Work Text:
Gladio had been running roughshod over him all month and Noctis had hit that point of irritation where he wanted to smash beyond expectations and prove a point. He was in the private gym his apartment complex had, lifting weights with an expression of intense concentration and fierce determination. It was just as well that none of the other occupants were there as he unloaded his frustrations on his friend Prompto. “I get it, there’s no break for royalty, that’s not what I’m looking for…!” he grunted as his arms steadily pumped out a set. “It’s the shouting that’s pissing me off…!”
“He’s probably just trying to motivate you,” Prompto laughed, messing with his phone as he sat on a bench nearby.
“Well doing it that way isn’t going to work!”
Prompto opted not to tell him that his being in the gym right then disproved that. Gladio was scary and he didn’t want to undo his work, so instead he just laughed it off. Feeling the bench vibrate, he turned his attention away from his phone and saw a light from Noctis’ phone illuminated against the pocket of the pants he’d worn down. It amused Prompto to no end that they had a changing room, when all you had to do was hop in an elevator to go back to your own home, but he’d grown used to the oddities of the rich and famous. Tugging at the phone so he could see if it was anyone important, he wrestled to get the large smartphone free, and had missed the call when he finally did.
The name ‘Lunafreya’ was displayed along with a photo of her that Noctis had taken when they last saw each other a few months prior. Prompto had never met or spoken with her, but he heard of her so much through Noctis, and she was the reason he’d the courage to approach the prince for friendship in the first place, he felt a kinship with her. About to tell Noctis who the call had been from, he was instead struck by an idea. Smirking, he picked up Noct’s phone and brought up the camera.
It was perfect in every way, really. Noct was shirtless and wearing black basketball shorts striped with white, and he had a towel around his shoulders. He had just stood up from the machine and his back was to Prompto as he dried his face of sweat. The mirrors lining the wall across from him got his reflection well, and Prompto only made sure he was in the reflection as well so it was known who had taken the photo. He set the phone back down beside him before Noct pulled the towel from his face and glanced at him in the reflection.
“Is it a little much to ask for some respect? He loves to taunt me as if I don’t work hard, when I do nothing but bust my ass all the time!”
Grinning up at his friend, Prompto just shrugged, “Yet you’re here blowing off steam instead of meeting with Ignis.”
“…Shit. I forgot about that.”
“Oops.”
Noct growled with frustration at himself and turned to another machine. He was sure to hear about it later, but he wasn’t about to stop his workout and go meet with his advisor in an even worse mood than he already was. Waiting until Noctis was occupied with another machine, Prompto unlocked his phone again and sent a text to Luna including the image and a signature of ☆Prompto to her. Putting the phone back where he’d found it, he knew he would catch shit for it, but he was proud of himself regardless. He’d spent the past three years of friendship with Noctis hearing endlessly about how amazing Lady Lunafreya was, and while he didn’t once doubt it, for Noctis to go on and on, it had to mean something big.
Before Noct finished his workout, Prompto begged out and escaped before Noct could find out about the picture sent her way. It wasn’t until he was back up in his apartment and freshly showered and changed that the wayward prince finally did, as thought it was Ignis that he had to avoid. Seeing a curiously long string of text messages from Luna, his heart immediately started racing as he feared something might have happened, for her to have called him and then sent so many messages.
Scrolling up to the beginning of the string, he saw a few words that confused him as he went up, and then he noticed the bottom of the picture before he began reading. Swiping with his thumb, where his heart had sped up a moment before, it seemed to come to a thundering halt at the image of his sweat slicked back. “Prompto…,” he growled, his face flushed red. At least his friend had done him the courtesy of signing the text so Luna knew it hadn’t been him to send it, though that small mercy may as well not have existed at all for how he annoyed he was.
[Oh my… That’s a very interesting picture you decided to share with me!]
What a kind way for her to put it, Noctis thought to himself with a grumble as he heavily took a seat on his couch to get through this. The time stamp on the next message was a lot further off, and he guessed she must have sent it with the assumption that Prompto wouldn’t be touching his phone again.
[Noctis, please don’t be mad at your friend for the photo. I know you’ll be upset, but it’s okay. I don’t mind, and I thought it was really cute and fun that he would do that! I’m flattered he thought of me to send something, although I must admit it’s curious that he would choose a time like that to do such a thing… Anyways, please go easy on him.]
She was far too kind, but his temper towards his friend was already softening. He didn’t know what to make of her wording, but then again, he was fair certain she phrased it carefully enough that he wouldn’t be able to read it. Had the pictures upset her? Confused? Embarrased? …Thrilled?
He shook his head until he was dizzy and then took in a deep breath before he kept reading.
[And don’t worry about the missed call, either. It was nothing important, I just wanted to tell you that the sylleblossoms are in full bloom again! It would be wonderful if you could visit this time! It has been far too long since you’ve made it during their most beautiful season. Perhaps since you’ve graduated, a trip could be arranged…?
Sorry for this long message! Now you know why I don’t usually communicate like this… It takes so long to type! Take care, Noctis, and do not worry about rushing to reply. I return to work shortly. There was a daemon outbreak in a small town not far from Fenestala Manor. It was easily contained and no one died, but there are injuries and new scourge infections to heal and cleanse, so Mother and I are busy.]
Sighing and leaning back, he was grateful that she wasn’t in the midst of a tragedy when this happened, though it was close. Honestly, didn’t Prompto have any tact!? …Not that he really was one to talk, and he knew his friend thought about things in a different way, from leading a completely different lifestyle. If he was honest, he was mostly angry because he was embarrassed. To have a photo like that sent to Luna, the woman he had loved since they were both children and it was a different, more innocent sort of love…
Well, that love had certainly matured as he had, and he wouldn’t hesitate to say to himself that he’d fallen in love with her. But there was still much to do before he could dare to act on that, and having Prompto make the first move for him was just too much.
Shaking his head, he brought his phone back up to view, and began typing out a message.
[I’m sorry for Prompto, Luna!]
He typed and erased several versions of saying that he hoped it hadn’t upset her, before he finally decided that sounded like he was fishing for a more clear response to the photo and decided to leave it off altogether.
[I’ll ask Ignis what my schedule looks like, but they’ve completely swamped me with meetings and studies and trainings to fill the time that I used to spend on school and all of my extra curriculars and then some! I hope they can find a way to do enough to satisfy them on a trip to Tenebrae. I would love to see the sylleblossoms with you again.
I’m glad to hear everyone will be alright. I didn’t know about the attack, but… I missed a meeting with Ignis today, oops!
Don’t do so much healing that you end up falling sick again. Take care of yourself, Luna. And if you guys need anything to help strengthen and prevent that from happening again, you know Lucis is always here for Tenebrae. We fight the Darkness together.]