noct to his room because he felt sick?”
Iris looked at the two a bit skeptical of them “He doesn’t look sick, just moody as always.”
She earned a glare from Noctis and she just giggled.
“Just cover for us, ‘kay?”
Iris shook her head “Sneaking off at your own party?”
“It’s not like that. Come on, its important.” Prompto begged.
“Okay but Iggy’s gonna try and check on Noct.”
“Then stall. Tell him not to worry and that I’ll take care of him.”
“M’kay but don’t be gone for too long whatever it is. I can only do so much before he gets Gladdy to get answers from me.”
“Thanks, you’re the best. Come on Noct.” Prompto continued to drag Noctis by the wrist.
“Seriously, where are we going?” Noctis tried to ask calmly but couldn’t control the beating of his heart. He didn’t even understand why it was beating so fast.
Prompto looks back at Noctis but continues to walk. “Our secret place. You’re gonna tell me what’s wrong.”
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There was still some light out, but the sun would be done setting soon. The two had found a bench under a tree to sit down at to talk. It was one of the trees that still had the lights decorating it. So, they still had some light.
There was a silence between the two and while Prompto was the one who would normally fidget around, he was fairly calm. Noctis was the one to keep adjusting how he was sitting and fidget his hands. He had been struggling with the strange feelings he didn’t understand off and on but today had been the first where they refused to calm.
Prompto was the one to break the silence with a sigh. “What’s with you Noct?” he sounded almost irritated, but his voice mainly carried concern. “My birthday is basically over, do just tell me.”
Noctis looked down at his hands to avoid eye contact. “I don’t know.”
“Dude, no. That’s not gonna cut it.” Prompto said to Noctis sternly as he shook his head. “We won’t leave until you tell me, and it’ll be your fault when Ignis has the whole kingdom search for us thinking I kidnapped you or something.”
Noctis sighed and looked Prompto in his eyes with worry. Why was he thinking about how good Prompto’s skin looked in this light? And why did he keep looking at his lips? He was pretty sure that wasn’t normal. Noctis had been so confused lately about so many things, his feelings being one of them and he didn’t have the answer to any of them.
Prompto could tell Noctis was spiraling “Noct.” He placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort to bring him back.
“I- I feel like my nightmares have been trying to tell me something, well two things really.” Noctis sputtered in the beginning but the rest came out agonizingly slow.
Prompto just stared at Noctis in confusion and concern with his hand still on his friend’s shoulder. “Like what?”
Noctis looked away from Prompto. Here he was, about to say everything he’s been keeping inside from the nightmares to his strange feelings. He was going to sound like a complete loser but at least no one could witness his embarrassment.
He took a deep breath “I feel like they’re… trying to tell me that you’re in danger and I get really worried sometimes.”
Prompto’s eyes widened at what he had just heard “Noctis, no offense but that’s kinda crazy. Psychic dreams aren’t real, and no one’s tried to hurt me. I’m right here and perfectly fine, and you’re always with me, most of the time anyway.”
Noctis looked down at his hands in his lap “I know it sounds crazy and stupid, but they’re really scary and they feel so real. I didn’t even know I was dreaming until you woke me up this morning.” He took a moment to pause and take a deep breath. “I just don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. I- you’re really important to me Prompto.”
“Noct,” Prompto said as he grabbed Noctis’ chin to turn his face so that he was facing Prompto again. Noctis slowly brought his eyes up to Prompto’s. He swore he saw the blonde’s eyes darted to his lips and he blushed, but he didn’t think about it much.
Prompto let any of his walls that he’d built in order to not screw up the friendship down because they were both leaning in without thinking. The only thing the blonde knew right now that he was screaming internally because by the gods he didn’t expect Noct to be leaning in too.
Their lips didn’t even touch the first time they leaned in. The angel had been completely off, and they ended up bumping noses instead. Noctis cursed himself and felt like he had screwed it up until Prompto tilted his head to the side just a bit more and leaned back in. This time their lips finally connected in a soft and gentle kiss. Noctis lifted his hand to Prompto’s that had moved from his chin to his cheek in the moment.
When the kiss broke, the two boys just stared at each other. Prompto still had his hand on Noctis’ cheek moving little circles with his thumb while Noct’s hand still covered his. It was a simple but sweet way to show his affection. They both just sat in silence, not bothering to say a word or move and just continued to stare into each other’s eyes until Noct’s phone went off.
They broke out of their trance so that Noctis could see who was calling him since it could be an ear-full from Ignis and gods forbid he ignore a phone call from Ignis. Luckily, it wasn’t Ignis but was Iris instead. Maybe they would survive.
Noctis slid his finger across the screen to answer it “Hello?” Prompto could only hear Iris’ voice muffled. “Okay. Yeah, we’ll be there in five minutes.” Noctis said before finally hanging up.
“How in trouble are we?” Prompto asked.
“If we make it to my room before Specs does and I can convince him I’m sick, then we should only get a small lecture for not telling him.”
“Dude, let’s go then. I so don’t want to explain this to Ignis.”
“Same here.” Noctis agreed as they both stood up to return to the citadel. “Oh, hey Prom.” Noctis stopped walking and Prompto turned around to do the same. Noctis leaned in to place a kiss on the blonde’s cheek. “Happy Birthday again. Sorry I was moody for most of it though.” He apologized as his cheeks blushed.
Prompto smiled and grabbed Noctis’ hand to intertwine their fingers together “Yea, that was kinda jerky, but I think you made it up. Now, come on.” He tugged Noctis so that they were almost jogging back to the entrance.