Hello and welcome everyone! So, this is the sequel to "Quicksilver" and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do because this story follows the events of the previous one. To all the "old" readers, welcome back! This story is completely original, so nothing has been borrowed from FFXV (apart from the characters and locations). I hope I can make this story justice and that you'll all enjoy it!
P.S. I rated this story "M" just to be sure, as there are some adult themes, though never explicit!
I do not own Final Fantasy or its characters!
Everything was fine. Perfectly fine, actually. The citizens of Insomnia had all returned to the Crown City when the newscaster announced world-widely that prince Noctis –and now King Noctis- had freed the city from the Daemons together with his four, brave guards, and that his wedding to Lady Lunafreya, miraculously returned from the other world by the grace of the Six, would be celebrated shortly in the Lucian capital. People from all over Eos had come to help rebuild the destroyed city, smiling widely despite the fatigue as the sun shone brightly above them, and cheered whenever their King and his soon wife-to-be were seen assisting the others, working just as hard to bring the city back to its former glory.
It took several months of hard work but, little by little, the Crown City now looked like it had never been through ten long years of darkness and devastation. Everyone admired their work from afar, applauding proudly as the King inaugurated the city reborn and announced that his wedding would be held the following week at the Citadel.
The wedding itself was a majestic one, with the beautiful couple making their vows in front of hundreds of thousands of weeping people and their friends and saviors –Gladio, Ignis (who could now enjoy the ceremony thanks to his restored vision), Prompto and Iris. The girl couldn't refrain her tears of joy when Noctis and Luna finally exchanged their first kiss, officially sealing their union. The four guards all received a medal of honor and were promoted to the highest rank of the Kingsglaive order by none other than Corleonis the Immortal himself.
Prompto grinned widely at his parents after kneeling down and receiving the King's blessing. The four Kingsglaives then proceeded to make their own vows, by swearing they would always stand by King Noctis's and his family's side as guards and brothers.
They were all aware that their war against the Niflheim Empire was far from being over, but none of them actually cared in that moment: they had been through much worse, and they were confident they could defeat their enemies once and for all despite not having the Quicksilver and the help of the Six with them anymore.
However, not a single word about war or other political matters was spoken that day, for everyone –royal, guards and citizens- was too cheerful and solely focused on their happy ending.
Life had returned to being the same as before they left, with the exception that Noctis was now a married man and the King, while King Regis could finally rest in peace as appropriate for a man like him in a proper tomb not too far from the city.
Iris and Prompto hadn't seen each other all that much during the months that followed the final battle, apart from the occasional Kingsglaive meetings with the King and the marshal to discuss their strategy against the Niflheim Empire. In their spare time, they simply had too much to do and too many people to catch up with, mainly their own families.
It had been heartbreaking to hear about how they had been spending their lives during those ten years, hoping and praying the gods that their children were still alive and that the King of Light would save them all. But they were together now, and that was all that mattered.
The city became bustling with people again: adults going to work, children going to school, tourists, cars, buses, the metro, the shops opening to the public again…
Prompto smiled warmly as he watched the city skyline from one of the top floors of the Citadel. His shift was almost finished, and he was getting ready to head back home to his parents, his stomach growling softly at the thought of his mother's special chili beans soup that he loved so much.
His phone buzzed and he immediately stuffed a hand in his pocket to read the name on the screen, his heart doing a flip in the process. His face fell slightly when he saw not Iris's name, but Regine's.
The girl had somehow managed to find his number, probably through friends of friends or something, and kept messaging him at the most inopportune times. He did reply, but mainly out of sheer politeness. She was still a very pretty and attractive girl, but Prompto's crush on her had long been forgotten.
"Up for a bite, tonight? xx" Prompto read the message and quickly sent a text back.
"Got plans, sorry!"
He was about to pocket his cellphone when it buzzed once more. Prompto rolled his eyes.
"Tomorrow then! No excuses, I know you're free! Xxx"
"How the hell does she even know that?" he muttered to himself as he thought about how to best refuse the offer without sounding impolite. Just as he was about to type a "no, thanks", an idea crossed his mind: yes, he would take her out to grab a drink or something and tell her square in the face that he was simply not interested. Not anymore. Because he fancied someone else. And he would forever get rid of her. Easy peasy.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7PM" Prompto hit the "send" button before reading her immediate response "Can't wait! Xxx"
"Chili beans soup, Prompto. Your mom's legendary chili beans soup" he said while gently slapping his face, and opened the door to leave the Citadel.
He had been awake until dawn in front of his brand new PC. One of the best things about being a Kingsglaive was actually having money. And quite a lot of it, too. He still lived with his parents as he saved up enough money to buy a place on his own, and gladly helped them with the bills and other expenses even if they insisted he kept the money to himself. Prompto was trying his best, but after ten years spent as a wildling in the dark, he couldn't resist spending most of his salary on trivial or techno stuff, particularly videogames and camera accessories. He did, however, have a separate bank account where he transferred part of his monthly salary and, so far, had saved up quite a lot.
When he opened his eyes, the clock read 2:24 PM. He sleepily rubbed his eyes and sat in bed, wincing as the sun rays blinded him. He would need to remember to pull the curtains from now on.
He wasn't surprised when he entered the kitchen and found it empty: his parents had both gotten their jobs back and were rarely at home. Just like the old times when he was a teenager.
After having a late breakfast consisting of chips and a can of soda, he realized he had absolutely no idea what to do until his "date" with Regine. He missed going to work already, as it was not a proper job to him: it felt more like being around his family, having fun with his friends and –his heart skipped a beat- Iris. Of course, they did discuss war plans and other boring political matters, but he mainly listened as Ignis carried on with the speech and the latest reports.
He ended up spending the rest of the afternoon playing videogames until the clock chimed 6. He had promised Regine he would pick her up at 7, and really needed to hurry as the girl lived at the opposite side of the Crown City, for which he was secretly relieved: that meant the chances of bumping into her by accident were much slimmer, though he did see her a bit too often wandering around the Citadel area with her best friend, giggling stupidly and waving at him when they spotted him in his uniform.
He took a quick shower and put on the first things he found in his wardrobe. He hadn't even bothered to fully shave, thinking his facial hair wasn't that long anyway. He went out and walked towards his dad's car, not as fancy as Noctis's old Regalia, but a reliable and nice car nonetheless. His father rarely used it anyway, considering that he traveled by metro: he said it was cheaper and less stressful given the traffic of the capital.
When he finally arrived at Regine's place, he was only a few minutes late. He sent her a quick text to let her know he was waiting downstairs. Shortly after, he saw her walking towards him with a pair of high heels and a cocktail dress. A very short cocktail dress. She had probably spent her afternoon doing her ebony hair in elaborate curls and a fancy make-up, and many boys passing by stopped to take a better look at her. She kept her eyes fixed on Prompto, however, giving him a seductive smile.
"Hey there, bad boy" she greeted "You look nice!"
Prompto automatically glanced at himself, thinking he didn't look that special, really. Her elegant outfit didn't match his casual one, as he was wearing a simple pair of denim jeans and a black shirt with matching Converse.
"Ehm, thanks" he said awkwardly, and she stared at him expectantly.
"Ehm… you too, of course! You look… lovely" he muttered, thinking it would be impolite not to compliment her at least. He knew how mad girls could get if a man didn't compliment their looks while on a date.
She smiled broadly as he opened the passenger door for her.
"So, where are you taking me?" she asked brightly.
"Mhm…" he hummed, and almost panicked. He hadn't really planned anything: all he wanted was telling her he was not interested in dating her, but he was too kind to end it like that. He simply didn't like hurting other people's feelings, regardless of how annoying they might be.
"What would you like to do?" he asked instead, letting her choose.
"Oh, I'd like to do many things, Prompto" she replied seductively, crossing one leg over the other and revealing her slim thighs. Prompto's hormones couldn't help but make him stare before forcing himself to focus on the road. The girl giggled. "Fancy a drink, maybe?"
She gave him directions to a pub that had recently opened in the city center, not too far from the Citadel. It was very cozy, with wooden floors and walls and lots of vintage pictures of the Crown City decades ago.
"Like it?" she asked when she saw his expression "I remembered you liked photography, am I right? I thought you'd like this place".
"Yeah, it's nice" he said sincerely.
They placed their order and a smiling waiter came shortly after with a Long Island for her and a Jack Frost Manhattan for him.
"A fan of strong drinks, are we?" she said while sipping hers.
"Got used to 'em when I was a hunter. Helped me… go on" he replied nonchalantly.
"It must have been so fascinating! You're so brave, Prompto, killing all those Daemons by yourself for so many years. What an adventurous life you've had!" she praised him while slowly closing the distance between them on the leather couch.
"Fascinating you say" he retorted bitterly "You find being completely on your own in the darkness, fighting off deadly monsters for ten years without knowing what happened to your friends and family fascinating?"
She stared at him wide-eyed while desperately trying to find a way to make amend "Sorry, I didn't mean… I… "
"It's fine, really. Sorry for being rude" he interrupted her with a small smile "It's just… it's been tough".
She didn't come any closer to him after their brief conversation, too afraid to have upset him and so they finished their drinks in silence.
Prompto didn't really mind for he could spend those peaceful minutes thinking about something else: like sitting in that same room, on that very couch with Iris, talking about the adventures they had had together and laughing about a particularly bad pun he had said when he was 20.
Someone cleared their throat and Prompto returned to the present. He noticed that Regine had finished her drink and was looking expectantly at him, with a hint of impatience in her eyes.
Prompto stood up and went to pay for their drinks before escorting her back to the car.
"Your turn" she said "What do you want to do next?"
Prompto was very tempted to tell her he simply wanted to go back home and play his videogames, but that was not how a gentleman was supposed to act. And having to plan every single move on the first date wasn't exactly a good sign. He thought that things simply happened naturally when two people were meant to be together. The moments they were sharing together felt somewhat forced, and he was getting bored.
"Regine, I-" he started, but the girl cut him off when she shrieked excitedly and pointed at another shop.
"Look, Prompto! Over there!"
The blonde followed the direction indicated by her finger and saw a long queue outside a Moogle-themed café.
The girl turned her head to him, her green eyes giving him a pleading look.
"Alright, let's go" he complied defeated.
It took at least an hour before they finally managed to sit at a table. The café itself was cozy, even if a bit too "girlish" for his tastes, with Moogle plush dolls decorating the shelves hung on the blue walls, and employees in Moogle t-shirts running back and forth with a huge smile on their faces. Prompto wondered how the heck they could be so happy to be working a night shift only to earn a miserable salary at the end of the month.
She ordered a Moogle-themed cheesecake and a coffee while he enjoyed his Triple-Moofantastic ice-cream. At least the desserts were good. Regine kept talking about trivial things he wasn't really interested in, mainly about her friend Henriette inviting her to join her to the newest shopping center in Insomnia, but he pretended to be listening. He was forced to listen to her speaking about shoes and purses for the next hour before she finally finished her cheesecake with a yawn.
"Ah well, I guess it's time to head back home" she said, and Prompto didn't think he could be happier upon hearing those words.
The car ride to her place took a lot more time than expected as couples were just starting to go out for some night entertainment at the local restaurants or theaters or clubs.
Prompto was quite surprised, however, when he parked the car and the girl opened the passenger seat without turning to him first. She stood outside the car, staring at him with a smile. It took all his self-control not to roll his eyes at her, and he got out too to approach her. It was now or never.
"I've had lots of fun!" she exclaimed excitedly "We should do that again".
"Yeah, about that…" he retorted awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head and making sure he kept his eyes locked on a random spot of his car.
He gasped when he felt an arm grab his wrist and drag him along.
"Before I forget!" she said "You must see this!"
"What the…?"
Prompto didn't think such a slim girl could be that strong as she dragged him into the elevator and up to her apartment.
"I've been dying to show you this!" she continued while fumbling with her purse in search of the keys. When she found them, she unlocked the door and pushed him inside.
The apartment was small but neat and tidy, and he thought she had been planning all along to take him there. She turned the lights on, threw her purse on the sofa and grinned widely at him.
"Would you like a drink?" she asked and, without waiting for an answer, went to a minibar by the kitchen and took a bottle of Prosecco.
"No… I mean, OK" he accepted in defeat, seeing as she had already started pouring the liquid in two glasses. She handed him one and he took a small sip. What had he gotten himself into?
He let his eyes scan the room, the paintings she had hung on the wall, the ceiling, the wooden floor…
The apartment was too modern, he didn't like it. Despite being a technophile, he still preferred a more country style when it came to housings.
He actually let a small gasp escape his mouth when he realized she had stepped closer, too close, and was now standing in front of him.
"D-did you want to show me something?" he asked nervously, instinctively taking a step back. She put her half-drunk glass on the kitchen counter and took his in her hands. She took a sip and then placed that too beside her glass. She seemed to savor the taste of the sparkling wine he had been drinking.
"Always so innocent, are you Prompto?" she closed the distance between them and placed one manicured hand on his cheek "You should know a girl's tactics by now. But yes, I have indeed something to show you".
Prompto swallowed hard as his mind raced fast to get him out of that dangerous situation. He should have known what her intentions truly were when she had started dragging him upstairs to her apartment. And judging by the size of it, he doubted she lived with her parents or anyone else.
Before he could do anything, her lips were on his as she threw her arms around his neck, making sure he couldn't break free. He could taste the sparkling wine she had been drinking as she deepened the kiss, and he really had no idea what to do. His heart and mind told him to take a step back and leave the room behind, while his predatory instincts commended him to stay right where he was. His mind was the first thing to go blank as he placed his hands around her waist and kissed her back with passion. His arousal grew even more when she let a moan escape her mouth, as she guided him to her bedroom.
She slammed the door open with one arm, throwing him onto the bed and starting to undo his shirt as she sat on top of him.
Prompto was sure his face was flushed, just like hers, as he could feel heat rise to his cheeks.
He pulled her closer to him, cupping her face and kissing her fiercely.
"If only I had known back in high school" she panted "I wouldn't have turned you down".
He had let his body take total control over his mind, just like that night with that hunter whose name he had already forgotten. As he unzipped her dress however, his eyes fell on a vase she had on her bed table. The peculiar purple of the flower's leaves had caught his attention and he immediately froze, as his mind took control over him again.
Iris. It was an iris flower. The image of the dark haired girl with sweet, hazel eyes flashed through his mind and he instantly dropped his hands, causing Regine to groan impatiently.
"What're you doing, Prompto?" she asked angrily when she realized he was no longer focused on her or what they had been about to do. She tried kissing him again on the lips as fiercely as she could, but he wasn't responding. He simply pushed her aside, standing up and buttoning up his shirt.
"I'm sorry, Reg" he said calmly "You're pretty and all, but my heart doesn't belong to you".
"It's that Amicitia girl, right?" she asked angrily "She's not even that pretty".
"At least she doesn't need tons of make-up and a fancy dress to look nice" he retorted just as coolly, before leaving behind the girl staring in disbelief at his back, still processing his words.
Next Chapter: a man and a woman like each other a lot, but none of them seem to muster enough courage to ask the other out. But friends are there to encourage too, right?