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“How long have you both been dating anyway?”
That question rings through both Noctis and Prompto’s heads as they stare at one another.
They were dating?!
Noctis is sure glad he wasn’t eating that cup noodle when Gladio popped that question or the prince surely would be choking right now.
Prompto probably looks about fifty newly invented shades of red currently.
And neither one of them is saying a word. Their expressions say it all.
“What? Embarrassed or something?” Gladio gives a hearty laugh, “You think no one picked up on it?”
It was news to them, or rather, it seems they were the last to get the memo.
“That’s not...” Noctis can’t even form the rest of the sentence he’s trying to say. The words just get caught in his throat and he just turns away from Prompto and Gladio.
“Not what?” Gladio blinks, then smirks, “It’s been since at least high school, right?”
Prompto and Noctis are about to perish if Gladio doesn’t let up right this second.
“Since high school?!” Prompto’s heart is gonna burst out of his chest. Sure, he’s had the hugest crush on Noctis for the longest time, but for Gladio to so easily call him out like this is something Prompto might not survive. Specially, because Prompto has kept those feelings to himself over the fact he didn’t wanna ruin his friendship with Noctis or make the prince’s marriage complicated, but apparently none of that matters if Gladio can sprout that out so easily!
“I didn’t know that… we…” Noctis shakes his head. Has everyone been thinking him and Prompto were dating all this time?
“You both lose track of time or something? It’s been at least three years, if not more.” Gladio raises an eyebrow, wondering how long those two are gonna be embarrassed or play dumb about it all.
“No. That’s not… it either.” Noctis’s heart will probably burst along with Promptos.
“Or do you think anyone that sees how you two talk to each other, touch each other, cling to each other in the tent--wouldn’t make people suspect something was going on between you?” Gladio gives a play punch to Noctis’s shoulder, “I can give you plenty of examples by what I mean too if you’d like.”
Noctis shifts a bit harder than normal when that play punch lands. He’s so focused on the fact that everyone assumes he’s been dating Prompto all this time--it’s like he and Prompto were the last to learn of this, “No! That’s not...necessary.”
“Then just answer the question.” Gladio shifts his body weight and crosses his arms in a non-threatening manner, “I’m only curious how long it’s been. You both don’t have to get so flustered over it.”
Prompto can’t even backtrack how long it would have been, because he’s had a crush on Noctis since at least… the latter part of their first year of high school. However, he realized he had actual genuine feelings later on.
“Remember that time I found Prompto laying in your lap on the highschool roof and he was taking pictures of you from that angle? You know how romantic that looked right?”
“I had forgotten you saw that!” Prompto’s heart was starting to slow slightly, but Gladio was just making the heart attack in progress happen again.
“You leaped so fast outta Noct’s lap and hid behind the roof fence, it was hysterical.” Gladio can’t help but laugh again at the thought, “Or remember the incident a few weeks ago where you were clinging so hard to Noctis in your sleep and you both drooled on each other.”
“Gladio!” Noctis puts his hands over his ears feeling like a child that is trying to not hear gross things he doesn’t wanna hear.
No matter how hard Prompto and Noctis try to change the subject to something else--Kings Knight, a hunt they have to do, or some super amazing photo op Prompto is dreaming about--Gladio just uses it as fuel to bring up another related story about the Noctis and Prompto dating.
There’s no end in sight.
Gladio starts up another roar of laughter and pats both Noctis and Prompto on the back, “This could have been easily avoided if you answered my question from the start.”
“Yeah, uh.. that question…” Prompto rubs the back of his head, not sure how to proceed and turns to Noctis who looks away from him.
“Ignis..?” Noctis’s attention makes its way to his advisor giving those eyes that just say “did you think this too”.
“Is it possible that you nor Prompto have any inkling as to what Gladio is going on about?” Ignis inquires suspecting that it’s been that way for quite some time.
“Wait--are you two seriously not dating?” Gladio says in a flat but questioning tone then chuckles afterwards.
“Uh, yeah. Bingo. Haha..” Prompto rubs the back of his head again, “I mean, like it’s not that I’m not interested...probably, erm wait, uh nevermind!” Being put on the spot like that made his confession harder, it’s so embarrassing! He wanted this to be something between him and Noctis only.
“Prom?” Noctis looks over at Prompto finally trying to keep his eye contact. Noctis is a lot better with actions than words, but he’s also embarrassed and wondering how to tell Prompto how he feels too.
“Y-Yeah, Noct?” Prompto glups.
“Are we that stupid?” Noctis chuckles, lighting the mood a bit.
“Apparently so, dude.” Prompto is busting a gut laughing.
Prompto and Noctis sit there, laughing for a bit until they catch their breath.
“So, I’ll ask one more time. When did you two start dating?” Gladio raises his brow showing neither of them are getting out answering that.
“Wouldn’t the better question be when they realized they had feelings for each other?” Ignis starts cooking and adds his own mix to the conversation.
“Okay, yeah. Fair. --You heard, Iggy, when did you realize you liked each other?”
Noctis’s cheeks tint a bit red, but he keeps his eye contact on Prompto as best he can, “Probably that one high school dance…”
“Dude, are you talking about our senior prom?!” Prompto’s eyes widened, “Because that was when I realized I liked you too!”
“Wait, really?!”
They clearly are made for each other. Both are different flavors of dumbass.
“Ha, knew it.” Gladio smirks, he was banking on them mentioning the senior prom.
“Yeah, yeah you win a prize Gladio.” Noctis pushes Gladio’s side as they laugh a bit.
“So, uh… guess it’s been said, but yeah I love you, Noct.” Prompto’s face is tinted a bit red, but the embarrassment is way over, he just wants to be honest, “Sorry, I didn’t say it sooner, sure is hard to admit that to your best friend--who happens to be the prince and is getting married and all that.”
“Yeah.” Noctis nods, “Same here.” Prompto understood what Noctis meant by that, but he teases that he’s not a prince and the two laugh imagining what Prompto would be like if he was a prince, “But, yeah, I love you too, Prom.”
They laugh again thinking how this confession happened from one simple question.
Someday they would give Gladio a bit of credit, but for now they were going to whine about this whole ordeal while thinking of what their newfound confession to one another awaits them for the days to come.