Chapter Text
Prompto couldn’t sleep. Normally, being squished between Noctis and Ignis in the small tent was warm and comforting. Tonight, for some reason he couldn’t fathom, it felt hot and claustrophobic. And Gladio’s erratic, ground-shaking snores only made things worse. He kept imagining the guttural sounds shaking the tent poles loose, the heavy vinyl crashing down on them, and all four of them suffocating to death.
Because that was definitely a logical thought. Right.
Groaning quietly in an attempt not to wake the others, Prompto sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face. He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyelids until all he saw was red, then sighed and let them drop. His bracelets clicked quietly and he automatically checked to make sure they still covered what they needed to cover. Sometimes he missed the stupid sweatband. It had looked dumb, but he’d never been worried it had moved.
His sleeping bag rustled as he crawled carefully out of it and pulled on his boots, but didn’t bother lacing them up. He wasn’t going to go far, after all. Just to the edge of the Haven. Maybe. Probably.
The zipper on the tent door sounded entirely too loud as he inched it down, opening the flap just enough to let him slip out into the cold night. He’d never know how his companions slept through it. Well, Noct could sleep through anything, but Ignis and Gladio were always so alert and on top of everything that Prompto was pretty sure it was a minor miracle they never woke up when he left in the middle of the night.
He zipped the flap back up as quickly as possible and shuffled away from the tent, squinting through the starlit darkness to make sure he didn’t trip over camping chairs or Ignis’ makeshift kitchen. The stars and the glowing runes of the Haven gave enough light to see, he just hadn’t put his contacts back in before leaving the tent. He probably should have. But there was something beautiful about the fuzzy blur of thousands of stars spread across the sky. A distant, twinkling reminder that even imperfection could be breathtaking in the right circumstances.
A reminder that Prompto needed more often than he liked to admit.
Despite the biting chill in the air, he carefully made his way across the campsite and flopped down on the edge of the raised circle. He let his booted feet dangle over the rocks below, heels tapping gently against the cool stone as he stared up at the smear of stars.
It had only been a few days since they’d left Insomnia, and he hadn’t quite gotten used to the sight of so many stars, with or without his contacts. In the city, he’d been lucky to see the brightest constellations beyond the lights and the Wall now and then. But out here, in the middle of nowhere past Hammerhead…well, it was like a completely different world.
A world filled with daemons, and stars, and Ignis’ cooking, and Gladio’s snores. A world without part-time jobs, or study sessions in Noct’s apartment, or after-school arcade visits.
Everything was so different outside the city, and it was only going to get even more foreign once they reached Altissia and Noct got married. Then the arcade with his best friend would be a distant memory for good.
He sighed and lay back against the cold stone, arms folded beneath his head. Maybe that was why he couldn’t sleep. He was already worried about what would happen after the wedding. Sure, he was excited to finally get to meet Lady Lunafreya, but he couldn’t stop wondering what would happen once she moved to Insomnia, once Noct was a married man and ascended the throne as King of Lucis. What would that mean for their friendship? What would it mean for this little adventuring quartet?
Would he go back to an empty house and a shitty part-time job at the sushi joint around the corner? Or would he be allowed to stay on in the Crownsguard even though he could barely hold his own in a fight? Would he still be allowed to be friends with Ignis and Gladio, or would he embarrass them too much in their regal, courtly lives? Would Noct even remember who he was once his life was caught up in ruling the country and producing heirs?
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and tried desperately to shove the thoughts away. He was supposed to be happy his best friend was getting married, not freaking out about things that might not even happen! Hell, he was supposed to be sleeping, not shivering under the stars while his mind chased itself in circles. But here he was, doing both.
The sound of the tent zipper behind him made him jump. Shit. Had he woken one of the others after all? He scrambled to sit up and scrub dirt out of his hair. Maybe he could just pass it off as a midnight bathroom trip. Or maybe Noctis was sleepwalking again.
“Prompto?” Ignis’ voice called quietly, accompanied by the soft crunch of shoes on loose rock. “Are you quite all right?”
So much for the amusement of sleepwalking Noct.
Prompto made a show of stretching as he turned around with a grin. “Yeah. Just needed some air for a sec. The big guy’s snores are insane tonight. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
Ignis made a soft, noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. He was entirely too far away to make out his expression.
Prompto suddenly wished he had put his contacts in before leaving the tent. Maybe he would have been able to at least guess as to what was running through Ignis’ mind at the moment.
Without another word, Ignis closed the distance between them and sat in the dirt beside Prompto, one leg crossed elegantly over the other. He knitted his fingers together over his knee and craned his neck back to look at the sky. The reflections of stars sparkled in the silver frames of his glasses, and the soft blue light of the Haven runes danced along his high cheekbones and full lips.
It took all of Prompto’s self-control not to stare like an idiot. He’d always thought Ignis was handsome, but seeing him in the starlight like this...well, that was almost as much of a new world as the rest of this trip.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably and forced his gaze upward again. What was Ignis doing? Why was he sitting so close? Why was he so damn warm in the freezing night?
“Ah,” Ignis said suddenly. He shifted, lifting one arm to trace a shape against the stars. “There’s the Bow of the Clever. See it? Just there.”
Prompto squinted, attempting to find the pattern of stars Ignis was pointing out to him. It was no use without his contacts in; the entire sky was just one big mess of twinkling light. But he felt weirdly self-conscious admitting that. The Bow was one of the constellations he’d almost been able to make out from under the Wall, but he’d never seen it in full. The stars that formed the quarrels were brightest and easy to find. It was just the rest of the Bow that had always evaded him. Of course it was easy to find now, when he couldn’t see anything. “Uh...yeah. I see it.”
There was another long moment of silence.
Prompto felt Ignis’ gaze on him like a hot weight. Embarrassment crept up the back of his neck, tickling like chocobo feathers. What did he do? He refused to look at his companion, instead keeping his fuzzy gaze on the stars as he fidgeted with his bracelets and kicked his heels against the stone.
“Prompto,” Ignis finally said, his voice soft and low, just a hint of a chuckle beneath the single word. “You are the most miserable liar I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.”
He snapped his head down to blink at Ignis in surprise, the blush making his ears burn. He tried to play it off with an uncomfortable laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck. His fingers were freezing. “Wow, Iggy, you really know how to make a guy feel good.”
“I meant no insult,” Ignis replied gently. He shifted and one hand--warm and soft and ungloved--brushed against Prompto’s for the briefest of moments. “In fact, it’s quite a...refreshing quality to come across.”
Prompto studied the taller man for a long moment, trying desperately to look past the beautiful lighting on Ignis’ face. Why oh why did he not have his camera? And why was Ignis calling him “refreshing” of all things? His self-defense training for this trip had been mostly physical conditioning, but he knew well enough how much of a liability someone who couldn’t lie could be. Of course, Ignis didn’t know that Prompto had been subtly lying his whole life.
“Yeah...I guess you’re right,” he conceded eventually, stubbornly refusing to allow his brain to go down that road. Not now. Not here. Instead, he forced out another little chuckle and turned back to the sky. Better to squint at the stars than to look at Iggy’s face when he said his next words. “At least you know I’ll never be a spy for the Empire or something, huh?”
That was met with even more silence and Prompto immediately regretting saying it. Way to plant that seed of an idea, idiot.
“Your loyalty to Noctis has never been in doubt.” Ignis’ voice was quiet, thoughtful, and Prompto could just imagine that almost-blank look of consideration on his long, delicate face. “Is that truly something you’re concerned with? Being coerced into becoming a Niflheim agent in some capacity?”
Prompto shrugged and pinned his hands between his knees to keep from fidgeting too much. He should have kept his big mouth shut. Too late now. “You said it yourself: I suck at lying. If...I mean, with the treaty and everything, it shouldn’t even be a big deal, right? No problem. Just stupid nightmare stuff, you know?”
Ignis hummed quietly in agreement. He shifted, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees, long fingers twisted together once more. “Would you believe I’ve had similar nightmares on occasion? As Noct’s advisor, I’ve been privy to incredibly sensitive information. With the loss of Galahd and the resultant unrest...well, to be quite frank, leaving Insomnia was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done. Should the Empire forgo the truce and manage to capture me or Gladio--or, Astrals forbid, Noct himself--I fear even our extensive training would prove useless in keeping Lucis safe.”
Prompto couldn’t help staring this time. He’d been on the road with Ignis for days, and spent plenty of time with him when he hung out at Noct’s apartment throughout high school, but he was pretty certain that was the most Ignis had ever said outside of a lesson or a lecture. And it was so...intimate. A secret he was sure Ignis had never really meant to share with him. Who would have guessed the ever-collected advisor to the prince actually had insecurities, too? And that they echoed Prompto’s so closely? Of course, Ignis had grown up in the Lucian court, had been born in Insomnia, didn’t have to hide some part of himself he didn’t even understand to keep himself safe. But it was still nice, in a way. Nice to not be completely alone.
“They’re signing the treaty soon,” Prompto muttered, uncertain what else to do except try to convince himself that their fears were stupid. He forced his gaze away from Ignis’ blue-limned profile to stare at the pale, blurry lines of his freckled arms. “After that, we won’t have to worry about it any more. Right?”
“One can hope.”
Ignis’ voice was so soft Prompto almost missed it. He swallowed hard, balling his hands into fists between his knees. Did Ignis know something that made him wary of the treaty? Was he worried something might go wrong? Was this trip more than just escorting Noct to Altissia for his wedding? “Ignis? I...uh…”
“You’re shivering,” Ignis interrupted before Prompto could manage to figure out what he actually wanted to say. The lanky strategist unfolded himself from his seat and stood, delicately brushing dust and dirt off his soft sleeping pants. After a moment, he offered his hand. “Let’s get you back to the tent, shall we? No use you catching cold before we even reach Galdin.”
“Yeah…I guess.” Prompto smiled weakly and let Ignis help him to his feet. Ignis’ hand was warm and soft in his but he didn’t let himself linger, pulling away quickly once he had his balance. He wrapped his arms around his waist in a weak attempt to warm himself a little as he shuffled after Ignis back toward the tent. He could already hear Gladio snoring again. Yeah, sleep was definitely not happening tonight.
As Prompto reached for the tent zipper, Ignis’ soft words made him freeze. “Prompto, a moment.”
He glanced up at the taller man, squinting a little to try and bring his face back into focus. It had been so much easier when they were sitting down, closer to the same height. “Yeah?”
“Should you ever find yourself in need of someone to talk to as we travel, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Despite the cold, despite the lingering feeling that something wasn't quite right, despite everything, Prompto flashed Ignis one of his bright, genuine smiles. It was sweet for Ignis to extend the invitation, even though Prompto knew he probably would never take him up on it. “Thanks. You, too. I mean, not that you’ll ever need to talk to someone like me, with how smart you are and everything, but…uh. I’m just gonna shut up now…”
Ignis chuckled, soft and low, and reached past Prompto to unzip the tent flap. “I’ll be certain to keep the offer in mind.”
Not entirely certain what had just happened, Prompto stood in the freezing night for a long moment, blinking blindly after Ignis. They’d talked before, of course, sometimes even about things beyond Noctis and school work. But there had been something in that moment, sitting under the stars, listening to Ignis’ confession, that had made his heart jump. Then Ignis hadn’t just brushed away that awkward little ramble…
“Cold,” Noctis groaned, drawing the single word out until it sounded like a hundred syllables. He shifted in his sleeping bag so he could curl against Gladio’s bulk, which didn’t seem to disturb the bigger man in the slightest.
Prompto muttered an apology and slipped into the tent, zipping it up again behind him. He tugged his boots off and squirmed into his own sleeping bag, hoping the shivers would subside soon.
For as suffocating as the tent had been previously, he found himself suddenly glad for the warmth of Ignis and Noct beside him. Whatever the future held, at least he wasn’t alone for now.