Work Text:
Prompto sat slouched at the front desk, tapping his pen idly against the counter. He had already cleaned the entire display cabinet and re-organized the hard-drives, and that meant that his meager to-do list was complete.
It was too early for the modest after-work crowd, so he was left aimlessly watching the minutes tick by. He hated the weekday shifts, especially because he was always scheduled alone.
He wished that they could at least use their phones on shift. Honestly, an electronics store is probably one of the only places where you might be able to pass off dicking around on your cell as doing something productive. Of course stupid Loqi banned them during shifts as soon as he got manager position.
What a dick.
Prompto sighed, zoning out into space and continuing his rhythmic tapping. He heard the familiar jingle of the front door but didn’t bother looking up, he figured they would probably look around, get whatever they needed and then leave without needing much help. He sighed again and pushed his black, thick-framed glasses up his nose.
“Uh, excuse me..” a timid voice piped up from Prompto’s left, startling him and making Prompto fumble his pen until it clattered to the ground.
“Whoops- uh Hi! Yes, Hi! How can I help you?” Prompto squeaked, turning to face the customer and leaving the pen on the floor.
Prompto was surprised to see a man around his age looking at him shyly from under a baseball cap. He had bright, vivid blue eyes and dark hair that framed his face.
He was super, super hot. Like, right up Prompto’s alley hot. He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. The customer’s hands were shoved into the pockets of his very fancy looking bomber jacket, and he fidgeted trying to find the words to reply.
Prompto felt like he knew him from somewhere but couldn’t quite place it. Hopefully it wasn’t one of those situations where they had met before but only Prompto didn’t remember.
Those were the worst.
“I uh.. I want to make a gaming PC?” The stranger said, although it came out more like a question.
“Oh! Okay, great. What are you looking for?” Prompto asked, moving off his stool to face the guy properly. It wasn’t every day that he got a mega-babe customer in. Prompto was now mentally thanking the Six it was a slow shift.
“I dunno really.. I was kinda hoping someone would like… tell me.” The man looked down after finishing his sentence, scuffing his shoe a bit into the linoleum before looking back up, a strained look on his face.
Prompto was surprised. Most people who came into the shop knew what they wanted, especially when it was to build a custom unit.
Well, if this super-hot-maybe-stranger wanted to build a PC, Prompto would absolutely be the best guy to ask. Gaming was his life.
“I can definitely help you out! Okay, first off my name is Prompto, and I will be your guide in the magical experience of building your own gaming monolith of the gods.” Prompto smiled as the stranger chuckled at his enthusiasm. He had always been good at breaking the tension, and if he was going to be helping for a while he wanted everyone to be in a good mood.
Especially if that meant the purchase of some of the higher end parts. Or maybe a phone number.
“Hi Prompto, I’m Noctis.”
Noctis.. Noctis…
Prompto felt like that should mean something, but for the life of him nothing came to mind. Noctis seemed tense, and looked back down at his shoes. He didn’t seem to really want to talk about himself, so Prompto figured it didn’t matter if he remembered whether or not they had already met.
Crisis averted.
“Nice to meet you Noctis. Okay! We’re gonna be here for a while so I feel like if you’re cool with it we can just get started. Can I call you Noct?” Prompto smiled brightly, trying to coax Noctis into easy conversation. Prompto was used to stand-offish customers and could mostly tell when people preferred to be left alone or wanted to chat, but in this circumstance the more comfortable they were the better. Prompto would die if he had to spend 2-3 hours tense and awkward.
Thankfully, Noctis returned his smile with a small one of his own.
“Yeah, Noct is fine.” He said, and Prompto noticed some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
“Sick! You can call me Prom if you’d like. Okay, so firstly, what games do you play?” Prompto led Noctis through the aisles and into the back of the store where they helped customers with computer repairs, clearing off a table for the both of them.
“Mostly mobile games… I’m really into King’s Knight but I wanted to start getting more into desktop gaming, and I saw that they are finally releasing their PC version with all that new DLC and story mode and stuff... My current system has a hard time running Assassin’s Creed and it also crashes every time I try to play the new Justice Monster’s expansion.. I haven’t had time to upgrade my setup in forever.” Noctis sat down across from Prompto who had grabbed an inventory list, nodding at Noctis’ explanation excitedly.
“Ah, a man after my own heart, those are all my favourites right now too…” Prompto laughed, scribbling on the corner of the inventory list before looking up at Noctis. Noctis was looking at him, flushed and nervous, making Prompto blush in response.
Prompto moved on before he could embarrass himself more, “Yeah, those games definitely benefit from higher processing power, and if you really want a peak gaming experience I definitely think you should consider investing in a good graphics card. They can be pretty expensive but it’s kind of like the difference between playing Ray Jack and being Ray Jack, yknow?” Prompto grinned, and Noctis gave a low chuckle.
Prompto looked down to highlight some of his recommended graphics cards on the inventory list. When he looked back up, Noctis was staring at him intently, all prior shyness seemingly gone.
“I uh… saved up a lot for this so... whatever you think would be best is good for me.” Noctis looked down at the inventory list before meeting eyes with Prompto again.
“Okay, that’s good to know. Do you have a budget you want to stay under?” Prompto asked.
“...Uh… Nah… Whatever’s, y’know… good.” Noctis looked back down and started fiddling with the corner of the inventory list that prompto had scribbled on.
Damn. He’s hot, has good taste in games and he’s rich? He was so far beyond Prompto’s league it wasn’t even funny.
“Uh... okay cool! Just let me know if you feel like things are getting too much, okay? We can move some parts around or pick items that cost less but do the same kinda thing... Because you’re using it primarily for gaming there are definitely parts to splurge on and save on, yknow?” Prompto smiled again. He definitely didn’t want Noctis to feel like he was getting scammed or anything leaving the store… ‘cause maybe then he’d come back.
Noctis gave Prompto an odd smile.
“Alright, thanks Prom.”
Prompto blushed at the casual use of his name and felt his heart do a little flutter. He looked back down at the inventory list.
“No problem, Noct!” he squeaked.
Okay, time to focus. Focus . Work now, flirt later!
Prompto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, turning on his work-mode brain. Prompto rolled through the inventory list, going in depth with Noctis of all the parts he could use for his new desktop. They painstakingly discussed the pros and cons of different items, compared prices and discussed variations. Noctis had gradually gotten much more comfortable and wasn’t afraid to offer his opinion or ask specific questions throughout the process, much to Prompto’s delight. They sat at the desk for a couple hours, before Prompto finally smacked both of his hands firmly on the table.
“Okay! Now for the fun part.” Prompto stood up and looked at Noctis, who looked back in surprise, still sitting in his chair.
“Uh… okay..” Noctis replied, slowly getting up from his seat as Prompto excitedly walked ahead towards an aisle on the right side of the store.
Prompto stopped proudly in front of a series of computer cases, varying from extravagant to modest, and with just as wide a range in prices.
“Now we get to pick the packaging of your new baby. I have some recommendations and not all of these will fit everything you want in your unit, but for the most part whatever you pick I can either recommend you a similar alternative or work my magic on it.” Prompto exclaimed proudly, folding his arms and waiting for Noctis to assess the selection.
“Your magic, huh?” Noctis smirked, subtly looking Prompto up and down before moving his gaze towards the cases. Prompto blushed.
Was that for real, or did Prompto imagine it?
“What’s the difference between these two?” Noctis asked, shaking Prompto from his sudden flurry of thoughts.
They stood at the cases for a while, the flirtation situation gone from Prompto’s mind for the time being. Noctis finally chose a case that appeared modest until you turned it on, and then it showcased a rainbow band of lights around a clear case to display the unit.
“Awesome! Okay, now you can just pick out your mouse and keyboard and then I’ll get started on building your unit. We need a downpayment for security reasons, but it shouldn’t take too many days and then we will call you when it’s ready for pickup.” Prompto was feeling a bit disappointed the process was coming to an end. His boring day had really turned for the better and he didn’t really want to go back to staring into space.
“Sounds good, thanks…” Noctis replied, smiling politely.
They stood in silence for a moment, just staring at one another.
“So uh… The keyboards?” Noctis chuckled, noticing Prompto startle back to reality.
“Right! Right. Uh yeah, follow me!” Prompto turned quickly and started bee-lining it towards the keyboards.
Gods, he could be so embarrassing.
The keyboards were located near the staff lounge and assembly zone. It was mostly white walls with some display shelving and a small window that showed off where Prompto and his coworkers would assemble units or repair tech. Prompto had always thought it was a bit unnecessary, but Noctis seemed interested when he arrived shortly after.
“Is this where you’re gonna build it?” Noctis asked, peering in as best he could trying to get a good look at all of the tools in the small space.
“Yeah, it's cramped but it's got all the stuff we need. Even has those anti-static cuffs so you stay grounded.” Prompto pointed to a far corner of the window where some wrist cuffs hung.
“That’s cool…” Noctis looked towards where Prompto pointed and stared for a moment.
“You uh… Wanna like… go in?” Prompto asked suddenly, blushing profusely.
Why did he even ask that, its gross in there and cramped and smelt weird and-
“Yeah that would be awesome… are you allowed?” Noctis looked back at Prompto, smiling.
“Oh! It’s uh… It’s fine. We aren’t building anything right now. I mean like, don’t tell anyone or anything, cause then everyone will wanna go into the assembly zone with the cute sales guy, amiright?” Prompto laughed, shooting some finger guns at Noctis and trying his best to hide his nervousness.
“Yeah, that makes sense…” Noctis smiled shyly, blushing.
Gods, if Prompto didn’t turn around right this second he would literally spontaneously combust.
“Right! Okay, to the uh… Assembly Zone!” Prompto spun towards the door and grappled with his keys for a moment before unlocking it.
Prompto stepped in as far as he could to allow Noctis room to enter. The assembly zone was separated by a door from the staff lounge, and wasn’t much bigger than a small walk-in closet, so two adult men definitely took up the majority of the space.
“Sorry, it’s a bit… um… cramped.” Prompto said, speaking quietly now that they were in the small space. Everything felt amplified.
Noctis looked at Prompto before his eyes darted towards his lips. They were only separated by a step, and it felt like there was some unseen pressure building in the room. Prompto could see Noctis’ blush creep up, and Prompto’s heart began to race. Was this normal? What was happening right now? Is Prompto going to be made out with or murdered in the assembly zone by a mysterious sexy stranger???
Noctis took a tentative step forward, stopping a few inches in front of Prompto who was pressed up against the wall.
“Could I… um…” Noctis looked down, blushing even deeper.
“... are you going to murder me? I really don’t want to die in the assembly zone dude.” Prompto fidgeted nervously.
Thankfully Noctis let out a laugh, breaking through the tension that had built in the room.
“Gods, no . I was uh… I was going to ask if I could… um… kiss you? I know you’re working and that like… I don’t know if you were nice ‘cause of your job and I don’t wanna like prey on you or anything I just thought that we were kind of hitting it off-”
“Oh thank the Six, absolutely .” Prompto cut off Noctis’ ramble and closed the distance between them, pulling Noctis forward by the collar of his bomber jacket.
Their lips met, and Prompto melted into the feeling of Noctis snaking his hands around his waist, tugging him gently closer.
Noctis’ lips were so soft, and he smelt as good as he looked, like clean laundry and fresh rain. His smell even cut through the dusty, plastic scent of the cramped space.
Prompto gave a tentative swipe of his tongue to Noctis lower lip, and was met with a soft groan as Noctis opened his mouth.
Prompto realized he was fully making out with a customer during his shift in the assembly zone . If Loqi saw him right now his ass would absolutely be fired.
As if on cue, a gentle tap, tap, tap rapped on the glass of the small viewing window.
Prompto shrieked and pushed Noctis off, whipping his head towards the sound.
Luckily, it wasn’t Loqi.
Unluckily, it was some random hot glasses guy Prompto had never seen before, and they were making the most uncomfortable eye contact.
Noctis stood in shock against the door before gathering his bearings and also looking towards the window. Prompto looked back at him, panic taking over as he looked from Noctis to the glasses guy.
Noctis’ brows furrowed as he looked at the stranger, and he let out an aggravated sigh before turning around and exiting the room.
Prompto ran a shaky hand through his hair as he followed Noctis out, preparing himself as best he could for the customer who undoubtedly was about to berate him.
“Way to ruin the moment, Specs.” Noctis scowled at the bespectacled man, who met him with a very disapproving look.
“I was merely inquiring as to what was taking so long, highness. Although, for posterity’s sake, it is not very becoming of the future king to be making out with an employee at a... ugh ... ‘ Takka’s Tech ’.”
Noctis was about to snap back but was interrupted by a startled yelp from Prompto, who had clapped both of his hands over his mouth.
“Wait, your- but then I- Highness!? ” Prompto squeaked, face growing even more red as Noctis’ face drained in colour.
“No, Prom it’s okay it’s not a big deal-” Noctis looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets, obviously unhappy.
“But I-... In the Assembly Zone ...” Prompto gasped and hid his face in his hands.
Gods, no shit Noctis seemed familiar. This is the absolute definition of messing up royally . The three stood in awkward silence, and Prompto prayed the entire time that the floor would magically open up and swallow him whole.
“Will I be beheaded?” Prompto asked quietly, not making any movement to lift his head.
The glasses guy suddenly let out a loud laugh before politely covering his mouth and stifling his amusement into small chuckles, finally composing himself once again.
“My apologies, erm.. ‘ Prom ’. I was under the impression you knew of Noctis’ circumstances.”
Prompto peeked up from his hands for a moment, not making any sudden movements.
“So… Can I live? I promise I don’t normally… um… kiss… customers…” Prompto returned his face to his hands. He wasn’t sure he could blush any harder.
“I can assure you, your life is in no way of danger at this present time, nor in the future as far as I am aware.” The glasses guy smiled at Prompto, who had finally lifted his head from his hands and now stood sheepishly.
“Please… don’t tell my boss…” Prompto asked, still speaking and feeling very small.
“Of course. As long as you promise not to discuss this… event to anyone. Do I have your verbal agreement?” The glasses guy suddenly became very firm, and Prompto felt a cold chill run down his spine.
“Of course not! I swear I wouldn’t ever-”
“It’s fine. Ignis, let’s go, okay? I’ll pick out a keyboard and mouse later.” Noctis sounded a lot like a spoiled child now, a big contrast to the flirty gamer Prompto had hung around with all afternoon.
“As you wish, Noctis.” The glasses guy, Ignis , began to turn and walk towards the store exit.
“Wait- uh Highness? Noctis? High-Noct-” Prompto stuttered and began to follow the duo who were making their retreat.
“ Noctis . Please.” Noctis turned, and gave Prompto a closed off look. Prompto felt his heart sink.
“Specs, I gotta leave a down payment.”
“I’ll wait for you in the car, then. Nice to meet you Prom. Please don’t forget about our little agreement .” Ignis gave a small wave without looking over his shoulder, finally exiting the store, leaving Noctis and Prompto alone once again.
Noctis said nothing and made his way to the register, avoiding Prompto’s gaze and staring ahead coolly.
Prompto scurried behind the cash and awkwardly fumbled with the computer, inputting some general information for the down payment. He felt terrible, this is not what he wanted at all . Gods, what did he even want though?
“Uh… Noctis?” Prompto darted his eyes towards Noctis but quickly returned them to the screen when he saw the cold neutrality still firmly in place on Noctis’ face.
“... Yeah?”
“Would you ever um… want to exchange friends codes for King’s Knight?” Prompto stared hard at the checkout screen before finally chancing a look back at Noctis’ face.
Noctis was looking at him with a soft smile, the previous coldness having left. Prompto smiled back, some of the tension melting away.
“...Yeah, okay.”
“Okay.” Prompto smiled back.
“Okay.” Noctis chuckled, and the two of them smiled goofy grins at one another.
BEEP BEEEEEEEP .
Their moment was interrupted by a very aggressive car horn, and Noctis looked away shyly and made a quick scramble for his wallet and phone.
“Here, i’ll pay while you put in your info.” Noctis smiled. He swiped at his phone for a moment before sliding it towards Prompto, King’s Knight open and ready for his friend code to be input.
Prompto nodded and finished putting the payment through before grabbing Noctis’ phone and filling out his information.
They were both done quickly, and Noctis looked up after the payment was approved and the receipt printed.
“Guess I’ll see you in a few days?” Noctis smiled, turning slightly to head towards the exit.
“You got it! See ya, Noct!” Prompto grinned widely.
“See ya, Prom.” Noctis turned to give a quick wave before the door shut behind him, the familiar jingle ringing through the now empty shop.
This was probably the least shitty shift he had ever had.
Hell, he even got to kiss a prince.