Chapter Text
Prompto ends up taking a job in an unsavory part of Insomnia. One night, after much insisting, Prompto lets Noct drop him off at work; he’s running late. Again. Public transportation in this area is less than reliable, and if Prompto doesn’t accept the ride, he’s not positive the job will still be waiting when he eventually arrives.
Unfortunately, a couple of Prompto’s co-workers take note of his unusual chauffer. They start hounding Prompto non-stop, looking for an in with the prince, insisting he should be able to get stuff from his ‘royal connections’. When they don’t take no for an answer, going so far as to follow Prompto outside of work, Prompto finds excuses to avoid Noct, put him off, determined not to bring trouble to his friend.
But when the assholes show up outside of their school, Prompto panics. He’d already taken to skipping his last class, long gone before Noct got out or Ignis showed up to pick him up. But these thugs had arrived even earlier.
Prompto runs, hoping he can lead them well away before anyone’s the wiser. Fortunately for Prompto, Noct had already planned to follow him that day, concerned why Prompto was going so far as to ditch class to avoid him.
Noct’s called Ignis before he’s run even half a block, as soon as he realizes just how many guys are chasing Prompto. Confident on imminent back up, Noct jumps directly into the fray as he rounds a corner and finds Prompto curled on the ground, surrounded. One guy’s clutching what looks to be a broken nose, and another is on his knees, gasping. Prompto’s handiwork, but he’s obviously outnumbered by the seven still looming over him.
Noct’s mid warp-strike—he’s still relatively new at it, but his rough control is proving effective enough for these losers—when Ignis shows up. It's all over by the time Gladio arrives a few minutes later with a couple extra Crownsguard in tow.
After Noct and Prompto are seen to—both insisting they’re completely fine. Noct, with only a couple new bruises, is being mostly honest. Prompto, decidedly less so—Noct insists on bringing Prompto back to his place. After all, they can’t be sure more of these guys aren’t out there—Noct had people put on finding out exactly that, asap–and if they could follow Prompto to school, they’ve also probably figured out where he lives.
Prompto tries to protest—the whole point had been to keep the trouble away from Noct, not enticing it to Noct’s literal doorstep. Noct points out the problem only began because of his status, so squarely in Noct’s—and more importantly the Crownsguards’—sights is exactly where it belongs.
Prompto’s far enough gone on pain meds by that point that further arguments elude him. At least until they get back to Noct’s apartment and he gets adamant Noct not give up his bed for him. Which is how they wind up sharing. A comprise to which neither has a single objection.
