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Have you ever looked at something that you couldn't comprehend? Something that made you feel like you'd lose your mind if you looked it in the eyes?
Prompto has. It'd been an accident, he didn't intend to scare the shit out of Prompto.
* * *
He'd been walking with Noctis, heading to the arcade to celebrate. He'd just turned twenty and Noctis wanted to take him there before they all did laser tag later.
"I kinda wish that someone told me some powers only start to show when you get older. It would have been nice to know." Prompto sighs.
"It's more elemental stuff right?" Noctis asks.
"Yeah fire and wind…It's a little um chaotic not fully got a grip on it yet y'know."
Noctis nods. He gets it.
By twenty most monsters have all their powers if they have any. Some are late bloomers though or early.
It's different for some monsters though like Ignis. Since he's a vampire he tends to get more powerful the older he gets.
"Healing magic was easier to pick up, right?" Noctis imagines it would be versus elemental magic right?
Prompto got healing powers at eighteen something he was grateful for since at sixteen he didn't gain any new powers while Noctis got the ability to affect the weather or predict it honestly to this day Prompto still doesn't fully know which it is.
"It's weird…Like easier than the elemental stuff sure but I can't explain how weird it is."
Noctis has been lucky in comparison so far. At eighteen most he got was superspeed when flying. Most of his powers had come before then.
Prompto's looking at him, did he zone out?
Noctis blinks and glances at the blonde.
"Hm?"
"I asked if you've had any new powers come in?"
"Oh er…No. I think this is it." Noctis replies. He's not noticed anything new. Is that usual? Not to notice a new power?
Prompto throws an arm around him.
"Aw it's ok dude. You've got some pretty cool powers already."
Noctis smiles, more so at the fact Prompto has an arm around him vs the comment.
"Yeah I guess so."
Prompto glows slightly brighter. He always glows somewhat. Noctis noticed that a while ago something a primal part of his bug brain is fixed on. Prompto always glows brighter when he's happy, he's like a firefly almost.
'Don't nuzzle him. Don't nuzzle him'
Prompto smiles brightly at him and he almost chokes.
"I'm totally gonna kick your ass at that house of the dead game."
"You wish."
* * *
Prompto kicks his arse at said zombie shooting game. Fair and square, no using his powers to text Noctis cute cat pics and memes.
Noctis can't sulk too much, not after the blonde's cute celebration dance.
He can challenge him to another round though.
* * *
He loses that round too and ends up getting Prompto a big chocobo plush with the tickets they won. It's almost as big as both of them.
Prompto hugs it close and smiles as they head out.
"Probably should take Butterscotch home huh?"
"Butterscotch? You named it already?"
"Yeah." Prompto gives the plush a gentle squeeze. "She seemed like a Butterscotch. Cute right?"
Noctis doesn't tease him for it. Mostly because it's cute and also it's the blonde's birthday. He's gonna be extra nice to him today. Not that he isn't already nice to him but still.
"Yeah adorable." he mutters, glancing at Prompto.
Prompto takes the lead and heads towards a dark alleyway. It makes Noctis pause for a brief moment.
"Wait…I figured we'd be taking her back to your place." the moth prince frowns.
"We are."
"But-"
"Shortcut bud. Cuts a couple of minutes off." Prompto nods towards the alleyway and hums as he leads the way towards it.
Noctis follows him, Prompto slightly lighting up the way as they head down. Something the moth prince is grateful for on these dark nights. Sure he can see in the dark, they both can but it's nicer to have some warm light.
He almost reaches out to grab Prompto's arm but stops himself. It's the moth side wanting the light. Don't scare Prompto. Don't be weird.
"So we doing teams later?" Prompto asks. "For laser tag?"
"Yeah cause you'd wipe the floor with us otherwise." Noctis replies, making the blonde laugh.
"Dibs on Iggy."
"What?" Noctis huffs. "No fair."
"Joking." Prompto smiles. "You know I'll pick yo-"
Prompto's stopped as a hand reaches out from the dark and grabs him, pinning him to the alley's brick wall. He squeaks in surprise and drops his chocobo plush on the ground.
Prompto's glow vaguely illuminates a woman with a blade against the blonde's throat. She has green vipers for hair and a scar across her pale green skin. She's wearing a cocktail dress but it's hard to see what colour it is.
A gorgon. She could turn them to stone if she wants to. Prompto closes his eyes to avoid looking into her jet black ones.
How did they miss her?
A demon appears from the darkness, glowing purple eyes. He has cropped black hair and a black shirt that exposes some of his chest.
Noctis glares. It seems the demon boy over there somehow made them both invisible so they could take them by surprise.
"Hand me your wallet." demon boy hisses to Noctis. "Or blondie gets it."
Prompto swallows and tries to put a shield up. Gorgon lady grabs his wrist and squeezes as hard as possible.
"Any funny business and I'll turn you to stone. Got it?" Her snakes hiss and lean closer to Prompto.
"...Dude, just run."
Noctis looks at him in horror. No he's not abandoning him.
"Prince Noctis. We know you have money." demon boy growls.
Noctis stares him down. He can't do stuff demons can do. He can't possess him, he can't rearrange his facial features or snap his fingers and take them to the underworld.
He's a cryptid. Most he could do is open a portal and shove the guy in but then the gorgon woman could hurt Prompto.
He glances over to the carbuncle who he hopes is using his powers to send an alert to Ignis and Gladio but would they get here in time.
"Pretty ballsy to corner a prince." Noctis says, trying not to let fear into his tone.
"Pretty stupid for a prince to be out without his baby sitters." the demon man replies.
"Let him go." Noctis growls. "It's me you want."
"If I did you'd fuck us over." gorgon lady adds.
"Noct run. Please." Prompto practically pleads.
Noctis makes a noise that Prompto's never heard him make before. All he can describe it as is creepy.
"I'm not leaving you!" the prince hisses.
As he does, a dark aura comes from the moth prince. The air turns heavy and everything goes silent. So silent you could hear a pin drop.
Then Prompto hears screaming, blood-curdling screaming coming from the gorgon woman. He hears a breath hitch too and he assumes that's the demon man.
"W-What the fuck are you?" said man stutters out, pure horror in his voice.
Prompto opens his eyes as the gorgon lady drops the knife from his throat. It clangs against the floor and she bolts faster than Prompto has ever seen a monster run.
He gasps and turns his gaze to Noctis and his blood runs cold.
The demon man is on the floor, staring at Noctis while crawling backwards somewhat frantically as Noctis slowly approaches him. Is the demon man's hair pure white now?
That in itself isn't terrifying. What is is the unspeakable horror of Noctis' appearance. He looks terrifying, something he normally never looks.
Prompto doesn't even know how to explain it other than he looks terrifying and his eyes glow pure red in the darkness. His appearance is a horror no man or monster could describe, something that Prompto wonders if it'd drive a person insane if they stared upon it too long.
Noctis leans forward and the demon man scrambles to his feet and sprints out of the alleyway, all colour drained from his face.
"Are you ok?" he asks. He flinches at the sound of his own voice. Hell Prompto does too. It sounds distorted.
Noctis pants heavily and Prompto trembles, pulling his eyes away from him. His face feels wet. Is he crying?
"Y-You feeling o-o-ok dude?…" Prompto asks, stuttering as he does.
Noctis looks over at him and the blonde flinches something which makes the prince wince.
"What's happening to me?" he croaks out.
"Y-You look…Fucking terrifying dude." Prompto admits.
"...New power." Noctis mutters. "I-I can't stop it."
Prompto swallows. He hates the fact he's afraid of his best friend.
He crawls forward and hovers a hand over Noctis' shoulder but the moth prince backs off.
"Don't look at me." he scrambles to his feet, ready to bolt.
Prompto grabs his wrist before he does.
"Don't leave. Please." Prompto practically begs him.
Noctis hesitates.
"I don't know what I can do to you like this," he admits. He turned one guy's hair pure white but what if he could do worse?
"Maybe I'd rock white hair." Prompto replies, trying to lighten the mood.
Noctis hunches.
"Prom…I don't want to fuck you up."
Prompto lets go of his wrist and cuddles him from the back.
"Maybe your dad knows how to help with this."
"Maybe."
* * *
As they walk, Prompto texts Ignis with his powers telling him they're heading to the citadel and how Noctis doesn't want any company just yet.
Noctis shields himself from view as they walk.
Flying would be faster but Noctis doesn't want to risk traumatising Prompto with his new look.
"What if this never goes away?"
"I'll still be by your side." Prompto replies.
Prompto hands him the chocobo plush and Noctis opens his wings up, cuddling the plush close to his chest and burying his head in it.
"Why?"
"Cause…I love you." the blonde admits, turning red as he does.
Noctis chokes against the chocobo plush. He glances up at Prompto's back. Did he hear that right?
* * *
Noctis calls his dad before they enter the citadel, handing Prompto his phone to speak to the king.
"Hello Noctis." Regis seems happy on the other end. "How did it go at the arcade?"
"King Regis…We um have an emergency your majesty sir." Prompto replies.
"What happened? Is everything ok?" Regis sounds worried, rightfully so after hearing that. Prompto can't help but wince knowing he's probably made the king think something bad has happened.
"Noct got a new power. He can't control it. We don't know what to do."
Regis pauses for a moment.
"Where are you?"
"Outside the citadel."
"Come to my office immediately."
"Ok your majesty. See you there."
Prompto hangs up and glances at the prince.
"Your dad's gonna meet us."
Noctis hums. Even that sounds unsettling.
* * *
Noctis guides him to his dad's office, feeling nervous as they enter said office.
Regis waits inside for them, standing once Prompto opens the door.
"Noctis…" Regis hurries over and places his hands on his son's shoulders. "Please look at me."
Noctis grips the chocobo plush tighter.
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't affect me. Promise."
Noctis reluctantly looks up at his dad and Regis sighs, pulling him into a hug.
"Take deep breaths. You can revert back, I promise."
"How?"
"Try to control your breathing, don't panic, you'll make it worse."
Noctis grips onto his father.
"Your majesty, what is this?" Prompto asks.
"An illusion. It can be a defensive or offensive power." he sighs and rubs Noctis' back. "I should have told you about this. I thought you'd avoided this."
Prompto looks puzzled so Regis explains.
"He has the ability to make himself appear more frightening. At best it can frighten a foe off…At worse…" Regis pauses and shakes his head. "Let's not focus on that just yet."
Noctis glances up at him and takes a few deep breaths.
"Why doesn't it affect you?"
"Natural immunity, son."
He blinks. So this is illusion magic. If he calms down enough he'll be back to normal right?
'Right :)'
Prompto chimes in his head. He smiles a little at that.
'Ok so breathe in four, hold for seven and breathe out for eight. You got this dude'
Prompto counts him down in his mind while also demonstrating the breathing technique in front of the royals.
Noctis copies him while Regis offers him words of encouragement, until finally the moth prince looks like his old self again.
"It worked!" Prompto beams.
Noctis pulls back from his dad and Prompto hugs the prince tightly
Regis smiles at the duo.
"How did you know that panicking would make it worse?" Noctis asks.
"Experience." Regis replies. "Your mother helped me realise that deep breathing and calming down could reverse it."
* * *
They stay at the citadel for a few hours, heading to the garden for a breather.
"So before did you mean what you said?" Noctis asks. "When you told me you loved me."
"Yeah I did." Prompto bites his lip nervously.
"Like platonically?" Noctis asks. He's too scared to ask if it's romantic.
"No. I like you…A lot. Like more than friends." the carbuncle's ears droop. "Did I weird you out? Oh Gods did I ruin everything?" he looks stressed as he asks that.
"No cause…" Noctis looks at him, before turning shy and ducking his head. His face turns red. "...Cause…I love you too."
Prompto blinks for a second, in complete shock before glancing at Noctis.
"Can I hold your hand?" he asks something that makes the moth prince smile.
"What kind of question is that?" he offers his hand to the carbuncle who grabs it and gives it a squeeze.
Noctis squeezes back and glances at their hands locked together and then Prompto.
"Sorry I ruined your birthday."
"Nah. You didn't. You won me the plushie." he smiles before it drops. "Oh shit where did I leave it?"
"Dad's office. We'll go back for it later."
Prompto flops against Noctis.
"What are we?"
"Monsters." Noctis replies with a smile.
"No seriously what are we? Best friends? Boyfriends?"
"Boyfriends…If you want to be that is." Noctis bites his lip and ruffles his wings nervously.
Prompto smiles.
"I'd love that."