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“Want your usual, Noct.”
Noct shrugged as he watched his best friend give his number to Ignis. Finally . Now Noct could stop coming at the most gods awful hours of the night and could finally just go sleep. At least that was the plan, except maybe, now he didn’t really feel like going to bed at a reasonable time anymore. It certainly had nothing to do with the blonde who was serving him his usual drink. Nope.
“Extra black Ebony, no cream or sugar,” he said with a bright smile.
His name tag read Prompto, and his handwriting as a little like Noct’s own, not exactly pretty, but legible. The two had hit it off pretty quickly after a few nights of being Gladio’s wingman. For a month his friend had pined after the rather attractive vampire who sat alone every night. Noct finally had enough listening to Gladio go on and on about him and the two came up with the plan to finally get Gladio to ask him out. In the process, Noct had a spot where he could do his homework so his dad would stop complaining about his slipping grades thanks to his duties to the crown, and he got to drink coffee.
“Thanks, Prom. You taking a break?” Noct asked, watching Prompto wipe down the counter.
“Not like there are many customers tonight.” Prompto shrugged. “Or any night aside from others like me.”
Right, Prompto was a vampire too. Thanks to vampires, well it meant cafes like this could be open twenty-four seven, and who didn’t like a good cup of coffee? Though he supposed vampires had more blood in their drinks. Oh well, to each other own.
“Want to play a round of King’s Knight?” Noct asked, wanting to do anything other than finish writing a paper on how the delegations of Duscae and Insomnia were in disarray some fifty years ago.
“You sure you got the time? I heard the big guy say you should finish up some homework.” Prompto laughed a little but pulled out his phone anyway.
“As if I listen to everything he says,” Noct said with a huff.
“If you say so.” Prompto hid a smile behind his phone as Noct heard the familiar startup sound of the game. Grinning, he pulled his phone closer.
---
It became routine for the two. Gladio would go straight to Ignis and Noct stayed back, doing his homework and the minute that Prompto looked like he had nothing to do, they started up games of King’s Knight. Tonight was different.
There was a line of customers that almost reached the door. Whatever was going on, it was clear that Prompto was overwhelmed with the onslaught. Gladio went straight to Ignis who seemed rather put out by the lack of his usual drink. Not even Noct’s favourite seat was free, so for the first time he joined Gladio and Ignis.
“Hey,” he said, sinking into a seat, not bothering to even glance at Ignis, his eyes solely on frantic Prompto.
He could hear Gladio introduce Noct, using his nickname before people found out he was the Prince. The cafe was one of the few places he could get peace and he wanted to keep it that way. Too bad that was exactly the problem. All around them there were whispers of how the prince frequented the cafe and ordered extra black Ebony. Noct glared at Gladio, trying to make sense of how the hell someone found out.
“Don’t look at me. I didn’t say anything. Did you take a cup with you to class or something?” Gladio hissed.
“Pardon?” Ignis looked between the two, clearly not amused. “Does this” he pointed to the line, “have anything to do with you?”
“Uh….no?” Noct said, clearly unsure himself. “Look, I didn’t say or bring anything with me to class.”
“Gladio…” Ignis’s voice was low as he waited for an explanation. Noct sighed but nodded.
“Well, you know how I said something about my job taking me away for a bit? Yeah, well I’m usually protecting princess-er prince, over here. I had to go out on some training exercises. But how the hell did they catch wind that the crowned prince came here?”
Gladio pulled out his phone, no doubt texting a few people. Noct shrunk in on himself a little, hoping no one would notice him. When he looked at Ignis, the man just sat there, mouth slightly agape.
“Y-You’re the crowned prince?” Ignis groaned. “Let me guess, the drink everyone is ordered is what you do as well?”
Noct nodded sheepishly.
“I see.” Ignis crossed his arms, glaring at the line of people.
“There! Noct, do you remember this girl?” Gladio turned his phone toward Noct, who looked. The name didn’t ring a bell, but the picture was of him getting handed his usual by Prompto and the next picture was of him and Prompto playing King’s Knight.
“Nah, I don’t think I know her.” Noct sighed. Of course, he would have been found out. Maybe he should have worn less conspicuous clothing, like a hat or something. “It’s not like we can charge her for taking a picture.”
“On the contrary, Noct. Pictures taken without permission are absolutely against the law. But I doubt it will actually help if the picture is taken down or not.” Ignis huffed at seeing one of the customers start handing Prompto a rather large tip. “That poor boy. They’ll eat him alive.”
“Yeah…”
It was all his fault.
“Hey, buddy. Come on, it’s not that bad. All we gotta do is come up with a plan to divert all these people and next time disguise you a bit better.” Gladio slapped him on the shoulder with a grin. “What do you say, Ignis? Want to help?”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Ignis sighed. “Look, the most plausible plan would be to have Noct grab his coffee from another cafe, and post it all over social media. But that would only be a short term solution because people will notice that Noct will no longer be there and then start returning here.”
“....Shit.”
“Indeed.”
“Did you just read my mind or something, Ignis?” Gladio squinted at the vampire, who gave him a bored look.
“Gladio, if I could read your mind, you wouldn’t have had to give me our phone number last week.” Ignis watch another human start flirting with Prompto, hearing the sly remarks.
Noct might have been able to hear as well as Ignis, but the way the guy leaned closer to Prompto, he wasn’t he really liked that fact. Prompto had always given him attention. Always played games with him, but now, it was like a good thing in his life had been ripped away. Without saying a word, Noct stood up. Gladio called his name, but Noct didn’t pay him any attention. No, he was now a man on a mission.
---
Noct waited until the early hours of the morning with Gladio and Ignis, both of whom hounded him to try and figure out what he had done when he disappeared for a few minutes. But Noct didn’t give them any answers. Instead, Noct was busy on his phone, texting a few people and waiting to hear back from them.
“Hey, Iggy, do you have a job right now?” Noct asked as there was a lull in the conversation.
At least they had finally gotten some coffee for Gladio and himself, while Ignis had his blood latte. Apologies came from Prompto knowing they were waiting for him to get a moment so they could talk like they used to.
“Of course I have a job. Though it’s mostly one I can do in the comfort of my own home during the day. And don’t suddenly give someone a nickname, Noct.” Ignis sipped at his latte, watching the last of Prompto’s line reach the front of the desk.
Gladio yawned, despite the caffeinated drink in front of him, but he was stuck until Noct wanted to go home. Ignis felt for the man, but if Gladio didn’t force the matter, it wasn’t his place to say anything either. Still, perhaps it was best to get their human companions to get some rest.
“Noct, Gladio, I think it might be best you two return home for the time being. It’s clear that Prompto will be occupied for quite some time still and you both look quite exhausted. I can pass on your phone number to Prompto and he can text you.” Ignis hoped the two would just do as he suggested.
“Y-You’d do that?” Noct looked so hopeful, glancing up from his phone.
“I did offer.”
“Thanks, Ignis.” Noct quickly wrote his number on a napkin. “Please make sure he gets it. Gladio, dude. Come on, you’ll be sleeping on your feet if we don’t get back. You can crash at my place.”
Ignis took the napkin. Gladio only grunted in response but gave Ignis an apologetic look. Ignis only shook his head in return. The two left, both yawning.