Do Me Damage

by Pandansca

Life is hard when you're never comfortable in your own skin. It's even harder when you're constantly being bullied, with parents who work too much to be a shoulder to cry on. It only gets harder when you're in love with your best friend. But with all of Insomnia in ruins, and no future to look forward to, maybe Prompto can finally finally find his happiness...

1. Chapter 1

Prompto stood amongst the rubble of Old Insomnia; clothes clinging to him, cold and wet from the rain that had just ended moments ago. He swayed on his feet, his aching muscles threatening to give out on him as he traversed the debris.

His heart ached. His chest burned. He couldn't stop the shaking and trembling of his body as Ignis and Gladiolus walked to stand at his sides. He didn't know how they were keeping themselves together. He could barely hold in the tears himself. And as a large hand grasped his shoulder, squeezing it firmly, the tears could no longer be contained.

Gross sobs wracked his body as right before their eyes, the deep blackish-blues of the sky began to lift, meld, and swirl into colors long-missed and almost forgotten; pinks, purples, yellows, pale blues. Bright pastels preluding the first sunrise Eos would see in over ten long years. The sheer brightness of it burned into his irises as it rose over the crumbled structures and abandoned skyscrapers of Old Insomnia, sending the daemons retreating and scurrying back into the nothing.

Prompto didn't remember a lot about his childhood. It was boring. Mute. Uneventful. Nothing.

But he remembered clearly- vividly- the first day he met Noctis.

…

Prompto awoke to the shrill beep of his morning alarm, pulling him violently out of his dreams. He cracked his eyes open and lazily reached for his phone, swiping the lock screen open and silencing the alarm without so much as lifting his head off the pillow. Almost immediately he slapped his phone back down onto the hard wood of his nightstand, allowing his eyes to close for just a few more minutes of blissful, almost-sleep.

Today was the first day of high school, and he had been dreading it ever since the last day of middle school. It was a day he dreaded all through summer break. The early schedule, the boring lessons, the bland food, and worst of all, the other students. He wished more than anything and begged every summer to be home-schooled, but of course they always told him no. His parents worked too much to be able to teach them personally, and they never seemed to have the money to warrant the option of hiring a private tutor or teacher.

So, here he was. Not even six in the morning and already wishing he was dead.

Begrudgingly, he lifted himself up and hoisted his legs over the edge of the bed until the bottoms of his feet met the cold floor, sending a chill up his spine. He rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes before standing up and padding down the hall and towards the small bathroom he shared with his parents. Although, it might as well have been only his, what with the amount of time his parents were actually ever home.

Prompto didn't bother looking into the mirror. He took off his clothes and glasses, placing them on the counter carefully and stepped into the spray, closing the shower curtain behind him mutely. He washed his body and hair quickly but stood in the shower for a good ten minutes afterwards, letting the hot water rush over him until it turned cold. Dreaming. Dreaming of being someone else, someone different, someone who had friends and things to look forward to. An actual life. But after a while the cold water turned his skin to ice and he had to wretch himself out of his fantasy world to step out to towel himself off.

When he made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, there was no soft murmuring of voices talking fondly about the day's events, no smell of fresh coffee and breakfast, no happy "Good morning, Prompto!" or "How did you sleep?" from anyone. The space was empty. Money was placed on the dining table; just enough to buy him a few biscuits and a soda from his favorite fast food restaurant, as per usual.

He sighed.

Sometimes, Prompto had to struggle and really try to remember what his parents' faces looked like. What they sounded like. What their first names were. Sometimes he wondered if they knew how old he was now. What his hobbies were. What classes he was taking.

Sometimes, he pretended they didn't even exist and he lived alone.

The walk to school wasn't too long. This school was way closer to his small house than his middle school had been, and for the first tie in his life he didn't have to take the morning bus alone. He could just walk. But the downside of walking to his school now became that by the time he arrived he was already breathing heavily, sweat staining his faded school uniform; like he'd just ran a marathon when in reality he probably walked only a mile.

Great. Another thing for the other kids to laugh at him over.

He didn't even make it into the building before he was already circled, trapped by a ring of teenagers. The same ones who had tormented him the school year prior to this one, if he remembered correctly. Possibly a few new members. Wonderful. Good to see 'Club We Hate Prompto' is still thriving. Maybe one day they'd get matching jackets.

"Didn't think you'd show your face today, what with how badly we beat your fat ass after our middle school graduation.", one kid called, hands crossed over his chest and face molded into a smirk. His eyes glistened with a distain that was incomprehensible and irrational to Prompto. What did he ever do to these kids, other than be himself?

Prompto remembered that day vividly. His parents hadn't even been home to see the bruises. It was over a week before they faded, and even then, the evidence of the beating had not been discovered. Prompto stayed inside a lot after that, not wanting to run into any of them by chance in the arcade or on the streets. Too bad he couldn't avoid them anymore.

"Hey, look at us when we're talking to you!", another boy called out angrily.

Prompto heard the words but paid them no attention as his gaze stayed firmly on his old, worn-out sneakers atop the pavement. What would be the point of listening to anything they said, anyways? It wouldn't change anything they'd do to him for the better. It wouldn't magically make them respect him and want to be around him; or better yet, just leave him alone. His hands gripped tightly around the straps of his backpack as he noticed movement from the corner of his eyes. One of the boys was stepping closer.

"Hey, fatass! Are you deaf or somethin', too? Did we beat the ability to hear out of you last time, huh?"

"Maybe we just need to beat it back into him!" There was a murmuring of cheerful agreeance from the rest of the crownd.

Prompto screwed his eyes shut and waited with bated breath for the blow to come, like it always did. His hands gripped the straps so hard his knuckled had turned white.

"Hey. Why don't you just leave him alone, if you don't like him so much?"

The voice was new. Deep, but with a mildly melodic, yet bored tone that felt to his ears like silk felt on skin. He opened his eyes and turned around to the source of the voice, and when his eyes landed on the boy, he swore his heart stopped.

It was Noctis. Noctis Lucius Caelum.

Of all places to see the crowned prince of Insomnia, Prompto never expected to see him here, at his school.

The prince was handsome. His hair looked soft and fluffy, laying flat in the front to almost hide sharp eyebrows, deep blue eyes, and frame his face. His neck was slender, and his shoulders were surprisingly broad, compared to his slim waist. He wore the same school uniform as Prompto and the other surrounding boys, clutching his school bag in one hand lazily over one shoulder with his other hand resting in his pants pocket as he gazed at them all, a mixture of bored curiosity on his pale, perfect face.

He looked so different than everyone else there. Not so much in looks, but just in the aura he gave off. Like he didn't belong here. Like he was otherworldly. Above everyone without needing to specifically say so or show it off. It made Prompto's heart stammer in his chest and his stomach twist with nerves. He must look like shit by comparison.

"What's the prince doin' at this school?", one of the boys asked.

"Yeah, don't you have a private tutor or something?"

Noctis gave a half-hearted shrug. He didn't answer their questions. "I asked you a question first. Or is it you who's the deaf one?"

"What the fuck is this guy's problem?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, I'm not opposed to fighting a prince!"

Noctis opened his mouth to say something, but before anything could come out, a larger boy walked up alongside the prince, bulking over him as a mass of tanned, rippling muscle, amber eyes, and buzzed brunette hair. He seemed to be a few years older than them. Possibly a junior. "Want to run that by me again, little man?", the boy bellowed out in a deep baritone that made him sound infinitely older than he truly was. The sound made Prompto shiver. "Did I just hear you threatening the prince? Because if I did, I'm going to have to kick your asses."

Almost immediately, the circle of students stepped back and began to dissipate, giving Prompto room to breathe. There were a few muttered, "You're lucky your bodyguard was here to save you", "This isn't over, Prince", directed at Noctis, along with the ever-familiar "We'll get your fat ass later, Argentum", pointedly at himself as the group dispersed faster than Prompto could have even remotely hoped for.

Over the sound of kids talking and cars driving down the nearby road, a shrill bell sounded. And just like that, Noctis and the taller man were walking past him, not even sparing him a second glance as they made their way across the courtyard and towards the school building, leaving Prompto to just stand there, dumbfounded and awestruck.

The prince of Insomnia had just saved him and walked away like it was nothing.

"Um- hey!" Before he even knew what he was doing, Prompto was taking a step forward, extending a hand to reach towards the two of them. They stopped and turned around, and the disinterested look Noctis and his friend gave him made his throat squeeze and his heart hammer in his chest.

He never had friends before. He didn't know how to make them. He didn't even know if the prince was interested in trying to be friends with him. But he had to try. Noctis had been the only one in his entire life so far to stop the abuse in any way, even if it was unintentional, and it was now or never.

"…What?", came Noctis' response. He looked mildly frustrated by the way Prompto was taking his time and trying to smooth over his raging anxiety.

Prompto looked to the ground for a moment, shifting on his feet, before looking up and meeting the deep blue gaze. "Um. I- I just… Thanks…"

There was a long, awkward silence that fell between the three of them and Prompto's cheeks flushed heavily as he looked down once more. He wondered what he looked like, in Noctis' eyes. How poor and pathetic he must look compared to the types of people the boy must hang around on the daily.

The silence stretched on for a long while longer. "They probably wouldn't pick on you if you stood up for yourself more, you know." The boy at the prince's side grunted in agreeance at Noctis' advice. Prompto jerked his head up to watch the two figures turn around and begin their trek into the building once more. "…You're welcome, though. Just don't expect me to keep doing it…"

And just like that, Noctis was gone. No pleasantries. No exchange of numbers. No plans to hang out in the future. They didn't even ask for his name.

Prompto stood there for a few minutes longer, just staring at the double doors of the building where the two of them entered and disappeared along with the other students. He couldn't move. He was dumbstruck.

…

Prompto stared at the trio across the cafeteria as he bit into his sandwich.

Noctis was sitting at a small table across the way, eating and chatting animatedly with two other boys that Prompto had grown to know as Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus Amicitia, the prince's sworn sword and shield; his protectors and guides for the rest of his life, appointed by the king himself. They were both highly intimidating men, and for good reasons. Ignis was the smartest student in school. He kept tabs on everyone, knowing every student and teacher's names, their ages, and their GPA. He was a senior and was sure to graduate as the valedictorian. Gladiolus had broken all the gym records ever set. He was the president of the kendo club, quickly leading their school into a regional championship win. He was a massive, intimidating bulk of a man, and a junior.

No one dared to bother them. No one dared to get close to them. Not when they were all together, anyways. Whenever they were separated, they were rarely seen without a flock of fans at their heels. Prompto wondered what that would feel like. He wanted to know how it would feel so, so badly.

It was already half way through the school year, and Prompto was still no closer to the trio than he had been on day one. He hadn't even shared more than three words with the prince since their meeting in front of the school, all those months ago.

It made Prompto mad. Madder than he thought he would be. Mad at who, he didn't know. Probably himself. But also probably at the prince.

Noctis had people fawn over him and beg him to go places with them- to hang out- every day. Every class. And the guy didn't even spare them a second glance. He rarely ever spared them a single word, let alone his attention. Every time he watched the man turn someone down, the hope inside him that one day they could be friends was stomped down and smothered a little more until it was almost nonexistent at this point.

But he yearned for it. Gods, he still yearned for it.

Prompto couldn't get a single friend, even if he was able to pay them for it, and here Noctis was, turning them down just because. He wondered what Noctis would say to him if he were one of the ones begging for his time. He wondered how the prince would react.

"What's that look for, fatass?"

"That glare is pretty strong. What did Prince Noctis ever do to you?"

Was he glaring? Yes. He was. And why shouldn't he? It wasn't fair. Noctis wasn't fair.

Prompto didn't give the two boys any attention as he took another bite out of his sandwich, watching as Noctis laughed at some joke Gladiolus must have made and Ignis scolded he two of them for. They looked so nice together. He wondered what it would be like to be a part of that too. Would it look natural, to have him there? Would It look weird?

"Looks like he needs to cool off, guys."

He didn't see it coming until a cold wet liquid was falling over him, landing on the top of his head, to fall on his face, his shoulders. Down his shirt, against his back, settling on the jeans over his lap.

Milk. Strawberry milk. Prompto's least favorite.

One of the boys laughed obnoxiously and altogether the entire cafeteria was joining him, laughing at Prompto as he sat there, covered from head to toe in the liquid. It smelled sickly sweet, and that mixed with the sounds of everyone joining in on his mortification made his stomach twist and threaten bile to come up.

Through his milky lenses, he caught a glimpse of the trio across the room, looking on. They weren't laughing. They weren't talking anymore. But they also weren't joining in with the crowd.

They just stared at him, faces flat and emotionless, with only a touch of disappointment from Gladiolus or intrigue from Ignis. He caught Noctis' eyes, staring into his own, and he shivered under the scrutiny. He finally had the prince's attention again, after all this time, and it was now, when he was wet and sticky and smelling of processed fake fruit-flavored dairy product. Why should he have expected any different?

His cheeks heated in shame and the longer he sat there, staring at the prince and his entourage whispering to one another, the more he realized that he wasn't going to be saved again.

He was never going to be wanted and respected by Noctis if he couldn't stand up for himself. After all, the prince had told him as much himself, to his face; that he needed to begin defending himself.

Well, better now than never.

Who would want to be friends with someone they constantly had to save? To stand up for? To defend? Surely, it would get tiring. It would take too much one-sided effort to keep it going. Obviously, that sort of relationship was doomed to fail.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, he met the boy's eyes and said, in the most confident voice he could muster, "Is that the best you got?"

For a moment, the pair of boys just stood there, staring. The crowd died down to murmurs and whispers, trying to hear the conversation better as it played out.

"What the hell did you just say, Argentum?"

Prompto grit his teeth and mustered a smirking glare. On the inside, he was screaming. Terrified. "You heard me. Is that the best you've got? I think you're all running out of ideas. My grandma could do better." He didn't have a grandmother, but that was beside the point.

Immediately, he was pulled up by the collar of his uniform and practically thrown to the ground. As the punches came, the other students began to cheer and egg the boys on, begging for a good fight to liven up the boring school day.

Before a fist landed to break his messy glasses, Prompto stole another look at Noctis. The prince was still sitting there. Staring. But this time, instead of bored indifference on his face, there was the hint of a small smile; the slightest upturn of lips. A look akin to pride. To approval, and it made Prompto's heart swell in his chest, before his world went dark.

…

"Where's your lunch?"

Prompto blinked rapidly and jerked his head up to look at the voice. He was sitting on the floor of a hallway by the library; the only place he could think of where he wouldn't meet another bully he'd have to force himself to defend himself against. After all, what teenager spent their lunch break in a library?

Ignis Scientia did, apparently. Because that's exactly where he had emerged from.

The man was looking as regal and put-together as always. His school uniform was neatly pressed, wrinkle-free and not a stain in sight. He kept a carefully-folded handkerchief in the chest pocket of his blazer, probably for cleaning his glasses, which sat delicately atop his angular nose in front of sharp, seafoam-colored eyes. His hair was cut short, sandy, brunette bangs swooping over his forehead and behind his ears. He was tall. Not muscular, per say, but not lanky either. He at least didn't give off a "fragile" vibe.

"Huh?" Was this really happening? Was Ignis Scientia talking to him? Without even being spoken to first? Prompto had to stop himself from staring, mouth hanging slightly ajar.

"Your lunch. Where is it?"

Oh. Right. Prompto worried his bottom lip between his teeth and looked away from the man for a brief moment. Merely minutes ago, someone had torn his lunch tray from his grasp and threw it straight into the garbage. His entire lunch money's-worth of food, wasted. And after that, when Prompto called him a loser that was probably secretly worse-off than himself, the boy had tripped him and walked away, laughing.

But was that something he should say? He wasn't trying to get anyone in trouble, even if all he wanted was for them to get in trouble- or expelled. No, that would only make him seem like a snitch. And being a snitch wouldn't gain him any respect from any of his peers. If anything, he'd probably be worse-off than he was now.

"U-Um… I… I dropped it." It seemed to be a reasonable enough lie, but the crack in his voice gave him away easily. When their eyes met again, Ignis was staring down at him with a harsh skepticism that made Prompto's face burn as heat tinted his cheeks.

"…Is that so?"

No. Of course not. "…Yeah." Ignis kept staring down at him, and Prompto tried to keep his heart from stammering. And the next thing he knew, to his surprise, Ignis was kneeling down until they were sitting next to each other on the linoleum. Prompto's mouth tried to work, desperately, as the boy pulled a bento from his school bag and sat it between them. "W-What are you doing?"

Ignis arched a delicate brow and placed an ornate pair of chopsticks into Prompto's hands. "What do you mean? Clearly, I'm sharing my lunch with you." The boy took the lid off his bento and removed the top layer, giving it to Prompto and keeping the bottom layer for himself. The food looked amazing and smelled even better. Thick slices of meatloaf, rice balls, and an assortment of mixed vegetables. "I usually give the other half to Noctis, to ensure he stays healthy, but it seems that today you need it more…"

Prompto furrowed his brows. "B-But… Why?"

Ignis took a bite of his food and chewed it up before swallowing and replying, "I Don't think I need to explain why, Prompto… Clearly you didn't merely drop your lunch…"

Prompto looked away sheepishly and tried to use the chopsticks Ignis gave him. He wasn't used to them and needless to say he wasn't very skilled. He didn't want to remain on the subject of the bullies, so he floated to a new topic. "Um… Y-you… know my name?"

Ignis showed what would have seemed to be a small smile, if someone were to squint their eyes and really look for it. "Prompto Argentum. Fifteen years old. Adopted. A natural blonde, which means your origins are most likely not from Insomnia. Grades are average, as far as this school goes, but considering this is a prestigious one and you are here on an academic scholarship alone, it's rather impressive. No known hobbies. No club enrollments. No known friends. Left-handed." Prompto's eyebrows raised higher and higher the more Ignis went on, and after a brief silence, the bespectacled man finished with, "…You stare at Noctis a lot."

Prompto turned his head away from Ignis entirely so that hopefully he wouldn't see the deep blush that spread across his face. His heart skipped so many beats he was beginning to fear he was having a heart attack. He was already beginning to feel the sweat form along his skin. His hands were trembling so hard that the chopsticks were clacking together noisily.

Was Ignis upset? Was he really staring that obviously? Was Ignis going to kick his ass too?

"I-I… Um, I- I just…"

Ignis sighed. "…I'm not entirely sure what all of this is about, but if you have something to say to him, just say it. It's bound to be better than sitting on the sidelines…"

Prompto swallowed the heavy lump in his throat before trying and failing for a few attempts to shove food into his face so he wouldn't have to answer.

Ignis let him, chewing his own food calmly and evenly. "…Noctis is… not the easiest to approach. But he doesn't have anyone here he can relate to… I worry about him, for when Gladio and I leave this school and he has to endure the remainder alone…"

Prompto furrowed his brows and thought about that for a while, chewing more slowly and swallowing, before asking, "Why… W-why are you telling me this? …Don't I seem pathetic to you..? …What could Prince Noctis and I possibly have to relate to…?"

Ignis looked at him, a feint fondness deep within the evenness of his expression, before shrugging and packing up his empty part of his bento. "Who knows? It's just a hunch I have… Are you done with that?"

Prompto started before finishing the last few bites and nodding, giving the tray back to the boy. "Y-yeah. That was really good!"

Ignis stood up and brushed off his pristine uniform before looking down on Prompto and nodding. "…Perhaps some day we'll get to share a meal once more. Until then…" And he bowed curtly before walking off in the direction of his next class.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break, and even as students began flooding into the hallway from various doors and entryways, Prompto just sat there, staring at the man's back as he walked away. A foreign hope fluttered in his chest, warming his heart, and he smiled.

…

"…Sitting out again?"

Prompto sputtered and blinked furiously as Gladiolus Amicitia of all people walked over to where he was sitting by the bleachers, watching as the other kids were running laps. Prompto didn't know why suddenly both of Noctis' friends had an interest in him that month, and it made him nervous. Especially Gladiolus.

"U-um…. Yeah…"

Gladiolus leaned back and crossed his arms, watching as the others ran their laps until they were out of breath. "…How come?"

Prompto furrowed his brows and looked away. Wasn't it obvious? "I can't run like that… I… I get winded and sweaty just walking to and from school…"

Gladiolus nodded. "You know. I used to not be very athletic at all…"

Prompto's brows raised and he turned his head to face the muscular man once more. "R-really?! You?"

Gladiolus chuckled lightly, under his breath. "Yeah. I'm the type that would much prefer to curl up with a good book. But protecting Noctis and his family runs in my blood, and I can't fight destiny. Truthfully, I wouldn't want to anyways. Noctis is my friend and my prince, and I'd do anything for him… But I had to train and bulk up ever since I was old enough to carry a weapon." He let out a small chuckle. "But the younger me used to hate working out and training."

"Oh…"

The shield shrugged. "Change isn't something that comes overnight for any of us… We all have to work for it… But you never go anywhere unless you first believe that you can. That's the secret." He shot Prompto a small smirk.

Prompto managed a small smile back.

…

It had been over a year.

Nothing between him and Noctis had changed. But Prompto had changed drastically.

That day in the cafeteria so long ago, that one look of pride in the prince's face, Ignis' kindness, Gladiolus' words of advice; they had changed something in the very core of him. He had the firm belief in his head and heart now, that if you want change, you had to be the change.

And so he became the change he wanted to be.

Today was the first day of his junior year of high school, and instead of groggily waking up to a blaring alarm, wishing the day would hurry up and end, he was breathing heavily, kicking straining legs beneath him as they made contact with the hard sidewalk beneath. His chest burned with every intake of breath and he let out a cry of relief as his body finally smacked against the hard wood of his front door. Pale hands scrambled for keys in his pocket and then scrambled to line the key up with the keyhole before shoving the piece of metal in and clicking it open.

As the door slung open, Prompto hastily pulled the key out and closed the door behind him. He was greeted with an empty living room. An empty kitchen. Money on the table.

Some things still hadn't changed.

Prompto snatched it up, not bothering to look at the amount. He huffed his way up the stairs with limbs that screamed for rest and went to his room to drop the bills into a glass jar on his desk before shucking off sweaty clothes and making his way to the tiny bathroom.

Before he stepped into the welcoming spray of water. He didn't bother looking in the mirror.

Morning jogs had become a part of his new routine. Afternoon runs were almost as often but would soon become less often as school had started back up. Night runs would also no-doubt get pushed on the back-burner of importance in lieu of homework and projects. The thought made him grimace, made him worry. But he knew he could get through it. He made it this far, hadn't he? He'd find a way to keep up his routine. The fat was long gone, muscle replacing it, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough. That he wasn't perfect yet.

Any money his parents left him, he saved as much of it as he could. Instead of buying his fast-food biscuits and a soda, he had a protein shake and a breakfast bar. Salads were for lunch, but with the new school year, he decided he'd forget lunch altogether. Every time he thought about the cafeteria he thought back to that fateful day he walked the halls in shoes soaked through with milk, a limp in his step, bruises along his skin, and damp hair turning stiff and hard from the drying substance as he made his way to his next class in shame and embarrassment. The very memory made the contents of his stomach begin to churn, and so he shut it out as often as possible. Dinner was just whatever he could scrounge up to make at home, to avoid spending more money.

It was hard. Very hard.

Some days, especially in the beginning, he'd give up and cry as he feasted on candy and fattening foods. He'd think it was impossible to lose weight, and in the beginning, it was. He relapsed more times than he could count. But every time he gave up, he thought of Noctis. He thought about what the prince would think of him losing to the challenge so easily, just like he used to give in to those bullies so easily, every day of his life. And then he'd renew his vigor and try again.

And again.

And again.

Until the thought of giving up didn't even cross his mind anymore. Until he could almost block out the dull ache in his stomach. Until the burn in his body as he forced himself to run felt good instead of draining. He vowed he'd make Noctis proud again. Vowed he'd see that proud smile once more.

At least, he hoped he would.

Prompto stepped out of the shower and toweled off before pulling out his school uniform and putting it on. He had to buy a new one for this year. His old one simply hadn't fit anymore, and that thought frightened him almost as much as it sent his heart racing with delight. It meant he was finally thinner. Thin enough? He didn't know. He didn't want to look at himself too hard to figure it out.

Long gone were those cheap, wiry, framed glasses he used to wear. Recently, he had finally saved up enough money to get lasik eye surgery. His vision was better than it had been in years, and it was wonderful to not have to keep up with glasses. The only downside to it was that it made his freckles more noticeable, but he could deal with that. Maybe eventually he'd cover them up, if they gave him trouble.

Smiling to himself, he made his way back down the stairs to his living room and back out the front door, locking it softly behind him.

The walk to the school was quick, easy, and when he arrived on the grounds, he was happy to notice that no one was circling him, trying to start a one-sided fight. As he opened the doors, he breathed in a deep breath and plastered a smile to his face.

…

"Look who's back, boys!"

Oh no, Gods, not again… He thought it was finally over.

The entire school day had come and gone, and Prompto was about to walk home when he was roughly pulled by the arms from behind. He was dragged from the hallway and into a nearby bathroom, where he was slung against the wall so hard his head slammed against the tile, making his skull ache and sounds muffle occasionally, in and out. Prompto slid to the flood, cradling his head, and looked up at the all-too familiar group of boys that shielded and exits with their bodies.

"Looks like fatass Prompto aint so fat anymore, huh guys?", one kid mentioned.

"Still looks ugly as hell, though!", another kid pointed out, laughing.

Prompto winced. His hand felt slick. He must have been bleeding. Come on, couldn't they just give up? Weren't they tired of this? Would they ever get tired of it?

"I dunno, guys… I think he's pretty cute!"

A kid laughed. "Ew, yeah?"

Prompto tried to stand up but as soon as he got to his knees he was shoved back down roughly, head barely missing the sink and arms scrambling to block the impact beneath him.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, huh?"

Prompto grimaced and continued to glare up at them all.

"If you want out, you gotta do something nice for us, got it?"

Something nice? Prompto spit a mixture of blood and saliva onto the tile floor. Like hell he'd do anything nice for them. He snorted. "Like what, homework? Giving you my lunch money?"

One of the boys smirked down at him before stepping a little closer, a hand cupping what seemed to be a considerable tent in his pants. "You're gonna give me something, but it's not gonna be your lunch money, that's for sure." Prompto's eyes widened. He couldn't be serious, could he? Before the blonde could process it, he was being lifted back onto his knees with his hands held forcibly behind his back. The boy unzipped his pants, letting them fall down his legs, before grasping his cock and pulling it out.

Prompto thrashed wildly, and the three men holding onto him almost weren't able to contain him. He glared up at the boy and his voice was surprisingly only slightly shaky as he threatened, "Put that dick in my mouth and all your gonna get is a trip to the hospital, to sew it back onto you."

The boy laughed and took a step closer. "Just try it, blondie. See if we all don't send you to the hospital first."

Prompto let out a hot breath through his nose, nostril flaring in anger and a insistent fear that was growing more rapidly the closer that disgusting member came to his face. Well. If reason didn't work, he'd have to take action. After all, Prompto had changed. He wouldn't let these guys get the best f him any more.

He stayed still, feigning compliance, and waited until the very last second before headbutting the boy in the crotch, sending him crumpling to the floor in pain. As the other looked on with shock, Prompto tore from their grip and spun around with his leg out, tripping them and sending them to the floor as well. Before any of them could regain their composure, Prompto rose up to his feet and ran outside of the bathroom, down the hall, out of the school and home without stopping.

He only let himself rest once he was inside, the door locked behind him.

He let out a long sigh and sagged to the floor. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

…

"Today, we are going to go over Niflheim war history… Open your textbooks to page 125…"

Prompto did as he was told, following instructions on muscle memory alone as his mind struggled to stay within the confines of the classroom instead of the tuft of grey-blue hair directly in front of him. Noctis was in his class, for once. Finally. But the prince hadn't so much as looked at him. Maybe he didn't recognize him anymore.

Prompto didn't know if he was happy or sad about that thought.

He only caught little snippets of the lecture as he stared at the back of Noctis' head. How did the prince's hair stick out like that? Was it natural, or did he use products? He was so close to the back of Noctis he could almost smell the shampoo. He wondered if Noctis was in any clubs. What interests he had. If he was seeing anyone recently. Probably not, what with all the girls he turns down on an almost daily basis, so much like when he had first met him. He wondered if he still hung out with ignis and Gladiolus whenever school let out.

"Niflheim… very interesting… controversial methods…"

Prompto began biting the end of his pencil. He was so close to Noctis, yet so far. He could reach right out and touch him, but nothing good would come of it if he did. He was stuck in a limbo of sorts, dangling between being liked and disliked. When would he cross that barrier? How would it happen?

"One of the things… gathered… barcode..."

What?

Prompto blinked, but didn't move. He stayed perfectly still so as not to attract unwanted attention, but his eyes cut to the teacher faster then he could comprehend. He felt sweat begin to bead along his forehead and down the back of his neck as he continued to listen to the lecture with rapt attention. Instinctively, he chanced a couple glances down at his own covered wrist where his tattoo was.

Barcodes?

"…Niflheim have created a large collection of clones, all bred and altered with daemon blood and machinery, to eventually become the MagiTech soldiers we all know so well at this point..."

From somewhere behind him, a girl raised her hand. "But how do we know this? I thought they were just creepy robots."

The teacher gave a low chuckle. Prompto felt like hiss heart was going to beat out of his chest and he struggled to keep his breathing even as he none-too-patiently awaited the answer. Yeah, that's right. How did he know?

"The king organized an infiltrative mission to one of their labs some years back, when they began to hear rumors of such experiments... They were able to save a small number of babies before they were altered, but most of them died due to an unknown cause… It is unknown how many survived, or what happened to them, but they were able to gather that each child, almost as soon as they were created, were branded with a specific barcode on their bodies..." The teacher turned to face the board and began writing dates and information down.

Prompto instinctively gripped the arm band around his left wrist tightly. His barcode felt like it was burning beneath the fabric. His eyes stung. His lips quivered. His chest felt all too tight.

"…The children, when they come of age, are altered with daemon blood, giving them unnatural strength and reflexes, the ability to see in the dark; things of that nature. If they survive the change, that's when they become tested with machinery, a machine gun for an arm perhaps, or the ability to contort their bodies in ways normal humans could not… In the end, by the time they are old enough to be considered 'battle-ready', they are more machine and daemon than human..."

The room was spinning. He felt incredibly nauseous.

"Why do that to people, though? They could just build machines and leave people out of it!"

"Yeah, isn't that pretty expensive and ineffective?"

Prompto couldn't focus on the rest of the conversation. He rested his head on his desk and cradled his head in his hands, trying to drown out the lecture and focus on keeping his breaths steady and even, to try to lessen the sick feeling in his gut.

He wasn't born, he had been created, possibly in some lab. He was made for war; to aid in killing Regis, and possibly even in killing Noctis. His parents had lied to him. Or had they? Did they even know where he came from? Were they a part of the group that rescued him? Were they just as far into the dark on this as Prompto had been?

All at once, his world was crashing down around him. Everything he hoped to do was for naught. How could he possibly befriend Noctis, when the only reason he existed in the first place was to destroy everything he held dear? To help destroy and take over Insomnia?

He couldn't be here anymore. He had to get out.

Prompto couldn't stop his body from shaking almost violently as he carefully rose from his desk, school bag in hand. His chair scraped against the floor a little too loudly as he kicked it out from behind his legs. The teacher stopped talking and he could feel all eyes on him as he began making his way around the front of the class to the exit. He felt their eyes on him like flames licking against his body, making him feel like he was burning alive. Every time he took a step, it was like trying to walk on the top of the rolling ocean. Everything was swaying, causing him to stagger.

"Mr. Argentum, is everything alright…?", came the quizzical voice of his teacher, laced with worry.

Prompto took a breath and opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. His throat felt tight. His chest felt tight. Everything felt too tight, and oxygen seemed to be scarce for some reason.

He blinked rapidly, trying to regain control of his body, before his eyes happened to land on Noctis. Those deep blue eyes were gazing at him, his usual bored expression on his face, but this time mixed with something else…? Confusion. Recognition. Interest. Worry. Then back to neutral.

Always neutral.

Devastatingly neutral.

Prompto opened his mouth, tried to work something out of it, some form of excuse to leave, and vomited.

He barely remembered what happened afterwards. He vaguely remembered being helped to the infirmary, where he rested until he could finally stand on shaky legs. And then he walked home.

He laid in his bed for what felt like days. Staring at the wall opposite him, sweating and shivering at the same time under thick blankets drawn up to a quivering chin. Pale nails scratched at a thin tattooed wrist incessantly, until the skin was raw and bleeding, and even after that, he continued, until his sheets were stained red from the efforts and he had to force himself to stop. He'd never hear the end of it if the stain never left his sheets.

Who was he? What was he? Was he even human, really? Even though he hadn't gotten any daemon blood transfused to him, had no machinery implanted, could he still really call himself human?

He made a vow to hide it from Noctis, if ever they became close. To bury it deep down. Reject it. Not think about it. With any luck, he'd never actually get that close for the prince to actually see it.

It was three days until Prompto felt well enough to return to school.

…

"Teacher, Prompto passed out again!"

An exasperated sigh. "…Who want to take him to the infirmary this time…?"

"…I'll do it."

…

"Hey. Wake up. School's over."

Prompto's eyes fluttered open slowly before he shot up with a start, chest pounding, heart racing, pale blue eyes darting all over until they landed on all-too familiar deep blues.

And just like that, Prompto's heart skipped a few beats. Noctis stared down at him, something akin to amusement in his eyes while his face remained as stoic as ever. The light of the setting sun shown brightly through the windows of the infirmary of the school, making his hair glow with a lovely orange.

Without thinking, he grasped at his wristband, and was relieved to feel that it was still there, untouched. He let out a deep breath.

Good. His tattoo was still a secret.

Prompto opened and closed his mouth a few times, attempting to say something. Anything. "I- Have you- Did you…" He looked away and swallowed heavily before attempting again. "Did you… stay here with me this whole time…?"

Passing out wasn't new to Prompto. It actually happened quite often nowadays. But it wasn't an inconvenience, at least, he didn't feel like it was. But he never imagined the prince himself would have taken him to the infirmary, least of all stayed with him as he slept until school was out.

Noctis shrugged. "Yeah. It was a great excuse to skip class and sleep. So… thank for that."

Prompto's brows furrowed and he shook his head with a weak laugh. He didn't expect the prince to be a slacker. "Um… Y-your welcome… I guess?" He should be thanking Noctis. He should be grateful. But instead Noctis was thanking him. The feeling felt strange, and he didn't know what to do with that information. It itched under his skin and made him feel like running until the sensation went away. But he stayed in place. Waited.

Noctis stared down at him for a while, the silence between them deafening, before he licked his lips and looked off to somewhere else, out the window. "…You alright?"

Prompto stared at his hands in his lap, a thumb grazing over his wristband, heart pounding. After all this time, Noctis was talking to him, caring about him. He was finally recognizing him, and the revelation took his breath away. He never thought this moment would be coming so soon. After all the outward changes he had made to his body, he had yet to work on his confidence or social awkwardness. He still hadn't said more than a handful of words to Noctis all this time. He didn't think he'd ever be able to. Not this soon, at least.

"Y-Yeah... I think…" The way the words were tumbling from his lips in a nervous stutter made his cheeks burn. He probably sounded stupid.

As he met Noctis' eyes once more, the prince's expression was unreadable. "…Do you like video games?"

…

Noctis was surprisingly very different than he acted at school.

He was less on-guard. More aloof and carefree. So carefree, in fact, that he often forgot to do his homework until right before his next class. But he was by no means dumb. As a matter of fact, he had some of the highest grades in their level. He liked video games and comics, and he loved sleeping in. He would often be late for school if Ignis didn't force him awake and take him every morning. He disliked vegetables; beans especially.

It was… refreshing. Noctis was just like everyone else, for the most part; give or take a royal title or two. That didn't help Prompto be less nervous and antsy whenever they hung out, but that was fine. Maybe he'd get used to the feeling. Eventually. Someday.

"Haha. Dude, you suck at this game!" Noctis' laugh was infectious. Beautiful. Airy. It never failed to light Prompto's soul like a candle in a dark room.

Prompto smiled, despite the playful jab.

They'd been hanging out for months now, and Prompto was much more confident in the way he talked around the prince. He realized that when he had an actual person to talk to, for more than just a quick hello or to ask a question, he was actually quite charismatic. Jokes came easy to him, and they never failed in making Noctis smile.

Prompto lived for Noctis' smile.

Actually, Prompto found himself living for a lot of the things about his prince. It had grown to the point where Noctis was the first thing he thought of when he woke up and the last thing he thought of before he went to bed. Whenever they weren't together in person, they'd send a myriad of texts to each other, riddled with emojis, inside jokes, and memes. Sometimes even Prompto had no idea what they were talking about anymore; he just enjoyed talking to the other so much.

The feeling of being around Noctis was a feeling of calmness and being home; not in his cold house with the significant lack of communication, no. It felt like he belonged next to Noctis. Like there was no other place in the world he'd rather be. Sometimes the thought filled him from head to toe with warmth and light. Other times, it caused him to say up all night and scratch at his wrist.

"Hey, man! I don't have video games at home! They're so expensive!"

"…They are?", Noctis asked, quirking his head to the side. He was serious about it; that was the funny thing.

Noctis didn't have a very good grasp on exactly how different he was compared to other people most times. Things like middle-class or lower-class hadn't occurred to him until they became friends. He often had to be reminded that not everyone could live in their own apartment without their parents being around, or that not every kid could afford a car, so they didn't have to walk or take the bus. Sometimes he even had to be reminded that not everyone could afford name brand clothing.

Prompto didn't mind all too much. It was. strangely endearing to see Noctis furrow his brows and fumble his words as the realization washed over him. Sometimes, Noctis was just as awkward as Prompto was. "Um… yeah?"

"…Oh." Their arms brushed against one another's as Noctis shifted on his couch. Noctis' skin was soft. Warm. It made Prompto feel like the room was a furnace, more times than not. "…Well, it's getting kind of late… We have school tomorrow and Ignis will beat the crap out of me if I wake up late again…"

Prompto didn't want to go home. He didn't want to be left alone in his cold house with only his thoughts to pass the time. He wanted to stay with Noctis. "…Yeah… I guess I should go home."

"Want Gladio or Ignis to drive you there?"

Prompto smiled. "Only if it wouldn't be a bother."

Noctis smiled back. A genuine, true smile that made his dimples incredibly obvious. Not one of the small, cautious one he used to give Prompto, back before they knew each other. "…You'd never be a bother, Prom."

Heat exploded in his chest and made its way up to Prompto's freckled cheeks. It was in this moment that Prompto finally realized that he was fucked. Absolutely fucked. His heart was beating in his chest like a caged humming bird desperate for release and his skin felt clammy. His mouth ran dry.

He liked Noctis.

He liked Noctis more than he probably should.

…

"Ah, Prompto. Good to see you." Ignis greeted the guest that had rang the doorbell to Noctis' apartment and let him in, bowing slightly in greeting, always so formal.

The blonde smiled and walked inside. "Noct not here yet?"

"I'm sorry to say that no, he is not… Training with Gladiolus is taking longer than normal… Care for anything to eat while we wait?"

Prompto's stomach growled, but he just placed a hand over it, hoping Ignis hadn't heard. "Nah, I'm good. Parents cooked me a big dinner before coming over."

"Suit yourself. Make yourself at home, then."

"Will do!"

He saw Ignis almost as much as he saw Noctis, nowadays. Since graduating high school, the man had invested more and more time into being Noctis' full-time advisor until nowadays he practically lived at Noctis' apartment. Prompto didn't mind. He liked Ignis. He was level-headed and kind, and would often help with homework problems that were particularly tough.

Prompto flopped belly-fist onto Noctis' couch and pulled out his phone to play King's Knight while he waited as Ignis continued preparing Noctis' dinner. There was silence for a long while, but it was a comfortable one. Occasionally Ignis would whistle a Tenabraean tune; something soft and slow and calming, until soon the blonde was finding it hard not to nod off.

"I'm glad you're Noctis' friend…" The statement had come so quietly from the kitchen, Prompto thought he had imagined it at first, and he turned his head to look at the advisor. "…He's changed quite a lot, since being near you…"

"…Yeah?" Prompto paused his game and threw it onto a nearby cushion, turning and leaning along the back of the couch as he engaged with Ignis.

"Mm." Ignis hummed in agreeance before pulling a roast out the oven.

To be honest, Prompto couldn't really fathom it. Not when he knew how much he had changed, just to become the kind of friend the prince would want. "…How so?"

"Well, Noctis has never been one for socialization… He's always been withdrawn… There weren't any children in the citadel, other than Gladiolus and I, while he was growing up… And, unfortunately, we weren't able to be the friends he needed, due to our obligations… We couldn't an still can't afford to slip from out duties of preparing him to be king… It was hard for him, whenever we weren't around…"

"…Oh… I think I get it…" Prompto imagined how a younger Noctis must have looked, all alone, no one to talk to. It reminded him a lot of himself. It made all kinds of repressed feeling well back up, and he had to try his best not to cry in front of the other man. He never wanted Noctis to feel that way. Never again. "…Well, I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. No matter what…"

Ignis chuckled. "…Can you promise that so easily?"

Prompto licked his lips and swallowed. Yes. Without a doubt in his mind. He'd follow Noctis to the ends of the world if the boy would allow him. "You bet! Noct is my best friend!"

Ignis' face changed to reflect a shallow sadness for a moment, but then it was gone, and he was smiling once more. "Well. I'm glad to hear that."

…

"…Didn't bring anything for lunch again today?" Noctis observed as he took his seat next to Prompto on the roof of the school. The cafeteria had been forgone long ago. Too many people. Too many stares, trying to figure out why Noctis would be hanging around someone like him, why he wouldn't hang around anyone else. If Prompto thought on it long enough, even he would find it a mystery.

Prompto shrugged and gave an all-too-practiced laugh. An all-too practiced response. "Nah, dude. I just ate before you got here…"

Noctis' gaze bore into him. Lately, nothing Prompto said or did to assuage the questions worked. He would always bring it up. "…Prom…" His voice was too firm. Too knowing.

"…" Prompto's face burned and he didn't know why, but he couldn't look at Noctis. He didn't have anything to be ashamed over. He was fine, plain and simple. He wasn't doing anything wrong.

Noctis didn't say anything for a long while. Then he sighed and removed his bento from his school bag. One created lovingly by Ignis, naturally. It smelled like heaven. "…Here, you're eating half of my lunch today. No arguments."

"…" Prompto didn't say anything. He only nodded mutely and took the offered chopsticks without complaint.

"…You look fine." The answer to the unasked question hung heavily in the air between them, threatening to crush Prompto. But at the same time, it made him feel impossibly light and warmer than he felt mere seconds ago.

It didn't stop him from running longer and harder that next morning.

…

"Gods, squirt, what happened to you this time?" Gladiolus' eyebrows raised as he looked up from the novel he was reading, watching Prompto silently pad into Noctis' apartment.

The blonde's lip was busted and bleeding down his chin and bruises marred his boney knees. He looked to be walking with a slight limp, as well. He winced when his lips moved to form words. "…Nothing, just the guys again."

Gladio fixed Prompto with a look and cracked his knuckles. "They've been at it for a while now, haven't they?" Longer than he knew. "Want me to take care of them for you?"

Prompto immediately flinched and shook his head vigorously. "No! I- I can handle it. I just… need to do this myself… Please."

Gladiolus eyed him warily as he took a rag, filled it with ice, and placed it on his mouth to try and make the swelling go down before Noctis got home. He could tell that this whole bullying thing was personal to him, but he couldn't understand why he never let him beat some sense into the fuckers. He wouldn't do anything Prompto didn't want him to do on the matter. For now. But still, he wanted to help the boy out in some way.

"Hey. You know, I'm pretty free nowadays, since I'm out of school now… If you want to join Noct and me in some weapons training, I'd be glad to take you under my wing."

Prompto considered it and smiled. "Dude, I don't think I'll ever be able to lift a sword that big!"

Gladiolus chuckled and relaxed further into the couch. "There's more than just big swords out there, dummy. Just gotta find what suits you."

"Yeah, I guess. Sounds good."

Gladiolus looked him up and down, his mouth in a firm line. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but shut it. After a beat of silence, he tried again. "You look like you could stand a few extra pounds." Prompto flinched, and he added, "Of muscle."

"…Yeah…?" He laughed, but it sounded too empty, even in his own ears.

Gladiolus changed the subject, thankfully. "Hey, come here. I want to tell you about this new book I got. You'd like it, probably."

Prompto smiled and walked over towards the other man. "Cool beans! You gonna read it to me?"

Gladiolus chuckled and ruffled his hair when he sat down. "Only if you're good."

…

Photography didn't come to Prompto until just after graduation.

Ignis dropped him off at his house, Noctis and Gladiolus in tow, same as always. He said his goodbyes and made his way into the house, still wearing his cap and gown. He was unsurprised to meet the cold, dark, familiar rooms, void of all forms of parental life.

It was okay. It didn't hurt anymore. A lot of things didn't hurt anymore now that he had Noctis and the others. The bullied had even stopped messing with him, ever since his combat training with Gladiolus.

Better late than never, right?

On the table, he was pleasantly surprised to see a small decorative box, tied with a bright bow. Alongside it was a small slice of cake from some local café that Prompto didn't know well. He looked at the cake with distaste. He couldn't remember the last time he ate cake. He thought strongly for a moment about throwing it straight into the garbage, not even unwrapping it. But then he thought about Noctis and that day on the roof, and he begrudgingly took a fork out of one of the kitchen drawers and stabbed a couple bites into his mouth.

Next came the present. He undid the bow, opened the lid of the box, and took the object out, feeling the weight in his hands and the cold plastic on his fingertips.

A camera.

A note came attached, sitting beneath the box with neat handwriting.

Prompto.

We are so proud of you and couldn't be happier.

Congratulations!

Love, Mom and Dad.

His parents didn't know him at all. It was obvious they just got him the first thing that crossed their minds. Prompto let out a dry laugh before throwing the note away along with the half-eaten cake.

He needed to run.

…

The sunset was warm as it washed over Prompto, bathing him in orangey-pink light.

Noctis was even warmer.

They were standing so close; their cheeks were practically brushing against one another as Noctis tried his best to see the same image Prompto was seeing through the screen of his camera. Prompto was holding it up, pointing it toward the view of the city below and snapping a few photos. The city was by no means quiet; the steady beeping of car horns, bustle of people walking and talking below, the muted beats of music. All filling Prompto's ears but drowned out in comparison to the soft, steady intakes and outtakes of breath from Noctis in his ear.

He tried not to shiver. Tried not to lean into the warmth of him at his side.

"Dude, you're actually really good at this.", came the cool, even voice. Noctis' brows raised as he watched Prompto look through his recent photos, eyes catching the sunset and reflecting it directly into Prompto's heart.

A slow intake of breath. A shaky outtake of breath. A practiced laugh. "Haha. Who knew, right?"

Noctis backed away and immediately Prompto was feeling so much colder. "Hey. Take one of me!"

The prince struck an incredibly ridiculous pose, as if he was some hero in an obscure anime or video game. Prompto's heart felt like it was going to burst as the laughter bubbled up and out of his throat. He raised the camera to his eyes and took a few shots. Noctis returned to Prompto's side to look at himself on the screen and he laughed.

"Oh my Gods, I look so dumb! Haha."

Prompto smiled. "Want me to delete them?"

"Nah. It's okay. I want to give them to Luna. She's totally gonna flip when she sees them!"

Prompto blinked. "…Luna? Who's that?"

…

"Umbra!" Noctis called out, practically bounding towards the little dog that padded towards them from down the street. Prompto watched the scene from a distance away, his face in a well-practiced indifference.

He had learned very quickly just who Luna was.

Noctis loved her. It was obvious. Brutally obvious. They lived incredibly far apart from one another, but somehow were able to keep in touch with each other all these years through a single notebook, brought back and forth between them by Umbra, concealed in the dog's scarf. It was the only way the two of them could talk without the Empire interfering. After all, they kept close tabs on the princess, and so she had no phone to use.

Luna and Noctis had been friends since childhood. The prince had shown Prompto a few photos, every now and then; the few ones he cared to show, anyways, mainly keeping what they sent each other private. And each time, Prompto marveled by how truly beautiful she looked. All pale blonde hair, done up in braids and a pony tail. She wore very little make-up, having a plethora of natural beauty and flawless skin. From what Prompto heard, her voice was like Ignis', mature-sounding and lovely, naturally with a Tenabraean accent to boot. She was the oracle, someone who could commune with the Gods, and was destined to help Noctis through his reign, apparently.

Prompto couldn't compete with that. He'd never be able to compete with that.

He watched as Noctis smiled so lovingly and fondly at the little notebook in his hands before scribbling a short message back. He looked to Prompto, that wonderful, slightly dazed, loving expression still clinging to him for a brief moment before it faded away into Noctis' default lazy smirk. "Hey, Prom. You got the photos you took of me, right?"

Prompto found himself wishing, just for the briefest of moments, that Noctis would look at him like that. He swallowed down the growing lump in his throat and willed away the ache in his heart. "Yeah, dude! Got them right here!"

"Cool."

"That's me! The coolest!"

"Haha. You're such a dork…"

"Says the dude making googly eyes at a notebook!"

…

Noctis laughed as Prompto snapped another photo. They weren't doing anything special. Just sitting on the couch, like always, legs tangled as Noctis tried to focus on reading his manga, a TV show neither of them was paying attention to in the background played out softly. They had lost track of how many times they'd spent their afternoons like this. "Prom, another one? How many of them do you have?"

Prompto laughed and viewed the picture he just took fondly. "Not enough, dude."

"You're such a wierdo…" Prompto rolled his eyes at the half-hearted jab, was surprised when pale fingers clasped around the camera and snatched it swiftly from his hands.

"Hey- "

Noctis flipped through the memories and playfully shoved Prompto away by the chest with a foot when he tried to take it back. "There's so many photos!"

"Dude, give it back!" Prompto whined, heart pounding in his chest as his friend skimmed through various shots. Some of the landscapes around town, some of animals, some of Ignis or Gladiolus, some of Noctis.

A lot of Noctis. Way too much Noctis.

Prompto watched the prince make a face, scrunching his nose up in distaste, and for a moment his heart fell into his stomach. "Why are there no pictures of you in here?"

Almost immediately, Prompto backed off, giving up his fight to get his camera back. He didn't want to talk about this. After a heavy silence, he shrugged, unable to come up with a good excuse. "Nothing special about me."

"There's nothing special about me, either.", Noctis shot back quickly, pointing his friend with a side-eyed look as he continued scrolling through old photos.

Prompto scoffed. "…You can't be fucking serious, Noct." The man in front of him was a gods damned prince, with the entire city almost quite literally in the palm of his hands, and he just said there was nothing special about him? It was almost unbelievable. He was the luckiest damned guy in the world, as far as Prompto was concerned.

Noctis dismissed that comment in favor of lining the camera up with his eye and snapping a quick shot of Prompto. The blonde froze for a moment, unexpecting the hash flash of the camera directed at him. For a moment, he didn't really know what to do. Didn't know what to think. But then the moment passed just as quickly as it came, and he was so incredibly angry. Who had given Noctis permission to take his photo?

He lunged forward, snatching the camera back from his friend's hands. Without a second thought, he deleted the photo immediately, not even sparing it a glance. He didn't want to see it. He didn't want to see himself.

Noctis threw his hands up in frustration. "What's the big deal, Prom? It's just a picture!"

It was way more than a picture. "I didn't say you could touch my fucking camera!" Prompto glared at Noctis, curling in on himself on his side of the couch, clutching his camera to his chest. Noctis glared back.

There was an oppressive silence for a long time before Noctis sighed and grumbled an, "You never look at yourself…"

That was it. Prompto snapped.

He stood up, throwing the camera into the cushions instead of the floor, but almost wishing he had, just to hear the satisfying shattering of something. He desperately wanted to break something right now. His body shook with the barely restrained anger as he stared into his friend's confused eyes. "Have you ever thought that maybe that's how I like it?! Maybe I don't want to see myself?!"

"But why? I don't get it!" He truly didn't. Possibly. Maybe. Prompto knew he didn't understand. He would never understand. But Gods, Prompto wished he would. He wished Noctis would understand his past, his troubles, his hardships. But at the same time, Prompto didn't want to relive them. He didn't want to speak it aloud. It made no sense, it contradicted with the way he was lashing out now, but he wanted it so badly.

He wanted Noctis to hold him and tell him everything was okay. That he was here, and that he didn't have to try to be anything more than he already was because he was perfect already. To tell them that he had done enough. That he was enough.

But he couldn't ask for that.

Not with his secret past. Not with his overbearing insecurities. Not with the barcode etched permanently into his skin, beneath his bracelets, constantly reminding him that he'd never be like anyone else. Not with the way Noctis looked while writing Luna.

It was too much. It had been too much for so, so long now.

"You'll never get it, Noct! You won't! So stop trying to fucking understand me, okay?!" His eyes burned. His face burned. It felt too hot in the room. He didn't want to fight with Noctis. He didn't want to say these things, but he couldn't stop the words from coming out, reverberating off the walls with a thick resentment. Because it was true, wasn't it? They were too different.

At this point, Noctis was standing up as well, hands balled into fists at his sides. His eyes were heated. "Has it ever crossed your mind that I want to understand you, Prompto?!"

Prompto grimaced. "Oh, yeah?! Where was that attitude when I was younger, huh?! When I was being bullied on the daily and you did nothing! Where the fuck was that attitude then, Noct, huh?! Where the fuck were you?!" Tears streamed freely down Prompto's freckled cheeks as he screamed the words, pointing accusingly at his friend from across the room.

"I was a different person before we became friends, Prom! I- "

He didn't want to hear that. He didn't want to hear it. Not now. "So was I, Noct!" The blonde stepped closer to the prince, shoving him away roughly, before continuing his screaming. They were probably bothering the neighbors. Prompto didn't care. Half of Insomnia could probably hear the fight, and he didn't care. "Do you know how much I changed myself, just to become someone you'd want to be around?! To be someone you wouldn't feel embarrassed to be seen with?!"

Something akin to hurt and shame crossed the prince's face, and then Noctis growled before stepping forward and shoving his friend back, pushing Prompto with enough force to send him falling back onto the couch, almost crushing the camera beneath him. "Prompto, look at yourself! You're killing yourself!" Noctis screamed, and at this point he was crying, too. Prompto had never seen Noctis cry. He hated it. "You're so afraid of going back to who you used to be that you're starving yourself and running rampant!" Prompto stayed silent except for the broken sobs and gasps of breaths as Noctis continued. "I worry about you, Prom! We all do! I have to sit next to you and make you eat most days! I have to invite you over to play video games, just so I don't have to worry about you passing out on the sidewalk while you're on one of your runs!"

Prompto felt every word, every syllable, like a punch to the gut. It knocked the air out of him. Made him feel numb. He couldn't be here anymore. He stood up, snatched up his camera and made his way to the front door of Noctis' apartment. Noctis was following close behind, but he didn't care. He could hear the heavy footsteps close behind him, but he didn't look back. His throat felt raw from screaming. "…I'm going home…"

"Fine. Go."

…

It was well past 1AM when Prompto's phone began buzzing from atop his night stand. Prompto was still awake, still in his clothes, damp and shivering. He couldn't sleep. Not with the fight that had just happened so few hours ago. It was still raining outside, and the steady splatter of water droplets landing on hard pavement and window panes was calming as well as distracting. Every once in a while, thunder sounded, shaking the walls, and Prompto wished it would grow loud enough so he wouldn't be able to hear himself think. He rolled over slowly and picked his phone up, staring at the screen.

It was Noctis. Of course it was. It was always Noctis.

Usually, he'd be happy and answer immediately, but the raw emotions from earlier were still burning within him, and he had half a mind to neglect the call again like he had done a few times that night already. But this was Noctis. And without Noctis, what did he really have? So with a deep, shaky breath, he swiped to answer the call and brought the phone up to his ear. With words so hoarse and so soft, it was probably barely audible, he answered with a bleak, "…Yeah…?"

The voice that came out from the phone was surprisingly calm and even, but Prompto could still make out the regret. "…I'm sorry…"

And he crumbled. Just like he knew he would if he heard that voice again, he gave in. It had only been a few hours, but he missed Noctis. He missed them being together. He missed not fighting. Prompto closed his eyes and focused on the sound of Noctis' voice and breathing, mixed with the rainfall that acted like static in the background of talk radio or a waning phone signal through a tunnel. "…Me too…"

There was a long silence for a while, so long Prompto was beginning to thing Noctis had hung up, and then, "…Come back, Prom…"

It was almost coming on two in the morning, and he was still soaking wet and shivering from the long walk back to his house in the rain, but he would come back. He would always come back. A sigh, and then, "…It's almost two in the morning…"

"…Yeah…" Noctis had nothing to argue to it. It was a stupid suggestion. A selfish one. But maybe Noctis wanted to be around Prompto as much as Prompto wanted to be around him? One could only hope.

Another long silence. "…Yeah… Okay… I'm on my way…" And he didn't care that he was shivering and aching from the wet cold by the time he arrived. He didn't care how tired he was of being awake for so long. The sweet, apologetic look in Noctis' eyes and the way he hugged him tightly as soon as he swung the door open made it all worthwhile.

…

Noctis' room was dark, but Prompto could still make out every feature on the prince's sleeping face as they laid in bed together, like they usually did whenever Prompto spent the night. Prompto stared at Noctis. He watched the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest, his parted lips, his lashes fluttering occasionally as he dreamed sweetly. The rain rolling down the window made shadows dance against the moonlight spilling into the room over the two of them. It was finally letting up now, the steady pitter-patter growing more feint by the minute, leaving them in silence.

Prompto's heart pounded and he swallowed. Slowly, oh so slowly, he inched closer to Noctis in the bed. Until their breaths mingled, and their noses bumped together ever so slightly, and he could make out every little detail on the other's face. He raised a hand to lightly skim over grey-blue bangs, sweeping them away from Noctis' eyes. The fingers trailed lightly over a high cheek bone, an angular jaw, and finally over smooth lips.

Prompto worried his own lips with his teeth as he stared and touched. Noctis was so beautiful, so peaceful. He wanted to know how it would feel to kiss him. To be kissed back. To be held by him. To be wanted by him.

To be loved by him.

Prompto leaned in, until their lips were probably less than a centimeter apart-

-and stopped.

Noctis was looking at him, eyes heavily lidded from the sleep he was rousing from, and his brows furrowed as the image of Prompto became less blurry around the edges. A light sigh, and then a groggy, confused, "…Prom…?"

Prompto withdrew quickly without rousing the prince further, putting as much space between them as he could. He bit his lip and curled up on himself, already missing the warmth of having a body so close to him. He sighed, closing his eyes. He had been close to kissing him. So close. "…You're dreaming, Noct… Go back to sleep…"

"Mmm…" Without another word, Noctis rolled over to lay on his back, and his face relaxed as he fell back asleep easily.

Prompto forced himself to try to go to sleep after that, but sleep didn't come easily.

…

"Oh. Prompto. You're eating cake?" Ignis looked to him, eyebrows slightly raised, as the blonde shoveled a mouthful of the sweet into his mouth. It was Noctis' twentieth birthday.

"And more than one, right? Isn't this your second slice?" Gladiolus looked surprised as well, from where he sat near the other three men.

Prompto shrugged. The cake was too sweet. The mass of it felt awful and disgusting in his stomach, but he tried to ignore it and eat more. He didn't want the worried stares. He didn't want Noctis to invite him over for meals because he felt like he had to. Just like he believed Noctis wouldn't want to be friends with someone he'd have to defend all the time, he figured surely Noctis wouldn't want to be friends with someone he had to constantly babysit and look after all the time. And he couldn't lose Noctis.

"Yeah, what of it?" He shot back, trying not to sound too irritated. But he was. "It's good cake, Iggy. You've really outdone yourself!"

He met the prince's eyes, and the small smile Prompto received for his actions made his heart flutter and made the heavy lump inside of him feel a little easier to take. "Eat all of it you want, Prom.", Noctis offered, elbowing him playfully.

Prompto smiled back. "Awesome." But he didn't get another slice. He could barely stand two. But he ate them. And he kept them down. And he stopped himself from running that afternoon.

Baby steps.

…

"Say cheese!" The camera flashed and Prompto flinched for a split second as the picture was taken. Noctis turned the camera screen around to show them the selfie. "Hey, it looks pretty good!" The prince grinned from ear to ear, and Prompto forced the smile to stay on his face as he looked at the picture of the two of them.

"Yeah, it looks great!"

"Can I get a copy to send to Luna?"

"Of course!"

Baby steps.

…

Okay, so maybe doing shots every time Noctis' favorite actor said "motherfucker" in the movie they were watching wasn't entirely the best idea.

But there they were, sprawled out on Noctis' living room floor, giggling up at the ceiling like lunatics. Insomnia had been getting more and more attempted attacks by the Empire recently. Talks of an unavoidable war or the possibility of a peace treaty was all any TV channels or radio stations seemed to be talking about nowadays, and so Prompto honestly wasn't surprised when his prince suggested they find a way to forget about it all and just have fun.

Prompto couldn't blame Noctis. It was a lot to deal with, especially with how weak the king was getting as of late. Noctis never talked about it or brought it up, but there was no missing how quiet and withdrawn he'd get whenever someone brought up Regis or the Empire around him. And so of course Prompto went along with the scheme. He'd go along with anything Noctis suggested.

"What were we even laughing about again?" The prince asked, coming down from his giggle fit.

"No clue, man. I'm so plastered I can barely remember what I had for dinner an hour ago."

Noctis laughed and playfully punched his shoulder. "Dude. Truth or dare."

Prompto groaned and rolled over lazily to face his prince. The world was spinning and there was a pleasant warmth in his body. "I dunno, man, truth?"

"Got any crushes?"

Prompto swallowed audibly and flicked his gaze to the floor for the briefest moment. "No."

"Whaaaatt? None?!"

Prompto licked his lips and quickly changed the subject. "Hey, I already told you my answer! It's your turn."

A long, exasperated sigh. "Fiiinneee…."

"Hey, you're the one who started this game, dude." He snorted at his friend's antics. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Okayyyy… I dare you to prank call Iggy."

"Oh my Gods, no. He's gonna kill me for being this wasted!"

"Rules are rules, dude. It's either that or take the punishment!"

Noctis laughed. "Oh, yeah? And what's the punishment?"

Prompto didn't know what made him do it. Perhaps it was the alcohol. Perhaps it was his mind screaming for him to take a chance after all this time spent in unrequited love hell. Either way, he didn't stop himself from throwing out, "You gotta give me a big fat smooch, lover boy!"

There was a short silence, and Prompto was beginning to freak out inwardly over what he had just offered, but the next thing he knew, there was a pair of lips against his own. He blinked and watched hazily as Noctis kissed him, a little awkwardly and clumsily and wet from the alcohol. He swore his heart must have stopped, and reached up to pull Noctis closer, but all at once it was over, and when Noctis sat up, wiping the saliva from his lips with the back of his hand, Prompto was sure his freckled face was a deep red.

"Done. I win. You lose."

They decided to call it a night after that.

Noctis didn't remember anything afterwards and he had the worst hangover in all of Insomnia. Prompto had been up thinking about it, replaying it in his mind, ghosting his fingers over his own lips. His hangover wasn't nearly as bad, but the awkward boner while he laid in bed next to his friend that night was.

He didn't bring it up, instead choosing to pretend he didn't remember anything either.

He'd take that one small, wonderful, indulgent pleasure with him to the grave. And to the bed, whenever he was alone at night.

…

The news came out of nowhere. It was just another day. A day that should have been regular, like normal. Prompto picked up his phone from where it sat on the dining table as he ate his cereal silently. The screen read Noctis' name and almost immediately he answered, like he always did.

"Sup!"

Noctis' voice on the other line was breathless and rushed, and there was the distant sounds of rustling in the background. "Prom! Something big has happened. Can you come to the Citadel as soon as possible? I have to leave soon."

Leave?

Noctis had to leave?

Without a single hesitation, Prompto was already dumping the remans of the cereal down the sink drain and throwing on his jacket. "Already on my way, Noct! I'll be there in fifteen!"

He made it there in less than ten, chest pounding, lungs gasping for air, as he wasn't so used to running anymore. Not for months now. He swallowed and looked up nervously at the large, towering structure of the Citadel. Never in his life had he been allowed here. It was strictly for royalty and the people directly serving the royal family. Prompto's mind began to race, as he tried to rationalize the reason Noctis wanted him there. What could possibly be going down?

But soon he saw Noctis, running down the stairs to meet him. He was smiling wide, looking more excited than Prompto could ever remember seeing him, and it blew away any remaining doubt. Whatever it was couldn't be that bad, he supposed.

"Prom, you came!"

"Um, duh? I always will. What's up? What's got you looking like that?"

Noctis smiled, and the smallest of blushes graced his pale cheeks as he looked away bashfully for a moment, and Prompto wished he had his camera on him. He looked so beautiful. So happy. So perfect. "I'm going to marry Luna."

Oh.

Prompto wanted to turn right back around and run home and drown himself. He felt like vomiting up his cereal. He felt like all the hope in the world was wrung out of him, like a towel.

He smiled. Smiled so hard his face hurt. So hard that there would be absolutely no way Noctis would see the hurt behind it. "Oh, dude! That's so awesome!" He pulled the prince in for a tight hug, and the way Noctis' heart was pounding in his chest, against Prompto's, made him physically ache.

Noctis pulled away. "We're gonna meet her in Altissia, so we need to pack up and go. You wanna come along?"

Of course Prompto wanted to come. If Noctis, Ignis, and Gladiolus left Insomnia, what would be left for him? What would he have to live for? What would he do for himself? The prospect made him uncomfortable almost as much as the idea of joining them made him feel. But it was Noctis. And no matter what, he'd follow Noctis to the end. Even if it hurt him more than anything.

"Are you kidding? Where do I sign up?"

Noctis smiled wide and pulled him in for another hug. This one smaller. Briefer. Looser. When he pulled away, he said, "I gotta say goodbye to my dad. Come with?"

He felt like he was breaking. "Oh, man! Are you serious? I finally get to meet your dad?"

They both began walking up the stairs, into the Citadel. "We can swing by your place and pack up your things afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan!"

"I want you to be my best man, Prom."

"I'd be honored!" He'd rather be shot. "Hey, I can take pictures and document the trip! We can put it in a photo album and I'll give it to you on your wedding day!"

Noctis pulled him closer as they walked and smiled. "I'd love that."