Chapter Text
He had met Prompto in middle school, but it was not until high school when they officially met.
“Hey there, Prince Noctis! I’m Prompto, nice to meet you!” the blonde greeted after patting the Prince’s back. He was more than astounded to see that Prompto looked a lot different from the timid chubby kid he remembered.
“Don’t I know you?”
Within a few hours since that meeting, they immediately hit it off like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ignis and Gladio were more than surprised to know that the Prince, after years of isolation, had finally had a friend—whom he constantly mentioned in their conversations—who was not offered by the Citadel. However, their concern as the royal shield and advisor—and most importantly, as friends—required them to scrutinize the boy from head to toe (metaphorically, at least).
That did not become a problem, though, as the genuineness in Prompto easily made its way through the hearts of the two. If anything, the two had become worried on Prompto’s innate tendency to pamper the Prince to his heart’s content—may it be skipping classes, spending hours in the arcade, staying up late at night playing video games and eating fast food at the Crow’s Nest.
The two had been worried that Prompto may be posing a distraction for Prince Noctis, the future King of Lucis.
For Noctis, however, Prompto was not his distraction. The blonde was simply his best friend who makes the weight of his crown a lot lighter, his world brighter.
It was like having his own personal sun, with the name Prompto Argentum.
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“You can wield buster swords? No way, dude!?” Prompto said as he paused munching the fries they got from the Crow’s Nest. They were walking together on the way home—together at least until they reach the corner where they need to part ways. Such had become their routine, except for the days when Noctis invites Prompto over.
“Yes way. And not just buster swords, a variety of weapons, in fact,” Noctis replied before taking a big bite on his burger.
“That’s like, different levels of cool, you know that?”
“And you know what’s cooler? I can warp and use magic. And summon weapons from thin air.” Noctis was well aware that he was practically bragging at this point. He was not even that good in doing those things yet, but with Prompto having sparkling eyes like that, he might as well brag about anything.
“Whoa, hold on, that’s a lot of skills man!”
Noctis let himself indulge in ego-boosting courtesy of Prompto, to the point of thinking of inviting the boy to watch one of his training sessions with Gladio just to show-off.
“Really? You’d let me watch?”
Shit. He thought bits of that out loud. But the reaction he earned from Prompto—that excitement, those sparkles in his blue eyes—made him think that it was, perhaps, a good thing.
“If you’d like to. You may probably get bored half way, though.”
“That won’t happen!”
Just like that, Noctis has invited his friend—probably the first one who was not a royalty nor a servant to the crown—to the Citadel.
“For Astrals’ sake, calm down Prompto,” Noctis remarked as he grew impatient thanks to Prompto’s non-stop fidgeting since they left the apartment that noon. They were in the backseat of the car exclusive for the Prince’s use, with Ignis taking the wheel.
“Dude!? I was about to go to the Citadel! What if I meet the King?”
“First, the Citadel is a common place in the city. Second, my dad—the King—is busy so he won’t be able to see you even if you wanted to. Third, since when did you become aware of the presence of royalty? I am the Prince, in case you do not know yet.”
“Nah,” Prompto replied, completely dismissing the Prince’s points of argument. “You’re different, dude.”
“What, I’m not royal enough for you?”
Ignis gave a chuckle to express his approval, and Noctis shot him a not-so-amused glare.
First stop: training room. Gladio was already there in his battle outfit, reading some sort of a document which seemed like the Prince’s training regimen.
“H-hi!” Prompto timidly stuttered, intimidated he was by the towering man (boy, technically).
“Noct told me I could—"
“Yeah, heard it from Iggy,” Gladio said before the younger could finish his sentence.
“Wouldn’t hurt for the Prince to have an audience every once in a while so he would finally do his best to not embarrass himself.”
“Hey!” Noctis scowled.
It took half an hour for Noctis to be on his gear, do some couple of warm-up exercises, and to convince Prompto that there will be no bloodshed even if they will be using real weapons. Ignis, meanwhile, had to leave the three of them to attend to some of his own duties.
When Gladio went to his fighting stance thus signaling the beginning of the training, Noctis wasted no second and aggressively warp-striked to Gladio using his two-handed sword. Somehow caught-off guard, he barely managed to block the attack with his own two handed sword, before the Prince disappeared in a blink of an eye. The big guy looked sideways before realizing that the Prince was at the air holding an axe he’d quickly conjured. Noctis delivered a strong strike from above, the gravity being his ally. Their weapons sparked upon contact, the scraping of metal-to-metal echoed in the training hall. The impact caused Gladio to stagger and fall on his back.
Noctis dematerialized his weapon and took a quick but obvious glance towards Prompto who was waving his hands and shouting something like “Way to go, Noct!” before reaching out a hand to help Gladio to get back on his feet.
“Oh, so… trying to impress goldilocks, huh?” The big guy bantered, taking the Prince’s hand to pull himself up.
“Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Keep that attitude and I might get your ass handed to you.”
And as Gladio promised, he did not let Noctis score a second time. Although Noctis was able to land a few strikes, the training session ended with the Prince himself being knocked out a couple of times.
He looked at Prompto who was still as enthusiastic as the beginning of the training.
“That was amazing, dude! It’s like watching an arcade duel up-close and personal!” Prompto said while Noctis was approaching him. “Too bad you got Noct’d a few times.”
“Shut up, nerd.”
Despite the fatigue and throbbing muscles Noctis had to deal with, he thought that that day’s training was worth his while.
Next stop: Dining hall.
Ignis phoned Gladio to tell him to bring the Prince and his friend to the dining hall where dinner will be served. Although Prompto could not believe that he was invited to such a meal, he let himself get to taste the food of royalty as he called it.
Next stop: Dungeon. Or not.
“You’re telling me you have no dungeons,” Prompto asked Noctis, his face dead serious that Noctis had to stop himself from laughing.
“Yes.”
“You’re telling me that beneath this enormous citadel there is no dungeon.”
“Yes.”
“Man, and here I thought I could finally see one.”
Noctis let another laugh seeing how disappointed his friend was.
“Sorry to disappoint you but, what’s so cool about a dungeon, anyway? You like creepy stuff?”
“Of course, not! I just thought that it would be cool to finally see a dungeon beneath a castle, just like in Kings Knight!”
Now the Prince is 100% convinced that he’s gotten himself a nerd friend.
“You want to see something cool? Come on, I’ll show you what’s cool. Let’s go, nerd.”
Final stop: Noctis’ room
Well, his room was not that cool anyway, but since Prompto’s at the Citadel, he thought that he might as well show him his personal space and the balcony-with-a-premium-view-of-the-city that comes together with it. Throughout the day he’s heard Prompto repeating words of awe such as ‘cool’, ‘amazing’, and the like, but when Noctis brought him to the balcony, Prompto was so surprised he was left speechless.
“Noct, this is just… beautiful,” Prompto said when he finally managed to speak. Their timing was just perfect, the sky was painted orange and indigo as the sun was about to set in a matter of minute.
Noctis did not know how to respond to the unexpected remark from Prompto. He himself was speechless to see Prompto’s reaction which he could only describe as endearing.
“Glad you liked it,” he finally said, smiling at Prompto when their gazes met. “Won’t you be taking pictures with your camera?”
“You bet!”
“Hell dude, you’re living a pretty comfortable life here… Just wondering, why did you move out?” Prompto asked, splayed on Noctis’ bed, still cannot get over the softness of the bed and its sheets—with quality that, he thought, may be exclusive for royalty—and its enormous size that may fit five Gladios.
“It’s as if you’re saying that my apartment is not comfortable. Not up to your standards?” Noctis answered, lying on his stomach, next to Prompto.
“Well, I'm pretty sure that living there cannot be compared to living here.”
“I just needed some space, I guess,” he answered. He did not know why, but he was very comfortable talking to Prompto about things concerning his life. “Being the Prince with people constantly watching over you can be a pain in the ass.”
“Oh yeah. Got a point there, buddy.”
Well, it was true, being the Prince can be a pain in the ass sometimes. But having fun throughout the day with Prompto enjoying the Prince’s company, he thought that maybe, being the Prince was not so bad, after all.
When Prompto did not hear Noctis respond, he fumbled his pocket for his phone.
“Hey, up for King’s Knight?” Prompto asked, turning over to lie on his stomach and propping himself on his elbows. “Though we may play for only just a couple of hours before I go home. You know, need to catch the last train and stuff.”
Noctis reached for his phone and booted up the application. But before the game began, he told Prompto:
“Say, why don’t you just…stay the night?”
-----------------------
He did not know when exactly did it start.
He was pretty sure that he was at the age where the desire of kissing someone was so strong. He thought of asking Prompto if he had already had his first kiss, but before he could hold on to the thought, it suddenly turned into ‘what would it feel like to kiss Prompto.’
“Is there something on my lips, dude?” Prompto asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. It was the middle of the day and they were having lunch at the rooftop—a place exclusive for the Prince of Lucis.
“N—No, nothing, Prom,” Noctis answered when he came back to reality, saying the nickname he’d given Prompto a while back without his consent. He awkwardly averted his gaze from Prompto.
“You’ve been staring at my face for Astrals-know-how-many times already. Now I’m starting to get conscious.” Prompto said before taking another bite on his sandwich.
“Really?” Noctis said, genuinely shocked, not entirely aware of the fact that he had been staring at his best friend that much. But honestly, he thought he could look at Prompto’s face all day—his lips that look so soft to kiss, pinkish cheeks atop his fair skin, his blonde hair that glows in the sunlight and those freckles—he wondered if how long it would take him to count them all if he could.
“Noct, you’re doing it again!”
In every skin contact with Prompto, may be through accidental or casual touches, he can feel his heart skip a beat. Sometimes, he can feel electricity crawling onto his skin, the feeling is somewhat similar when he was practicing elemancy, although it was warmer, better, and more welcome.
On their second time celebrating Prompto’s birthday, Noctis got him a new camera with specs not too high for amateurs as birthday present. Shock was painted in his face at first, followed by worry as he said that the gift was too much and that he couldn’t accept it. Noctis just had to tell him that he would get angry and would not talk to him for days if the blonde did not accept the gift, and Prompto laughed at the adorable threat.
Completely awed as he was, Prompto hugged Noctis tightly while saying “Thank you” and “You’re the best best friend ever, Noct!” Noctis felt butterflies in his stomach—if that’s how people call it when their stomachs flip over, hearts beat rapidly at the throat, heads go high up on the clouds.
He began questioning himself whether it is normal for guys to feel this way towards other guys. But when he thought about it, neither Ignis nor Gladio made him feel anything close to what he’d been feeling for Prompto. The thought of doing with them the things he’d want to do with Prompto makes him cringe even.
That’s it. He liked Prompto.
He thought, at first, that it was only a simple crush, platonic and pure—just a strong feeling of wanting to kiss your best friend. But months after discovering his desire to kiss Prompto, one night, he discovered that he wanted something else which fall way beyond the boundaries of friendship.
“N-noct!” Prompto called out beneath him, completely undone, covered in sweat. His bare chest was falling and rising rapidly as he tried to catch his breath.
“Prom,” Noctis whispered in return, caressing the blonde’s face before attacking his lips and neck with hungry kisses, overwhelmed as he was by bliss and arousal.
Noctis felt the familiar knot form at the pit of his stomach as he thrusted his hips faster, rougher.
“Ugh, Prom, Prom—” he called out as he felt his climax drew nearer and nearer.
Then his eyes shot open wide, trying to catch his breath, staring at the ceiling of his dark bedroom. Immediately he realized that his shirt is drenched in sweat. But that was not the worst part—it was messy underneath his boxers, too.
Damn. He thought that he’s the worst friend ever.
“According to Freudian psychology, dreams manifest one’s subconscious desire,” Ignis remarked while driving with Noctis at his usual spot at the backseat.
Sometimes he’s scared on how Ignis knows everything. Maybe, Astrals forbid, Ignis already knew that Noctis was talking about Prompto, and the exact kind of dream he was talking about.
He’s got no problem with that, nonetheless. His only problem now was how to look at Prompto and talk to him normally after that sultry night.
And as it turned out, his problem was quite more than he could handle.
“Noct,” Prompto called out to him as he was running to catch up to Noctis who was heading out the school gate. Noctis halted and turned around for his best friend.
In the past three days he came up with various excuses so that he and Prompto would not hang out after school, may it be at the arcade, at the Crow’s nest, or at his apartment. And today, he had told Prompto that he had to go home first as Ignis was pestering him about something (he failed to specify what something). He thought that maybe, his feelings to Prompto would somehow subside when he put some distance between them.
“How should I put this… Um…” Prompto said, rubbing his nape, head hung low, obviously trying hard to find the right words to say. “Were you…trying to avoid me?”
Noctis’ jaw dropped, as he was caught off guard by the direct question.
“I-I mean, if I had done something wrong which I am not aware of, you can tell me, you know?” Prompto continued, his gaze still not meeting Noctis’.
“No!” The response came off louder than Noctis intended it to be and it startled Prompto who inadvertently looked at him. “I mean, no,” Noctis repeated, this time, with a lower voice, looking at Prompto directly. “I am not avoiding you, nothing like that, ok?”
“Thank goodness,” Prompto sighed as relief washed over his face.
“Come on, I won’t do that. Ever.” Noctis told his best friend, patting the blonde’s head a few times before letting his hand slide on the side of his face down to his shoulder where it rested for a few moments. Such soft touches—Noctis knew he missed those.
Damn. For the second time in a week, he thought that he’s the worst friend ever for making Prompto feel anxious like that.
“I think I’m in love with Prompto,” Noctis murmured in the back seat while Ignis was driving him to school, a few days after he’d ask him about that dream thing. His voice was barely above whisper, unsure whether he liked to be heard by Ignis or not.
“I see that you have finally come to terms with your feelings,” Ignis remarked.
“Aren’t you… surprised?”
“Quite a bit. Let us just say that I am more surprised by the fact that it took quite a while for you to acknowledge your affections towards Prompto.”
Noctis was right. Ignis must have known everything all along.
Then Ignis proceeded to remind Nocits matters regarding his duties such as the need to marry someone of opposite sex and of royal lineage for the continuation of the bloodline—that kind of Princely stuff that Noct did not want to hear.
“But let it be known that as a friend, I support the both of you,” Ignis said as they pulled over in front of the school. “You have my word.”
Despite the preaching, Noctis couldn’t be more thankful hearing those latter words from his friend.
“So you got the hots for goldie, huh,” Gladio
“Wha—how? Argh, Ignis.”
“Nah, Iggy ain’t done any harm. I asked him to confirm my suspicions, and the guy’s simply no good at lying.”
“How did you even know?” First, Ignis, then now, Gladio. Noctis was getting more convinced that his affection towards Prompto was far too damn obvious for everyone to notice.
“Let me tell you—you’re not fooling anyone with the way you look at him. And that love-struck smile you’re giving him? Gods, you’re hopeless.”
Ok, so maybe he tended to smile a lot when he’s with Prompto, and that had been a brand new sight for Ignis and Gladio, and for the people in the Citadel as well (whenever both of them came to visit for training and such). But that look that Gladio said Noctis was giving to Prompto? The Prince should try harder to keep his gaze in check, after all.
“So, you banged him al—"
“Shut up!”
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In the fifth year of their friendship, Noctis asked Prompto to train to be one of his Crownsguards. It was not Noctis’ original idea, it was actually a suggestion of Cor Leonis, the marshal, which Ignis and Gladio easily agreed with. They thought that since Prompto had been a constant companion of the Prince, it would be wise to enable him to protect both the Prince and himself when necessary.
“Well, that’s if you want to.”
“You’re not kidding, right? Of course I want to! Like, I’d get to use weapons and stuff? A-and I’ll get to summon weapons, too? That’s very cool, man!”
“Prom, this is not a child’s play, you know that?”
“Of course I know, dude! I’m just messing with ya.”
“But seriously, will you join the Crownsguard?” Noctis asked again. There was a part of him which was hoping for Prompto to refuse, and a part which was hoping for his agreement. Being his crownsguard would mean that Prompto will take more part of the Prince’s life, like Prompto did not take up more than 80 percent already. He was not sure if any more than that would still be healthy for him.
“I’m telling you, yes! Oh wait, do I get to warp, too?”
----------------------
If Prompto did not see him as more than a friend, it would not matter—well probably, it would, but he just want Prompto to know that he had been in love with him for a long time, and he had been hoping that the boy feels the same way, too. It may not be worth the shot, but his feelings had already grown too strong to be contained that it had started eating him from inside.
“I’ve made up my mind,” Noctis said out of the blue, lying on the couch while Ignis was just preparing to leave the apartment as he was already done with his job there.
“I’m gonna tell him. Tomorrow.” Noctis said, eye-to-eye with Ignis, which let his advisor fully get a grasp of the boy’s sheer determination. He could never be even prouder, seeing that the Prince has finally mustered up the courage to confess his long standing feelings.
But unfortunately, the boy’s sheer determination was not enough.
The news of his arranged marriage with Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenabrae was, suddenly, all over Lucis. The Prince himself was shocked, of course, by a number of reasons.
One, although he had always adored Luna, he does not love her that way—okay, for once maybe, when he was still a child, he thought of having Luna as his queen would be perfect.
But that was in the past. They had exchange letters every now and then, until their conversations grew distant as they were physically to one another. Now, he was only thankful that he had Luna as a good friend.
And then there was Prompto.
Prompto, his best friend, his love.
He wondered how Prompto reacted to the news. He fumbled his pocket for his phone to check for any new messages. To his disappointment, there were a number of messages of congratulations from people he barely knew, but none from Prompto.
And he was dying to know what Prompto thinks of the whole thing. But did he want his best friend to be happy for him? Or did he want the boy to be sad, so he would finally know that Prompto, maybe, feels the same love towards him?
The news of the betrothal did nothing but take him down from the cloud nine he was on during the past few months of being in love with Prompto (although one-sidedly), making him plummet to the ground. Hard.
He just lost the chance of loving Prompto before he even started, right after he mustered that determination to confess his love.
“I thought you would be happier Noctis.” There was reason in the words of his father. Sure, the Empire could easily choose the worst bride for the Prince, but instead they chose his beautiful childhood friend. And Noctis should at least be happy about that, right?
But oh, how happy he would be if by any chance granted by the Astrals, Prompto was his betrothed instead.
After his talks with his father about the day’s breaking news and stuff like implications to diplomatic relations, etcetera, later that evening he decided to go back to his apartment. Ignis drove the car for him, taking the opportunity to tell Noctis that he’s sorry for the fate of his romance with Prompto. Although Noctis did not respond, he appreciated the sympathy from his friend.
As they were drawing near his apartment, he checked his phone again to see that Prompto has finally replied to what—20 something messages he texted him throughout the day. Not to mention the missed calls of almost the same number.
“Sorry for the late reply, Noct. Got lots to do here at home. Lets finish the dungeon, maybe tomorrow?
“Btw, congrats on ur engagement to Lady Lunafreya,” the message says.
Something’s off. He knew—he hoped—something’s off.
He told Ignis to drop him on Prompto’s house instead and Ignis was more than happy to oblige. He knew that the way things have gone, Noctis needed to sort things with Prompto.
They arrived at Prompto’s house. It’s been a while since the last time he had been there as they usually hang out at Noctis’ place, but the neighborhood near the wall remained familiar to him. Only the window of Prompto’s room upstairs was lit. He told Ignis not to wait for him anymore as he intended to stay over, but Ignis insisted to wait until Prompto lets him inside the house.
Instead of pressing the doorbell, he called Prompto’s phone to announce his presence by the main door. He could almost hear Prompto falling off his bed as he scrambled towards the window and confirmed that the Prince was actually there. It did not take a minute before Prompto came downstairs and opened the gate for Noctis, and Ignis subtly drove away.
“Dude? What’s the matter?” Prompto inquired while closing the main door after letting Noctis in.
“You did not reply to my texts,” Noctis pointed out immediately as he removed his sneakers at the genkan upon entering the house.
“Uh, I did…?” Prompto answered in his defense.
“Yeah, after an eternity?” Noctis said, elaborating the sarcasm in his tone.
“Dude!? Are you mad at me? For that?”
Instead of giving a reply, Noctis gave him the cold shoulder and casually invited himself upstairs.
“Oh come on, I told you my reasons!?” Prompto explained, following his best friend who was comfortably treading towards his room without a word.
“Besides, you should be happy right now, right?” Prompto said, slightly teasing Noctis who just entered Prompto’s room and made himself comfortable sitting on the edge of the unmade twin-sized bed.
Funny, many people had told him the same thing within the past few hours.
“So stop making that face dude,” Prompto continued, making Noctis realize the sour expression he’s making. Teasing him, Prompto brushed the back of his fingers against Noctis’ cheek which Noctis immediately swatted. Noctis regretted the reaction, hoping that Prompto did not take it seriously.
Why was he upset again? Certainly it was not because of the late reply, right?
Prompto did not say a word after that which alarmed Noctis, so he finally turned his gaze to Prompto.
“I’m willing to listen, dude,” Prompto told him.
“What do you want to hear me say?”
“What you want to say, buddy. Just, tell me what you want, alright? ‘Cause I have no idea what you feel right now.”
Prompto was right. He absolutely had no idea on what Noctis had been feeling, because he did not tell him, because shit happened right when he’s about to. And now, he was thinking that he’d lost the chance to do so forever.
“Well, that is, if you want to tell me. If not, that’s okay. You look tired—let’s call it a day.” Prompto tapped Noctis’ arm before he stood up to get the extra futon from his closet, but before he could do that, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist and pulled him back to the bed.
“Whoa! Dude,” he exclaimed as he fall on the bed on his side, while the Prince clung onto him on his back.
With his nose almost touching Prompto’s nape, he could tell that Prompto had taken a shower before he arrived. Damn, he smelled good. He just also noticed that the boy was wearing a thin white tank top along with his…boxers. Was he that pissed off that he did not notice how little Prompto’s wearing until now (although he had seen him in less)? Good thing Prompto’s back was facing him—if Prompto would hug him back, his senses would be very overwhelmed by the feeling of Prompto around him. Screw that, the room itself smelled like Prompto, making him practically surrounded by him. Damn. He really should stop thinking about anything, otherwise he will no longer be in control of his lower half.
“Let’s call it a day, Prom.”
There were so many things that Noctis wanted to tell him, and Noctis appreciated that Prompto had been always willing to lend him an ear. And Prompto, being the best friend Noctis could ever wish for, always knew when Noctis was too tired for anything. He wished he could express his appreciation in ways that Prompto would understand how much he meant to him. But tonight, he would just like to indulge himself by simply lying like this with Prompto in his arms. Really, he could stay just like that forever. But he knows too well that things were about to change since he was getting married, and he was afraid that these moments would be among them.
Thinking about it just made his heart ache, and no magic, nor potions can heal him.
The two stayed like that for a while, silent, a mess of tangled limbs, before Prompto somehow managed to arrange themselves on the cramped bed without their feet hanging off the edge, until sleep dawned over them. Not even once did Noctis let go.
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Days had passed since the news of his betrothal, and neither of them had actually spoken seriously about it. Noctis, frustrated as he was, resolved to lock away his feelings for Prompto in the deepest corner of his heart. In the past few years since he’d met Prompto, he had gotten used to thinking that being the Prince was not bad at all, but now, he was back to thinking that being Prince sucks since he could not have what he actually wanted the most.
For his Father and the people of Insomnia, he needed to act upon his Princely duties, starting with marrying Luna. That should be easy, right? He just needed to pretend that he did not love Prompto, that Prompto did not make him realize that he was capable of feeling such emotions, and that he did not imagine at some point that he would be spending the rest of his life in love with him. He just needed to be that best friend.
He just needed to be the Prince and that sucked.
They still have time before the wedding. Maybe he could make use of the time to convince himself that he loved Luna more than a sibling would. Until then, he decided that he will make the most out of his time with Prompto. But in order to do that, he needed to have Prompto as part of his entourage on their journey to Altissia.
Ignis did his best to make Noctis understand the weight of his decision. He knows very well that the two had become inseparable and that the Prince had a lingering affection to the boy, but the possible repercussions needed consideration.
His advisor had a point, and Noctis understood that very well. Prompto had just begun training less than half a year ago, and although Cor and Gladio saw his potential, there are many Glaives out there who were far more experienced and adept at combat. However, he did not want any of them—he just wanted Prompto to be with him.
Gladio did his part, too, and tried to talk some sense into Noctis.
“I need you to understand many things before we take off to Altissia,” Gladio told Noctis as he approached him after one of their training sessions. “Prompto being your Crownsguard means he will put your life above his own.”
“What about that? Nothing will happen to him; I will protect him,” Noctis answered with an overbearing level of self-confidence before he drank his water all in one go.
“Says the Prince who had not yet encountered beasts nor daemons outside the walls,” Gladio murmured, but Noctis heard him clearly. “Look, this is what I am trying to make you understand. Out there, the four of us will be in danger. And it is our duty to protect you; to place your safety on the top priority.”
“And I am telling you, I won’t let Prompto get hurt,” he insisted as he placed the empty water bottle on the bench, the action done with slight annoyance.
“I am telling you, he will get hurt, one way or another!” Gladio said, practically yelling, as he had never been too patient when it comes to the Prince’s complacency. “Remember, you are not yet strong enough to protect yourself, let alone him!”
For a while Noctis just stared at his Shield who tried to regain his composure. The Prince tried to think of a comeback, however, it was difficult since everything Gladio had said is true. Especially the last part.
“I want you to be aware of the possibilities of having your special someone in the battlefield with you, your crownsguard even” Gladio continued, his tone relatively calmer, but his piercing gaze to the Prince remained intact. “Let me remind you, we were taught a hundred-and-one ways of sacrificing ourselves in order to save you, and we are likely to find ourselves in situations to make use of such training.
“If you can’t even man-up to be ready for that, then don’t even think about bringing your friend.”
“You serious, dude!? Like, I just recently got the hang of my training sessions and I had just began training with Cor the Immortal and now you’re telling be to back out? Are you serious?” Noctis was especially pissed at himself, since he remembered how excited Prompto was when he had told him a few days ago that he will be accompanying the Prince in the road trip. He remembered how Prompto had made mental notes on what to do once they were outside the city. Now, he was passing the ball to Prompto to let the boy himself decide because he freaking couldn’t.
“No, I’m not telling you to back out; I’m just asking if you have some reluctance in going on this trip…”
“Noct,” Prompto sighed.
“Prom,” Noctis replied in playful retaliation.
“I’m not backing out, okay? I’m in this, with you. Or do you have somebody else in mind to go with you?”
“What? No. I was just… I was just thinking. It’s dangerous out there, Prom.”
“You did realize that when you have invited me to train to become a Crownsguard, danger will be eventually part of my job.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You just… don’t believe in me. I know I’m not deserving—"
“You’re wrong!” Noctis could not be more honest in that respect. Not only he had received verbal reports from Gladio and Cor how skilled Prompto became at wielding firearms and ranged weapons, but he also had several joint training sessions with Prompto to know how capable he was. He believed that although Prompto was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, having Prompto in the party would still be an advantage as far as combat techniques and teamwork is concerned.
He did not know what to say next in the fear that he may say something that would hurt Prompto.
“Look, I—I want you to be with me in that trip,” Noctis said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “I just want you to be by my side like you used to be.”
“Then I will,” Prompto said, looking directly at Noctis’ eyes. “I will be with you, Noct.”
Noctis pulled the boy in a sudden and tight embrace, earning him a muffled yelp from Prompto.
“Just remember—I won’t let anything happen to you,” Noctis said at Prompto’s ear.
“Noct! Come on, that should be my line, I am the Crownsguard here. I should be your knight, Your Highness.”
“Nerd.”
Gladio’s words rang in his ear, that thing about a hundred-and-one ways of sacrificing to save the Prince thing. Maybe he had made a mistake on dragging Prompto into his dangerous life. Maybe he should have done better than to steal Prompto’s future away. But he could do nothing now but to hope that Prompto would not find any reason to do any of those one-hundred-and-one ways of sacrificing himself, as he held him tight and buried his face in the crook of the blonde’s neck.
---------------------
It was the last night of their road trip before they head to Altissia. They found the mythril, Cid got the boat fixed, and at last, they were ready to set sail.
The past few weeks on the road had been a series of mishaps and losses. Looking back at it, Noctis was surprise that he made it through it all—the fall of Insomnia, the death of his father and of their friends—all because of Ignis, Gladio, and of course, Prompto. Despite his own losses, his home, his parents, he managed to bounce back on his feet and kept Noctis afloat. Without him, Noctis would probably still be on his feet as Ignis and Gladio would push him onward, however, he would not feel alive at all and would simply run on auto-pilot. His sun had saved him when the sky just poured down upon him, reminding him that despite shit happening, there would always be a reason to smile.
But now, he could not help but worry on what awaits them in Altissia. It was somehow the same feeling as that back then when they were leaving Insomnia—the dread, the anxiety, the fear that there were many things that he might have missed out something and would regret it in the end.
Ignis, as benevolent as ever, had noticed the Prince’s uneasiness and advised him to do something about his situation with Prompto before they set sail.
“I don’t know… What should I say, Specs?” Noctis asked Ignis, sitting on one of the crates outside the house which serves as a shelter for survivors from Insomnia. They both watch as Prompto played tag with Talcott.
“Do you still love him?”
“Of course, I do.” Even Noctis was surprised by his uprightness.
“Indeed, you do,” Ignis willfully emphasized. “What holds you back, then?”
“I just… I just don’t think it will be right to take advantage of the situation—my father being dead, Insomnia being destroyed, Luna being in danger. I can’t just simply come up to Prompto and say, hey, my marriage to Luna was called off after all that shit happened so now we can finally be together.”
A brief moment of silence passed.
“I just want him by my side, that’s all,” the Prince finally continued.
“You think that leaving these things hanging will work in your favor.”
“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
“Perhaps back then, when you were forced to act upon your duties as the Prince, you did not. Now, I am certain that you had been given the opportunity to choose, and you rather choose to let go of such an opportunity.”
Was it true? Did Noctis finally have a choice when it comes to his life?
“You still have time, Noct. I suggest you use it wisely,” Ignis said, handing over the key of the Regalia to Noctis before he headed towards the house. Noctis was puzzled for a moment until he realized what Ignis implied.
He noticed Ignis said something to Prompto which caused the boy to shoot a glance at Noctis’ direction before nodding to Ignis. Noctis met Prompto’s glance as the blonde made his way up towards’ Noctis’ location, but instead waiting for him, Noctis began walking uphill to the lighthouse behind him.
Noctis settled behind the lighthouse which offered a vast view of the sea, only a low wooden fence in between him and the cliff at his feet. The sky was painted purple and orange as the sun was about to set in a couple of minutes and the cold breeze of the sea mildly blew his hair. Prompto was already there, approaching him in slow easy steps.
“Hey,” Prompto started.
“Hey,” Noctis repeated, not sure how to carry on the conversation since he did not exactly know what Ignis told Prompto. He just continued staring at the sea his lower arms resting on the fence.
“Gonna miss the view, huh.”
“Yeah.” Noctis heard a shutter clicked and noticed in his peripheral vision that Prompto held out his camera.
“Me, too. The Hammerhead, Galdin Quay, Lestallum, the Chocobo Post—all the places we’ve been in the past couple of months… Think I’m gonna miss them all.
“But! I’m still happy that we’re finally going to Altissia. Rememer that Ignis kept saying that Galdin Quay is nothing in comparison with Altissia?”
Noctis had always liked such light conversations that he had with Prompto. As much as he wanted to stay talking to him like that, he needed to say something to Prompto to end their subtle dancing around the subject once and for all.
“Prom, I need to tell you something,” Noctis began, putting his hands together and twiddling his thumbs. “To be honest, I—I don’t really know what’s gonna happen when we get to Altissia. Ignis had said that the public knows that the wedding had been called off, and proceeding with the wedding would not fix any diplomatic relations right now.
“But I want to get to Luna and make sure she’s safe,” Noctis continued as he finally looked at Prompto. “You know, she’s also family to me.”
“Of course she is, buddy,” Prompto replied with his usual smile, before it was his turn to look at the sea. “Besides, the world knows how much you love her.”
Noctis remembered that it was what he made Prompto and everyone to believe—that he loved Luna so much he would gladly comply with the terms of the Empire and marry her.
“I was an idiot, Prom,” Prompto, looking back at Noctis, was evidently surprised by the unexpected response that he could not think of a comeback. “I should have said this to you before we left Insomnia, that night after my wedding with Luna was announced.”
Noctis stepped forward and reached for Prompto’s hands which were given to him hesitantly. Noctis took a moment looking at their intertwined hands before looking up again to those sky blue eyes, and he could not deny the confusion written all over Prompto’s face. He only wished that Prompto would see right through him because he’d always been so bad at words.
“I was a coward—I only thought that going along my duties as the Prince is the only way.
“But you—you’re the one that I want to be with. I love you, Prom. I—I really do.” The words were rushed and stuttered, his voice unsteady, and that may not be the best confession ever. But there went his confession, the one that he’d kept for as long as he can remember.
“You can’t! Y-you can’t do that!?” Prompto attempted to withdraw his hands but Noctis refused to let him go.
“I can. And I had, for a long time now.”
“You’re the Prince, and I am just a pleb! A-and we’re both guys?”
“Since when such things mattered to you? You’re a guy and so what?” Tears started to form at the corners of Prompto’s eyes which only convinced Noctis that he was not being rejected by the boy, but rather, Prompto was just afraid. He somehow felt relief from that.
“Come on, Prom. You’re making me think that I’m the only one in love here,” Noctis said, pulling the other in a tight yet loving embrace, placing a kiss in Prompto’s temple.
“But you can’t, Noct…” Prompto said, burying his face on Noct’s shoulder.
For the all those years that he had been with Prompto, he knew that the boy had never been used to getting what he wanted. In that respect, he thought that maybe, he knew Prompto well enough.
“Prom, it’s okay. It’s okay for you to accept this.”
He unwrapped his arms from Prompto to place his hands on each of Prompto’s cheeks to get him to look him in the eye when he said once more, “I love you, Prom.”
Slowly closing the distance between them, he pressed his lips onto Prompto’s. He felt him trembled under his touch, but he did not feel strong resistance from the boy, just uncertainty and insecurity, before he finally gave in to the loving moment.
It was an awkward crushing of lips and teeth at first, just like a first kiss would be, but neither of them cared about it. Noctis was too overwhelmed by the feeling of finally—finally, after waiting for so long—kissing the person he loved who’s melting in his arms. Magical, wonderful and exhilarating would be the understatements of the century to describe it.
When he was sure that Prompto would not pull away any second, he moved his hand from his cheek, slowly snaking it around Prompto’s waist and pulling their bodies together even more closer.
Their kisses continued for a couple more minutes, each had better pressure and angle than the ones before it, until Noct needed to come up for air. But soon as he broke the kiss he started planted kisses on Prompto’s neck, earning a soft whimper from the blonde.
“N-Noct!?” Noctis knew that the action shocked Prompto, but continued regardless. A few more kisses under his jaw down to his shoulder blade, Prompto could not stand on his weakened knees anymore that Noctis had to pull him close to keep him on his feet. Noctis somehow snapped to reality and realized that maybe, they needed to go somewhere else.
The key of the Regalia burned in his pocket.
He grabbed Prompto’s wrist and hastily led him down the hill.
“W-where are we going, Noct?” Prompto asked, still trying to process the events that unfolded in the last five minutes.
It only took a good five-minute drive for them to arrive at the nearest rest to Cape Caem. The trip had been silent, with Prompto flustered and could not sit still on his seat, nevertheless, Noctis made sure to hold Prompto’s hand within a good minute of the drive.
The sight of the neon sign “motel” made Noctis nervous as if he would be facing an ambush of coeurls, and he could tell that Prompto felt the same nervousness, too.
Prompto could swear that his heart was in danger of busting its way out of his chest when he opened the door and saw the only bed at the center of the room. Before he could turn to Noctis, he heard the door shut and the lock clicked and suddenly, Noctis was behind him, pulling him in a tight embrace. That’s when he felt that he was not the one with the heart that’s beating ridiculously loud.
Not even bothering walking themselves away from the door, Noctis started pressing kisses behind Prompto’s ear. A few more seconds, he was already savoring the kisses he was planting on Prompto’s neck while moving his hand slowly under Prompto’s shirt, rubbing lazy circles from his abs up to his chest. His hard member was pressing on Prompto’s posterior, and the other boy flinched upon the heated contact.
“Ah…Noct!”
He turned Prompto to face him and immediately locked his lips upon his, letting him remember that he missed that pair, so badly, since they had their first kiss more than a quarter of an hour ago. Finally, they were walking away from the door, Prompto walking backwards with Noctis leading their pace, their lips did not part until Prompto’s leg bumped the edge of the bed and Prompto fall backwards onto it. Noctis did not instantly follow him until he’d removed his jacket and tugged his shirt over his head. Sure, they could not count the number of times they’d seen each other naked, save for the boxers, but seeing Noctis took of his clothes with his lustful gaze fixated on Prompto made the blonde feel heat rush to his face, blood to his aching member.
It was as if he warped that Noctis quickly lunged into Prompto and resumed their heated kisses, while his hands took the effort of removing Prompto’s jacket as well as his shirt. Once out of the confines of their upper clothing, they pressed their bare chests together, still kissing, and oh, Astrals, how amazing that feeling was. Noctis could only imagine (for the meantime, at least) the feeling once the both of them were finally freed from the tightness of their pants.
But imagining can wait, since he had already reached for Prompto’s belt, hastily unbuckling it. That’s when he realized that they were still wearing their goddamn boots.
Not wanting to spoil the mood any further, Noctis had immediately reached for Prompto’s feet and unlaced each of his boots before doing the same to his own pair.
“Aren’t we going a little too, you know, fast?” Prompto said, without a hint of protest, just pure curiosity. Noctis had just finally freed his feet from his footwear.
“Nope, just right for me,” Noctis said while climbing on top of Prompto, before pressing a kiss on his temple and bringing the trail of kisses down to the back of his ear, to his jaw, to his neck…
“But, dude!? We haven’t, like, gone out on our first date or something!”
“We’ll have one, tomorrow.” And his heart made a little flip as soon as he realized that they would be at Altissia by tomorrow, and, well, it was only known as the most romantic place in all of Eos.
“Noct, I—“
“Hmm?”
“I love you, too.”
Even though it was their first time, they went at it till dawn like insatiable teenagers. Noctis was sure that the aftermath would be crueler to Prompto than to him, but that did not stop him from indulging himself on pleasure, on bliss, of finally making love to Prompto when the other was very much as willing as he was.
The night was wonderful, yes, just as wonderful as waking up with Prompto’s hair tickling his chin, the blonde’s head resting on his bare chest, an arm with the all-too-familiar wristband splayed across the Prince’s stomach. He could tell that his shoulders had gone numb, letting him know that they had slept like that for a couple of hours, but that’s a small price to pay just to witness what may be the best morning of his life, despite the lack of sleep and weariness. That time, he could not help but think that for once in his life, everything was just perfect.
It’s not their swollen lips but Prompto’s limp which gave them away, although he tried so hard to hide it (which Noctis only found adorable and sexy at the same time). While Ignis only said something like “I’m glad you’ve finally done your move, Your Highness,” Gladio did not stop teasing Noctis throughout their sail to Altissia.
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It was as if Gladio and Ignis had gotten tired of teasing the Prince about his blossoming romance that they did not say a single word about the lovesick couple—as they call them—taking the loveseat each time they ride a Gandola to move around the watered streets of Altissia.
In fact, they did not say a word when for three consecutive nights, the Prince had booked two hotel rooms, one with two beds, the other with just one. The lodging was costly and a little above their usual budget, but the two older retainers knew better and decided to give the couple the privacy they need, especially when they were practically at their honeymoon stage.
On the day before the third night, Noctis had managed to have a conversation with the Governor and somehow came into terms with her concerning the safety of Luna and the people of Altissia. Before settling to their respective rooms the four of them had come up with a strategy for the next day’s combat and damage control.
“We’ll be fine. We got a plan, remember?” Prompto told Noctis, sitting beside him on the bed and placing his hand on the Prince’s who was lying on his back, trying to assure him. When they were finally alone Noctis kept telling Prompto things like they would be facing the worst battle yet and that hell would break loose.
Funny enough, these past few months, nothing had actually gone according to plan. Even his confession to Prompto was unintended, almost, but he was still happy about that nonetheless.
Prompto finally scooted and lied beside Noctis, resting his head on the Prince’s shoulder, an arm over the Prince’s stomach.
“Just, take care, all right? I won’t forgive you if you die before I do.” Noctis tried to make light of the subject, but like some sort of omen, Noctis once again remembered that hundred-and-one ways of sacrificing to save the Prince.
“I love you, nerd,” he said, pressing a kiss on his temple, as if giving Prompto a charm in order to keep him away from harm.