Notes&Comments:

Written for promptisfanweek, Day 3: Good Enough / Favorite Trope

When I first thought about this, I came up with the the sentence "He was good enough for me" and that would have been too sad in either combination, so I didn't know what to do with this at first. Favorite Trope was fairly easy though, so that's what I went with. Some of the parts here mentioned will be cleared up a little more in tomorrow's submission though. ;D I also added in some of the other themes here, like 'realization', 'ten years later', 'fairy tale' and I don't know what, but this is for Favorite Trope: No one dies and they live happily ever after.

Prompto watched from the sidelines, two and a half steps behind his husband, eyes scanning over the crowd, both in fond appreciation for the masses that had gathered to hear their king's speech to start the festivities for the Light Festival, as well as in careful alertness. Sure, Noctis had worked hard to appeal to everyone, but there were always people who didn't like the government. Times were peaceful, but both the king as well as most people that were alive remembered a time when every step could have been your last, dangers lurking in the dark that was endless at that time. Thankfully a new generation was growing that knew nothing about these dangers. A generation that only knew peace between all lands of Eos.

He smiled, the weight of the the tattoo on his right wrist not so unbearable anymore. Sure, it's been ages since he had gotten closure on that one, most of the other poor clones dead by now, relieved from their suffering with the Starscrouge that had infected them with daemon blood to make them stronger. He was the only one left, because he was he was 'failure'.

His eyes fell to the back of Noctis' head, smiling fondly as Noctis' eyes roamed the masses with just as fond a smile. There were days when he hated getting out of the bed and do kingly stuff, but on days like these, when he could get to see the people of Eos, he looked the happiest Prompto had ever seen him.

Well, except for their wedding day, but that was a whole different situation and didn't count. That one had been special.

Prompto's smile grew into a grin when Noctis blew kisses to the crowd and they started cheering loudly. His husband, the king, was silly like that. But at least it meant that he was going to come back inside soon.

One last wave and Noctis turned around, stepping past the heavy doors back into the Citadel. Prompto made sure one last time that everything was okay before he turned around himself and followed his husband.

"Hm... I still can't decide what's better," he said, trying to lighten the mood between them.

"Hm? What do you mean? Tenebrae needed a new government, their-"

"Sleeping Beauty or Snow White," Prompto interrupted before Noctis could go on one of his political rants, the ones he had hated so much when his father had done them.

"Oh."

Prompto grinned.

"You're still thinking about that ? How long has it been?"

"It was in high school that you gave me the fairy tale collection, so it's been at least more than ten years, " Prompto supplied with a laugh, still grinning. "Which makes me lean towards Sleeping Beauty, because you were asleep for ten years. Thank god it wasn't one hundred, I'm pretty sure none of us would have been around then."

"Don't say such things," Noctis replied, his face turning into a pained mask. He still didn't like to think of the ten years that he had spent gathering magic and remembering.

"See, but I'm also thinking Snow White here, because you were trapped in the crystal, which was kind of like a glass coffin. Not that we built that for you-"

"So you're the seven dwarves now? You, Gladio, Ignis... that's just three?"

"But there's also Talcott, Aranea, and Cidney and, well, Cor, too. That's at least seven, but there are so many more people who you were this close to."

"I know," Noctis smiled, his hand reaching out to entwine their fingers as they walked down to the big hall with the remodeled throne room so that they could go outside and join the festivities soon. "But there's only you who knows all of me."

"Mhm... You see, that's what I kinda don't like about these fairy tales," Prompto said and tilted his head as he led them to the small dressing room nearby so that they could slip into civilian clothes. "Both Snow White and Aurora, they've been asleep and only woke up because of their true love's kiss, or rather, the kiss of some stranger. There are no records whatsoever that Snow White knew that prince before he came across her and the mourning dwarves. Same with Sleeping Beauty. Aurora and the castle's staff had been asleep for a hundred years, no one outside survived that, except for the witches who are immortal. And the prince was decidedly no immortal."

"You're irked because those were... blind dates?" Noctis asked, trying to wrap his head around his husband's rant.

"Yeah... Basically," Prompto sighed, shoulders slumping as he stopped walking and started to help Noctis out of his regal coat before he worked off his own heavy crownsguard coat. "I mean, it's romantic to think about meeting your soulmate like that, but... You got to know the guy you're marrying right? What if he turns out to be an asshole?"

"Guess you're more a fan of the 'friends to lovers' trope, huh?" Noctis teased, making sure to hang his jet black shirt so that it wouldn't get any more wrinkles. He cared about his own staff too much to cause them more trouble than he already was.

"You could say so. I mean, in the original version of Rapunzel, the prince came over many times and they spend a lot of time together. And the witch wouldn't have known if not for the fact that Rapunzel eventually gave birth to a baby. That was when she was enraged and blinded the prince so that he almost got lost on his way home to the castle from the hidden tower."

Noctis stopped moving, halfway into his t-shirt. Prompto's eyes fell to his scars, and while he was used to the sight of them, his eyes were always drawn to the large gash in the middle of his chest.

"I didn't know it was that harsh. The Disney version was... entirely different."

"That's not the first time. Fairy tales were originally scary stories to tell kids so that they behaved. Over the years, they were changed and romanticized... The versions in the book you gave me might not even be the originals, but they're the oldest versions that we know because some guys sat down and wrote them all up. Disney turned them into modern versions when they could, and, um, made them more... suitable for children?"

"Figures. Wouldn't want to take my kid to a fairy tale movie that's more like a horror movie," Noctis said and shivered. He still wasn't fond of those kinds of movies, even - or especially - after all that had happened to him.

"Tell me about it," Prompto sighed. Horror movies didn't scare him as much as they did when they were still teenagers, mostly because he knew that they were only movies. Reality had been much worse.

He found his new tank top - present from his husband! - and smiled sheepishly at the words on it, 'I'm with beardo '.

"Is it really okay if I wear this in public... with you?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head as he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Iggy hates it but I think it's perfect. Besides, I got this," Noctis said and put on the baseball hat that he liked to wear. His new favorite t-shirt read "King of Fishing" and whenever Noctis wore it, he had what Prompto liked to call his 'dad smile' on his face.

"Yeah... two dorky shirts for two dorks."

"Two royal dorks," Noctis smirked as he took Prompto's hand again and leaned in to steal a slow kiss that held a promise for more later.

"You know, I always thought Ugly Duckling was fitting for you... but I couldn't say it, because I didn't think you'd take it the right way. But... the transformation you made from elementary to high school was just stunning. Plus, ducklings are cute and with that tuft of hair you always looked like one," Noctis finally confessed, his own smile sheepish.

"You think so?" Prompto laughed. "Considering that swans are fierce beasts if they're angry with you and even Gladio fears them, I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is," Noctis smiled as they stepped outside and mingled with the crowd.

Their first goal was a food stall that sold 'Sunshine Pancakes', which was just a regular pancake with cabbage and an egg on top, but Prompto had come to love those and so they bought one to share at the booth before they continued on to walk hand in hand. They passed by a ferris wheel, but when Noctis spotted a fishing game, he made a beeline for it, pulling Prompto along.

The blond had heard someone talk about his arms, how they were jealous that the king had such a handsome husband, and that they were still together, after all these years. It was something that Prompto sometimes needed to stop to wrap his head around himself, and then he was usually overwhelmed with happiness.

"You know," Noctis said as he held onto a new, shining fishing rod he had just won by getting the high score at that fishin game, "if you asked me , I still prefer Eugene's sacrifice over all that romantic 'true love's kiss' stuff. At least he had been honest and told Rapunzel how he felt."

"...you really love Tangled, huh?" Prompto chuckled, watching Noctis' cheeks redden. "But yeah, that's... probably the one scene that we can relate to the most, huh? I mean... You know I sometimes have nightmares of you sitting on that throne, with your father's sword right through your body in all bloody goreyness and it's too late, all magic gone and even the Pheonix Downs I've saved up over the years couldn't help anymore."

"Prom..." Noctis squeezed his husband's hand.

"I... like to pretend it's been the kiss that woke you up - and that's what I'm telling the kids! They love it, you should see their faces! - but you and I know it's only been thanks to... to so many lucky coincidences... The sword missing your heart, wedged right between your ribs just to miss any and all vital organs, we coming up there before it was too late, Ignis healing you and me kissing you, all that together was good enough to bring you back to life," Prompto explained with a smile that reflected all of the wonder he always felt when he thought about what happened. "You being here is... Such a gift..."

"Being allowed to be here with you is more than I ever hoped for, to be honest," Noctis admitted with just the same wonder in his voice. "I've... When I said I had made my peace, back then, I meant it. I thought that was just... good enough. That I was good enough for... that. I didn't think that I could do much more in life than fulfill whatever destiny I was assigned to fulfill. There was... there was only one moment, when I wanted to do more, when I wanted to be that bigger person everyone always saw in me."

"Zegnautus Keep," Prompto breathed, staring at Noctis' cheeks that darkened as he tried to hide his face behind the cap. All these years that he had been king and it was still embarrassing to him to talk about his deepest feelings.

"I meant it when I said I wanted to break down the borders... Come together as one nation."

"I remember that," Prompto chuckled. "I was in such a bad shape then-"

"I know," Noctis said quickly, gaze hardening against his will.

"-but those words gave me new life. I was so proud of you... My heart skipped a beat or two and I felt light-headed-"

"I get it!" Noctis laughed. "No need to get overly dramatic on me. I know you had a crush on me back then."

"More than that," Prompto laughed. "I guess that was the moment when I realized I was so madly in love with you... but that could have been because you came to rescue me and I was so very thankful."

"Geez, good to know that you only married me because I saved you."

"Don't forget Eos. I also married you because you saved all of Eos and brought back the sun," Prompto smirked, not even missing a beat.

"Ass," Noctis snorted.

"You love my ass," Prompto retorted with a giddy giggle.

"That I do," Noctis joined the giggle with a boisterous laugh that had some heads turned at them. "And the rest of you as well."

"Me too. I love you so much, my king."

"Hm... I like the sound of that coming from you. Better than Snow White or Sleeping Beauty anyway," Noctis huffed. "Never liked that anyway, because it wasn't me."

"Oh? Well, I guess there are more times when I can call you 'my king', your majesty."

"Stop it," Noctis chuckled, but Prompto could see the tips of his ears turning red.

Oh, yeah, that was something he was going to try out later in bed.