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“Are they here yet?” Noctis couldn’t help but let the overly eager question spill from his lips as his advisor was finishing checking the practically squirming young prince over, making sure his appearance was befitting that of the Crown Prince of Lucis.
“I did receive word that the party from Niflheim had arrived not too long ago-” Ignis began to reply as he attempted to straighten the other boy’s tie, but was quickly cut off before he even had a chance to finish his thought.
“Shit, you serious…??” Noctis practically shouted, as he also proceeded to quickly jump up out of the seat he had been sitting in. “What the hell are we doing wasting time just sitting here? Let’s go!”
“Calm yourself, Highness.” Ignis replied casually, completely unaffected by the surge of adrenaline he knew must be coursing through the younger boy’s veins. “The Niflheim party was just brought into the citadel within the last half hour,” he stated as he briefly glanced down at his watch to check the time. “You know as well as I, that it is only fitting we allow them time to settle into their guest suites, so as not to disturb them prematurely.”
“But Iggy…” Noctis groaned, his posture now starting to sag as he seemed to almost instantly melt back into the chair that he had been occupying with giddy excitement mere moments before. “It’s been months since the last time we’ve actually seen each other… he won’t mind, I swear to Shiva.”
“Don’t forget Noct… that we are literally in preparation for the large welcome feast as we speak, and you will undoubtedly be able to reunite with the young prince from Niflheim then.” Ignis reasoned, knowing that if he let Noctis go right now, the likelihood of the two princes barricading themselves back here in Noct’s bedroom or the expansive guest suite was almost a given. “Patience is a virtue after all.”
“Yeah, yeah… whatever.” Noctis grumbled. “You should know better than anyone though that we can’t actually do anything apart from holding a light polite conversation while in the presence of so many stuffed shirts… I mean we practically have to pretend we barely know each other…” the young prince finished as he moaned.
“Ever the impatient one, aren’t you?” Ignis chuckled as he couldn’t help but feel amusement from the lopsided pout currently making its home perched upon the raven’s face.
“When Prompto’s involved? Hell yeah.” Noctis concluded, his put now seamlessly transitioning to that of a small smirk.
“Well I can assure you that Prince Prompto will be here for a few days yet.” Ignis smiled softly, knowing all to well how close the two princes had become after they first met a few years ago. It had ironically been at a gathering where Niflheim and Lucis had first become allies in the momentous peace treaty that had rocked the entirety of Eos. “I can imagine you two will have a considerable amount of time to reacquaint yourselves while Emperor Aldercapt is taking care of political matters with your father.”
“Hell, I never thought I would actually want to go to yet another one of those insufferably stuffy welcome feasts…” Noctis groaned yet again, eager for things to finally start rolling along. The quicker everything was over and done with, the quicker he would be able to be able to see Prompto, and the quicker they could run off to do whatever they wanted to without having to worry about faking appearances for the sake of sparing the public eye.
As far as the public was aware, the two of them had a very limited relationship that existed almost exclusively for political purposes in an attempt to ensure the peace between the two nations would extend even after the current generation of rulers had passed the mantle on.
That, of course, could not be further from the truth.
While it was true that the two boys had only known each other for a few short years, and the first couple of times they had met, they had been nothing more than acquaintances brought together by simple circumstances…. things did not stay that way for long.
As the two young heirs began to spend more and more time together and get to know each other better while attending various important political functions, the bond between them only served to get stronger.
Noctis had no idea when it had happened, but somewhere along the line (and after quite a few long late-night chats with Ignis), he had started to realize that he was no longer satisfied with just being Prompto’s long distance best-friend.
At first, he had been truly and honestly terrified. He had been terrified that Prompto would hate him if he ever discovered his true feelings; but after being practically blackmailed by Gladio, and slightly tricked into revealing his feelings to the blonde by Ignis, Noctis had finally, (if inadvertently), revealed his true feelings towards the other prince.
It had been the greatest feeling in the world when Prompto had likewise revealed that he had secretly been harboring a crush on the raven practically since the day they met.
If the two of them were nothing but normal teens with no other worries than having to graduate school and find good jobs, then life would have been perfect. Rarely however in life, are things ever that simple.
Noctis was the prince of Lucis… and Prompto, he was the prince of Niflheim. Just for the sheer fact of the positions they held because of their royal blood and ancestry, it was incredibly unlikely that they would ever be able to truly be together. Even despite these overwhelming odds, it didn’t stop the two of them from hoping that maybe, just maybe, they might be able to figure out a way to make things work one day.
Although for right now, they would simply have to be content to keep the existence of their relationship firmly behind closed doors, and out of the public eye. It wasn’t the most ideal situation, but it was sure as all heck better than accepting their fate without even so much as a fight.
Noctis hadn’t quite been able to believe his luck when he recently realized that Prompto would be coming to Insomnia during a very particular week. The young Lucian had always thought that holidays like Valentine’s Day were cheesy, overrated and basically cringe-central, but when he had been presented with the opportunity to celebrate something like this with Prompto while the other was actually physically here in Insomnia… that was just an opportunity that Noctis simply couldn’t pass up.
After he started thinking about it, he couldn’t help but get even more excited.
“Is it time for us to go yet?” Noctis asked impatiently, wondering why it seemed as though time itself had seemed to slow down to a crawl, even convinced at one point that it had stopped all together.
“My answer has not changed since the last time you asked me but a few moments ago, Noct.” Ignis replied with a grin. “We still have some amount of time before everything is planned to officially commence.”
A quiet disgruntled noise escaped the young prince as Ignis finally gave his nod of approval that his young charge was finally ready to represent the Lucian crown proudly.
Noctis knew that he should probably just wait here in his room like Ignis had suggested and be patient; but the sheer thought that Prompto was already in the citadel was enough to send his mind and will his body to go seek out the other prince. There had to be a way that he could find the blonde before they were forced to put on their well-crafted masks of indifference for the public.
“Where’s Gladio?” Noctis asked casually, making sure to keep his face neutral and passive, so as not to tip off Ignis’s acute senses for mischief.
“Last time I heard from him, he had been looking for his father in which to discuss a few things in regards to how they plan to handle security for the Citadel while the Niflheim party remains in Insomnia.” The advisor replied thoughtfully.
“Thanks, Specs.” Noctis came back quickly as he quickly began to stride purposefully towards the large doors which led out to the rest of the expansive halls of the Citadel. “I have something I want to ask him about. See you at dinner, then? Everything kicks off at 7, right?”
“On the dot.” Ignis confirmed, before adding. “And Noct?”
“What?”
“Whatever it is that you’re planning on doing precisely, I only ask that you refrain from causing some kind of international incident.”
Busted.
“Don’t worry about me, Iggy.” Noctis chuckled, thankful that even though Ignis probably knew far too well what his ultimate plan had been all along. “I’ll stay out trouble, and I’ll even make sure to show up a little early for the festivities.”
Ignis couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. “That remains to be seen, but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.” This of course received a quick pout from the prince, although it was but another second longer before it quickly dissipated into an excited grin as the prince slipped out of the room; Ignis not even questioning for a second in which direction the raven-haired prince would be heading.
Noctis was sure that Prompto’s guest suite had to be around here somewhere… he had already checked the suites of which he had stayed in during the past few visits to the Crown City, but had absolutely zero luck thus far.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened, he had really hoped that he would at least be able to get the chance to talk with Prompto alone before the official start of the large feast, which marked the celebration of the arrival of the royal family from Niflheim.
Okay, so maybe it hadn’t been the smartest idea to run off before he had actually figured out where Prompto was supposedly staying, but he honestly hadn’t realized that there were so many places that he could be hiding.
Noctis ultimately came to a halt in the midst of the deserted hallway, pulling out his phone with all intentions of calling Ignis because if anyone knew where Prompto was, it was him. His fingers however, froze mid-dial when he distinctly heard voices coming from a nearby room of which the door just so happened to be ever so slightly ajar.
Noct would normally pay such a thing no mind and completely tune such things out, except for the fact that he was pretty sure he recognized the slow and deliberate voice which was currently traveling down the previously deserted corridor.
“-don’t make me regret allowing you to come on this trip-” The voice continued on as Noctis quickly recognized it as belonging to Prompto’s creep-tastic advisor.
The mere thought of the older man causing a large chill to shoot down his spine. On the surface, he always played so nice, and always acted as though he cared very deeply for his young charge, but whenever Noct saw or heard him, he couldn’t help but feel this pull in his gut like there was so much more to him than the fake concern and care he pushed forth.
“Don’t forget what kind of position you are in, my precious boy….” The man drawled in a sickly-sweet tone, which almost instantly made Noctis feel sick to his stomach.
With the way the door was positioned, it was impossible for Noct to see anything other than the man currently speaking… and Noct feared that if he attempted to draw any closer to the door, or reposition himself in anyway, he would undoubtedly risk being seen; and the last thing he wanted was for either of the room’s occupants to know he could hear everything that was going on.
“Ardyn I-” Prompto’s soft, unsure and almost pleading voice finally came back, but was silenced again almost just as quickly.
“Shhh…” Ardyn quickly replied, “You know I grow weary of all your fabricated excuses.” There was a small pause, but it was quickly filled as he continued on, “I don’t want you getting any ridiculous ideas about misbehaving simply because we are no longer at home in Niflheim. You are well aware of what the Emperor expects of you, don’t let that silly, self-righteous Lucian boy twist your mind into thinking that anything has changed just because we happen to be in the heart of Lucian territory.”
An unbridled torrent of indignation and fury bled through Noctis as he heard these words. He was all too ready to cast aside his previous fears of giving away his position and burst through the doors before him to tell Ardyn all the things he could shove in all the places, when he noticed the particular emphasis that Ardyn had used as he had been speaking.
It was deliberate and intentional, and almost like he knew that Prompto wasn’t the only he was talking to…
He couldn’t though; Noctis had been careful not to make a single sound as he had been listening to the conversation carrying on behind the doors in front of him… there was just no way that Ardyn could possibly know he was here, could he…?
“Noct’s not-” Prompto insisted, louder this time as he attempted to argue with Ardyn, but with no more luck than before.
“Isn’t it sweet how you talk as if you actually know him… although, I am here as your ever faithful and reverent advisor to remind you not to fall for such a blatant falsehood.” A pause and a quick breath before it continued, “Do you honestly think he would spare you even a second thought if he knew the truth? All he knows are lies… and if you wish to keep him on your side, I implore that you refrain from doing anything to sacrifice that. The moment he figures out who or what you truly are… well, I’d hate to see how fast he would throw you to the proverbial wolves.”
What the hell was Ardyn going on about…. Noctis thought silently to himself as his head started spinning in all different directions.
He knew that Prompto’s relationship with his advisor was nothing of the relationship that he himself shared with Ignis, but this was just something that he found impossible to actually wrap his mind around. What the hell was Ardyn even talking about…? Was this just simply some attempt to scare the blonde into behaving in a manner as Ardyn saw fit?
Noctis simply had no idea… he felt like there just had to be some kind of cruel inside joke in which he must have missed a crucial punchline to bring it all together.
“You are nothing to him, and the moment you accept that… well, you will be so much better off.”
If Prompto had said something in response to older man, Noctis hadn’t been able to hear it. All he could hear was what must have been the bed creaking, before just barely being able to make out what could sound like some soft sniffling, and the subtle rustling of fabric.
A long, uncomfortable silence followed, and Noctis was a bit at a loss for what he should do next. There was still a part of him that wanted to barge into the room, tear Ardyn and new one and assure Prompto that everything Ardyn said was a lie… but then there was another part of him that felt that confronting the problem right here and now was probably not the best route to take.
Although it seemed that his decision was quickly made for him when the silence was suddenly broken by none other than Ardyn himself.
“Oh, look at the time…” he sighed dramatically with an obviously feigned surprise. “I’m afraid I must leave to make sure that all everything is prepared for your grand entrance at the feast tonight.”
Noctis could hear the footsteps getting louder as they neared the door, frantically searching around the hallway to see where he could get to quick enough so that he wouldn’t just be standing in the middle of the corridor when Ardyn finally exited the room. If there was one place that Noctis didn’t want to be, it was in a one-on-one confrontation with the sketchy Niff advisor in a deserted corridor.
“Do try to pull yourself together before I come back to collect you, my boy. No-one wants to see an unhappy Prince after all… everyone is looking for the soft, sweet and cheerful prince they all know and love.” Ardyn hummed lightly as he finally reached the door and pushed it open.
At what had to be the absolute last second, Noct had noticed a small open space jutting back behind the wall that he was currently standing next to. His form practically dissolved on the spot, before reappearing behind the lip of the wall in a shower of small, blue crystals.
Noctis practically held his breath as he waited for the retreating shadow of the intimidating advisor to grow smaller and smaller in the distance before disappearing all together.
It was only once Noctis was absolutely and 120 percent sure that Ardyn was indeed gone did he finally come out from behind the wall he had been hiding behind.
After taking a minute to gather himself, the raven-haired youth walked calmly over towards the still ajar door, took a deep breath and slowly knocked lightly on the door.
“Prompto?” he asked, before slowly pulling the door open to reveal the young blonde who was obviously trying and failing to look as though he hadn’t just been about to have an emotional breakdown.
“Oh, h-hey Noct…” he muttered quietly as he looked up from where he was sitting slumped back against the headboard of his large guest bed.
“You okay?” Noctis couldn’t help but ask. He was pretty damn sure he knew the answer, but it was kind of just one of those questions people asked without even thinking. Although, if appearances and the conversation that he had overheard were any indication, things were very much the contrary.
Prompto normally had an incredibly fair complexion, and Noctis had always attributed that to the fact that the blonde lived in Niflheim where there always seemed to be some sort of perpetual snowstorm raging on and covering the entire country in a thick blanket of snow.
That being said, Noctis couldn’t help but notice the blonde looking much paler than usual… almost to the point where the raven was concerned that the other might actually pass out or otherwise become sick.
“Yeah, don’t worry about me.” Prompto muttered quietly, trying to adjust his position on the bed so that he could more easily talk with Noctis. “Just exhausted from the journey I guess…”
“Yeah… guess so.” Noctis replied, knowing full well that the other was obviously trying to cover up the real reason, but also not sure if he should be admitting that he knew why Prompto really was feeling all out of sorts.
“But you know… if there’s anything that’s bothering you, you know that you can talk to me about it right?” Noctis uttered carefully, hoping that he wasn’t about to push things too far, while also quickly striding over to the bed that the blonde was still curled up on and pulling said blonde until his was leaning up against him.
A quiet ‘mhmmm’ was all the confirmation that Noct was apparently going to get right now as Prompto wasted no time in burying his face even close to his lover’s chest, desperate for the security that being within Noct’s embrace provided.
Noct sure as heck wasn’t planning on dropping the issue completely, but it was clear that Prompto wasn’t going to be in any kind of mood to discuss anything of the sort right now. Not mention that if he were to be perfectly honest right now, Noct was quite content to spend a few moments being able to physically hold the blonde and look forward to the week or so that the two of them would be able to spend together before Prompto was once again torn away from his side and taken back to his own home back in Niflheim.
Noct closed his eyes, listening to Prompto’s even and soft breathing and let that carry him off to sleep. He knew that napping was probably the last thing he should be doing right now, but he just couldn’t help but feel relaxed now that the two of them had been reunited after it had been so many months since they had last seen each other.
Hopefully Ignis wouldn’t be too mad when he would undoubtedly have to come looking for him after all. He would understand though… Iggy knew very well precisely how much Prompto meant to him.
It was the sudden, shrill ringing on his phone that suddenly pulled Noct’s consciousness away from the comfortable clutches of his restful slumber.
It took a good few seconds for Noct’s still very much asleep brain to comprehend what precisely was happening, but after the shrill sound refused to abate, the young prince finally managed to wake long enough to figure out whatever it was that had pulled him from his comfortable nap.
Oh… right. Noctis remembered as everything came flooding back as he read the name emblazoned on his phone screen.
“Iggy…?” Noctis answered, attempting to disguise the obvious sleep still clearly evident in his voice. “Yeah… I haven’t forgotten. Just give us a few minutes to get everything together- oh my god Iggy, we haven’t been- yeah, he’s just- I swear we’ll be up in like five, maybe ten minutes at the most, okay? Promise.”
Noctis hung up with his advisor with a heavy sigh, looking down to where Prompto was still fast asleep, considerable surprised that his short conversation with Ignis hadn’t roused the other. Prompto usually tended to be an incredibly light sleeper, jumping up at the slightest noise or movement.
Noctis could only guess that Prompto hadn’t been lying before when he had said he had been exhausted from the long trip from Niflheim to Lucis. It must really have been something to have the blonde so completely knocked out and unaffected by whatever was going on around him right now.
As tempting as he was however to allow the other to continue to get this very well needed rest, Noctis knew he really needed to rouse the other male so that they could starting heading over to the grand ballroom before Ignis dispatched the entirety of the Crownsguard to drag both of their asses there.
Noctis knew that these moments probably didn’t come along very often though, and he sure as hell didn’t want to be the one to put a stop to it.
While gazing down at the peaceful expression on Prompto’s face, it was a welcome change from the pale, and almost sickened one that had greeted him as he had entered the room not so long ago.
What the hell was all that about anyway? He thought to himself, still unable to make sense of the bizarre scene he had nearly walked in on.
Ardyn had been seriously tearing into Prom for whatever reason, and the other young prince had been able to do nothing to stop it. He had seemed barely able to stay standing, let alone do anything to counter his much larger and far more intimidating advisor.
Another thing that always confounded Noctis when he thought about how in the world Prompto had been so unlucky to get such a creep-tastic advisor as Ardyn. He thought about how even when he got mad at Ignis or when Iggy got frustrated with this or that, Noct always knew that despite everything, Ignis only did what he did because he cared for him. Although Noctis wasn’t sure that the same sentiment extended to the Niflheim advisor.
Who was it that Prompto could confide his biggest secrets? And deepest fears? You know, all the things that he could never bother telling his father or anyone else within the usual royal rankings.
Noctis knew that if it wasn’t for Ignis and his constant encouragement and guidance, he would be completely lost. Didn’t Prompto have anyone back in Niflheim to support him where Noct couldn’t?
It was all just so much to wrap his head around and it made Noct, frown to even glimpse the sheer difference in circumstances between the two of them.
Silently battling with himself and eventually deciding that if Prom didn’t wake up on his own in the next five minutes, he would simply have to resign himself to the idea that he would have to regrettably have to rouse him.
For now, Noctis was content to remain right where he was, running his fingers through Prom’s soft, bright, blonde hair. There was something that always felt so natural about being with Prompto and Noctis would always savor every moment they were able to spend together. He may not be able to be there for Prom while he was back in Niflheim, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let that shit fly whilst the other male was a guest here in Insomnia.
As the quick moments moved on and on, the raven’s eyes wandered from the almost blissful look on the blonde’s face, down to the incredibly intricate layers of long, thick material that was obviously meant more to be worn back in the snowy tundra that consumed the Niflheim Empire.
As Noct bent his head low enough to place a gentle kiss on the slumbering blonde’s forehead, something strange couldn’t help but catch in the corner of his eye.
As Prompto was unconsciously turning and gravitating closer to the warmth that the other young prince was providing, the large gold bracelet that he always had on- Noctis was pretty sure that Prompto had said it was a very precious family heirloom- had started to ride up arm as he had been readjusting himself… and Noctis could have sworn that he had seen the briefest flash of something obscured beneath.
Completely thinking nothing of it, and probably more out of sheer curiosity than anything else, Noct automatically reached his hand towards the loose piece of jewelry in an attempt to investigate whatever it was that the bracelet was covering. He hadn’t ever remembered having any conversations about strange markings on the blonde’s arms.
It also seemed however, as though the Astrals had chosen that very moment to curse the young Lucian prince with just about the worst luck ever. As the moment he had fully extended his hand so that it was practically hovering above the gold bracelet, Noct could distinctly notice the blonde to which it belonged starting to stir.
Before Noctis had a chance even think about retracting his hand, he quickly found himself face to face with two open, very wide and blue eyes, absolutely frozen in fear.
Noctis had never seen someone’s body react and move so quick in his entire lifetime.
All the Lucian prince could do was stare on in complete dumb shock as the blonde that had been sleeping so comfortably and serenely moments before, nearly torn himself up and off the bed they had been laying in together as though it were on fire.
Prompto had wrenched himself away from the grasp of the other prince with such force, and so quickly, that in his attempt to put as much distance between him and raven-haired teen, he quickly found himself falling into a tangled mess in the large guest bed’s sheets, and unceremoniously crashing hard to the floor beside the bed in a mess of limbs, sheets and his own oversized ceremonial robes.
“N-Noct… I-I…I…” The blonde stumbled, his mind going completely blank at that moment; unable to do anything but mutter complete nonsense as his mind furiously attempted to figure out whether or not he should stay and try to explain himself, or simply try to make a run for it before Noctis had a chance to start screaming at him for having lied to him practically since the day the two boys had met.
When Noct continued to simply stare on in utter confusion, and Prompto had managed to separate himself as far as he possibly could, not resting until his body was flush up against the opposite wall of the room the two boys currently occupied.
“I…I-I’m s-sorry…. s-sorry… I-I d-didn’t…”
“P-Prom…?”
“I-I d-didn’t mean… I d-didn’t want t-to…”
“Prompto.” Noctis repeated, and this time much louder and more confident than he had managed just before. Maybe it was the confidence that caught the distraught blonde’s attention, or maybe it was the fact that the raven had specifically chosen to use his full name; but whatever the reason, it seemed to pull the blonde out of his furious babbling, as his head instantly shot up, “What the hell is going on?”
Perhaps it was a bit more forceful than he had really intended, but Noct really had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on, or why the blonde had literally been reduced to a shaking and trembling mess. He wanted to know why, so he could try and figure out a way to help put an end to it.
It had seemed like a good idea, right up until the instant the words left his lips and Noct saw the other boy before him completely freeze, all remaining color draining from his already ghost-white features.
Noct definitely felt damn lucky that he had recently learned how to warp strike over short distances through his trainings with Gladio, because had he not, he was convinced he never would have been able to instantaneously block the currently open door that Prompto had practically lunged for without a hint of warning.
If there was anything to say about the other prince, Noctis had always been blown away by how quick he could move when he really wanted to. If he had been able to escape the room before Noct had gotten to him, the young Lucian knew that the chances of being able to catch him would be essentially nil; even with his warping strikes.
“Running away isn’t going to solve anything.” Noctis stated, more bluntly than he probably should have, and yet determined to start getting some answers. “Please Prom… you gotta at least tell me what the hell has you so freaked.” Noctis continued to plead, his tone steadily getting more and more desperate as the seconds passed. “Is this all because I was tryin’ to look at whatever the hell you got hidden underneath that huge bracelet of yours…? I’m sorry if I wasn’t supposed to be, but you know that I wouldn’t care about-”
“Please Noct…” Prompto managed to utter softly, his posture completely defeated as his shoulder hunched forward, refusing to make eye contact with the one that had so efficiently blocked off his escape. “Don’t make me… I-I can’t…” his voice finally breaking as tears started to fill his eyes, and the blonde’s body slowly started to slump, until he eventually found himself planted firmly back on the floor on his knees.
“You can’t what?” The raven-haired prince asked once again, refusing to back down, despite his voice softening considerably in hope that it would be more successful in coaxing a coherent answer out of him. “Please just tell me already…” he sighed, “I wanna help you through this, but I can’t do anything if I don’t know what got you into full blown panic-mode….”
“Don’t you see???” The blonde practically shouted. “That’s the whole problem here…! The moment I tell you, you’ll be disgusted and hate me and n-never want to see me again… a-and I c-can’t… I can’t lose you! I d-don’t know what I’d-”
Prompto probably would have continued babbling hysterically had it not been for Noct, who by this time had pretty much realized that words were all but useless at this point, and thus decided that the only way he would be able to convey how he truly felt would be to do so with action. So, as a last resort, Noctis simply resorted to sinking down to where Prompto had practically melted on the floor, so that he could bearhug the ever-living crap out of the blonde.
“I could never hate you, Prom.” Noctis hummed almost silently, as he started to place numerous featherlight kisses upon the other boy around his ear and nose. “I can promise you, there is not a single thing you could say, that would make me think any differently of you than I do now.”
Noct was sure that it had worked when Prompto had frozen and suddenly gone completely silent, but was shocked once again, when said blonde paused and then suddenly and forcefully pushed back away so that the two of them were completely separated.
“You really want to hear the truth that bad, Noct??" Prompto now back to practically shouting his futile frustrations, unable to continue holding them back any longer. “Do you seriously want to hear all about how I’m a complete and utter screw up, and how I’m nothing but a six-damned fraud??? I’m no fucking Prince….!” He continued to shout, this time as he glares down at the very same gold bracer that set this entire shit-show spiraling, taking a deep-breath before practically ripping it off his arm and revealing the plain to see barcode which had always been previously hidden.
Prompto would be lying if he said he didn’t felt exceedingly exposed without the protection of the bracer, but he knew that this was no longer a matter, he would be able to talk himself out of. Especially when Noctis was so astral-damned hard-headed, and determined to get to the bottom of the issue.
“You see, Noct??” He yelled, the tears which he had been holding back finally start to burst forth knowing that there was absolutely no going back anymore. He would simply have to deal with the consequences of his actions and would probably be disciplined so severely when he got back to Gralea that he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to make it back the Crown City again; not that there would be anything waiting here for him anymore though. “I’m nothing but a failed experiment. Completely and 100% disposable if I don’t do exactly as I’m told. I’m absolutely nothing and no-one. Are you fucking happy? Now you know exactly how useless I really am… so, please… just leave me be…”
It would be the understatement of the century to say that Noctis was shocked by this sudden confession. I mean hell, he was glad that Prompto finally came clean and actually revealed what it was that had been bothering him so much, but hell if his expectations weren’t all blown to hell.
Noctis knew that Niflheim was known for getting involved with some pretty dubious stuff… but this…? This was something he had never seen coming. Sure, he had always thought it weird that Prompto never seemed to be treated like any kind of royalty that Noctis knew; but he had simply appropriated that to the cultural differences between the two countries. To think that Niflheim would stoop so low… Noct just couldn’t figure out a way to even start rationalizing at situation like the one Prompto had just described.
Words clearly weren’t working in breaking through to the incredibly distressed blonde, so Noct thought he would give his only other option one more shot, though it would definitely have to be a good one if he stood any chance of convincing Prompto of what he clearly wasn’t set on accepting right now.
He knew it was a long shot, but there was nothing else he could think to do, and it was Valentines Day after all… even if this wasn’t how Noct was expecting his first Valentines kiss to go, he was hoping that it would finally get the job done.
Without any further chance for hesitation, Noctis pulled the blonde who was furiously trying to wipe the tears that were steadily streaming down his face back against his own chest, holding him tight as he pulled their lips together and started kissing him as passionately as he possibly could, hoping and praying that the other would eventually reciprocate.
It took what had to be the longest damned thirty seconds or so of the young Lucian prince’s life, but he could feel his hear soaring as he finally felt the pressure of Prompto’s lips pushing back against his own, if even still a bit unsure.
After the two finally broke away and they had both managed to catch their breath once more, it was surprisingly Prompto, who ended up breaking the timid silence that had settled between the two of them.
“W-Why…?” He asked, confusion clearly written all over his tired features. “Why don’t you h-hate me…?” he hiccupped slightly, eyeing the raven-haired teen beside as though he wasn’t completely convinced of what had just happened.
Noct couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle in response to the soft query.
“I told you before, dummy.” Noct managed a soft, lopsided grin. “Didn’t I already say there was nothing you would possibly be able to do or say to make me hate you?”
“E-Even if I-” Prompto started as he continued to stare at the barcode now clear as day right above his right wrist, a part of him wondering if there had been some sort of enchantment placed on the mark so that it wouldn’t be visible even if uncovered in broad daylight. It sure didn’t seem like Noct had even taken note of it.
“Even with that mark and whatever the heck it means, along with the insignificant little detail that you aren’t technically royalty.” Noctis decided to finish for him. “I love you, Prompto Argentum; and no silly little detail like this or that is going to change that fact.”
Prompto was very effectively stunned back into silence at this most recent revelation. He had finally come out with it. He had revealed his deepest, darkest secret that he had nearly gotten sick over the mere thought of anyone, let alone Noct finding out…. And Noct… well, he was brushing it off like it was no bigger than the two boys exchanging some completely menial information like what their favorite foods were.
I mean, it wasn’t like Prompto wasn’t totally 100% grateful… he had been dreading this very moment ever since the moment he had met the other prince, convinced that the moment Noct found out, he would turn his back on him. The fact that things actually played out so differently though; it was kind of earth-shattering in all sense of the word.
“Hey- you know….” Noct starts up again, as its clear that Prompto is a bit consumed in his thoughts at the moment, hoping to shift his attention back to the present. “When someone confesses their love to you on Valentines Day, usually it’s customary to reciprocate…” he jokes, grinning as he finishes, “I’m not sure how they do things in Niflheim, but that’s usually how things go in Lucis…. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”
“Oh yeah?” Prompto finally replies, a little bit of the usual smiling blonde that Noct had grown so accustomed to over the years finally seeming to come back a little at a time. “Hmmm… I dunno… that sounds a bit dorky if you ask me…”
“Says the huge dork…” Noctis shoots back with a playful pout.
“Yeah, yeah... okay fine, I’ll bite.” Prompto manages to grin. “I love you too, Noctis. Like that’s even a question.”
The two boys can’t help but come together for another quick kiss when Prompto regretfully pulls away and glances at the large clock on the wall behind them, groaning.
“Damn. We’re definitely going to be late to the welcome feast now… guess we better head over there before we get in even more trouble…” The blonde moaned, frowning as he imagined all the dirty looks and punishing glares he was going to receive from everyone in the Niflheim party when he finally arrived after choosing to show up so late to the celebration being held in his own honor.
“Why don’t we just take it easy tonight?” Noctis shrugged as though the decision was easy enough as deciding to skip out of casual plans one might make with friends to go to the mall or something.
“But the feast-”
“No biggie, really.” Noctis insisted. “I’ll just phone Iggy and tell him that we’re not feeling well or something and he’ll take care of everything. Easy as pie.”
“Ardyn’s gonna be furious-”
“You really underestimate Iggy, if you think that he can’t handle your sad and creepy excuse for a royal advisor, ya know? Even if Ardyn tries to come here and cause any trouble with you, he’s going to have to answer to me first, and I know he sure as hell isn’t going to want to be seen initiating an altercation with the Prince of Lucis. That would just be a PR nightmare…” Noct grinned deviously, assured that there was no way his fool-proof plan could possibly fail, which at the very least elicited a quiet chuckle from the blonde.
“You really think it’s okay to skip out on something as important as this?” Prompto asked again, still unsure of whether or not it would be worth skipping out on his duties, just this once.
“As important as you? Hell yeah.”
“I meant the feast, obviously…” Prompto quickly came back, rolling his eyes in the process and yet still flattered that Noct was making such a big deal out of it.
“I meant what said.” Noctis replied, with his trademark lopsided grin, which Prompto absolutely loved, before finishing with a casual, “You know, I was really enjoying that nap before we were interrupted by all that stuff… why don’t we just head back over your bed and continue on with what we were doing before? All I have to do is call Ignis, I’m sure he can bring over some comfier clothes and then we can just relax and chill for the rest of the night. Sound like a plan?”
“Yeah,” Prompto nods as he can’t help but stifle a sudden yawn, maybe this was a sign from the rest of his body that this was actually a good idea. “Guess I can’t argue with that kind of logic.”
Prompto can’t help but let out a quick gasp, when without any warning whatsoever, Noct decided to take this whole endeavor upon himself and swiftly swept the unsuspecting blonde up into a simply bridal carry, before quickly depositing him gently back onto the bed towards the center of the room.
“I can’t say that this was exactly how I saw our first Valentines Day working out, but I can’t say I’m all that opposed if we decide we want to make this a regular thing…” Noctis can’t help but laugh. “The whole going out on fancy dates and that kind of stuff is cool, but I could definitely get used to this. What about you?”
“Yeah,” Prompto joins in as the two boys continue to giggle and snuggle up against the other until they couldn’t possibly get their bodies anymore intertwined with each other if they had tried. “I’m up for anything, as long as I get to spend it with you.”
“Oh my gosh, you’re so cheesy, Prom.”
“You love it.”
“I love you.”
“Now who’s the cheesy one?” Prompto can’t help by giggle, before finishing, “And just for the record, I love you too, Noct.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, you dork.”
“Oh, and uh- Noct….?”
“What?”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime, Prom. Anytime.”