*Spoiler warner for Chapter 1*

This first chapter is an interpretation of the events shown in Final Fantasy XV, and shows where I come from with my understanding of Prompto's upbringing. This chapter does not have to be read to understand the rest of the story. So please quick ahead if you do not want the game spoiled!

The real Noctis x Prompto part starts in Chapter 2 anyway. Chapter 1 and the in between events leading up to Chapter 2 will be worked on upon request. Greater detail will be added also over time along with touch ups on ideas I'm currently wavering with. Anyway enjoy!

Ever since escaping Nifilheim Prompto has always wanted to find somewhere he felt he belonged. His position in the empire wasn't one, looking back now, he believed a child of his age should be doing. It was hard having to use the spare corners in the MT factory as his play areas, and even then, there was no escaping from the screams. Beasts being injected with the toxins was foul but bearable, but when the tests were moved to people, it became almost unbearable for a young Prompto to even stand. It was only his father's prescense there that stopped him from really wanting to run away. That was until he was called into one of the laboratories.

His father often told him not to enter them, so the boy was cautious when he was asked to hold out his right arm into the machine. "It's just a little scratch," was what he was told just before he winced and withdrew his arm out. In the centre of his wrist were a series of black lines, similar to barcodes he had seen on the back of packaging he occasionally saw the soldiers bring into the facility. Prompto stared at it. He didn't like the way it was so obvious against his skin. He was worried father might see it and give him a scolding for being in a restricted area.

"It's just a little mark," the man said who had led him to the machine, "it won't be there for long."

"It looks ugly," Prompto frowned and rubbed at it with his left thumb, "what if father sees? He told me I ain't allowed up 'ere."

"Oh, I don't think he'll mind at all. You see, he was the one who asked that you got it."

"But he told me I shouldn't interef..." Prompto stammered. He felt weird, he wanted to get out and go back to the small Chocobo figure he left.. was it in the left corridor or the right one?... his mind was racing ahead. The man grabbed him, forcing him into one of the small glass chambers that lined the edge of the lab - the ones he had seen the MTs placed into - he was going to suffocate - he needed air - this didn't have air. He tried screaming but he went numb. He was only small, only thin and frail. He banged on the glass and hoped one of the other researchers in the room would notice - none did.

He felt a sharpness in his back and screamed. Nobody could hear him. Nobody cared to listen. Then the release began, it was tentative at first, delicate, testing out his body. Then the liquid flowed. He knew what this was. It was daemon poison. He saw it get put into the other people. It made them change. Was he going to change? He felt his muscles spasm and he fell forward against the glass container. Purple filled his vision, but what he could see, just about see, was the distance face of a smiling father - a smiling Verstael.

"SYSTEM BREACH. SYSTEM BREACH. OUTER DOORS CLOSING."

The lights changed to a whirring red and the sirens began to flare. It was a system he'd seen activated several times whilst he's been at the research facility, so he of course, initially ignored it. It was often used in the cases of accidental alarm releases. The emergency buttons were always easy to press.

"Oi mister.. wake up!"

Prompto was roused by the voice, and realised that he was was lying on the floor of the lab, surrounded by small specks of glass. He looked up, and saw a young woman. Her eyes seemed bruised and heavy, her arms were thin, containing nothing but bone and skin. She looked like the people who are days away before they change.

"Oh.. thank the Six you woke up.. not everyone I've tried to move got up."

"Wha... happene'?" Prompto managed to mumble.

"I don't really know, ya see, the alarms went off and erry'one started to run. I wasn't in my tube so I started tryna wake everyone up. We gotta go whilst we can."

"Go where?"

"Out silly, c'mon."

The woman reached for Prompto's hand and pulled him up. From there she dragged the six year old boy through the facility. He wanted to interject, he had never seen the world outside the facility and wasn't sure what it could be like but the woman never gave him enough time to question. Soon he was in sunlight, and he ran forward into it. The brightness was overwhelming, and as his eyes adjusted, he turned around to find the woman still stood in the entrance of the facility.

"'Tis okay, you can come out." Prompto held his hand out for the woman but she backed away into the shadows further.

"I.. I can't. The daemon poison... it hurts me" she whispered, a near sobbing could be heard in the tone of her voice.

"You're not a daemon. You're still a person." Prompto put on his best brave voice. He was never really brave. Brave were for other people, like the generals in the military. They were always so brave.

"I'm sorry. Just go, go! Go before you can't leave either." She urged.

"I don't know where..."

"Go to the Crown City, go to Lucis."

"Why? Father always talked badly about them, it isn't safe."

"Prompto... he took you from me, they stole you, they want you for the new MT army. I was in their way... I didn't believe it was right... go before they get you"

Prompto took heed to the woman's word. He ran out of Nifilheim and managed to board the train that took him to the quay, from there, he snuck onto a Lucis-bound boat and found his way into Lucis. Many hitchhikes later, he found himself in the city square. It took a lot for a child as young as Prompto, but eventually, he managed to find someone with a spare room to lend. A desperate Prompto moved in and once settled, signed himself up for school. The events that took place in his early childhood scarred him, and Prompto took too binge eating to make the bad feelings go away.

At school, Prompto was inspired by Lunafreya Nox Fleuret's belief in him to be a good friend to Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince of Lucis, that made him finally decide now is the time to start losing weight.

This story picks up right after Prompto first talks to Noctis after his weight loss journey, his introduction to Gladiolus and Ignis, and his new found growing affections for Noctis. Prompto took so many milestones through his life, and his only regret throughout it all is.

Why did that woman say all those things that day?