A/N: If you're familiar with my other fics, I see this one as happening between Bliss and Diving In. This is a story I really wanted to write at some point for this series - but you can still read it as a one shot. I figured it was fitting for the "Good enough" prompt for Promptis Week, so here we are; and that's why I'm posting it apart from my other entries.
This fic fought me a lot, and I ended up deleting and rewriting entire parts of it several times - but I hope you'll like the final result. It's just cute. I need them cute and happy. They deserve it.
Huge cuddle pile for the ChillXV people!
And many thanks to Voxiferous for being a wonderful beta!
When Prompto opened his eyes, his first thought was that it was way too bright, so he immediately closed them again. He tried to move, but his body felt heavy and his muscles were somehow sore. He realized he was lying in a soft bed, much softer than his own, most likely Noctis' if he was remembering correctly - but then again, he felt like his whole brain was trapped in a very thick fog, so he wasn't entirely certain. He couldn't help the pained groan that escaped his lips, and felt the mattress shift a little.
"Prom?" he heard a sleepy voice ask next to him. Noctis.
He tried opening his eyes again, slowly this time, only to see Noctis' face hovering above him, bathed in the orange light from the bedside table. A brief look around confirmed his initial thought: he was indeed in Noctis' apartment. It wasn't too bright at all, though; it was most likely dark outside, and Noctis looked very tired and worried.
"Hey," Prompto croaked, only to start coughing immediately.
"Don't talk," Noctis said quickly. "I'll get you some water. Here, let me help you."
Prompto struggled a bit as Noctis helped him sit up. His head was throbbing and spinning a little as he changed position. One of Noctis' hands remained gently on his back, while the other brought a glass of water near Prompto's lips.
"You need to drink, doctor's orders," Noctis told him gently.
Prompto raised his eyes and looked at Noctis hesitantly. His boyfriend gave him a reassuring smile.
"Just drink a little, okay? Then you can sleep some more."
Feeling uncertain, Prompto nevertheless took a few gulps of water. The cool liquid somehow helped settle his spinning head a little.
"What happened?" Prompto managed to ask after Noctis had put the glass back on the bedside table.
"You collapsed at training," Noctis replied, helping Prompto back into a lying position. "Gladio said to tell you that the next time you show up sick and don't tell anyone, a bad cold won't be the only reason you end up face first on the floor."
Prompto chuckled in spite of himself, relishing the way Noctis was softly stroking his hair. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him to fuck off and get a doctor," Noctis said, sounding a little bitter. "Seriously… What were you thinking?"
There was a pang of guilt in Prompto's heart. He had known he wasn't feeling well since the morning, but Noctis had been so busy these past two weeks, they had only seen each other at school… Prompto missed his boyfriend, so he hadn't wanted to miss out on the one opportunity they had to spend some time together - their usual training and gaming sessions.
"I'm sorry," Prompto breathed out, sadly. "I missed you."
Noctis' face fell a little. "Yeah, I know. I missed you too, I'm sorry."
"Noct, it's fine, don't-" Prompto tried.
"Just…" Noctis interrupted. "Don't scare me like that again, ok?"
Prompto nodded, and Noctis leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "Now sleep. I'll be right here."
Prompto closed his eyes and felt himself slip into unconsciousness again, soothed by the gentle motions of Noctis' fingers in his hair.
When Prompto next woke up, the room was much brighter. His still had a huge headache, but somehow felt a little less dizzy. Turning his head to his left, he saw Noctis fast asleep next to him and smiled softly. Shifting a bit, he managed to sit up and noticed that his shirt was gone. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly glanced at his wrist, only to let out a relieved sigh upon seeing that his wristband was still there. He could only guess that Noctis had had to remove his shirt during the night for whatever reason - not that he minded anyway, but what was on his wrist, well… That was another story. For another time. Maybe.
Something on his right caught his eye, and that was when he saw the tray on the bedside table. There was some bread, a banana, a glass of water and some pills; as well as a note from Ignis.
Dear Prompto,
I do hope you are starting to feel better. You gave Noctis quite a scare last night when your fever spiked up, but now the worst should be over. Please take the pills with some water, and try to drink as much as possible. If you feel like it, you can also try to eat what I've laid out for you. This is rather bland, but should not upset your stomach. Gladio and I will come by to check on you later; until then, please take care of yourself.
Ignis.
A warm feeling spread in Prompto's chest as he read the message. It felt so good, and still new, to have people care about him like that. He had been in a relationship with Noctis for about a year now, and while not many people knew - going public about dating a prince meant going really public - Noctis' friends and father had only been warm and supportive. It was so different from the relationship he had with his parents… They were nice and all but… They saw each other so rarely nowadays that their relationship was mostly made of small talk.
Careful not to wake Noctis - not that it was really difficult given how deep of a sleeper his boyfriend was - Prompto took the tray and laid it on his lap. He swallowed the medicine and then started nibbling on some bread. He felt a bit groggy, but fine enough to eat a little. He checked his phone while eating, which allowed him to see that it was almost noon, and replied to a few messages before feeling the exhaustion set in again.
He quietly put everything back on the bedside table, and rolled over to place a soft kiss on Noctis' forehead. Noctis stirred just a little and opened his eyes sleepily.
"Sorry I woke you," Prompto said softly.
"Don't. 'M glad," Noctis mumbled, draping his arm over Prompto's body. "How're you?'
"Better. Gonna sleep more," Prompto replied, brushing some of Noctis' hair out of his face.
"Good," Noctis said, pulling Prompto closer and nuzzling against his neck. "Was so scared."
"I'm sorry. It's okay, you can go back to sleep too," Prompto whispered, kissing Noctis' forehead again before closing his eyes. His heart soared at the happy, sleepy sound that escaped Noctis' lips; and soon enough he was asleep again.
Prompto dozed on and off all day, and when he really woke up again it was dark, and he was alone in the room. He could hear voices coming from the living room, and figured Ignis and Gladio must be there. He felt good enough to stand, so he slipped out of bed and made his way to the en-suite bathroom. Splashing some cool water on his face made Prompto feel a bit more alert, even though a quick glance at the mirror showed that he still looked very pale - well, more than usual, at least.
Stepping back into the room, he grabbed a t-shirt from a drawer - keeping some of his stuff at Noctis' was definitely coming in handy - and he was about to join the others when Noctis opened the bedroom door.
"Hey, you're up," Noctis said with a fond expression. "How do you feel?"
"Much better," Prompto replied, smiling. "Was that Ignis and Gladio?" he asked, nodding towards the door.
"Yeah, but they just left. I'll text them later to let them know you're fine," Noctis said, closing the distance between them and wrapping Prompto into his arms.
Prompto relaxed into the hug, but pulled away a little when Noctis tried to kiss him.
"I don't want to get you sick," Prompto said reluctantly, upon seeing Noctis' questioning look.
Noctis chuckled and pressed his forehead against Prompto's. "Yeah, maybe we should have worried about that before I spent the last 24 hours cuddling you."
"Forgive me for not thinking straight at the time… I'm surprised Ignis let you do that, though."
"Well, he did tell me to avoid too much contact. And then I told him I didn't care," Noctis whispered, smirking as he eventually managed to catch Prompto's lips.
Prompto sighed into the kiss - it really did feel nice, after all - and let himself enjoy his boyfriend's warmth for a little while.
"You brat," Prompto chuckled as they pulled away.
"Yeah, I love you too," Noctis retorted, earning himself an eyeroll. "Can you eat something? Ignis left some stuff he said should be easy to digest, and... Right, he also gave me more medicine for you."
"Hmm, I guess I could eat a little," Prompto replied, slowly stepping out of Noctis' arms.
"Ok, then- just get back into bed, I'll bring everything over and we can watch something," Noctis said as he disappeared into the living room.
Trays and empty plates lay at the foot of the bed as they finished watching an old episode of one of their favorite science-fiction shows together. Noctis had one arm draped around Prompto's shoulders, fingertips gently brushing the skin below the sleeve of his t-shirt, while Prompto's head was resting on Noctis' chest. When the end credits started rolling, Noctis turned the TV off and put the remote away on the bedside table.
"So, um... I kinda need to tell you something," Noctis said hesitantly, and Prompto just raised his head, looking expectantly at his boyfriend. "Last night, when your fever spiked and all, I kinda panicked so I took off your shirt…"
"Yeah, I noticed… But, um, it's no big deal… I mean, it's not like you hadn't seen me shirtless before?"
Noctis chuckled weakly, and Prompto started to worry a bit. "I… don't get mad," Noctis said quietly, "but I was in a hurry and all and… this got caught in the shirt when I took it off…"
Prompto's mind went blank as he watched Noctis' fingers brush his wristband.
No.
They had had this conversation already; Noctis wondering why Prompto never took it off, Prompto getting all weird and defensive, saying it hid an ugly old scar that he didn't want to look at. Noctis had eventually dropped the subject, telling Prompto that whenever he felt ready he could tell him about it; and Prompto had mumbled that someday, maybe.
Emphasis on maybe.
It wasn't really that he didn't want to tell Noctis. Prompto hated lying to his boyfriend or keeping anything from him. But his parents had always told him to be careful, to never show the barcode because that would raise suspicion… and that if anyone found out he was from Niflheim, he would get bullied and rejected by everyone.
Because of that, and because Noctis happened to be the freaking Prince of Lucis - a nation currently at war with Niflheim - he was terrified of what would happen if Noctis found out. Noctis was his best friend, his only friend, and so much more than that. Prompto couldn't face the thought of losing everything that he had now - of losing the most important person in his life.
Prompto realized he must have stayed silent a bit too long, because Noctis' hand wrapped around his own. "Please, don't be mad," Noctis said quietly, his voice unsteady. "You don't have to tell me about it. I just… I didn't want to lie and pretend it didn't happen…"
Noctis was probably trying to say the right thing, but it only fueled Prompto's guilt at having lied to Noctis for so long.
"I'm not mad at you," Prompto said quietly, his eyes fixed on his wristband.
He heard Noctis exhale next to him as his boyfriend released his hand and fell back onto the pillows. Prompto didn't move at all, still staring at his wristband as he contemplated whether or not this was some sort of sign that he should tell Noctis.
Really, Noctis was a good guy. Maybe he wouldn't throw him out. Maybe he wouldn't hate him. After all, Prompto didn't love Noctis because he was born a prince; he loved him because he was Noctis, his sweet and nerdy best friend. Maybe Noctis would overlook Prompto's origins as well.
But what if he didn't? What if because he was technically the enemy, he wouldn't be allowed near the prince anymore? He had worked so hard to try and be good enough for Noctis… what if this destroyed everything?
"Prom?" Prompto heard Noctis ask from behind him. "I mean it, you don't have to tell me. I… kinda don't see what could be that bad about a weird tattoo, but if bringing it up makes you look like that, I won't mention it anymore…"
"I wasn't entirely lying…" Prompto said quietly, his other hand moving to toy with the edge of the wristband.
"Huh?"
"I told you this was an old scar. And, in a way, it's exactly that," he continued, trying to keep his voice steady.
Noctis sat up again and gently put his hand on Prompto's arm. "Hey. It's okay. I don't need to know."
"Yeah, you do. I just… I was scared. I still am," Prompto said, feeling Noctis' eyes on him, but all he could do was stare at his wrist. Somehow, he knew he had to tell Noctis now, because there was no way people in the Lucian government didn't know about the meaning of these barcodes. It was actually a miracle that Noctis didn't know yet… and, well, if Noctis eventually had to learn what they were, Prompto would rather be the one to tell him.
He would just have to bear the consequences.
Prompto tugged at his wristband, slowly uncovering the tattoo underneath it. "So… This… You're sure you've never heard of anything like this? Even in one of your meetings?" Prompto asked, the strain in his voice noticeable.
Noctis moved his hand cautiously until his fingertips were brushing the dark lines on Prompto's skin, the gesture making Prompto shiver. "I… can't say I have? Then again, I don't always pay much attention to those meetings... But, why would I…"
"I'm from Niflheim," Prompto blurted out suddenly, before the lump in his throat became so big that he wouldn't be able to speak anymore.
Noctis' hand froze. "What?" he asked, his tone more incredulous that anything.
Prompto swallowed hard, and his hands gripped the blanket tightly. "Yeah, I… You know I was adopted, right? My parents they… I don't know why or how they took in a Niff baby but… Anyway, this , this is the proof that I'm not from Lucis. My dad… he told me they did bad things to kids over there, and that I was lucky… but that no one should ever know." He paused for a second, trying to catch his breath as he felt tears well up in his eyes. "I'm sorry," Prompto whispered, dejected, staring at the space on the bed between his hands. "I should have told you much earlier. I'm sorry... If… If you want me to leave, I'll understand." He closed his eyes as he finished talking, waiting for Noctis' reaction.
Noctis remained silent for what was probably a few seconds, but to Prompto it seemed like an eternity. Eventually, Prompto felt Noctis' fingers on his wrist again. He opened his eyes, and watched, a bit dumbfounded, as his boyfriend's fingertips softly traced the lines of the barcode. Noctis took his time, remaining quiet all the while; and Prompto's heart was threatening to beat out of his chest.
Prompto swallowed hard as he watched Noctis gently cradle his arm and lift his wrist. Their eyes eventually met, and Prompto was struck by how much love and affection he could see in Noctis' gaze. Then, time seemed to slow down as Prompto watched Noctis' lips brush his barcode, softly as first, before he placed a real kiss on the black lines, never breaking eye contact as he did so.
This simple gesture meant the world to Prompto. He knew Noctis wasn't comfortable with words, but to be fair, no words could have made him feel more accepted, more loved, for everything he really was. Prompto gave Noctis a weak smile as he felt tears well up in his eyes, and when a broken sob escaped him he quickly covered his mouth and tried to compose himself.
"Hey," Noctis whispered softly, wrapping his arms around Prompto's trembling frame; and Prompto only then realized just how stressed he had been when he let himself collapse against Noctis' body. He exhaled shakily, his hands gripping the fabric of Noctis' shirt, and he couldn't help the tears that ran down his face as the tension left his body. Noctis held him through it, rubbing soothing circles on his back and waiting for Prompto's breathing to settle down.
"Sorry," Prompto whispered against Noctis' chest once he was able to speak again.
"For what? For being born? Because I'm rather thankful for that," Noctis teased softly, managing to make Prompto chuckle.
Prompto raised his head and wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve. He was still freaking out slightly, but he was smiling. "No, but… Y'know, I just… I hated lying to you," he muttered, looking down.
Noctis brought their foreheads together and moved one hand to cup Prompto's cheek gently. "I guess I understand why you'd be scared, don't worry," he whispered, his other hand finding Prompto's on the blanket, fingers intertwining. "Though, did you really believe I would throw you out?" Noctis asked, and Prompto thought his boyfriend sounded almost hurt.
"Well, I… I don't know, I mean… I'm the enemy after all…"
Noctis scoffed and pressed his forehead further against Prompto's. "Sorry to tell you that, but you're not being a very good enemy. You've made me way too happy."
Prompto chuckled and felt his cheeks heat up. "You don't know," he teased. "Could all be part of my master plan."
Noctis laughed. "Idiot," he breathed out, and kissed Prompto's lips softly before pulling back, giving Prompto a warm smile. Then Noctis' expression became more serious, and he took both of Prompto's hands in his own. "Seriously though… Where you were born doesn't matter to me. You're still Prom. And, by the way, you know that one of the things I love about you is that you don't make a big deal about me being a prince, so… I'd be a pretty shitty boyfriend if I let your origins get to me."
Prompto felt warmth radiate inside his chest and smiled brightly at Noctis. "Thanks, man. You… You have no idea how much that means to me," he said, squeezing Noctis' hands. "Although… I wonder what the Crown would say, knowing the prince has a Niff boyfriend," he said teasingly - though he was half-serious.
"Actually…" Noctis said pensively, "unless your parents smuggled you into Insomnia, they probably already know."
"Huh?" Prompto squeaked.
"Don't look so surprised," Noctis laughed. "Adoptions are registered, and even though I asked my dad not to let them do it, the council probably requested an enquiry about you when you started coming around all the time," he sighed, then seemed to notice that Prompto was staring at him with wide, scared eyes. "Hey, you're still here, aren't you? So they mustn't think you're that much of a threat. I mean, sure, only my dad, Iggy and Gladio know we're dating, but if it really was a problem, they wouldn't exactly let you be my friend either."
"You… You're sure? I mean… What if they didn't know yet, and when they do, they decide that I'm not good enough for you?"
"Good enough?" Noctis frowned. "Prom, you're not good enough," he said in a serious tone. "You're… perfect, okay?"
Prompto gave him a small smile. "That was cheesy," he teased, trying to hide just how much hearing that meant to him.
"Never mind," Noctis said, mirroring Prompto's smile. "I meant it. Now, you still need to rest," he added, letting himself fall back on the mattress and pulling Prompto with him.
Prompto's head landed on Noctis' chest, and he snuggled into the warmth of his boyfriend, trying to relax. He slipped one arm around Noctis' waist, as Noctis embraced him tightly, placing soft kisses in his hair.
"I love you, Prom," he heard Noctis whisper. "If anything, I love you even more now."
"Really?" Prompto asked quietly, listening to the soothing rhythm of his boyfriend's heartbeat.
"I mean… You knew what could happen, and you were scared, but you still talked to me and became friends with me. That… That was just really brave. I'm not sure I would have had it in me if the roles were reversed, so… Thank you," Noctis murmured.
Prompto wanted to say so many things, that that wasn't true, that Noctis was the bravest person he knew, and that he was probably just more stupid than brave - but still, he couldn't help being thankful that he had mustered the courage to talk to Noctis as well, so he didn't say any of that. Instead, he simply snuggled further into his boyfriend's embrace, and closed his eyes. "Thanks, Noct," he whispered. "Love you."
He heard Noctis hum happily against his hair and felt his boyfriend's breathing fall into a regular rhythm as he fell asleep. Prompto was still smiling a few minutes later when he finally allowed himself to fully relax and drift off to sleep.
Just as expected, three days later it was Noctis' turn to be sick. Prompto remained by his side the whole time - to Ignis' greatest joy, as he would have rather had Prompto face the difficult task to get a sick Noctis to eat anything relatively healthy than have to do it himself.
Maybe Noctis whined and complained a lot about the horrible food and about how he was feeling perfectly fine and didn't need to eat it; but whenever Prompto tried to apologize for getting him sick, Noctis would simple snuggle close and kiss his wrist, claiming it was all worth it.
And maybe, for once, Prompto chose to let himself believe it.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this sweet little thing! My next fills for Promptis Week will be posted in A Thousand Words like before.
I have so many questions about who knew about Prompto - I might write a fic related to his episode to exorcise it all.
Feel free to scream at me on Tumblr yuneyn and Twitter Yuneyn_ about those two, they may or may not have ruined my life^^
