Author's Note: Greetings! This piece was born from a desire to have Noctis confessing his love for Prompto, despite having to deal with an overwhelming destiny. I've been wondering what it would be like for the Promptis ship to be born, when Noctis is due to wed Lunafreya. While the baby chocobo Prompto being tormented by his feelings is not one of my favorite things, this is just something I had to get off my chest.

Thank you for being here. Please enjoy!

The words spilled out of him, hoarse and faint.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Prompto turned around, rooted in the doorway, moving as if the flow of time had dropped to a crawl. They were lodged in a corner of the uncharted universe, time growing a mind of its own, unbearably slow while not moving at all. It took every thread of his being to remember where they were; Ignis and Gladiolus were at Altissia's market, gathering supplies for the journey ahead. He and Prompto had been left alone in Altissia's Inn, the walls of their once-peaceful sanctuary closing in on the Crown Prince. The line between reality and nightmare had become blurry, with Noctis bearing a piercing urge to believe he had suddenly been thrown into a dimension without hope.

The scent of Ignis' chamomile tea, once invigorating and beautiful, had faded. A dull glimmer of calm replaced the herb's soothing dance, leaving only the rain pounding on their windows. And the sight of a photographer standing in the doorway, smiling, trying to conceal a world of hurt but reflecting on the steps yet to be taken. "Just thought I'd leave before the big party," came the soft response, faint while the gods of rain continued to roar, reminding Noctis of how close he was to the edge.

"You know, since you really don't need me around anymore."

The prince lifted an eyebrow, wondering if a nightmare was suddenly reconstructing itself. Silence, although a moment long, made the air and earth heavy. Noctis scrambled for a way to turn back time, even if he could only go back to sharing Ignis' tea with Prompto, but came up empty-handed. Meanwhile, a certain sharpshooter continued driving nails through his skin. "You know me," the prince's friend chuckled, eyes twinkling in a way that stripped Noctis of air.

"Don't really like getting in the way of anything, especially when it comes to you."

Quick, angry, frightened. Heart racing as quickly as the rain battering the earth. "Who said you're getting in the way of anything?"

Prompto shook his head, still smiling. "No one, really, just came up with that on my own. Didn't take much. You're about to get married, and-"

"And what? I've got to lose the only person in my life that's kept me sane? Is that it?"

The photographer stepped back, no trace of a smile left anywhere. "You'll be fine, bro. What could go wrong? You're gonna be hitched to one gorgeous babe, and then you'll become the One True King. Claim the throne and all that epic stuff. When all of it goes down, you're not gonna have any time for me. So I just thought I'd save you the trouble."

"Of what? Prompto, I don't like where this is going. Is this some kind of prank?"

The blonde gunner's eyes widened. Nothing but the sound of rain carried them through the next minute, soaking the eternity between them in frustration. Prompto broke the silence, his voice gentle but not at all void of hurt. Frail, precious, like the tears falling from the heavens.

"I don't do pranks, Noct."

"Then I'd like someone to tell me I'm dreaming, because none of this shit is making any sense."

Prompto remained in the doorway, still smiling, fragile enough to melt into the rain. "Makes perfect sense to me. Once you're hitched, what are you gonna do with me? I mean, I've never been much to begin with, so-"

Noctis made a sound halfway between a growl and a sigh. Rain resumed its post as the only sound in their pocket of the universe, but the Crown Prince took his turn in shattering the silence. "I don't believe this," he snarled, shaking his head. He laughed in acceptance of a nightmare, one he had never left, one that would soon swallow him whole. Death was a glorious alternative to life.

"I don't know where any of this is coming from. Should get that on a shirt, because when it comes to my own damn life, I don't ever know what's going on. I feel like I've known you my whole life, and now here you are, telling me you're walking out on me? Is this supposed to make sense?"

He remained as quiet as the rain, the one made of light, head bowed. Voice still gentle, despite his mask becoming ash in the palms of his hands.

"I dunno, man, but it is what it is. You're not gonna need me anymore. You barely need me now."

"Right. I'm supposed to believe that, when you've done nothing but keep me sane the last, I don't know, five years? When you've done nothing but make it easier for me to get out of bed every morning, when I'd rather never open my eyes again because nothing in my damn life ever makes any sense? You want me to believe that our entire friendship is complete and utter bullshit, when you've made it so damn easy to just be myself?"

Prompto was a portrait of hurt, of memories and longing. Something that was about to burst. Trembling. "What is it?" Noctis demanded, voice taking on an edge it had never before taken against his friend.

"If there's something you need to tell me, just tell me!"

"I'm in love with you, okay?! I'm in love with you and I can't stand it! I hate knowing you're about to get married, hate knowing you're about to disappear and hate feeling like this!"

"I'm in love with you too, dammit! I'm about to throw my life away on marriage that will not only hurt me, but a very dear friend of mine, and you're walking out on me? You're the one that's about to disappear, not me!"

"What am I supposed to do?! What do you WANT me to do?"

"I want you to stay with me!"

"I can't, Noct!"

"Yes you can! I don't give a damn what I am, only who I am when I'm with YOU! And I can't lose that!"

Thunder caused the world beneath their feet to tremble. Everything, save for the thunder and its eternal companion, the rain, fell silent. Prompto was frozen, a galaxy of pain in eyes that were normally so warm, so cheerful. Noctis was halfway between hurt, fury and panic, suddenly tired, feeling weaker than ever before. His voice was a whimper against the drumbeat echoing through the lake of time.

"Don't leave me. Please. Don't go."

Crushed, frightened, confused, Prompto whimpered next.

"What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know. But I'll figure out something. I promise." A weak chuckle. "Don't I always?"

The photographer purred out his next words in theatrical, warm fashion, trying to revive some of their world's gentleness. "What, you're gonna have me be your secret lover?"

"Not funny, Prompto," chuckled a weary, smiling prince, hand against his forehead. An arm was laid about his shoulders, followed by a smile so kind, it was a punch to the stomach.

"Sure it is. You can have your own harem, right?"

Noctis rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Gotta be more than one person in a harem, sunshine."

They smiled at each other, still frightened, still worried, but eager to face the unknown. Together they sat, on the bed that offered a world of comfort for battered spirits. And it was through the rain's melody they sat, suddenly realizing how gentle it was. How kind it was, brightening a dark, frightening world. Prompto turned to his sanctuary, heart racing, not knowing whether to be overjoyed or terrified.

"Think the guys will be back soon? Rainin' pretty hard out there."

"Yeah. Ignis melts in the rain, so they're probably on their way back now."

…

"Hey, Noct?"

"Yeah?"

The sharpshooter's smile became Eos' brightest light in the darkness. "Thanks."

"Wanna thank me? Don't ever scare me again. I'd appreciate it. And quit it with the 'I don't deserve you' crap, okay? It's kind of annoying."

"Still not happy about you gettin' married, since we're going down this road."

"Yeah, well, how do you think I feel? I'm about to be stuck with Luna, she's about to be stuck with me. For all I know, she could be in love with your friend at the Chocobo farm. Not a great way to pay her back after what she's done for me."

It was in the rain they sat, silent, faint scent of chamomile hanging in the air. Neither of them spoke until Ignis and Gladiolus returned, the latter glowing about the dishes about to hit the floor. The revelations borne between them were hidden beneath the rain-or so they thought, as they were unaware of the revelation becoming clear to the team's chef a while ago.

Ignis and Gladiolus were all smiles on the inside, sensing what had just happened, but bound together by their mutual fear of the unknown.