Archive of Our Own

“I don't know… every time I hear coronation I get nervous enough, and now I've been hearing expectations for who I’m going to marry… I'm only nineteen, I don't want to think about that yet.”

“Seems like that part should be up to you, huh.”

Noctis shrugged the best he could while lying down. “Yeah… I mean, I don't think anyone will do anything about it for a while... Dad was thirty when he had me so I figure I can hold out until at least then if I have to,” he sighed, feeling a little foolish for even mentioning it, but his thoughts seemed to spill out before he had time to bottle them up. He knew it wasn’t the drinks- he had given Prompto the rest of his after just a sip- so he blamed the hour of night and carried on anyway. “I know I shouldn’t worry about something so far off but… time goes by so fast lately. What if the council makes me marry some stranger I've never met because I haven't found someone myself?”

Prompto spent a few moments in contemplative quiet, before sitting up abruptly. “Dude... we could get married.”

“... what? ” Noctis was immediately thankful it was 1 AM and the rooftop light was out and no one but him knew the hue of red his face was turning. He knew Prompto was kidding around (and possibly a little drunk at this point), but that didn’t stop his mind from dredging up feelings - feelings he was desperately trying to keep buried since they started surfacing over the last year.

It wasn't that he was ashamed to be infatuated with his best friend, it was the fear that the feelings weren't mutual, that Prompto would be burdened with having to reject him. Or worse, feel obligated to appease him because he's the prince, not that the title had ever given him pause before. Prompto had arguably changed his life and Noctis didn't want to make their easy friendship complicated because he had a tiny, likely one-sided crush that he hadn't been able shake. For a year. It’ll be over with any day now, he told himself, as he had been telling himself since he first recognized it for what it was.

"I don’t mean right now- okay look, hear me out. If the impossible happens and I'm still on the market in say... ten years, and you're not hitched... I mean. Since you gotta anyway. Problem solved!" Prompto said it so effortlessly, Noctis was stunned.

He could usually ignore the uninvited feelings, but Prompto wasn’t making it easy tonight. After laying there for what felt like ages trying to build up the mental fortitude to handle the best-friend-(sort-of)-asking-you-to-marry-him situation, he gathered his composure and propped himself up on an elbow to grin at Prompto. "Yeah? Why should I marry you?"

"One- I'm already your best friend." Prompto had prepared for this, apparently.

"Uh huh."

"Two- I'm very charming- hey don't make that face, you haven’t even heard three yet!"

"Okay, what's three."

Prompto looked a little sheepish. "I… actually I'm still working on three."

"Real convincing argument you have," Noctis smirked, lingering a moment before returning to his back. "Sure."

There was a stretch of silence between them, before they both erupted into laughter.

“You just want an excuse to have Ignis cook for you everyday,” Noctis accused.

“I mean, I won’t lie that’s part of it. Like a solid half of it.”

“And the other half?”

“Unrestricted access to all your games.”

“I can’t believe you've just been using me for food and video games all this time.”

“What can I say? I'm just following my heart!” Prompto said with a wide grin, then flopped dramatically onto his back and glanced over to Noctis. Noctis was acutely aware that their fingertips were brushing, but Prompto didn't seem to notice or care.

“We gotta pinky promise that we'll do it.”

Noctis laughed out loud. “Dude.”

“Yeah, dude , it's a pact. We gotta.”

He stole a look at Prompto, who returned an earnest smile back, pinky raised and waiting. He hoped he couldn’t tell his pulse was racing.

“Nooooct, c’mon!!! Don’t leave me hanging!”

“Alright, alright-” Noctis gingerly reached his pinky out to meet his friend’s, hooking them together until Prompto seemed satisfied that their pact was sealed.

The blond grinned and folded his arms behind his head to return his attention to the faint stars above them, not seeming at all fazed by what just happened.

Meanwhile, all Noctis could do was stare at his own hand because he just- albeit very informally- promised to marry his best friend in ten years time.

---

Noctis woke the following morning, only to find he couldn’t stop thinking about Prompto’s words from the night before. He was pretty sure that he wasn’t going to stop thinking about them for the next decade.

Prompto was already up, coffee in one hand and tapping away at his phone in the other. He gave Noctis an apologetic smile. “Hope you don’t mind I made myself a cup.”

Noctis was having a hard time not smiling at the sight of Prompto curled up on his couch, with one of his borrowed blankets, drinking out of his mug. None of these were unusual sights since Prompto practically lived at his apartment on the weekends, but lately they had been tugging at his heart in a way he wasn’t sure how to process. “You know you’re welcome to anything here.”

“Don’t say that or I’m going to take all your comics home,” Prompto grinned, though his expression shifted to something more bashful as he glanced back to Noctis. “Uh… so last night…”

“What about it?”

He set the coffee down and fidgeted with his wristband. “I… uh… sorry if I said anything weird.”

“Does forming a marriage pact count as anything weird?”

Prompto grimaced and put his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I made you pinky promise. ”

“You were really insistent about that part,” Noctis laughed, and ruffled his friend’s hair. “Don’t sweat it, you were just trying to make me feel better. It worked.”

“Pfffff!” Prompto swatted Noctis away and started smiling again. “Oh yeah? I guess I won’t void the offer in that case! Good luck though, I’m in preeetty high demand.”

“I'll make sure to keep my options open then,” Noctis grinned, though he found a small part of himself hoping that by the time they’re twenty-nine, they’ll be putting rings on each other's fingers.

When Noctis was twenty-nine, he was still trapped in the Crystal, an unwitting participant in its plans and his inescapable destiny.

He could feel that time passed, that he had gotten older, that the world had changed and moved on without him. But there wasn’t much substance beyond that. His time in the Crystal had been strange, impossible to describe in a way that he thought anyone else would understand. It felt as though he had simultaneously spent an eternity there and mere moments, alone in a void with his own thoughts. He distinctly remembered being lonely, but everything else was a blur.

When he returned to Eos a year later, he brought two things with him. One, the Crystal’s power, which had become a familiar presence in his chest, lying in wait until it could fulfill its calling. The other was the resolve that he would not be returning from this final battle, that he would see it through for everyone who had stood by him. He didn’t want to die, but if his life was all that stood between his loved ones living in peace or an eternity struggling in darkness, he would give it all up. He wanted to leave with as few regrets possible in the final days before the end.

It was harder to hold onto his decision after reuniting with his friends. He found out they already knew about his role in saving their Star- Gentiana had done him the favor. He was thankful he didn’t have to deliver the news himself, but it didn’t make facing them with it any easier. They skirted around the hard conversation for now; there was a quiet understanding among them that there would still be time later if they needed it.

At the moment, all that mattered to Noctis was spending time with his closest companions, and maybe one more thing. Something that had been on his mind for over a decade now, feelings he had been harboring all that time that he hoped he might finally be able to share. Ignis and Prompto had left them briefly to receive intel, so Noctis worked up the courage to ask Gladio in their absence.

“So Prompto… is he, uh… is he seeing anyone?”

Without even looking over, Gladio answered, “Oh, he didn't tell you?”

Noctis fell silent and stared at Gladio. He had tried to prepare himself for something like this, but hearing it confirmed left him feeling empty. He knew should be happy for Prompto, he wanted to be happy for Prompto, he deserved to be with someone who loved him. Noctis just always hoped it would be with him. Ten years was a long time to wait though; he never worked up the courage to tell Prompto how he felt before the Crystal took him, so who was he to be upset now?

Gladio glanced up to see his reaction and frowned. “Aw geez Noct, don’t make that face, I was just gonna mess with you,” he backpedalled quickly, holding up his hands in apology. “So you’re still head over heels for him, huh? Guess you haven't changed too much,” he teased and clapped Noctis on the shoulder.

The look of disbelief he had been giving Gladio quickly shifted to relief then to something more embarrassed when he realized how plainly his face read. “I…” he cleared his throat then conceded with a nod.

“Don’t worry, kid’s still single. He's actually pretty popular with the Glaive- a couple even took a fancy to him but he turned ‘em down.”

Noctis felt something stir in his chest. “Oh? That doesn't sound like him… he was always so desperate for a date.”

“Well, I heard he told them he's been waiting for someone.” Noctis’s eyes widened and Gladio let out a hearty laugh. “What, think it might be you? You'll only find out if you actually talk to him about it this time.”

“...I plan on it,” Noctis replied, and it was Gladio's turn to look surprised.

“Well look at you! Maybe you managed to mature a little after all.”

Noctis smiled. “Something like that.”

---

“We’ll let you two have some time,” Ignis said softly, reaching to give Gladio's arm a light touch before they retired to the caravan for the evening. Or what Noctis assumed was evening, as the ever-present darkness made all hours feel the same.

“O-oh, alright. G’night!” Prompto looked a little flushed, though it was hard to tell in the lantern light.

Noctis was thankful for Ignis’s gesture, and looked across the worn plastic table to his friend. It was still surreal to see Prompto like this now- his mental image had been of the last time they saw each other at twenty.

This Prompto had broader shoulders, a wider jaw, conspicuously missing freckles. He had scars, maybe from daemons, some faded and some fresh. A sort of goofy but charming beard that Noctis knew he'd been wanting to grow since they were teenagers. He didn't cover his wrist in fear of someone seeing the codeprint there, it was left visible and defiant.

But even after all these years and how much he changed, he was still sporting a tank top. Noctis had casually mentioned his arms looked good one time and as soon as they were out of school, Prompto was almost exclusively sleeveless. It was a familiar detail, of all things, and Noctis was a little embarrassed to remember all the times he imagined his best friend holding him in those arms. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about it right now- Noctis didn’t miss the extra definition in his muscles or how the fabric of his shirt pulled tighter across his chest than it used to.

“Something on your mind?” Prompto interrupted Noctis’s thoughts, resting his elbows on the edge of the table.

Noctis fumbled for a moment before stammering, “A-ah- it's nothing. Just... you look good. For being old and all.”

The red in Prompto’s cheeks was decidedly more evident now, even in the low light. “We're the same age, old man,” he grinned. “And you look pretty good for living in a magic rock dimension for ten years. I dig the beard.”

Noctis rubbed a self-conscious hand over his jaw and laughed a little. “Yeah, didn't realize becoming a vessel for the Crystal's light came with facial hair.”

Prompto snorted and stared at Noctis a little more intently. He felt his pulse quicken under the scrutiny, until Prompto finally asked, “So can you like… feel it? The Crystal’s magic.”

“Kind of… it reminds me of how I feel when I use the Armiger just… all the time. You can probably feel it if you…” he trailed, hesitating a moment before reaching out his hand to Prompto.

Prompto took the offered hand, weaving their fingers together. “Whoa.”

“Yeah. It’s… this is what’s going to stop Ardyn,” Noctis said with some difficulty.

They both sat quietly, not wanting to broach the subject of what was going to happen after that. Noctis finally moved to pull his hand back, but Prompto held tight.

“Noct… I really missed you. I never thought...” he murmured, having trouble finding the words, and just gripped Noctis’s hand tighter. “I just… I always thought I’d be with you for a long time.”

The words struck like a blade, and Noctis struggled not to break down in front of him. “...I always hoped so.”

Prompto didn't loosen his grip. “I can tell you’ve been putting on a brave face for our sake, but you don’t have to shoulder this alone, you know. Me, Gladio and Ignis are all here with you,” he said gently, “you don’t have to hide it from us.”

Noctis could feel his eyes watering and he nodded a little. “I know… thank you.”

Prompto smiled and finally relinquished his hand before leaning back in the plastic chair and looking out at Hammerhead.

After a few minutes of watching hunters walk back and forth carrying on with their business, Noctis spoke up. “...do you think we could take a walk?”

They strolled around the outpost, Noctis was surprised to see how busy it was even at this hour- it seemed there was no shortage of work to be done. He felt a surge of pride at the resilience of the people, and then the guilt that he had been absent in their darkest hours. If he could defeat Ardyn and end the scourge, hopefully that would be enough.

Prompto must have picked up on the shift in mood, because he immediately launched into telling Noctis about the chocobo conservation efforts, and how they had an entire flock that could outrun any daemon. Noctis had missed listening to him talk so animatedly; it made everything feel a little more normal, despite their reality.

While Noctis listened, he tried to keep an eye out for someplace private he could talk to Prompto, just the two of them. He was starting to think the best he’d get was just the two of them and two or three hunters. They were on their third lap of the outpost when he glanced up.

“Want to sit on the roof?”

Prompto raised an eyebrow, and followed Noctis’s line of sight. “Aw yeah totally, I’d be down… or uh, up I guess! ...you don’t happen to have a ladder in the Armiger, do you?”

“I'll do one better.” With a flash of blue light, Noctis summoned his engine blade. Prompto looked on with wide eyes.

“We're… you're… you're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?”

“‘Course not,” Noctis said, taking a well-intentioned step toward Prompto.

“Oh, you totally are!!! Let me hold my breath first!”

Noctis laughed and wrapped his free arm around Prompto. “Hold on.”

Prompto didn't need warning, he was already clinging to Noctis with his eyes squeezed shut. Noctis lingered longer than he needed, missing the feeling of his friend’s arms around him. He finally pulled his arm back, aimed, and let his blade soar.

In an instant, the world shifted around them and they tumbled onto the roof of the garage with much less grace than when Noctis warped solo, leaving the pair tangled up and groaning. Prompto rolled onto his back away from Noctis and made bewildered eye contact with him for several seconds, until they both burst into laughter.

“OOF, you’re getting sloppy in your old age!” Prompto teased, giving his friend a light punch to the shoulder as well as he was able to while on his back.

“Hey, you were holding me too tight!” Noctis countered, still laughing.

“Dude, you’re like bending time and space, of course I’m gonna be holding on too tight. You should’ve accounted for that.”

“Uh huh. Well, I got us up here didn’t I?” He replied with a smug smile, then turned his head back to look up at the hazy black sky. “...it’ll be nice when you can see the stars again.”

“Yeah…” Prompto replied, absently reaching out his hand to brush against Noctis’s.

They stayed like that for a long while, watching the thick haze swirl above them. There was still movement and sound from the outpost below, but up here felt like their own space.

It was now or never.

“Hey Prompto… do you remember when we were nineteen and we were laying on the roof of my apartment complex and you were drunk-”

“We were both drunk.”

“It was definitely just you,” Noctis grinned despite how anxious he was feeling, heart threatening to beat right out of his chest. He hesitated for a moment too long, but Prompto waited patiently. “A-anyway… do you remember what you said to me that night?”

Prompto let out a snort. “How could I forget? I was embarrassed about it for weeks. Who just says that!”

“You,” Noctis answered with a fond smile, knowing full well it was rhetorical. He took a deep breath, “I’ve thought about it every day since- I’m sorry I’m a year late.”

“Pff, yo- …you what??” Prompto sat up and shot him an incredulous look. “You that desperate to tie the knot?”

“With you.”

“With me!” Prompto exclaimed, and Noctis could pinpoint the moment when the meaning of the words sank in. He looked like he was trying to form words, none of his attempts successful until he finally managed to squeak out, “With me?”

“With you.” Noctis moved to stand, and reached down to take Prompto’s hands, pulling him up to his feet. “I don’t want to rush you into this but I thought maybe… if you still wanted...”

“You... you know you’re not actually obligated to-” his voice wavered as he stood, giving way to a nervous laugh, “I mean, why would you want to marry me?”

The words stung a little, that maybe some part of Prompto still thought he wasn’t good enough for him, but Noctis had come prepared. “Let’s see… one- you’re already my best friend.”

Prompto’s eyes widened, the doubt fading as he started to smile. “Noct-”

“Two- you’re incredibly charming.”

“Noct!” Prompto’s face was red and he squeezed Noctis’s hands back even tighter, then got a bit of a sly look. “...what’s three?”

Noctis swung their arms back and forth with a breathy laugh before coming to his answer. He had been waiting to tell Prompto this for so long, it felt unreal that it was happening now, with both of them thirty and standing on the roof of an old garage in the middle of a desert surrounded by darkness and daemons and whatever else lurked beyond the lights. It wasn't anything like he imagined it would be, but that hardly mattered- the only thing that did was the person standing across from him.

“Three… I’ve been in love with you for a very long time,” Noctis answered softly, though the affection in the words rang loud and clear. “That night on the roof... when you suggested we get married, I knew you were just kidding around but… I kept thinking about how that actually sounded pretty nice.” He watched for Prompto’s reaction, filled with nervous excitement. “And... I was hoping maybe you felt that way, too.”

Prompto stood quietly, appearing to be mulling something over; Noctis could barely stand the anticipation.

“...I… I know it’s been a long time, it’s alright if you don’t-”

Prompto cut him off. “I wasn’t entirely kidding. What I said that night, I mean.” He glanced to the side. “I had a huge crush on you.”

Noctis blushed, caught off guard by the admission. “Do you… do you still?”

His friend fixed him with a look that sent his already racing heart into overdrive.

“I might.” Prompto pulled his hands away from Noctis and brought them up to hold his face in one fluid movement, brushing his cheek with his thumb. “This okay?”

Noctis stood frozen and almost forgot to reply, rendered speechless by the casual confession, the gentle hands pressed against his jaw, Prompto's face so close to his own.

“Y-yeah,” he managed at last, before they both leaned in for a kiss. Their noses fit together awkwardly and Prompto got a mouthful of Noctis’s hair- whatever suavity Prompto started this with was quickly gone and the attempt broke down into laughter.

“Stop laughing, I’m trying to be romantic!” he exclaimed, as if he wasn't just as guilty of it.

“Okay, okay,” Noctis replied, only mildly successful at stifling the giggles. He tucked his bangs safely out of the way behind his ears and grinned at Prompto. “You have to tilt your head more.”

“Since when are you the expert?” Prompto smirked before tugging Noctis back towards him.

They got it right that time.

Noctis’s eyes fluttered open when Prompto finally pulled back, a little overwhelmed this was actually happening and not an embarrassing daydream he had as a teenager. But here they were, real and in person, just inches away. The harsh lights that encircled the perimeter of Hammerhead cast just a soft glow at this height, and Prompto looked ethereal.

“Yeah, I love you too.”

Noctis could replay those words over and over in his head for the rest of time. He put his hands around Prompto’s waist, pulling him closer.

His friend gave him a bemused look. “I’m gonna be real corny for a sec, but kissing you literally felt like magic.”

Noctis let out another laugh, “That might just be from the Crystal.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I better check again to make sure.”

“Prompto, that was terribl- mmf.” Prompto interrupted him again but Noctis wasn’t about to complain. As it turned out, kissing his best friend was way better than any of his daydreams ever let on.

“Hmmm yeah, I think some of that might just be you,” Prompto grinned, and Noctis wanted to hold onto that smile forever. It was easy to forget about where and when they were- he wished the moment could last, that the two of them could stay holding each other on this roof as long as it took to make up for the ten years the Crystal kept them apart.

Noctis ran his thumb over Prompto's cheek with a small smile. It had been hard to tell in the dim light, but this close he could see what he had been looking for. “I thought you grew out of your freckles, but they're still right here,” he murmured. It hit him with an unexpected wave of emotion, leaving tears to gather at the corners of his eyes.

“Heh, it's been awhile since they've seen the sun so they’re sorta in hiding... still got ‘em though.”

“I’m glad, I always liked them,” Noctis admitted, and grinned when Prompto’s cheeks flushed red under his touch. “They’ll get some sun soon-...” he cut himself off and pulled his hand back abruptly, the tears finally falling. Caught up in the moment, he had let himself forget the task that lay ahead but reality was flooding back fast- the high he had been riding since they tumbled onto the roof wasn’t enough to pull him from the crushing weight of his destiny.

Prompto lifted a hand to wipe a tear from his cheek. “...what’s wrong?” He asked softly, though Noctis knew he was only asking as a courtesy. They both knew what was wrong.

His throat felt tight and everything felt like a mistake, like he was condemning Prompto to unhappiness for his own sake. “I’m sorry, this was selfish for me to do to you, telling you how I feel and asking you to be in my future when I can’t even be in yours after…” he choked on the rest and buried his face in Prompto’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Noct…” Prompto rubbed his back and held him quietly for several minutes. “When we were younger, I always wondered if maybe you felt the same way I did. Every time our hands brushed or I caught you looking at me a certain way… I convinced myself I was imagining it, but…” He continued to rub Noctis’s shoulder slowly. “I wanted to ask you, except I could never figure out how… you meant the world to me and I didn't want to make it weird, y’know? And what were the chances you had feelings for me?”

Prompto brought his hand up to stroke Noctis’s hair, twirling the ends as he went. Noctis remained quiet, but leaned into Prompto’s touch.

“Those years you were gone were so hard, everything changed. Myself included… but you were always my constant. When things were really bad, I knew I had to get through it so I could see you again. I was so happy just to have you here, to have another chance to tell you how important you were to me before…” he trailed off, taking a moment before continuing, “...and then you remembered a silly pact we made years ago and answered everything.”

Prompto gave him a wobbly smile, his own tears starting to fall. “Noct, I don’t think you’re being selfish. Your feelings have always been so important to me. Even if we only had a minute left together, I would want to know how you felt... I should have told you how I felt a long time ago.”

“Prompto-”

Prompto shook his head. “And besides…” he afforded himself a grin despite everything, “I’m the one who made you promise we should get married in the first place. You’re just holding up your end of the bargain.”

That earned a small smile from Noctis, and he shifted to throw his arms around Prompto, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Thank you, Prompto. For everything. For waiting for me all this time- I should have let you know how I felt sooner, too.”

“I mean, we got here eventually, right? We both just needed some time… and maybe we were a little stupid when we were younger,” Prompto said, lip quivering while he tried to keep up his smile.

Noctis forced a laugh through his tears. “Maybe a little.”

Prompto eventually let his smile fall into something more distant. He hesitated, but Noctis could tell what was on his mind, something they had both avoided addressing directly until now. “...so you know for certain you’re… not coming back.”

Noctis pressed his lips together and looked down. The magic in his chest continued to swirl and pulse on its own accord, a reminder it was yearning to see things through to the end, at whatever cost. “Yeah I… I have a pretty good idea.”

“...are you okay with that?”

Noctis couldn't answer in words. Tears streamed down his face and he was certain his resolve would crumble around him if he were to meet Prompto's eyes right now. He looked up slowly, and responded to the impossible question with a worn smile.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t-”

“I’m scared of the end,” he finally admitted and felt Prompto shudder. He paused, taking a moment. “I’ve thought about it for a long time… I want to make things right.”

Prompto gave him a weak smile. “I just needed to hear it out of your own mouth,” he said, then glanced down. “The Astrals don't deserve you.”

“Heh…” Noctis breathed out slowly and rested his head against Prompto's shoulder. “But you and everyone else deserve to live in a better world than this.”

“So do you,” Prompto replied softly, and they both fell silent. Neither of them spoke for some time, quietly grieving the future together they couldn’t have.

It was Prompto who finally broke the silence. “So… are you gonna propose to me properly or are you gonna make me do it,” he asked, still tear-soaked and snotty, “‘cause I’ll do it.”

Noctis wiped at his eyes and laughed weakly, thankful for the levity. Prompto was always good at that. “What, all this didn’t count?”

Prompto separated from Noctis and held him at arm’s length. “You gotta do the thing you know, get down on one knee and stuff. Pop the question.”

“I can’t believe you’re going to make an old man with a bad knee bend down-”

“Good thing you’ve got two knees,” Prompto grinned back, looking at him expectantly.

Noctis couldn’t argue with that. He wiped another tear from his face, then took a step back and lowered himself onto one knee, making a show of it. Prompto played along with mock surprise, as if they hadn’t poured their hearts out to each other just moments before. Noctis felt the giddy warmth in his chest again, relishing in it for the moment.

He held out his hand and the air glimmered until a small box materialized there, pulled from the Armiger. Looking up just in time to catch Prompto’s jaw drop, he smiled broadly and took a deep breath.

“Prompto Argentum,” he started, and found he was still a little nervous even though he already knew the answer, “will you marry me?”

Prompto barely waited for him to finish asking before blurting out, “You had a ring?!”

“Answer the question first,” Noctis laughed, and Prompto nodded enthusiastically, his eyes glistening for an entirely different reason than before.

Noctis took Prompto's outstretched hand and gently slid the ring onto his finger. It was an elegant black band with gold inlays and adorned with black diamonds; it wouldn’t look out of place on Lucian nobility.

“It was my mother’s engagement ring,” Noctis said, looking up to find Prompto crying again. “Dad told me they both had wanted me to have it for some day in my future, that maybe I'd find someone special to share it with- I think they'd be happy knowing it's going to you.”

“You’re sure I can...?”

“I’ve never been more sure of something,” he answered fondly. “Besides, my dad really liked you. He told me I smiled more after we became friends.”

Prompto blinked a bit and wiped at the corner of his eye. “Oh yeah? I'll take good care of it then,” he smiled to himself and turned his hand over to observe the band more closely. “I think you're supposed to be royalty to wear something like this, it’s really beautiful.”

“I mean technically marrying me makes you a prince.” Prompto froze and Noctis grinned. “Don’t sweat it too much. You can use it to boss Gladio and Ignis around if you want though,” he said, a little mischievous.

“I guess that wouldn’t be so bad,” Prompto replied with a small laugh. He glanced down to his hand again, lingering on the ring a moment more. “About earlier… you said you wanted to make things right, yeah?” Noctis nodded slowly and Prompto looked back up, something more resolute on his features. “I just want you to know I’ll do whatever I can to help you, uh… save the world. Sounds more dramatic when you say it out loud.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Noctis smiled. “...do you think I could ask you one more favor? It might be a hard one, though.”

“Let's hear it.”

“After we finish this… I want you to let yourself be happy. I know it's a lot for me to ask of you and I can’t just tell you how to feel… but I'm not going to make you do it alone. Even if I'm not there, you’ll be able to find me. ‘Ever at your side’, right?”

Prompto blinked a few times before nodding a little. “...promise?”

“Yeah.” Noctis held out his pinky meaningfully, and Prompto smiled through his tears and lifted his own to meet it.

“I’m going to hold you to it.”

“You know I make good on pinky promises.”

---

They eventually made their way down from the roof, ignoring the surprised looks from the group of hunters they almost warped into.

“He asked me to marry him,” Prompto announced to them, holding up the back of his hand and wiggling his fingers for the confused hunters to see.

One of them whistled and gave Prompto a congratulatory slap on the shoulder before giving Noctis a once-over. “The king himself, huh Argentum? I ain't gonna have to start calling you ‘your highness’, am I?” The hunter laughed and Noctis stood by awkwardly while trying to remember if he knew any of them from before. “You take good care of him, he's one of our best shots,” she addressed Noctis this time with a stern look, and he found himself nodding quickly.

Prompto and the group exchanged a few more words before parting ways- Noctis was glad to see how many others cared about Prompto. He'd be in good hands.

“We do supply runs together when I'm out at Hammerhead,” Prompto explained to him with a proud smile. “The hunters and the glaive are all pretty cool actually- everyone sorta came together to protect what we have left, y'know? ...I'm glad I can play a part in that too.”

Noctis smiled and nodded. “I heard you've done more than your share to keep refugees and outposts safe. They're lucky to have you, I know I am.”

Prompto sputtered and gave him a bashful look as they walked hand-in-hand back to the caravan.

---

“Just like old times,” Noctis said, finding himself nostalgic for the cramped space. He shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his boots before climbing into the bed. The sheets were crisp and smelled freshly laundered- he wondered if he had Ignis to thank for that. It was a small and familiar comfort amidst everything else.

“Yeah... I remember this felt like the Leville after camping for two weeks straight,” Prompto replied, settling in right after. He hesitated a moment, then scooted closer to Noctis and wrapped an arm around him.

“Hey, now you don’t have to spoon me on accident, you can do it on purpose,” Noctis mused, snuggling up to be nearer to him.

“Hhh-how do you know about that, I always woke up before you! And I've seen you sleep through earthquakes.”

“Gladio told me.”

“Snitch!”

Noctis laughed and turned to kiss his cheek. “For the record, I always sort of hoped I'd wake up in your arms.”

Prompto quirked his lips. “Wow, dude. You had it bad.”

“Still do,” Noctis grinned and closed his eyes. He heard Prompto mumble something that sounded a lot like ‘I love you’ into the back of his neck. “I love you too.”

He thought he would have trouble sleeping after returning from the Crystal between the effects of its magic and his racing thoughts, but he found that in the warmth and security of Prompto’s arms, sleep came easy.

---

“...supplies before we- hey look, sleeping beauty finally joined us.”

Noctis blinked his eyes open slowly, his vision eventually coming into focus on the huge figure - Gladio - sitting at the foot of the bed.

He felt a gentle hand brush the hair away from the side of his face, and glanced up to see Prompto, who was sort of halfway sitting up, with one arm dutifully slung around him.

“Morning, Noct.”

Noctis forgot everything else. “Hey.” He scooted himself up to lean comfortably against Prompto’s chest, and was almost ready to drift off again until Gladio cleared his throat. His eyes shot back open and he could feel the blush steadily creeping up his face. “O-oh, uh, hey.”

Gladio laughed and gave him a knowing grin. “Prompto filled me in. Only took you two 10 years and the apocalypse-”

“Gladio, leave them be,” Ignis interrupted from somewhere in the middle of the caravan.

“Iggy, don’t act like you weren’t in the betting pool for them getting together back in the day-”

“The WHAT,” Prompto squawked, and Gladio started laughing again. Noctis swore he could hear a chuckle from Ignis, just out of view.

Gladio had been a more-or-less patient ear for hours of Noctis’s woes and second-guessing over his feelings toward Prompto, so it only seemed fair that his Shield get to tease him now.

“So… I know you didn’t ask, but I’m gonna officiate. I’m captain of the Crownsguard, so I figure that’s qualification enough.”

Noctis blinked, and turned his head to see if Prompto was any less confused than he was. Prompto, meanwhile, was smiling broadly.

“Your wedding. Don’t think I missed that ring.” Gladio tapped the side of his face with a pointed look at the band on Prompto’s finger. “Unless you were planning on eloping on the way to Insomnia.”

Noctis started to smile, “Gladio… thank you. Do you think there’ll be time to…?”

“Oh, we'll make time,” Gladio assured, “leave it to us.”

---

It was a long trek out to the hill that overlooked the Crown City- they had agreed to set up camp there before making the final leg of the journey. The waves of daemons that set upon them as soon as they left Hammerhead didn't make it any easier. Noctis was amazed watching his friends fight, they were strong before but they were on another level now. Every attack was flawlessly executed, every movement in perfect sync. They'd be able to handle the future together, he was certain.

“You checking me out, Noct?” Prompto crowed, twirling both his guns after taking out a ronin with a direct shot to the head.

“Yeah, you're really hot,” Noctis called back, while cutting down another daemon with his blade.

“I can't believe the King of Kings thinks I'm hot.”

“I dunno what was worse, having to listen to you two be completely oblivious around each other or whatever this is,” Gladio huffed, though Noctis could hear fondness in his tone.

“Aw come on, we’ve got ten years of it to catch up on.”

“ Yeah Gladio, ” Prompto chimed in, “you can’t even talk, we had to suffer through your idea of tasteful flirting on a near daily basis.” He sidestepped to avoid a friendly shove from Gladio and laughed. “Ignis can back me up.”

“You were rather insufferable at times.”

“Hey, half the time I was flirting with you-”

“Oh, I am quite aware,” Ignis grinned.

It wasn’t much longer before they reached their destination and set up camp for the final time.

---

“Nervous?”

“Is it that easy to tell?”

“Oh yeah. It’s an excited nervous though,” Gladio grinned and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. “You know you could spout nonsense up here and the kid would be just as enamoured with you. I still can’t believe how awful both of you were at taking a hint.”

Noctis adjusted his shirt collar and gave his Shield a tilted smile. “...did you always know how he felt? ...about me?”

“I had a pretty good idea. That was your job to figure out though, not mine - but maybe you would’ve noticed sooner if you saw the way he looked at you when you weren’t watching. He wasn’t very good at hiding it.”

“Oh.” He felt his face heat up and quickly distracted himself by fidgeting with a button on his suit, until the sound of the tent unzipping caught his attention. Ignis stepped out of the tent first, and paused, saying something Noctis couldn't make out.

Prompto exited the tent a moment later and allowed Ignis to take his arm and lead him down their makeshift aisle. His hair had been combed over neatly and any traces of battle still on him cleaned up. He had changed into a Kingsglaive uniform, almost perfectly tailored to him, and Noctis felt his heart leap up in his chest.

“He cleans up pretty good, huh? Too bad we couldn’t convince him to shave-”

“ I like his beard.”

“Of course you do, I guess it does sorta suit him though.”

“Are you making fun of my goatee again?” Prompto huffed in an amused tone, apparently well within earshot the whole time as he and Ignis reached the end of the path.

“Only always,” Gladio replied and held up a hand to fend off Prompto swatting at him.

“You’re just jealous you can’t pull this look off!”

“What a beautiful ceremony,” Ignis deadpanned with a small grin and the other three stifled laughs behind their hands.

After finally calming down, Noctis and Prompto took their places across from each other, both beaming.

“Alright you two, are you ready- ...huh?” Gladio looked up, squinting a bit.

Without warning, a shower of blue petals floated down around them, seeming to glow with their own light against the dark.

“Did you do this?” Prompto asked, reaching out to touch one and it shimmered out of sight. “Ignis, it’s amazing! Like magic blue flowers falling from the sky…” He trailed off, reaching out for another.

“They're from Luna,” Noctis murmured, tears welling up in his eyes. He felt a light kiss at his cheek and smiled to himself.

Prompto held out his hands to someone unseen, looking equal parts nervous and awed. His expression changed to something almost bashful. “I should be thanking you . You changed my life,” he laughed a little, then nodded.

Noctis caught him blush for just a moment and rub at his cheek, before returning his gaze to Noctis with watery eyes and a slow smile.

“A union blessed by the Oracle herself, it would seem,” Ignis stated quietly.

The men stood silent as the petals fell for a few moments more, before the last of them settled onto the ground and disappeared.

“She kinda stole the show, huh?” Gladio finally said, and Noctis wiped at his eyes.

“Let’s keep going.”

Gladio said a few lines that were tradition in the Lucis Caelum family, and a few of his own that were added in. Prompto and Noctis held each other’s hands the whole time, sharing nervous but hopeful glances while Gladio spoke. When it came time for it, they exchanged their vows, hastily written and unrehearsed but straight from the heart.

“I’m sorry we didn’t have time to find rings,” Noctis said, pausing when he heard Ignis clear his throat.

Ignis reached inside his jacket and held up two rings, to both their surprise. “I hope these might prove satisfactory, given the short notice.”

“Ignis, where’d you…!” Prompto trailed off, eyes widening at the polished rings in Ignis’s glove.

“I seem to remember us all young twentysomethings fresh out of the Crown City and, ah, persuaded to do some questing for gemstones. We managed to scrape by and were rewarded with these- they carry with them some fond memories.”

Noctis beamed and had to hold back a laugh. “...that was when Prompto almost got us all eaten by that giant Zu. They're perfect.”

“Hey, that photo was worth it!”

They stopped reminiscing long enough to exchange the rings, each taking care in placing one on the other's finger.

“I used to dream about this,” Noctis whispered, looking down at the matching bands they now wore. He couldn’t imagine admitting that to Prompto when they were younger, but now he found he didn’t want to leave anything unsaid.

“You dork,” Prompto murmured back, “same though.”

Gladio cleared his throat and they both stood up straight. “And by the authority vested in me, I pronounce you wed. That means you get to kiss now.” He leaned over and elbowed Prompto amicably, “Don’t worry, I taught him how.”

“Gladio!” Noctis laughed and Prompto snorted.

“Thanks for looking out for me big guy, I got it covered though.”

Noctis turned his smile to Prompto- they had made a decision together to always be at each other's side, to share a bond that not even the Astrals could break. He knew they didn't need a wedding to affirm their love, but having the people he cared about most there to recognize and celebrate it despite everything filled his heart with something indescribable.

They kissed by firelight. Noctis felt as though he was swept off his feet- he peeked an eye open and realized the sensation was literal. Prompto dipped him low, and Noctis had to hold back delighted laughter and threw his arms around his husband to get closer.

A detail lost in their joy was that the ground was, unfortunately, uneven. And Noctis wasn’t paying much attention to his footing, and neither was Prompto- they were both more preoccupied with each other and a little less concerned with where they were standing. Before he knew what was happening, Noctis slipped and yanked an off-balance Prompto down with him.

He stopped just short of the ground, an arm still clinging to Prompto who was awkwardly crouched over him, bracing himself with one hand and doing his best to keep Noctis from falling all the way into the dirt with the other. They met each other with wide eyes, before a slow smile started across Noctis’s face and Prompto was quick to follow.

“Got it covered, huh?” Gladio could barely get out over his laughter, which was louder than Noctis had heard in a long time; it was infectious.

“Should I be fetching a potion?” Ignis asked, which only served to make them all laugh more.

Prompto got a bit of a sparkle in his eye. “I can’t believe how many times you’ve made me fall for you.”

“Terrible!!” Noctis laughed again, then paused a moment. “You could've just dropped me, but I guess I'm too much of a catch, huh?”

Prompto unceremoniously dropped him the rest of the way.

“Oops, what was that Noc- HEY!” He didn't get the chance to finish as Noctis pulled him to the ground in swift retaliation and planted another kiss on his cheek.

In that moment, everything felt right. For as long as it took them, they were together now and nothing else really mattered. Not the Astrals, not his fate, just the two of them- just the two of them wrapped up in each other’s arms and laughing like they always did when they were together.

Noctis thought back to when he was nineteen and so uncertain about what his future would hold. He remembered thinking as long as Prompto would be there, the details wouldn't matter too much. As it was, the details were nothing he could have ever been prepared for. But, Prompto was still here at his side, and maybe he could forget about them for a little longer.

It was an early morning in late summer; almost a year had passed since the return of dawn. Prompto was driving a worn down truck, one he and Cindy had salvaged from the streets of Insomnia. It was no Regalia, but it got you where you needed to be barring a stalled engine. He had been busy with the reconstruction efforts, pitching in where he could- there was an endless amount of work to be done, but the people of Eos were doing their best to come together and rebuild their lives.

Prompto was thankful for the work, it helped to keep his mind off what they had to sacrifice to live as they did now. He tried his best not to dwell on it when it weighed heavy. After all, Noctis had hoped that he could still be happy in this future, and Prompto didn’t want to let him down. He got to step out into the sun every morning because of Noctis, got to breathe in fresh air, got to see his freckles come back in full force. He got to see joy on the faces of refugees he had helped rescue years ago as they were finally able to leave the confines of Lestallum, got to see children raised during the long dark witness the sun for the first time in their lives. It was a gift from Noctis to all of them, one born out of his love.

Today he had no work though, Gladio and Ignis insisted he take it easy- he knew why. He spun the mismatched rings on his left hand with his thumb as he made the drive to the outer gates of Insomnia.

He imagined Noctis in the passenger seat, idly discussing which fishing hole would be best for this time of year. He’d probably recount the time Prompto almost crashed the Regalia. Maybe they'd hold hands, maybe Noctis would fall asleep as soon as the car got moving. It made his heart ache to see the scene so vividly only to look over to an empty seat.

But it wasn’t all bad, Noct had made him a promise. At first, he figured it was his mind trying its best to cope. A comforting presence when he woke up crying in the middle of the night, a warm embrace when he felt alone. Some days it almost felt as though Noctis was there, always just out of sight. Umbra would come around frequently, barking at empty corners of his apartment and looking back at Prompto with a happy tail wag and knowing eyes, if he could call them that.

He parked his truck just outside the gates and sat for few minutes, hands gripping the wheel. He thought about the last two times he had made this hike- once when Insomnia fell, the other when they took it back. He hadn't been able to accompany Gladio the last time he went up to retrieve what was left of their old camping gear, the memories too raw. Now, the time felt right.

So he made the hard trek up to the hill where just a year ago they had made their last camp and held an impromptu wedding. He was alone this time, but not really.

Flowers and grasses had started to grow at the summit once more, thriving in the light. Prompto could still make out the circle of stones that marked the fire they lit that night. He walked beyond it, to a grassy patch that he hoped was near where they toppled over and laughed and held each other until Gladio pulled them back to their feet.

Prompto laid down, closed his eyes, and reached his hand out. The sun was warm on his skin, and he smiled as he felt Noctis’s fingers intertwine with his own.

“I missed you too.”