A/N: This is the eighth in a series of stories designed to fill in the holes of the XV plot. As such, and as far as I could make it, this series is canon-compliant. Footnotes are available on the AO3 version explaining certain plot decisions and references. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Baby Steps

"All right—today's the day!"

Prompto had long since made sure that everything was prepared: he'd gotten up earlier than the sun, gone for one last run before hurrying through the shower, and even went to the extra effort of ironing his new school uniform. His wristband was securely fastened over the weird barcode tattoo that had been on his wrist since before he could remember, and his hair was stiffly styled within an inch of its life. He'd even taken a moment to reread the very special letter he kept tucked safely away in a box inside one of his desk drawers. Nothing was out of place; everything was going to go according to plan.

He tried telling himself he had nothing to be worried about, but the likelihood of him passing out from the stress was still pretty high. After all, it wasn't every day that you finally made your move when you'd been thinking of nothing else for the last… Uh, maybe he shouldn't count just how many years it had been. Would that be creepy? Maybe it would be a little creepy.

Either way, this was his chance. It had taken a few years of hard work and not eating nearly as many sweets as he would have liked, but now he was finally comfortable enough with himself to approach Prince Noctis and offer a hand of friendship. That wasn't to say that he was totally confident in his own skin—far from it, really. He was still hung up on all the imperfections he spotted when he looked in the mirror: his prevalent freckles, the way his hair swooped oddly down on one side of his face but not the other, the stubborn pouch of skin on his stomach that was giving him a hell of a time in toning the last bit of his physique. All in all, though, by the time he took the last after picture of his reflection and threw on his uniform, he was feeling pretty good about himself for the first time. No, he wasn't perfect, and he definitely wasn't some prince who lived in a literal palace. But he was okay.

And more than that, he had the Oracle's blessing! Prompto hadn't realized who Lunafreya Nox Fleuret was when he had received her letter, but he'd heard about her enough on the radio in the intervening years to understand just whose dog he'd happened upon. That put an even greater burden on him not to fail. He didn't know what connected Lady Lunafreya to Prince Noctis, but if she was worried enough about him that she was asking Prompto to be his friend… Who was gonna say no to the Oracle, right?

So, Prompto swallowed his nerves alongside the banana he grabbed on his way out the door and tried to remember why he was doing this. He wasn't one of those attention-seeking idiots who just wanted to be friends with the prince for the star-struck looks he would receive; he hadn't devoted every waking minute to earning the right to even speak to his royal classmate for money or fame or anything like that. Prompto simply wanted to let Prince Noctis, who was notorious for spending every hour of the school day isolated from the rest of their peers even in the middle of a crowd, know that he wasn't alone.

The reminder of his self-appointed task put a spring in his step as Prompto made his way towards his new school. It was hard to believe that he was already starting high school when it seemed like just yesterday that he'd gone to his elementary school commencement ceremony. (Okay, so maybe he'd actually tripped his way through the ceremony and accidentally brought down an entire row of chairs in the process, but nobody thought about that anymore. Probably.) Now, fifteen years old and feeling absolutely no different from the way he had back then, Prompto had to admit it was pretty cool. High school—the last step before the big leagues. Didn't adults always tell you high school was supposed to be the best time of your life and you should enjoy it? His own parents weren't around enough to say much about their experiences, but he'd heard it enough from others to believe that his excitement was warranted.

That enthusiasm lasted until he actually made it to school. So…new record.

The high school was the nicest in Insomnia—it would have to be if the crown prince of Lucis was in attendance. The institution was removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown, settled in one of the greener districts in an impressive brick building with enormous windows. The inside had been bright and spacious when Prompto visited for orientation over the summer, and nothing but trees could be seen from most of the outdoor courtyards. It was a deceptive setup, really; if you could ignore the distant car horns and chatter of crowds, you could almost pretend that you were in the middle of nowhere.

Prompto figured that was probably what Prince Noctis was wishing for right about now.

When they were younger, it had been no surprise that people were constantly taken in by the prince's mere presence; no one expected to go to school and find their future king sitting on the opposite side of the classroom. Other kids never got tired of barraging him with questions in the hall—about servants and cars and rooms and video games and all sorts of things that really didn't matter all that much—and Prompto had always been able to see from afar that Prince Noctis wasn't comfortable with the attention. Actually, he was never comfortable at all. He would make any excuse to get away from the hordes of gawking groupies that vied for his attention, vanishing into the bathroom until the bell rang or heading outside where he could put some distance between himself and the rest of the world. During their free periods, Prompto usually spied him out behind the gardening sheds where no one else would be able to find him, leaning against the overhang and looking for all the world like he just wanted to sink into the ground.

It had been difficult for Prompto to understand at first—why would Prince Noctis, heir to the throne of Lucis and beloved son of a popular king, look so miserable all the time? He didn't have the same problems Prompto did, after all: he wasn't overweight and shy and absorbed in taking pictures rather than talking to the subjects he captured in them. No, the prince was lean, attractive, regal, and all the other things Prompto never would be. How, then, could he be so sad when he had everything he could possibly want handed to him?

And that was when Prompto realized that there were other things Prince Noctis would never have no matter how hard he tried. He would never be able to find a moment's peace from the constant stream of questions and comments; he'd never get away from all the people who only wanted to be his friend for what they could get out of him. Prince Noctis would never have the opportunity to just be a regular person, unburdened by a throne and all the expectations people piled on top of him as they got older.

Maybe, just maybe, he'd never had a real friend he could trust.

So, even though it made Prompto's heart beat faster in apprehension and his palms sweat more than when he'd first started running, he kept telling himself that Prince Noctis needed him—or someone like him, at least. When he woke up to see that it was raining outside and he really didn't want to go on his daily run, he would remind himself that the Oracle was counting on him to be that person the prince could rely on. Prompto hated admitting that he needed that push more often than not, but hey, he hadn't given up yet.

He wasn't going to either, especially not when it looked like high school was going to be exactly the same as every other year of their education so far. Seriously, how many times could people say the same thing?

"Is that the prince?"

"Wow, I can't believe we go to the same school!"

"Should we talk to him?"

Is he a person or a circus attraction? Jeez.

To his credit, Prince Noctis made it through the entire day under the scrutiny of their classmates without crumpling, as usual. He had to be used to the attention by now, although Prompto noticed that it didn't stop him from bashfully averting his gaze from the rest of the student body when the subtle whispers—and brazen shouts—reached his ears.

By the time the bell for their final break of the day rang, the last dregs of hesitation Prompto felt that morning had leaked away and left nothing but determination in their wake. Even if he hadn't been preparing for this very moment forever, he would have found it difficult to take another year of this crap regardless.

Come on, Prompto, he bolstered himself with a few confident strides. No backing down now!

With that, he broke into a sprint towards the prince's retreating back and slapped him on the shoulder as he made his approach. Friendly, unassuming, casual—all the things a first encounter should be, right?

Even if this…you know…wasn't their first encounter. At all.

Prompto wasn't going to think about that, though. Instead he offered the prince his widest grin and exclaimed, "Hey there, Prince Noctis!"

"Huh?" the prince eloquently reacted. If he had been surprised at Prompto's sudden presence, he looked absolutely shocked that Prompto had actually stopped to talk to him. The latter paid it no mind and pressed on as if this were the most normal interaction in the world.

"I'm Prompto! Nice to meet you!"

For a second, Prompto thought for sure that he was going to be brushed off the way he usually was by…just about everybody. Prince Noctis stared at him as though he couldn't believe Prompto was real, then dropped his eyes to look him up and down for a moment. Prompto could already see the thoughts that must have been whirling around his head—isn't this the fat kid—isn't this the guy who couldn't even jump over a pole without falling on his face—isn't this the idiot who thought I was gonna take his camera instead of help him up—

Prompto must have looked like such a moron, standing there introducing himself as if the prince would actually want to be his friend.

The moment passed, however, and then Prince Noctis was actually smiling at him. Prompto wasn't sure he'd ever seen any emotion aside from apathy or discomfort cross the prince's face, so it took a second for him to register the new expression. It suited him, and Prompto found that he wanted to bring that out more often.

"Don't I know you?" asked Prince Noctis after a brief pause.

Okay, he couldn't help being a little surprised. The idea that the freaking crown prince of Lucis might actually kinda sorta remember him without automatically scoffing at the mental image that had to conjure up? Just…wow.

Prompto rubbed the back of his head and chuckled uncomfortably. He honestly hadn't thought Prince Noctis really paid him any mind all this time, not unless they were thrown into a situation where they had to interact. Sure, they'd exchanged a few glances over the years when it was unavoidable, but it wasn't like Prompto had stuck around whenever the prince was nearby. He'd been too embarrassed, and the occasions when he sought out Prince Noctis only to chicken out at the last minute went unnoticed by the latter—as far as he knew, anyway. Maybe he hadn't been quite as sneaky as he'd originally thought…

Fortunately, it didn't appear that Prince Noctis wanted an answer to his question. If he could tell that the topic made Prompto uncomfortable, he tactfully didn't mention it. The silence between them wasn't awkward, though. When they started walking back towards the school for their last class together, he even slapped Prompto's shoulder in retaliation for his earlier greeting.

They didn't say much as they parted ways at the classroom door, but Prompto wasn't deterred at all. The little flutter of excitement in his chest kept reminding him that their meeting had gone far better than any of his wildest dreams could have predicted. Everything he'd imagined up to now ended with either the prince thinking he was some creepy stalker or laughing in his face at the absurdity of them ever becoming friends… There was one time when he'd woken up with a start after having been dragged off by a bunch of royal guards for kneeling the wrong way. That was obviously a little too extreme, even for him, but he still had plenty of reason to doubt that things were going to go so well.

That thought alone kept him motivated through an hour of math (which he definitely needed), and by the time classes ended for the day, he already had a plan for the next phase of Operation Befriend the Prince.

…Who was trudging towards the front of the building to meet his ride.

Shit.

"Hey, Prince Noctis!"

Maybe it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn he saw the prince's shoulders twitch stiffly as the latter turned around to look at him. Then Prompto noticed the way his lips were pressed into a thin line and realized his mistake.

"Just… You don't have to use the title, you know?" the prince muttered with a halfhearted shrug.

"Oh, uh… Yeah. 'Course. Sorry, dude," Prompto immediately replied with a nervous laugh. The pri—Noctis—shook his head.

"No, it's…it's fine. So…what's up?"

"Well, see…" Prompto paused, suddenly unable to find the words that he'd totally been ready to say about five minutes ago. It left him stumbling over himself as he managed to stammer, "I, uh… I was just gonna see if maybe—y'know, if you're not busy 'n' stuff—which you probably are, in which case it's no big deal or anything, but—"

"Prompto."

"…Yeah?"

Noctis smiled with a weary sort of amusement. "Spit it out."

"Oh. Right. Uh. I was gonna head to the arcade and thought you might wanna come. If…y'know…you want," he finished lamely, hoping his self-conscious grin made up for the pretty pathetic attempt at an invitation.

For half a second, Noctis's face fell a little in what Prompto could only assume was stunned disbelief. Or maybe disappointment that he was going to have to find a way to decline without sounding like a jerk about it. Did princes care about that sort of thing, or did they just do whatever? Prompto had never seen Noctis get outwardly nasty with anyone, but it wasn't like he'd know whether there was some royal protocol for how you were supposed to deal with your subjects.

The odd expression passed after a few seconds, though, and Noctis's eyes darted towards the door as he scuffed his shoe against the tile. Prompto was busy preparing himself for the big letdown when he answered, "I can't today, but…maybe tomorrow?"

One heartbeat.

Two heartbeats.

Three.

Score!

"Yeah, totally!" exclaimed Prompto. He might have been bordering on weird with just how huge his smile was, but he couldn't help it, and his enthusiasm seemed to be cheering Noctis up anyway. "How about after school? There's a pretty cool one a few blocks down."

With a relieved half-smile, Noctis nodded. "Sure. Sounds like a plan."

What followed was an awkward exchange of goodbyes and see you tomorrows, finally concluding with Noctis being ushered into an expensive-looking black car and driven away from where Prompto was still frozen in shock at the entrance of the school—in the best possible way, of course. His feet may as well have been superglued to the pavement for all that they proved themselves ready to take him home; every bone in his body seemed to have turned into mush after the tension of years of waiting finally paid off.

He was going to the arcade tomorrow with Noctis Lucis Caelum, crown prince and recluse extraordinaire.

They'd already talked more in one day than in ten years of school.

They were…not friends. An invite to play video games definitely didn't catapult them into friends territory. Could they be called acquaintances? Yeah, that sounded about right.

He and the prince were acquaintances. Everything had gone just as he'd hoped.

Now he just needed to make sure he didn't screw it all up.

"You serious!? You've never played it?"

Noctis shrugged. "Shooters aren't really my thing."

Groaning, Prompto hung his head in mock disappointment. "That game is life, man! That's totally the first thing we're doing when we get to the arcade."

For some reason, what he thought was an innocent comment about their plans brought Noctis up short, and Prompto had to duck out of the way to avoid getting plowed over by students ready to go home for the day. It usually wasn't much of a surprise to see a reluctant, uncertain expression on the prince's face—it was practically his natural state—but after a day of intermittent talking and teasing, Prompto had to admit that he was a little taken aback at the sudden shift in demeanor. Rather than the lighthearted smirk Noctis had been wearing for most of the day, the corners of his lips were turned down and he avoided Prompto's gaze like he was afraid of what he might find there.

"You okay?" Prompto asked after a second, starting to feel that uncomfortable twitch in his gut that usually preceded throwing up.

"Yeah…" Noctis paused and seemed to pick his words out carefully before continuing, "Just a heads up: we're not gonna be alone at the arcade."

Blinking, Prompto slowly chuckled, "Uh…duh? I mean, it's a pretty popular place after school and all." A thought occurred to him, one that brought the excitement of the last two days barreling back down towards the earth, and he quietly offered, "But I guess if that makes you uncomfortable, w—"

"It's not that." Noctis seemed even more reticent to explain, and Prompto's stomach suddenly decided it was going to get to know his feet a little better.

He doesn't want to go. He's probably gonna make some random excuse about having to do big important royal things and ditch out…

And could Prompto really blame him? After all, what did he have to offer the prince? Friendship seemed kinda tacky when he really thought about it—the guy had everything he could ever want and more, so a friend probably wasn't such a huge selling point. What the hell was he thinking, and what the hell was he going to tell the Oracle!?

Way to go, Prompto.

"Listen, don't freak out, but there'll be a couple of guards with us."

…What.

Prompto shook his head, hardly realizing that his eyes had been pointed down at his shoes until they shot up to survey Noctis's uncomfortable expression. As if sensing his surprise, the prince grimaced and hastened to reassure him, "It's just a thing they have to do when I go places sometimes."

Well, that made sense. Prompto could have smacked himself for jumping the gun so quickly, but instead he nodded in understanding. "To make sure it's safe?"

"Yeah, that…and some other stuff."

"Other stuff?"

There it was—that look like he would rather become one with the floor than answer a simple question. It appeared to take a lot of effort, but Noctis eventually muttered, "They…get uptight about new people."

…Oh. Right.

Before he had a chance to fully panic, Noctis interrupted his thoughts to say, "It's not you, though. Seriously, they'd do this with anybody. I just…" He huffed out something like a laugh. "I don't go places with people who don't work at the Citadel that much."

"Yeah," Prompto snorted despite himself. "I kinda guessed that."

Noctis smirked. "Right. I just didn't want you to freak out when we got there or anything."

"Me? Freak out? Dude, come on—I'm as cool as they come," he lied with an exaggerated grin. He definitely understood why the crown prince would be followed around by guards, but he couldn't deny that he was kind of nervous about spending a couple of hours hanging out with them. Those old dreams of getting dragged off for some minor transgression still replayed themselves occasionally, after all.

"Sure," lilted Noctis with a sarcastically raised eyebrow. "Whatever you say."

There really wasn't anything else Prompto could do besides slug him in the shoulder.

Plus, he had to get it out of the way before they were joined by two men in black suits practically the second they stepped outside the building. It took a conscious effort on Prompto's part not to jump as they seemed to materialize out of thin air, but he was comforted by the gawks of their classmates—otherwise he would have thought he was imagining them. Noctis, for all that he had been nervous about Prompto's reaction before, barely showed it now. He didn't greet his guards or nod to them; to anyone who didn't know better, it might have looked like he didn't even know they were there. Prompto suspected that a lifetime of getting used to people hanging on your every word probably had a lot to do with that, but he still couldn't help admiring that confidence. If he had to be watched all the time… Well, for one thing, he was pretty sure that what little self-confidence he had would probably be nonexistent.

Maybe it was the way Noctis casually ignored their presence, or maybe they were just that good at being invisible, but Prompto found that they faded into the background once you got used to them. Sure, he spent the entire time they were walking to the arcade carefully overanalyzing every word that came out of his mouth before they passed his lips and didn't dare to do more than initiate a fist bump with Noctis, but after a while… The back of his neck started to itch a little less; his eyes darted to the dark figures in the corner of the arcade less frequently.

He smacked Noctis on the back in sympathy when he got shot down by aliens—no one tackled him.

He swatted away the prince's hand when the latter tried to mess up his aim—he didn't end up in a cell beneath the Citadel.

He did the sort of thing he always thought friends would do, and nothing bad happened. Instead, he was rewarded with a few winning smiles and a promise that they would do this again as they parted ways for the night. And when he got back home, he pulled out Lady Lunafreya's letter and read it again only to discover that it didn't fill him with the sense of mingled excitement and dread that it had before.

Was he friends with Prince Noctis? Nah.

But it was a start.