Chapter Text
You were afraid to go home to Alstor Slough. It had been three weeks since Deadeye had scared you away and two weeks since you’d seen Wiz’s kind face.
You wandered around a rest area in the desert, knowing that wherever people were, you were likely safe. Travelers kept to themselves, and you quickly learned that the diner’s cook would only feed you if you presented yourself as a chocobo. He seemed to think you needed something called gil to trade for food if you were human.
So you kept to one form, more comfortable being a bird anyway, and waited until it felt safe to return home. You had a feeling for these things. You were meant to be here right now, for whatever reason.
You never thought life was unfair. It was what it was. The gods gave you the best of both worlds, and though the other chocobos couldn't fully accept you and the few humans who knew of your secret didn’t quite treat you equally, you were content.
Until the night you’d stayed out past sunset, making attempts to reach the top of the small rocky mountain just north of the rest area. Things that the humans called daemons began to appear. To you, they felt sad. They wished for an end. They used to be normal once.
Crashing down the slope of the mountain as you fled, your foot twisted painfully as you landed near more of them. Slimy and gushing, they made their way toward you slowly. Despite the sorrow they emitted, you knew they’d end you. With a loud cry, you tried moving but only made it a few feet before dropping again.
Basic instincts kicking in, you began to call for help. Maybe a hunter was nearby. You knew that gil, whatever it was, carried enough weight in importance that it propelled some of the braver humans out at night.
It didn’t happen quickly so much as it happened suddenly. Loud clashing, grunts and sounds of human chatter surrounded you as the daemons were slowly taken care of. You sat still on the ground, legs shaking with pain, wings pulled tight to your sides.
Humans so rarely made impressions on you. Wiz was special because he had a heart for it, so much so that you had to think he was a chocobo in his previous life. Sania, the scientist, stood out in your mind because she scared you with her extreme interest in your existence. And Dave, the hunter, because his dog was nice.
These humans coming to your rescue were much the same as most. Vague shapes on two legs, even as one bent down to look at your injured foot. Then you saw him, dusting himself off as he approached you just behind his friend. His voice rang high, excitement clear as day at the sight of you.
“It’s okay, buddy,” he said, bending down to touch the feathers at your head. You froze under the touch, staring at him as the other one applied a potion to your wound. “You’re gonna be all better now.”
His eyes were such a bright blue in the moonlight, and you felt it.
Was he like you?
The pain in your leg dissipated, and both he and his friend stood, watching you. Two others approached, and you slowly rose, unable to look away from him to assess the others. One step toward him, then two, and you were nosing at his chest with your beak.
He had to be like you. Look at him! Emitting a soft kweh, you urged him to change so you could see him. You imagined he was bright yellow, like the hair on his head. Excitement filled you at the thought. Until this moment, you’d never imagined the gods would make someone for you, but here he was, and he was perfect.
Instead of heeding your insistence, he brought his hands to your head, patting you with a laugh. “I think it likes me.”
You lifted your head, peering at him carefully. Didn’t he want to show you? Why was he remaining human for so long? Being a chocobo was so much better. You were faster, your feet hurt less, people gave you things freely.
“I suggest we get a move on,” spoke another of the humans. Finally, you looked around at the others, finding the one who’d spoken had something quite shiny on his face. Glasses, you thought to yourself. You knew glasses. That would make him easy to remember. The other two humans may as well have been exactly the same, though.
When they began to set off, at the lead of one of the vague humans —the smaller one— you followed. That beautiful creature that refused to show himself to you kept looking back, the occasional snicker filling the night air. The other vague human —the larger one— kept looking at you as well.
“I think you have a fan, shortcake,” he said.
The object of your fascination stumbled over a rock and fell. You stopped yards behind as one of the others helped him up. He laughed, dusting himself off and saying something that didn’t register because you were stunned by a realization.
He wasn’t like you. He felt and looked like what you could only imagine another chocobo maiden to be like, but he wasn’t.
You let them disappear into the darkness, horrified and confused at how a human like him could exist.
—
Bare feet against the floor of the diner, you trudged toward the bar and climbed onto a stool. The cook eyed you warily, and you motioned that you wanted something to drink. He knew by now that meant you needed water. You knew by now that water was sparse in the desert, but didn’t cost a single gil if you asked nicely.
You’d slept behind the restaurant after eating leftover salad the cook had left out for you. It wasn’t bad, but you missed the greens you’d get at home.
As you accept the glass of water with a smile and a nod, the cook smiled back. He was slowly carving a place into your memory, his vague shape taking a more permanent and recognizable form. He didn’t know you were the chocobo he’d been feeding every night for two weeks.
The morning quiet was disrupted by new people walking into the diner. Yawns and chatter had you peering over your shoulder. Choking on the water, you covered your mouth with a hand at the sight of the beautiful human and his friends.
The one wearing glasses nodded at you when he caught you staring, and you nodded back. That was a greeting you knew. Simple. Humans were simple.
Turning your gaze to the blond one, you found him standing with another at the contraption at the end of the diner. It made such a racket, the trilling noise emitting from it as they pressed buttons making your metaphorical feathers ruffle. Or your literal feathers, if only you’d been allowed to come into the diner as a chocobo.
“Have an eye for my friends?”
You turned in your seat, realizing that the humans had sat next to you at the bar. Closer up and in the light of day, this one appeared more distinct than before. Your gaze followed the scar over his eye.
He gave you an expectant look, and you motioned with your hands, trying to remember as best as you could the signs that Wiz had been teaching you for years. It was a long shot that they’d understand. Not many seemed to know sign language. The cook didn’t when you’d tried to talk to him the first day you’d arrived to this little pit stop. It didn’t quell your hopes, though.
With careful and deliberate movements, you asked, Is your friend a chocobo?
Unfortunately, the large human had no idea what you were saying, looking to his other side at the human with glasses. “Iggy, can you translate?”
With an apologetic look at you, he said, “Leave them be, Gladio.”
You shook your head, really wanting to know. If there was a chance that Glasses Human understood sign language, you weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to have a conversation with someone.
Waving at him to keep his attention, you asked, It’s okay. I have a question.
Please, you thought, desperate for someone to talk to for even a moment. His brows rose above his glasses, and to your relief, he said, “Alright. Ask away, I suppose.”
Without hesitation, you pointed at the beautiful human still playing with the loud machine. Who is that?
He didn’t seem to understand, looking past you at the others. Then he looked at the larger human, saying something quietly about not being as conspicuous as they’d thought.
That wasn’t very helpful.
The pretty man, you signed, catching his attention again. His name?
He considered you, eyes narrowed behind his glasses before a small smile broke along his face. “Which one do you mean?”
Your eyes widened. Couldn’t he tell? One was obviously more interesting than the other. He stood out so starkly against the world. He was bright and beautiful.
This conversation was frustrating you. Tired of trying to do things the human way, you waved off the man with the glasses, getting down from the stool and walking directly over to the human that vexed you.
It seemed to take him a moment to realize someone was watching him, and when he did, his hands paused on the sides of the machine, eyes growing wide at the attention.
“Uh… hi.” He lifted a hand to scratch at his neck. “Did you wanna play?”
Peering down at the machine, you shook your head, then returned your gaze to him. Closer now, in the morning light, he appeared perfect. Every freckle that splashed across his skin, every strand of yellow hair, the sheer feeling of his presence. It struck you, and you wanted him to be like you so badly.
His thumb tapped against the machine, his foot shaking a little as he stared back at you. You reached up, touching his cheek with a finger, and he froze. Poking at him, from his cheek to touching his hair, to tugging a the cloth he had tied around an arm, you drew closer, inspecting him. Humans weren’t like him.
He straightened himself out, hands following yours as you poked. “Hey, w-what the…?”
His friend laughing startled you, and you jerked your hand away. They said something quietly to each other, looking at you. Then his friend walked past you, joining the others at the bar.
“Uh,” he said, remaining in front of you, though the way he looked past you at the others, weight shifting from foot to foot, seemed to imply he wouldn’t be for much longer. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m Prompto.”
He held out a hand, and you looked down at it, unmoving. This was a new gesture. One that you’d seen, but not one that had ever been extended to you before. Taking his hand in both of yours, you shook it gently. Keeping your eyes on his, you moved closer still, scrutinizing him and shaking his hand just a little harder. A slight blush graced his face, and he leaned back a little, tilting his head away.
You didn’t mind it, catching the way his chest rose and fell as his breathing hitched. He peered over your shoulder, sending a confused smile at his friends.
Prompto. That was something. Who was this Prompto, and where did he come from? He was very… noticeable. His hair was so eye catching, his arms were constantly on display, and his apparent inability to keep still intrigued you. He would’ve been such a great chocobo. It all felt very bizarre to you that he wasn’t.
Letting go of his hand, you turned around and went back to the counter, motioning your hands as if you were writing. The cook looked at you, confused at your expectant expression.
The human with the glasses cleared his throat. “If I may, this should help.” He reached into his jacket for a pen and a small notepad that he held out to you. Taking it, you wrote your name on a page, quickly ripping it off and handing it to Prompto.
He looked from it to your face. “Oh, that’s your name?”
You nodded. This was terrible. You’d never tried so hard to talk to a human in your life. You so rarely even made eye contact with them.
As he folded the paper and put it into a pocket, you rifled through the small bag hanging from your shoulder. You needed to show him you were interested. You’d never done this, but you’d seen it numerous times. Both humans and chocobos did it, too, so there was no way he could misunderstand your intentions.
Something shiny, you thought, something nice.
Not particularly shiny, the small cactuar figure you’d taken from Wiz’s shop seemed perfect. It evoked such nice feelings, and though you were a bit loathe to part with it, you really wanted Prompto to know that you’d noticed him.
Grabbing one of his hands, you placed it in his palm, then pushed his hand toward his chest.
Yours, you signed. Then you took one last look at his blue eyes and ran out of the diner. Around the corner, you fell into the much more comfortable chocobo form and took off.
You needed time to think.
—
Prompto and the other humans weren’t there when you returned. Neither was that feeling you’d had that told you that you needed to be at the rest area any longer. Home pulled at you like a siren’s call, and you left a small gift behind the diner of some shiny stones you’d found for the cook who’d been nice to you.
Bullseye was still present in Alstor Slough. You could tell in the piercing silence that permeated the forest. You stuck along the roadside, arriving at the Post before sunset. Wiz’s expression lit up at the sight of you. He was the only person you’d ever known who asked permission before petting you.
Wiz was the closest thing to a parent you had. He was a warm place to stay, and a gentle hand when you were confused. You wanted to tell him all about Prompto, but changing shape was taxing after travel, and you were often uncomfortable with the way people treated you while you were human, anyway.
Objectively, you were perfectly average looking. It didn’t matter to you how you appeared as long as your feathers were soft and your beak was clean. The problem about your human form was the fact that you had an unintentional aura of mystery and magic that resonated off of you. These were words Sania used once, at least. People found that aura alluring, making you appear so much more beautiful to them than you actually were.
It’s a part of your nature, Sania had said. She’d called you the hardest creature to seduce in the world, living life oblivious to such things as romance.
If that were true, why were you still thinking about that human?
—
Word spread of Deadeye’s defeat, and you felt the need to see it for yourself. You were stopped outside the Post at the sight of a familiar vehicle, a familiar person taking something out of the back. Prompto. He was right there, and he was alone.
Stopping just on the edge of the property, you were startled to see him close the trunk and bring out a camera to snap a picture of you. It made you shy, and you backed away, skittering off to hide behind the building.
Near a giant stack of hay bales, you preened yourself. Nothing could be stuck in your feathers if he was going to be taking photos. You knew what those were all about. People did that kind of thing at the Post all the time.
Prompto rounded the corner of the building, curiosity on his face. He cooed, reaching out a hand to pet you tentatively. His smile was so infectious, it had the tension at his sudden arrival to the Post melting away from you.
You let him approach you and buried your face into his gentle hands, enjoying the attention. You were surprised to see him again, and so soon, at that. His light laughter warmed your heart. He felt so different from other humans. Maybe he just didn’t know he was a maiden like you yet. Maybe he just needed a little push.
Drawing away, you peered around and found yourself alone with him. As easily as stretching, you took shape in a small, vague cloud of magic, standing in front of him on slightly shaky legs.
His smile dropped, as did his hands. Taking a step back, he fell onto his backside, looking up at you with his jaw slack.
You stared back, slowly lowering a hand to offer him help up. He took it hesitantly, and by the time he was standing again only seconds later, his smile had returned with a force.
“W-wow!” He didn’t let go of your hand, lifting it up to look at your arm, then your face, your everything. “How’d you do that?”
You let go of his hand, signing a little before realizing he had no idea what any of it meant. You needed the human with glasses. Biting your lip, you motioned that you wanted to write. That seemed to work usually, but instead of handing you paper or something similar, he pulled a small device from his pocket.
“Here, can you type it out?”
You didn’t know what that meant.
Watching him carefully, you went to his side, looking at the device in his hands.
“How about this,” he said, taking one of your hands. He held your index finger as if it were a pencil and touched the device’s screen. Oh, you understood now.
With a nod, you took it from him and began to scribble as legibly as possible. It was actually kind of hard. The screen was much too small. You got as far as “I am chocobo maid” before running out of space. Learning how to read and write was still a work in progress for you, but these were words you knew very well.
He looked at the words for a long moment, then returned his stare to you. “Oh, okay? So… you just become human like some kinda magic trick? Like when we become toads when hit with that one nasty effect?”
Again, you had absolutely no clue what he meant. Smiling at him, shrugged.
You both seemed to sit in a state of confusion, his eyes avoidant while you only strengthened your stare. Touching his vest, you tugged at the collar, then poked at the patches. He was very showy. He had to be looking for attention, right?
He laughed a little, looking down at your hand touching him. That blush had returned to his face. You really liked it.
“It makes sense now,” he said, taking a step back, out of your reach. “That you act kinda weird. N-no offense. I guess that’s just normal for a chocobo.”
You followed him, stepping closer and pulling the bottom part of his vest up to look at the frayed edges of the dark red fabric. He was so curious, behaving shyly and clumsily when he so clearly craved attention.
“U-uh, y’know,” he stuttered, backing away again, his shoulder catching against the wooden siding of the building. “The guys are waiting for me. S-so I gotta go. But, um, do you think I could maybe get a picture before we leave?”
You nodded. People rarely asked for pictures. You added polite to your list of things you’d mentally tallied about him. He didn’t make it clear whether he meant to photograph you like this or as a chocobo before turning away and rounding the corner of the building.
You noticed something small and shiny on the ground when you followed. Picking it up, you looked at the keys, a little dazzled. They weren’t rusty or tarnished, and one of them had buttons on it. Slipping them into your pocket, you were excited about having found something so sparkly and new.
Your day was only getting better and better.
—
Running around the outcropping of rocks that made up the perimeter of your home, you nosed at the broken trees and uprooted brush. It was a disaster area, and it made you sad.
Voices nearby, coming from the trail that passed through the area, caught your attention. You approached the noise, catching sight of your new favorite human. He was with the other one. The one with the glasses. He seemed upset.
“Had you been paying attention, we wouldn’t find ourselves in this situation.”
“I’ll find them, I promise!” Prompto appeared upset, too. “I’m sorry, Iggy. I can’t believe I lost them.”
The glasses human was Iggy. Okay. Maybe you could keep that information in mind. It wasn’t as easy to remember as Prompto.
“That makes one of us,” Iggy sighed. “Let’s continue to retrace your steps. Did you go anywhere else between the car and camp?”
“Uh…” Prompto scratched at his head. “Yeah, I visited the chocobos for a bit.”
“Of course you did.”
“I can’t help it. They’re too cute not to!”
Both of them stopped in their tracks when they noticed you standing near the road. Iggy seemed to tense just the slightest, but Prompto’s face lit up.
“Hey, it’s you!”
Amusing how he liked to state the obvious. You approached them, letting Prompto pet your neck. His touch was electric, had you melting, eyes closing as you leaned into it.
He seemed to think for a moment before asking, “You haven’t seen any keys, have you?”
Oh. Your eyes snapped open, and you saw Iggy beginning to walk away, continuing their earlier trek down the path.
“We mustn’t dally, Prompto,” he said. “Your fascination with chocobos will have to wait.”
Prompto frowned, sputtering, “I-it doesn’t hurt to ask!”
You thought about the keys you’d found just earlier. Was that what he was looking for? Pulling your head away, you nosed into the bag strapped around your neck. You came out of it with the keys hanging from your beak, and one look at Prompto’s face told you this was exactly what he was looking for.
“You found them!” He threw an arm around your neck, laughing lightly into the sudden hug. When he let go, he sent Iggy a grin. “See? They had them the whole time.”
Iggy’s expression was hard for you to read. He’d stopped walking away, turning back to cross his arms. He analyzed you and the keys dangling from your beak. “It appears so.”
Prompto reached for the keys, but you backed away. You didn’t want to give them back. They were yours now. You found them so you got to keep them. That was the rule. All chocobos knew this.
His smile faded slightly, and he gave you a confused look. Iggy began to walk toward you, and you backed away from both humans, the jangle of the keys ringing in the quiet air.
“I find this situation rather strange,” he said, peering at you with a hand on his chin. “This chocobo seems familiar somehow.”
Prompto laughed. “They’re my friend. They can—” He cut himself off when you shook your head, the keys ringing again. You dropped them, stepping on them and nudging Prompto in the chest.
He was confused again, petting your head. “What is it? I wish I could understand.”
You wished he could, too. He wasn’t getting the keys without a trade. Something equally as shiny. You saw a ring of metal on his wrist, and began to tug at that to show him what you wanted.
“Oooh,” he said, drawing it out as you pulled on the metal band. “You wanna trade?”
You let go and nodded.
He took it off, saying, “This is a titanium bangle. It’s pretty strong. You should—” He wavered, scratching at his neck. “Well, you can't really wear it right now, but here.”
You took it from him, backing away enough to let him bend down to pick up the keys. You dropped the bangle into your bag, then looked between Prompto and Iggy. Prompto was all smiles, handing the keys to the other who kept his sharp gaze on you.
It was so odd to be familiar with a human’s face well enough to realize that he was scrutinizing you. Uncomfortable and feeling as if your job were done, you brushed Prompto’s shoulder with your head in a pretty forward show of affection before running away.
His shoulder had been bare and warmed by the sun. Your heart felt so light.
—
As a human, you had a job. Wiz paid you in greens and free reign of the Post. When you asked about gil, he cracked a smile and admitted he’d been waiting for the day you’d want actual payment.
So you’d gathered a small trove of the shiny coins within weeks. You were absurdly proud of it, filling a small box that you buried at the foot of your favorite tree in Alstor Slough.
The titanium bangle glinted from your wrist. It didn’t count, you told yourself, as a sign of interest from Prompto. But you pretended.
It wasn’t like you wanted a mate or anything. It was too complicated. If you so much as became intimate, you’d lose everything that made you you. No human was worth that. Not even the best, most eye catching one in Eos.
So it was with silent wistful sighs that you went about your life, helping Wiz care for the chocobos and saving up your little fortune piece by piece.
You needed to go to Galdin Quay. There was a fish you needed that could only be found in the bay. The trek getting there wasn’t bad, but you often found yourself disoriented once at the beach. The ocean stretched for so, so long and felt so terrifyingly powerful.
Catching the fish was easy. The hard part was stopping yourself from approaching Prompto and his vague humans when you noticed them on a dock nearby. His radiance was hard to ignore.
Giving in, you ran down the beach, arriving to the end of the dock in human form. To make communication slightly easier.
The wrapped fish in your hand, you practically stomped down the dock toward them. The large human noticed you first, elbowing Prompto and saying something too low for you to make out.
It warmed you how Prompto seemed excited to see you when he turned around. “Hey!” He waved, dropping his hand when you came to a stop in front of him. “We keep running into each other.”
Iggy looked over his shoulder, and you could practically feel his eyes on the titanium bangle that hang from your wrist as you returned Prompto’s wave.
“You’re wearing it,” Prompto said quietly. “Sorry it’s not pretty. I guess I could’ve given you something nicer since you gave me that statue.”
You blinked, eyes slowly growing wider. He considered the bangle a gift? It had just been a trade for the keys. And it was pretty. It was the shiniest, nicest thing you owned. All the other chocobos were super jealous, and you flaunted it as much as possible.
“Why don’t you two go on a walk?”
You both looked at the large human. Why would he suggest that? You could never understand humans and their reasoning.
“Huh?” Prompto shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “But Noct is fishing.”
“Exactly,” the large human said. His voice was booming in comparison to the others. “I doubt your friend wants to hang around the dock with us. Take them down the bay and show ‘em around.”
You didn’t mind staying on the dock. What was so wrong with the dock? Your thoughts were halted at the sight of the light blush rising on Prompto’s face.
“Uh, sure,” he said, murmuring and looking at the sky. “H-how about it? Doing a walk. I mean, walking me— walking with me.”
Charmed, you took his hand and began to tug him down the dock toward the beach. Doing a walk sounded great.
—
You were delighted to find that Prompto could sing. It seemed to be a defense mechanism, his way of getting rid of the silence between you. Silence followed you everywhere, but you got the strong feeling that Prompto was anything but.
“Umm, oh yeah!” He lifted the camera he held in his free hand. “We never took that picture.”
You smiled and nodded, letting go of his hand you asked, Do I need to be a chocobo or a human?
He rubbed the back of his neck. “S-sorry, I don’t know…”
Right. He didn’t know sign language. Not being able to communicate with a human had never been so irritating before. Pointing at the camera, you nodded again. Best to just be as simple as possible.
It turned out he wanted more than one picture, all taken from different angles, some with him and others without, and he didn’t care that you weren’t in chocobo form. Which was good because you didn’t care that he was just a human.
—
You’d never been to Lestallum, but Wiz seemed to think you were ready. It was overwhelming and warm and busy. The people were so nice, especially the children. You waved at them even when they hadn’t waved first. They ran past in flocks, reminding you of the chocobos at home.
People paid well for your salves, which Wiz had suggested you put on the market when you’d gained interest in gil. You weren’t sure what you were going to do with the money, but it was an odd sort of satisfaction to have people buying things you made. That fish you’d caught had went a long way, the oils from it spreading along a huge number of jarred salves that helped with minor aches and fevers.
At this point, you weren’t so much surprised to see Prompto as you were excited. You watched him walk with the small vague human through the market. He spoke to a woman eating ice cream. His smile was so bright. Did he want ice cream?
You peered around, locating the stand that sold the treat. That seemed like a good thing to make your very first purchase on. Pointing at what you wanted and handing over the gil, you turned around with the cone only to find Prompto nowhere in sight.
Searching for about a minute, you realized he must’ve left the market entirely. You stared at the ice cream before trying it yourself. Usually you stuck to salads, meats and other things making you sick. Ice cream turned out to be addicting. You didn’t know what was in it, but you were in love.
When buying another just after finishing that cone, you heard a familiar voice and turned around to see Iggy. You were proud of yourself for remembering his name. He was accepting a bag of goods from a vendor one stall away.
You approached him, and he inclined his head, looking at you with mild surprise. “Hello there.”
You waved, then signed, Where is Prompto?
That made him chuckle. “You don’t waste a moment, do you? I assume he’s somewhere causing trouble with Noct.”
That must’ve been the small vague human. All these names were going to be hard to remember. He began to walk through the market and you followed, eating the ice cream and listening to him over the din of the crowds.
“If I may be so bold,” he said. “I believe you’re a chocobo maiden. Is that correct?”
You froze, tongue sticking out mid-lick. How? No one had ever guessed it before. The only people who knew were the ones you felt you could trust enough to show them. Except for Sania. She’d been brought over by Wiz when you’d appeared at the post years ago.
Iggy seem to take that reaction as a yes, continuing on as he made his way down an alley with you not far behind. “I shan’t reveal your secret, no worries. Though I must warn you that Prompto may not realize the repercussions of his actions should you continue to pursue him.”
The ice cream dropped from the cone, splattering onto the ground. You tossed the mess aside, wiping your hand on your shirt before signing, What do you mean?
He gave you a small smile. “He’s rambunctious and not altogether the sharpest person.”
That made you frown. Weren’t they friends? That didn’t seem like a very kind thing to say.
He stopped near a fountain. “Does he know?”
You nodded.
Looking away, he chuckled. “Yet he’s kept quiet all this time. Surprising. Perhaps I’m not giving him enough credit.”
Not sure what was going on, you shrugged.
Iggy looked directly at you then, and his words came out so gently that it startled you. “Prompto is remarkably kind, if a bit silly. The tales must be true that your kind can only be seduced by the unwitting.”
You knew the stories. They were mostly nonsense. The only truths were that you could lose your maidenhood with a simple kiss, and that living a solitary life was expected due to that fact.
Iggy nodded suddenly, as if deciding something. “Wait here if you’re of a mind, and I’ll let him know you wish to see him.”
Slowly, you nodded, sitting by the fountain while he disappeared into the large hotel nearby. Minutes later, Prompto walked out, looking around until his eyes fell on you. His grin was wide, and he was calling your name as he walked your way.
“I downloaded this app,” he started right off, already making no sense to you. “It’s gonna be so helpful! Maybe. We’ll see.”
Sitting next to you, he brought out the same device from before. You knew it to be a phone, but you’d never had any use for such a thing for obvious reasons. He swiped and pressed at the screen, then tilted it toward you.
Letters spread across the screen. He demonstrated how it worked, writing out a sentence. See how easy it is?
It took you a bit longer. I like your face.
“Oh, uh, thanks,” he said, looking down at the words. He chuckled a little. “I-I like your face, too.”
His cheeks flushed red, far too red for it to be good. Was the heat getting to him? You pressed a hand against his forehead. He was burning up.
You had a few leftover jars of medicine, and took his phone to type, I can help your fever. I have medicine in the market.
He stopped you from getting up and rushing off. “No, I’m okay! It’s just hot out, y’know?”
You weren’t buying it, eyeing him warily.
Looking off to the side, he added, “And you’re kinda making me nervous.”
That wasn’t on purpose. You tended to make some people uncomfortable because you paid little attention to human conventions. The last thing you wanted was for Prompto to feel that way.
I’m sorry, you typed.
He chuckled again, rubbing at his neck. “It’s okay. I like it.”
Smiling again, you wrote, Do you like ice cream? I love ice cream. Let’s go get some.
“You’re suddenly more talkative than ever,” he laughed, standing up. “Lets go. I’ll buy.”
You ended up buying because he’d left his money at the hotel. He seemed really bothered by it until you pointed out that he could get it next time.
“Next time?” He seemed surprised. You couldn’t understand it.
With a nod, you smiled at him. Considering your new endeavors and the number of times your paths crossed, there would be plenty of opportunities. This was how it worked. Gifts. Time spent together. How more straight forward could you get?
He wiped a sticky hand on his leg, eyes shifting away from you but the smile on his face remaining. “I was thinking about, um, about your whole… chocobo thing.”
You perked up further, smile becoming a grin. Maybe there was hope after all that he could understand you and your intent even though he was so very unfortunately human.
“You seem pretty human to me.” His eyes met yours again, and his heavy blush was back.
Your small market stand wasn’t far away. You had to fight the urge to go get something for how red his face kept growing. His words registered a moment later, and your slight concern shifted into surprise.
He handed you his phone when you pointed at it. His eyes seemed to light up every time you shared a thought. No one had ever gotten so many words out of you.
I’m not human.
His smile waned a little. “I know, but you are sometimes. Like, right now.”
This was true. But still. He didn’t understand. Not completely. As you typed something new, he continued.
“Maybe not human, but something close.”
Fingers slowing on the screen of his phone, you looked up. One blink, then two. You smiled, and it made him smile.
It was okay that he didn’t understand. He didn’t have to.
—
Sania thought you could help with her research. You weren’t so sure it wasn’t a trap, but Sania had some important theories about the direction the world was going in. You had to agree.
The shift in Eos was definite and crazy, and you could feel it in your every fiber. The gods were increasingly active, and though you only heard about it through humans in passing, you knew that there was a king somewhere who was going to bring things back to as they should be.
The land surrounding Mount Ravatogh was unpleasant. You met Sania there, peering about in distaste. You missed the greens of the forest. Duscae was so much better than Cleigne.
Between sharing ideas with Sania, of all people, and looking at her extensive research, you grew increasingly concerned. You had to take a break from it all, going into the convenience store and perusing things just to clear your mind.
You couldn’t help like she’d thought. All you could do was confirm that you’d noticed the longer nights, too. It had the chocobos confused; they’d usually awaken with dawn, and now they were disoriented every morning.
A familiar laugh pierced the air and made you perk up. Prompto. You peeked your head out of the doorway of the shop, finding your friend standing with his other humans around Sania. Buying a snack, you left the shop and beelined for the group.
Prompto threw an arm over your shoulder when greeting you with his usual grin. You picked at bits of dirt on his vest, cleaning him up without even realizing what you were doing.
Sania looked at you with a raised brow. You avoided her gaze, enjoying Prompto’s arm around you. She was going to have something to say when they left. Something about how fascinating it is that you’d taken interest in someone.
He gave you a photograph, one of you together on the beach. He bumbled over his words when giving it to you, taking you aside when he did because the other humans seemed to find it amusing.
“We’re leaving soon,” he said, nudging the dirt with the toe of his boot. “Like really soon.”
You nodded, understanding. He was always on the go. He and his friends were the most well traveled group of humans you’d ever come across.
He bounced on the heels of his feet, shifting back and forth as a smile played across his face. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again so I just— I wanted to say something.”
With a warm smile, photograph in your hands, you waited for what he had to say. You hoped it would be that he liked you. That your intentions were accepted. That he didn’t think it was too strange that a being like you had found a particular interest in him.
“I’m so not good with words when it comes to…” he trailed off, chuckling a little. “Um, I, uh…”
His face was overtaken by that blush of his again. He was so sweet. You touched his cheek with a hand, encouraging him.
He swallowed, biting his lip and staring at you for a moment before he leaned forward quickly, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. Freezing, you didn’t return the gesture. Your hand fell from his cheek when he drew away, a look of uncertainty on his face.
You took a step back, then two. With shaky hands, you put the photograph in your bag. Betrayal bit at you with every heavy thud of your heart.
“I-I’m so sorry,” Prompto said, expression becoming horrified and embarrassed. “I thought showing you might be better. I shouldn’t have—”
Mind reeling, dread filling your gut, you didn’t stick around to hear him out. Taking off in a run, you shot past the others, not caring if anyone saw you become a chocobo as you sprinted away.
Halfway through your journey home, somewhere in Causcherry Plains, you were thrown out of the form, rolling to a stop on the ground. You looked up at the evening sky. Tears welled in your eyes, clouding your vision.
You had to stay at a rest stop for the night. You spent most of it staring at the photograph Prompto had given you. He was so bright in the picture, standing close to you on the sunny beach. He’d crossed a hard line, and you didn’t know what to do.
Did he even realize what he'd done?
When you arrived at Wiz’s Post late the next day with unbelievably sore feet and puffy eyes, you hugged the old man for a long time.
In a newly minted, somewhat scratchy, wavering voice, you said your first words. “I’m afraid.”