Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For the first time things were going great in Prompto Argentum's life, and in just a second, with something as insignificant as a bug bite, everything went wrong. 

He had finally built up enough confidence to approach Prince Noctis and finally fulfill his promise to Lunafreya, well maybe not today, but he had already set the date for the start of high school, so yes, all was going well for him. 

—Hey, Niff! — He heard the voice from across the school hallway. As well as things could be going for him. —Are you going to stand there in the way or are you going to move?

The blond wasn't even getting in the way but at this point, Prompto was used to leading with Lucendis Thompson, a guy who hated immigrants or anyone who came from Nifflheim, at this point, the guy was just looking for an excuse to hit Prompto. 

—Sorry, I'm moving. — Prompto said, trying not to cause a conflict. 

—You think you're so smart? — Lucendis asked him. —Do you think I'm stupid? — He grabbed Prompto by the collar of his clothes while putting him against the wall. No matter how much exercise he did, Prompto would always be smaller than Lucendis. Even if he gained muscle (Which he planned to do over the summer), he was sure he would never be a mass of muscle like him. 

—I... don't... — Oh, by the astrals, No matter what he said, he already knew what was coming. 

The larger young man punched him in the stomach, causing Prompto to gasp for air and sprawl on the ground, then walk away. —You're lucky, Niff.

And in fact, the big guy was right, today he was lucky, because if they didn't have to be on the bus for the last excursión (and tomorrow the graduation ceremony), Lucendis would have taken him as a punching bag. 

So he lay in the school hallway, partly regaining his strength, partly waiting for Lucendis to leave. Deep down, Prompto felt sorry for the bully, his father had died at the hands of Nifflheim, but him punching Prompto wasn't going to make his father's killer magically disappear. 

The blond finally composed himself and resumed his walk. 

He saw the line of his classmates ready to board the school buses, hoping to make memories on their last outing. —You're late, Argentum. — He heard his teacher's voice, it was obvious the woman didn't like him either by the way she looked at him and the same way she turned a blind eye when his classmates picked on him. 

—I'm sorry. — He apologized. 

—Just form in the line. — The woman replied dryly. 

The line moved forward and his companions entered the bus.

He could see how Lucendis tried to sit next to prince Noctis, which was strange because the black-haired boy almost never came with his class to the excursions, only to be rejected with a simple —It's reserved. — It was no secret that the bully wanted to be friends with Noctis, he had been trying for years, but no matter the popularity or good grades, Noctis always rejected him, this made Prompto nervous because if Lucendis was rejected, What hope did he have? 

When it was finally Prompto's turn to choose a seat, he noticed that all of them were occupied and he just stood there. —What happened?— asked the other professor seriously, an old and bitter man, dressed in a classic suit, an intimidating man in every sense of the word. 

The old man walked straight to Noctis' place —Can you make space for one of your classmates? 

—It's reserved. — Noctis answered him. 

—Could you tell me for whom? — asked the old teacher. 

Noctis looked back at the master, then saw Prompto for less than two seconds and then moved to the side, leaving the seat free. 

—I thought so. — Said the old man. The teacher looked at Prompto again, signaling him that he should sit there. "No! No! No! No!"—Come on, come on. — Him indicated. 

Prompto approached the seat noticing that Noctis wasn't even looking at him, in fact, he had already fallen asleep leaning against the bus window. 

In the meantime, he could see the other teacher was mumbling to the old master, asking him if he was senile. Prompto felt bad for putting him in this position so often, after all the old teacher Ventus Pater or Prof. Ven for many was the only one who defended him. 

Old Ven was a good teacher, but he was very strict at times to the point that he had even given Prince Noctis detention for sleeping in class to the shock of many, even so, he was the one to go to if you needed an iron hand. He was adored by half the school and hated by the other, the old teacher had even earned the nickname "Uncle Ven" by some.

On the first day of school in the first grade, the teacher made him stay after class. 

—A former student recommended you to this school, I was his teacher, he was difficult. — He told him. The blond thinks he was talking about his father, he wonders if he was an unruly child, he has no idea since even at a young age he hardly ever sees both parents. It made more sense when he learned they were neighbors and he lived two houses away with his wife, a retired nurse named Mel Pater. 

Back to reality, Prompto could feel Lucendis' gaze on him, which made him extremely nervous. He simply had to avoid the bully for the rest of the day, easier said than done. The blond went on all the way uncomfortably for the entire bus ride, on one hand he was next to Noctis, who he had no plans to talk about until starting high school, on the other, Lucendis was already planning his assassination. 

Finally after a tortuous ride, they arrived at the garden/park where they were to make their last happy memories before graduating. He turned to look at Noctis who was still asleep against the window pane, he stayed a few seconds debating whether he should wake him up. 

—Come down, let me do it. — Asked the old professor. 

The blond moved from his place and continued his way, only to turn around for a moment, Noctis still did not wake up, it was well known that the prince was a heavy sleeper. 

He got off the bus to see the entrance of the place. A large gate stood imposingly, with a small booth with a guard inside. He could hear one of the chaperones explaining the typical rules, don't wander away from the group, don't cause trouble and so on, he could also see that the bullies were already laughing amongst themselves planning some mischief, Prompto was praying to the astral ones that they had forgotten about him. 

The class started to enter with the blond being one of the last in the group, he looked back at the bus and finally saw the prince with the old teacher getting off the vehicle. 

At last they all entered and began to enjoy the garden, the place was beautiful, with a great variety of plants and flowers, all beautiful and colorful. The blond took out his old camera and started taking pictures of all the plants, not caring that he was even further behind the group. 

As he looked around the botanical garden, he noticed that Noctis had also fallen behind, he saw that his companion was lost in thought and looking at nature Wow, he looked great! He took his camera and took a picture of him, it wasn't weird to take a picture of your partner because you thought he looked good right? 

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his right hand — Ouch! — He almost threw his camera but thanks to astrals that didn't happen. 

Prompto saw his hand and noticed that a small red and blue spider, the insect had bitten him, so in a moment of brilliance, the blond killed it hoping it wasn't poisonous. 

The excursion continued, with his companions laughing with their groups of friends, all smiling, all except Prompto who was falling further and further behind the group, not only because he was distracted by taking pictures, but also because he began to feel sick. 

The nausea started to get stronger, the headache did not let him think, he had to put his camera away because of the violent shaking of his hands and the dizziness did not let him walk. 

The boy's vision began to blur and suddenly he began to feel like he was floating when in reality he was falling, hitting hard against the floor, his vision went from blurry to totally dark and the last thing he heard was: -Boy! Are you okay? - From his old teacher.

The blond opened his eyes, his ears were buzzing and the light blinded his eyes, it took him a while to become conscious but the realization hit him like a baseball bat when he saw the needle with serum, he was in a hospital. 

Chapter Text

The first thing he saw was the large white lamp above him, the next thing he noticed was the needle with a tube in his wrist and the smell of chemicals, his surroundings were a white room and his bed uncomfortable, Prompto Argentum is undeniably in a hospital. 

—Ugh. — The blond groaned as he tried to wake up and fully comprehend what was going on, this alerted an old woman, gray white hair down to her shoulders, a long foulard with a blouse that looked 30 years old, who was dozing in a chair in the room. 

—Prompto! — The woman got up and approached the bed. —Take it easy, please. 

—Mrs. Mel...— She recognized the old woman, Mel Pater, her lifelong neighbor and his teacher's wife. —What happened? 

—You had a terrible fever! We had to admit you to the hospital. — The old woman replied. —You have been unconscious since yesterday. 

—Agh.... Since yesterday...— The young man complained. —The graduation ceremony! — he exclaimed. —What time is it? 

—It's around 5:00 in the afternoon. — She replied. 

—The graduation ceremony has already started! I have to go! — Prompto shouted. 

Mel grabbed him by the shoulders while the blond was trying to get up, preventing him from standing up. —You haven't been discharged, Prompto. — The boy turned to look at her. —Besides, you wouldn't make it in time. 

The young man lay back down defeated. —Don't worry, Ven will bring your diploma. 

—It's not that, Mrs. Mel...— Prompto replied. —I would have liked to be there, you know, to receive the diploma, to have my picture taken, all that... — His voice sounded defeated. 

—I know, but you are very weak at the moment, your health comes first. —said the old woman sadly. 

Prompto simply let out a sigh of disappointment as he covered his eyes. They were both silent for a few seconds. 

—You know, you gave us quite a scare. — commented the woman. —We couldn't contact your parents. — It was obvious, if it wasn't for the money you sent him every month, Prompto wouldn't know if they were still alive. —So we had to call your godfather, which was difficult because as you know he is a busy man.

Wait. 

WHAT? 

—Woah, Woah, Woah. — The blond was startled. — I don't have a godfather. 

The old woman looked at him strangely. —Yes, honey, you have one, I've known him even before your parents did. — There was concern on her face. —You didn't know? 

—I didn't even know I had a godfather. — The blond answered. 

The woman had a look of great concern on her face but quickly changed it to a fake smile. —Well, it doesn't matter, you're going to meet him since he's the one who has to sign for your discharge. 

—Of course, of course...— Prompto said thoughtfully. A godfather? He didn't even know his parents' family and now that he was told he had a godfather, where had the man been all this time? Maybe he didn't know of his existence but to be a godfather he had to know him, didn't he? Then most likely he was simply an absent person, just like his parents. But how did Mel know him? 

—Mrs. Mel, how do you know my godfather? 

—Well... he was Ven's student and also helped him with a favor or two. 

That left Prompto in the same boat. The young man's thoughts were interrupted by a nurse with dark skin entering the room with a tray of food.

—I see the boy is awake. — The nurse commented. 

—Did you bring the food for us, Clara? — Mel asked. 

—Yes, it looks like you got it right, it's even scary. — Said the nurse. 

—Don't forget that I was a nurse for 30 years, you don't forget those things. — Mel answered. 

—I would never forget Mel, you were a great help during my first year, that's why all our staff would do anything for you. — The nurse mentioned. Mel laughed a little. —That's why we won't charge you anything this time. 

—What? Are you serious? — Prompto asked. —Wow, that's great! Did you hear that, Mrs. Mel? 

—That's not necessary, my dear, I assure you that I and Ven can pay for it eventually. —Assured the old lady. 

—Well, since you told me about your financial problems I thought that- 

—Let's talk about this outside, Clara. — Interrupted Mel urging them to go outside, which they did. —Prompto, why don't you eat in the meantime? 

Prompto could do nothing but feel guilty, Mr. and Mrs. Pater were willing to pay for his hospital and he was sure that Mel had stayed since the previous evening taking care of him, the older woman was known for taking care of her fellows, from homeless to refugees without discriminating, no matter where you came from, Mel Pater always had some hot food for you. To hear that Mr. and Mrs. Pater had financial problems was so horrible. 

The young man saw the tray, it brought two sandwiches, the blond took one and began to eat it, he thought the last he could do was follow what his neighbor asked him as a thank you, he finished the appetizer and was still much hungrier.

The women came in again. —Seriously, don't worry Mel. — The conversation between the two ended.—So, Prompto, right? 

—Me? — He pointed to himself with his hand. —Yes! Prompto Argentum. A pleasure! 

—You've got some energy for someone who's sick. —The nurse commented. —Speaking of, we'll discharge you as soon as we can. 

—Really? — Prompto exclaimed with a smile. 

—Yes, it looks like you got some kind of heat stroke, the fever went down on its own. — The nurse told him. —Still, you should stay with a relative to take care of you for anything. 

Prompto swallowed. —My parents are on a trip. 

—Prompto, why don't you stay with me and Ven? We couldn't send a sick boy home alone.— Mel proposed. 

—Mrs. Mel! That's not necessary! I can take care of myself. — The boy replied. 

—Nonsense, you could pass out again without us being able to help you, I wouldn't forgive myself for that, besides we have a guest room, there's no reason why not. 

—I...—Prompto was reluctant to refuse the woman. —Thank you very much. 

—Nonsense, it's my responsibility to help my neighbor, you know, be a friendly neighbor. — He answered her. 

Another person came into the room, I couldn't see him well because he was carrying a large flower arrangement that was noticeably heavy with many colorful flowers. —For the patient! — he exclaimed.

—Woah! Really? — Prompto questioned. The man was a nurse who got a good look when he could see the large arrangement on the side of him on a small table.

—Yeah, and Mr. Ventus called, he wanted to let you know that he was in his way to come for you. — The male nurse commented.

—Then let me take this away from you. — Said the nurse while she began the process of removing the needle with serum, it hurt a little while they were extracting it. 

—Thank you very much, I have no idea how to return it. — Thanked the elderly woman. 

—You don't have to, you've already done so much for us. — Thanked the nurse back. —Well, we don't have to go to other people. I hope you keep up the energy, kid!— She said goodbye. 

—Thank you very much! — The young man said goodbye. 

As soon as they left he and Mel turned their attention to the giant arrangement, wow, there were even some flowers he had seen yesterday. He saw that it had a card on the side, he took it and it said "Hope you get well, classmate!" the blond assumed that some classmate had sent it as a courtesy. 

—You must have someone who loves you very much to have sent you these flowers. — The old woman mentioned. 

—I guess...— Prompto was still thinking about who the mysterious person was. 

The room was silent again, maybe it was because he was immersed in his thoughts that this didn't bother the young man "Wow, you couldn't even go to your graduation, how pathetic." "None of your classmates must have noticed you missed." "Probably the only person who noticed was Lucendis, he must have missed bothering you." "Prompto, the only person you have who looks like a friend is the one who beats you every day, your parents don't even answer the phone, you have a godfather who has never bothered to meet you and your biological parents wanted to get rid of you so badly that they threw you to another country not without first making a strange mark on your wrist, surely Mr. and Mrs. Pater are only here out of pity." Were some of Prompto's thoughts. Speaking of his strange tattoo, the blond turned to look at his other wrist to see the band covering the mark, he had really dodged the bullet this time. 

—I told them not to take off your bracelet. — The old woman commented as if she could read his thoughts. — I know you've been somewhat defensive about it since you were a child. 

—Woah, thank you. — Again, the blond had nothing but gratitude for his neighbors. 

—It's your privacy, we all deserve that. — He smiled. 

—Thank you, really. — Prompto looked into Mel's eyes, he really wanted to throw himself at her and hug her. Then the room was silent again. The blond started to look around the room with nothing else to do, he noticed that the old lady hadn't eaten her sandwich. 

—You can eat it. — The woman commented, again seeming to read his mind, the nurse was right, it was starting to terrify Prompto, it was scary. —I don't like hospital food, look when we get home I'll make food for everyone. 

—Thanks. — He took the food instinctively and basically gobbled it down, he didn't know where he had gotten so hungry. 

—It's normal for you to be hungry, you haven't eaten in 24 hours. — She read his mind again, kinda scary. 

—I'm sorry. — He apologized with his mouth full. 

—Don't talk with your mouth full. — The woman scolded. 

Prompto gulped. —Sorry.— He apologized again.

The room opened again. 

—Sorry for the delay, you probably don't know it but your godfather is a very unapproachable person even for old Ven.— It was his master who, by the way, was apparently waiting for someone else to cross the threshold of the door. —But he should be the one to tell you that. 

Ven motioned for someone to come in, and a middle-aged man stepped through the door. 

No. 

IT COULDN'T BE. 

—Sh*t! — He exclaimed in surprise, a gasp of indignation was heard from Mel at the bad word. —Cor, the immortal? 

"No, Prompto! You're not supposed to talk like that in front of the Paters and Cor the immortal!" 

—Well, well, you've barely graduated and you're already spouting off. — Ven laughed, —But this one here was much worse and younger. — He pointed to Cor who only looked to the side somewhat embarrassed. 

How was it that Ven Pater had so much confidence with him? 

—They don't know each other yet, so they should introduce themselves. — Mel suggested. 

—Yes, Cor finally told me they didn't know each other on the way here, can you believe it? — There was some incredulity in the old man's voice as he stepped aside. —I think I should introduce them. — Said the man laughing. —Prompto Argentum this is Cor Leonis, Cor Leonis this is Prompto Argentum. 

—Nice to meet you, boy. — The man extended his hand to Prompto. 

—I... Me too, sir! — He took the man's hand in greeting to the trembling man. "I'm saluting The Immortal!" he thought as he smiled nervously and continued to shake his hand. 

—You can let go of my hand now. 

—I'm sorry! — Prompto removed his hand quickly. —I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sir. — "You're a Dumbass!" 

—So we're ready to go now. — Ven commented. 

—Well, Prompto's not leaving in hospital clothes, is he? — Mel questioned. 

—Right, right, Cor, give him his clothes. — Ven asked. 

Cor put a cloth bag on the bed. —Here you go. 

—Thank you, sir. — Prompto thanked. 

The foursome looked at each other for a few moments. 

—Aren't you going to change? — His godfather asked. 

—Oh, sorry, I am, sir. — Prompto took the bag and got out of bed and headed for the small bathroom in the room. 

The bathroom was extremely small, a glorified public cubicle, and the walls along with his thoughts alone suffocated him "You made a fool of yourself in front of immortal! Twice!" and moved on to "Cor the immortal is your godfather, that's cool!" he finally finished changing into what he had on yesterday.

He saw where the nurse had put the needle with serum to see that there was no mark, it was as if he had never had anything like that, then he saw the place where a spider had bitten him yesterday, the bite had already healed leaving him a visible spot if you pay attention, there was not even a welt, as if it had happened long ago and only the mark will remain, maybe the spider was poisonous and this was what caused his discomfort but if so shouldn't he have died already? Perhaps he had died and this was purgatory. He continued to examine the wound and somehow without warning something came out of his wrist making him make a little scream, it was some kind of spiderwebs that stuck to the wall. 

He began to examine the strange web that connected the wall to his wrist in a curious and incredulous manner. Maybe her theory was right, he was dead or in a coma and this was a dream, or he was slowly turning into a spider like in that book he was forced to read in literature class about a man who turns into an insect. 

Someone knocked on the door. 

—Boy, are you all right? — It was Cor's thick voice. 

—Ah! Yes, sir! — He replied in a bit of a panic. He tried to peel the spider web off the wall without success, the thing was stuck hopelessly.

—Are you sure? — the man asked. 

—I have a cramp! — shouted the young man. Then he tried to break the web, freeing his wrist, but not before realizing that the web was extremely strong. 

—It must be because he hasn't walked since yesterday. — Mel mentioned. 

—Do you need help? — Ven asked. 

—No, sir! Don't come in! — He replied in panic. — I don't need help! — He added. 

—Don't get brave, boy. — Said the old teacher. 

—No! I'M GOING! — At this point Prompto was about to have a panic attack. He started looking at his whole body, checking to make sure he hadn't grown extra limbs out of nowhere. "Breathe, Prompto, you're not a giant spider yet" He tried to calm himself.

He heard the door handle. —Are you really all right? — Cor asked. Damn it! He was going in and the thing that came out of his wrist was still on the wall. Before he could open it Prompto opened the door himself, trying to cover the stain on the door with his body. —Are you all right? — he asked again. 

—Yes... It was just a very bad cramp. — He lied. —Very, very bad, horrible. — He overacted. 

—Do you want me to help you? — Cor offered. 

—No, no, no.— He flatly refused as he walked out and closed the door trying not to let you see what was behind it. —I just need to walk. — I walk around the room pretending. —See? Problem solved, sir. 

—Good, then we can go now. — Cor said. 

—Yes, yes, yes, sir. —The young man was anxious to get the hell out of there. 

—Before I forget, here's you have, Prompto. —Ven pulled out a framed piece of paper, it was the graduation diploma he was supposed to get at the ceremony he didn't attend. —You are officially graduated. 

Prompto stared at the paper for a few seconds, something inside him wanted to cry, maybe because this was supposed to have been given to him in a ceremony at his school and not in a hospital where he frankly felt miserable or maybe because the idea that he was going to turn into a giant insect was still in his head or maybe it was both (Possibly it was the latter option). 

—Thank you for picking him up. — It was the only thing he could say in a somewhat melancholic voice. 

—Well, since you're a graduate, why don't we celebrate? I can make you a stew with the family's secret recipe. — Mel commented. 

—Mmmmm. — Ven savored. —I love that stew, I want to tell you that she only makes it on really special occasions. 

—So we're leaving? — Said Cor somewhat impatiently. 

—Oh, sure, sure, don't forget your flowers— Mel came to the door along with Ven. 

—Yes, yes. — Prompto nodded, bending down to pick up the arrangement and carry it effortlessly. 

Cor looked at him with a strange expression. —Can you carry it alone? 

—Yes, it weighs much less than I thought, sir. — He answered truthfully as they both headed for the door, Cor first and behind him Prompto who was obscured from view by the floral arrangement. 

As he left the room, he almost collided with the door but some instinct inside him warned him. 

—Careful boy. — Cor warned him. —Are you sure you don't want me to help you? 

—Nope, everything is under control, sir. — The blond affirmed. 

As he left the room he began to feel overwhelmed in all his five senses to the point where again for the second time that day, his ears began to ring, so he stopped. 

—What's the matter son? Why are you carrying the flowers? — Ven questioned.

The old man must have given the other a murderous look. —Boy, let me help you. — He heard the defeated man offering his help again, he had known him less than 20 minutes and already he felt like a burden to him.

—no, I can, I swear, sir. — He assured. —I just don't know, I don't know, is it too noisy? —  Part of Prompto had no idea what was going on. 

—Seriously, let me help. — The man approached and tried to remove the arrangement from the young man without success. It wasn't that Cor had no strength, he was immortal! He was a legendary military man, but it was simply that the arrangement had stuck to the hands, more specifically to the fingertips, of the young man. —Seriously, let me. — he asked. 

Prompto was frozen, he didn't know what to do, on one side he had an arrangement that was possibly heavier than he thought stuck to his hands just after he had realized that he could somehow throw spider webs and on the other side he had the legendary Cor the immortal asking him for such flowers. 

—I can do it, I swear, sir! — he affirmed again. 

This seemed to be enough for Cor. —All right. 

The two continued walking to the elevator that would take them to the parking lot. 

—Why does he still have the arrangement? — Ven asked with some indignation in his voice. 

—He said he could do it. — The other man replied dryly. 

Prompto could see through the flowers as the old man shook his head in disapproval.

The rest of the way was quiet, they arrived at the hospital parking lot and it was on the way while he saw the other cars that Prompto's brain began to carburize correctly, Mr. Pater was an old man, he had sight problems and therefore he could not drive anymore. —In which car shall we go? 

—In mine, boy. — Cor answered. 

Oh. 

Oh. 

The boy didn't know what to answer as they walked a few more yards to a late model regalia. "Of course he uses a regalia, all the top People in the government use those, duh." He chided himself in his thoughts,and honestly if it wasn't that the heavy arrangement was still attached to his hands, he was sure he would have dropped it when he realized he was going to ride in the immortal's car. Apparently he spent a lot of time in his head because Mrs. Mel was already being helped into the car by Cor in the passenger seat. 

—Come on Prompto, we don't have all day. — Said the old master in a mocking tone. 

—Yes, yes, I'm coming. — Said the boy while someone who could not see him got in, until he was inside he could see that it was his teacher.

—Well, we can go now. — Said Mr. Ven with a tone of happiness as if he had been the one who had been interned. 

Nobody else said anything and the military started the vehicle. 

During the ride Prompto began to take deep breaths, he started to go over everything again trying to make sense, from missing graduation to the possibly strange fear of turning into a spider. "I don't think Prince Noctis wants a giant spider for a friend." He joked in his mind trying to calm himself down. He decided to put that aside for the moment he wasn't in a car with a living legend and simple take a deep breath. The blond hadn't noticed how tense he was, until he was able to relax a bit, and so his hands finally detached from the base of the flower arrangement. He tried to stretch his limbs a bit and keep breathing until they finally reached their destination. 

The vehicle parked in front of the old couple's house. —Home, sweet home. — Said Mr. Pater. 

Both Cor and Mr. Ven quickly got out of the car to help Mel get out. —Thank you, but I can manage on my own. — Said the old woman. 

While watching this, Prompto got out of the car somewhat awkwardly thanks to the giant arrangement, thanks to his reflexes that seemed to be sharper than usual, he was able to avoid hitting his head against the roof of the car.

He got out and continued on his way inside the couple's house. 

—Well, it's time for me to go. — Cor announced.

Ven did a 180° turn —What? No! — He proclaimed with an incredulous and somewhat offended voice. 

—I don't want to be a bother. — Cor replied. 

—You are never a bother. — This time it was Mrs. Mel who answered him. —Besides, I don't suppose you have anyone at home to make you homemade food, do you? Please stay. 

—I... —The military man tried to say something but it was obvious that he had fallen into the old lady's trap, nobody could say no to her, she was such a sweet woman and known for being so kind that breaking her heart somehow made people feel like monsters.

—Then Cor stays, come on boy. — He urged Prompto to come into the house. 

—Yes, yes. — Said the blond as he walked through the small front yard, with a bit of grass to make it look nice. 

Prompto walked into the house and Woah! The last time he had been here was a few years ago and everything looked bigger. The Pater's house was small but homely, perhaps the oldest house in the neighborhood, with a rustic but pretty facade, something classic of the era in which it was built, the house inside had been left a few decades ago behind it was unmistakably the home of two old people, but yes, very neat, as there was not a speck of dirt. The construction was done at a time when young families were expected to have a child, but Mel and Ventus never had one apparently, so they used the extra room as a guest room; the loudest neighbors liked to say that all the charitable acts done by the Pater's were a way to fill their emptiness of never having a child, but Prompto wanted to think they were just good people. 

—Leave the arrangement where it will be seen and out of the way. — Ven asked as he sat down at the dining room table and Mel went straight to the kitchen. 

Prompto simply left the flowers on the small table in the foyer as he went through the house and sat down at the dining room table. 

—You know, he got them from someone in her class. — Mel's voice was heard from the kitchen as Cor also sat quietly with the others. —You never told me Prompto had a girlfriend. 

Prompto started to turn red, really red in the face. 

—Who is she, boy? The salon rep? She asked about you. — Mr. Pater joked. —She's a very smart girl and her father works with Cor.— He added and voted to see the man. —Tell me Cor, do you think I have a chance with Eustace's daughter? — Prompto could feel smoke coming out of his ears. 

—I...— Cor said, looking like he didn't want to be there. —I mean, can I say a few words for you? 

—No!— the young man shouted. —I don't like her, sir.... 

—But look if you're all red. — Ven mocked laughing, Prompto could see a small suppressed smile on Cor's face. 

—I, no, I don't... I don't like anyone.— Prompto replied. —I don't even know who sent them. — He turned to look at the giant flower arrangement. 

—Didn't the note say so? — Cor asked. 

The young man shook his head, - It just says "Get well, classmate", sir. 

—That's very vague. — The military man replied. 

—Well, whoever it was, you can tell they care about you, they are very nice and expensive flowers, you don't give them to just anyone. — Mr. Pater replied. 

They fell silent while the smell of cooking began to invade the house. 

The old professor kept looking between Prompto and Cor as if he was waiting for something, possibly that one of them would start a conversation with the other, but the truth is that both godfather and godson were extremely uncomfortable, Prompto wanted to run away, he was very intimidated by the presence of a living legend, yeah, he spends every day close with the prince of the crown, but he had seen firsthand that Noctis was a normal kid his age, he had seen Noctis fall asleep in class and then get sent to detention for it, he had seen Noctis throw some sort of tantrum because the cafeteria was having a vegetarian day, he saw Noctis play King's Knight, get frustrated with the game and sometimes sneak his cell phone under the table bench to continue playing in class ("No! It's not weird to spy on your classmate/future friend"); Prompto couldn't say any of that about Cor Leonis, he looked extremely straight, he was a terrified man dispensed by his reputation.

—You know, Prompto is a really good photographer.— Said the old man. 

Nopenopenopenope. 

—Really? — asked the military man. 

—No, no, no, no, not really, sir. — Prompto replied. 

—Yes! Why don't you bring your backpack and show him the pictures? I left it in the closet by the coat rack. — Mr. Pater proposed. 

—They're really bad, really. — Said the blond. 

—Why don't we let Cor judge? — Ventus proposed again as he looked at Cor again. 

—I'm not an art person, but...— said Cor as Ven started to look at him in a very strange way. —Yes, why not?

—Then go get your camera, boy. — The old man urged Prompto. 

The boy stood up and went to the closet behind the coat rack, which was also behind the arrangement. He opened the cabinet where he saw several old jackets and sweaters, searched some more and finally saw his backpack, took it and took out the camera. Fortunately (or unfortunately for Prompto) the camera was still loaded (It wasn't like he could lie, he was terrible at lying. He felt the tingling sensation in his fills again, probably the object had stuck to his hands like the flowers, again he took a deep breath trying to calm down. When the feeling stopped, he finally made his way to the table where the men were looking at him expectantly. 

—H-here you are, sir. — stammered the boy as he handed the camera to Cor. 

The military man began to look at the photos on the camera in silence and without expression, he began to pass the photos, some slowly, others he kept looking at for a longer time.

—¿And? — asked the professor. 

—I have no idea about these things. — Cor answered. —The pictures are nice. 

—Thank you, sir. — He handed his camera back to Prompto. 

As soon as he did that, Ventus looked at Cor strangely again, but this time as if the man had transformed into a Daemon and it was Ven's job to kill him, the boy was sure that the old man was about to pounce on Cor to strangle him. You could cut the air with a knife. 

—The food is ready. — Mel's voice was heard, saved by the bell. 

—I'm going to help her. — Prompto said quickly as he got up from the uncomfortable table and went to the kitchen. The smell of the food was delicious, Prompto's stomach began to growl loudly, after all all he had eaten was some tasteless sandwiches. —Mrs. Mel, let me help. 

—You don't need to. 

—No, no, let me help you, after all you cooked all by yourself. — She took the gloves to carry the pot and proceeded to do this, wow, even though she was full she felt very light. 

—Can you do it? — asked the old woman worriedly. 

—Don't worry, it doesn't weigh anything.— Replied the young man as he walked into the dining room and set the pot on the table. 

—I could do it myself. — Cor said. 

—It's lighter than it looks, sir. — The blond replied, as Mrs. Mel brought the plates and silverware to eat. 

Dinner continued awkwardly for the rest of its duration, both Ven and Mel trying to break the ice but trying to get Prompto and Cor to have a flowing conversation was like if the ice was an iceberg and they had to chop it with a kitchen knife. 

—Did you know that Prompto lost a ton of weight over the years? - Mel threw a comment. 

—Yes, the last time I saw him he was very fat. — Cor commented. 

The old woman opened her eyes and Prompto swore he saw her kicking Cor under the table, the scene was very similar to when a mother hears her son make an out of place comment and almost laughs, it was really funny, especially because she saw the embarrassment on the military man's face, he seemed really sorry that Mrs. Mel was angry with him, but she was right, Prompto had been obese almost all his life, even since he was a child, junk food was his great companion for a long time. Speaking of food, the teenager ate 6 plates of stew, the food was not only delicious, but it seemed that the boy's appetite had grown abruptly and immensely, to the point that he could surely eat a whole chocobo.

the last time was when he was still obese, he had had a bad day at school and decided to appease his anxiety with food from the nearest "Crow's nest"; Yes, maybe that was it, maybe it was the anxiety of the moment that was making him overeat. 

Finally the uncomfortable dinner ended, with the boy almost falling asleep in his seat, which was odd even for him because he always used to have energy, the young man wondered if this was how Noctis felt all the time, it was a pretty awful feeling. 

—Why don't you go sleep in the guest room? — Ven proposed. 

—I left some of Ventus' old clothes for you to sleep in. — Mel said. —We also bought you a toothbrush, it's in the bathroom of the room. 

—Thank you very much, see you tomorrow...— The blond headed for the bedroom. 

As he entered the room, he left his camera on one side, saw the bed with the clothes and next to it a towel, he took the towel and proceeded to take probably one of the best baths in his short life. Then he saw something very strange in the mirror He had muscles! Apparently overnight he had developed muscles. He began to do several poses, flexing them in front of the mirror, it was strange, it was not as if they were very big but he was sure that the muscles did not grow overnight, maybe it was a hallucination of his tired brain, so he decided to go to sleep, he put on his change of clothes, which obviously was a little big and fell asleep almost in contact with the bed.

Between dreams, Prompto began to hear something, it sounded like a discussion but he couldn't understand some of what was being said. 

—.... Responsibility, you have a responsibility... — It was the angry voice of Ventus Pater. 

—The boy deserves... — He didn't understand the rest of the sentence but it was the Voice of Cor Leonis. 

The voices sounded as if there was some kind of interference, probably having to do with how tired he was. 

—... Your responsibility, that boy is your responsibility... — Again the angry voice of his teacher. 

—It's not! That was the point of .... — The Marshal's voice. 

—Not even... his parents... He needs someone. — Mel Pater's calm voice. 

—I can't... — Cor's voice again. —He's got you! — He sounded a little agitated. 

—Cor, please, do you hear what...? — Mr. Pater's voice was angry. 

Prompto could no longer listen to the discussion because he was too tired and went back to sleep.

Prompto awoke feeling more like himself. He opened his eyes and yawned as he stretched his limbs. He began to check his body and was relieved that he hadn't turned into a spider overnight. Then he began to remember the entire previous day, including the inter-cut discussion that he probably wasn't supposed to hear. Yes, it made sense that Cor wanted nothing to do with him, Prompto was a no-talent kid, he didn't excel at anything, until recently he was an obese guy with glasses... wait His contacts! Had he been wearing them since he'd passed out? That couldn't be good. Without thinking he touched his eye to find that he didn't have the lens, he did the same on the other one but he didn't have the lenses, he tried to see if they weren't stuck in the eyelid but he didn't feel anything. The young man finally got up in alarm to go to the mirror in the room and check his eyes but there was no trace of his contact lenses. 

—Prompto, dear, are you awake already? — He heard Mrs. Mel's voice. 

—Oh, yes, yes, yes!— the teenager shouted. 

—I made waffles for breakfast, do you want some? — Asked the old lady from outside. 

—Yes, I'm coming, I'm coming! — Prompto opened the door to leave and headed for the dining area, where he was overcome by the smell of food. 

At the table was his teacher reading the newspaper, even if the teenager wasn't good at reading people's emotions he could tell the older man was somewhat angry, probably because of the argument. 

—Good morning, Mr. Ven. —the blond greeted. 

The old man totally changed his demeanor to a relaxed person. —Good morning, Prompto. How did you sleep? — He probably didn't want him to notice that something had happened. 

The young man really had a lot of doubts about his relationship with Cor but from what he heard, the Marshal wanted nothing to do with him. —I feel so much better already! — He started jumping up and down as a sign that he was probably 100%. 

—I'm happy that you finally look like your normal self. —  Said the old man with a smile. 

—It's very good. — The old woman came out of the kitchen. 

—Good morning, Mrs. Mel! — The teenager greeted her in high spirits. 

The woman smiled in a satisfied way to see him healthy. —How many Waffles would you like? 

—Two, please! — asked the blond. 

—Two Waffles coming up. — He went back to the kitchen. 

The young man sat down at the table. —Hey, Mr. Ven, do you know if they took my contact lenses at the hospital? — He asked. 

—Oh, yes! Something about them hurting you if they were left in, they gave them to Mel, I'm sure he put them in your backpack but they said something about cleaning them. —he replied. —You must be struggling to see. 

—Yeah... —He lied.

—Two waffles out. —Mel came out of the kitchen with a plate. 

The waffles looked and smelled delicious. —Woah, thank you very much Mrs. Mel. 

—It's nothing, it's nothing. — The old lady replied. 

The boy took a large portion and began to eat. 

—Why don't you go home and get some clothes? — suggested the old woman. 

—Sure, I also want to… . — He said while she still had food in her mouth. 

—Don't talk with your mouth full! — Mrs. Pater scolded him. 

As soon as the blond finished chewing what he had in his mouth to swallow. —I want to go for a run, too. 

—What? Really? — The old lady asked incredulously. — After getting sick like that?

—I feel much better already! Besides, I feel like I need to burn off all the energy I have stored up. —It was partly true, because he woke up feeling like eating a marathon. —I'm not going far, I swear. 

Mel and Ven looked at each other in what seemed to be a kind of telepathic conversation. 

—Okay boy, but I want you here by noon. — Ventus replied with a stern tone. 

—Of course! — He thanked him as he continued eating. 

It wasn't as if Mr. and Mrs. Pater had any authority over him but the fact was that he was living with them and their roof their rules, although it felt strange to have to obey people especially since his parents were never around. 

In the end breakfast ended uneventfully, with Mel and Ven commenting on the news in the paper. Prompto felt a voracious appetite again but this time he stopped.

Arriving at the park was difficult, while everything was normal, the sounds had been amplified, but after a few minutes he was able to adjust a little to this sensation. 

Thanks to the astral, the park was as quiet as ever, there were even the same people as usual that Prompto had already gotten used to, among them a painfully scrawny boy who once mentioned to him that he was training to join the crownsguard and a dark skinned man who was a veteran of the crownsguard (Prompto remembered his name was Samuel), among other people. 

—I haven't seen you for two days, I thought you had already quit. — Samuel jokingly told him as he ran past him while the young teenager was warming up. 

—You know, it's hard to exercise when you're in the hospital. — The young man replied. 

—Sh*t kid, are you all right? What happened to you? — He now looked noticeably worried. 

"A weird spider bit me and now I have super powers" He meant. —Mild sunstroke, but I'm as good as new. 

—If you say so, take care of yourself, kid. — He ran off. 

The rest of the exercise routine went by without a hitch.

He returned to the Pater's house just before noon where he was greeted by Mel and Ven, where the woman told him that the food was almost ready. He quickly went to give himself a shower and change out of his sports clothes. He sat down at the table and his neighbor's food really was delicious. Then he excused himself saying he was going to rest in his room but not before asking his teacher if he had any books on insects. 

—Why do you want a book about insects? — The old man asked, it was well known that the blond didn't read anything that wasn't a comic book. 

—I took a picture of a spider and I want to know what kind it is. — He answered. 

—Prompto, spiders are not insects, they are arachnids. — His teacher corrected him. 

It happened that he did have a book on spiders. 

He wasn't going to rest in his room, in fact he had too much energy going into it, so it was time to try to play detective with the ones he had. 

First he looked for any similar spiders in the book to the one that had bitten him, but there was nothing. 

"Magic spider?" 

No, Prompto had seen what magic looked like on TV and this didn't look anything like that. 

Second, he took his comics and started looking at what the main character did when he discovered he had super powers, the character made a list of things he could do and they had changed him, Prompto could do that. 

He listed the things. 

• Throw webs. 
• Stick to things. 
• Get muscles. 

And then he started thinking about other things he might have overlooked, he remembered that for some reason things were now lighter. 

• Super strength?

Super strength was cool. 

And he kept thinking, checking the comic seeing if there was anything similar in his comic, and apparently there was as the main character had acute senses and apparently experienced something similar to being stunned by noise. 

• Super senses? 

He picked up the spider book and began to compare his notes with what it said about spiders, that day the young man learned more about arachnids than in all his biology classes, like how spiders could carry 170 their own weight, some were named after famous rock singers and movies, and so on, the more he read the more he felt respect for arachnids even though they terrified him. 

• Poison? 

He wondered if it could spew venom, it seemed it could not. 

He saw a house spider in the corner of the room and wondered if he could communicate with it or at least tell it what to do, he tried to communicate with it for at least five minutes until he felt ashamed of what he was doing, he was sure the spider is probably judging him. 

• Talk with spiders

He crossed out the option. 

It's not like talking with spiders would stop a bomb anyways. 

Then he had something that could potentially be either a very good idea or a very bad idea as he watched what the spider was doing. He jumped up to the ceiling and stuck his fingers to it, well at least now he knew he could carry his own weight with just his fingertips, he then decided to take it a step further with the imitation and start crawling around imitating how his roommate walked along the wall. 

He quickly got off hoping no one would come in but it was really cool, he was scared at first but this was starting to grow on him. 

It was hard not to start laughing with excitement, this was all starting to seem cool to him. 

He spent the rest of the afternoon comparing his notes with his Comics and the book until night fell. 

Mr. and Mrs. Pater called him back for dinner, he took the opportunity to return the book to his teacher. 

—Did you find what you were looking for? — he asked. 

—Ah, no. — He answered without thinking. 

Then, he went on with his bedtime routine.

He awoke again to the smell of food. Again he sat down to breakfast. 

—I'm going back to my house. — Prompto announced. 

—What? Why? — Mel asked. 

"I don't want to bother you guys anymore." —I feel much better. 

—But what if something's wrong with you? — Mel was worried. 

—I'm totally healthy, I swear! — affirmed the young man. 

Again, the two elders seemed to have a wordless conversation. 

—It's okay, but if anything happens, please come with us. - Ven asked. 

Before leaving Ventus Pater stopped him. 

—Take this, boy. — He said as he gave him the book he had lent him yesterday. 

—Really? You don't have to... 

I cut him off. —Consider it a graduation present. —The teacher smiled. 

Prompto opened the first page and there was a dedication. 

"To the best photographer in the neighborhood. 

From Ventus Pater, his friendly neighbor."

-------

In the end, he returned to his lonely house where no one was waiting for him. 

He decided it was time to test what he could do. 

He headed for the park where he found the same people as usual, but soon realized that there were plenty of people here to test them. He finished his routine and remembered an abandoned warehouse with a bunch of junk inside close to the park. 

The warehouse was big, Prompto saw a lot of junk inside, including cars, garbage that people abandoned, etc. He remembered that this place was once used as a parkuor track. 

He saw the abandoned cart and wondered if he could lift it, and indeed he could, quite easily in fact. 

—Woah. — He could only say as he smiled as he saw what he could do, then he had another somewhat crazy idea, he stopped carrying it with his whole hand and now only with his fingertips and it worked. 

He put the scrap down and started laughing. —This is sooooo cool. 

What else could he do? He remembered how the spider from yesterday was swinging around the room and decided to give it a try, he started experimenting with the webs that were strong enough to carry him until he could swing it. 

—Woohoo!— he shouted as he enjoyed and had fun with his powers. 

He kept experimenting, he came up with the idea of playing target practice with the webs and it turns out he could pull things with the webs like a rope. 

—Why I was worried? This is so, so amazing! — He exclaimed with a laugh. 

Maybe this was what he needed to finally be worthy of Noctis' friendship, he could protect him with his powers, he could not be the beaten up kid, he could be someone cool and popular finally. 

After that day, going to play in the cellar became a habit.

Chapter Text

That night, Prompto dreamed of a childhood memory.  

His parents had just returned from a long trip when he was six.  

"Did you have any trouble?" his father asked.  

"Nope! I ran out of food money three days ago, but I went to the Paters’ house, and they gave me delicious food!" he proclaimed excitedly.  

His father looked at him with a strange expression.  

"You shouldn’t rely on the Paters. You might become a burden to them." 

The young man woke up to the sound of his phone ringing.  

"Hello?" he answered, still groggy.  

"Prompto!" It was his mother’s voice on the other end. We didn’t see that you tried to contact us. It wasn’t until Marshal Cor reached out to the company that we found out. Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I got heatstroke—"  

"But you’re fine now?" his mother cut him off.  

"Yeah, I’m fine, Mom," he replied.  

"Good, get some rest," was the last thing she said before hanging up.  

The older he got, the more of an enigma his parents became to Prompto. Sometimes they acted like concerned parents, only to completely shift into people who didn’t seem to care what happened to their son. Though they had never said it outright, he knew he wasn’t their biological child, it was obvious from the moment he realized he was different from them. Neither of his parents had freckles, neither was blonde, and neither had a barcode on their wrist. It hadn’t always been like this, though. Something changed after he turned five. His mother had never been very present, but at least she used to spend some time with him. It was like the moment Prompto learned to use the microwave, a switch flipped in them, and they decided that was enough to leave a child alone. That was also around the time they started drilling into him that it was a bad idea to let anyone see the tattoo on his wrist. Maybe they had realized he was some kind of phenomenon. Maybe that was why the Marshal knew about him. And maybe the spider had just activated something inside him. It all sounded like a theory.  

Prompto grabbed his notebook and a pen.  

• Magic spider? 
• Experiment?
• Was I always like this?  

He added a third option.  

Since summer vacation had started, he’d had more time to think, not just about his powers, but also about what he would do with them, where they came from, and other things. But all his thoughts led nowhere. No matter how much he tried to play detective, even with all the pieces he could find, he couldn’t put the puzzle together or connect the dots.  

He had already ruled out magic almost from day one. This didn’t seem like any magic he knew of. He even tried researching more online, but obviously, royal secrets weren’t just sitting on the internet for everyone to read. Still, from the little he found (and could understand, since after the bite, he had become a thousand times more distracted for some reason), it was clear this wasn’t any known form of magic.  

That left the "scientific experiment" theory. In the comics he owned, many superheroes got their powers from scientific accidents. In one, a scientist gains powers after an accident with a machine. There were also comics where the hero already had the gene, and it was activated by something like smoke. Maybe he was already part spider and just needed a trigger. Maybe it came from his biological family.  

Prompto had never been curious about his biological family. He didn’t care. He considered the Argentums his real family, no matter how absent they were. They paid the bills, they got him into school, and above all, they gave him the chance to have a decent life. Prompto wasn’t ignorant of what usually happened to Niflheim orphans in Lucis.  

Yes, again, his parents had never told him he was adopted. But once he started school and his classmates began pointing out the differences between him and his parents, calling him "Niff," he realized he was different, not just from his parents, but from his classmates too.  

Once, he asked his mother about his biological family, only to be met with a simple "You are our son." He understood the message, he wasn’t supposed to ask about that topic.  

He reviewed the other notes he’d made over the past few days.  

Powers:  

•  Sticking to walls  
• Shooting webs  
• Super strength  
•  Enhanced senses  
• Unlimited energy  
• Flexibility  

Having powers was awesome. He felt invincible, a feeling that grew as he kept playing around in the abandoned factory, discovering more things. Like how he now had increased stamina (and possibly superhuman healing, but he wasn’t going to test that). Plus, out of nowhere, he was flexible,he did a split and didn’t even realize it!  

There were also the physical changes. Increased appetite (no, thanks). While he hadn’t turned into a giant spider (yet), there were visible changes. First, he no longer needed glasses or contacts, which was going to be hard to explain when someone asked why he wasn’t wearing his prescribed glasses (not like many people cared or even noticed the difference—the blonde had been wearing contacts instead of glasses for a while now, especially since his parents hadn’t even noticed the change when they visited after he started using them). But if he had to bet his precious allowance, he’d say his neighbor, Mel, would notice. She not only knew when he was sick but could tell when anyone in the neighborhood was even slightly ill. She was a really good nurse.  

And second, the muscles! Maybe he didn’t have the physique of some of the guys who worked out at the park or Lucendis, but suddenly, he no longer had stretch marks or loose skin from when he lost weight. That was a win.  

Speaking of the park, he *needed* daily exercise now. Ever since the spider bit him, Prompto had the energy of a chocobo that drank three liters of Ebony after being pissed off. He could run three marathons in a day and still have energy to climb a mountain. A few days ago, he tried taking a relaxation day, but he ended up pacing the walls out of sheer restlessness. Not only that, but his enhanced senses made it impossible to focus. Maybe he didn’t have the super senses of some comic book heroes, like the guy who could hear a pin drop a kilometer away, but he could hear a mosquito buzzing three meters away as if it were right in his ear, and it drove him absolutely insane.  

So, he got ready to go exercise at the park. Before leaving, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, where he kept photos documenting his weight loss. While there was still a voice in his head telling him it wasn’t enough, there was another, equally strong voice saying, "You have superpowers!" And with that, he finally left the house.  

When he stepped outside, he started running through his neighborhood just for a warm-up lap. The first few days, this had been impossible, his "super senses" made it hell. But as the days passed, it was like his brain adapted. While it was still distracting at times, he could now make it back home without a massive headache, even if he wandered through a busy part of the city.  

"Prompto! Good morning!" He passed by the Paters’ house and heard the old woman’s voice.  

The young man turned to look and saw the woman sitting on the porch with a smile, while through a window, Mr. Pater was arguing animatedly on the phone. "Good morning, Mrs. Pater," he greeted cheerfully. This finally caught Mr. Pater’s attention, who turned to look at him and seemed to abruptly end the call.  

The man stepped out of his house, to his wife’s surprise. "Prompto! Good to see you!"

"Likewise, Mr. Pater," the young man replied.  

"It’s good to see you’re still exercising. Even if you’ve lost weight, you’ve got to stay in shape," the old man remarked. "Can I ask you a favor?" 

"Of course, anything."  

"Can you pick up some groceries? It’s not much…" the man asked.  

"Honey, I can do it," the old woman scolded.  

"No problem, I can handle it," Prompto assured, though he didn’t like going to the nearest supermarket, the owner was always hostile, accusing him of things and calling him "Niff."  

The neighbor didn’t look happy about this, but they had done so much for him over the years (and honestly, his whole life) that the blonde was eager to repay them.  

The elderly couple exchanged glances. "Alright, I’ll make a list," Mrs. Pater relented before heading inside.  

"Thank you, Prompto. She’s so stubborn. Lately, she’s been struggling with daily chores," Ven said, earning a light smack from Mel. Prompto laughed at the scene.  

"I like seeing you like this, kid, laughing," Ven said, looking proud, as if what he was seeing was something that had taken time to build. And he was right, genuine smiles didn’t come easily to Prompto. He was happy. What had worried him days ago now made him feel incredible. "It’s Mel’s cooking, isn’t it? It has that effect on people."

"Of course! It’s delicious!" (Even if I can’t eat it every day, I’d go back to my old habits.)  

"That’s good to hear," Mel returned with the list. "Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?"

"No thanks, I wouldn’t want to be a bother," the blonde said, sounding like he was apologizing for a future mistake.  

"You’re going to deny Mel the chance to cook for you?" Ven asked with mock indignation.  

"I—"

"That’s what I thought. We’ll expect you here at 8," Ven said with a smile.  Okay, he’d just been emotionally blackmailed into getting free food.  

"And call us ‘Aunt Mel’ and ‘Uncle Ven’ like everyone else," Mel added.  

Oh, those nicknames. A lot of people in the neighborhood called them that, though Prompto wasn’t sure if the Paters actually liked it. Well, it seemed they did. Prompto fell silent, knowing they wouldn’t take no for an answer.  

"Okay… Aunt Mel and Uncle Ven," he said nervously. They smiled warmly at him.  

That day, after running errands, he went for a run in the park.  

But this time, there were more people than usual, people with logos on their clothes. Prompto recognized them: a small gang of four criminals who hated refugees. The blonde decided to turn around and avoid conflict.  

"Hey, the Niff’s here," one of them said.  

Prompto inhaled sharply. Were they here for him? Instantly, his senses screamed "danger." Prompto managed to dodge a punch. "Damn Niff."  

The commotion caught the attention of the park’s regulars, a redheaded girl from his school whose name he didn’t know and another scrawny blonde guy. Seeing the other blonde, the gang laughed. "You a Niff too?" 

The young man shook his head. "Born and raised in Insomnia," he said, shifting into an aggressive stance.  

"Leave Prompto alone. He’s a good kid," the girl from his school said, the squirrel she’d been playing with now perched on her head.  

"Niffs are never good."  

Then they punched the other blonde. Chaos erupted, the girl’s squirrel leapt to bite one of the guys, and she lunged at him. Sam, another regular, joined the fight, along with a burly brunette. And Prompto… froze. Even the weird girl from his school who claimed to talk to squirrels was throwing punches, and he… didn’t.  

The police arrived and took everyone away, separating the groups into different cells.  

"Those guys deserved worse, right?" the girl said to her squirrel.  

The blonde guy looked like he’d broken his nose. Prompto learned his name was Steven, a friend of Sam’s, and the burly guy was called Bucky.  

"I agree with the teenager," Sam said.  

The girl kept staring at Prompto. "Oh? You feel bad? Is it because of what they called you?" she asked. "Look, I’m also a descendant of refugees," she said, pointing to her freckles. "I’m Doreen, by the way. And I can talk to squirrels." Everyone in the group gave her a weird look at that last part.  

Suddenly, someone appeared, Cor. "Sir!" Immediately, Sam and Bucky stood at attention, while Steven looked terrified.  

"At ease. I’m here to get you out,"*ñ the Marshal said. "Two witnesses in a car confirmed you weren’t the instigators. Plus, that gang’s been making a name for themselves."

Prompto exhaled. "We’ll take your statements. Everyone except Miss Green and young Argentum can leave, they’ll have to wait for their guardians."  

Cor stared intently at Prompto, but the boy couldn’t decipher his expression. Was he a nuisance?  

As instructed, they gave their statements, especially Prompto, since they knew he’d been the target. When it was over, Cor silently guided him to the car. "Should I take you to the Paters’?"

"No… My house is fine."  

Cor just nodded. The drive was silent, and he dropped Prompto off right in front. "Be careful, kid," Cor said before driving off.  

Prompto stepped into his cold, dark house, deciding not to turn on the lights. He could navigate the place with or without powers, it was always the same. He kept it this way, hoping that when his parents returned, it would still feel like home.  

He checked his pockets and realized he still had the money for the Paters’ groceries, he had to return it. He glanced toward their house and saw the lights were still on, with Cor’s car parked outside.  

The next day, Prompto headed in the opposite direction of the Paters’ house, but Ven was already waiting on the porch. Seeing him turn away, the old man just muttered something under his breath, delaying the inevitable lecture.  

Prompto went to the park and then to the warehouse to play around, dejected but still full of energy.  

"Hey, can you believe what happened last night?" Doreen approached him, her squirrel in tow. Doreen was the weird girl from school, friendly but obsessed with ecology and squirrels to the point where she started bringing one to school, claiming it was her best friend. Not to mention she was obviously part Niflheim. People didn’t even know her name, they called her "Squirrel Girl" because of her obsession. Even Prompto hadn’t known her name until yesterday. If anyone saw him with her and found out he’d almost spent the night in jail with her, his chances of being friends with Noctis would plummet.  

"Hi, are you okay?"  Oh great, someone had seen them. It was Guinevere Eustace, class representative, daughter of the Marshal’s second-in-command, former class president, top of her class, and popular.  

"My mom and I saw what happened yesterday," the blonde with bangs said.  

"So you were the one who got him out," Doreen nodded.  

"Prompto, your godfather said he’d talk to you, but I’ll take this chance to speak to both of you. Doreen, Prompto, be careful. That gang might want payback." 

"Wasn’t the butt-kicking we gave them enough?" Doreen said proudly.  

"Doreen, this is serious. They want revenge for yesterday’s humiliation. They’re involved in robberies and all kinds of crimes," Guinevere said sternly.  

"I’ll be careful, Miss Eustace," Prompto said.  

*"Well, Tip Toe and I will watch each other’s backs, and yours too," Doreen declared.  

That day, Prompto practiced combat moves in the old warehouse.

On his way home, he forgot to avoid the Paters’ house.  

"Look, it’s the neighborhood troublemaker," Ven called out. "Why don’t you come in for dinner?" Through the window, Prompto saw Cor at the table.  

"Ven, you’re making him uncomfortable," Mel said from inside.  

"No, it’s fine. I didn’t come yesterday, I owe you an explanation," Prompto said, entering the house and sitting at the table. Cor didn’t say a word, not even looking at him.  The tension in the Paters’ house was suffocating. You could hear a pin drop.  

"What happened, son? I want your version, not what Cor told me," Ven said as the four of them sat at the table.  

"What did Marshal Cor tell you?" Prompto asked curiously.  

"That you’re a good kid, that you didn’t even throw a punch," Cor answered for him.  

"That’s what happened," Prompto confirmed.  

"You should have. You should have hit them," Cor said.  

"Cor! That’s not the answer!" Mel scolded.  

"And what, let them kick him around every day like you told me they did?" Cor shot back.  

Great, now he knew about the bullying.  

"And have him act like you did in school? Do you know how many times Sophiar and I had to bail you out?" Ven snapped.  

"I did what I had to to survive." 

"No, you didn’t. You just picked fights with Sacte because you were angry kids."  

Wait, Sacte? was his father’s name?  

"That’s not how it was," Cor insisted.  

"There are many ways to deal with this beyond violence. Ventus isn’t in the military anymore, and neither am I," Mel said.  

"Tell me, son, how many times have you turned the other cheek with those who bully you?" Cor asked.  Many times. But Prompto didn’t see anything wrong with that. He didn’t understand the man’s frustration.  

"How many times have I called you to check on YOUR godson because Sacte and Flora are always sent away? We asked if you could look after him!" 

Again, with his parents.  

“YOU KNOW WHY I DON’T COME SEE THE BOY, THAT’S WHY I ASKED YOU!" Cor shouted.  

Amid the men’s yelling and Mel’s distress, something clicked inside Prompto.  

"You knew I existed before," he said quietly. Cor turned to look at him. "All those times I was sick, when Mrs. Pater stayed up all night despite being elderly just to nurse my fever, you never came. You never cared."

Prompto stood up, furious. "Worse, you knew Aunt Mel was sick, and you still made her take care of a strange child."  

"Son… I—" Cor tried to excuse himself, but the blonde cut him off.  

"Don’t call me son! Stop acting like you’re really my godfather! You’re only here because the Paters forced you!" he shouted. "You know what? A few days ago, I thought it was awesome that you were my godfather, the coolest thing in the world. But now I just see you as another person I’m a burden to."

Before anyone could respond, Mel’s labored breathing cut through the room. "I don’t feel well," the old woman gasped, clutching her chest. Everyone rushed to her. "My medicine… I need it."  

Ven looked at Cor gravely. "Help me get her to the bedroom."

Prompto felt his own chest tighten and bolted from the house. The moment he crossed the threshold, he broke down crying.  

A burden. He was a burden. His parents didn’t care. Cor didn’t care. The Paters saw him as charity. And he didn’t even know if the guy he desperately wanted to be friends with actually liked him.  

He cried until late at night, when his stomach demanded food. He devoured everything in the fridge, but for his "wonderful" new metabolism, it wasn’t enough. So he grabbed some money and left, tears still in his eyes, heading to that stupid convenience store where they called him "Niff."

He was surprised to find Ventus Pater on the way. "M-Mr. Ven?" 

"Uncle Ven," the old man corrected.  

"What are you doing out so late?" Prompto asked, wiping his tears, trying to hide.  

"What, you think just because I’m old I go to bed early?" Ven joked sarcastically, inviting him to walk together. "Mel isn’t in any condition to cook dinner, so it’s my turn, which I hate."  

Prompto walked alongside Ven in silence. "You know… Cor does care about you. Really," Ven said. (Lie.) "But he didn’t want to take on that responsibility, which is what you saw today. He’s a first-class brute, and he made that choice."

They continued toward the convenience store. "In this life, everything is about choices. Every morning, we wake up and decide, be a good person or a bad person, be apathetic or empathetic. And with those choices comes great power in our hands." They entered the store. "And with great power comes great responsibility. Consider that my final lesson to study for you, kid."

"That’s not fair. I’m already out of school," Prompto muttered as they separated, Ven heading for frozen meals, Prompto for junk food.  

Ven paid for his things and left but accidentally left a sandwich at the register. Prompto grabbed it along with his items.  

"Hey, hey, hey, you think I don’t know what you’re doing, Niff? That’s not yours," the cashier accused.  

"Come on, you know I’m close to the Paters. Don’t make the old man come back." 

The man shook his head. "Niffs never do anything for this country," he muttered under his breath.  

Prompto was sick of this crap. He slammed the items down. "You know what? I’m not buying anything." He had made a decision, for the first time, he wasn’t turning the other cheek.  

"That’s right, get out and don’t come back, you filthy—"  

Prompto walked toward the exit when he heard a commotion. "Give me all the money!" A man who had been lurking in the aisles lunged at the counter, pressing the cold barrel of a gun against the cashier’s temple.  

"P-Prompto!" the cashier called out in terror, probably the first time in his life he’d ever said Prompto’s name since he knew him. "H-help me”

This time, Prompto didn’t freeze. He could help. He could use his super strength, his agility, his new abilities to save him. But in that moment, he made a second decision.  

"Niffs don’t do anything for this country," he said with a smirk as the cashier begged him to come back.  

God, it felt good. Cathartic even. He didn’t care that the robber had a tattoo of that anti-refugee gang. He started walking down the street when—

BANG.  

A gunshot. But he didn’t hear the cashier scream. He heard Ventus Pater scream.  

And he saw the robber run out, covered in blood, locking eyes with Prompto for a split second, sheer terror in his expression.  

Prompto realized he had made the wrong choices.